Doona! Review — Beautiful to Watch, But Start-Up Is Still Bae Suzy's Best

Bae Suzy in Doona!

Spoiler Alert — the following contains spoilers for Doona!

As I continue my Bae Suzy binge-watching journey, I just finished Doona! — which many fans point to as one of her best shows.

I can see why. But for me, Start-Up is still her best. Let me explain.

The Camera Loves Bae Suzy — And It Shows

In Doona!, Bae Suzy plays a K-pop idol who fell from grace. Without going too deep into the plot, she ends up living in an apartment complex with several people — including the main male lead Lee Won-joon, played by Yang Se-jong.

Given that Bae Suzy was actually part of a K-pop group herself and is obviously a massive celebrity in real life, the role feels like it was built for her. And watching the show, you can tell the director and camera team know exactly who they're working with. The camera finds her constantly — watching the sunrise on the rooftop, slowly smoking a cigarette, practicing as a K-pop performer. Every shot is composed to capture how stunning she is.

For many Bae Suzy fans, this is probably exactly why they love the show. And honestly — I get it.

The Plot Is Only OK

I haven't watched enough K-dramas to know whether the celebrity-falls-for-ordinary-person premise has been done before in the genre. But it immediately reminded me of one of the most beloved Western romantic comedies ever made — Notting Hill, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. A great film. One of Julia Roberts' most famous lines ever.

Here's the thing though. In Notting Hill, the journey of why these two people end up together feels earned. The obstacles make sense. The emotions land.

Doona! doesn't quite get there for me.

A lot of the struggle between the two leads comes from misunderstandings or one character's emotional state in a particular moment — and I found it more frustrating than genuinely moving the plot forward. I know many people won't agree with that take. But when I compare it to Start-Up or even Uncontrollably Fond — which also had its share of frustrating moments — Doona! feels like it falls just a bit short in the storytelling department.

The ending is deliberately open, and from what I've read online, the director used the opening and closing credit scenes to hint that Doo-na and Won-joon do end up together. It's a creative choice. But it reinforces the feeling that the journey between start and finish wasn't as complete as it could have been.

The Ensemble Cast Didn't Land for Me

Doona! clearly tried to build a wider ensemble — they even show the full cast together at the beach in the opening credits, scenes that never actually appear in the show itself, as a hint toward the happy ending. It's a nice touch. But I never felt truly invested in most of the supporting storylines.

The one exception was the first love story between Won-joon and Jin-ju, played by Ha Young. The first quarter of the show focuses on these two — why they didn't end up together when they were younger, and the emotional weight behind that. I especially liked the moment when Jin-ju confesses her feelings to Won-joon and explains her reasons properly — she hadn't wanted him to know about her abusive father. Watching her grow beyond that, move out of her family home and develop as a person felt complete and real.

But other storylines — the I-ra and Jeong-hun romance, Yun-taek's simply loving love — fell flat for me. Of all Bae Suzy's shows, Start-Up still does ensemble storytelling the best.

Final Thought

I'm going to pause on Bae Suzy shows for a while.

I've now watched While You Were Sleeping, Anna, Vagabond, Uncontrollably Fond, Start-Up and Doona! — plus the movie that made her a screen star, Architecture 101. Across all of it, I can absolutely see why she's one of the biggest names in Korean entertainment. It's not just her looks. She has a genuine ability to hold your attention — in the way she speaks, the way she uses her facial expressions, the way she moves between emotional and comedic registers within a single show.

Her on-screen presence is undeniable.

Next up — I'm going to start exploring Jung So-min's work. I loved her as Mu Deok in Alchemy of Souls. She may not be as big a celebrity as Bae Suzy, but I want to see how she handles genres outside of fantasy. Looking forward to it.