365: Repeat the Year is an excellent show!
~ Please forgive any spelling errors. English is not my native language.365: Repeat the Year had been on my "Plan to Watch" list for a while, but every time I asked myself, "What should I watch next?", I found myself watching a different show. I'm not sure why I thought I wouldn't like the show, but I just put it off.
Now I've finished watching it.
I'm glad I watched it.
365: Repeat the Year is an excellent show. Characters you start to love and hate, a kind of "Murder Mystery" or "Who done it?" and plot twists and turns that would make M. Night Shyamalan blush.
I won't say anything more.
If you're unsure whether you should watch 365: Repeat the Year or not, then... WATCH IT!
~ Again, sorry for any possible errors.
Was this review helpful to you?
365: Repeat The Year — The Time Loop That Could Have Been Timeless
Some dramas are like finely tuned clocks, where every narrative cog clicks into place with satisfying precision. Others are more like IKEA furniture built without instructions—there’s potential, there’s effort, but somewhere around hour six you’re screaming into the void, holding a drawer handle that doesn’t fit.365: Repeat The Year is both.
This time travel thriller, based on a Japanese novel, opens with a premise that’s crackling with intrigue: ten individuals are offered the chance to reset their lives by one year. They accept. But soon after, they begin to die—one by one.
At first, it feels like we’re stepping into a tightly-wound mystery where cause and effect are more important than whodunnit. And honestly? I was hooked. But somewhere in the middle, the drama itself hits reset… into chaos. Let’s break this down.
365: Repeat The Year starts with a premise sharp enough to cut through my “I’ve seen this before” skepticism. Ten people are given the chance to reset their lives by going back exactly one year, memories intact. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. With each reset comes a ripple—a butterfly effect that begins to unravel reality itself. And in the middle of this chaos, two unlikely partners emerge: Shin Ga-hyun, a brooding webtoon artist played by Nam Ji-hyun, and Ji Hyung-joo, an easy-going detective portrayed by Lee Jun-hyuk.
As someone who thrives on a well-crafted time travel narrative, I was instantly drawn in. At least, for the first 10 episodes or so.
Watching Nam Ji-hyun evolve from the literal sunshine of Shopping King Louis to the tenacious and emotionally scarred Ga-hyun was a revelation. Her micro-expressions hit like emotional nukes, and her ability to embody such a starkly different role proves she’s a powerhouse in any genre.
Nam Ji-hyun plays Shin Ga-hyun, a disabled webtoon artist whose life has been defined by trauma, solitude, and an eerie perceptiveness that borders on psychic. If you’re coming straight from Shopping King Louis, you’re in for a shock. Gone is the chirpy mountain girl energy—in its place is a brooding, hyper-aware woman whose emotional range is stunningly restrained but razor-sharp.
Watching her in this role is like watching a volcano pretend to be a mountain. She simmers constantly, and when she finally erupts, it’s devastating. Her quiet moments hit harder than most screaming matches in other dramas.
Then there’s Lee Jun-hyuk, who plays detective Ji Hyung-joo—initially a carefree cop with an uncanny sense of justice. He enters the reset with a personal mission, but slowly and painfully morphs into a man haunted by reality bending out of shape around him. If Ga-hyun is the cold logic of this drama, Hyung-joo is its unraveling heart.
And when I say unravel, I mean it.
By the time episode 20 hits, his psyche is fraying at the edges in a way that’s almost poetic. Lee Jun-hyuk plays it with such nuance that I found myself more invested in watching him fall apart than solving the murder mystery at hand. The pain of remembering a timeline no one else does is rendered with subtle, aching precision.
Together, Ji-hyun and Jun-hyuk share a chemistry that feels organic and unforced. It’s refreshing to see a male-female partnership where romantic tension simmers just beneath the surface without ever boiling over unnecessarily. I would happily watch them lead a buddy-cop romcom spinoff—preferably one where no one resets time and ruins everything.
At first, 365 feels like it understands the delicate art of time travel storytelling. It sets up its rules carefully, like a watchmaker assembling intricate gears, and it teases out consequences in a way that makes you lean in closer. The butterfly effect here isn’t just a gimmick; it feels ominous, inevitable—like a ripple turning into a tsunami.
But then… somewhere around the halfway mark, the butterfly doesn’t just flap its wings. It gets run over by a dump truck.
Instead of exploring the consequences of tiny changes with nuance, the drama starts lobbing random chaos into the timeline like a toddler throwing blocks. Cause-and-effect stops being thoughtful and starts feeling like a plot lottery: “What if this happens? No? Okay, how about this? Still not exciting enough? Quick—somebody reset the writer’s brain!”
It’s like watching a chef start a meal with the precision of a Michelin star contender, only to panic halfway and dump ketchup and marshmallows into the stew because they think it’ll keep you on your toes. The resulting “flavor” is more confusing than thrilling.
At its best, 365 hints at the terrifying weight of choices and how even well-meaning actions can spiral into tragedy. But during the middle stretch, it loses faith in that subtle power and trades it for shock tactics. Instead of logical ripples, we get narrative tsunamis with no clear cause—and by then, even the characters seem exhausted trying to keep up with their own reality.
What makes it so frustrating is that you can see the potential. The bones of an elegant, mind-bending thriller are there. But they’re buried under layers of narrative overreach, last-minute twists, and a desperation to keep viewers guessing. Instead of letting its butterfly effect bloom naturally, 365 smashes its wings flat, tapes them to a firecracker, and lights the fuse.
The middle arc of 365 isn’t just bad—it’s an active crime scene. It’s as if the writers had their own personal reset button and used it liberally, hoping we wouldn’t notice their narrative whiplash as they scrambled to “keep things fresh.” Spoiler: we noticed.
What started as a lean, intelligent time-travel thriller suddenly swerved into a Madlib horror story, where logic was sacrificed on the altar of cheap tension. The once-tight writing began tossing out developments that felt less like plot twists and more like random words pulled from a hat:
“Okay guys… this week let’s make Professor Lee Shin secretly evil! And next week… how about she’s redeemable again? No continuity? Eh, the audience won’t care.”
But I do care.
It’s not that I demand realism from a show about time resets—but I do demand narrative integrity. If a drama establishes its own rules, the bare minimum is to follow them. Instead, 365 seemed to repeatedly break the very systems it had spent episodes painstakingly constructing.
By episode 12, my suspension of disbelief was on life support.
And then there’s Professor Lee Shin. Initially, she was written as this enigmatic figure—a possible mastermind operating in the shadows, someone whose true intentions kept me guessing. But in a wild pivot worthy of Saturday morning cartoons, she suddenly became a scenery-chewing villainess. She started spouting monologues that felt ripped straight out of the Batman rogues gallery, and just as abruptly, the writers tried to redeem her in the finale.
You can’t just yo-yo a character’s morality like this and expect me to still be emotionally invested. By the time her redemption arc rolled around, I felt nothing but irritation.
In any story—especially one as intricate as time travel—narrative integrity isn’t just important. It’s oxygen. Narrative integrity means this: once a writer sets up the rules of their universe, they honor those rules consistently, no matter how wild or fantastical the premise is. It’s the invisible contract between storyteller and audience. I, the viewer, agree to suspend my disbelief—to believe in your unicorns, time resets, or alien body swaps—as long as you play fair with the logic of your world.
Here’s the thing: you can absolutely tell me the female lead rides a magical unicorn to work every morning. I’ll nod, smile, and follow along. But you have to show me how she got it. Maybe she rescued it from a shady back-alley stable. Maybe she conjured it during a blood moon ritual. Fine, I’m with you.
But don’t wait until episode 15 to suddenly reveal that this sweet, mystical unicorn can fire tank shells from its mouth and single-handedly win a war. That isn’t a plot twist. That’s narrative betrayal. And that’s the flavor of whiplash 365 serves up during its wobbly middle arc.
The writers set up their own house rules for time travel early on—clear, promising, and grounded enough to keep me hooked. But midway through, it’s as if they tossed those carefully laid rules into a shredder. Cause and effect? Shattered. Character logic? Gone. Basic realism in the way police or hospitals operate? Tossed out like expired milk.
The result is maddening. For a story built on temporal cause-and-effect, watching the writers reset their own narrative consistency feels like trying to solve a puzzle where half the pieces are swapped for random Lego bricks.
This isn’t about nitpicking realism in a sci-fi premise—it’s about respecting the world you created as a storyteller. If you don’t, why should I invest? By the midpoint of 365, I found myself less immersed in the mystery and more distracted by glaring inconsistencies, my brain spinning in the background like a Windows error screen.
A great time travel drama feels like a Möbius strip—smooth, seamless, and endlessly fascinating when you trace its loops. 365, at its worst, feels more like a frayed rope you’re clinging to as the strands snap one by one.
365: Repeat The Year is frustrating because it’s so blatantly obvious how brilliant this could have been. The strong start and emotionally charged final act are sandwiched between a messy middle that nearly sinks the entire ship. It’s the narrative equivalent of eating a gourmet meal, suffering food poisoning halfway, and then ending with a surprisingly good dessert—but still wondering if it was worth it.
365: Repeat The Year is like a beautifully plated dessert with a soggy middle. The concept is rich, the performances stellar, and the ending packs an emotional punch most dramas dream of. But to get there, you’ll need to survive a dozen episodes of narrative confusion, character betrayal, and logic gaps wide enough to fall into.
I don’t regret watching it. But I do wish I could reset and skip the parts that made me question whether anyone in this universe has ever heard of backup, gloves, or common sense.
Still, that last time loop? That one was worth it.
If you’re patient enough to survive the mind-rotting middle, there’s a lot to enjoy here. But don’t expect narrative consistency or logical character development. Bring your suspension of disbelief and maybe some coffee-flavored Kopiko candies (because you’re going to need them).
Find the full review of this drama and other titles on byrei.ink
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Is indeed worth your time!
I didn't have very high expectations upon starting this series, but ever since it was released, I've put it on my watchlist. In my opinion giving a 10 to a series would mean that both plot and acting which are the major parts of the series (for me), are really good so i guess watching this series was a 10/10 for me. It wasn't too long nor too short, just the right amount of eps.Plot: 9/10
One of the things that has always bugged me about the whole "i would do this and that if i return to the past" scenario, is that usually no one thinks about the alternatives. There are very few stories that tend to alternatives like "what if i make another choice and it doesn't go as well as i expected it?" One thing that i absolutely loved from the very start of the series was that things weren't going as well as anticipated. All the questions that i had from the start were very well answered, and i was pretty satisfied with the major plot twists (like how the master mind behind the "reset" turned out to be someone other than lee shin, someone who was always there but was overlooked because they seemed to be the last person who would commit such heartless acts). The identity of the murderer didn't really surprise me, as the story progressed there were more and more signs hinting at them. I really liked how the characters were pretty unique and all of them had their own stories. I'd say that aside from hwang professor, kim sae rin was the most surprising character in terms of twist, and the good thing about it is that it wasn't a senseless twist. Sure, it would've been better to see more about each character here and there but it was enough for me(I really would've preferred if we had a more detailed explanation about detective park. His reasons were clear, but it would've been nicer in my opinion if they had explained his side more).
*Here's a question to mess with your mind :p : jo hyung ju didn't know about how shin gahyun was cheated on and since he returned on his own and he probably won't meet her in the same place as last time, there's a chance that gahyun would continue her love life with her fiance who was cheating on her. Do you think that she will find out about it? Even b4 the reset she had no idea about it....
Acting: 9/10
The acting was good for the most part, there were parts that could've been better though. (I'm talking about lee shin's actress) aside from this, nothing much comes to my mind
Ost: 6/10
The reason i gave this section a 6, is that throughout the whole series the instrumental osts were better in terms of setting the mood for different parts. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just that the other osts didn't really hit the spot. (But again, that's just my opinion)
Rewatch value: 5/10
Honestly there are so many series that i haven't seen yet, so generally i don't watch different series for the 2nd time, unless it's really good. For this one, the whole thing was good but not good enough to watch it again. I personally don't think that the twists would be as good to watch as the first time.
*I had a good time watching this series and I'm glad that the writer managed to not only answer our questions, but also keep it sensible 'till the end. If you like a good story with some fantasy elements then i recommend this series!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Interesting journey with a disappointing destination.
Very engaging to watch, with great atmosphere, quite good characters, thrills, suspense, fast and tight plotting--but ultimately disappointing.Throughout the show, I was convinced the whole thing will turn out to be an elaborate session of experimental therapy--like SHUTTER ISLAND with time travel, or some type of BLACK MIRROR scenario. There were so many plot holes, false or overly melodramatic notes that took me out of immersion, and a ridiculous lack of procedure for a police procedural-related story. All of which I forgave, thinking these are just hints that everyone is actually in some VR dream chamber getting forcibly rehabilitated.
And the ending turned out to be........... sigh.
Pros: an FL you can root for. She's strong without having to force it in anyone's face, calm and self-controlled, intelligent, resourceful, with firm convictions and a sense of who she is and what she is capable of. A decent ML to be her partner, low-key charming, brave, smart, and trustworthy. In fact, all the characters are quite well done, sufficient to evoke curiosity about their background stories and how they really died. And atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere.
Cons: The foundation of the story cannot handle serious scrutiny. The time travel doesn't make sense, it's handwavy and everyone takes it for granted (way too easily!), and we the viewers are supposed to, as well. The psychology of the killer doesn't make solid psychological sense. To enjoy it, shut off the brain and just go with it.
Despite the flaws though, I really enjoyed the journey, and can see why it has rave reviews. It is overall, quite a well done show. Recommended!
Was this review helpful to you?
Agatha Christie meets KDrama
𝗔𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆 + 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀=𝟯𝟲𝟱: 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿.Imagine being able to go back in time and redo the last year. What would you change and what do you really have control over?
10 people make the trip and after "fixing" their lives they start dying one by one.
I was pleasantly surprised by 365, from the writing to the acting and the way it had me engaged from episode one!
Pros:
☆No Romance!
You heard right this show has no Romance at all! We are not stopping the story to think "Who likes me?"🤔 No, instead the characters are focusing on finding answers because someone is killing them off! Thank you writers!
☆Smart writing and smart characters!The twists and turns in this show are so brilliantly executed. When reveals happen you noticed the clues have always been there!
☆ I don't remember reading any bad language they use the word murderer, killer, psychopath and that was it. Unless I missed it or it was edited out with Viki.
☆The acting!
Everyone did a wounderful job especially that one murder scene. No spoilers just that looked very uncomfortable and the actor did amazingly! The make up crew, the extras, the leads in that scene!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
(Everything was PG13)
☆The ending was perfect for the story and I loved it! Made me really want to go back and reread a bunch of Agatha Christie😊
Cons: None I really don't have any.
⚠️Content Warnings⚠️
(PG13)
Murder
Serial Killer
Death
Manipulation
#kdramawatcher #kdramas #kdramareel
Was this review helpful to you?
but if i had to give some advice a bit, the earlier episode (ep2-ep4) kinda give u a wrong picturing about the whole series and i kinda lose my interest at that point.. kinda survival game of time travelling and sort of killing ppl using numerating system sooo boring (like missing 9) etc BUT ITS NOT!!
starting ep5 till the end just WOW the plot twist in every episode just blown me away, everything just amazingly written and make sense.. i keep wondering what will happen next cuz the plots are UNPREDICTABLE, u are truly amazing writer-nim ^^
towards the end u actually can predict who the villains based on the hint given trough out the entire series but i dont think its bad cuz.. thats how the writer try to tell us.
AND THE ENDING MAKE ME CRY :) i really satisfied with the ending.. its sort of an open ending but idk, i kinda like how u can interpret on how things gonna change after that :)
p/s: the ost paris by murmur are my fav <3
Was this review helpful to you?
Never expected this drama to be SO good
I thought this was a typical and confusing go-back-time drama... the first drama I watched with same setting “time-travel” was One More Time of KMS, which made me literally hate all time-travel series ever, but when I read a comment which drama stresses you, “365: Repeat the Year second to Memorist” it got my attention, since I LOVE MEMORIST drama.Then it started to get my interest and never been disappointed to finish this drama.
This drama is not that typical confusing go-back-time series, there is more to the story!! I swear!! Although you’d be confused as to how they went back to time and why only their memories can bring to go back in time,
But the storyline was very well written and bet you’d point all characters to be the real killer when it fact it would turn to be the unexpected character
Just a pity that this drama is not literally a romance (which at first thought was—just like in Memorist) the romance is the thin cover of this drama but there’s a lot more once you dive into it.
I can say this is more about personal interest, not a typical romance but more like a brotherly hood (which ends turns very unexpected) for the ML and the FL will just tag along to the ML to have this drama a bit romance
But I DEMAND for 2nd season, as to where the ML & FL will be the main focus of the story and not like ML-and-brotherlyhood show because if you focus on how the ML and FL are related like they are both into their past and present but writer never dwell more to it, so I am hoping for 2nd season as to where the writer will focus on their new future
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I don't usually rate shows before completing them, but this hooked me in right at the beginning. The transitions, actors, BGM—everything was amazing. The plot is so unique and not a cliche like most other crime dramas. I have to say that this might be the first time I have never skipped any parts in a kdrama. It is fast-paced, so the boring parts are minimal. This has kept me guessing the whole time, and it's impossible to guess who you can trust. I’m also literally the biggest Agatha Christie lover, so plot twists every episode are literally my whole vibe
(It was enjoyable reading all the theories in the MDL comments every release—a rare case where I’m kind of glad I was watching this drama while it was airing—this seriously was a crazy ride.)
spoiler: I will say this though: The reveal of the villain wasn't that great, as in I just really didn't care as much as I probably should have (which was honestly a letdown because everything building up to it was good), but everything else was awesome!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
In One Word- S-P-E-C-T-A-C-U-L-A-R
At first I just added this drama to my PTW list hoping I would watch this or just remove it after sometime. But I don't know why suddenly one day I felt the urge to watch this drama.The first two episodes were better than I expected them to be. And it was good , I was just going with the flow of the drama. But you can never predict how fast some things can change. This drama gradually took a very wild turn attracting the viewers by involving the story of serial killing. Like what was I expecting! I expected that everyone would gradually die the death which was already written but this drama sure knows how to make a fool out of someone and make them feel entirely stupid.
I don't want to ruin this a lot so I just want to say that I suspected someone else to be the murderer but never thought that the person who was actually the murderer could ever be one. When I discovered who the actual murderer was, it sent chills down my spine. I never expected that person to be the murderer.
This drama was just like a rollercoaster ride- you know how it is but still you keep on feeling excited. You know that the end is near, but you don't how it will end. I am just glad I thought about riding this roller-coaster.
My only advice is this drama is never going to turn out just like how you expect it to be.
Loved this drama! Glad I found it :)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"365: Rewind, Reset, Regret?"
"365: Repeat the Year" is like a rollercoaster that time-traveled into a thriller convention and decided to never let you off the ride. Imagine getting a second chance at life—resetting a whole year—only to realize the universe plays very dirty. This K-drama delivers a twisty, edge-of-your-seat mystery with just enough sci-fi to keep your brain buzzing, and just enough suspense to make you paranoid about your own calendar. The characters are layered, the stakes are sky-high, and the plot turns faster than you can say “déjà vu.” If you like your dramas with brains, heart, and a side of "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!", this one's a binge-worthy gem.THE CHARACTERS
Lee Joon-hyuk stars as Ji Hyung-joo, a detective with a tragic past and a heart of gold. He’s the kind of lead you root for—calm, clever, and totally unprepared for the mind games headed his way. Lee Joon-hyuk balances vulnerability and grit perfectly, making Hyung-joo both relatable and heroic.
Nam Ji-hyun plays Shin Ga-hyun, a successful webtoon artist whose calm exterior hides deep trauma. Nam Ji-hyun shines as she slowly unravels the mystery behind their "second chance," giving us a strong, layered female lead who doesn’t just react—she thinks, fights, and grows. Her chemistry with Joon-hyuk is subtle but full of trust and tension, which makes their team-up feel earned.
And let’s not forget Kim Ji-soo as Lee Shin, the enigmatic psychiatrist behind the life-reset program. She’s cool, composed, and just mysterious enough to keep you guessing if she’s a savior or a puppet master.
Together, this cast delivers performances that elevate the already gripping plot. They make every twist hit harder and every clue more exciting to chase. If you're in for a thriller with brains, heart, and a killer ensemble, 365: Repeat the Year delivers big time.
Was this review helpful to you?
the drama is overrated
I was so excited for this drama, especially since its rating was so high, but I was disappointed. The production felt off, and the acting was okayish. The story was interesting but not executed very well. I pushed myself to continue each episode, as I was losing focus and getting bored. I dropped it at the sixth episode. In my opinion, the drama is overrated.
Was this review helpful to you?
