confused enjoyment

As a fan of Go Ara and Shopping King Louis I had really high expectations for this drama, and it took me for a ride. If you’re looking for a sweet romantic comedy about found family and learning to love again, then watch this!

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (the notes to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) is about a naïve rich pianist (Goo Rara) who reaches rock bottom after the death of her father, and a mysterious man (Sunwoo Jun) who lends her money and helps her get back on her feet with a piano academy. As fragile souls out in the world alone for the first time, they find comfort and love in each other as well as the cast of characters around them.

Strengths:
-The characters!
Rara is delightful. Despite falling so far from a sheltered life of comfort, she stays positive and hopeful, and her warmth heals the characters around her (and us in the audience). She sees and brings out the good in the people, and they reciprocate with the same energy. Multiple characters which start out antagonistic become part of the extended family and my heart is so filled with love.

-Acting/cast
Go Ara does a wonderful job of playing Rara, the role suits her perfectly since her personality is very similar in real life. Though Sunwoo Jun is initially a more restrained character compared to Rara, Lee Jaewook is great at communicating Jun’s inner thoughts through his eyes and body language, and he especially excels during the more emotional scenes that come later on. Go Ara and Lee Jaewook have great chemistry (people always say that it is despite the 8 year age gap but I don’t know why such an age gap (same as Shopping King Louis btw) only seems to be a potential obstacle when the woman is older but I digress). Other members of the cast do a great job at portraying supporting characters that we come to adore just as much as the main leads. Considering that this is a romantic comedy, the comedic timing does not disappoint either.

-Music
Music is an integral part of Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol. It takes classical pieces and weaves their meanings throughout the plot and characters, and their melodies throughout the backdrop. The piano scenes are so beautifully emotional that they make me regret quitting piano. In addition to the classical OST, there is also the conventional pop OST. Extraordinary You and Shopping King Louis fans will find familiar voices in the track list (Sondia, Epitone Project, April; Monsta X, GFriend).

-Dog!
Rara has a pomeranian named Mimi.

Weaknesses:
-Plot (in the last quarter of the drama) and ending
This drama really likes to subvert our expectations of tropes, which is a strength for most of its run (a spoiled and rich girl who’s not entitled and mean?? Great!). But in its last quarter, it falls victim to the typical show-is-ending-soon-so-let’s-stir-shit-up view bait that afflicts so many Kdramas. As an initially warm and positive show which became a source of healing for so many people, the last part of the drama is exhausting with the way it constantly tries to trick us by attempting to be smart with its manipulation of tropes. While in the beginning, tropes are subverted to avoid melodrama, the last quarter would subvert one melodramatic trope with a completely incomprehensible and melodramatic trope (it feels like the writers forgot they were supposed to be writing a romantic comedy). Its signature cute and heartwarming moments are still present in this last quarter but be prepared to get whiplash from the main couple, and don’t watch the episode previews because they become maliciously misleading (also, the ending is pure trash, 0/10).

Nonetheless, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol is still enjoyable. If you wanted a drama with a tightly woven plot, then you probably need to look somewhere else. But, if you enjoy cuteness, laughter, character growth, supportive relationships, and cathartic music, then you should watch this drama.

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