Our Beloved Summer is one of the cutest dramas that you can enjoy without being bored. In a world where relationships and their ending are quite transient and tend to change, Our Beloved Summer tells a story of the timeless essence of love, growth, and healing. With a nostalgic tone, relatable characters, and stunning visuals, this drama has become a comfort zone for the viewers and left an indelible mark on the hearts of viewers worldwide. Today when I am writing this review, fans are celebrating the 3rd anniversary of Our Beloved Summer. And now in this article, Our Beloved Summer full review, I will try to give you a full review of Our Beloved Summer. Stay with me.
Plot Overview
The story is about two lovers who are completely different from each other. One is a bookworm and the other likes to do nothing. Choi Ung loves to sleep and is wasting his time because he has no goal in life. On the other hand, Kook Yeon Soo wants to be successful in her life because she wants to take care of her grandmother. When they were in high school, they were not so willing but were featured in a documentary film that shows the difference between the top-ranking student and the lowest-ranking student. While shooting this they came to know each other closely and fell in love with all their hearts forgetting their differences. But later Kook Yeon Soo broke up with Choi Ung without giving her a proper reason.
Many days passed, and they met again and this time they again were forcefully featured in the same documentary but this time as its sequel, because the previous one was widely loved by the viewers and they wanted to know what the chaotic couple was doing in their personal life. Through this documentary, they find each other again and they realize they never stopped loving each other.
Themes Explored
Our Beloved Summer deals with so many themes such as nostalgia, Second Chances, Healing and Self-Discovery and many more. Let’s talk about it in detail.
The Power of Nostalgia
The drama Our Beloved Summer skillfully combines past and present to evoke a sense of nostalgia. Drama starts in the present time when both Koon Yeon Soo and Choi Ung are doing well in their life, especially Choi Ung is doing great in his professional life. The story goes back to the time when they were young and were in so much love. Drama shows the purest form of love between these young lovers. This nostalgic turn of the drama actually makes us realize how time changes perspectives and priorities.
Second Chances in Love and Life
Actually, everyone I think deserves a second chance because people tend to make mistakes, no one can be perfect and flawless. This drama beautifully showcases the same idea. In this drama we can see Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Soo give their love another chance, which means if you genuinely love someone it’s allowed to give your life and love a second chance. But it’s also true that not everyone deserves a second chance because in this world some people deliberately hurt others and if you have someone like that then you should cut that person off and should never think about giving them a chance to stay in your life.
Healing and Self-Discovery
As I said both the characters are different from each other. Choi Ung is so childish and has no future goal. But after their breakup everything changed in Choi Ung’s life, to forget his pain he made himself busy with work and now he is a star artist, which completely changed his life. On the other hand, Kook Yeon Soo, who was very mature at a very young age also changed throughout the time. At her young age, she was full of herself and always presented herself as a strong-headed girl. But as time goes she learns to accept her vulnerabilities. She acknowledged the fact that there is no shame in leaning on someone.
Both of the protagonists, Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Soo undergo significant personal growth throughout the series and show us the importance of self-healing and how it affects relationships with others.
Character Development
Let me introduce you to the main and subordinate characters of this drama who together made this drama a meaningful one.
Choi Ung: The Reluctant Dreamer
The character of Choi Ung is played by Choi Woo Shik, who effortlessly portrays the careless and free-spirited nature of the protagonist Choi Ung. He likes to do nothing and that’s not because he didn’t want to, it’s just his insecurity but he made a remarkable personal growth. He accepted and acknowledged himself and his talent. He learned to overcome self-doubt and learned to communicate emotions openly. Which made him one of the most simple and relatable protagonists of Kdramas.
Kook Yeon-soo: The Resilient Realist
The role of Kook Yeon Soo is played by Kim Da-mi which is also relatable to the audience. She is so mature and confident but deep down she fears being judged. She is actually so vulnerable by trying her best to look strong. And to not show her weakness she breaks her relationship with Choi Ung whom she really loved. But later in the drama she finds her true self and witnesses self growth.
Kim Ji Ung
Kim Sung-cheol played the role of Kim JI Ung. Kim Ji Ung is the best friend of Choi Ung and also a close friend of Kook Yeon Soo. He is an introvert and his nature is so calm and shy. He is so loyal to his friends that he never expresses his feelings for Kook Yeon Soo. His role actually shows that it is possible to be lonely even if you have a bunch of friends.
NJ: The Star Who Yearns for Normalcy
The role of NJ is played by Roh Jeong-eui is a rising star, she falls in love with Choi Ung but deep down her character is more important than that. She adds a freshness to the story. She is so confident and cheerful but actually she struggles in her life to make genuine friends and to maintain the pressure of her fame.
Supporting Cast and Family Dynamics
Both the families of Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Soo (Choi Ung’s parents and Yeon Soo’s grandmother) played an important role in pushing them to find out their true selves. Also, their presence shows how families influence who we are and how we approach relationships. They always support us to build our lives in the best way possible.
Soundtrack (OST)
Now it’s the turn of one of the most important keys to the success of every drama because music is that magical string that connects the hearts of the audience with the storyline. The drama Our Beloved Summer is one of those dramas that has almost all the masterpiece and feel-good dramas. Here I will make it easy for you to find the OSTs of the drama by giving you a list of all the official soundtracks. Also, I will let you know the best one, the most popular one, one fan favorite and the ultimate masterpiece. Let’s start.
OSTs Shortlist:
This drama has a total of 13 OSTs that you can find easily on any streaming platform. Those are:
- Christmas Tree by V (BTS)
- Squabble by Ha Sung Woon
- Drawer by 10cm
- Maybe by BIBI
- There For You by Kim Na Young
- Home by Janet Suhh
- Why by Janet Suhh
- The Giving Tree by Kim Kyung Hee
- Summer Rain by Sam Kim
- I Will Make You Happy by Jang Beom June
- Even Now by Yang Yoseop
- Our Beloved Summer” by Lee Seung Yoon
- Red String Fate by Kim Kyung Hee
All these tracks are worth praising, it’s really hard to choose one to listen to at a time and choose as one’s favorite. Still, I will try to present each category of the best one, the most popular one, one fan favorite and a masterpiece.
The Best One:
Christmas Tree by V of BTS can fit in all this category so I am putting it in the best category. V’s ocean-like deep voice literally put a meaning to this drama that anyone can understand the inner longing of Choi Ung. His voice is so soulful and the lyrics are so emotional that it stands out as the best OST of the drama and even it can be labeled as one of the best OSTs of all time.
The gentle acoustic tone of this song perfectly summarizes the longing and the bittersweet emotions of the series that make it a global hit.
The Popular One:
Drawer by 10cm became the most streamed OST after Christmas Tree. 10cm is a master of OSTs because of his soothing voice. His voice delivered an extra charm to the soothing melody and heartfelt lyrics. This song is a perfect representation of nostalgic love which relates to one of the themes of the drama.
The Fan-Favorite OST:
The fan has a soft corner for BIBI’s song Maybe. This song is loved by the fans for its authenticity and capability to hold the emotional weight of the drama. BIBI is known for her raw and yet tender voice that creates an emotional depth to any song she sings and Maybe is not an exception. Her vocals make this OST a memorable one. The lyrics of this song explore the themes of doubt and hope of love that speak of hesitation and unspoken emotions of the characters.
The Masterpiece OST:
The Giving Tree by Kim Kyung-hee can be labeled as a masterpiece among the OSTs for the haunting beauty of its lyrics as it successfully portrays the reflective and emotional undertones of the drama. The voice of the artist Kim Kyung-hee is so ethereal that it gives the audience an unforgettable listening experience.
Our Beloved Summer is not just a mere love story of two young lovers, rather the story explores the character’s personal growth, the complexities of relationships and the beauty and necessities of a second chance. All the characters of this drama are so relatable that you literally can feel the inner turmoil of each character. Even if they smile you can feel their inner pain, you can tell who is actually happy and who is pretending to be happy.
The skillful storytelling, combination of different emotions, relatable characters, messageful themes and memorable OSTs together make it stand out as a must-watch drama for both the old and new Kdrama fans.
With all the qualities that lie in it, this drama strikes a perfect balance between laughter, tears, and introspection.
So I with all my heart will suggest you to give this drama a chance to be one of your favorites and give it a chance to make you experience a relaxing drama time. Thank You.