JOY
An Ja-yeong
Overview
Against his wishes a veterinarian from the big city relocates to the countryside, where he meets a policewoman, a town insider with a friendly secret.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 12 episodes
- First aired
- Sep 5, 2022
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readCountry Roads, Gentle Lies
I kept waiting for Once Upon a Small Town to become a joke about city people and country people, the kind of easy fish-out-of-water setup that sitcoms have been cashing for decades. It does flirt with that. A vet from Seoul gets shipped off to the countryside against his will, and the premise practically hands the writers a stack of embarrassed glances, mud jokes, latestnetflix.com maintains, and culture-clash misunderstandings.
But Kwon Seok-jang’s series is softer than that, and a little slyer. What it’s really interested in is how people learn to live inside places they didn’t choose, and how a community’s warmth can feel less like sentiment than a daily practice — one that requires attention, patience, and the occasional willingness to mind your own business.
That matters because this is a 2022 K-drama, and it arrives in a landscape crowded with polished romantic escapes and rural nostalgia. But Once Upon a Small Town isn’t interested in rustic fantasy as much as emotional maintenance. Kwon Seok-jang, whose work has often leaned toward broad popular appeal, here keeps the stakes modest on purpose.
The series is adapted from a web novel, and you can feel that origin in the clean lines of its setup and the careful way it parcels out affection. Yet it doesn’t feel mechanical. It feels built to let small gestures breathe.
The show’s central move is to make the countryside look neither enchanted nor backward. The roads are narrow, the light is sometimes almost too bright, and the camera keeps finding people in half-used spaces: clinic offices, front porches, convenience stores, the edges of fields. I like that the series doesn’t overdecorate the village into a postcard.
Instead, it lets the setting remain a working place, full of routine and gossip and weather. That’s where the humor lives. Not in big punchlines, but in the tiny social negotiations that happen when everybody knows everybody else’s business and pretends not to.
JOOY — better known as Joy of Red Velvet, and that context matters more than it might seem — brings a particular kind of freshness to the role of a policewoman who has long since been folded into the town’s daily rhythms. She’s a performer with a naturally open face, but what I kept noticing here was the way she uses stillness. She doesn’t overplay the local girl as quaint or chirpy; instead, she holds her body with a practical ease, as if she’s learned how to occupy space without asking for permission.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 7.0/10
"A breezy, low-stakes countryside romance that charms with scenic village warmth, even if its predictable storyline leaves some viewers wanting deeper emotional stakes."
Following a big-city veterinarian who reluctantly relocates to a rural village and crosses paths with a dedicated local policewoman, the 12-episode drama leans into comforting, pastoral escapism across brisk half-hour installments. Audience reception reflects a fond but measured reception, pairing an 80% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a more restrained 6/10 mark on SensCritique; [latestnetflix.com]( read is that viewers value the gentle romantic chemistry and pleasant atmosphere, even as the familiar formula keeps it from becoming a standout drama.
What viewers praise
- Charming rural romance The gentle interplay between the reluctant city veterinarian and the helpful local officer offers easy, comforting viewing against a picturesque village backdrop.
- Brisk, manageable format Short episode runtimes around 34 minutes make the 12-part run light and effortless to binge without dragging out conflicts.
Common complaints
- Formulaic predictability The conventional small-town romance tropes and modest dramatic friction result in a more subdued reaction among audiences seeking richer narrative momentum.
Recommended for
Fans of cozy, low-stress romantic Korean dramas Viewers who enjoy lighthearted countryside settings and bite-sized episodes
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Once Upon a Small Town: A Rom-Com with Rural Charm
Once Upon a Small Town (2022) brought a breath of fresh air to the K-drama scene with its cozy blend of romance, comedy, and countryside vibes. Directed by Kwon Seok-jang, the series stars Red Velvet’s JOY (Park Soo-young) and Choo Young-woo in a story about a big-city veterinarian adjusting to rural life—and the quirky characters who come with it. latestnetflix.com's view is that while the show’s on-screen chemistry stole hearts, the behind-the-scenes details reveal a production that leaned into its small-town charm in more ways than one.
From Web Novel to Screen
The series is based on Park Ha-min’s web novel Accidental Country Diary, a detail confirmed by multiple sources 
. Adapted by screenwriter Baek Eun-kyeong, the drama retains the novel’s lighthearted tone while expanding its world. KakaoTV, the original network, greenlit the project as part of its push into original content, later making it available on Netflix for a global audience . The 12-episode format (a standard for Korean miniseries) allowed for a tight, bingeable story without the filler often seen in longer dramas .
Casting Choices and Chemistry
JOY, known for her music career, took on her first major lead role in Once Upon a Small Town, playing Ahn Ja-young, a no-nonsense police officer with a hidden soft side. Her casting was a talking point, given her transition from idol to actress, but early reviews praised her natural performance 
. Choo Young-woo, who plays the veterinarian Han Ji-yul, was already gaining traction in the industry, and their on-screen dynamic became a highlight of the series .
Supporting cast members like Baek Sung-chul and Roh Jae-won added depth to the rural setting, with their characters embodying the warmth and eccentricity of small-town life . While no behind-the-scenes drama about clashes or romances has surfaced in the available evidence, the ensemble’s chemistry suggests a smooth production—perhaps aided by director Kwon Seok-jang’s reputation for workplace-driven narratives .
Production Quirks and Challenges
Filming in a rural location likely came with its own set of challenges, though specifics aren’t detailed in the snippets. The series’ runtime (34 minutes per episode) is shorter than typical K-dramas, which may have helped streamline production . The show’s visual style—bright, pastoral, and nostalgic—contrasts with the gritty urban settings of many contemporary dramas, offering a deliberate escape for viewers .
One notable moment from the production involved Choo Young-woo’s character coming to JOY’s rescue in Episode 5, a scene that reportedly delighted fans . While no major on-set mishaps or delays have been confirmed, the lack of tabloid drama aligns with the show’s wholesome tone.
Reception and Legacy
Critically, Once Upon a Small Town earned mixed-to-positive reviews. SensCritique users rated it 6/10, praising its cozy atmosphere but noting it wasn’t groundbreaking . Still, its availability on Netflix helped it reach a wider audience, and its lighthearted premise resonated with viewers seeking comfort content .
As for rumors of a second season, no official announcements have been made. The series was designed as a self-contained story, though its popularity leaves the door open for future adaptations or spin-offs .
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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