Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

Weak writing and surface-level characterizations

I enjoy deep, meaningful slice of life interactions such as those in When The Camellia Blooms, Hospital Playlist, and Because This Is My First Life. In comparison, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha was a failed attempt. The script was written without the use of metaphors or stories, only direct, curt lines that are delivered as if spoken by an immature teen. There is zero wit, description, or complexity, which is the whole point of character-driven dramas. The only breath of fresh air was the backdrop of the beautiful seaside town of Pohang, which provided a light, airy feeling to each camera shot.

The directing and writing suffers from flawed execution. Either the cheese factor is overdone and cringey, or an unnatural indifference washes over the characters. For instance, when someone is in tears and pain, the other character just watches them in silence for five seconds before any kind of touch happens and even then, it's the type of pat you give someone who dropped their ice cream, not when there is actual trauma. Characters respond with trivial lines that sound something like, "It will be OK," and that's it. There are no further connections, words of wisdom, or stories shared in those meaningful moments. Characters are robbed of the chance to show how they are feeling, how they have grown, or how they are affected by what is going on. We are left to wonder what else they are thinking in their heads.

The lack of characterization also affects the story itself. The plot challenges in the first 3/4 of the show feel trivial because of the lack of follow-through on character growth and reflection. Even serious issues are glossed over and cut short. It isn't until the last few episodes that the writer suddenly decides to explore dramatic back stories and character development. The time in the first part of the show is wasted.

The actors try hard, but I bet even they were cringing at the script. Shin Min Ah plays Hye Jin as your classic cool-but-conceited woman, which could have worked had we actually been shown her inner thoughts and transformations. However, I like that in this role and others, she plays a smart person as opposed to a damsel in distress. Kim Seon Ho as Doo Shik comes across as overly breezy, hollow, and idealistic for far too much of the story, until the end bits. When we finally learn about his past, the weak script and characterization lets us down once again with more meaningless, "It will be OK,"*pat*pat* lines. I enjoyed Lee Sang Yi as the TV producer. He brought charisma and energy to his flat character. I liked that both male leads were good people. Finally, a shout-out goes to supporting actors In Gyo Jin as the bumbling District Head, and his strong, kind ex-wife played by Lee Bong Ryun. Of all the characters, they had the greatest number of heartfelt, meaningful interactions. The rest of the townspeople were one dimensional or just plain annoying. What a shame that this was the case.

In the end, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha paints with hollow, cringey, sepia-sweet colors to create nothing more than a postcard with no message. Although the actors tried to deliver, the writing, directing, and lack of characterization ruined its potential.

Leia Mais

It's rom-com till it's not,

There are a total of 5 basic tastes.. "sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory." Other than these our taste buds can't detect anything, each taste has its importance, own value. Now just think: You are eating the same kind of food every day with the same taste, that is sweet. On the first day you'll end up loving it, the second time you will think it's good... but after some time it won't be as good as it was before, you'll be annoyed maybe also end up hating how it tastes, coz you need all tastes to satisfy your taste buds only one is not enough, bitterness might be the worst flavor before but it also is in need with sweetness, to balance out everything perfectly.

No, I'm not writing a cookbook. I just couldn't find the best metaphor to describe the drama, but it seems I do now. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is the combination of all these flavors. It's sweet for romance, bitter for its darkness... it's salty, sour, savory with the combination of quirky humor, heartwarming/breaking backstories. Yet not only the story offers all flavors so do the characters.

Disclaimer: This is going to be super long review.

I didn't know before I would be enlightened just by shoe scene or either found doing laundry together can be a most romantic date. Drenching in rain can brighten up my mood enough for me to smile like an idiot. We don't need majestic or grand proposals and gestures... just little moments are enough to make your heart flutter and put a smile on your face.

A slice of life, healing, it's a mystery too, then it has also a bit of melodrama, it is a tragedy. It's a lot in disguise of rom-com. Being character-driven, cliches-predictableness-troupes: do these things matter? the story is enough to get hooked till the last episode with its flow, execution, and of course those cliffhangers. Rather than having a straight solid story, it's the combination of characters-their life-their backstories while we're experiencing leads journey together... and this is like solving a puzzle, not every piece is the same but when they come together it fits perfectly. Backstories of side roles don't affect the narrative of the main plotline, it ends up enhancing it in a better way: Coz these are refreshing, even heartbreaking.. and tragic too while this sure explains having all flavors in characters.

Thinking of cons. The first thing that comes to my mind is coincidences, a lot of freaking coincidences, not just it implies how 'fated and destined' leads are together but it sure makes it to unrealities of their past encounters. And how come just everyone ends up in Gongjin... it's a bit too much in the scenario of realistic development of the story. The labour was handled terribly, the stalker part was hella unnecessary. Sometimes it lacks in flow and balancing out things, having great first half. It starts to lose its charm and the flow a bit by bit, offering 2 cringy, a bit cheesy, you'll-get-diabetic-like-sweetness episodes that don't really add anything to the story almost feeling like filers, and later it becomes dark a heavy emotional ride.. and this transaction from too much sweetness to the darker side is not very ideal, it could have been better.

The pacing of it doesn't make it bingeable, it's good for the slow watch.. bits by bits, you can't take huge chunks together then no fun as it's not amusing either surprising. But having a lot of heart-fluttering moments, a good laugh, even some pearls of wisdom without going overboard.

Let's talk about characters, the most important part.
Du Shik... overcoming the past, accepting himself, and start living with a real smile. This is his story more than anyone else. He's charming, caring, hardworking, talented almost without any flaws, maybe 'perfection' it's the flaw of his characterization (okay this is me, who prefer flawed characters more). He's just so picture-perfect to the point he doesn't feel real. He seems so approachable yet distant as a character. Someone who can be only a fictional character. He's the dream guy anyone would want in their life. Though I'm no fan of the ideal characters I do find Hongbanjag as an interesting character, it was fun to discover every side of him... actually even after making him unflawed still his character never felt 1-D. I have a lot to talk about his trauma but without spoiling it here.. I'll post it as a spoiler comment below.

I don't think anyone can have chemistry with Halmonies as Kim Seon Ho can, not only Halmonies but almost with every character he encounters... you can even debate on if he had more spark with Lee Sang Yi than Shin Min Ah lol, as Dong Shik is perfect as a character KSH is perfect at portraying him. With his charming smile that's highly contagious, I've to admit I spent a lot of time just smiling like an idiot while watching him and this isn't only abt looks or dimples lol. The same goes for emotional scenes, you can feel pain just by seeing his face.. even his fake-smile-pretending-to-be-okay is detectable in one glance. I don't think he could have been better than this.

I found Hye Jin's character relatable, she sure seems more than just being fictional leaning towards reality. She's straightforward and practical. Her development is pleasing to watch but I don't think she was any bad from the start or in need of 180-degree change. Just think of a scenario from her side: Her childhood wasn't the best, she struggled in her college days, she made herself where she's now facing all problems on her own, so her being a little stiff or insensitive towards some topics is acceptable. Having moved to the countryside as a city girl you can't adapt to the environment out of blue... growing up in a broken family you just can't accept having all people around with comfort, it takes time... that's why I enjoyed her journey of finding comfort in Gongjin. But then again it went backward where I loved seeing improvement in Hye Jin's, I was annoyed by insensitivity and lack of empathy from in some of the last episodes. I would call it rather inconsistent writing of her character.

Shin Min Ah she's stunning and very pretty. The best casting as Hye Jin seems tailor-made for her. Though I still feel her performance was a bit underwhelming in some parts.. she was great at the start, but I won't deny her being a bit over the top in almost cringe-worthy scenes. I wouldn't blame only her for it coz many times KSH ends up overshadowing everyone lol.. but apart from she did a good job. Plus they have sizzling chemistry together well what do we need more?

This one fits in the love triangle done right! it was handled with maturity. Sung Hyun is lovable and most mature... its funny to watch with being smart how oblivious he can be. I pitied him a bit but Du Shik has more priority lol so it was like for a microsecond. Other than the big coincidence of Sung Hyun ending up in Gongjin, his contribution in the story wasn't for forced or annoying... I enjoyed seeing Donk Shik getting jealous and showing his insecurities, it kinda worked as a catalyst.

The second couple is just sooo adorable, their awkward cuteness is fun to watch. The special thing about the drama is you don't only enjoy seeing leads on screen but you also enjoy seeing supporting roles... and they do have a lot of screen time but it's enjoyable. The relationship dynamics of everyone are just so amazing. There's complete family, a broken family, three best friends Halmonies, two little stars of the show... and the bonds stronger than blood relations. Together they form a family... a very happy family.

I ended up skipping Hwa Jeong's scenes with Yeong Guk they are the only ones I wasn't rooting for, I strongly believe Hwa Jeong deserves better.. a lot better, maybe just an apology from Yeong Guk would have been more than enough.... but then thinking from I-Jun's perspective I wasn't mad at the end.

I-Jun is a show stealer for me, He's such a sweetheart, more mature than half of the characters. I-Jun's character shows the details of production, why? throughout the drama, we see how considerate and amazing mom Hwa Jeong is so I-Jun's being like her this in his mom's presence is quite relatable... Hat's off to Ki Eun Yoo this kid is just 8 yrs old, but the acting he did was remarkable, I shed tears while watching him crying it broke my heart.

Hye Jin and Mi Seon's relationship is friendship goals! I also love I-Jun, Bo Ra's friendship with Oh Yoon, and Ju Ri's father-daughter dynamics. Gam Ri is my favorite character of all time. She's so lovely.. and stubbornness kinda reminds me of my grandma, maybe that's why I love her more how can I forget she have the neatest handwriting. I trio of Halmoies was one of the best things.

The poster doesn't serve justice to drama lol. It's not important but I wanted to say xD

It is simply beautiful, the aesthetics, the cinematography is amazing one of the most beautiful shows I've ever seen and yeah my storage is filled with a lot of snaps lol. I admire using the real place for shooting than sets coz it adds up more details... if you observe you'll notice scratches on wooden floors and withering of houses, it indicated people do live here.

Music is awesome.. after each episode going to Spotify and playing ost doesn't happen to me everyday lol, songs need to be addictive and no one can deny 'Romantic Sunday' is not addictive with its La-la-la-la la-la-la-la-la. These days even my 8 yr old brother has learned to sing with me sha-la-la-la-la and la-la-la-la xD

It's a feel-good drama, it's tear-jerker at the same time. More like a well-made cocktail. But don't confuse this with just a romantic comedy. Objectively 9.5 is a lot but I enjoyed it with my full heart, and my guess of the third mystery was correct so what's more important?

Leia Mais

Slice Of Life and Everything Else...

Maybe this review will sound more like a drunk message to an ex whom you're not willing to let go.

Maybe this is not a review at all, it's just me trying to deal with the fact that the drama I have been obsessed with since its casting news got confirmed is...O-V-E-R, over. And so is my life. Okay, I am over exaggerating here but am I?

Spent my weekdays blissfully rewatching the previous episodes, analysing every other little detail the show had to offer because the writers incorporated so many layers and deep meanings to each scene and dialogue.

Not to mention had such an amazing time discussing and fangirling over the enigma that was Hong Dushik, gushing about how God awful relatable and funny the Gongjin fam was (where else will I find such wholesome side characters again?) and putting into words the feels of watching the leads gradually falling in love as if for the very first time while romantic sunday played in the background, weekend after weekend, here in the comments section.

Despite some of its minor flaws (which I can probably justify btw) personally, this show will always have a special place. Because if I had to describe the entire thing in one word it'll be- BEAUTIFUL.

From its cinematography, coastal locations, familial themes and how they were dealt with to all its character interactions and gradual growth to almost perfection. Everything comes down to being beautiful and not in a on your face way but a more sublime, understated take to the word.
As if the show itself doesn't know its beauty but only we as viewers could acknowledge and appreciate it. Which needless to say, I obviously did.

I'll probably listen to all the Home-Cha OSTs now and cry a river with the realisation sinking in that no more will I be privy to Du Shik and Hye Jin's bantering like them old couples, Ju-Ri fangirling over her favourite idol all the while his dad pitying her for missing out on the real idol in the town- him. I-Jun and Bora's cute lil friendship and hedgehog both as a pet and a metaphor will be as badly missed and don't even get me started on the grannies and Mi Seon's budding romance with the cutie cop which almost felt like courting before an arranged marriage? I don't know I want a spin-off focusing on just these two and that's it!

Honestly, the myriad of emotions all the characters made me feel throughout the show's runtime will be a fond memory because they included not just those hearty feels but also loaded it with things that I would love to reminisce about, things that actually matter in a society and I, as a viewer could empathise and/or sympathise with
1. Mental Health
2. LGBT inclusion
3. Acceptance
4. Death
5. A child's suppressed feeling of a broken family
6. Remorse

Just a thought but if every man watched Hometown cha cha cha and set Du Shik as the standard the world might be a better place.

The Love triangle which I dreaded would ruin the happy-go-lucky vibe of it all, was nothing but a mere journey of complete closure from a relationship that never actually found its perfect timing. Who hasn't gone through that? So the dreadful triangle wasn't dreadful at all but a lesson on maturity and moving on. Quite unexpected and like I said, beautiful.

Lastly, I bargained just for Kim Seon Ho's character to finally have a happy ending but got drowned in the emotional pile of it all by the end. No wonder I am still crying and smiling at the same time.

Anyway that was me, ranting my views and sorrows from one Homecha lover to the other (and hopefully to the future ones too).

P.S. since I was supposed to be helpful which am guessing I exactly wasn't? Here's link to my article for the drama which has all the overall critiques and opinion.

https://mydramalist.com/article/currently-watching-hometown-cha-cha-cha

Leia Mais

Soothing to Your eyes...!!! For Sure.

In this era of all dark theme kdramas, this drama will sooth your eyes. This is one hell of a refreshing drama💚.
About the plot I thought it would be slow paced but I was wrong, it is not slow at all and evolves beautifully.💙
And the casting is just so perfect.Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah did their job perfectly and put a lot of efforts.Their visuals are out of this world.Their chemistry is just adorable.Kim Seon Ho showing his perfect body in some shot are 🔥🙈.
There are many charecters, and they all have their own stories in life.
The people around them are so relatable like we all have these kind of people in our lifes.

In short the best healing drama of 2021.💚💙

Leia Mais

Swoon marathon - wholesome it its simplicity; deficient in its variety.

First off, the earlier episodes are much better than the rest of the show. Up to the seventh episode I was certain that this show might pocket all upcoming awards, but the episodes thereafter are - not necessarily bad - but a little letdown compared to the earlier eps.

The biggest plus of this show are the characters and their relationships, the slow pace as well as the chemistry of the lead couple and the scenery. But at the same time these aspects are somehow also the downfall of this drama. For example, some characters are left unexplored or just briefly touched upon, while other characters and their relationships are of primarily focus, being addressed again and again, but just don't move you, to be blatantly honest, do not intrigue you at all. I cannot put my finger on it, but even though some dialogues between the characters are extremely emotional and poignant, the relationships lack depth. 'Where the Camellia Blooms' had done a better job here.
The slow paced plot line which worked in favor of the leads in the earlier episodes as we got plenty of witty verbal exchanges, stealing glances and gestures, meaningful moments and heart fluttering push and pull scenes, helped to build their relationship and let the viewer be part of not only their growing attraction but also attachment and comfort to and with each other. However, after a while these lengthy conversations and moments of togetherness were not leading anywhere and felt repetitive and I do not dare to say boring, but sort of tedious and wearisome. The scenery is no exemption. It is picturesque and beautiful and a feast for the eyes but seeing the same spots (and costumes) over and over again reminded me of a sitcom where we have two main 'stages', the story switches between.
The lack of deeper analysis and exploration of characters goes for Dushik's (Kim Seon Ho) "story", his past, too. There was this HUUUUUGE secret around his past which ends up being a serious issue, but it is only explored more in depth in the last episodes, which is too short and rushed. Especially topics of greater severity should be dealt with caution, patience and pace and it is really frustrating as the episodes 11-14 felt more like fillers and definitely had room for a deeper analysis of Dushik's story, whereas, let me warn you without giving away too much, episode 15 was a sheer overdose off heavy emotions.
Also, I would like to regretfully mention that there were some unbearable ridiculous moments in the show, e. g. some slapstick comedy or a delivery scene as in childbirth, which - and I'm not a medical expert, by no means, but even I could tell - was so blatantly far from reality, that I could not focus on the rest of said episode.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the drama a lot. There are many lessons to take away from Hometown Cha Cha Cha:
- "Don't judge a book by its cover."
- "Give 100% not only at work but also as you rest (e.g. no emails checking on vacation) "
- "No occupation or lifestyle is superior to another."
-"You can find happiness anywhere, if you are willing to open up and appreciate the small and simple things in life."
- And a lot more...

The greatest strength as mentioned above are the leads and their chemistry. Shining Kim Seon Ho and shimmering Shin Min Ah carried the whole show and successfully so, as the ratings reveal. While most people are understandably in awe of KSH, his natural acting and the worthy successor of good boy Han Ji Pyong, the even greater man Hong Du Shik, I personally was mesmerized by Shin Min Ah. She was so natural and instinctive as Yoon Hye-Jin.
Be it her reluctance upon meeting and engaging with people she barely knows, her little frownings when confronted with uncomfortable critique, her contrasting cheesy lovey-dovey side when in a relationship, Shin Min Ah played Hye Jin in such a realistic way, that it would not come as a surprise if there was a Hye Jin in real life running her dental practice somewhere in Gongjin.
Since Hye Jin and Du Shik have different views on life and seem like total opposites of each other, it's entertaining whenever they interact. In general their interactions are adorable and natural. There was for example a scene in which Du Shik mocks Hye Jin by mimicking her and it didn't feel like acting at all, maybe it was an ad lib. And as funny and cute their little bickerings are, their not so lighthearted and heartfelt conversations are smililarly serious and emotional, especially the latter ones make you cry rivers.
As stated above, since it is a slow paced drama with main focus on the lead's relationship you can see how they grow more and more fond of each other, rely on each other, complement each other. With each episode you can witness their bond steadily grow and become something magical; you accompany Dushik and Hyejin through their journey of love, support and character development and witness firsthand how their innocent mutual infatuation turns into a mature, healthy companionship, which makes this show all the more special.
There is another couple that is likewise adorable, but fails to outshine dimple couple.

All in all, Hometown Cha Cha Cha is an enjoyable ride with a great lead, greater emotions and undeniable chemistry, that make you swoon more than once. But frankly, it could have been better.

Leia Mais

Unexpectedly wholesome and genuine drama that makes you cherish every character.

Such an unexpectedly enjoyable drama. Maybe it helped that I knew nothing about this drama other than that the male lead was the second male lead in Start-Up, which I had just finished and needed another thing to watch. This is a slice of life in a modest village town where, by the end of the show, you wished all the residents were real and that you could visit yourself. I laughed, cried, and contemplated life while watching this show. Each little anecdote made me think about similar themes in my own life. The whole cast was absolutely perfect and you find yourself becoming attached to each and every person by the end of it. Would definitely rewatch again if I wanted some feel good, wholesome entertainment.

Leia Mais

Unpopular opinion - This drama doesn't deserve the hype it's getting.

First of all, I've been a fan of Shin Min Ah for years and I love her acting a lot.

But I personally think this drama doesn't deserve the hype it's getting. The story is pretty lukewarm, nothing that keeps you hooked up to the story. This story reminds me of those 100+ episode weekend dramas, except they squeezed it into 16 episodes.

The story is laid-back, portraying the daily life of a rural village, and the string of events that takes place when a woman from the city comes to live in it.

The story is okay. The acting is better with a good cast. But it doesn't deserve all the hype it's getting.

I personally had a hard time watching it because it was too boring. I even skipped most parts and managed to finish one-hour episodes in 20 minutes. I didn't even feel like watching it at the end, but I did because I hate to do things half-ass and I was hoping things would get better but NO!! It doesn't!! It's boring until the very end.

Leia Mais

Beautiful, good at times, bad most of the time and annoying as...

This one is soooo hard to rate,almost as hard as it was to complete it...

I would say that the characters where about 65% highly annoying and 30% amazing, great and 5% ok then highly annoying followed by ok than highly annoying again (the Female Lead) all due to writing not acting the acting was fina most of it at least not much worse than other stuff, but what was extra troubling was that the awesome characters kept interacting with the highly annoying ones, making it hard to skip if you wanted to see the awesome characters but also hard to watch because of the annoying characters. Such a SHAME and here is why:

The cinematography was beautiful, the scenery was mmmmmmm.... the faces were beautiful, the abs where not bad either... The second couple was adorable ans well so was the second male lead was just the cutest guy ever The umbrella here was such a star and it was used soooo beautifully! really enough to bring up the score. The dimple couple did look good together but their interactions where 50% annoying 40% cringe 10% cute and fun. Making my love for him fade because he liked her...

Kim Young Ok is an international treasure may she live long and prosper! the kids acting AND characters were great and one of the shows most honest lines was delivered by one of the most annoying characters.... yes it did have a bunch of good lines here and there I will give them that, but it was ruined by all the cringe.

Back to the bad, the way they make suicide sound easily avoided bugs the hell out of me, people who are close to people who have commited suicide ten to have enough what ifs as it is, making it seem like a person can hinder an attempt if they just call is just mean. And so are a bunch of other parts of this drama... cringe, superficial, highly predictable, very highly predictable in a bad way sais I who loves cliches but honestly about 80% of the twists where soooo predictable it was as if they were trying to throw us off but it was so clumsy made that any one who has seen a few dramas would guess it. Also great use of product placement as well as village feel and the found family trope thumbs up there!

Story as a whole is 8-9
Character writing 1-10
Dialog 1-10 stars
Bingebilaty 5
Extra points for some well done stuff are unfortunately less than the stuff done bad...

It is not the cast acting (most of it) that is bad it is the writing! I will probably try avoid that writer in the future...

So in conclusion if you like cringe and grownups acting like stereotypical children (an insult to children out there), or just love Kim Seon Ho enough to put yourself thru this than all the power to you enjoy! Me I am happy it is over...

Leia Mais

Refreshing and Fun Romcom with enjoyable characters

After having finished the drama, it is safe to say that the drama is a very refreshing and fun romcom with its own quirks. The main male leads are extremely charming, with Chief Hong having a very likeable 'Boy next door' vibe and Ji PD having an equally charming 'Campus Crush' image. Our female lead is every romcom lead from 2018 - starting to pull away from the tropes and yet no so much - her character is still enjoyable and she definitely has her redeeming qualities. Do I love her? Not really. Do I really like her? Yes.
The highlight of this drama lies in its portrayal of its side characters. All of them have their own stories to tell and you really see them as people. My favorite character has to be, hands down, Hwajeong. Her story, the way she treats the people around her are all so admirable.
PS. The casual queer representation is definitely a win.
The pacing of the show is surprisingly pretty good and even.
The city where the drama is set is just so so beautiful and the sea is absolutely stunning too.
The humor isn't forced and you find yourself smiling throughout the episodes especially when the characters are bickering.
The OSTs definitely match the vibe of the show and are very soothing.
My main issue with the drama is the way immediately after they start dating, the female lead dumbs down, losing all her personality traits except for being in love with the male lead. When oh when are we going to stop doing that?
Definitely a fun watch that goes easy on the eyes.

Leia Mais