Summer Strike (2022) - Series Review: "A Summer I Did Not Expect"

"Summer Strike" ended with the 12th episode. Many Korean drama series ended after the 12th episode; I'm not sure why, but perhaps they didn't want to prolong the story. In fact, I believe that even though the series ended in the 12th episode, the core of the story was able to be relayed on this series.

Image from KORB

Summer Strike is about a woman named Lee Yeo Reum, played by Seol Hyun, who quits her job due to burnout and tries to change the course of her life. She decided to move to a nearby village and began living there for a while, using the money she had saved from her previous job.

I had no idea Seol Hyun was the detective in "Awaken," one of my favorite shows. I am not very familiar with some Korean Drama artists because I watched the series for the story rather than the actors. The story comes first, followed by the actor, and it would be a bonus if the actor I like became a part of a good and well-written series.

Lee Yeo Reum met An Dae Bom played by Im Si-Wan. He was a mathematics protege, just like her deceased older sister. He was the one who found his sister's dead body. The mystery surrounding her sister's death remained unknown. An Dae Bom witnessed his father running outside their home and when he entered, he discovered his sister's dead body. He informed the police that she might have been murdered by his father, and he himself became a suspect.

I'm not familiar with Im Si-Wan because I haven't seen any of his previous series. But he was excellent in this drama. He was calm and introverted, but he tried to get out of his comfort zone. Both the male and female leads appear calm yet adventurous, which is why I was surprised by how the story unfolded in the finale.

I mentioned in the pilot episode that I wished it was a little more exciting, and I believe the last episode made it so. For me, the other episode ranged from average to good. But what made the series exciting for me was the finale episode, in which they attempted to uncover the truth behind Dae-Bom's sister's death.

Image from Summer Strike

Image from Summer Strike

Image from Summer Strike

My review of the pilot episode differs greatly from my review of the entire series. It would take an entire series to tell the story. The first episode focuses on a woman who abruptly quit her job in search of happiness and peace. However, it was more than that, which was contrary to what I said in my pilot episode review.

I can't say for certain that her new town provided her with healing or relaxation. I believe she felt more stressed, but it was a positive experience for her because she met genuine people and made new friends. It was still a good drama, but I don't think everyone will enjoy it, so would I recommend it? Yes, slightly, because I was still able to enjoy some of the series' scenes and moments. It was a summer surely, I didn't expect (specially the finale episode). How about you? Have you seen it?