Accent – Series Review & Episode Guide

Dong-uk is a piano prodigy studying at university. His family struggles financially, so he must pay for his own tuition. Winning a scholarship is his only chance to continue his education. Dong-uk has a secret affair with Professor Park, who has promised to help secure his victory. They keep their relationship under wraps so nobody suspects their forbidden affair.

Dong-uk meets Seonghun, a freshman just starting school. Seonghun makes a few mistakes while practicing the piano, giving the impression that he's nothing special. During the public recital performance the next day, Seonghun stuns the audience with his exceptional talent. Some students even call him the new prodigy, leaving everyone in awe.

Dong-uk is stunned, realizing he had misjudged Seonghun based on first impressions. In reality, Seonghun studied music in Austria and comes from a prestigious family of pianists. Dong-uk loses his confidence as he sees Seonghun as a serious threat to his chances of winning the scholarship. He also notices Professor Park growing affectionate toward Seonghun. The professor meets with his new student alone and becomes touchy-feely with him, further fuelling Dong-uk's insecurities.

Professor Park arranges for Dong-uk and Seonghun to perform a duet together. The chairman will attend the recital and decide the scholarship winner based on their performance. Dong-uk is upset. He had believed the scholarship was already guaranteed to him. In private, the professor reassures him he's still talented and will outshine Seonghun. However, the pressure weighs heavily on Dong-uk, leaving him tense and anxious as the recital approaches.

Dong-uk and Seonghun begin practicing together, but tensions quickly rise. When Seonghun makes mistakes, Dong-uk grows frustrated. Dong-uk accuses the younger student of not taking their sessions seriously. He insists they must be technically perfect for the performance, reminding Seonghun how much this scholarship means to him. Seonghun responds meekly, which only fuels Dong-uk's irritation. Unable to contain his frustration, he loses his composure and lashes out.

Accent introduces a pianist who feels insecure after a talented newcomer outshines him. However, their rivalry appears one-sided since his competitor is harmless and has done nothing to start the feud. The protagonist seems like a bully for picking on an innocent student. Also, his secret affair with the professor is icky and inappropriate, giving you another reason to hate him. You get an awful first impression of the lead character, who has accumulated many negative traits.

Dong-uk puts so much pressure on himself to win the scholarship that he seems mentally unstable. From disturbing thoughts to dangerous actions, his downward spiral may scare you. In the story's second half, Dong-uk stops worrying about the competition and becomes friendlier toward his rival. If you can forgive him, he goes on a meaningful redemption arc. However, the series doesn't explain his change of heart well. Dong-uk's transformation occurs too suddenly. Accent should have taken its time to explore how his thoughts and feelings evolve instead of rushing such a pivotal plot.

The two piano rivals follow an enemies-to-lovers arc. Since Dong-uk is so antagonistic early on, it leaves a bad taste in the romance. Understandably, you may still have doubts about him. With that said, the couple shares some sweet moments once they start getting along. A few scenes highlight their emotional and physical bond. Are they enough? That depends on your expectations. In my opinion, the BL content is okay for a short series. Accent depicts the start of a promising relationship, although it doesn't go too deeply into the couple's dynamics.

Dong-uk's actor (Lee Ju Hyun) is guilty of overacting. From his harsh line delivery to his hammy crying, the theatrics take me out of immersion. Although his character faces a lot of pressure, the performer comes off as too intense. His co-star seems fine, but Seonghun's role is more limited and doesn't get as much development. By the way, this actor (Jeon Yu Bin) is the undisputed king of Korean BL. He must have broken a record after starring in six gay indie projects. His entire career is just one BL after another. Wow, I respect him for being knee-deep in this genre!

Accent is filmed vertically, a format I hate because it limits the visuals to a small, awkward screen space. Reel dramas are designed to cut costs, prioritizing quick, cheap, and mass-produced content over a well-rounded story. While this approach allows more series to be made, it sacrifices quality. In addition, Accent must compromise on artistry. The one-minute episodes are so short that we can't even enjoy the music. Instead of listening to the characters play the piano, we only hear a few fleeting portions of their performances before the series must move on.

Accent has a happy ending. Compared to the start, Dong-uk is free from his psychological strain. I like that he changes his perspective on music. He learns to have fun, make mistakes, and perform without pressure. If this were a longer series, his storyline would feel even smoother by fleshing out the growth in his character arc. Unfortunately, the 50-minute series must rush the plot, so some parts seem clunky or underdeveloped. While I see glimpses of an introspective drama with thoughtful themes, Accent is lacklustre and doesn't deliver a satisfying story.