I was so excited for Summer Strike the moment its promotion began on Instagram. And the excitement stayed with the same flair till the end. Summer Strike is a South Korean series aired in November 2022, with a comforting yet suspenseful plot line. The show, based on a webtoon written by Joo Young-hyun has just 12 episodes. Moreover, the the lead casting was done perfectly with Seolhyun as Yeo Reum and Yim Siwan as Dae Bum. Love, friendship, family and daily struggle are this series’s sole base. Watching this series will remind you how one should fall in love with all the things which we tend to ignore because of the expectations set on every human by this urban society. 

Yeo Reum Being The Sunshine of Summer Strike

Watching 28-year-old Yeo Reum(which translates to summer) giving up on things that have been pressing her down like her toxic environment after she lost her only family member – her mother, reminds the breaking point of the life we live in. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw the scene is – “If I was her, I would have done the same thing.” 

The way she moves out of the city and drops down at a random station, deciding to live there despite all the cold shoulder the village people give makes her character extremely bold and inspiring despite her direct representation of a good and kind woman. The story gets a hold of us, episode after episode, as she gains the trust of people around her by being her authentic self. 

Dae Bum Being The Sky

In the case of Dae Bum, the loving guy who works at the library, we could clearly see how much life becomes hell when others start to make decisions for us and put us through torment by deciding what is good for us even though it is out of goodwill. Watching Dae Bum’s monotonous life starting to change after Yeo Rum comes into his life is bliss. 

Yim Siwan perfectly pulled off the shy, empathetic and caring Dae Bum who becomes an ideal human who we want to befriend in our life. The two introverted people portraying the different spectrums of introversion feel quite relatable. For Yeo Reum, who becomes overnight after her mother’s passing, Dae Bum becomes a comfort and home at an unknown place she chose to live and bet her life on.

Feel Good & Thrill On Same Plate

Without a doubt, the series has one of the most beautiful Loveline…The development of feelings between Dae Bom and Yeo Reum is quite realistic and a slow burn that ultimately makes the on-screen chemistry quite beautiful. Every character in the series speaks for their uniqueness ultimately making us not only understand them but also relate with them. It is ultimately about us, it touches through the life of different types of regular people. Apart from the romantic and drama aspect of the series, the suspense behind all the chaos that happens around makes the series much more interesting we get hooked till the end. 

Visuals

Now I cannot skip praising the visuals of the series. The south Korean countryside, the colours and the changing season get synchronized as the relationship between the characters evolves is such a brilliant move. It often feels like some sort of filter being used as a part of cinematography. But it gives such a pleasing experience to our eyes. Besides during the end credit of each episode, there will be an illustration which shows some of the beautiful moments from that episode. It always lights up the mood.

Looking at life through the lens of Summer Strike, I have felt a bit reassuring that being kind can be a weakness but it can ultimately be a strength as long as it uplifts someone and adds meaning to their life as well as yours.

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You can watch Summer Strike on Netflix!