“Just because you’re a daytime star, doesn’t mean you don’t shine. From now on, everyone will see that light.”

Daytime Star, a webtoon by Godago Chaeun, follows a struggling actress named Yura Hwang, who has been in the acting industry for 7 years but has yet to land any major roles. Upon landing a minor role in a movie, she meets A-list celebrity actress Seunghyeon Kang. As Yura films for her role and wonders when she will finally gain the fame she seeks, she and Seunghyeon fall in love, and the two can’t seem to take their minds off each other. 

Although this webtoon is categorized as a drama, it’s more of a romantic and wholesome read. Our main lead, Yura, has been betrayed in love. Despite this, she works tirelessly in hopes of achieving success in her career. Yura is kind, emotional, bubbly, and vibrant. Readers are bound to root for Yura and believe in her as she clearly deserves the best after everything she has been through. A passionate actress, Yura believes that one day, fame will come and people will finally recognize her talent.

As the story progresses, Yura realizes that Seunghyeon has fallen for her, but he is willing to wait until she is ready to love him back rather than pressure her into a relationship. Yura can’t help but fall in love with Seunghyeon, and the relationship between the two is genuinely adorable, despite its unrealistic nature. Seunghyeon is the perfect match for Yura, as he is caring and supportive of everything she does, especially in her career. The two are a match made in Heaven. 

Despite the great romance the story has and how much I enjoyed the characters, the pacing of the plot (specifically how quickly the main characters fall in love) felt too fast. The webtoon introduces Yura’s breakup with her ex, then rapidly progresses to her falling in love with someone else. Their love story is supposed to emulate “love at first sight”; however, the author portrays them as the perfect match after shooting just one scene together, which is highly unrealistic. I would have liked to read more about how they connected rather than watching them fall in love instantaneously. The webtoon should have spent more time developing their relationship. 

However, Daytime Star is unique in the way that it’s mainly focused on the already established relationship between Yura Hwang and Seunghyeon Kang. Compared to other romance webtoons where the story and plot centers around rooting for and waiting for two characters to fall in love, there is no drawn out “will they, won’t they,” making Daytime Star a refreshing read that allows its readers to enjoy the pure connection that the two characters share. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading about the romantic and joyful relationship that was portrayed in the webtoon. The characters were both so lovable, and they were incredibly cute together, which will bring the audience much joy when reading. Yura’s strength and perseverance as she overcomes her difficulties, heals, and keeps trying for a better life teaches the important lesson that hard work pays off in the end. Although the pacing of the relationship is fast and unrealistic, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a light and fluffy romance to read, as well as to anyone who would love to watch a character work their way up for the better.