Pousando no Amor (2019)

A nice addition to the greats

Crash Landing On You was about our main female character that ends up in North Korea after getting into an unexpected accident and a North Korean soldier that ends up falling inlove with her. Sounds interesting right? Well the premise of the story is already an attention grabbing but I didn't immediately watch it upon airing simply because I was dissapointed by majority of Kdramas that was released last year which has also interesting premises but got boring/uninteresting in the middle and eventually dropping it. This drama was like a saving grace for my drought, After getting recommended by one of my friends, I watched the first 4 episodes when it was still airing and finally a series worth of sticking up until the end! Every episode leaves you wanting for more. All characters are potrayed very well by the actors. I've seen comparisons of this to DOTS and I can say that the plot and acting wise, CLOY was wayyy better miles ahead. (This is coming from a big fan of DOTS like me). Probably the only thing that DOTS did better are the osts, yes CLOY lack great osts with only a handful of memorable ones unlike in DOTS where every ost leaves an impact. You might think why I'm comparing this two series because some of you might be doubting to watch CLOY simply because it's another soldier theme drama especially those who still haven't watched or dropped DOTS, but I can assure you, this is different. You will enjoy every bits of it, This drama makes you care for every characters, no one is left behind. Our main leads have great chemistry like I can't imgine any actors playing the same role, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were really meant to play the roles of Captain Ri Jeong-Heok and Yoon Se-ri. All in all Crash Landing on You managed to give everything I want from a rom-com series. It might be cliche and predictable at some parts but it was done right and this series will also give you a new perspective on how people actually live on the other side of the korean peninsula.

Leia Mais

So I don't seem to have loved this drama as much as so many other viewers have appeared to. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it a lot, with the tale end (last 4-5 episodes) being the best for me, but I wasn't too impressed or enthralled with the story in the beginning.

I didn't find Se Ri to be particularly interesting in her normal South Korean lifestyle. Things got interesting when she finally got to North Korea. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that was a bit bothered by how romanticized North Korea was portrayed. I've exposed myself to a number of resources on what N. Korea is like, including autobiographies in video and literature formats as well as documentaries...I'm no expert at all, but I can assure you, North Korea is not nearly so care free and/or "normal" in regards to overall mentality and lifestyle. If an individual were to read the autobiographies, one would realize how twisted, tragic, and dangerous living in North Korea truly is. Due to having some knowledge in this area, I did have some trouble swallowing the picture painted of N. Korea initially. Once I got over my initial shock (I simply wasn't expecting N. Korea to be portrayed this way), I was able to enjoy the drama for what it was, a fictitious piece of entertainment, loosely based on real places.

I did not begin to really get sucked into the drama until probably episode 12. The drama at this point is more focused on South Korea, as by this point, Se Ri is now back home, and the action picks up significantly with Chul Kang out to kill her. There were some awesome fight sequences as well as some entertaining comedy, especially between Captain Ri's men/platoon and the drama at the NIS. I also find a better balance of screen-time between characters by this point in the drama.

The reason the last couple of episodes were my favorite in the entire drama was because you got to see people being kind to others, even when it put themselves at risk. It was the generosity and selflessness that was beautiful to witness now that the characters were thoroughly established. For example, I seriously started crying when all the wives came to help the colonel's wife after he was arrested - it was incredibly touching. Also when the homeless orphan hides Seung Jun in the village so the Chinese thugs don't find him - and then Seung Jun starts crying because their song hit's him. *sob* That was POWERFUL. The way Chi Su saved Man Bok from being shot in the final gang shoot-out was impressive and selfless too! Honestly, while I enjoyed the main couple, the smaller, discreet, overlooked touches were what really made this drama so good for me.

Additionally, I personally adored Seung Jun and Dan together as the secondary couple. But, I can't get over their tragedy.
With all the rule-bending this drama took liberty with, why was it okay to kill of Seung Jun?? Why wasn't there a way to save him? Anndddd with all the other characters so neatly and thoroughly wrapped up, why leave it ambiguous? Why not come out and clearly state what happened and if he's truly dead or not? And no, I'm not satisfied with the answer, "it's for them to pick up there for a season 2." If there's no season 2 guaranteed, I'm not okay with the ambiguity, because it might never happen!

Speaking of rule bending - if they were able to take creative liberties to create a new and improved N. Korea for the sake of drama plot, why not work things out between Captain Ri and Se Ri a bit more smoothly? There were so many time jumps in the end with their struggle spanning years. Why couldn't they get a simpler/neater happily-ever-after with all the other plot conveniences devised? Yes, I know that Captain Ri didn't want to jeopardize his parent's safety if he pissed off the N. Korean government, but seriously, come on, with all the other plot conveniences, it wasn't possible for Se Ri and him to live more happily-ever-after?

"Picture of My Heart" by Song Ga In and "Longing Hill" by April 2nd were my favorite vocal OST in the soundtrack. All the instrumental pieces were great too. I especially loved "Time of Jung Hyuk for Se Ri" and "Same Sky, Different World" instrumental pieces. Although, not to be a jerk, but I really didn't like the piano piece that Captain Ri wrote for his brother that Se Ri loved so much...Please don't hate me over that! It's just with such great OST's and instrumental accompaniments, that piano piece didn't fit well.

I would also like to state a super unpopular opinion. I'm not at all attracted nor do I swoon when Hyun Bin comes in the picture. His character as a human being is attractive, but his physical appearance, not so much. So that, I do not understand very much.
I also do not find Son Ye Jin particularly remarkable. In everything I've seen her in, I've been unimpressed. She's not a bad actress, I'm just not blown away by her...

Anyways, I know I've been long winded in stating my unpopular opinions, but I don't actually hate the drama. I simply would like to point out some of it's imperfections for those of you out there that might not have held Crash Landing On You in such high regard, or are on the fence as to whether or not you want to watch this. Hopefully this will help in figuring out what to expect.

Leia Mais

Certainly Overrated For What CLOY Actually Gives Us As Viewers...

Whilst this comment will most likely be lost amongst others, I must admit that I was fairly amazed just looking through the top comments as to how many people gave this show 10/10 upon all categories , with few being able to critically and respectfully note some of the more glossed over issues of the drama as well ( particularly towards life in North Korea).

Do not get me wrong. Crash Landing On You was actually quite a good show, however, would I actually say that it was “ good” enough to be seen as the “ “ BEST SHOW EVER WRITTEN” , worth 10/10 on here and raving reviews on other websites ? Probably not .In all honesty, I can already think of numerous K- Dramas out there which have tackled the theme of relationships and even issues over North Korea more in depth and realistically than this drama as well as better pacing . ( Korean Peninsula , Spy, Iris and even The King 2 Hearts .)

However, let’s not bring this drama down entirely. Crash Landing On You was an entertaining rom-com and this was particularly seen through the comical gold and actual intrigue between the cultural differences of the group of our North- Korean soldiers and our female lead Yoon Se- Ri played by Son Ye- Jin. ( Language choices, gestures, popular culture etc. ) Additionally, praise must also be given for renowned scriptwriter Park Ji- Eun ( Legend Of The Blue Sea, My Love From The Star) daring to tackle the trickier concept of an international and humanising taboo relationship between a North- Korean solider ( Hyun Bin) and a South- Korean chabeol heiress ( Son Ye-Jin).

Although it makes for good script material, most of the show’s centralisation in North Korea did bring one flaw to the show, where the premise “ write what you know” wasn’t always the best solution for Ji- Eun. Whilst the show did share some evident cultural differences and dangers of life in North Korea ( especially surrounding our second Male lead played by Kim Jung- Hyun), it was never exactly going to be from the get-go a fly on the wall documentary of what life is actually like in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Yet even by Crash Landing On You’s standards , it was fairly eye brow raising to try and gloss over the oppression , lack of freedom of speech and even the fact that North- Korea is a communist dictatorship with the classic and beyond comical element of having a department store ( a very consumerist South-Korean element) and “ Rich Ahjummas” in a country where money restrictions are so severe.

Whilst I do appreciate that the show was try to humanise our characters ( and did this successfully to some extent) by showing North- Koreans to be actually human beings rather than the “ enemy” and “ threats”, it still felt poorly tackled how the show decided to gloss over a lot of these more predominant issues over actual circumstances for many North-Koreans in order to add to the angst and humanity of our characters. This also moves on to a strange plot point over our two main characters as well as Se- Ri’s debates over suicide only being mentioned when it was necessary to earlier or later storyline. ( There was little explanation over this element of Se- Ri’s decisions which would have given her depth apart from just Ji-Eun just wanting to add angst before the big plot twist in the finale).

So, what are my final words to you upon this drama? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? Probably the biggest thing I should say that is Crash Landing On You isn’t a terrible drama and has a lot of fun playing with the renowned tropes of rom-coms. The ending is bittersweet, the concept is quite interesting, the characters and cast will grow on you and the cinematography and filming locations ( particularly in Switzerland and Mongolia) are gorgeous . On the other hand, the pacing simply falls after the halfway point to a slump, the glossing over and the attempts to write a mini- Seoul in Pyongyang were ridiculous in addition to the portrayal of North Korea and certain characters.

It can probably be concluded that whilst good, the show is just a little too overrated . If you’re looking for a binge-watch and something to easily watch and throw aside, it’s a perfect watch, however, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for actual depth, characterisation and sensical storyline, then there are so many other dramas out there to consider.

Leia Mais

Okay...I guess?

Okay, here`s the thing:This was just a mess from a writing standpoint and there`s no two ways around it.
We don`t have to find something realistic in order to connect with it and find it interesting. However, in my case, it should be consistent and this drama`s execution is lacking, when compared to the synopsis. And it`s not due to the lack of trying. It just feels mechanic. The girl finds herself in an absurd new world, has trouble dealing with it, a handsome savior appears, they fall in love, chaos ensues. Nope, it's not another Disney movie, it`s a supposedly gritty and ill-fated romance of two people found on opposite sides. But I just couldn`t get into it.

First the acting. This is Hyun Bin`s best acting role to this date, easily. His character is also the most likeable, albeit seen before and the chemistry between his unit is great as well. Honestly, I would`ve been fine watching their perspective of this unfolding, it would make for an interesting change. Seo Dan`s story is also mad intriguing and deserves its own show. Son Ye-jin however... I don`t know. I`ve watched her in this and in Personal Taste and I guess her acting style is just not doing it for me. In that way she reminds me of Lee Min-ho, though I did like his newest project. Se-ri is just an unfinished character. It`s like the writers wanted her to be strong and bitchy, but also a damsel in distress so from the get go, we see her be cunning and calculated, but then at the same time, she makes stupid mistakes a character with her capacity shouldn't. And through it all, it just doesn`t feel believable to me and that does fall on acting. And people will probably judge hard but here it goes: I see no chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. None. Zilch. They effectively feel like a brother sister duo to me, if anything. Also, and I cannot go without mentioning this but: CLICHÉS!CLICHÉS LEFT AND RIGHT!YOU GET A CLICHÉ, YOU GET A CLICHÉ, EVERYONE GETS CLICHÉS!

I have a bone to pick with the way they used these clichés, rather than them being used at all. Again with the we`ve met before. Only this time we`ve met so many times, that it`s just crazy how we haven't recognised each other already. Again with someone being shot and almost dying. Only this time, it was done twice. Again with, OH LOOK WE`RE IN A BAD SITUATION. Should we solve it and think, as we`ve been established as smart characters?Nope, let`s kiss instead. Look, my main issue is that if you have such an impressive concept and such a cast on board with it, you better use it to your best advantage. And they haven`t really. If I was to interchange North Korea with any other severe world where individualism is not accepted, it wouldn`t make a difference basically. And that`s a problem. There was potential in this:That scene when the main leads had to separate finally made me feel something. But it came too late.

And then, THE COP OUT ENDING. Maybe I misunderstood something but this just may be one of the worst endings to a drama I have ever seen. If I`ve got my facts right, Ri Jung Hyuk was accepted as a pianist in Switzerland and his position was given to Pyo Chi-soo. Meaning that he can stay in Switzerland?And Se-ri, who now has no reason to hesitate decides to stay in Seoul instead of moving in with him and they settle on 2 week-are writers on opiates? What even?I can`t even hide how much I hate the ending and I don`t even like this drama a lot.

Anyway, sometimes you should trust the percentages and sometimes...just don`t.

Leia Mais

Okay, I was hesitating whether I should write a review of this drama, but after seeing so many positive opinions, I was quite shocked so I decided to share what I think. So here's an unpopular opinion. CLOY definitely became very popular and achieved high ratings. It's understandable to one point, because dramas like this are often liked by a lot of people. But is CLOY really that unique and mind-blowing? Uhm, no, I don't think so.

CLOY was an average rom-com in the first half and a very overdramatic melodrama in the second. I actually liked the first few episodes a lot and I believe the drama had potential, but everything was pretty much ruined. And it kind of makes me angry, especially after this crappy ending.

The drama was extremely unrealistic and illogical. I know that the point of it is not to be realistic, but at least, it should have been convincing. I know that a love story about a NK army officer and SK heiress sounds very exciting and it would have been, if they had managed to handle it well. It's not an easy story to handle. They had a budget to film abroad and to cast stars like Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, yet some scenes were so poorly done. I don't quite understand that. Is it a mistake or they simply didn't care? At least the cinematography was very beautiful.

Anyways, I could handle these problems in the first half because I liked the story. However, the second half was horrible. I don't know, maybe it wasn't my cup of tea. Do writers still believe that if they make the characters almost die, that will make us feel more emotional? Make the drama more impactful? No, it became tiring. Someone was dying, the other was crying and then, in the next episode, everything was fine (yeah, in most cases). A little drama is very much appreciated, but in this case with this drama, it was overdone and it ruined the whole show. I don't know, but I didn't feel any emotions. I couldn't care less about what was happening.

The main leads were amazing though. I loved both Jung Hyuk and Se Ri and they had a sizzling chemistry! I loved all of their sweet moments. I respect this writer because she definitely knows how to make our hearts flutter with some beautiful romantic scenes. I'm still not a fan of her writing. The second couple was also very sweet, I wish they had more screen time. They focused too much on random supporting characters which made the episodes too long and tiring.

Son Ye Jin was perfect as Se Ri - an adorable and strong female lead. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Hyun Bin, I admit that he was a total husband material and he did an amazing job at portraying Jung Hyuk. Ye Jin and Hyun Bin definitely suit each other and I'm glad that they were there to save the drama. The same goes for Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun.

Overall, ''Crash Landing On You'' is not the worst drama out there, but it's far from perfect. It has its amazing moments, but I believe it's a wasted potential. You can watch it if you like the main leads, but I wouldn't really recommend it.

Leia Mais

Story: 5/10
* Most brownie points goes to the 2nd lead's story development.
* Minus 2 for Se Ri's foiled escape plan on multiple repeats plus a lot of cheesy unnecessary (although I acknowledge that cheesiness is subjective. lol)
* Minus 3 for the senseless tragedy towards the 2nd leads. They sacrificed the 2nd leads story just to inject a sob story which isn't even necessary. We know it's unnecessary because the main story will still stand even in the absence of GSJ's death.

Cast: 10/10
* I'm feeling generous because everyone did deliver and no obvious flaws. Most brownie points goes to Ye Jin, Jung Hyun and Ji Hye.

Music: 7/10
* I like classical music so it is a plus.. But the scoring, in general, does not really evoke a remarkable emotion--like when you hear the background music, for example, in your mind you see a flashback and you suddenly remember the emotion it evoked.

Rewatch Value: 1 (Just seeing clips of Seo Dan and Seung Jun hurts so nope, not gonna watch it again).

Leia Mais

Everything about this drama is remarkable!!!

This drama got me hooked since day one, and there are various reasons for it:
1) Amazing plot - The plot is completely new,at least for me. The story has developed very well and at also the right pace. It is one of the kinds where you'll probably die out of curiosity trying to imagine what the next episode would be like. I laud the person/people who came with such a story.
2) Remarkable actors - Son Ye Jin was the reason why I started this. But now Hyun Bin has me wrapped around his finger. Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun are also brilliant. Everyone's acting is so good, that it feels the roles were written for them.
3) The chemistry between the characters - This is also one of the reasons why I waited for the drama so patiently every week. The chemistry is so good and it makes me ship them way too much.
4) Supporting Cast - The supporting cast has done a splendid job, in fact the entire cast. The scenes involving them have been written really well, you don't wanna skip any scene. Kudos y'all!!!
5) OSTs -I love each and every one of them and I can't help but listen to them all the time. They're all very good!!

All I have to say is, if you're looking a unique story with amazing actors wrapped up together with soothing OSTs, you should most definitely give this a try. :)

Leia Mais

Voicing out an unpopular opinion on a popular drama is always risky but I am going to take that risk and do it anyways: CLOY is nice but it's not a masterpiece.

The biggest problem I have with this drama is that there are too many unnecessary elements, scenes and I dare to say even characters. It's not that I don't enjoy a good subplot but in this drama we were presented with so many of them that it felt overwhelming:

- the drama within YSR's family
- the drama between YSR and her stepmother
- the drama between GSJ and YSR's family
- the love story between GSJ and SD
- SD's unrequited love to RJH
- the mysterious murder of RJH's brother
- JMB's involvement in the murder and his guilty conscience
- the lives of the ahjummas in the North Korean village
- the North Korean soldiers entering and discovering the luxuries in South Korea

Many of these could almost be material for a new drama but they decided to squeeze it all in CLOY and I am asking myself WHY? Is the main plot not interesting enough? IT IS (at least I think so). Two people from enemy countries crossing paths and falling in love, dealing with the hardships of a harsh political regime that doesn't allow them to be together, breaking national laws in order to protect each other - that sounds enormous to me! I am not saying that I didn't like the supporting cast and their characters. In fact they were amazing and very likeable (hence my highest rating goes to the acting/cast of this drama) but a little bit more compactness would have made CLOY MUCH more enjoyable. Dragging out each episode to almost 1,5 could have been avoided if they had toned it down with the subplot and focused more on the main couple.

Speaking of: RJH and YSR definitely have chemistry. You can see that both actors enjoy working with each other. Nothing feels awkward or forced, it's all very natural. I liked that. However just like with the plot, the producers have great material but don't know what to do with it. RJH and YSR are supposedly very much in love but it takes a bit more for me than deep stares, endless tears and cheesy lines for me to believe that. We have two people who are in their late twenties or thirties but they barely hug, kiss or do anything that makes me believe that they long for each other. They were sweet, yes but where was the fire? The passion? And no, I am not necessarily talking about sex here. When I say "longing" I don't mean it only in the physical sense but the emotional, too. It's only when they say goodbye for the 10th time that we see them acting as real lovers - and they do that well, no doubt! But most of the time they only have this subtle push and pull thing going on, denying things even after they have confessed to each other already like? To put it in a nutshell, they had good chemistry but it didn't go beyond "Aw they are sweet together!" for me. Imo they could have (should have maybe) scratched the whole super cheesy "fated lovers" thing that happened in Switzerland and focused more on creating more moments between them that make us believe that they are established lovers who are past the flirting stage.

What I really liked About CLOY was the cinematography and the way the differences between the North and the South were being portrayed. While watching the episodes set in North Korea (the best ones imo, after that it went kind of downhill) I actually believed that they were filming there. They did a fantastic job and it felt very realistic although I am aware that it's probably not. I was so fascinated that the sudden easiness of Seri getting to South Korea and RJH not facing any consequences after all he did was something I could swallow. The final … was loaded with clichés and overdramatic scenes but it satisfied most viewers I guess. Me not so much but I want to stop here so this review won't get any longer …

To say it briefly: CLOY has a great main plot and catches your attention very quickly in the first episodes but as soon as the setting changes to South Korea, the writers seem lost and lose their focus, only to slightly gain it back in the last two episodes and topping it all with a fairy-tale like ending everyone expected. It is worth watching for the comedic way the differences between NK and SK are being potrayed and the good acting from everyone included in the cast.

Leia Mais

Have I watched a different show than everyone else? I don't like commenting negative stuff but I am genuinely so perplexed as to why this show is so highly rated. I was insanely excited when I heard about the premise of this show. I thought that this is something new and fresh and maybe (just maybe) even bold. NOPE. It was a very typical story full of cliches. It was an alright, nothing to write home about sort of story, at least for me. But it might be because I've been watching dramas non-stop for 10 years now. So I am genuinely curious if this drama is also so loved by people who'd seen a lot of Kdramas. Bcs I don't believe it's just me that thought it was really nothing special.

Or rather that it would be nothing special except for one very big issue. That this light vaguely nonsense story was set in North Korea. You know the actual hell on earth, a dictatorship with prison camps, and no regard for human rights. I HATED how it was portrayed. There were many instances where I cringed at how tone-deaf it was . One example would be the opening sequence of a bird flying over the demilitarised zone with almost magical music playing over it. I was so taken aback by this that I showed it to my friend without any context and asked what she thinks. She said: "This is totally like the Harry Potter scene with Hedwig flying over the castle."... IN NO SHAPE OR FORM, NORTH KOREA SHOULD EVER BE FRAMED IN THE SAME WAY AS HOGWARTS.

Framing is powerful. Framing is key. Even if you do all the research right, to get some small details correct it will all crumble if you don't portray it as what it is: a nightmare.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the main plot on the North Korean side was about a corrupt evil dude within the system. Which any other time would be great and we've gotten many like that in the Kdrama world. However, the situation changes when the system we are talking about is the North Korean military. In this case, making a story about a corrupt man abusing a system for his evil doing ... helps to maintain a status quo by suggesting the man is evil, not the system. To some extent, I can understand it...South Korea is trying to maintain a good relationship with the North so a drama really digging into the topic could have been an issue for them. Before it aired I was really curious how it will go down on the political scene. Clearly for nothing since this drama refrained from making any meaningful commentary keeping it in the unrealistic Kdrama World.

Sure one can say "it's not that deep" just enjoy a cheesy romcom. And normally I agree with that. It was boring for me but sure was a cute romcom. But the creators really stepped on a minefield choosing to set it in North Korea.

Idk maybe I missed something important since in the later half of the show I just started skipping since I got too board.

Leia Mais

I started watching this drama on Netflix as it was airing. I do not usually watch a drama that is currently airing as I love watching drama episodes altogether. As soon as I saw that this was an upcoming drama, I put it on my 'Want to Watch' list. The premise is very interesting and I feel like if not done correctly, this drama could have been awful. Luckily, that is not what happened. This is an excellent drama and I would highly recommend watching it. After one or two episodes, you will want to keep going.

The storyline is great because of course, it is a love story but it is not just about the main couple. They each have their own lives and personalities outside of their romance, which is really interesting to watch. First of all, I am a sucker for star-crossed lovers romances so if you enjoy that kind of thing, then this is right up your alley. The way they showed the differences in the lives of the people living on both sides of the border felt realistic. It made it easier to adapt to watching the characters as the drama switched back and forth between the North and South.

The summary for this drama depicts the female lead as a "South Korean heiress" so I expected her to be spoilt and annoying but that was not the case. Of course, she was spoilt but her character developed with the plot. I liked Yoo Se Ri's character. She showed a lot of depth and emotion, making her feel like a female lead that you could root for. I hadn't really seen much of Son Ye Jin in dramas before, but her performance was amazing! I often found myself crying alongside her. From the beginning, I liked Ri Jung Hyuk as a character. His stoic attitude was entertaining to watch especially in comedic moments. His loyal, quiet, and surprisingly sweet character made me like him even more. I loved the sweet moments between Ri Jung Hyuk and Yoon Se Ri. I am surprised to say that I actually enjoyed watching the scenes with the parents. Watching Yoon Se Ri's mother interact with her throughout the drama was very moving. Their scenes together definitely made me cry. I also liked the stoic character of Ri Jung Hyuk's father. I thought I would hate him since he would probably want to separate the main couple, but I found myself cheering along when he surprised us with his loyalty to his son.

I cannot write a review without mentioning the four soldiers that work alongside Ri Jung Hyuk. They were so entertaining to watch and they provided much needed comedic relief in the most devasting scenes. The women in the village that became friends with Yoo Se Ri were so funny in their interactions. Na Wol Suk was so funny whenever she would come out and try to intimidate newcomers. Her character reminded me of Yang Kyung Won.

The music is very beautiful in this drama. It perfectly portrays the emotions of each scene.

I would definitely rewatch this drama. I enjoyed watching these characters interact with one another. Although there were some characters I hated such as Yoon Se Ri's older brother and her sister in law, it was the kind of hate where you will keep watching because you cannot wait for them to get what they deserve. Crash Landing on You is an amazing drama and I think it is one of the top dramas to come out of 2019.

Leia Mais

Everything is turnt up to 11

Crash Landing on You is absolutely absurd. It has one of the highest cable drama ratings and should be on everyone’s 2020 kdrama watchlist. The drama has you going back and forth from laugh-crying to cry-crying. The cast is flawless. The director comes from Romance is a Bonus Book with the screenwriter of The Legend of the Blue Sea. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin also come from 2018 dramas - Memories of the Alhambra and Something in the Rain, respectively. Loads of quality romcom experience, and it shows.

The drawbacks. In an effort to fill major plot holes, conflict escalation and resolution are left vague when convenient, especially for the non-main characters and arc. CLOY also pushes the envelope with its near 90 minute runtime per episode. All-in-all, the drama shoots for the moon but crashes in the stars.

Story:
The premise and story supports the success of Crash Landing on You by spinning a serious current event into an absurd adventure. The North Korea-South Korea conflict immediately adds to the gravitas of the drama, and subverting this expectation results in unforgettable comedy. The over-the-top approach is handled beautifully, and viewer immersion is rarely ruined. Production was even sued for its relatable portrayal of North Korea (It was actually “sued” for glamorizing NK conditions, but I digress).

The drama intertwines the story of four main leads and a large supporting cast, so big that it even has a recap episode. It is entirely understandable why the drama does not fully explain or explore every single plotline. On the other hand, Crash Landing on You has a total runtime equivalent to a 20 episode drama, and it even contains what could be seen as filler scenes. Again, this is being nitpicky with an incredibly entertaining watch.

Acting:
Crash Landing on You actually reunites the two main leads from 2018 movie, The Negotiation, where they are adversaries. In CLOY, their comradery and chemistry is unquestionable. Hyun Bin has received his fair share of criticism in the past, but this character is well suited for his strengths, being good looking and stoic. He earnestly acts each scene with that ridiculous “North Korean” accent, even adding emotions when required (but bloopers, please!). Anyone can appreciate his effort in CLOY, even if it is not winning any acting awards. Son Ye-Jin, on the other hand, I have been a fan of from Something in the Rain. I am most impressed by her expanded comedic role in Crash Landing on You. She is funny in SitR but hilarious in CLOY. Some lines land a little too extra but most hit their timing.

The second leads’ acting also impresses as their roles expand by the end of the drama. Plus, there is too much to say about the large and talented supporting cast. Kim Sun-Young continues to earn her reputation as a talented cast member. The mini-Something in the Rain reunion with Jang So-Yeon is welcome. I give the underrated award to Hwang Woo-Seul-Hye as the lovable/hateable doofus sister-in-law (also, how is she 40 years old!). Even the guest roles amaze, like when my jaws hit the floor seeing Kim Soo-Hyun’s character. Everyone’s buy-in to the premise of CLOY is what creates that special level of immersion that we love about all great kdramas.

Music:
Like many watchers, I am also a fan of kpop, and the musical ensemble for Crash Landing on You delivers on all fronts. IU, one of the hottest kpop stars, sings the final OST, capping off the musical journey of CLOY. Another rising star, Song Ga-In, sings one of the best tracks on the OST. I have also been following Davichi since debut and hearing them in CLOY is a joy. The only knockback is that the music does not push its boundary quite like the story and acting of CLOY.

Rewatch Value:
I plan to rewatch Crash Landing on You as soon as I have the chance. On top of everything said thus far, there are references to other dramas, pop culture, and current events, and I am sure that I have missed many of them. There is so much to enjoy about CLOY for first-time kdrama watchers AND veteran viewers. After my rewatch, I may even revise my final score to a 9 because CLOY sets the bar very high for 2020.

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