Not Perfect, But a Whole Vibe
I didn’t expect much going in, but Once Upon a Small Town turned out to be a surprisingly cozy watch. The first two episodes felt a bit slow and the acting, especially from the female lead, was a little off for me at first — but by episode 3 or 4, I found myself settling into the charm of the show.Cho Young Woo as Han Ji Yool completely carried it for me — he was effortlessly likable, and honestly, I kept watching mainly for him. The countryside setting added a lot of warmth and simplicity to the story, which made it easy to relax and enjoy without thinking too hard.
It’s short (only 12 episodes at 30 mins each), light on side plots, and doesn’t try to be anything it’s not — just a gentle, small-town romance with a touch of humor. Not groundbreaking, but definitely a feel-good drama when you’re in the mood for something soft and low-stress.
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Short, Sweet, and Utterly Beautiful
"Once Upon a Small Town" is one of those rare gems that gently tugs at your heart without trying too hard. It’s a drama that radiates warmth, comfort, and simplicity in the best possible way. Everything about it feels sweet and soothing—from the picturesque countryside setting to the gentle pacing and the endearing characters that fill the screen with kindness and sincerity.There were no dull moments, no unnecessary drama just pure, wholesome storytelling. Each episode felt like a warm cup of tea on a quiet day. The chemistry between the leads was natural and heart-fluttering, and every supporting character added a unique charm that made the small town feel real and deeply lovable.
It's a healing drama in every sense soft, comforting, and full of heart. Watching it felt like a peaceful escape, and by the time it ended, it left behind a smile and a full heart. Sometimes, less really is more and Once Upon a Small Town proves just that.
A beautifully crafted show that’s short, sweet, and simply unforgettable.
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Don't you remember me?
It's a clean cliche drama with all the predictable plots. A veterinarian doctor comes back to his grandparent's village after such a long time just because of one emergency call. I know, you'll question if he's so close with his grandparents, he should've visited them frequently. Leave the reality-based questions out , only then you'll like the drama.This drama will give you cute love scenes, bickering, a second male lead syndrome (I don't know why they wait till the main guy appears), as usual nosy neighborhood and a second female lead from past just to drag the love story.
I'll rewatch it when a good drama ends, to fill the void with all it's romantic scenes.
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Simply Sweet
This one gave me Hometown Cha Cha Cha vibes - only it was set in the countryside, not the seaside. There wasn’t too much of a story to it which I felt was kind of expected.I liked the interactions between the ML and the other guy. The looks that were served were quite amusing. I also liked the Ajummas as they were funny too. The little children were sweet. The animals were cute - I liked that the ML was a vet. I’m curious though as to how much police work got done by the FL as she seemed to be more of a helping hand than a policewoman - although I guess there isn’t much crime to be committed in such a small town.
I don’t get why the FL didn’t just say, “hey, don’t you remember me?” to the ML. Instead she just got grumpy at him for not remembering who she was. I mean, it had been 15 years since they last saw each other.
I’m glad the romance only came about towards the end as otherwise it would have been very rushed for such a short drama. The few short moments we got to see of them together were simply sweet.
The ex-girlfriend business seemed a bit out of place, but as with any drama there had to be a ‘complication.’
-E
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet and Cute
I watched this drama with a friend and we both liked it. It's not a GREAT drama, but it's lighthearted and cute with a good cast and a happy ending. And all of that is what I want in a drama.For me, the downside was some of the townpeople. The ajumah women were literally characters that I groaned every time they showed up. I don't like to watch people bicker and that was basically their purpose on the show. It really was annoying and a big part of why I didn't give the show a higher score.
One of he best characters is the second male lead. I wish we had been given more scenes with him and the male lead because they were a hoot to watch together. But I loved how the 2ML isn't an annoying character or one that tries to cause problems because he's not getting what he wants. He was just awesome all the way through and I wish more 2nd lead characters were like him.
Overall, it's a cute drama and a great one if you want to just watch something fun and light.
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Hay que verla con ganas.
Los capítulos son de media hora, se ven rápido. Aunque notaba algunas partes forzadas. Pienso que al querer hacer un drama "corto" lo que es la historia en si, es rápida, eso es algo que no me gustó mucho.No es una historia que contenga intriga, si que hay alguna parte pero no es mucho. Es una historia entretenida, para pasar el rato si no sabes que ver.
Me emocioné en uno de los capítulos por la historia del animal y su dueño. Me sentí identificada en ese caso.
Me gusta la personalidad del personaje de Han Ji-yul.
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Good Enough
Korean Web Drama " Once Upon A Small Town " is a rural romantic comedy.The drama is predictable, yes, entertaining though. It has all the feel good vibes that one is searching in a short rom com drama, it has the right amount of drama and the even more perfect right amount of romance. The latter was cute, with few romantic scenes however, as the drama took its time to enstablish the relationship. The love triangle was okay, on the other hand, and offered some supsence with the main love story.
The performances, in addition, were all great by everyone in the cast, even the side characters.
So, overall, five out of ten.
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"소에, 되지, 사람들까지, 계획대로 되는 게 하나도 없으니까."
I feel like the most appropriate time to watch this sunny K-drama is a leisurely summer breakfast with a cup of tea. The 30-mins episodes and an easy-to-follow story about two young people - former secret friends - will be able to provide enough warmth and comfort for the day.🔸️The plot is entirely focused on the young veterinarian Ji Yool and a policewoman Ja Yeong slowly falling in love. By "entirely" I mean entirely. There are many authentic characters around them in the Huidong village but none of them have any influence on the main characters or an arc. That isolated romantic development falls flat leaving me indifferent to the ending. My favorite episode though was the 7th where Ji Yool and Ja Yeong give the opposite relationship advices to the kid, confusing him, therefore showcasing their differences.
However, I find the comedic beginning - how Ji Yool adapts to the village life and tries to treat big cattle - very enjoyable. Mostly thanks to the actor Choo Yeong Woo and his soft comedic style. He is never too much and has a perfect balance in his expressions. Basically, the whole show is his.
🔸️A K-drama in a rural setting with its beautiful landscapes and loud nosy ajummas is always going to be comforting despite its writing flaws. There are far better examples like Summer Strike, Hometown Cha-cha-vha, Our Blues, but if you look for a short sweet one with cute puppies and cute Choo Yeong Woo - this is it!
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Sweet and Fluffy and that's 100% okay.
I'm glad I didn't look at the reviews prior to picking up this series. I was looking for something new while I was on Netflix and thought why not when I saw the drama finished airing. I'm a sucker for small town dramas. I love Gilmore Girls and Home Town Cha Cha, it's something about a large cast and everyone knowing everyone's business. It's just a really funny set up.I really enjoyed watching the ML, Choo Young Woo, because I was use to his younger character from School 2021. He's 23 in real life so I was curious to see how he can play a 26 year old as a vet. He took to the role very well and I'm glad he didn't type cast himself as a high school student. I'm very excited to watch of this career and I hope he gets another leading role, but in a longer drama.
One of the reason why I love C dramas is because they have a bunch of cheesy, low angst dramas and you don't really get that in K dramas. I think that is why I enjoyed Once Upon A Small Town so much. It's just totally wholesome, funny, cute and a great drama to watch right before bed. You will sleep with a smile on your face.
The episodes are 30 mins each and there's only 12, so it really does hit all of the plot points quickly without filler scenes. I enjoyed the fast pace and typical troupes. You have the cute banter between the leads, you have the best friend with a crush, you have the ex coming back and so much more. I gobble those kind of troupes up!
Overall, if you want some easy, light and fluffy, this is perfect.
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Slow start...but the characters end up charming you
After seeing 630 k-dramas, I almost gave up on this one up at the beginning because of the clichés and the over-shy discomfort of our leads when they first met. But it worked. Yes, even the over-long camera focus on our leads faces when they try to to communicate. I remember the earlier days of K-dramas when this 'film trope' was used a lot, but I read an article in which a director explained that it was to bring viewers closer in, then hold them a beat longer in the emotion along with the character. This drama uses it almost in the same way, although today's viewer might not like it. Our leads stare at each other during conversation, their eyes often saying way more than their wordscommunicate.It's an old-fashioned story idea too: city boy meets a country girl. But clichéd stories don't shoot down a drama if the characters are interesting. I felt his social phobia was actiually endearing and loved our femal leads friendly, capable and generous personality was a worthy lead . The countryside's villagers are another tropey tie-in to classic dramas indeed, yet I foundwe gotsome nice country extras with both the animals and the children, who stole scenes even more than the nosy neighbours.
As for romance. The parallels among the three love relationships reflect each other almost to a fault and seem over-scripted ...but yet...it works. We get some fresh insights on how men and women think differently about managing a relationship, yet they come up with the same answers we all do in the end. Finally, the sweetness of Once Upon A Time...might seem like cheese at times...but when it comes to dramas...I like both.
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Enjoyable Storyline
It is enjoyable to watch a storyline where no-one is demeaning to another. ML and FL are on the same footing. He isn't a Bad Boy nor a rich pouting man. He doesn't demean or yank around FL. FL isn't a mumbling , weak minded female. The countryside and seaside scenery is spectacular! I can't wait to see what happens in the following episodes. It doesn't look good for the local nice guy, then again most of the romantic dramas are like that. I like where one has to go to get a good cup of coffee.City girl vs Country girl interesting. So far my only criticism is that Lee Sang Hyun is too nice. If someone took my girl I'd be angry, not nice like him. I really enjoyed this Storyline. I would recommend it to be watch. It's funny and make one yearn for the countryside. In the countryside one relax and forget the city and it's traffic , hustle and bustling life.
I will watch it again.
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