It’s a good week for me – SO i have decided to watch many shows! And in a rather reckless move , I decided to try them all at once. Unexpectedly, it's the drama 365: Repeat the Year, that sucked me in for a fast and furious thrill ride! Come find out why I couldn’t stop watching this time-travel mystery.
10 people, who dream of having a perfect life, travel back in time to 1 year ago. They are able to reset their lives there, but mysterious cases take place that threatens their lives.
Ji Hyung Joo (Lee Joon Hyuk) is a veteran detective and he has 7 years of work experience. He gets an opportunity to travel one year into the past. He enjoys his life that has been reset, but he learns that people who have traveled back in time, like him, are involved in mysterious cases. He tries to reveal the truth behind that.
Shin Ga Hyun (Nam Ji Hyun) is a webcomic writer. She has published her popular webcomic series “Hidden Killer” for the past 3 years. Shin Ga Hyun is a workaholic and sensitive perfectionist. One day, she has a sudden accident. The accident turns her life into hell. At this time, she receives a proposal to travel back in time, to one year ago. Shin Ga Hyun resets her life, but she faces an unexpected case.
Ready, Set…. RESET!
One of my biggest pet peeves in drama watching is when the plot is slow to start out, because of the need to lay down an elaborate backstory. 365 felt no such compulsion and throws the watcher into the story almost immediately. The main characters are quickly introduced and the time travel “reset” begins within the first 30 minutes. While the pacing is fast, the story never feels rushed. But there is an underlying tension and uneasiness that drives the viewer to keep pushing play after each end-of-episode cliff-hanger.
Random Strangers?
One of the main reasons I decided to give this drama a try was because of Nam Ji Hyun. I’ve enjoyed her past dramas and she’s doing a great job bringing her character Shin Ga Hyun, a reserved webtoon author, to life here as well. However, I am suffering a bit of frustration regarding some of Ga Hyun’s ‘choices’ post-reset. It’s wreaking all sorts of havoc as she moves through her ‘re-do’ year.
I’ve been equally delighted with Lee Joon Hyuk’s portrayal of an earnest detective (and webtoon fanboy), Ji Hyung Joo. His character brings moments of levity to an otherwise intense story. And as new found friends, Hyung Joo and Ga Hyun have comfortable chemistry together that I’m enjoying as well.
I immediately recognized the queen from Hwarang when Kim Jee Soo entered the scene as the mysterious, time-traveling psychiatrist Lee Shin. (I see what you did there writers – one of the definitions of ‘shin’ translates to ‘god’.) And this character is definitely playing god as she leads her ‘randomly’ selected clients in the chance re-do their past year. I’m most curious to learn more about her background and motives. I suspect they are not purely altruistic.
Here a Theory, There a Theory… Everyone’s Got a Theory
There are SO many directions this drama could go. Not only am I sitting here taking notes, trying to figure out how everything is tied together and how this story will reach a resolution. But the characters themselves are doing the same thing! Suspicions are aroused and fingers are being pointed, as this time-travel game begins to take a deadly turn. Knowing that the story is based on the Japanese novel, Repeat, I fear the body count may be high. There’s also a good chance a happy ending will be elusive.
Final Thoughts
I was on the edge of my seat as the first two hours sped by. Then I proceeded to chastise myself for not waiting on this drama because it would be an EXCELLENT binge watch. But alas, I am entirely intrigued and will be sub-stalking this one every single week from here on out!
Drop down to the comments below, and share your thoughts on 365: Repeat the Year with me.
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