Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born
정년이Checked and re-read
A 1950s story about a Mokpo girl fighting her way into a women's traditional theatre troupe, with a sapphic subtext that is the actual text for anyone paying attention. The casting is strong, the musical numbers are genuine, and the rivalry between the leads drives the twelve episodes better than the romance. The sapphic thread is kept as subtext when it has every reason to be text, and that reticence is frustrating. The back half is weaker than the front. Worth it for the performances and the period detail, less so for an adaptation that keeps flinching.
The 1950s were an era filled with desire and aspiration, despite the aftermath of the Korean War. Jeongnyeon, a girl with a gifted voice, embarks on a journey to become the best actor of gukgeuk, or Korean female classical opera, where she encounters competition, solidarity, and growth.
Slow start Episode 4, once the troupe accepts her and the rivalry has something at stake.
Where we recommend it
On 2 lists- Dramas like Castaway DivaStrong thread
- Dramas like Uncle SamsikSame feeling
Recommended alongside
All dramas →Taken from our own list for Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, in the order we ranked it.
