The reviews on MDL for this drama were brutal and I disagree.

I felt that Zuho and Kim In Sung did a great job with their characters.

BL are often 4 to 12 episodes and I really wish they were much longer so viewers can witness the growth of the characters and learn more details about their lives. Often, there are too many unanswered questions, too many plot points that are introduced for interest but not followed or resolved due to the short format. "Star Struck" is yet another example. Lee In Gyu (wore the headband) was an unnecessary character. Park Jin Hwan was sweet but we never received an explanation why Jo Yoo Jae kept blocking Jin Hwan's efforts to establish a relationship with Yoon Chae Young when it was apparent that Yoo Jae wasn't interested in dating (or protecting her) and she and Jin Hwan were interested in one another.

Jo Yoo Jae and Seo Han Joon meet as children, instantly become best friends and grow up together. Somewhere along the way, Han Joon begins to view Yoo Jae as a life partner, rather than as “just a friend.”

Despite their closeness, both Yoo Jae and Han Joon omit vital information from one another which only serves to harm their relationship and trust for one another.

As with drama...lack of communication causes 80% of all problems. The other 20% is covered by a refusal/inability to ask questions and assuming you already know the answer.

Yoo Jae’s parents hate one another. His dad appears to be an unemployed drunk who spends his days watching tv programs about financial investments while Yoo Jae’s mother yells at him for not working. Eventually, one of dad’s schemes works and he becomes exceedingly wealthy due to one of his stock purchases. Yoo Jae’s mom goes on a luxury goods spending spree, Yoo Jae has a nice allowance and they move into a much larger, nicer house. Yoo Jae doesn’t bother to tell his best friend about his good news and Han Joon finds out from his classmates who are astonished that he didn’t know.

In the first episode, we are told that Han Joon’s “family” runs a banchan stand and that Yoo Jae really likes the food. Han Joon’s father isn’t seen or discussed. We later learn that his mother is selling insurance but isn’t making any money. Then, Han Joon finds out from his classmates that his mother has gotten a job in a restaurant in another city and is moving. He confronts his mother and she doesn’t apologize. She confirms she is moving, has already gotten him a (much smaller) apartment nearby, has paid the rent for the next three months and he can pack his bags to move in immediately. Han Joon will be taking the college entrance exam in three months, graduate high school and will then be homeless and in need of a job that pays more than he earns as a janitor for a boxing gym. It’s hard to believe that Han Joon’s mother could not get a job in a restaurant in Seoul. She’s not moving to be the manager of a restaurant, or even to be a chef, she is moving just to be a waitress.

Han Joon doesn’t bother to tell his “best friend” that his mom has left and that he’s moved. In fact, when Yoo Jae tells him he’s coming over, Han Joon runs out of his apartment to intercept his friend and suggest they go to a café.

After taking the college entrance exam, Han Joon finally confesses to Yoo Jae who does not take the news well, they fight and end their friendship. Han Joon stops attending school and doesn’t show up for graduation. In fact, he shows up at the school administration office, pretends to be Yoo Jae and asks if he can pick up “Han Joon’s” graduation certificate to give him.

Fast forward and, coincidentally, both men are freshman at Hanguk University and run into one another. Han Joon keeps his distance and Yoo Jae is forced to initiate contact and attempt to salvage their friendship. When Yoo Jae assumes that the months of no contact resulted in Han Joon “sorting out his thoughts,” Han Joon tells him to just go away and stay away. Yoo Jae’s presence in his life is too painful and Han Joon wants to forget him and move on with his life. Eventually, Yoo Jae decides he does want to pursue a relationship that is more than friendship and asks if they can date.

Other reviewers have written harsh things about Yoo Jae that I don’t feel are completely warranted. He was raised by parents who hated one another and probably treated him as if he were a burden. He needs someone to focus on him and care for him. He probably didn’t get the affection he needed from his parents. In his friendship with Han Joon, Yoo Jae does become jealous, anxious, controlling, and angry when Han Joon has other friends and interests that get in the way of being 100% available for Yoo Jae at all times. He reminds me of Segasaki (“My Personal Weatherman”) and Kiyoi (“My Beautiful Man”) who were wounded men who needed to be the focus of attention, and also needed to learn how to communicate and to mature.

He was heavily criticized for throwing away Han Joon’s gift of chocolates twice. Viewers have to keep in mind that he thought of Han Joon just as a friend and Han Joon’s confession decisively changed his perception of reality. He had to work through the complexities of their relationship. He had been in “friends only” mode for over a decade. He now learns that is best friend is attracted to him. Was he attracted to Han Joon? What did it mean to be attracted to another man? What is life like for a gay man in Korea? Was he ever/still attracted to women? He wanted everything to stay the same, to stay “just friends” and Han Joon told him that wasn’t possible. He’s 20 years old and needs time to grow up and mature in order to become a better human being, in general, and to become a better partner for Han Joon.

Han Joon has also received quite a bit of criticism for rushing to his mother and then leaving her just as quickly. First and foremost, I think Han Joon should have been communicating with Yoo Jae every single step of the way. He told Yoo Jae that he had something to do, but promised to be on time for their dinner reservation and ceased all further contact. Han Joon thought his mother was merely sick, but later finds out that she’s moved out/been evicted and lost/quit her job and is in the hospital preparing for surgery. He should have communicated all of this to Yoo Jae. In the end, it is his mother that repeatedly tells him to leave and go home for his appointment. We never learn what sort of surgery she is going to undergo. Han Joon’s mother may love her son in some manner, but I am not nominating her for any “Mother of the Year” awards. She refused to tell her son she moved, no longer had a job, had debts and needed surgery. Her excuse was that “she didn’t want to worry him.” Nonsense. He didn’t deserve her running away when he was a senior in high school and didn’t deserve her repeated withholding of vital information.

The series ends with a mildly “happy for now” status.

Will Han Joon’s mother ever be honest with him?

Yoo Jae did not react well to his parents’ announcement of their impending divorce and has probably disinherited himself. He can probably move in with Han Joon but he’s going to have to get a job to pay for living expenses and for college. Yoo Jae needs to work on himself and his relationships with others.

Han Joon is happy to have him by his side for now, but Yoo Jae needs to fully earn Han Joon’s love and support and provide the same in return.

A second season would be nice, but probably won't happen. The best that can be hoped for would be to find "Star Struck" fan fic.