Early Access: A Time Called You E1-2 (Patreon)

E1-2. So even though this is just the beginning of my watch, I already feel like I've been on a rollercoaster, with this show.

Let me explain (partly because I just want to let you know where I'm coming from, and partly because I think it's important context that informs how I'm interacting with this show).

You guys know that I have big, deep love for Someday Or One Day, which is the source material for this show.

When this k-remake was first announced, I was pretty upset with the casting of Ahn Hyo Seop, because I was convinced that he didn't have the acting range required for the role of the male lead.

And thennn. I watched Dr. Romantic 3, where Ahn Hyo Seop had some very difficult scenes, and he did really well in them, and I decided that he must have more range than I'd given him credit for, and my feelings about him being cast, promptly neutralized. 😁

That's one mini rollercoaster, by itself.

Then I recently rewatched about half of Someday Or One Day, in order to join the ladies from Dramas Over Flower for their podcast episode on Someday Or One Day, and got sucked into the show, all over again.

The feels were all fresh on my mind and heart - and then it came pretty close to time for this remake to premiere.

At this point, I'd actually gotten pretty excited for the remake, because I was legitimately curious to see how Show would treat its source material, and how it would all turn out.

But, I was also bummed by the trailers, that gave way too much information away, thus effectively removing the element of surprise for a good number of plot reveals, which had taken my breath away, in the original.

ALL THAT TO SAY.

Coming into this watch, I found myself struggling for a good while, to find a lens that would work for me.

Because, if I watched this with the original in mind, and did a comparison (like I instinctively started doing), then I'm setting this show up for failure, aren't I?

The original has such a special place in my heart, that I think upon it pretty much as lightning in a bottle; amazing and precious, but near impossible to recreate.

But, completely divorcing this show from its remake also feels weird, because this show wouldn't exist, without the original. And, should we completely ignore the original, just because a remake is now in existence? That didn't feel right, either.

And so, what I've settled on, for now, is the idea that I will first comment on the remake versus the original, in broad, vague terms, and then proceed to talk about this show as if I have a case of drama amnesia.

As much as I possibly can, I'm going to pretend like I've never seen this show before, as I write about it.

And, to satisfy the corner of my brain that just can't help but compare the two, I'm going in with the idea that these characters exist in a parallel dimension to the original characters that I know and love.

Also, thinking of the various plot twists in a similar vein as tropes, helps.

Like, sure, it's not new, but how well is it executed? That's a good way to approach it, I think, because this way, I feel like I'll be less likely to blame Show for not feeling exciting, just because I already know the workings of this story.

For additional context, at the point that I'm writing this, I've come across two main responses to this show.

The first is by viewers who are new to this story. Most of these people actually like this show a lot, and some are even indicating interest to check out the original. I think that's a good thing.

The second is by viewers who know and love Someday Or One Day, and are chagrined that this remake doesn't seem to capture the magic that they felt, in watching the original.

This is unfortunate, but y'know, I can't blame these people either, because, coming into this one, I instinctively started comparing too.

It was only after I made some conscious lens adjustments, that I started to have an easier time watching and enjoying this show.

And there, I said it - I do rather enjoy this one, so far.

Yes, it's not quite in the same way that I loved the original, but I don't hate it, and there are some things that go down more easily, in this remake, than in the original.

For example, I did welcome the absence of the cartoony office crowd, which was a feature of the original (and which is also a feature in almost every Taiwanese drama that features an office).

I've gotten used to the cartoony office crowd trope in TW dramas, but that doesn't mean that I didn't welcome the absence of it, in this show. 😅

Another thing is (and I'll limit it to just one more example, since I did say I didn't want to compare too much), I do think that this remake does a good job of streamlining information, so that it's easier to receive and digest.

This could be seen as a pro or a con, depending on where you're coming from.

I personally loved that the original dropped information in a somewhat scattered fashion, because that upped the challenge in terms of piecing everything together.

However, I do acknowledge that this could be too much of a challenge for some, who don't enjoy this kind of thing.

This show's more streamlined and straightforward treatment of those bits of information would be welcome by this group of viewers, I think.

And, if Show manages to make this story more accessible to more viewers, I think I should consider that a win, yes? 😁

On another note, another adjustment that I found useful, was thinking of these characters as different people than the characters in the original.

As in, I needed to mentally allow them to be different than their Taiwanese counterparts.

I've heard some grumbles that Si Heon isn't playful like Ziwei, his Taiwanese counterpart, and that this is an iconic part of his character, and why did the k-version not get this right, etc.

Allowing myself to think of Si Heon as a completely different character than Ziwei, really helped a lot, because this way, he has permission in my mind, to be as playful or not playful as he desires.

And similarly for our other main characters too. Does that make sense?

Alright, now that I've given you my very long spiel, let me attempt to talk about these first two episodes. 😅

Coming into this one, I do have to say, this show is very pretty to look at.

The intense Spring palette is very pretty, and when combined with actual scenery, like pink blossoms amid greenery, it really, really pops with Pretty.

I have no aversion to Pretty, so this is quite welcome, in my books.

I have to admit that I did feel that our main trio don't actually look like high-schoolers, particularly when they're not in uniform, but I'm trying to reason with myself that that's likely because I've seen all 3 actors play adult characters multiple times, and so that's probably why it's jarring to my eyes, to see them play high schoolers.

I do think that I'll get used to it soon, plus, it really helps when I see them in uniform; that does seem to help age them down.

I also like how Show quickly establishes that Si Heon and In Gyu are really close friends, and that Si Heon's a proactive wingman who wants to help In Gyu make an impression on Min Ju, whom he clearly likes.

That immediately makes Si Heon likable in my books, because he's being as helpful as he can, to his bestie, and seems genuinely invested in his best friend's happiness.

I also like the fact that Si Heon remembers Min Ju from their class, even though she's so quiet that even their own homeroom teacher doesn't remember that Min Ju's in his class.

This makes me feel like Si Heon's a kind and observant person, who has a heart for underdogs, particularly when seen in the context (which we learn later on) of how he'd befriended In Gyu, back when In Gyu had felt most rejected and ostracized by the other kids.

However, it definitely looks like In Gyu isn't comfortable with how Si Heon keeps pushing him and Min Ju together.

I think it's partly that he's embarrassed, and I think it's also partly because, over time, he can tell that the person that Min Ju's drawn to, is Si Heon.

That aside, though, I do like the idea of the three of them becoming friends.

After all, without Si Heon and In Gyu, Min Ju would have continued to be that loner whom nobody wanted to talk to.

That moment when Si Heon and In Gyu ask to join Min Ju at her table for the science experiment, was very heartwarming. You can tell that this meant the world to Min Ju, even though she doesn't say anything about it.

And, even though I don't like to think of myself as a violent person, I did get a stab of satisfaction when Si Heon beats up that bully, and warns him not to give any trouble to either In Gyu or Min Ju.

I also like the scene when In Gyu opens up to Min Ju, and tells her about his hearing impairment. This feels like an important moment of vulnerability and bonding between them, particularly since, up to this point, it feels like Si Heon's been the one holding the group together.

I'd like In Gyu and Min Ju to form a meaningful bond too.

As for our present-day timeline, I can appreciate that Jun Hee's struggling to move on from her relationship with Yeon Jun.

Not only did their relationship not sour, he'd been a pretty darn sweet boyfriend, and he'd died in a plane crash, and now, she finds out that he'd planned on proposing to her, with that ring that he'd hidden.

I'm sure there's a good deal of guilt at play in Jun Hee, since she'd cut him off, while he'd been trying to hint to her about examining the jewelry box more carefully (which should have then led her to discover the hidden ring).

On an irreverent tangent, having just watched Ahn Hyo Seop in Dr. Romantic 3, I couldn't help but giggle at the déjà vu of seeing him fresh out of the shower, with a towel around his waist.

He'd had a very similar pose in a scene with Lee Sung Kyung in Dr. Romantic 3, and seriously, if you copied and pasted his image from each post-shower scene and put them side by side, you'd be hard-pressed to spot any differences. 😁

I have to say, though, that so far, there's something a little lacking for me, in terms of Jeon Yeo Been's delivery of Jun Hee.

It's odd, but she's going through all the appropriate motions on my screen, but somehow, I find myself failing to truly connect with the sadness that she's communicating, through her tears.

I'm trying to reconcile it by thinking of Jun Hee as a rather repressed sort of person, and therefore, she doesn't allow her emotions to show very much, but.. that's giving me limited results, at the moment.

Hopefully this will only be temporary thing, and I will feel differently in future episodes. 😅

As a matter of interest, although the scene at the end of episode 1 is very similar to the end of the end of Someday Or One Day's first episode, I have to admit that the way this show does it, isn't as impactful as how it was done in Someday Or One Day.

The reason for this, is that in this show, Jun Hee comes upon the photo of the three friends, quite a long time before the final scene, and so, by then, we already know that Jun Hee isn't the person in the photo.

Whereas, in Someday Or One Day, our female lead Yuxuan sees the photo right before the closing of episode 1, where Ziwei asks Yunru for her name, in the record shop.

That creates a mind-blown sort of moment for the viewer, because, in that short moment, we finally realize that the girl we've been watching in high school, isn't the same person as the woman we've been watching in our current day timeline.

I do wish that Show would have retained that element of surprise, because that would have been really fun for new viewers of this story.

This pair of episodes, we also see another version of Yeon Jun, and he's walking with a limp, and he's also grown out his hair.

I'm honestly not sure why they felt they had to give him longer hair, but on a shallow note, I just wanted to say that I don't care for the look on him. 😅

It doesn't look good, and it doesn't seem necessary to make him look like he can't afford a haircut.

Or maybe he's spending all his money on flowers for Jun Hee, and that's why he can't afford a haircut..? 😜 Sorry. I couldn't resist. I just don't see the point (yet?) of having him have ugly hair. 🙊

It's admittedly a very curious thing, that this version of Yeon Jun seems to want to hide himself from Jun Hee, and yet, goes out of his way to send her flowers on her birthday. Personally. Instead of ordering it to be delivered.

That's quite an odd choice, isn't it, if he's trying to stay hidden?

I do feel sorry for Min Ju, with how lousy she feels about her family life. With her parents fighting over her little brother, and not seeming to care about her, I can see why she'd feel rejected and upset.

I'm glad she runs into Si Heon and they get to talk for a bit, because having someone to listen to you when you're feeling down, is helpful, particularly when you're feeling like no one sees you, as Min Ju does.

But, it is also sad to hear that Si Heon's on the verge of leaving Korea with his family.

If I were in Min Ju's shoes, I'd feel a sense of loss, because she's just gotten to know Si Heon better, and here he is, telling her that he's getting ready to leave.

It must also feel quite disappointing, for her to learn that the reason he's hoping she and In Gyu will hit it off, is so that In Gyu won't be alone, after Si Heon leaves.

To Min Ju, who's clearly more interested to connect with Si Heon, this must feel like some kind of disappointing consolation prize, even though In Gyu's a perfectly decent person too.

It's sweet to see the boys celebrate Min Ju's birthday for her, particularly since she'd talked about her parents forgetting her birthday, when she'd talked with Si Heon.

But, when In Gyu picks up on the fact that Min Ju's shared a secret with Si Heon, and they have therefore had an important conversation in private, he's quick to back away - and that's how we have Si Heon sending Min Ju home, instead of In Gyu.

It's actually quite heartening to see Min Ju come out of her shell more, and feel confident enough to tell Si Heon how she feels about him, but, unfortunately, as we know, Si Heon doesn't feel romantically towards her.

I do appreciate his decision to be honest with her about it, instead of hedging, or being vague about it; it really is the kinder thing to do, in the long run.

I do feel bad for Min Ju, though, that right after being rejected by Si Heon, she discovers her entire house in disarray - which is what causes her to go running out into the street, to try to find her family, which is how she lands in the hospital.

How curious, isn't it, that she wakes up, and clings to Si Heon, while addressing him as Yeon Jun?

Has Jun Hee traveled back to 1998, via that Walkman, or is there something else going on? Stay tuned!

Next episode notes will be out on: Tuesday, 3 October 2023!

* This show will be covered on the Early Access (US$5) Tier *