Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
K-drama celebrates wonder, has violent themes, smoking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Sound of Magic
What's the Story?
Adapted from the Korean webtoon Annarasumanara, THE SOUND OF MAGIC is six-part teen drama about hardship, love, and believing in magic. Teenager Yoon Ah-yi (Choi Sung-eun) doesn't know where her mother is, her father is hiding from creditors, and she's desperately trying to support her younger sister by herself. Meanwhile, at school she's competing academically with the top student, Na Il-deung (Hwang In-youp), without the necessary resources to prepare her for exams. It's a tough existence, but when Yoon meets a strange young magician named Ri-Eul (Ji Chang-Wook) living in an abandoned amusement park, she finds herself wondering if life can be magical.
Is It Any Good?
The series combines fairy tales, musical numbers, and crime to create a lively but intense teen K-drama. As Yoon Ah-yi navigates her difficult life and a budding romance, Ri-Eul challenges her to hold on to the sense of wonder she once had. The story isn't about remaining innocent, and navigates through some violent plot lines, only some of which lead to happy endings. But The Sound of Magic still manages to send the message that in life it's worth believing in the magical, even if only to help us survive a life that isn't.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the differences between U.S. and South Korean teen dramas. Are there similarities in the way they tell their stories? What kinds of things do you see in U.S.-produced series that you don't often see in Korean ones?
How does The Sound of Magic define magic? Does Ri-Eul ever fully demonstrate that it exists? Does Yoon Ah-yi ever come to a point where she fully believes in it?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 6, 2022
- Cast : Ji Chang-Wook , Choi Sung-eun , Hwang In-youp
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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