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Netflix’s South Korean series A Time Called You brings a Taiwanese romantic mystery to the screen through a story of grief, time travel and a series of murders at a high school. Released Sept. 8, 2023, the 12-episode drama is a Korean adaptation of the popular Taiwanese series Someday or One Day.
Directed by Kim Jin-won and written by Choi Hyo-bi, the series stars Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been and Kang Hoon. Its story moves between 2023 and 1998, blending a romance about lost love with a supernatural mystery.
From heartbreak in 2023 to a high school in 1998
The story follows Han Jun-hee, a woman living in 2023 who is still grieving her boyfriend, Koo Yeon-jun, one year after his death. Under unexplained circumstances, she travels back to 1998 and awakens in the body of 18-year-old Kwon Min-ju.
In this unfamiliar life, Jun-hee encounters Nam Si-heon, a teenage boy who looks remarkably like her deceased boyfriend. The resemblance draws her into an emotional journey across two different periods. The series' tagline captures the central romantic premise: "The moment I see you, I know I'll go to meet you."
The 1998 storyline centers on Noksan High School, where a series of murders unfolds. The first victim is Byun Da-hyun, played by Song Ji-woo. The killings add a crime mystery to a narrative otherwise driven by romance and the question of how the two timelines connect.
Three leads play characters across two eras
Ahn Hyo-seop takes on both Koo Yeon-jun in 2023 and Nam Si-heon in 1998. Jeon Yeo-been portrays Han Jun-hee as well as Kwon Min-ju, the teenager whose body Jun-hee inhabits. Kang Hoon plays Jung In-gyu, Si-heon's closest friend, who has feelings for Min-ju.
The corresponding roles in the Taiwanese original were played by Greg Hsu, Alice Ko and Patrick Shih. The Korean adaptation retains the central character relationships while placing them in a new production with Korean actors and settings.
Min-ju's family also plays an important role. Park Hyuk-kwon portrays her maternal uncle, Bae Chi-won, the only person besides Jun-hee and Si-heon who knows about the time travel. Jang Hye-jin plays her mother, Bae Mi-young; Sung Ki-yoon plays her father, Kwon Sang-jo; and Lee Min-gu plays her younger brother, Kwon Do-hoon.
Min Jin-woong appears in both timelines as different brothers: Oh Chan-hee, the class president in 1998, and his younger brother Oh Chan-young in 2023. The series also includes supporting school characters and guest appearances by Jang Se-hyun, Park Ki-woong, Rowoon and Do Sang-woo.
From remake announcement to Netflix release
The Korean remake was officially announced Feb. 22, 2021, when production companies NPIO Entertainment and Lian Contents confirmed that they had secured adaptation rights from Taiwan's Fox Network Group. Casting reports followed in December 2021, when Jeon Yeo-been and Ahn Hyo-seop were reported to be considering the leading roles. Kang Hoon was subsequently reported to be in talks in February 2022.
Netflix confirmed production on March 31, 2022, announcing the three leads. Filming began the following month. The finished series was released as a single season of 12 episodes.
Mixed critical response, stronger audience rating
On Rotten Tomatoes, 57% of seven critics reviewed the series positively, with an average score of 7.2 out of 10. The Movie Database (TMDb), which collects audience ratings, recorded an average score of 8.218 from 220 users.
By adapting a Taiwanese drama for a Korean cast and a global streaming platform, A Time Called You illustrates how stories in East Asia can move across national entertainment industries through remake rights and local production. For international viewers, the series offers a self-contained 12-episode story that combines a familiar romantic premise — the struggle to reconnect with someone who has died — with a time-travel puzzle and a school murder mystery.
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