‘A Time Called You”s Special MV ‘Beautiful Restriction’ by NewJeans Evokes Nostalgia

A Time Called You, the Korean adaptation of the venerable Taiwanese television drama Someday or One Day, starring Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been, and Kang Hoon in the key roles, has amassed a large following far in advance of its premiere. Ahn and Jeon are at the heart of a delicately intricate tale that traverses both dimensions—a time-slip fantasy romance unlike any other. Its trailer added to the hype, and as the release date (September 8) approaches, the makers have ratcheted up the excitement by also releasing a song by NewJeans, “Beautiful Restriction,” included in a special MV.

It is NewJeans’ maiden K-drama OST, a more subtle rendition of the song originally by Korean rock musician Kim Jeong-seo, one of his best numbers. Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein of the up-and-coming K-pop girl group each flex their unique vocal tones, pouring soul into the melody. It recalls memories of teenage and high school romance; it occurs to me as a retro soul, deeply nostalgic. The music is most pronounced in the chorus, with voices blending their delicate dulcet notes into choral beauty.

The music video is an ensemble of candid scenes shot on the drama’s sets, with the protagonists having fun backstage in between takes. It captures the camaraderie of the actors both on and off camera. The song, which is in perfect sync with the spontaneous moments—real emotions, gestures, and exchanges—enriches the visual experience.

A beautiful love song, “Beautiful Restriction,” lives up to its name. The emotions at their core in love songs are the most relatable. They could be happy or sad—about falling in love, the fluttering of the heart, that special someone, times together, or the anguish of a breakup, the pangs of separation, or a broken heart—but the thing is, they are deep manifestations of what these experiences bring. The OST is a comparable tune best suited to A Time Called You, where a couple is faced with a convoluted labyrinth of space, time, and perhaps inevitability.

Han Jun-hee (Jeon) is still inconsolable from the loss of her boyfriend, Gu Yeon-jun (Ahn), a year after his demise. She uncovers a means to travel back to 1998, where she awakens as Kwon Min-ju, an 18-year-old. As bewildered as she is, her despair deepens when she runs across Nam Si-heon while struggling to make sense of this new reality because Si-heon resembles Yeon-jun. She briefly assumes her desire to reunite with him has been granted, yet soon comes to terms with the fact that everything is far stranger than imagined. If she can change the past and present through the unknowables of space and time, she may iron out the quandary.