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A Time Called You Full Review: Ahn Hyo Seop and Jeon Yeo Been’s time travel love story wins some, loses some
A Time Called You is the latest mystery romance drama has been vying for the attention of the masses, and stars Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, and Kang Hoon in lead roles.
Name: A Time Called You or 너의 시간 속으로
Premiere date: September 8, 2023
Cast: Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, Kang Hoon
Director: Kim Jin Won
Writer: Choi Hyo Bi (Based on the Taiwanese series Someday Or One Day by Huang Tienjen)
Genre: Time travel, Romance, Mystery
No. of Episodes: 12
Where to watch: Netflix
A Time Called You Storyline
The show follows the life of a couple connected between different timelines over different lifetimes. It places the leads Ahn Hyo Seop and Jeon Yeo Been in double roles, while Kang Hoon takes presence in one of the timelines. The story starts in the present time when Han Junhee (Jeon Yeo Been) is deep in mourning the loss of her long-term boyfriend Koo Yeonjun (Ahn Hyo Seop) and ends up travelling back in time to the year 1998. Here she takes over the body of Kwon Minju, a timid girl with her newly established friendships with Kim Siheon (Ahn Hyo Seop) and Jung Ingyu (Kang Hoon). As the two lovers find their way to each other even in this timeline, a lot of back and forth takes place amidst murder mysteries that unfold. A Time Called You is the Korean remake of the Taiwanese drama Someday Or One Day starring Alice Ko, Greg Han, Patrick Shih, and Kenny Yen, which was created by Huang Tienjen.
Watch A Time Called You teaser
The positives of A Time Called You
Someday Or One Day had set the pretty high with the lively acting by the cast, a stellar screenplay and music that would be remembered for a long time. A Time Called You saw various cliques of people awaiting its release, be it the first-time viewers who awaited a sizzling chemistry previously teased by Ahn Hyo Seop and Jeon Yeo Been, or seasoned fans who were ready to plot comparisons to the original. It is no doubt that the expectations were high and this 12-episode release strived hard, maybe too hard, to reach an acceptable fate. What is undeniable, as we mentioned in the early review, is that the show banks on its aesthetic visuals for the most part as the cast floats through different timelines, creating distinct separations with the styling of the various eras. While it does get a little hazy for the looks of the early 2000s, there is a clear understanding of 1998 and 2023 which are the two main timelines. The added mystery to the show made it breathable in between moments of constant search for romance.
The negatives of A Time Called You
We cannot help but start off with the makeup and styling of the older Nam Siheon in 2023. Hair that looks like an ill-fitted wig and inconsistent five o'clock shadow in consequent scenes was pretty noticeable throughout. He seemed to have been given a darker makeup look with chapped lips as his 18-year-old self which seemed out of place and done just to make him look unkempt or younger. On the other hand, Jeon Yeo Been’s clothing clearly differentiated all her stages of life. It was her hairstyle which for some reason stayed a constant shoulder length even as she took on roles of Han Junhee or Kwon Minju, making it a tad bit complex to differentiate at the start of the show. Whenever she played the younger version of Han Junhee, her luscious locks enhanced her presence, and we think would have helped the viewers find a concrete understanding of her character if retained for her older self.
Actor performances in A Time Called You
Ahn Hyo Seop looks pretty consistent with his presence, pulling off various complex scenes with no iffy moments. It was only one scene where his explanation of meeting his own self from a different timeline at the airport did not go as smoothly as the rest of his dialogues. Jeon Yeo Been seems to have tried her best to juggle various personalities, instead of just the suggested two, as she walked through multiple timelines of her two characters. However, her efforts did not fare as well as the fans would expect for Kwon Minju as herself and in her own body, seemed more awkward than possibly intended. Her penguin-like walk seemed forced at times, and while her bright and bubbly energy as Han Junhee in Kwon Minju’s body redeemed her on-screen presence, it did go back to being flat by the end of the series. Kang Hoon’s character of Jung Ingyu was thankfully given more importance a few episodes into the show albeit it was not as much as we’d expect. He was pushed off into a smaller character with extremely little impact on the storyline. We appreciate the friendship arc between the three but not his need for sacrifice.
Final Review of A Time Called You
There was no room for a love triangle in the dominating love story of Han Junhee and Nam Siheon who surpassed many obstacles to find each other despite their fate. A solid effort by the makers, the show fell short of being a well-done remake due to a missing connection between the two leads and the third as well as the styling setback. Fans of the original may notice a lot of differences in the creation of defining scenes, with not many as memorable in this. A fresh set of eyeballs, however, would be able to appreciate the complex storyline fit into 12 episodes that allow for a refreshing show to set pace and stay enjoyable to the end.
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