“You were my dream, my longing and my one and only Prince!”

If someone had told me that a supporting character would rise to be the main lead’s love interest, I wouldn’t have believed them. That was until I watched “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” and was left mesmerized by the romance between Jeongnyeon and Jooran. A classic retelling of the webtoon “Jeong Nyeon” (정년이) written by Seo Irae (서이레) and illustrated by Namon (나몬). If you are worried that the show is a censored adaptation, so it won’t have the same romantic connotations as the original, fret not. “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” encompasses a spell binding romance in the midst of encapsulating the Korean art forms, Pansori & Gukgeuk. For those unaware, there is a difference between both. Pansori is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer, where the singer tells the story by singing and the drummer accompanies her on the drum. Gukgeuk refers to a theatrical performance that combines both singing and dancing. The show embodies the very essence of both art forms that were quite popular in the post-war era. Being an all women production, even the male roles were portrayed by females. We are going to talk about the different facets of this show that strongly betray its homoerotic context!

Kim Tae Ri as Yoon Jeong Nyeon

Kim Tae Ri is an enigma; her performance in “The Handmaiden” is a testament to her acting skills. Her lesbian act in “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” is rather subdued, but it doesn’t take away the very essence of the character. Jeongnyeon is a rebel who rewrote history; an ordinary girl from the small town of Mokpo rose to become the new Prince of Maeran Theater Troupe. Her path to stardom wasn’t easy, she even lost her voice due to rigorous, unrestrained training. But that didn’t stop her from fighting for her passion. In an age when Gukgeuk was rapidly declining, Jeongnyeon symbolized strength, resilience and respect for the art form. She captivated audiences with a hoarse voice and her riveting acting skills. The casting director couldn’t have picked a better actress to play Jeongnyeon; I read somewhere that Kim Tae Ri had to train for almost three years to portray this character. Her absolute dedication to this character is praiseworthy.

The Full Blown Romance

There are some love stories that are subtle in their approach and there are some that aren’t. Jeongnyeon and Jooran (Woo Da Vi) belong to the second category. Their relationship begins as mere acquaintances at the Maeran Theatre Troupe. Jeongnyeon’s nonchalant and daring attitude becomes an inspiration for Jooran as they train together. Jeongnyeon is literally an outcast, her small town roots don’t endear her to the other trainees who belong to elite families. Jooran is her first friend, supporter and her comfort zone. They make sacrifices for each other while honing their talents. Unfortunately, they have a breakup because Jooran finds it difficult to act opposite Jeongnyeon. It’s because Jeongnyeon makes her heart bound unlike anyone else, and she doesn’t want to be distracted during their performances. Their ill-fated romance is doomed when Jooran is forced by her family to marry someone else, and she chooses to leave both the troupe and Jeongnyeon behind.

The Rivalry That Turns into Friendship

There are very few instances when my guessing goes wrong; I wasn’t expecting this relationship to end as friendship. From the very first episode, Jeongnyeon and Shin Ye Eun (Heo Yeong Seo) have strong undercurrents strumming between them. Though it seemed antagonistic, there is distinct layer of awe and respect existent between them. Jeongnyeon is mesmerized by Ye Eun’s strong singing talents while Ye Eun strives hard to be at the same level as Jeongnyeon. Their rivalry is epic but their friendship is even more remarkable. From standing against each other to becoming each other’s staunch supporter, Ye Eun & Jeongnyeon’s friendship is truly admirable.

The Relationship That Was Doomed From the Start

This show doesn’t make distinctions in its strong portrayal of same sex relationships. At the center of these evolving relationships, is the long standing romance between the Prince & Princess of Maeran- Ok Gyeong (Jung Eun Chae) and Hye Rang (Kim Yoon Hye). As the most popular male and female lead of Maeran Theatre Troupe, Ok Gyeong and Hye Ran are legends. They live together while raising Hye Rang’s niece (who is actually her daughter). Ok Gyeong adores Hye Rang who is quite obsessed with her. And it is this very obsession that leads to her downfall. Tired of playing the same roles, Ok Gyeong brings Jeongnyeon to Maeran, so she could challenge her. Unable to accept the alternate reality where they might not be the reigning stars anymore, Hye Rang plots against Jeongnyeon. This causes a rift between Ok Gyeong and Hye Rang who retires from the world of Gukgeuk, and she breakups with Hye Rang.

Is it a Worthwhile Watch

The show doesn’t shy away from depicting the homoerotic tones between its varied characters!

It could be Jeongnyeon- Ok Gyeong, Jeongnyeon- Jooran or even Ye Eun- Jooran. Since a major part of this storytelling includes theatre performances that are mostly love stories, portrayed by an all female casting, the romance was inevitable. Kim Tae Ri’s awe-inspiring performance will keep you captivated. The show binds the lost art forms of Gukgeuk and Pansori into a magical performance that is indeed an incomparable experience.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5

Streaming on- Disney