Our Universe 2026 Full Review

Bae In Hyuk as Seon Tae Hyeong

Seon Tae Hyeong grew up in an orphanage after his older brother left him there, promising to come back. But Tae Hyeong never stopped missing his brother. As an adult, Tae Hyeong becomes a photographer, because a camera was the last gift he received from his brother. A chance encounter with Hyeon Jin leads Tae Hyeong to meet his brother again at his brother's engagement party, but Tae Hyeong is too angry to listen to any explanation. A short time later, Tae Hyeong finds out his brother and his wife were killed in a car accident. 

Tae Hyeong shows up at the funeral where he meets Hyeon Jin again, as an official in-law this time. Hyeon Jin suggests that Tae Hyeong help her raise their newly orphaned nephew, U Ju. At first, Tae Hyeong isn't interested. But when he needs a place to stay while his apartment is being repaired, Tae Hyeon offers to move into the house with Hyeon Jin and help her take care of U Ju. Since Hyeon Jin has just started a full time job, most of the child care falls on Tae Hyeong. As he spends time with U Ju and Hyeon Jin he begins to feel that sense of family he has always wished for. And Hyeon Jin has information that could change Tae Hyeong's feelings about the past and his relationship with his brother.

The trauma of being left alone as a child has left Tae Hyeong with a need to control his environment. Whether at home or on the job, Tae Hyeong is a perfectionist that demands things be perfect at all times. On the job, this makes him successful but in his private life, it leaves him lonely and difficult to get along with. I have liked Bae In Hyuk in the few dramas I have seen him in. I think this kind of serious, fastidious character fits him well and I thought he played this role well.

Park Yu Ho as Seon U Ju

Seon U Ju is Tae Hyeong and Hyeon Jin's nephew. He is not quite two years old. While in the beginning, he struggles a lot with missing his parents, over time he begins to adjust to his aunt and uncle. But his mischievous personality can be challenging.

Park Seo Ham as Park Yun Seong

Park Yun Seong met Hyeon Jin in college. He had feelings for Hyeon Jin then, but when Hyeon Jin suddenly broke things off with him, he lost contact with her. Now he is a team leader at Hyeon Jin's new company and he is thrilled to find out Hyeon Jin has taken a job there.

Jin Seo Yun as Chu Eui Jeong

Chu Eui Jeong is a temperamental fashion photographer also called Amy Chu. She hires Tae Hyeong to work as her personal assistant. Tae Hyeong is familiar with her work and excited for the opportunity to work under her, despite her difficult reputation.

True Parenting Struggles

Watching this drama was so fun because you constantly see glimpses of how hard it must have been for these young, inexperienced actors to film with a baby. And as you get some realistic reminders of  what real parents struggle with every day, you also get to see Roh Jeong Eui and Bae In Hyuk get better at navigating the difficulties and distractions, just like real parents.

The "Village"

As this drama progresses, it's nice to watch all the people who come alongside them and help with U Ju. No parent should have to do things all on their own,  and I loved how many people stepped up to help. And a special shoutout to the touching story of Ae Ja and Du Sik. They are so much more than just mother and son, and I loved the depth of their backstory.

U Ju

You really can't talk about this drama without mentioning Park Yu Ho. This little boy is like sunshine in bottle. He is charming and precocious. I especially enjoyed his interactions with Bae In Hyuk. You could really see their bond growing throughout the drama. I hope we will get to watch this young actor for many years to come.

Yun Seong

Love triangles are certainly common in rom-coms, but Yun Seong and Hyeon Jin get so much screentime as a couple that you almost forget he isn't the lead. Tae Hyeong spends all his time taking care of U Ju while Hyeon Jin flirts around with her first love before suddenly deciding she actually likes Tae Hyeong. Not only does Yun Seong overshadow Tae Hyeong but their love triangle overshadows the stories of family and parenthood. 

Legal Issues

I feel like if there was going to be a legal issue with U Ju's adoption they should have mentioned it before the last couple episodes. This storyline just comes out of thin air and takes over the final episodes. At least a little bit of foreshadowing would have made this story feel more integrated into the rest of the series.

Amy Chu

The Amy Chu character was really interesting and as Tae Hyeong's employer she fits well in the story.  But if they wanted us to feel engaged into her personal story, I feel like they should have let us know what their marriage was like when they were happy. I mean, it was fun to see Tae Hyeong stepping in to help them reconcile but I didn't really feel like I understood Amy's relationship with her husband at all.

'Our Universe' gives us the expected happily ever after. Our leads finally confess their feelings and Hyeon Jin makes it official by breaking the news to Yun Seong. But before we draw our final breath of relief, there is still one major surprise hurdle to overcome. Hyeon Jin still needs to get the approval of the court before she can take full custody of U Ju. And of course, things don't exactly go smoothly. A couple untimely accidents causes Hyeon Jin to temporarily lose her custody of U Ju, and things are looking pretty grim.

But luckily, Hyeon Jin and Tae Hyeong have built a solid support community who immediately step in to help the couple get everything up to code and write letters of endorsement. In the end, the outpouring of support is enough to convince the grouchy family investigator that Hyeon Jin and Tae Hyeong are the best parents for U Ju. The final scene shows U Ju's second birthday party. And everyone is there to share the joy of the occasion. And with that, we close out our sweet story with a beautiful little family.