Its finally here! The new tvN drama “Navillera” has finally aired and its everything anyone who’s looking for a life drama needs.

The drama boasts the stellar cast featuring the young rising talent Song Kang and veteran actors Park In Hwan and Na Moon Hee.

So lets begin talking about my thoughts on the premiere.

Song Kang’s choice

Song Kang came under my radar in December of 2020 when “Sweet Home” aired. I was in awe of his handsome looks and more importantly, his acting skills. Then, I went back and saw his other dramas. I noticed how much he’d improved despite the short time he’s been active in the industry.

Song Kang is a very interesting actor and makes very interesting choices that resembles what I’d love a rising Korean actor to make.

I always talk about what I believe would be the ideal path for a rising actor to establish a fanbase and grow a following. Song Kang does that and experiments in the process as well resulting in a very interesting projects list.

This role is a very good role and befitting of the actor. Not only that, but he’s on screen with two of the biggest and most respectable Korean veteran actors. He will get to grow his talent even more and hopefully learn from his sunbaes, I am sure he’ll learn a lot by simply observing them.

Just because an actor sees some growth in his/her fanbase after a role doesn’t mean they should jump the gun and take a first leading role immediately. Song Kang plays the second lead here and appropriately so. He is starring opposite veteran actor Park In Hwan.

I like how he’s challenging himself. He also said he’s been learning ballet for the role for about 6 months.

This type of slice-of-life drama will not pull 10 or 20% in ratings, but it will likely go down as a pleasant experience for people looking for comfort.

I like how Song Kang is challenging himself here in “Navillera,” you can tell he’s not in it for immediate recognition but for the long run. He’s already been cast in another drama that will begin filming soon. I am just so excited watching his growth.

Slow but beautiful

“Navillera” episode 1 was noticeably slower than episode 2, but the premiere was still warm and beautiful. “Navillera” episode 2 went by very fast and was so much fun to watch.

This is intentional and its also the premiere, I know such type of dramas will not focus on dramatics but rather down-to-earth and real-life experiences and sometimes, this is exactly what we need.

If you’re tuning in expecting fast-paced scenes or dramatics, “Navillera” is not the drama for you. This pace will likely stay consistent throughout its run.

I must say, I really like the idea behind the drama. Its a very interesting premise to explore and something that can bridge the gap between the young and old. I relate to Song Kang’s character Chae Rok and I am sure the older generation will relate to Park In Hwan’s character. There is probably something for all ages here but if you’re the type who doesn’t enjoy slower content, this will likely not be that appealing to you.

I can’t wait to see how the characters progress and how their lives become intertwined. I bet Chae Rok won’t be able to live without grandpa in the near future. I liked their interactions a lot and felt so sad whenever Chae Rok was mean to grandpa, grandpa was so darn cute.

Only 12 episodes long, already a great decision

I care about episodes count, and if you’ve read any of my reviews then you know about how much I talk about this.

I think the industry standard 16 episodes hurts many productions, so many great projects end up getting diluted because of this. Many kdramas have amazing ideas but they don’t need to be 16 episodes long.

When I watched the premiere of “Navillera,” one of the things I thought about was how beautiful it was but how it will likely be ruined by its episode count. Then, I peaked at the Wikipedia page and found out its 12 episodes long. I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness “Navillera” is only 12 episodes long.

Such type of dramas can become boring fast, I like dramas about life but I still like engaging content. Not every life-drama is immediately a perfect drama for me, it takes balance, great actors and good writing to make such type of dramas work especially since we live in an abundance of fast-paced, action packed and dramatic dramas.

So far, I am very pleased with the premiere of “Navillera,” I hope it continues to be this engaging and sweet throughout its run.

So these are my thoughts on “Navillera,”, so what about you guys? did you like the episodes? let me know what you thought in the comment section below.