The recent venture of juggernaut industry company Disney into the world of K-dramas has marked an onslaught of mixed reception from viewers and critics alike. Nevertheless with a recent investment by the international streaming service Disney+ into copartnership and copyright deals with South-Korean producers and companies, it is hard to ingore the recent presence of Disney within the world of K-dramas. Indeed, the latest series to come out in selected countries from the streaming service, ‘ Soundtrack #1’, is no exception. A stipulated love story between two friends, ‘ Soundtrack #1’ is a short and benign romance drama which while bittersweet in parts, could often feel contrived by its setup and characters.

The narrative of ‘ Soundtrack#1’ focuses upon two close friends. Lee Eun Soo ( Han So-Hee- ‘ The World Of The Married’, ‘ Nevertheless’ and ‘ My Name’, ) is an aspiring lyricist. Nevertheless despite having the ability to pursue her dream job, Eun Soo is struggling to find a source of inspiration and has hit a difficult period of writer’s block.

Thankfully Eun Soo has found comfort and support by relying upon her friend and photographer Han Sun Woo ( ZE:A’s Park Hyung Sik-‘ The Heirs’, ‘ Strong Girl Bong Soon’ and ‘ Happiness’). However as Eun Soo and Sun Woo attempt to navigate their current relationship, it becomes apparent that romantic feelings between friends aren’t always so easy to navigate.

‘ Soundtrack #1’ came together as the byproduct of screenwriter Chae Yoon (‘ She Would Never Know’) and director Kim Hee-Won ( ‘ Fiery Priest’, ‘ Vincenzo’ and upcoming series ‘Little Women’). While Hee-Won was certainly not treading upon unfamiliar ground with the romantic melodrama ‘ Soundtrack #1’, it certainly seemed an intriguing choice to pair up Hee-Won, a director known famously in recent years for her witty slapstick comedy-style and revenge dramas, with screenwriter Chae Yoon, who is associated with the lighthearted romance series ‘ She Would Never Know’ for ‘ Soundtrack #1’. Nevertheless despite the eccentric pairing choice, it is arguable that the contrasting idiosyncratic styles between screenwriter and director helped to bring a certain flair to the miniseries.

Perhaps it is important to establish that ‘ Soundtrack #1’ doesn’t push boundaries within its initial setups and plot premise. It is a basic and conventional romance story. In particular it was evident to see the influences of screenwriter Chae Yoon within ‘ Soundtrack #1’. The similar rhetoric of the male lead attempting to escape the friend-zone with his lifelong friend and crush, convoluted feelings developing between close friends and of course repressed feelings causing complications along the way were certainly similar to Yoon’s previous screenplay .

Nevertheless it is hard to deny that despite the lighthearted angst of ‘ Soundtrack #1’, there was a distinctive trait of interminable melancholiness and yearning within ‘ Soundtrack #1’. Director Hee Won’s classic touch of internal and external conflict have become reoccurring themes throughout several of her projects. Although ‘ Soundtrack #1’ may not possess a tale about a character with an eventful past or a personal vendetta, it certainly did highlight the complications that can arise within feelings, careers and between contrasting elites . ( For example Sun Woo’s internal disillusionment and fixation upon his work and coveted feelings for the female lead helped to perfectly contrast Han So-Hee’s external struggles and uncertainty as a songwriter.)

Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding casting choices. Han So-Hee has admittedly triggered mixed-responses amongst viewers and critics alike for her initial performance as main female lead Eun Soo. The actress’ previous career trajectory has seen her star in a mixture of different genres and styles with her recent performance( at the time of writing) in the revenge-thriller ‘ My Name’ being widely praised.

Nevertheless it is hard to deny that despite Han So-Hee’s talents within certain roles and genres , i her performance within ‘ Soundtrack #1’ could often feel somewhat lacklustre with line deliverances and emotional intonations initially. So Hee’s performance did admittedly improve somewhat in the latter-half of the miniseries with a level of heartache being conveyed within her onscreen persona but it is perhaps fair to say that Soo Hee’s performance could feel somewhat lacking at the best of times.

Costarring alongside actress Han So-Hee was ZE:A’s Park Hyung-Sik as main male lead Han Sun Woo. Hyung-Sik has certainly gained a lot of experience within the world of rom-coms and melodramas and this certainly did allow the actor to approach his onscreen role with an easygoing charm. However despite Hyung-Sik’s talents, it is difficult to deny that there were times where the actor could feel somewhat stilted by certain dialogue deliverances .

Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding Hyung-Sik and So-Hee’s potential onscreen chemistry. There was certainly nothing wrong per say with Hyung Sik and Soo Hee’s onscreen dynamic. Although there was an initially inconsistent start , the onscreen chemistry was decent enough. However it is still hard to ignore that while their potential was certainly not unwatchable it rarely felt coherently natural. Perhaps it can be said that these problem boiled down to the flaws of limited screen time . Throughout the duration of the series, an onslaught of variable acting performances by the main cast in addition to the limitations of a restricted time frame rarely helped to allow this onscreen dynamic flow naturally.

Under the directing leadership of Kim Hee-Won, it is clear to see that the four-episode formula and short episode lengths for ‘ Soundtrack #1’ was a double-edged sword.

Of course, it naturally enforced the narrative to be compact and concise within its restricted time frame and duration length. The series was rarely caught up in the trap of being lost down the rabbit hole of an abundance of unnecessary subplots and irrelevant characters. ( Instead these subplots were only briefly touched upon such as So Hee and Sun Woo’s work careers.)

Although there were supporting characters within the series such as Composer Kang Woo Il ( Kim Joo Heon-‘ It’s Okay Not To Be Okay’, ‘ Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol’ and ‘Juvenile Justice’), Sun Woo’s business partner Yoon Dong Hyun ( Yoon Byun Hee- ‘ Love In The Moonlight’, ‘Mr. Sunshine’ and ‘ Vincenzo’) and several surprise guest appearances ( including Yoon Seo Ah, Seo In Guk, Lee Jung Eun, Park Hoon and Park Min Jung), these secondary characters were rarely featured beyond their necessary face value in order to trigger or intensify certain plot events.

On the other hand while a restricted time space did allow the narrative to be more cutthroat with its themes and storyline, it did certainly highlight some specific drawbacks also as a consequence of this compact formula . A limited time frame rarely allowed viewers to see the onscreen relationship between characters being explored beyond their necessity to the plot, hardly allowing opportunities for ‘ Soundtrack #1’ to subvert all of its cliches or experiment with new formulas. Naturally,this could sometimes lead to certain narrative points such as the later development of Eun Soo and Sun Woo’s relationship feeling somewhat rushed.

When it came to filming and production it is certainly noteworthy to point out that Hee Won’s stylistic approach to the series helped to captivate the journey and feelings of characters throughout.

Slick editing and glossy gradients helped to animate scenes to life with specific palettes and tones popping out onscreen. Additionally this helped to differentiate between idealism such as through the eyes of Sun Woo as well as the stark reality presented by Eun Soo throughout the series. ( Perhaps one of the most memorable contrasts can be found in the first episode of ‘ Soundtrack #1’ during Sun Woo’s photo shoot of Eun Soo. Through the literal lens and vision of the male lead, Eun Soo is adorned in a flowing white shirt and smile, giving off an ethereal ambience and air of confidence. In a contrasted scene, viewers are shown reality from the perspective of Eun Soo, adorned in drab clothing and hunched over a computer screen.)

With the title name such as ‘ Soundtrack #1’ it should come as no surprise that the series is heavily invested within using imagery and the OST synchronically. For ‘Soundtrack #1’, this came through an onslaught of schmaltzy and sugary love ballads and solo tracks.

Of course for a series predominantly focused upon young love and relationships, this isn’t an entirely odd choice. However rather than selecting an impressive score for the series or at least choosing songs than could’ve heavily fomented emotional and tear jerking scenes, ‘ Soundtrack #1’ was caught in a slight rut with some of its chosen tracks being unimpressive. Perhaps the few exceptions to this can be found through lovelorn ballad “ Wanna be your lover”[ “이젠 친구에서 연인이 되고 싶어”] by Monday Kiz , LeeHi’s upbeat track “We'll Shine Brighter Than Any Other Stars” [ “우린 어떠한 별보다 빛날 거야”] and Prerettiest One’s acoustic guitar song “ Standing Egg” [“ 너만 예뻐”].

‘ Soundtrack #1’ is a series which does little to diverge away from the expected tropes and basic setups of romance dramas. Although there an were certainly some questionable acting moments at times and the limited time frame for the narrative often led to events feeling rushed, ‘ Soundtrack #1’ was surprisingly able to attain a balance between lighthearted fluff and bittersweet angst. Additionally, the collaborated efforts of Kim Hee-Won and Chae Yoon allowed the narrative to explore an idiosyncratic perspective by both director and screenwriter upon romance and repressed creativity. Although perhaps ‘ Soundtrack #1’ was let down at times by its OST and pacing at times , the four-episode miniseries certainly will offer viewers with a decent and quick binge-watch.