Nelly

"Once Upon A Small Town"
Completed: May 2026
Rating: 8.0/10

Throughout the twelve episodes,I kept wondering how Choo Young Woo ended up in this project? While the drama itself was decent, he was undeniably the stronger actor throughout. His performance as the new village veterinarian brought warmth and sincerity to the series, and at times, his interactions with the animals felt more natural and emotionally convincing than some of the relationships with the people around him.

The female lead,Joy as she is known, unfortunately, did not fully work for me. She only seemed to settle into her character much later in the drama, particularly once the dating phase began where she suddenly became more daring, expressive, and emotionally open. However, instead of strengthening the romance, it created an awkward imbalance because Choo Young Woo’s character often looked completely lost in response to her actions, almost as though he did not know how to react to this new dynamic. Rather than feeling charming, those moments became surprisingly difficult to watch.

That said, the drama still earns an 8.0/10, mainly because of the Male Lead’s performance and the refreshing absence of toxic behavior or unnecessary melodrama. Without those strengths, it probably would have landed closer to a 7.7, since the plot and characters were honestly some of the most underwhelming parts of the series. Ironically, the animals ended up being the true stars of the show, and the Male Lead’s struggles with them added a lot of charm and much-needed comic relief.

The story itself is gentle, slow-paced, and relatively uneventful, but after the emotional rollercoaster that was my last drama "Summer Strike" , marketed like a peaceful small town healing story before delivering thriller-like plot at every turn, "Once Upon A Small Town" felt like a calm recovery watch. Not particularly memorable or thrilling, but comforting enough when all you want is something soft, quiet, and stress-free.