Shooting Stars episode 1: Kim Young-dae has an impressive start in his first lead K-drama

A still from Shooting Stars (Image via tvn_drama/Instagram)
A still from Shooting Stars (Image via tvn_drama/Instagram)

Shooting Stars, the latest tvN drama has piqued the interest of the viewers in its very first episode. The show marks the comeback of actor Lee Sung-kyung after Dr Romantic 2 in 2020. This K-drama is also Kim Young-dae’s first show as the lead actor.

Kim Young is well-known for his role in the Penthouse series. Now, the romantic comedy gives the star ample space to explore other genres. The plot of the show, based on the first episode, promises a fun ride.


Lead characters of Shooting Stars:

Kim Young-dae plays the role of superstar actor Gong Tae-sung, while Lee Sung-kyung plays the role of Oh Han-byeol in the series. Tae-sung has a brilliant reputation amongst the public, and is currently serving time in Africa as a volunteer. Han-byeol, on the other hand, is his publicist. She is the one who keeps his reputation up to the mark in the public eye.

From the very beginning, Han-byeol's dislike for Tae-sung is extremely clear. She is annoyed by the fact that his face is plastered across the city - on products, billboards and public spaces. She is an expert fixer as publicists go, but at the moment, she is desperate to get her personal life under control. Han-byeol's aim in the present in Shooting Stars is to successfully date someone and fall in love.

Of course, her work doesn't allow her time to get a full body medical check up done, let alone date. Meanwhile, Tae-sung has been away from the country for a year. He loves the company of the kids that he befriends in the African neighborhood where he works as a volunteer. So Han-byeol's impression of him and the public's notion of this star do not match. This incongruence, and how Han-byeol navigates this, forms the crux of the K-drama.

While Shooting Stars is set in the present, there are flashes from the past that stir viewers’ curiosity.


Tae-sung and Han-byeol’s connection in Shooting Stars

The first episode indicates, through its flashes from the past, that Han-byeol may have made an enemy for life. Before Tae-sung heads out to volunteer, he tells her that he will not leave her alone when he returns. It seems to be a threat, but the reason why he is mad at her is not clear.The threat, however, sounds romantic to some viewers, especially when they see him pin up a picture of her in his room.

Would he make her life even more difficult? The answer to such questions can only be explored in the upcoming episodes of Shooting Stars. For now, viewers are aware that the incident will play a pivotal role in shaping their relationship once he returns to Korea.

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