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An ode to motherhood
When the Camellia Blooms is a romantic comedy and crime/thriller drama but at its very core it’s a love letter to motherhoods—every form of motherhood actually. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I’m not a mother but that does mean the messages that was conveyed didn’t hit me hard. It made me sit back and reflect on my own relationship with my mother and for that I’m thankful.That being said my high rating kind will mostly be based on my own personal feelings rather than the logistics of the plot. I felt that it really delivered on the crime/thriller part but I know people had issues for me. However, the mystery of the killer was not something that had me anxiously awaiting each episode, no it was waiting to see if Dongbaek will stand up for herself or what the rest of residents of Ongsan are up to. That being said it’s obvious that while I personally liked how the mystery unfold it only played a small factor into my high score.
My high score, as I stated before, relied heavily on my personal emotions and oh boy did I feel strongly about this show. It’s true that I didn’t care about the crime/thriller plot-line but I’m a romance enthusiast so even if I found the focus on motherhood fascinating I needed a pairing to root for. And trust me I was rooting for Dongbaek and Yong Shik early on. It’s no surprise that the cast gained recognition and awards for their roles because you can tell how much attention went into crafting these uniquely human characters. Dongbaek as our protagonist really did grow although some would debate on that fact since there was so much flip flop going on. Yet I was not bothered because in those twenty episodes I was really able understand the core of her character and I know realistically that people don’t change over night.
Yong Shik is hands down my favorite male lead in a kdrama I’ve ever seen yet. Sure he’s incredibly persistent and in your face but he’s such a genuinely nice person that I can’t help but adore him. He’s very an all or nothing kind of guy which I admire and if you are looking for a puppy ML whose feelings for the FL does not waver one bit Yong Shik is the guy for you. Without giving away spoilers I want to shine light on this gentle giant who whole heartedly loves Dongbaek, her son, and the rest of the residents in Ongsan with all he got.
The side characters were all very interesting and I found myself rooting for even the ones I labeled as “the worst.” I thought there was a good balance between the leads and side characters too. By the end I felt almost as if I was apart of that little town because the audience was able to get to know them so well. Kudos to the child actors/actresses for giving it all they got. I thought that Dongbaek’s son, Pil Gu, was a very likable character who unfortunately felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulder.
Finally I want to address the running themes of motherhood. When The Camellia Bloom shows how difficult it is being a mother. Since there are so many different characters and stories you are able to get different perspectives. There’s a high chance that you’ll be able to relate to one of the stories involving mothers. I thought it was interesting to show how beautiful and ugly motherhood is; how mothers can be selfless and selfish. I was hesitant at the beginning but by the time I reached the final episode I was sold on the idea.
Anyways, When The Camellia Bloom made me feel so many different emotions whether it’s happiness, anguish, anger, amusement, frustration, etc. I’m someone who rates according to what it made me feel and since this drama really had an impact I had no choice but to give it 10 out of 10. I’m sad that it’s over but I’m happy I stumbled across this gem. I’m aware it’s not for everyone but it ended up hitting every little check on my “perfect drama list” so obviously I’m going to praise it. The OST also enhanced the scenes rather than distracted me. This drama will definitely go on my list of favorite dramas of the year.
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I also loved a lot of relationships the FL had or built throughout the drama. That's the core of the story and what makes it alluring, in my opinion, so if you don't like stories that center on the relationships of its characters, then this isn't for you.
The only flaw it's some parts of the script.
There were things that were dragged that were unnecessary and a beautiful relationship with so much potential was destroyed and not treated properly which was the utmost shame (I'm not talking about a romantic relationship). They tried to fix it at the end, but they rushed it. In my opinion, it was really cliché how it was destroyed and it took from the story more than it brought. I wish the writer had made another choice, it would have been more interesting and heartwarming and much more in character.
Also, I would say that not every mother is the kind of mother this drama talks about. I get that in this case they are talking about mothers that are that way, but in the world there are plenty of women who shouldn't have been mothers.
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I did like the concept of the story but the pieces did not come together well for me. The first 5 episodes dragged the story line a lot and even after that it was slow to pick up. To me the highlight of the show was Kang Jong Ryul. His character arc was most satisfying. Even though I did not like Dong Baek treatment of him and denial of his relationship with his son, he too had many transgressions for a redemption. He was both a lovable and pitiful character. He understood what he lost and desperately tried to reclaim. I really hope Kim Ji Suk gets the recognition he deserves .
Second to him was Hwang Yong Shik the good guy who finished first. This was a refreshing change. Often times we watch the bad boy get the love he didn't deserve and the nice gets thrown to side. Overall the drama just had a few poor decisions made which resulted in a not quite good drama for me.
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Watch this only for Kang Ha-neul
This series could have easily been shortened to the usual K-drama length of 16 episodes, but I guess the producers stretched it out to 20 episodes to milk as much money as they can from the TV network. That's why the show dragged starting around Episode 11. The writers should look for another profession.Gong Hyo-jin, who played the FL, is a terrible actress. She had a blank expression on her face throughout the series or cried that looked so phony. She cried in almost every episode (sometimes several times in the same episode) and whined that she was abandoned as a child. I didn't mind her whining about her sad life for 3-4 episodes, but EVERY episode? It gets old really fast. I blame the writers for this. By Episode 18, I was really hating her - so pathetic and irrational. During Episode 19, the tale of FL's mother's early years, it was supposed to be sentimental and tugged at your heart, but it bored me and I fell asleep. At Episode 20, with every character's storyline wrapped up nicely with a bow, I felt like puking. At the end, the kid had grown to an adult but the ML and FL had not aged - not one single gray hair after being together for 15 years (they met when he was 34 and she was about 1-2 years older)!
All the Korean mothers were overbearing: ML's mother who initially can't accept her son falling in love with a single mother, the model wife's mother who schemed to have her daughter take as much alimony from the baseball player, female lawyer's mother-in-law who is a nag and a bitch. Is this a cultural thing or do the writers hate mothers?
The only acting that stood out as exceptional were from the ML, the baseball player, the dead friend/coworker and the little son. They all showed a great range and depth of emotions. It was good to see Kang Ha-neul, the ML, in a comedic role after seeing him in a serious role in Moon Lovers:Scarlet Heart. I watched this show specifically to see him after seeing his outstanding performance in Moon Lovers but felt his talent was wasted in this show.
I would not rewatch this show or recommend it to anyone unless they absolutely needed to see Kang Ha-neul.
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Onto the bad stuff:
One of the biggest problems with this drama is that they've extended it to 20 episodes, all the filler stories that were used to fill up the additional 4 episodes were related to things I usually don't enjoy watching in a kdrama, namely Confucianism crap and an incredible amount of melo. I'm fine with watching melodramatic scenes in general, but this was just way too much, for way too long. There is also a shift in writing after XYZ's death, it's like all my favorite things in the show got dialed down to the bare minimum. Some characters got some personality & intelligence adjustments mid way and then in the finale everyone suddenly changed their world views for a super fast ending that was quite underwhelming. To sum it up the pacing is just off. The disadvantages of live filming were on a honking display here. Oh I almost forgot, the 30 million won thing, I have no words for how stupid that was..
So why do I still rate the show at 7.5?
Well, I enjoyed the first half (more like 2/3rds), there was quite a lot of "Monogatari style" dark moody, but funny dialog. The romance was great up to the point when Yongsik's mother started interfering with them. The balance was perfect between romance,comedy and mystery too up until XYZ died. Even though I'm not happy with the last 6~ episodes, I would feel bad to give a show this memorable a score any less than this.
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For me this film was overhyped
Sorry I don’t mean to offend anyone, we have our own taste when it comes to dramas but this just wasn’t my type. I felt like the story was dragged for too long that 12 or 16 episode would suffice instead of 20 episodes. The story is too long and very draggy, but overall if you enjoy up and down dramas, this would be great for you! :) The story line was indeed very realistic which i guess why a lot of people liked it, I liked the story too but it’s too draggy. Every episode makes you think who the Joker is but you just can’t guess it. I only enjoyed watching the last episode in this 20 episode drama :( Totally not worth watching again.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Horrible pacing and tone
Minor minor spoilers ahead if any.This drama wasn't for me... A lot of people like it, but after episode 12 I decided I just couldn't waste any more time trying to watch it and I pretty much just skip-watched to the end from there...
First of all, the premise has potential. After loving Hometown ChaChaCha I thought I'd love another small town story, but this one has some really annoying characters I just couldn't stand. I loved the actor who played Gyutae in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, but whenever he came on in this show I just hated him because he was just screaming like a big manbaby (I know that's who he is, but it was still really irritating). Dongbaek has a really bad victim complex... the women of Ongsan are developed really poorly and they suddenly decide to just like Dongbaek because she kind of starts to assert herself but she's actually so flip floppy. I didn't feel for Hwangmi that much throughout the whole show. Omg Jongryeol... Probably the most annoying. Even if that was the aim for these characters, the pacing was just sooooo dragged out, and while I had no characters to grow close to and love, I was just bored and annoyed watching this whole show. I will say there were some moments and scenes I enjoyed though. But those were far and few between.
The tone of this show is very confusing. It was either really bubbly and bright or so dark and eerie that I was like.. This can't be serious. I was thinking if they made that police guy the Joker that would have been soooo good if they made it work... but of course they made some random guy we don't know the Joker.
I'm glad I don't have to worry about trying to finish this show anymore!
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Do miracles happen? "Miracles don't exist. It's just the little heroes inside us working together."
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Definitely not another Gong Hyo-jin Rom-Com
Comedy is not what will be remembered about When the Camellia Blooms. Although that seems obvious based on the plot synopsis (single mother, serial killer, etc.), I expected something similar to Gong Hyo-jin’s previous works, and I was glad that WtCB was not. I am not a huge fan of GHJ, especially her comedic timing, and seeing her in this drama is a pleasant surprise. Funny moments still dot this drama, but its main draws are the looming mystery thriller and its emotional punches.With a veteran cast & crew and solid production quality, the drama executes its plot cleanly, mostly. The beginning exposition is a little messy with the introduction of the mystery plotline and the romance plotline, but WtCB finds its footing. However, I find the messy beginning more captivating than the polished execution of the middle and ending. The tension in the drama dissipates a little too quickly given its long buildup, and I am left wanting more.
Story:
There are 2 main stories in When the Camellia Blooms, the mystery and the “drama”, and the romance and comedy both take a back seat. The 20-episode format gives the mystery and drama ample time to develop, but due to their poor integration, it results in an uneven pace. Throughout it all, romance and comedy still peak their heads, like a familiar, friendly reminder.
The characters in the drama are much better written than the plot, and they remain relatable even as a serial killer lurks in their town. In particular, the development of minor characters stands out, especially Noh Gyu Tae and Jessica. The way these two characters are made endearing throughout WtCB shows its excellent character drama.
Acting:
Furthermore, Gong Hyo-Jin has said in an interview that Dong Baek is a character who she could not pass on to another actress. The role really challenges GHJ to portray a vulnerable person putting herself out there. It relies less on comedic timing and more on emotional delivery, and GHJ shows she does not need comedy to create relatable characters.
The supporting cast is also stellar, and the trio of GHJ with the 2 male leads bring all the different plotlines together. Kang Ha-Neul excels as he bounces from the different plotlines, all while bringing his comedy chops (even while solving a murder!). And as mentioned earlier, even the minor characters get their moments to shine throughout, and the interaction between all the characters had me tuning in week by week.
Music:
The music also consistently delivers week by week. It trends towards the typical kballad genre but employs a group of talented singers. I look forward to giving the OST and soundtrack a re-listen. Shoutout to Punch who has killed it with drama OSTs in 2019 (plus she has a popular OST in another GHJ drama, “It's Okay, That’s Love”). And, I will never say no to more songs by Heize.
Rewatch Value:
As much as I love the lesser known hits in kdramaland, credit is due to the major networks and their products. They bring in starpower and have the capacity to cover all the facets of drama making. It results in 10+% ratings rarely achieved by the smaller cable networks, but it can be difficult to determine whether that was because of quality or mass-marketing/appeal. As far as WtCB is concerned, it is an enjoyable watch and better than most other 2019 major network productions (like “Angel’s Last Mission: Love”).
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Is there any hope for a better life?
While watching I felt myself gripped with this sad melancholic feeling as there were just so many instances that are just too unfortunate and hopeless for Dongbaek (the main female lead Gong Hyo Jin) to withstand. She encounters seemingly endless obstacles and is beaten up and dragged down by all the people in her life that take advantage of her. Many of the supporting characters in this drama are quite unlikable at first. They either take advantage of Dongbaek’s kindness and soft-spoken nature or verbally abuse her and judge her for circumstances she has been placed in that have been out of her control. To have no one on your side, that is what loneliness is. The triumphs in this drama are few and far between but when they arise they are intensely strong and rejuvenating for the characters as well as us, the viewers. These triumphs are almost always related to Yong-Sik (Kang Ha Neul).This drama is a slow burn. It takes 3 episodes to really commit to it but everything picks up speed around that point. I remember browsing through the comments after having watched the first couple episodes looking for some confirmation that I should continue watching, and that was the comment many made. I also noticed comments saying how great of a character Yong Sik was and that he would turn the whole drama around. AND HE DOES! Yong Sik is the sweetest, most caring, thoughtful, endearing, precious character ever!! He is the sunshine of Ongsan and the only one who consistently stands by Dongbaek’s side. He defends her, encourages her, and instills in her self worth. He reassures her that she does matter and that she deserves to be loved and to love herself. Dongbaek’s character could frustrate some as she is on the more timid side, but once you come to understand her story and see the multitude of little ways that she persists and conquers her own life you see that she is much stronger than she appears.
In this drama there were slow moments, there were weak moments, but there were also intensely powerful moments, lessons about self worth and perseverance, and real struggles and stories that show what life can really be like sometimes. Life is unfair. It’s hard. It’s full of judgment from others and pain. But to have someone, even one person, to be there for you along the way can give you so much strength. One person can give you the strength to not only triumph over life’s obstacles, but to be happy while you’re enduring them.
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“miracles don’t exist. it’s the little heroes inside us working together. The donations that quietly pile up. The small acts of kindness done by kind people. It’s just the result of all the good deeds you’ve done. You just think it’s a miracle”Finally a drama that succeeded to keep my attention constantly through all of it. This drama is very unique in its own way, without using some over the top or incredibly original tropes (that means that even simple plots can be interesting if well written and well executed!). I love the concept of the single mom having to deal with her bills, her past and also her neighborhood (and the fact it's not even set in Seul for once xD )
At first what hooked me was the mystery, then I fell in love with almost every character in the drama (I didn't liked the bully ajummas because they remained bully ajummas till the end and they caused a lot of problems for that poor girl for no reason. Tho, I liked how the whole block was some sort of a family and they finally got close but they stepped over the line several times to me D: )
Most of all, Hyang Mi. She is some sort of dark character, she blackmails more than one character, giving them a motive to be the killer, but ultimately you can see how this character is three-dimensional and deep, even if she may be not a GOOD character (I really liked this "grey zone" she felt like a real character! That said: I didn't liked a lot of her choices). She had reasons for being as she was and her habits where forged by the environment she grew up. I especially liked when she told Jessica "you and me are the same: if you get lucky you'll become a Jessica, if not a Hyang Mi".
Her relationship with Dong Baek was also a cool surprise (usually the trope "we knew each other from childhood" is boring, but this time gave emphasis to how people in the same situation can take different roads) - and I felt really sad when she was waiting for her in the bar.
Yong Shik was a pure gem. I loved him, even if in the beginning was a little pushy (?) but he meant really no harm. It was a refreshing male lead (and not a ceo!! Incredible!), supporting and patient. In many other dramas there would have been a LOT of stupid misunderstandings.
Both Dong Baek and Yong Shik are flawed characters but I liked them with those - I understood when Dong Baek came from, why she was the way she was (as I said before I could feel a connection to her, that's why I probably understand better some choices she made)
Jong Ryul was also a complex character, but his trying to be the father actually got me on his side: he didn't know she was pregnant and he didn't just turn the car and went back to the city. It's just that he didn't know how to approach him. I felt his pain and I think he had the right to know it or a better chance to be a father. (I appreciated they didn't drag the love triangle for more than 2 eps because it was unnecessary xD)
In the end the drama gave me a satisfying mystery in the first part (because they insinuated a lot of possible suspects beside the killer, a 3D characterization, a fluffy romance and finally a warm overall sensation.
The only things that left me "meh" where:
- Dong Baek's mom: from someone who suffered the same condition as Dong Baek and Hyang Mi it was a bit overcoating (?) She abandoned her because she was running away from an abusive husband and had no means to let the both survive. Just that some people don't have such noble soul, they just throw away their children like that. Probably there's a bit of a subject matter because I felt really connected to Dong Baek.
Also the fact that they miraculously saved her from kidney failure was idk, it was a bit given? At some point I thought "oh maybe the mom knows about the killer / is related to, or there some reason she was in danger, like she's the daughter of a married man (?) something like that xD
- Yong Shik's mom: I understand that she felt scared for the son but eventually the neighborhood accepted the two. There's nothing wrong in taking care of "someone else's son" - but I think this concept includes also the culture factor, divorcees and single parents are demonized as I saw in many other dramas (emergency couple treated pretty well this issue)
- Gyu Tae and Ja Young: I would have shipped them if the only reason to divorce was the alleged affair, but they just couldn't stand each other so having them back together got me a bit like the writer just wanted to give them all an happy ending (Gyu Tae wasn't happy at all, not that happy ending means everyone paired xD)
- Why tf Dong Baek should go alone in an abandoned mall, knowing that some psycho killer is watching her??? mmh I would have used idk, Hyang Mi's phone to lure her
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