UnLo
Not worth the time (for me)
I liked the concept of this show - I find the machinations of the Korean entertainment interesting - so I thought I'd give it a chance. Unfortunately - there's not much here to keep you watching. While I definitely disagree with reviewers that have rated this 1/10, I have dropped it, because it hasn't held my interest on any level.
"Behind Every Star", as other reviewers have mentioned, is a remake of the French show "Call My Agent". I haven't seen this program, so I'm not sure what was and wasn't taken from the original, but I find the vibe of "Behind Every Star" to be quite trashy for a K-Drama. This in itsself isn't a dealbreaker, but is one of a few factors adding up to just making this a not very enjoyable viewing.
I found it didn't really satisfy my intrigue as to how the Korean entertainment industry works - the plots of each episode generally revolve around an Entertainment Agency's managers trying to smooth over some minuscule issue that's been unnecessarily turned into a big, er, drama, by their Actors' absurdly inflated egos. It doesn't come across as particularly realistic; which might be OK if the show was more skewed toward comedy, but I didn't find the antics of the egotistical Actors particularly funny or entertaining. Several real well-known actors are playing themselves through the series, so I can only assume making them narcissists was intended to be funny, but this just didn't work for me.
Which brings me to the characters - I don't think a character necessarily has to be likeable, but they need to be compelling in some way. Most of the characters here I found both very unlikable and very uninteresting.
The show largely centres around veteran Manager Jane Chun, who I think the viewer is supposed to like, but just comes across as very irritating, and self-centred. The shows other lead is newbie manager Hyun Joo So, who I think you're also supposed to like and sympathise with, but she also comes across as very annoying; bumbling, soggy and spineless; we're supposed to believe she's driven enough to secure a career in Entertainment despite the odds, but not driven enough to even attempt to do her job properly.
Most of the other Management staff come across as cold/nasty and uninteresting, while the Actors are mostly egomaniacal 2D caricatures. The only characters I really liked were: the Agency's receptionist, wannabe actress Hee Sun Kang, who manages to get the viewer on her side despite being a bit of a bitch (Se On Hwang lights up the screen in this role); and the Agency's camp and dramatic office gossip queen Jin Hyuk (though some viewers may find his flamboyant mannerisms over-the-top and offensive). Manager Joong Don Kim was OK, he comes across as probably the most realistic and relatable charatcer. Steven Noh as Tax Office auditor Sang Wook Lee has good screen presence but not much character. I liked the actresses Soo Mi Kim and Hyo Rim Seo playing versions of themselves.
Coincidentally, I've just just started watching "Sh**ting Stars", which is also about the Korean Entertainment industry. And despite having the classic quirky K-Drama vibe and some over-the-top moments and characters actually comes across as more realistic then "Behind Every Star". I haven't finished it yet, but of the two, I'd definitely recommend "Sh**ting Stars" instead.
"Behind Every Star", as other reviewers have mentioned, is a remake of the French show "Call My Agent". I haven't seen this program, so I'm not sure what was and wasn't taken from the original, but I find the vibe of "Behind Every Star" to be quite trashy for a K-Drama. This in itsself isn't a dealbreaker, but is one of a few factors adding up to just making this a not very enjoyable viewing.
I found it didn't really satisfy my intrigue as to how the Korean entertainment industry works - the plots of each episode generally revolve around an Entertainment Agency's managers trying to smooth over some minuscule issue that's been unnecessarily turned into a big, er, drama, by their Actors' absurdly inflated egos. It doesn't come across as particularly realistic; which might be OK if the show was more skewed toward comedy, but I didn't find the antics of the egotistical Actors particularly funny or entertaining. Several real well-known actors are playing themselves through the series, so I can only assume making them narcissists was intended to be funny, but this just didn't work for me.
Which brings me to the characters - I don't think a character necessarily has to be likeable, but they need to be compelling in some way. Most of the characters here I found both very unlikable and very uninteresting.
The show largely centres around veteran Manager Jane Chun, who I think the viewer is supposed to like, but just comes across as very irritating, and self-centred. The shows other lead is newbie manager Hyun Joo So, who I think you're also supposed to like and sympathise with, but she also comes across as very annoying; bumbling, soggy and spineless; we're supposed to believe she's driven enough to secure a career in Entertainment despite the odds, but not driven enough to even attempt to do her job properly.
Most of the other Management staff come across as cold/nasty and uninteresting, while the Actors are mostly egomaniacal 2D caricatures. The only characters I really liked were: the Agency's receptionist, wannabe actress Hee Sun Kang, who manages to get the viewer on her side despite being a bit of a bitch (Se On Hwang lights up the screen in this role); and the Agency's camp and dramatic office gossip queen Jin Hyuk (though some viewers may find his flamboyant mannerisms over-the-top and offensive). Manager Joong Don Kim was OK, he comes across as probably the most realistic and relatable charatcer. Steven Noh as Tax Office auditor Sang Wook Lee has good screen presence but not much character. I liked the actresses Soo Mi Kim and Hyo Rim Seo playing versions of themselves.
Coincidentally, I've just just started watching "Sh**ting Stars", which is also about the Korean Entertainment industry. And despite having the classic quirky K-Drama vibe and some over-the-top moments and characters actually comes across as more realistic then "Behind Every Star". I haven't finished it yet, but of the two, I'd definitely recommend "Sh**ting Stars" instead.
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