My Troublesome Star is a romantic comedy about a top actress (Uhm Jung Hwa) who gets into an accident and wakes up 25 years in the future where she’s now an ordinary middle-aged woman trying to figure out what happened to her and make a comeback with the help of a detective (Song Seung Heon).
Uhm Jung Hwa plays Im Se Ra. She was a top actress with a promising career. But after an accident lands her 25 years older in the future with no memory of what happened. She struggles to adjust to her new reality and find a path forward.
Song Seung Heon is Dokgo Cheol. He is a detective who knew Im Se Ra in the past and reconnects with her in the present, but he is unaware of who she is.
We then have Lee El as Ko Hui Yeong who is a popular actress and rival of Im Se Ra. Finally, there is Oh Dae Hwan as Kang Du Won who is Im Se Ra’s manager.
My Troublesome Star was such a delightful drama! It’s a fun romantic comedy with a mystery running throughout to keep things interesting. The show is kind of a throwback to old-school dramas in many ways in terms of vibe, plot, and tropes which is why I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really liked the flashbacks to the 90s which really felt like they came from a drama of that time. The 90s cast was great too. I also loved the fish-out-of-water trope with Se Ra having to adjust to the modern day in the early episodes. That always lends to a lot of fun shenanigans.
Then the mystery behind Se Ra’s accident and downfall played a big part in the overall story and added a nice more serious layer to things.
There is also a great chemistry between Se Ra and Dokgo. Of course, they are start out in bickering fashion, but that doesn’t take long to change as Dokgo really takes Se Ra under his wing and does everything he can to help and protect her. I loved the humorous banter between them that gave way to some very tender moments. The romance is more low-key, but it develops nicely.
The soundtrack is wonderful too! This is another area that is more similar to older dramas. There are just a handful of songs that are used repeatedly, and they even have an older style to them which really worked with the drama. I loved the OST and that it really created a great atmosphere for the show.
The drama does touch upon quite a few more serious topics such as aging in the entertainment industry and sexual exploitation, but it doesn’t go too deep with them, and the drama maintains a mostly fun and lighthearted tone throughout.
There are a few things to keep in mind with a drama like this. You’ll definitely find a few old-school tropes that many may not like. For instance, Se Ra’s character is given the “frumpy” treatment in terms of hair, skin, and clothes in the present day. It doesn’t always make sense, seems a bit extreme, and goes on for too long. You kind of just have to roll with it.
We’ve got a classic troublemaking second lead in the form of Hui Yeong. She’s awful in every way and pretty much just serves to cause trouble for Se Ra. Se Ra is also treated fairly bad in general for a while.
The mystery can feel a bit far-fetched at times with how many people are involved and the lengths everyone will go to. Another area you kind of just have to roll with. This is a drama to not take too seriously and just have fun with it.
My Troublesome Star was such a good time for me. I miss this style of drama compared to most modern ones. It’s fun and quirky with a nice mystery. The couple goes through a great progression with a lovely story.
The music is utilized well and enhances the overall drama. The show has a lot of heart and warmth too. If you enjoy dramas of old and can appreciate that style, My Troublesome Star might be a great fit for you.
My Rating: 8/10
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