Navillera (2021)

"if you have a heartbeat, there's still time for your dreams" That's the qoute the drama follows. This drama is a heart-warming tale of an old man discovering his hidden passion. It makes you cry from happiness, like a warm hug from someone you love in the first half and in the second half it makes you bawl like a baby. So prepare a lot of tissues before watching this one haha.

Although the main focus of the drama is about an old age man finally learning ballet, it doesn't only revolve on him. I feel like the best thing about this drama for me was that it paid attention to all of its characters, from the main ones to the supporting ones. It doesn't feel forced and just feel real and raw. Every character has their story of their own, own flaws and strengths and we see them grow. There's no antagonist. You're gonna shed tears for the Characters you hated in the beginning or atleast I did lol

I also love how the characters are connected to one another. Sure a quarter of them are family but the other relationships are formed very unusually. At first they want to use one another for their own benefit but gradually they start forming deep emotional bonds, a friendship that'd last forever. The relationships of every character with one another was truly amusing and a delight to watch!

Another thing I love about it is that the drama realistic portrays Korean households where old folks and house wives usually don't get to live their dreams and men of the house have to have a rich job. It shows the struggles of Korean society. The struggles of people from different age range. It addresses different social problems in such a subtle and beautiful way that it captured my heart.

We have a character who's finding her own dreams, a character who couldn't follow his dreams, hardships of being in a society where people demand you to be stable no matter what, the hardships of being a new mother and working woman , the hardships of not having a dream etc etc. I loved how the main theme of the drama is following your dreams and that it's never late to follow them but it also tells us that even if you don't have a dream, it's ok. Just live your life the way you want to and do what makes you happy.

The acting from everyone was just amazing from everyone. I haven't seen song Kang act before becuase of his choices in dramas ( he always chooses cringy rom-coms I don't watch lol ) but he definitely did a good job here! Other actors are simply incredible as always!

The OSTs were also good enough and I had no problem with the music.

I am not professional and I know nothing about ballet actually but the ballet they did in this drama was believable and beautiful in my eyes so I have no problem on that. So there you go, it's a 10/10 drama cuz I see no flaws and I loved it so much.

If you're wondering if you should watch it or not then let me help you out by breaking it down :

You should watch it if :

• You like dramas that make you cry
• You like character-driven dramas
• You like dramas that address social issues
• You like family-oriented and dramas with strong friendship
• if you wanna see some beautiful ballet

You shouldn't watch it if :

• You don't like dramas that make you cry
• You don't like slice of life dramas where there's not much action
• You want romance in your dramas cuz there's NO romance in this one
• if you ONLY want to see ballet cuz even though it has ballet scenes there's not much and there's more to the story
• If you don't want to watch stories with old people as main characters

Well I guess that's it. Thanks for reading my review if you did. If you I made you help decide if you should watch this masterpiece or not or if you just simply enjoyed reading my review, I'm more than glad!

Leia Mais

Deeply moving and inspiring

"Did you soar?"

I would say „Navillera“ is no light watch. Of course, there are some funny scenes and happy episodes, but as the drama progresses, it becomes increasingly somber and in the last few episodes I cried my eyes out. You should go into this drama with the right expectations - don’t expect romance or a comedy.
But if you are ready for a story about dreams, friendship, family and finding happiness, it will touch you deeply.

I am not sure what kind of action-packed dramas people who think this is „boring“ or „slow“ are used to, because I thought the pacing was perfect. There was never a dull moment or a filler episode and the drama had the perfect amount of episodes. I wish more dramas would cap at 12 episodes, because after episode 12 is often when they become dragged out and the writers add unnecessary drama.
The ending scene was absolutely perfect!! Everything about it: The cinematography, the dialogue, even the styling! I cried like a baby!

The performances of Song Kang and Park In Hwan are incredible. On top of their acting, I have so much respect for them for learning ballet for this drama, when they have never done it before. I know that they used body doubles for the more challenging scenes, but you can tell that the actors put a ton of hard work into credibly portraying ballet dancers.

Stories about friendship between someone young and old are always very touching and inspiring, and „Navillera“ is no different. The impact Chae Rok and Deok Chul have on each others’ lives and how it transforms not only them but the people around them, is beautiful and heart-warming.

Initially, I thought this was about an old man fulfilling his dream. But it is so much more than that. Every character is a little lost and looking for their happiness and they all eventually have to make a decision - to continue living life they way they are used to or take a chance and do what makes them happy. Coming from a country that is very much about corporate careers and performance, this drama feels very important.

All the characters go through credible character development and enrich the story with their own personal journeys to happiness. I really enjoyed Chae Rok’s relationship with Eun Ho as well. They mostly bond because of Deok Chul and there is no forced romance but they are important to each other. In the end, it is up to the viewer to decide whether they might find love in the future. I personally like the thought that they will fall in love at some point and Chae Rok will become a forever member of the family.

Like I said, it is no light entertainment. It made me think a lot about my own life, about the transience of all things, my aging parents and unfulfilled dreams. But it ends on a very hopeful note and leaves you inspired to find the thing that makes you happy and soar yourself.

Leia Mais

Sad, funny and absolutely beautiful

This drama is a bit like the last walk on a gorgeous beach att sunset with the dog you love but have to put to sleep... Its a walk you will remember, the scenery is breathtaking, the waves will tickle you and make you laugh, the dog will look at you with its sweet innocent ayes reminding you of the joy and laughter you have sheered all while you are constantly aware of the end a head. While eating Ice cream (one each, since its the dogs last meal) some bird will scare you and make you angry... but you will also feel comforted by the dog, the taste of the ice cream, the last warming sunbeam and the sound of those amazing waves... or something like that... what I am trying to say is that this is a drama that will simply make you feel allot of emotions while beautifully portraying some of the worlds most important and relatable issues.

To be honest I do not really care to much about the message of it never being to late or what not that many seem to appreciate NO, I fell for its humor and its way of portraying both gender issues, ageism and ableisem in a humanizing and humoristic way. Showing that people of all ages and ability can be competent, fragile and have hopes and dreams...

This drama is packed with witty dialog such as:
70 yr old: What about your parants?
23 yr old: My dad lives somewhere else and my mom is dead
70 yr old : I se both my parants passed away
(Yes this mad me laugh, and is just my type of humor)

Confronting gender issues:
23 yr old: When a man announces he is going to do ballet his family's response is similar to that of the five stages of grief

I love also the way it shows different kinds of relationships and the importance of finding at least one person who believes in you and is willing to support you threw hard times, as well as showing the other side of the coin. Conveying the importance of communication and beautifully showing the negative effect lack of support from the people we care most about have on us. No matter how much we try to deny it or look away we get hurt (even injured) and accomplish allot less if the ones we care about do not support us. Oh And we also get to learn a bit about ballet.

There is one side story that feels a bit unnecessary that could bring down the score and I won't say this drama is perfection or even close to it but as a whole this dramas extremely beautiful cinematography, representation, dialog and feel to it makes up for all that and makes it worthy of ten stars and a place among my favorit dramas.

So yes this is definitely a must watch!

Leia Mais

Heartwarming drama as well as a Tearjerker.

I’m not one to write reviews, I’m not good at summarizing and my grammar is bad, but please be patient with me. I’m going to keep it short and only say a few things about it. I found this drama when it had 10 episodes and I wish I found it sooner it just sucked me right in. At the end of every episode I wanted more so it’s sad that there’s only 12 episodes, I could watch 50. I cried a lot while watching this it’s just absolutely beautiful and inspiring... especially at the end of episode 10 beautiful scene. If you are debating watching it, please do you won’t regret it, I certainly didn’t. I’ve seen reviews about it being boring but I don’t think so it’s nice and simple and I like that, no unnecessary drama, the characters are so like able except one, you can be the judge on that. But I personally think this is the best drama of 2021 and nothing will change that for me. I said I would keep it short but I’m just rambling now.

Leia Mais

A rare GEM... One of the BEST dramas I've seen...

Brilliant acting from the main leads and supporting actors. I became an instant fan of Song Kang after watching this. Mr. Park, whom I've seen in a lot a of dramas before continues to amaze me. I loved how original the story was, it was simply a heart-warming and inspiring story which was beautifully portrayed on screen. Every character (even those with supporting roles and those you would initially get annoyed with) had a back story that was told clearly so you can understand where each one was coming from and why they behave that way. The family frictions and individual struggles were all very real and relatable. The character development of Chae-rok from start to finish was executed well, I literally witnessed how Chae-rok matured in all those 12 episodes and how that relationship with Granpa made an impact on his life and vice versa.

This drama would really make you want to reflect on life after watching it. The lessons in this drama about forgiveness, moving forward, discovering your passion, pursuing your dreams and rising above adversities were conveyed so well by the different characters in the drama. There was nothing overly-dramatic or far-fetched in this drama unlike in the others I've seen, yet this drama will surely tug your heartstrings. I wish more people would discover and watch this drama, as this is truly a gem, This is indeed one the best dramas I've seen so far, and believe me I've seen quite a lot (though I rarely write reviews, just had to write one for this drama as it was truly exceptional). Hoping this drama will get an award, as it will be well-deserved.

Lastly, make sure to have lots of tissues handy, you'll definitely need it. =)

Leia Mais

Mucho más que ballet: el poder sanador de realizar los propios sueños

Un maravilloso e inesperado drama, que tocará sin duda lo más profundo del corazón de quienes han vivido de cerca la decadencia producida por el Alzheimer, el abandono, los malos tratos. Pero al mismo tiempo, una bellísima hstoria de superación, coraje, y del poder curativo de la realización de los sueños, los propios y los de aquellos en quienes ponemos nuestras expectativas.
Excelente actuación de todo el reparto, tanto de las historias principales como de las secundarias. Oportunos flash-backs y una envolvente atmósfera de academia de ballet, con su correspondiente música, mantienen un tono cautivador a lo largo de todo el drama.
Solo queda el capítulo final, espero tan excelente como el resto.
EDITADO: Cierto, el capítulo final ha sido igualmente excelente. Un drama excelente.

Leia Mais

Cliches and secrets central

I guess I saw where this was going from the first episode but i figured it was ok since the premise was new and unique. So the show wants to tell us to slow down and be kind to ourselves by doing what we want to do. The main character always wanted to learn ballet and finally decides to go for it. While at it, he touches younger people around him, especially, the young ballet guy, Chae-rok. Of course, as this is a K-drama, we find out that he’s diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s and doesn’t have much time. Sigh.

The good.
- Thank God for the absence of a love triangle.
- I loved the main character. Basically, he’s really the only one that was fleshed out. He’s gracious and easy going. Character traits I typically don’t associate with Korean men.
- As mentioned, I really liked the message even though I doubt hyper-competitive Koreans would ever change. Also, is it even possible to slow down and enjoy life in Korea?
- I gained a new appreciation for ballet. But is ballet any popular in Korea?
- I loved seeing Na Moon Hee. She’s almost 80 and she’s still doing her thing.
- I’m glad the main character achieved his dream but I wonder what real ballet people think about the old guy learning ballet so fast that he was able to do a solo/duo performance.

The bad
- Its annoying that once again, this K-drama writer resorted to secrets and miscommunications to push the plot forward.
- Keeping the Alzheimer’s hush hush made no sense as the affected person becomes a danger to himself. Let’s see how it goes attitude by his family and Chae-rok is absurd.
- The yellow haired kid’s victim mentality went a little too far, especially, when he started physically harming Chae-rok.
- I’m surprised that Chae-rok’s dad went to prison for corporal punishment in Korea.
- I’m not sure if there were any meaningful growth in characters. People were changed with little motivation. Just kinda happened.
- The entire time, I wondered what made Chae-rok special in ballet? They imply that he’s special but you never find out why. He’s way behind his peers at the beginning and you don’t see him getting anywhere.
- Young people in this show (except part time jobs at restaurant) don’t seem to need any job to survive.
- Main character’s family doesn’t add much to the show. They’re just cliche characters and represent different stereotypes.
- Please don’t let your elderly with the Alzheimer’s wander around alone. This keeps happening throughout the show.
- I feel like the show started strong but like most K-dramas, they had to take things too far once they introduced the Alzheimer’s angle. Please figure out a way to make things interesting without pushing things to the realm of absurdity. Lazy writing never works.

All in all, it’s a shallow, predictable story with enough cliches to fill up your room but I didn’t find it terribly except for the bit about how the characters handled the reality of the Alzheimer’s.

Leia Mais

Park In Hwan who played Shim Deok Chul was amazing in telling this story regarding Alzheimer's. South Korea must love the Black Swan... I praised Jimin and Jungkook in their solo dance at the MMA's and BTS for their Black Swan song. I'm a lover of the Black Swan for decades. I also praised this drama for the same dance.

Song Kang who played Lee Chae Rok was extremely amazing with all of the talents he showed in his acting skills. OMG, I love ballet and he seemed like has a niche for dancing. I am very shocked with his 6 months of training only. I loved it. He played this part very well and I am very pleased as a lyrical and street dancer. For being 27 wows, I need to see more dramas with him in it. The only thing I was embarrassed about is that a ballet costume is to cover what it needs to cover on a man but I felt bad for Song Kang because it revealed more than a real ballet costume would.

Na Moon Hee who played Choie Hae Nam the wife of Shim Deok Chul was awesome. I credit her acting in being and accepting Alzheimer's. I became very emotional with this actress.

We need more movies like this. My mother had pre-dementia starting at the age of 78 where she forgot all of her past but she didn't forget her children. She lived to be 95.

Leia Mais

Lol I don't feel that strongly about this drama...

Another great drama by our favorite Netflix actor Song Kang. Despite the fact that I’m not involved in ballet whatsoever, I’ve always enjoyed anything ballet related for as long as I can remember. I was particularly excited for this drama because I enjoyed Song Kang in Sweet Home and thought the premise of this show was very interesting. While I did enjoy the drama, I found it a little too slow for my liking, and I struggled to develop a connection to any of the characters. Nevertheless, it was a nice drama that I could watch on Mondays and Tuesdays to make those days a little bit brighter. It wasn’t a drama I was too invested in, (I just think it’s too short for that) but had fun watching it casually and can appreciate the heartfelt and simple storyline. Overall, I’d recommend this drama for those who like ballet, Song Kang, or slow and sweet melodramas.

Leia Mais

Una historia conmovedora llena de esperanza

Netflix nos ha regalado esta primavera una maravilla! Un kdrama que es un tesoro! Ayer lo acabamos en familia y teníamos los ojos rojos de tanto llorar pero el corazón completamente satisfecho!!! Han sido 12 capítulos llenos de emociones: risas, lágrimas, tantos momentos emotivos y sanadores hay en este drama que podríamos llenar bastantes páginas. De principio a fin te identificas con los personajes (tanto los principales como los secundarios). Se ven tan reales, tan auténticos! Creo que el drama ha conectado con éxito con tantos espectadores porque nos hemos visto reflejados en sus vivencias, penas, alegrías, pérdidas, ilusiones. Es un drama que nos habla de esperanza, de no desistir frente a las dificultades, de perseguir tus sueños, las vocaciones perdidas, los anhelos del corazón e intentar ser felices.
También nos habla de la importancia de la familia, de esa familia de verdad que debería ser pilar fundamental de nuestra infancia y nuestra vida adulta, el hogar al que todos volvemos para encontrar calidez y consuelo. El Sr. Sim y su mujer, en su humilde estilo de vida, han construido un hogar así y eso es muy conmovedor y atractivo. Sus hijos y sus familias son personas normales, con sus cosas buenas y malas, con sus virtudes y defectos. Sus relaciones son como las de uno mismo, tienen sus luces y sombras, pero en medio de las dificultades y sinsabores de la vida encuentran en sus padres, ya mayores, ese refugio inmutable. El amor es palpable, es muy especial. Mi marido me dice: "Me he creido de verdad que esa pareja de ancianos eran marido y mujer y que tenían esos tres hijos".
Este cuadro ya de por si precioso y cálido se realza aún más al desarrollarse la historia principal: el Sr. Sim quiere aprender a bailar ballet a sus 70 años y en el camino de realizar su sueño se encontrará con Lee Chae Rok, un joven bailarín muy prometedor pero faltado de ilusíon y con un entorno familiar bastante complicado. Dos mundos diferentes (el de la juventud y el de la vejez) que se cruzan, dos personas que en principio no tienen nada en común pero que encontrarán la una en la otra lo que les falta para conseguir su felicidad. Su relación evoluciona a lo largo de los capítulos y nos da tantas escenas memorables, que el corazón nos explota de ternura: El Sr. Sim se convertirá para Chae Rok en su persona más importante, en el padre que le ha faltado, en su amigo y su mentor; su mujer en la madre amorosa que añora. Él a su vez, será el maestro para el anciano, su motor y su motivación para conseguir su último sueño. Me ha encantado el trio protagonista y los actores que lo han encarnado. El veterano Park In-hwan como Sr. Sim está espléndido, maravillosa Na Moon Hee como la voluntariosa y vital Sra Sim y el chico de moda de dramalandia, Song Kang se luce en el papel de joven bailarín y demuestra su versatilidad como actor más allá de Love alarm. La música es perfecta, la escenografía, la fotografía acompañan con sensibilidad cada momento. Los personajes secundarios de 10, el guión no decae en ningún momento y el final es tan precioso y esperanzador que no puedo sino felicitar de todo corazón a los que han permitido que este drama salga a la luz. El mundo necesita más historias como estas para sanar el corazón.

Leia Mais

A Piece that Tugs at Your Heartstrings

A short, sweet drama about family, ballet, willpower, resilience, and dreams. Although I know nothing about ballet, this drama taught me so much about dance. The beauty behind it, the emotions that support it, and your passion that keeps you going. If you're currently struggling about going after something you love, watch this! Although it has the cliche "follow your dreams" message, it's a refreshing watch and reminds you that age is simply just a number.

Story: Centered around a 70-year-old man trying to learn ballet, the plot unfolds slowly yet beautifully. The two main characters share a special relationship, one that says "I always got your back". However, the more personal part of this drama was the family love and the respect for others. Each couple in the family had their own problems yet the end was clear: as long as I'm here, we'll be okay. I was also relieved when the writers didn't force a relationship between Eunho and Chaerok; the focus of the drama was clear, and the unnecessary love stories were avoided. Overall, the plot is very intriguing and branches off to several sub-plots that make the drama more interesting and personal.

Acting: I've never seen any of Song Kang's works, so this is my first impression of him. And, he did not fail to disappoint. His character development was played perfectly by him. And can we mention how he learned ballet for 5-6 months? While watching, I was certain that this was a very experienced dancer...the turns, the positions, the elegance, and the emotion. Park In-Hwan was also magnificent. His character evoked so many emotions from me, ranging from pure happiness to heartbreaking pain. My tear ducts are dry because of many of his scenes. The couples were also cast perfectly! The way the director recruited some of the most famous Korean actors to play these roles shows how well the research was done.

Music: My Day by Taemin and Heal You by Ha Hyunsang. That's it. The soundtrack was composed perfectly to match the dynamic and warmth of certain scenes; the music literally painted the screen.

Please watch this short 12 episode drama if you're looking for something more personal, realistic, and heartwarming. This drama is a poem about relationships, an ode to love, and a reminder to never substitute your dreams for money. But be prepared, have a few tissues lying around. It does tug your heartstrings a bit.

Leia Mais

Navillera, 12 hours of a perfectly written metamorphosis story.

A little boy sees a man wearing makeup and a funny little dress, his eyes shine with curiosity and he peers into the hall. The man twirls like the spinning top he plays with at home. His hands make delicate movements. Every single swish is with purpose, his eyes seem to follow a trail of fireflies as they form a halo around him, the audience stares in silence and the little boy can't hear his heartbeat over the music that had hypnotized his body. But his mesmerized self is brought to reality as his father yanks him away. The little guy asks his father, "What is that?" "Ballet. But you don't have to pay attention to it." Replies the father. A little boy knows nothing except what he feels and his soul left a piece with the dancing man.

Every single character in this drama is written with so much conviction and reason. It's like a game of chess where every single piece advanced. Whether they took two steps forward or circled the board twice, each piece broke out from the rules set by society and the hush of all the neighbors, to experiment with life.

I am going to miss the duo so much. I began every week knowing that I would cry my eyes out but also leave comforted. Navillera brought a warm hug and a bag full of chocolates. Ones I could savour because it brought the snow with it and so it wouldn't melt.

It touched my heart in so many ways and fulfilled me completely. There was not a single loophole, no overdoing, no dramatisation. This is a story about two men who learnt to let go of their fears and doubts and take flight. But the best thing was that they influenced the people around them and impacted their lives significantly.

Navillera will definitely strike a chord in you so why not do yourselves a favour and watch uri Halabeoji and Chae rok grow fond of each other and take a piece of your soul with them too. ✨

Leia Mais