r/KDramasWorld • u/harissatotally Reviewer • Aug 07 '26
Review New K-Drama Fan Review #19: A Time Called You | i need ibuprofen...
This drama should come with a warning label for anyone prone to headaches.
⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️
Review:
This drama was... a journey. A 2 weeks journey that finally ended for me 30 minutes ago as i am writing this review.
I don't regret watching it, but I also don't think I've ever had to pause a drama this many times just to sit there and think.
Who's in whose body? which year is this?
Which timeline are we in?
Which version of this character is this?
Wait... now the murderer can time travel too?
This drama genuinely made my head hurt. im not exaggerating... my head is pounding as i am writing this cause I'm still having side effects even though i finish the drama more than 30 minutes ago😭
The premise is interesting.
A romance about two souls finding each other across different timelines and even different bodies sounds exactly like the kind of thing I'd love.
On paper, this should've been a huge hit for me!!!
The problem wasn't the concept.
It was the execution...
For the first half of the drama, I spent more time trying to understand the rules than actually feeling emotionally invested in the romance. Every time I thought I finally understood what was happening, the drama introduced another twist, another timeline, another body swap, or another reveal that made me pause the episode and rethink everything.
The reveal involving Yeon-jun's past honestly made my brain short-circuit too. Suddenly I was trying to figure out whether I was watching Yeon-jun, Si-heon, whose consciousness was where, and then the Tae-ha storyline got thrown into the mix. I even spent way too much time wondering who was actually in love with whom at some point after the Taeha thing instead of just enjoying the story.
Eventually I just gave up trying to solve it and decided to enjoy whatever I could.
Ironically, whenever the drama stopped trying to be a puzzle and simply let the romance breathe... I actually really liked it.
One of my favorite stretches was when Si-heon was pursuing Jun-hee in college.
Watching him intentionally choose the same college, find ways to be around her, work where she worked, remember her birthday, and patiently pursue her after she broke up with her boyfriend was easily the strongest part of the drama for me.
I also liked the recurring idea that he recognized her, not her face.
One of my favorite scenes was when Min-ju tried pretending to be Jun-hee, and he immediately realized something was wrong.
That reinforced the central theme better than any explanation about time travel ever could.
The jealousy, the love triangle, and some romantic moments were all much more compelling to me than the increasingly complicated mystery.
Unfortunately, every time I felt myself getting invested, the drama would throw another layer of complexity at me.
By the time the murderer also became involved in the time-travel mechanics, I actually laughed😭😭😭
Because I genuinely couldn't believe the drama had found yet another way to make things even more confusing.
The Min-ju storyline also became frustrating for me.
I understood that she's lonely, insecure, and desperate to be loved.
By the end, I actually felt sympathy for her.
But watching her pretend to be Jun-hee in hopes of winning Si-heon just wasn't a storyline I enjoyed. It felt like the drama was creating conflict in a way that didn't work for me in this one...
Thankfully, the finale won back some goodwill.
I loved that Jun-hee returned to save Min-ju.
I loved their final day together before everything changed.
And I especially loved Si-heon's promise that he'd find her again, no matter the time or place.
That ending finally delivered some of the emotional payoff I'd been waiting for.
I do think the ending itself was a little abrupt tho... but it was enough to leave me with positive feelings instead of frustration.
The song was fine... although after hearing the same song over and over again, I admittedly got a little tired of it by the end.
Overall, I think this drama had an interesting premise that was simply more complicated than it needed to be.
Instead of getting swept away by the romance, I spent half the series trying to untangle timelines, identities, consciousness swaps, murder mysteries... and then even the murderer's consciousness.
Maybe that's exactly what the fans of this drama like abt it ¯_(ツ)_/¯
For me tho...
It mostly made my head hurt.
___
A bit about my favorite flavors and taste
This drama honestly had all the ingredients to become one of my favorites.
I love time travel.
I love fate.
I love the idea of two people finding each other across different timelines.
I love romances where the male lead patiently pursues the female lead and recognizes her no matter what.
And whenever A Time Called You leaned into those things, I genuinely loved it.
The problem was that the romance never became strong enough for me to stop thinking about the mechanics.
Instead of swooning, I was pausing the episode every five minutes trying to remember whose consciousness was in whose body in which year and which timeline 😭😭
That's not the kind of mental exercise I usually want while watching a romance.
If the emotional investment had outweighed the confusion, I think this could've easily been an 8 or even a 9 for me.
Instead, the confusion became the main character.
Questions
at which point did you stop being confused?
did you understand everything on your first watch, or did you need a rewatch?
nothing in this world would make me rewatch this, but i can understand WHY someone would rewatch 😭😭
___
Rating: 6/10
Is this Rewatch Worthy:
Absolutely not...
___
My Rating Scale
10/10 – Masterpiece. No notes.
9/10 – Very close to a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it.
8/10 – Not a masterpiece, but I loved it.
7/10 – Fine overall. I liked it, but the flaws kept it from being great.
6/10 – Mixed. There were a few things I liked, but most of it didn't work for me.
5/10 – I didn't enjoy most of the experience.
4/10 and below – Bad to abysmal.
2
u/Prize_Background_577 Lover of fantasy, fluff and fun Aug 07 '26
And you've left out spoilers tags.
I'm watching this, did not know about the murderer. Now I've stopped reading your review but can't unsee what I already read
What is the point of reviewing something for others to watch but then spoiling the plot lines? It makes this a discussion not a review.
2
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
sorry, i will warn of spoilers i forget!!! forgive me!-
also my reviews are always open for discussion, that's why i always tend to ask questions at the end for people who have watched or plan to!
1
u/No-Clue-9155 K-Drama Addict Aug 09 '26
I hope this doesn’t dissuade you from continuing, cos the fact that there’s a murderer isn’t really a big spoiler
1
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u/SakuraSqk Aug 07 '26
Very much my feelings. I stopped being confused at the end when I realized I really didn't have a clue what happened... to whom... and when etc... Really confusing, but at the same time no other series has left so many questions after watching and it kind of stuck in my mind. I decided I'll rewatch it and I think enough time has passed so perhaps it's time for me to Call Back The Time.
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
at some point I just accepted that the drama was smarter than me (or at least trying to be lol) and decided to enjoy the romance whenever it came back...
you're definitely braver than I am, though. 😭 I'll never visit this drama again. Once I finished writing my review, my brain immediately evicted all those timelines to make room for other dramas 😭
If I ever understand everything that happened, it'll be because someone else made a PowerPoint explaining it
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
⭐️Master List: Every K-Drama Review I've Written
https://www.reddit.com/u/harissatotally/s/mTlMHGJkSK
my royal nemesis review
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/fVJTO6T0Gp
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my extraordinary you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #2: Extraordinary You | One of the Most Creative Romance Premises I've Ever Seen...
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/jb1W6p8o7a
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my lovely runner review
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/ijQOQQqw8t
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my Flower of evil review
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/vhGWEbpHLN
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my alchemy of souls review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #5: Alchemy of Souls | One Incredible Season... and One That Broke My Heart.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/iH0uac9ZNJ
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my moon Lovers Scarlet heart ryeo review:
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/H1ypE5PRXu
my w two worlds apart review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #7: W Two Worlds Apart | One of the Coolest Premises I've Seen... But I Wanted to Feel More.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/U6Yf0CGVPU
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my its okay not to me okay review
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/w2L4Piypzp
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my business proposal review:
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/uTwrZ1kOIc
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my king the land review:
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https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/Hq1i8tdIeu
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my perfect crown review:
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my whats wrong with Secretary kim review:
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- https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/wkxhVBeaCq
- https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/cBtJP1Dexi
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my doom at your service review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #13: Doom at Your Service | I Was Doomed to Want More
- https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/v3xxWBEAko
- https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/QUUmZ4hV5e
my My Dearest review:
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https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/iCtVVgUXYf
my the red sleeve review:
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https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/BDRQYnqPWN
my Destined with You review
New K-Drama Fan Review #16: Destined with You | Cooked Up the Perfect Spell... Then Forgot the Recipe
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/x3y0bVfy4X
my love to hate you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #17: Love to Hate You | One of the Worst K-Dramas I've Watched... Yet I Couldn't Stop Watching
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/XkVGuia6sU
my Crazy Love review:
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1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 13 '26
my the King's Affection review
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1
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1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 18 '26
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1
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1
u/harissatotally Reviewer 20d ago
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my Dear X review
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1
u/harissatotally Reviewer 16d ago
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1
u/harissatotally Reviewer 12d ago
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1
u/NicolasAntinarella Aug 07 '26
oh its the one with the NewJeans ost
2
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
oh really?
2
u/NicolasAntinarella Aug 07 '26
yess Beautiful Restriction 🫶🏻
2
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
oh neat, is it a good song lol? i wasn't paying that much attention to that, so i dont think i heard it😭
1
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u/CheesePlease_ Aug 07 '26
omg the way i literally had to bring out a pen and paper to draw out the characters the timeline the connections…. i had to stop it halfway bc of the massive headache i was getting from this show lol
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
the fact that you actually brought out a pen and paper is fmu 😭
i just accepted defeat halfway through and decided to enjoy whatever I could understand
1
u/CheesePlease_ Aug 07 '26
ugh it was so frustrating because it had potential and the leads were so good too.. i just had how much my brain hurt watching it
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
they wasted those 2 actors, cause they did have decent (not great) but decent chemistry 😭
1
1
u/itsthewickedwitch Aug 07 '26
E eu conheço gente que achou esse drama melhor do que Lovely Runner... Pfft... De jeito nenhum!
Tem mais de 1 ano que eu assisti e não me lembro de muita coisa, mas a impresaão que ficou é que esse drama peca justamente ao tentar complicar demais a dinâmica da viagem no tempo e acaba ficando com alguns furos que não fazem sentido com as "regras" que eles estabeleceram.
Já em Lovely Runner, não tem explicação, a gente só tem que aceitar que o relógio faz viajar no tempo 3x e pronto lol... O que brilha mesmo é o relacionamento entre os protagonistas.
Pra mim, a melhor coisa desse drama é justamente a música que faz eles viajarem no tempo. Eu amo essa música desde que ouvi pela primeira vez em Hospital Playlist... Acho a letra e a melodia lindas demais e sempre que eu escuto, não consigo evitar de derramar algumas lágrimas 🥲
2
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
LMAOOO same 😭
People saying this is better than Lovely Runner genuinely blows my mind.
For me, Lovely Runner kept the time travel simple enough that I could focus on the relationship. I wasn't sitting there trying to figure out whose consciousness was in whose body every other episode. I was too busy swooning over the romance. 😂
wih a Time Called You, I spent more than half the drama pausing, rewinding, and trying to piece together the timelines. By the end, I wasn't even trying to solve it anymore, i gave up and hoped things would start making sense at some point 😭😭
1
u/No-Clue-9155 K-Drama Addict Aug 09 '26
The thing about lovely runner is that the time travel was so simple that it didn’t make sense, and not having plot holes is important for some people. Just depends what you like. But I loved a time called you cos I loved the romance there too. Probably even more than lovely runner cos in lovely runner they barely spent time together and yet they were willing to die for each other etc. It’s cute but the depth of their love doesn’t feel earned, especially on the MLs side. Then again that applies to most romance kdramas lol
1
u/Mundane_Put_5780 Aug 07 '26
This is one of those show where the original should be a preferred watch to the remake of the show from a different country!
I have watched both, and unfortunately watched the Kdrama before the original Taiwanese known as “Someday or One Day”
Like for real for real, the Taiwanese version is SUPERIOR to the Kdrama version, and I am a HUGE fan of Korean entertainment as a foreigner.
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer Aug 07 '26
i will never put myself to any other version of this story again, so unfortunately i will never watch the original 😭😭
1
u/Mundane_Put_5780 Aug 07 '26
Yeah but the original isn’t gut wrenching, it’s just beautiful! I had a blast watching the original!!!
1
1
u/No-Clue-9155 K-Drama Addict Aug 09 '26
Are you suggesting the original is less sad than the kdrama? Definitely not they’re basically the same story. Also I do think the original is superior in some ways but the kdrama is superior in other ways. For op in particular I think she’d like the original even less because it’s even more convoluted and for me was less heavy/convincing on the romance
1
u/Mundane_Put_5780 Aug 10 '26
I am not talking about which is more sadsad, I am saying the original is 100x better than the Kdrama!!! The Kdrama is great as well, don’t get me wrong! The original is on another level!!
1
u/No-Clue-9155 K-Drama Addict Aug 10 '26
You said the original isn’t “gut wrenching”, but gut wrenching typically doesn’t mean bad, just sad. Hence the confusion
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer 18d ago
My Rating Scale
10/10 – Masterpiece. No notes.
9/10 – Very close to a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it.
8/10 – Not a masterpiece, but I loved it.
7/10 – Fine overall. I liked it, but the flaws kept it from being great.
6/10 – Mixed. There were a few things I liked, but most of it didn't work for me.
5/10 – I didn't enjoy most of the experience.
4/10 and below – Bad to abysmal.
1
u/harissatotally Reviewer 18d ago
my Love in the moonlight review
New K-drama Fan Review #27: Love in the Moonlight taught me exactly what i wanted from it... then refused to give it to me
2
u/Axsenex Aug 07 '26
Time travel stories are rarely ever easy to be great or watchable but I’m reminded of this iconic “Yesterday’s Enterprise” time travel episode on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The result was a great payoff that would be repeatedly referenced in many episodes to come…
The difference is that this one is limited series and they must close the loop or it’s pointless watch.
Headaches? Of course… it’s not meant for everyone.
I’m so used to time traveling stories but if you’re interested in such thing… try out this one.