A Time Called You: Honest Review & Filming Locations
Short version: A Time Called You (너의 시간 속으로) is the Netflix K-drama I recommend first when someone asks for a binge. Twelve episodes, a time-slip mystery wrapped in a romance, a twist in almost every episode — and a 1990s ballad that will ambush you emotionally. Completely spoiler-free below.
📌 What it is
A woman still grieving her boyfriend a year after his death finds herself slipping back to 1998, waking up in another girl's life — where a boy with her dead boyfriend's face is sitting in the next seat. That is the setup, and that is genuinely all you should know going in.
It is Netflix's Korean remake of the Taiwanese classic Someday or One Day, starring Ahn Hyo-seop in a double role, Jeon Yeo-been, and Kang Hoon. Twelve episodes, released in 2023, available on Netflix worldwide.
💬 My honest take
This is my number one binge recommendation, and I say that as someone who came to it completely fresh. I knew the Taiwanese original was famous — everybody kept telling me to watch Someday or One Day — and I never got around to it. So the Korean version hit me with no expectations at all, and I fell for it immediately: the leads, the 1990s styling, the way every frame is lit.
It starts out looking like an ordinary romance. Then the timelines begin to tangle, the characters start connecting to each other in ways you did not see coming, and you find yourself saying "wait — seriously?" out loud at the end of an episode. "Just one more and I'll sleep" turned into checking the clock and finding it was 4am.
And then there is the music. The show is built around an old Korean ballad — Seo Ji-won's Gathering My Tears (내 눈물 모아) — and by the time it plays at the right moment, I was crying at a song released before I ever watched a single K-drama. That is the kind of emotional trapdoor this show keeps opening.
When I finished, my first instinct was to start again from episode one, because knowing the ending changes what half the scenes mean. That is the mark of a well-built story, not just a good one.
✅ Watch it if…
- You like time travel stories where the rules actually matter.
- You want a twist at the end of most episodes.
- You want romance with a mystery spine, not just a love triangle.
- You have a free weekend and no self-control. (Twelve hours, roughly.)
⚠️ Maybe skip it if…
- You have already watched Someday or One Day and hold it sacred — fans of the original are split on this remake, and that is fair.
- You need light, low-stakes comfort viewing. This one has darker turns than the poster suggests.
- You dislike stories that ask you to hold two timelines in your head at once.
📺 Watching from Korea — or planning the trip after? Start here:
📶 Korea eSIM — Stream from the Airport Train →🏨 Compare Seoul & Jeonju Hotels →📍 Where it was filmed — and what you can visit
The town of "Noksan" in the drama is fictional. Production stitched the world together from real places all over Korea, and several are easy stops on a normal trip:
🏫 Jungang High School · Bukchon, Seoul
The school scenes were shot at one of Seoul's oldest school campuses, in Bukchon — the same historic building K-drama crews have used for decades. It sits a short walk from Bukchon Hanok Village and Changdeokgung, so you can fold it into a normal sightseeing day. It is a working school: photograph the gate and the facade from outside, and do not wander in.
🎧 Seohak Art Village · Jeonju
The record-shop world of the drama was built in Jeonju's artist quarter, an easy add-on to Jeonju Hanok Village — which also appeared in the show. Jeonju is about 90 minutes from Seoul by KTX and is worth an overnight for the food alone.
🏯 Hwaseong Haenggung · Suwon
The fortress palace and the old lanes around it turn up repeatedly in Korean dramas, this one included. About an hour from central Seoul, and a genuinely good half-day trip.
🎋 Juknokwon Bamboo Forest · Damyang
The green bamboo tunnel in the south. A long way from Seoul, but if you are travelling toward Gwangju or Jeolla province, it is the most photogenic stop on this list.
🌊 Dumulmeori · Yangpyeong
The riverside spot where two rivers meet, an hour east of Seoul by subway and bus, and a favourite of Korean drama directors for early-morning mist.
📌 Most interiors — the record shop, the houses, the café — were sets or private property. The locations above are the ones you can actually stand in front of. More options in our K-drama filming locations guide.
🎵 About that OST
The soundtrack does a lot of work here. Alongside the original score, the show leans on 1990s Korean pop to sell the 1998 setting — and the ballad at the centre of the story is the emotional detonator. If you finish the series and want the feeling back, the OST playlist is on every major music service.
🔁 If you liked it, watch next
- Our Beloved Summer — same wistful tone, no time travel. Our review.
- Twenty-Five Twenty-One — 1990s nostalgia and a romance that will not leave you alone.
- Queen of Tears — bigger, glossier, and funnier than you expect. Our review.
- The full list: 15 best Korean dramas on Netflix.
❓ FAQ
How many episodes is A Time Called You?
Twelve, roughly an hour each — about 12 hours in total.
Is it on Netflix everywhere?
It is a Netflix Original, so it is available in almost every region — unlike licensed network dramas, which vary by country.
Do I need to watch Someday or One Day first?
No. They are separate viewing experiences and the Korean version stands alone. If anything, watching this one first makes the original a fresh experience later.
Is there a season 2?
No — it is a complete, self-contained story in 12 episodes.
Is it scary?
Not a horror, but it carries a mystery-thriller undertow and some dark moments. Fine for most viewers; not the show to fall asleep to.
🎬 Want to stand in the scenes? Plan the trip:
🚄 Jeonju, Suwon & Korea Day Tours →🌳 Add a Nami Island Day Trip →The 💬 My take section is a personal opinion from watching the series, not a sponsored review. Filming locations were confirmed from Korean production coverage as of July 2026; schools and private buildings are not open to visitors, so please respect the sites.