# Once Upon a Small Town (2022)

> A reluctant city veterinarian is relocated to the countryside, where a policewoman and the town's insiders pull him into village life and romance.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/110371

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 36 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, comedy, romance
- Created by: 백은경
- Network: Netflix, Kakao TV
- Cast: JOY, Choo Young-woo, Baek Sung-chul, Baek Ji-won, Jeong Seok-yong, Roh Jae-won, Park Ye-ni, Na Chul
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21875462/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cozy, gentle, wistful, breezy

## What critics say

Viewers found the cozy small-town premise and romance underdeveloped and unconvincing, with a mixed overall reception.

## Synopsis

Once Upon a Small Town (2022) is a South Korean drama series created by Baek Eun-kyung for Netflix and Kakao TV. Its story follows a veterinarian from the big city, played by JOY, who reluctantly relocates to the countryside against his wishes. There he meets a policewoman, played by Choo Young-woo as Han Ji-yul, who knows the town's inner workings and keeps a friendly secret. The engine of the series is the friction between a newcomer's resistance and the pull of a community that treats him as one of its own. Each episode of this single 12-episode season, running about 36 minutes, moves through everyday village incidents, small errands, and the slow building of a romance that draws on a shared history. Supporting principal characters include Baek Sung-chul as Lee Sang-hyeon, Baek Ji-won as Jang Se-ryeon, and Jeong Seok-yong as Hwang Man-sung, whose neighborly interactions give the village its texture. The tone is gentle and warm, with a light comic touch and a wistful sense of belonging, though the romance is uneven in critical eyes. Set in a contemporary rural Korean village, the series sits in the tradition of Korean rom-com dramas and will appeal to viewers who enjoy cozy small-town stories in the vein of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and Doctor Ahn Eun-young.

## Shows like Once Upon a Small Town

- [Love Next Door (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/157786)
- [Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/139370)
- [Emergency Couple (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54574)
- [Summer Strike (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/123055)
- [My First First Love (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74323)
- [Dream to You (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1105101)
- [Dr. Romantic (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/60040)
- [When the Weather Is Fine (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/81782)
- [My Shy Boss (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/60644)
- [Noble, My Love (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56304)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt