Binge-worthy: Kim Tae-ri is the shining light in Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born (NC16)

Disney+ ★★★★☆

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born introduces viewers to the world of gukgeuk, a traditional Korean all-female musical theatre that was popular in South Korea in the 1950s.

Based on a South Korean award-winning webtoon of the same name, the period drama stars Kim Tae-ri as the titular character.

Jeongnyeon is a country girl who falls in love with gukgeuk when a touring theatre company plays in her town.

Against her mother’s wishes, Jeongnyeon, who is a singing prodigy, leaves home for Seoul. She auditions as a trainee singer with Maeran musical troupe to fulfil her dreams of becoming a gukgeuk star.

The first four episodes of the 12-episode drama have been released and the series looks promising, thanks to its compelling underdog story and stellar performances from the ensemble cast.

Here are three reasons to add Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born to your watchlist.

1. Consummate performer

Kim never fails to impress. The 34-year-old South Korean actress seems to like challenging herself by tackling a variety of roles, and has won a string of accolades along the way.

She was a noblewoman-turned-resistance fighter in Mr Sunshine (2018), her small-screen debut. Her follow-up was youth drama series Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), in which she played a fencer. She then transformed into a possessed woman in thriller series Revenant (2023).

It would be no surprise if Kim is nominated for – or wins – best actress trophies for playing Jeongnyeon, a firebrand with a gift for song.

The series is only four episodes in and Kim’s versatility is already on full display, particularly in Episode 3, in which Jeongnyeon makes her stage debut as a pansori (a traditional Korean form of narrative song and dance) performer.

2. Sisterhood, mentorship and rivalries

What is a K-drama without an antagonist?

Shin Ye-eun plays Heo Yeong-seo, a snobbish fellow trainee singer from a family of opera singers. Heo not only despises Jeongnyeon because she is a country bumpkin, but she is also jealous of Jeongnyeon’s natural vocal prowess.

The predominantly female drama boasts a stellar supporting cast.

There is Ra Mi-ran as stern Maeran head Kang So-bok, Jung Eun-chae as Moon Ok-gyeong, one of South Korea’s greatest singers and Jeongnyeon’s nurturing mentor, and Woo Da-vi as Hong Joo-ran, Jeongnyeon’s loyal sidekick.

3. Preserving cultural heritage

Gukgeuk was so popular in South Korea in the 1950s that its female stars were treated like idols. The unique performance art was lost after the arrival of television and films.

Kim said at the Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born press conference in Seoul on Oct 10 that she was surprised no one had done a drama on gukgeuk before.

The actress added that viewers could relate to it, as the fandom surrounding gukgeuk troupes was similar to today’s idol fandom culture.

She said the gukgeuk trainee system, in which aspiring singers train hard in dancing and singing before debuting, mirrors the current entertainment landscape.

To add authenticity to her role, Kim took extensive pansori singing and dancing lessons. According to South Korean media, she performed the songs in the series herself.