Here to balance out the serious dramas that contemplate the emptiness of both the countryside and characters’ lives, Sh**ting Stars is a fast-paced, comedic look into the world of k-entertainment from the management side. Come see if this fluffy romcom is the perfect ingredient to balance out your drama plate!

The Story So Far

There’s a certain appeal to the celebrity world — lots of glamorous clothes and beautiful people are involved, making the life look glittery and perfect on the outside. Oh Han Byul knows differently. The young PR team lead for Starforce Entertainment cleans all of it up, from actors’ embarrassing drunken antics to dating rumors to press conferences that don’t quite go the way they should, even as she longs for a real life of her own. Gong Tae Sung is Starforce Entertainment’s top actor, and he enjoys tormenting Oh Han Byul whenever she makes a mistake. She did unintentionally castrate him in a press release, after all, many years ago. But the viewer’s perspective on that all changes by the end of the second episode, when we realize that Han Byul and Tae Sung have known each other for YEARS.

Karie the Maknae: I’ll be the first to admit that this drama makes handling top stars look like a relative piece of cake. I’m sure it’s not the truth, but I’m willing to suspend my disbelief for the fun, fluffy ride these first episodes have promised me. Adding in a long past to Tae Sung and Han Byul’s relationship gives it a lot of potential story depth — I LOVE story depth!

Kmuse: I really enjoyed all the work-related aspects of the drama. Unfortunately, it hasn’t won me over when it comes to the OTP. But I am sure I will be chatting about that later.

Oh Han Byul Rocks Gong Tae Sung’s World

The central point of the drama is definitely going to be the relationship between Team Lead Oh Han Byul and top star Gong Tae Sung. There’s a lightness to their interactions, even when Gong Tae Sung is furious with her, that makes the viewer wonder just what their history is. But the best part is watching Tae Sung’s subtle actions reveal his true feelings, because that’s where some of the best humor comes in.

Karie the Maknae: The relationship between Han Byul and Tae Sung is what sold this drama for me. There are layers upon layers to pull back, and every episode has left me with a question about how they are connected to one another. Tae Sung’s vulnerability, hidden as it is from the rest of the world, makes him adorable even when he’s being a cranky punk.

Kmuse: I am only two episodes in and, while I think there might be a good story developing, I could also see it fizzling into a jumbled mess. I didn’t fall for the hidden bad boy persona as much as the rest of the fangirls did.

Ace Manager For The Win

Of course, not everything is about Tae Sung and Han Byul. We have ace manager Kang Yoo Sung, who will do just about anything for his clients and is devastatingly clever at it; adorable intern Byun Jung Yeol, who has surprising skills but no luck with the copier; discerning recruiter Park Ho Yeong, who can be found at the back of theaters and near snack stands looking for the next big star; Starforce entertainment lawyer Do Soo Hyuk, who only works 8-6 and will NOT answer unrelated legal questions; and reporter Jo Gi Bbeum, who will do what it takes to get her stories published and is good friends with Oh Han Byul.

Karie the Maknae: This is an EXCELLENT supporting cast. Ace Manager is going to be one of my favorites — he’s somewhat cynical, but always happy, and I love how smart he is. Adorable Intern and his unexpectedly skillful side has been fun and I really hope the writers use it a LOT more. The only one I don’t have a good feel for is the 8-6 Lawyer. Lee Jung Shin was loveable in Cinderella and Four Knights as the chaebol-turned-idol, but here his emotions seem to be under wraps. I want just a little bit more from him.

Kmuse: I agree with The Maknae on the supporting cast. They are well thought out and layered characters. Their layers are developed in a more traditional style, which is why I think I am enjoying them more than the OTP. With all the “secret” backstory, all of the lead’s layers are muddled.

There Is No Actual Toilet Humor

The Korean title of this drama literally translates to “star poop star” and the translators have had a TON of fun with their interpretation of it. We even took a little liberty ourselves with our first impressions podcast episode and called it “Crapping Stars.” But aside from Oh Han Byul running to hide in the bathroom when Gong Tae Sung is chasing her in the first or second episode, there’s has been a refreshing lack of bathrooms. Instead, we have overinflated actor ego hijinks, shenanigans between Han Byul and Tae Sung, and a general amount of fun with the managers and the PR team as they take care of their stars.

Karie the Maknae: YAY! I was worried that this drama would devolve into sitcom humor from the title alone, but the writers (Choi Young Woo and Choi Yeon Seo — Sh**ting Stars is their first drama) and director (Lee Soo Hyun, Find Me In Your Memory, Awaken, The Witch’s Diner) are taking a different approach. I am HERE for it!

Kmuse: Poop humor doesn’t bug me that much, but I was glad that the writers gave it a skip so far.

Do We Recommend?

Karie the Maknae: We’re all permanently scarred by The Drama That Shall Not Be Named and surprise tragic endings, but I’m having a lot of fun with this drama so far, and I think it’s going to be good from beginning to end. (Don’t make me eat my words, drama universe!) Lee Sung Kyung is clearly having fun and Kim Young Dae is being sly and it’s totally working for me.

Kmuse: Meh… I still need to go back to watching this drama and it isn’t really calling to me. I might wait till it is over to do a big binge. One where I can FF anything that bores me too much. This is probably a “skip for now” show. Especially when there are several dramas with much stronger plots airing right now.

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What about you, drama fans? Will Sh**ting Stars be your next fluffy drama watch? Drop down in the comments below and let us know!

Until the next celebrity mess, we remain–

Kmuse and the Maknae

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi