"Love Transcending Fate, This Year's Best K-Drama Praised by US Time Magazine"

"tvN Drama 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo'... Disappointing Portrayal of Disability"

The American current affairs weekly Time recently praised the tvN drama 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo,' which has just ended, as "the best K-drama of the year so far."

On the 30th of last month, Time published an article titled "'Seonjae Upgo Twieo' crowns the finale and becomes this year's best K-drama." The outlet stated, "Although half of 2024 remains, any Korean drama trying to steal the title of 'best work of the year' from 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo' will have to make every effort," adding, "This drama uses a familiar genre to create a thrilling and unexpectedly touching story."

It continued, "Since it is difficult to logically prove a time travel plot that does not actually exist, it is foolish to impose the burden of realism on such a genre," but also explained, "Like all stories, time travel stories require internal logic and consistency to work properly."

It went on, "This drama centers on the unavoidable fate and various kinds of love that make one resist it," and "It presents a love story that transcends time and fate, utilizing three stories of high school, college, and workplace romance in the process."

However, it pointed out, "It is regrettable that disability was portrayed as an obstacle to be overcome or cured for a happy ending." The outlet analyzed, "In the first episode, Im Sol's disability was not depicted tragically but was used to reveal societal shortcomings rather than individual ones," adding, "However, this positive portrayal disappeared as soon as Im Sol began time traveling. If disability had been included in Im Sol's happy ending, it would have been groundbreaking."

Meanwhile, the 16-episode drama 'Seonjae Upgo Twieo' ended on the 28th of last month with a viewership rating of 5.8%. It is a fantasy romance about Im Sol, a passionate fan of the sadly deceased Ryu Seonjae, who travels back in time to 2008 to save him.