Compellingly stunning, MAESTRA: Strings of Truth maximized the merit of its story through the commanding portrayal of its female lead.
Lee Young Ae shines as the focal character in this new tvN weekend series with conviction.
abbyinhallyuland watches MAESTRA: Strings of Truth on Disney+
Opening Week Rating:
MAESTRA: Strings of Truth Opening Week Highlights
Elite orchestra conductor Cha Se-eum (Lee Young Ae) returns to Korea after her respected career overseas.
She joins the Han Philharmonic Orchestra and meets members who don’t seem happy to welcome her.
Committed to her work, she goes straight to the podium of the practice room and makes her initial assessment of the orchestra.
Determined to bring out the best in Han Phil, she makes a bold decision to change the concertmaster who is also the person who taught her the violin, Mr. Park. She has seen through his injury that disables him to play the violin in full force.
This change, of course, received a negative response from the members. But Se-eum holds the rein well and proves she’s more than capable of leading. She later invites Mr. Park to join the orchestra to aid Luna, the talented violinist she chose to become the new concertmaster.
Se-eum’s return reunites her with her husband Kim Pil (Kim Young Jae), a music professor.
Interestingly, she also meets again Yoo Jung-jae (Lee Mu Saeng), a rich investor who bought Han Philharmonic Orchestra to get closer to Se-eum. In a flashback, their young love history shared good and bad times. At present, Jung-jae is keen to make her divorce Kim Pil.
Demanding to win her back, he used the cancellation of the orchestra’s first performance to make Se-eum submit to his intention. But Se-eum responds with a valiant countermove of staging an outdoor performance. It was met with success onsite and virtually marking a great start for the team.
Jung-jae meets her after and admits defeat with her countermove. Just then, she receives a message to go to a staircase.
She gets the surprise of her life seeing her loving husband sharing a passionate kiss with one of the members of her orchestra.
MAESTRA: Strings of Truth Opening Week Musings
Magnifying its initial potential, MAESTRA: Strings of Truth sails off to an inviting character-driven spectacle made gorgeously appealing by Lee Young Ae. Decorating a character with defined charisma and emotions seems so easy with how the respected actress assumed her role as Cha Se-eum.
The opening week also established her character with immense fortitude to her personal goals. Moving forward, the series would most likely navigate to a message of grit overcoming barriers featuring a career-oriented woman on top of her game.
Through the details shared in the opening chapters, we foresee Se-eum confronting her husband’s infidelity. Given how she is the type that does not tolerate unfairness, will she turn a blind eye to save her marriage?
Based on the back story of her breakup with Jung-jae, it is hinted how he did not support her in a dream she’s trying to pursue. This would also be another message the series intends to capture: how support between partners in personal endeavors matters.
Adding to the charm of the story is the music backdrop that highlights a career not often explored in K-Dramas. The last that we know of focusing on orchestra conductors is the acclaimed Beethoven Virus.
Like timeless classical music pieces, the series promises various emotions that would narrate a woman-empowering story.
Learn to be motivated with a winner mentality in MAESTRA: Strings of Truth every weekend. International fans can watch it on Disney+!
Photos: tvN Drama
