Time-travel fantasy with murder subplot. A fangirl travels back in time trying to save the life of her favorite idol. But manipulating the past always comes with unintended consequences and so plans keep going awry, especially when there is a murderous villain involved.

Usually I stay away from dramas with thriller aspects. In this case, though, the villain is not a randomly added device but is central to drive the plot forward. So I’m willing to tolerate it as the drama delivers in most other regards: a suspenseful plot with unexpected twists, emotional high stakes and cute leads (Byeon Woo Seok, Kim Hye Yoon) with chemistry. Sure, the drama isn’t perfect: Too much time is spent on the thriller aspect in the second part of the drama and side characters are a mixed bag (e.g., FL’s brother was annoying without adding anything). However, in the end it is the compelling romance that matters. So it’s not surprising that it is one of the most popular romantic dramas of the year. A well-deserved success.

TVING.tvN. Written by Lee Shi Eun.