Drama Digest
Replay: The Moment It Starts Again is a Korean web drama about school friends who like to make music and end up in the school band. Gong Chan-young is a new transfer student. He falls in love with Yoo Ha-young at first sight. Yoo Ha-young and Lee Ji-hoon are childhood friends. Yoo Ha-young is the lead singer of the school band, and Lee Ji-Hoon is the band guitarist and the bandleader. Im Seo-Eun is the bassist and Ha-Young’s best friend. Shim Tae-young is the band’s electric drummer, and he is close friends with Lee Ji-Hoon. Gong Chan-young joins the band as the keyboardist. They all become close friends, and things go haywire when a love triangle blooms among them.
The Feel-Good Part
The drama gives off fluffy, cute, and light vibes. The visuals are no joke, and the OSTs are top-notch. It matches the vibe of the web series very well. The story is relatable to teenagers as it follows the clumsy side of the dreams and love life of the students. The sets and outfits are aesthetically beautiful. The editing is on point, and the web series gives warm feelings.
The Disappointing Factor
The series is short-lived, and the plot is underdeveloped. The storyline fails to create and deliver an impressible story in a short duration. The acting of the cast is average. Cho Mi Yeon should work more on her performance. It felt like she had the same expression throughout the series. There is no character development at all, and due to poor writing, the story is forgettable. There is no sparkling chemistry between either Chan-Young and Ha Young or Ji Hoon and Ha Young. The shift between the past timeline and the current one are poor.
In-Depth Analysis
Gong Chan Young transfers to a new school, and on the way to the school, he bumps into Ha Young. On the very first day at his new school, he experiences love at first sight. He is in the same class as Ji Hoon and Shim Tae Young. Ji Hoon is initially indifferent to him, but Shim Tae Young is warm and welcomes Chan Young as a new friend. Im Seo Eun is Ha Young’s best friend. These four are close friends and are in the school band. Ha Young is vocal, Ji Hoon is the guitarist, Seo Eun is the bassist, and Tae Young is the electric drummer. Chan Young’s classroom teacher suggests Chan young join the band as a keyboardist as he studied piano before transferring. Chan Young agrees as he is curious about Ha Young. Ha Young’s youtube cover of a popular song is a viral hit. She wants to make self-produced music. The band members do not want the band to be like any other school band, and they decide to enter a competition. They name their band ‘Neon Paparika.’ Chan Young and Ji Hoon come to know that they both have a crush on Ha Young. Ji Hoon doesn’t want to lose his childhood friend to a newcomer, and he tells Cha Young that he is going out with Ha-young. But Ha Young rejected him, and she is interested in Cha Young. Cha Young believes Ji Hoon and gives up. He goes AWOl for two years in the middle of the competition. Ha Young runs into Cha Young in a keychain shop, and they both get their hopes up. Cha Young still misunderstands the relationship between Ha Young and Ji Hoon and keeps his distance. They eventually find their way and get together.
Star Power
The cast includes Kim Min Chul from “Single and Ready to Mingle,” Miyeon from (G)idle, Choi Jisu from “Convenience Store Fling,” Hwi Young from SF9, and Marco from the Unit. It is the debut drama for Miyeon and Marco, while others are still rookie actors. We see Kim Min-Chul as Gong Chan-young, Cho Mi-Yeon as Yoo Ha-young, Kim Hwi Young as Lee Ji-hoon, Choi Ji-Su as Im Seo-Eun, and Marco as Shim Tae-young. The special appearances include Kwon Hyuk Soo as Lee In Ho, Lee Do-Yeon as the homeroom teacher, Jeong Hyeon-hwan as the workshop owner, Lee Gyu-ho as Im Seo-Eun’s uncle, and Jiwon.
Overall Opinion
The web series is doesn’t have a unique story you can hold with you for a long time. The acting is not extraordinary. It can be a nice short time binge-watch material. The OSTs for this series is superb. Fans of idols and rookie actors can enjoy the show.
