My Lovely Journey Episode 1-2 Review
Director: Kang Sol
Date Created: 2025-08-04 23:23
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My Lovely Journey Episode 1-2 Review: Directed by Kang Sol, 여행을 대신해 드립니다 is a healing slice-of-life drama that is an enchanting mix of nostalgia and self-discovery. The all-star cast is headed by Gong Seung-yeon as Kang Yeo-reum, Kim Jae-young as Lee Yeon-seok, and Yoo Joon-sang as O Sang-sik, joined by Hong Soo-hyun, Oh Hyun-joong, and others to create a winning ensemble. From Harada Maha’s Japanese novel Tabiya Okaeri, the series blends an introspective narrative, cosy camerawork, and emotionally resonant characters.
The story is about Kang Yeo-reum, an erstwhile idol who never reached the centre stage. A second-string TV show travel reporter these days, she begins again, with stand-in tours in place of someone else. Korean drama My Lovely Journey isn’t so much about nice scenery; it’s about scenery of the heart—the kind you travel when life takes a different route than you had planned.
My Lovely Journey Episode 1 Recap
Episode 1 of My Lovely Journey introduces us to Kang Yeo-reum, a lively but struggling travel show host whose career is coming to its end. Previously an idol in pursuit of fame, now she works around the clock as the host of a travel show titled One Day Travel. To the camera, lovely and cheerful, but behind the camera, Yeo-reum has underlying insecurities about unfulfilled dreams and her unclear future.
She made a mistake while taping on location in a small town when she tried to shill for a product sponsor and ended up overreacting to a fermented enzyme drink. The scene turns wild when, in the course of filming, a swarm of bees attacks, prompting a crazed rush to the hospital and a shot that is wrecked. Instead of defending her, the director of the show, Mr. Song, turns on her after production. She is humiliated and becomes a viral sensation, with her segment ridiculed online.
As the program is on the verge of cancellation, behind-the-scenes evidence of Song’s inattention is quietly gathered by editor Lee Yeon-seok. Agency head O Sang-sik intervenes and scolds Song. Despite Sang-sik’s interference, however, Yeo-reum feels she has had enough, particularly after an encounter with other idols from her idol days, her first love Si-wan, and erstwhile best friend Eun-chae.
Just when all seems darkest, a turn arrives in the shape of a sincere fan request. Kate, an American fan, requests that Yeo-reum take a stand-in trip to Buyeo. Touched but hesitant, Yeo-reum is torn. But with persuasion and a strong jab of tough love from Sang-sik, she eventually agrees to make the trip, maybe not only for Kate but also for herself.
My Lovely Journey Episode 2 Recap
In episode 2 of My Lovely Journey, we get to see the ongoing physical and psychological journey of Yeo-reum when she takes the long journey alone to Buyeo. The moment she exits the agency, we see the buildup to the decision. We see her reminisce about her vulnerable past—how her father had told her she should never come home unless she succeeded. That responsibility of proving herself still weighs on her shoulders.
While at the station, she has a chance encounter with an elderly woman named Kyung-jin, who sends her on her way to Buyeo. There are delays, humiliating transactions at convenience stores, and even inadvertent celebrity when someone identifies her and puts her photo on the internet. Despite these frustrations, she finds small joys—a hot meal from a restaurant, and a kind grandmotherly woman who puts her on a path of spirituality at Muryangsa Temple.
Coincidences still pervade her existence as she meets the grandson of the restaurant owner, the same individual who was taking care of her phone. Lee Yeon-seok, a key figure in uncovering Song, quietly lends a hand in the background. As Yeo-reum begins to film the stand-in trip, something inside her shifts. Travelling with purpose begins to free her from regret.
Just as she appears to be adjusting to the trip, a strange woman who introduces herself as Kate suddenly reappears and informs her that she cannot shoot. Shaken and bewildered, Yeo-reum attempts to pursue her, but she disappears. At the end of the episode, she is back in Seoul, where she is welcomed by Sang-sik, not with anger, but in a poignant reminder that new roads tend to lead where old ones are closed.
My Lovely Journey Episode 1-2 Review
My Lovely Journey kdrama ep 1 inscribes a peaceful but emotionally fulfilling niche in the otherwise crowded K-drama world. The show balances humour, conflict, and healing skillfully, drawing audiences into Yeo-reum’s existence without melodrama. Gong Seung-yeon acts decently—her facial expressions alone express the fragility of a person stuck between desire and reality.
The supporting cast, particularly Kim Jae-young in the role of Yeon-seok and Yoo Joon-sang in the role of Sang-sik, adds depth to the emotional scenes. The My Lovely Journey episode 1 protagonist is not merely imperfect but human, someone seeking self-respect, not fame. Her career collapse is the genesis point, but it is her insistence on carrying on that establishes the story’s heart.
My Lovely Journey kdrama ep 2 continues along this path of transformation. Watching Yeo-reum learn to live on the road, one mistake at a time, is oddly comforting. When she decides to trek along the Muryangsa trail, it is not merely to accomplish something; it is a quiet act of defiance against years of second-guessing herself. Her interactions with strangers, laced with warmth and shyness in equal proportions, distil the humble yet mighty lesson of the series: at times, the most beautiful travels begin when you finally cease running away from yourself.
My Lovely Journey Review (Episode 1-2): Summing Up
With only two episodes in, My Lovely Journey kdrama is already promising us a show more interested in emotional authenticity than sensational plot turns. The concept of stand-in vacations is not only clever but beautifully metaphorical for someone who has spent her entire life living in someone else’s space. As Yeo-reum begins to take control of her own journey, we find ourselves eager to see where this beautiful, melancholy journey is going next.
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