Sh**ting Stars (2022)

Quick Take: Sh**ting Stars  (2022),  starring  Kim Young-dae and Lee Sung-kyung.   9.0/10.  16 episodes, 60 minutes each.

Synopsis:   Oh Han-byul is the pretty head of an entertainment agency’s PR department.  Her agency’s biggest star, and biggest headache, is actor Gong Tae-sung.  The two of them have a somewhat fraught history back in college days.  Now he is trying to win her heart, while she is trying to keep her own emotions at bay as she scrambles to clean up his scandals.

Review:  A solid romantic comedy.   The stars are good-looking and sympathetic, except Kim Young-dae seems to be over-acting a good bit of the time.  A better director might have been able to tone it down.  A strong supporting cast and a cute second-lead couple keep things moving.  

The credits make the pun in the title explicit. Animated shit drops down from stars and a small figure with a broom sweeps it away. Damage control is one of the main functions of the entertainment agency PR department — it can’t be fun.

Rewatchable - 3, Compelling - 4, Plot/ Story/Writing - 8,  Acting/Casting - 8, Production - 10,  Bonus - 7.   Bonus points for Lee Sung-kyung and some glimpses into how rumors and scandals are handled within the entertainment industry.

Notes:

Kim Dae-young

has been acting only since 2018. After appearing in web dramas and supporting roles, he was one of the main cast in Extraordinary You (2019), Penthouse (2020), and Forbidden Marriage (2022).

Lee Sung-kyung

began her career as a model in 2008. After some minor roles, she appeared in Cheese in the Trap (2016) as a main cast member. See her also in The Doctors (2016), Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016), About Time (2017), and Dr. Romantic 2 (2020) and 3 (2023).

Lee Jung-shin

is the bassist of CNBLUE, which debuted in Korea in 2010. He has been acting since 2012. See him also in Cinderella with Four Knights (2016) and My Sassy Girl (2017). He is also known for his photography and philanthropy.