Drama Digest
Song Ah gets accepted to a music school in the same university she majored in business, despite her parents’ disapproval. She struggles in the new academic setting because she’s seven years elder to her classmates. One day she hears Joon Young play a classical piece that comforts her. Joon Young has been a pianist since he was six years old. He’s been friends with Jung Kyung who is a CEO’s daughter for a long time and is in love with her. As he starts to distance himself from Jung Kyung, he gets acquainted with Song Ah and their musical journey together begins.
The Feel-Good Part
The highlight of ‘Do You Like Brahms?’ is the complexity of characters in the show. Each character has incredible amounts of depth that shine through each passing episode. Each character has their unique struggles that are expressed well. The antagonists of the show are written well, which makes the conflict interesting to watch. The show is easy to get engaged in because of well the characters progress through each episode that reveals the facets of their personality. The series articulates the struggles of musicians brilliantly; it is hard not to empathize with their struggles as a viewer. The chemistry between the characters is great, their individual journeys are a highlight but the chemistry they have a sweet aspect that compliments their individual journeys. The aesthetic of the show is a stand-out; the cinematography is beautiful and compliments the university setting of the show quite well. The drama has a beautiful soundtrack. The use of classical music to further the plot is well- executed and is a breath of fresh air as it strays away from the typical romantic ballads.
The Disappointing Factor
The plot of the show is stretched quite thin. There isn’t much that happens past the halfway mark, which is why the story starts dragging quite a bit. As the characters develop, the plot doesn’t move forward the same way, there are no new plot points that engage the audience past a certain point in the show. The pacing is quite slow, which may not be enjoyed by a lot of the audience. The relationship between the characters doesn’t grow a lot, which is quite disappointing as there was great potential for development in that aspect. Some of the subplots of conflict are approached in a way that’s uninteresting. Additionally, the conflict often comes across as redundant, which makes the audience lose interest and feel like the show is pointless at times.
In-Depth Analysis
The show is more of a slice of life show that delves into the melodrama and romance genre. It’s very easy going as it takes its time to unfold. The setting of the show has a distinctive quality as music, youth and university is at the centre of the plot. It is a rare series that focuses on classical music as most Korean Dramas that have music as part of the story are usually about idols and the mainstream pop industry, it’s a refreshing change to see this.
Star Power
All the performances in the show are brilliant. They do justice to the complexity of the characters and bring out each layer of their personalities beautifully.
Overall Opinion
While this show might not be for everyone, it’s definitely worth a shot as it well-executed for the most part .
