Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Our Beloved Summer, which has captured hearts worldwide on Netflix and stands as one of the most beautifully crafted romantic comedies about second chances, personal growth, and the complexity of adult relationships.
Our Beloved Summer premiered on SBS TV on December 6, 2021, and aired on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 (KST) until January 25, 2022, for a total of 16 episodes, with each episode running approximately 60 minutes. The series is available for streaming on Netflix and has gained international acclaim for its mature approach to romance and stunning visual storytelling.
This sophisticated romantic drama explores themes of healing, artistic passion, and the courage to love again through beautifully crafted characters and authentic relationship dynamics. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Seoul, the series masterfully balances comedy and drama while addressing real-world challenges of young adults pursuing their dreams.
The story follows two ex-lovers who are reluctantly reunited when a documentary they filmed in high school suddenly goes viral, forcing them to work together again despite their painful past and unresolved feelings.
When the Past Meets Present
Our Beloved Summer revolves around ex-lovers who broke up with a promise never to meet again, but the documentary they filmed ten years ago gets fame and they are by compulsion facing camera once more. The central narrative follows Choi Ung, a free-spirited illustrator who has become a successful webtoon artist, and Kook Yeon-su, a driven marketing professional who has achieved corporate success but struggles with personal fulfillment.
Years after filming a viral documentary in high school, two bickering ex-lovers get pulled back in front of the camera and into each other’s lives. The series brilliantly uses the documentary format as both a narrative device and a metaphor for how we present ourselves to the world versus who we truly are. As they’re forced to work together again, old wounds resurface alongside undeniable chemistry and unresolved emotions.
Choi Ung (Choi Woo-sik) – The Artistic Free Spirit
Choi Woo-sik delivers a nuanced performance as Choi Ung, an illustrator who appears laid-back on the surface but harbors deep artistic ambitions and emotional complexities. His character represents the creative soul who has learned to protect himself from pain by maintaining emotional distance, yet cannot fully escape his past or his feelings for Yeon-su.
Woo-sik’s portrayal captures the essence of a young artist struggling between commercial success and artistic integrity, while navigating the complicated emotions that come with seeing an ex-lover again. His chemistry with Kim Da-mi creates a believable foundation for their complicated relationship, showing both the comfort of familiarity and the tension of unresolved issues.
Kook Yeon-su (Kim Da-mi) – The Ambitious Perfectionist
Kim Da-mi shines as Kook Yeon-su, a marketing professional whose perfectionist tendencies mask deep insecurities and a fear of vulnerability. The character is portrayed as someone who is at an unexpected place in her life five years after a brutal break-up, having achieved professional success but struggling with personal relationships and self-acceptance.
Da-mi’s performance beautifully captures the internal conflict of a woman who has built walls around her heart while still yearning for genuine connection. Her evolution throughout the series, from guarded and controlling to vulnerable and open, provides the emotional core of the story and showcases Da-mi’s exceptional range as an actress.
Choosing Love Over Fear
The series reaches its emotional peak when Ung sets his sights on studying overseas and asks Yeon-su to join him, leaving her with a tough decision to make. The climactic episodes explore whether both characters have grown enough to overcome the patterns that destroyed their first relationship.
The final episodes don’t offer easy resolutions but instead present the realistic challenges of choosing love while maintaining individual growth and artistic integrity. The series masterfully handles the question of whether people can truly change and whether love is enough to overcome fundamental differences in life philosophy and goals.
Supporting Characters – A Rich Ensemble of Growth
The supporting cast, including Kim Sung-cheol as Kim Ji-ung and Roh Jeong-eui as NJ, creates a vibrant world around the main couple. Ji-ung serves as both Ung’s best friend and a successful documentary director who provides outside perspective on the central relationship, while NJ represents a new generation of confident, independent women.
The adult characters, including family members and mentors, add depth to the story by showing different approaches to love, career, and life choices. Each supporting character contributes meaningfully to the themes of growth, second chances, and the complexity of human relationships.
Success on Netflix
Despite disappointing ratings on domestic television, Our Beloved Summer became widely popular internationally through streaming on Netflix. The drama premiered with a promising rating of 3.2% nationwide and saw fluctuations throughout its run, but found its true audience globally through Netflix’s platform. The series has been praised for its mature storytelling, exceptional cinematography, and outstanding performances from the lead actors. The show’s success internationally demonstrates the universal appeal of its themes about second chances, personal growth, and the courage to love again, combined with its sophisticated visual style and authentic portrayal of modern relationships.
If you love mature romantic dramas that explore second chances, personal growth, and the intersection of art and love, Our Beloved Summer is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. This beautifully crafted story will make you believe in the power of healing and the possibility of love that grows stronger with time.
Our Beloved Summer delivers a sophisticated and emotionally resonant exploration of love, growth, and second chances that proves sometimes the best relationships are worth fighting for twice.
Series Details:
Number of Episodes: 16
Platform: Netflix
Rating: 8.2/10 (IMDb)
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Slice of Life
Main Protagonists: Choi Woo-sik (Choi Ung), Kim Da-mi (Kook Yeon-su)
Supporting Cast: Kim Sung-cheol (Kim Ji-ung), Roh Jeong-eui (NJ), Park Jin-joo