Navillera (2021)

I was watching, and then I started crying

70 year old and a dream.

Deokchul is the cutest 70 year old man I've ever seen, so cheerful, even when everything seems hopeless.. He is the most accurate/ positive elder representation I've seen in a drama so far. so passionate and thoughtful, yet it shows how he hasn't always been this optimistic, and it's decades of working hard and pushing his own personal dreams to the side in order to satisfy everyone's expectations.

as a fellow artist with many dreams that seem so far out of my reach, this drama hit deep in my core.
if you're like me, like Deokchul, like those who work at a job they don't like but can't drop because money controls what they can or can't do, like students who are not sure they're going down the right path but they are unfortunately not granted second chances, like the kids that feel like they owe success to their parents, etc...

if you need to feel like you've been heard ; this one is gonna hurt but it's gonna feel so right.

side note : I'm so glad we finally get to see Song Kang in a role that truly embraces his potential as an actor. His character is hardworking and stubborn, and I don't expect any less from a ballet dancer.

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Un papay qui veut apprendre la danse classique et que sa mémoire abandonne...

Navillera : sens du titre : I am Korean so I know NAVILLERA meaning.
Navillera is old Korean. Usually Korean aren't use it. Navillera means beautiful with some soft. In the Joseon Dynasrt, they use the word when they watching traditional dance. 춤을 나빌레라하게 춘다. Like this. 나빌레라 is like a butterfly. Butterfly is 나비 and 레라is hearing like meaning beauty. So 나빌레라 meaning beauty like a butterfly. I am not an expert if I wrong. And I am not good at English so I must wrong grammer. (https://www.reddit.com/r/kpophelp/comments/lpkdp9/what_exactly_does_navillera_mean/)

D’excellentes idées : mettre la danse classique en fond de drama, ce n’est pas courant. Mettre en couple vedette un homme de 70 ans qui n’a jamais dansé avec une future étoile de 23 ans, chacun devant apprendre de l’autre non plus . Chae Rok maîtrise la danse, et M.Sim a l’expérience de la vie, et un cœur généreux. Le tronc central du drama sera le relation de ces deux hommes, duquel partiront les branches d’intrigues secondaires : la relation au père, la relation à la maladie, l’amitié… Chae Rok devra apprendre à ouvrir son cœur, et M.Sim à se confronter son ennemi secret…
Mais le très gros défaut du drama, c’est la réalisation, molle, avec des plans trop longs, et si le drama avait été resserré en 10 épisodes, ça aurait été bien meilleur. Il y a aussi les scènes de danse de Chae Rock, qui ne font guère illusion. Il est bien évident que Song Kang a fait des efforts pour acquérir la posture, et certains gestes, mais on voit bien que tous les plans de sauts et d’enchaînements, ce n’est pas lui, mais un vrai danseur en doublure. Si ça se voit c’est à cause du réalisateur qui alterne sans grâce les gros plans de l’acteur et les plans lointains de la doublure. C’est toujours le même enchaînement, et à la troisième fois on a compris ! De plus Song Kang n’est pas très à l’aise, son jeu s’en ressent, un peu mécanique et forcé. Dommage, il est superbe, un peu trop bien bâti pour un danseur, en général ils sont très minces mais pour une fois qu’on n’a pas un squelette on ne va pas s’en plaindre !
Le reste de la distribution est parfait, avec en tête Na Moon Hee, l’épouse de M.Sim et Park In Whan, (M.Sim). les membres de la famille qui vont affronter une situation inhabituelle, le maître de ballet, son ex femme, les anciens compagnons de foot de Shae Rok, tous sont très bien.

En conclusion, si on passe sur les défauts signalés (qui ne sont pas vraiment rédhibitoires, sinon je l’aurais lâché avant la moitié…) c’est un drama très intéressant par son scénario et par les questions qu’il pose et les réponses qui sont suggérées.

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The cutest 'odd couple', and also a lovely slice of life

A good show makes it easy to suspend all disbelief. The dancing was mostly cringey and underwhelming, but I didn't care one bit because I was so invested in the characters. I lost count of how many times that old man choked me up. The young male lead didn't have as much to do, but he was well cast and very appealing. Good chemistry.

I had only a couple of difficulties with this.

(1) In early episodes, the dynamics between the old man, his wife, and eldest son were difficult to understand. Small-mindedness and arrogance were given as superficial explanations for the extreme behavior initially. The deeper issues seemed to involve a cultural specificity that I couldn't grasp entirely. Later on, the wife's and son's transformations felt rather sudden and not entirely credible.

(2) The show's pacing was mostly excellent, but some of the later episodes felt so, so draggy. Nothing much was happening and there were too many montages, testing my patience severely. The story was predictable, but that was OK. I was glad the writers didn't distract from the main story by adding unnecessary romance.

Overall, I'd recommend this highly.

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RESEÑA <3

Hace bastante tiempo que quería ver este drama, pero nunca me decanté por él. Ahora que lo terminé de ver, solo puedo describirlo con una palabra CURATIVO.
Este drama está lleno de esperanza y de positivismo ante la vida. Lleno de sueños y retos por cumplir. La edad es solo un número que nos va contando el tiempo que pasamos en este mundo.
Es un drama muy emocionante y con gran aprendizaje.
No me arrepiento de verlo, además de que hacía bastante tiempo que un drama no me hacía llorar tanto y me enseñaba al mismo tiempo. Necesitaba un drama así.
Lo recomiendo mucho, pero creo que depende del momento de tu vida por el que estés pasando para que a la hora de verlo, pueda afectarte de una manera u otra.
Los actores... hicieron un magnifico trabajo, sobretodo el personaje principal, me entraban ganas de abrazarlo desde el principio hasta el final.
El OST es precioso y la voz de Taemin se reconoce en cualquier lugar.
De verdad, repito, no me arrepiento de nada haber visto este K-drama.

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Warm and feel good over realistic

Sep 2023
I thought this was a touching, often amusing, positive and unusual drama.

Dementia is not often featured, to any extent, in S.Korean dramas, in the same way 'natural' gay, disabled or ASD characters are not either. Their industry, seemingly like many within their population, still appear to be more uncomfortable with such things, than not.

Anyone who cares for, or is close to, someone that suffers from dementia or Alzheimers in a far more negative and aggressive way, may find the representation in this a little too saccharin.

However, it is still quite a moving story. How the family of the elderly central character, who is determined to realise a dream he wasn't allowed to in his youth, learn from him, overcome their prejudices and grow, has a very feel good factor.

Deok-chul's family's characters are all quite different from one another and well portrayed by a cast I liked, but I honestly didn't get the father of Chae-rok (Song Kang's character) at all. I found that aspect of the story quite weak; as was the story around Ho-beom (Chae-rok's ex-friend). I didn't really feel like either lent anything extra to the story at all. That's certainly no reflection on the actors though, who were not the issue.

I read that Song Kang took ballet lessons for 6 months prior to filming and it shows. Apart from the very complex moves (where the camera focuses on purely legs, feet etc), which used a professional stand-in, he danced himself. I thought he looked beautiful, strong, graceful and convincing.

If you can put aside the fact that several aspects of the story are terribly unlikely and just watch it for the satisfaction of characters overcoming adversity, pushing their limits, taking responsibility, realising dreams and many becoming better people for it, then you will surely enjoy this, as I did.

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Beautiful!

Such heartwarming story beautifully presented. This character driven drama was moving, relatable, well written, and the characters were well thought-out and amazingly performed. I thought I could get away without shedding a tear, but in the end I couldn't help but got teary eyed, and it makes me miss my family. I was worried that this drama would drag on like many others in similar veins are, but I'm pleased to find out that it was really well paced.

There are certain things that I didn't agree with, but on the whole, this hits the right notes. I love the message that this drama is trying to convey. This is definitely something I'd recommend for others to watch.

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Phenomenal!

Oh my God, so good! This reminded me of Reply 1988 in the best way possible - poignant, family-oriented, and full of life in all its hilarious, heart-wrenching, and beautiful glory! Seriously, it was amazing. The acting was phenomenal and the adaptation from the webtoon was well-done (mostly accurate, with expanded plotlines for various characters). Navillera really captured my heart (and my mom's) and didn’t let them go. I loved Chae-rok, Deok-Chul, and the rest of the cast. Song Kang, who plays Chae-rok, is also very handsome. And the ballet-based plot was gorgeous to watch, which was a joy. I adored it - I just loved the entire show to pieces. It was perfect. 5 stars! Would 100% watch again.

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"Follow your dreams" done right

What I usually dislike about the usual "follow your heart and do what you want to do" kind of stories, is how the characters are rarely placed in a context where they can doubt of themselves in a realistic way: it usually feels like they're held back by self-doubt only, while everything else (physical and mental condition, friends, family, money, and so on) is completely in their favor, making it hard for me to relate to their story at all.

Navillera is one of the very rare shows that actually made me think that I, too, might be able to follow my heart after all. The charm of this drama is not just in its premise (although, I'll be honest, the idea of a 70-year-old man wanting to learn ballet was the major reason why I got interested in the first place), but also in the way it narrates the story. It's realistic and vivid, and none of the characters are there for no reason. The doubts and struggles of Deok Chul's family, and the problems of Chae Rok are all very much real. Rather than watching a drama, it really felt like looking into someone else's life.
For the same reason, the drama felt a little slow at times, but it was the right pace to show everything the right way: it was necessary to show the mind of the characters and the events around them, and it was useful to lead all the plotlines to a worthy conclusion.
I had read the webtoon before and really loved it, so I can't say I wasn't a little skeptical about the drama at first. There are some differences that I couldn't ignore, but I guess it was unavoidable.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. It made me cry multiple times as I watched, but I'd be more than okay to cry again in the future while watching a second time.

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At least once in my life, I want to soar.

This was a very touching story between 2 polar opposites who share the same love for ballet. It portrayed one's pursuit of dreams, importance of family, and accepting the process of aging. I was really looking forward to this drama because 1) the plot seemed promising, and 2) of course, Song Kang but sadly, I couldn't fully soak in all the emotions it was trying to relay because of some minor details (which I found distracting).

This was a great story, but the storytelling was not perfect. There were events which simply do not make sense. Some events sequence sometimes felt unnatural, too many coincidences, some conversation dialogues felt awkward, and the cuts for flashbacks felt misplaced. I think there could have been more depth to the characters, especially Deok-Chul's children, who somehow seemed like they were strangers. Chae-Rok felt "unstable". because as the story progresses, I noticed how he interchanges between being nice and mean towards Deok-Chul.

Despite all these, I do not regret watching this drama. It was a good drama, but it could have been better. These details did not significantly impact the message of this drama, which is to reach for you dreams, seek for what it is that truly makes you happy.

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Watch This! You Won't Regret It!

What a wonderful drama about an older gentleman finding the courage to fulfill long lost dreams and a young man who helps him achieve them!

I have been watching several dramas with Song Kang because his talent and good looks has struck me in a good way. The camera loves him. The first time I saw him in Sweet Home, I knew he was someone to look out for. He has such a striking look on screen and he brings an earnestness to all of his roles. I am looking forward to watching him in many more dramas.

And what can I say about Park In Hwan? He was perfect in his role of the older man looking to fulfill the dreams he put to sleep for a more practical career. The relationship between these two main leads was endearing. You care about them deeply and he plays the loving grandfather to perfection. This is a beautiful production with a solid and talented cast. Every character goes through a journey of self discovery and Park In Hwan is the glue that holds them all together. Bravo!

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WHOLESOME, HEARTWARMING

If you are looking for chill, wholesome story, this is the drama you should watch. Story about an old man wishing he started doing ballet sooner and pursuing his passion is heartwarming. Even though on some parts it's not as chill, the dramatic atmosphere makes you question your personal thoughts. I sometimes felt like old Deokchul did, like I have some regrets and I started improving myself a little. The positive impact Deokchul had on Chaerok, his ballet teacher, was amazing and brought a great character development in Chaerok. Although I cried a river most of the time, it was a pleasant experience, this drama. I found out about it from Shinee TAEMIN because he sings the main theme song. After watching I felt different, fulfilled in some type of way. Song Kang is one of my favourite actors and he killed this role, he dedicated so much of his time practicing ballet that it felt so real, like he did it all his life. Not going to lie,I fell hard for him. Also when Deokchul started doing ballet, the positive change it brought to his whole family really made me think that there can be change in this world, that you shouldn't follow strict rules because you'll end up miserable. This drama is realistic, even though at some point the story was quite slow paced, I continued watching. The scenes aren't overreacted, they are as I said realistic. Warning, if you have even a little bit of heart, prepare for tears.

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