Star Struck Review – Few Sparks Here
The story of the 2023 Korean series “Star Struck” has the same basic plot as “Our Dating Sim”, except that the latter offers more story and entertainment. The following could serve as a synopsis for both: A guy is in love with his best friend, but when he finally confesses his feelings, he misinterprets the friend’s response and ends up ghosting him. What happens when the two meet again?
Directed by Park Sun Jae and Kim Hoon Gwang, “Star Struck” is spread over eight short episodes and stars Zuho and Kim In Sung as best friends who are about to finish school and become college students soon. Kim In Sung plays Seo Han Joon, the son of a single mother who struggles to make ends meet, so he takes on multiple part-time jobs to help out. He secretly harbors feelings for his childhood best friend, Jo Yoo Jae, who comes from a well-off family. The class divide leads to misunderstandings and tension between the two friends. An untimely love confession further drives them apart. Will they be able to reconcile?
Firstly, the title “Star Struck” feels rather random, and the writers try their best to downplay this fact. One of the protagonists enjoys stargazing, but apart from that, there is no substantial connection to the title throughout the series. It fails to live up to the expectations set by its name. Debutant Kim In Sung portrays Seon Han Joon with vulnerable charm, reminiscent of Lim Ji Sub, who played the lead in “The Eighth Sense.” However, Zuho’s portrayal of the hotheaded Yoo Jae comes across as excessively shrill and loud in certain scenes, lacking coherence with the character’s overall development. Moreover, the writers struggle to convincingly establish chemistry between the two leads.
The two protagonists engage in occasional fights, misunderstand each other, have more conflicts, misunderstand each other even further, and eventually have a conversation to resolve their issues. And that’s the story in a nutshell. The climactic tension felt rather abrupt, and the 15-minute-long episodes were unable to effectively capture the progression of this romantic drama.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
