Reviews

Truly fantastic and gripping thriller- had to finish it in one day!

Won't say too much to spoil about this show but its absolutely fantastic. The acting is superb and the twists and thrills are executed so well. I'd describe this show as having three main arcs/segments. Each one you could probably see in another tv show blown up in many episodes but here its tightly packed into one single narrative. Some of it is tough to watch though, they do not hide in some of the more brutal killings and acts of violence.

I only took off a bit for the score due to the rewatch value not being as strong since it would be hard to see this again knowing where the story goes.

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Chemistry between leads is the only thing working for this drama.

If I'd watched this drama in my kdrama beginning fangirl years 14 years ago, I'd have been head over heels. But after coming down that lane this far, this is no longer enough for me. It's too superficial, concentrating on visuals and not an actual story (personal opinion please)
There's nothing that makes me wait for that next episode, and the visuals are getting less tempting by day as a result, please if you read books, this story is not really all that fresh, the trope is saturated. I wish them a good run anyway, and an even better success in their next drama.

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A hidden gem: Now this is how you write a slice-of-life script!

I have to admit that it could be a hit or miss depending on who is watching, but for me, this drama served as a pleasant and delightful surprise, from the pacing, to character development (zero cheesy acting, even the little kid held his own), the OST and ending.
From the abandoned woman who discovered new lows and new highs, to the kid who lost a father and found another, to the woman who realised what she was blindly holding unto for years was not what she actually wanted or deserved, everything fits my preference and I wish we had more dramas like this!
I'm not really into contemporary C-dramas but this one actually surprised me. Anyone knows anymore dramas like this? Please help with recommendations, thank you!

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The writers just had no idea what to do to finish it off

The show was good for I'd say 25 to 30ish episodes, depending on who you ask, where it was a fairly solid show that kept me interested enough to come back each week for more. This was however where the good times ended and every possible nonsensical thing that could have happen happened. Every single character's reasoning ability went out the window and logic or common sense had no meaning in this drama. It was just about getting to the end and filling up time that was left with random fill ins and drawn out plot lines. I get it's a 50 episode drama so there will be a notable amount of filler to eat up 50+ hours of drama time but there was so just so much filler that I found myself fast forwarding for maybe 80% of an episode. It really is bad that a drama pulls you in for months just for you to have fast forward through an incredible amount of it in the back half just to see how it ends to get at least some closure.

Yeon Doo and Tae Kyung's chemistry wasn't terrible for me but it definitely could've been better. At times they were great to watch and at times you couldn't tell that they had emotions. It just seemed like they weren't so much lovers as they were legally contracted roommates (I saw the first review say this and I don't think it could have been more spot on).

There was a few nit-picky things that left for bad taste at the end of the drama like the continued pattern of introducing things to try and spice up the drama and then never acknowledging them again like it never happened. Yeon Doo's career as an instructor after being ended prematurely was completely put on the back burners with her I think not ever once fighting for it until the very last episode where she they just had her end up as an instructor again with no build up to fighting her way back to that position. The insane amount of trauma Se Jin and Joon Ha caused that went almost entirely unpunished where all it took was a 'I'm sorry' the last episode or so for it all to be put in the past. When someone actively tries to ruin your life for months on end even to the point of where Yeon Doo could have miscarried and almost did actually from the amount of stress, it felt insanely light. At least from what I've read, family dramas for whatever reasons tend to let the villains of a show get off pretty much unscathed with at most an apology and just saying they'll leave to give the main leads peace. After making the audience hate them for 50 episodes, letting them have their actions have no repercussions in the end is a pretty big insult to the intelligence of the viewers on how things actually get handled.

This is a drama that although a good start just couldn't figure out where it wanted to go and just kept trying to introduce shock value to catch a viewer's attention. When the reason you come back each week is just to get to the end and see what the writers could ending up coming up with (not in a good way) you probably aren't watching the drama because it captivates you.

50+ hours is a big commitment and if you want to use those 50+ hours on this show I wish you well and godspeed to that fast forward button because you're gonna need it.

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Showing simple normalcy for generations of SK women being gagged&bound by society's endemic sexism

"Kim Ji-young: Born 1982" puts every die-hard Korea fan through their paces: how far does the love for country and culture actually go? The KMovie also does away with any illusion surrounding romanticized and socially idealized yearnings that revolve around the concept of 'in love-engaged-married-happy family'.

"Kim Ji-young: Born 1982" broke the 2 million mark worldwide as a bestseller (by author Cho Nam-joo). It is also considered the most borrowed book in two consecutive years after publication. The KMovie was also extremely successful. In South Korea, between October 2019 and November 2020 around 3.6 million people went to the movies to watch. In addition, numerous prizes were awarded throughout Asia.

Calmly, unagitatedly and almost objectively distant, the camera focuses on the ordinary life of a typical South Korean woman, wife and mother in her 30s. Actually, she doing quite well. We accompany her in her everyday life between laundry and kindergarten, with her (actually quite attentive, loving) husband, with her in-laws, with her family of origin, with friends, with flashbacks of her childhood and at work, and finally with the therapist. This could all be any live of many a South Korean woman. That's not special at all. It's so cruelly normal that it even hurts. By showing simple normalcy, the story also becomes an outcry for several generations of women gagged and bound by society's endemic sexism.

Gagged and tied up by such a conservative, rigid, discriminatory socialization that is literally burned into flesh, so hardly anybody even considers alternative role models and self-images. There is a lack of role models that give women something like self-love and self-confidence that go beyond identifying with role expectations by family and society. Women somehow grow up as prisoners of those restrictive expectations - in a prison with doors, that technically are not closed, yet in practice barricaded by the mercilessly experienced sexism since early childhood. Accordingly, there is a lack of awareness of human dignity beyond gender roles. For women and men alike. And as we all know, such awareness would be the first path to any change...

In this respect, "Kim Ji-young: Born in 1982" holds up a merciless mirror in a calm, objective and non-judgmental manner, which focuses on the great evil that everyone simply takes for granted. Apparently, around 68 percent of cinemagoers were women. At least, the other 32 percent were men, supposedly.

In one of the last scenes, (which, like all the others in the film, gains its power from the simple, unquestioned und yet unbelievable normality) the underlying emotional muteness is finally allowed to speak up - not loudly and rudely though, but objectively subjectively and, despite all the justified anger, consistently in all modesty calmly, too.
In the face of the spilled coffee, instead of accepting the comments and accusations of her social environment with shame, concern and apologetic words, the FL has her outspoken objections. She eventually stands up for herself... actually, you should think, quite simply, as if it were a matter of course. And yet: downright unheard of. Because: Shameless in the best sense of the word... she no longer lets others shame her for what and who she is. She is slowly but surely developing a somewhat healthy approach to her own self-confidence as a person with self-worth and self-love beyond gender - a person who cannot be reduced by tradition to just a family concerned role concept within a hierarchical society. From this, the FL nurtures a new attitude towards those who traditionally believe they have more value in the social ranking.

Just a comparatively small, handy book; just a two hour movie. The story of Kim Ji-young, born in 1982, has sparked a lot of discussion throughout South Korea. The common, everyday (South Korean) madness shown knows how to touch and quietly infuriate. For me in faraway Germany, too, the KMovie wasn't boring for a minute.









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--- Outlook ---

'If everyone would act up like that... where would we end up?' - In this sense, the book and the film also led to a horrified outcry within conservative circles in the country. The main actors in the KMovie, for example, had to endure hateful comments for even taking part in it. Just this factual inventory of normal madness of just about every woman in the supposedly modern, innovative South Korea got conservative minds going...
...on the other hand, women affected finally received the balm of cross-class compassion, which for a moment opened up the space for solidary, cross-generational sisterhood. As insignificantly common and simple as Kim Ji-young, born in 1982, may be, the social impact was equally great - the consistently overlooked, completely disregarded reality that has been systematically carried out for countless generations out of principle and tradition, discrimination against (in this specific case) South Korean women.

South Korean society is already shrinking. Earlier than expected. And much faster than expected. No wonder.
Women born in the 1980s by now increasingly began to feel painful about their corsets. A milestone!
Those who were born in the 1990s and 2000s, some among them started to increasingly openly dare to actively shake up the social corset - simply by no longer accepting their 'certain' female role. Another milestone!
However, there is still a long way between shaking up and breaking out or even redefining. Eventually, women can only take this step together with men, who also urgently need to work on their role models, their attitude towards women and a new social self-image. Only then can the shrinking of South Korean society be stopped - a shrinking that, in my eyes, is an expression of a massive imbalance between innovative, turbo-capitalist high-speed in the global fast lane on the one hand, and an ignorant, sexist conservatism on the other, which acts like a lead foot screwed onto the brakes. Nevertheless, growing forces are apparently pushing for an urgently needed, integral, truly progressive transformation of existing values.

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Underrated Masterpiece Deserving of a Spotlight!

This K-drama is an absolute hidden gem, quietly awaiting the recognition it truly deserves. It's like stumbling upon a treasure trove in the vast landscape of K-dramas, and if you haven't dived into it yet, you're essentially missing out on the VIP section of drama appreciation.

The main couple's chemistry is not just on point; it's practically sparking a revolution in the romance genre. Their connection is so genuine that I'm tempted to start a petition demanding an award for them – they've managed to reignite our belief in love with their exceptional performances.

And let's not forget the unsung heroes of the show – the side characters. They are the real MVPs, adding depth and charm to the narrative. Of course, there are a few annoying ones who could use a crash course in being less irritating, but they're a small hiccup in an otherwise flawless ensemble.

In my book, this K-drama easily earns a solid 10/10. I wholeheartedly recommend it, served with a side of popcorn and a generous emotional investment. It's a journey worth taking, and you'll find yourself immersed in a world where love, laughter, and a few eye-rolls are in perfect harmony.

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Well done. The drama cleverly skewered a number of overused drama tropes. I enjoyed the story arc of each one of the roommates, partcularly that of Lee Eun Jung's, which was moving and poignant. I also loved the Hwan Han Joo character, who is much tougher than you'd think and who has some of the funniest moments. I applaud the drama for casting Ahn Jae Hong as a sought after male lead, even though he doesn't fit the tall, willowly, jawline-that-could-cut-glass stereotype of the usual Korean male lead. Shouldn't all of us choose someone smart and funny like him over Mr. Handsome Arrogant and Smug Chaebol? But this opinion apparently is in the minority in drama-watching land.

Sometimes the humor could be a little slapstick, especially when it involved Im Jin Joo but other parts were laugh out loud funny.

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OVERRATED DRAMA OF 2023

Why it is overrated??
Because it doesn't deserve to be 8.4 rating. My brother recommended this and said one of the best of 2023. But it doesn't. For me, the least likable drama of this year.

Here are my complains.....

we watch slice of life dramas because of realistic and relatable characters , character developments, refreshing moments. But the makers offer us the unrealistic, poorly acted , poorly written characters. There is nothing refreshing...

The drama had a good 1st episode.but FL comes to village. Everyone in the village, starts gossip about FL. I know... In the village setup it is natural. But this is too much. Not just villagers ...The ML friends only care about FL and FL 's problem. And they don't care about their life also. There is nothing happening. .. their flashback romance scenes are so immature, over the top , some scenes are so cringe.. especially the FL acting is very bad... FL is such a great actress .. I have watched lot of dramas of her. But in this drama her potential got wasted by her characterisation. There is hardly few moments..few scenes standout of the first 8 episodes. At some point ...you don't care who break up first in the past, you don't root them for their romance.. you want to watch the side characters more than the leads. And then , they add the love triangle also....

The problem of this drama is ......
• Dislikable FL character
• Poorly written ML character
• FL acting is very poor
• Unrealistic, over the top acting in the flashback
• Poorly written side characters..

My main Dislikable part is their younger version in flashback . You don't have to act so immature, childish just because of few years younger. That makes the scenes so cringe..

The only likeable characters are fl's sisters and the child character.. but they are just used as female leads puppets....Their romance part shows only after 5 episodes... That too hardly 4 or 5 mins per episode..

Similar village backdrop dramas are :
HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA
THE GOOD BAD MOTHER
When you watch welcome to samdal ri after watching these two G.O.A.T dramas, you will definitely disappointed.

Verdict:
Is this a terrible drama?? Decently no..
Will I recommend?? No...
Girls/women will like this drama more than boys/men
For me.. strictly average . Just overrated drama

(Sorry... If my English is bad)

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Couples just had me stick to watching it

It honestly had a strong start, the leads had great chemistry and had me smiling foolishly every episode. It went downhill when they kept dragging the story of Junyoung and the main couple had been on and off. Tae Yang also kept trying to quit badminton which I get but it has been hard to watch them suffer for so long. Tae Joon just kept keeping his feelings to himself and cared for others, which breaks my heart cause no one is checking up on him. The mother of Tae Joon as well was so hard to watch and took her a while to redeem herself, they had a redemption arc for her on the last ep, which at that point didn't really leave an impression on me. The ending also felt kind of rushed and I wished to see them actually play one last time. The second couple Yu min and Jung hwan were also a cute couple, didn't expect to like them as much! Jung hwan and Tae Joon also being close friends is also something I wanted to see more, they're so funny XD
Wish there were also more scenes from the other couples especially Seung woo and Young sim, the way Seung woo was there for her all these years is so heartwarming

I would love to rewatch this for the fun and cute scenes only, but for the drama I wouldn't cause it got really frustrating. The main couple is a pretty underrated couple imo, would love to see them in another project, hopefully a pure romcom one XD

The acting though is great, especially the leads, you can just see how they are hurting and loving through their eyes. Their personalities also blend well together, they are both pretty hyper. Tae Joon is such a golden retriever boy and his smile gets me every time!

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A great story

This one is one of the greatest stories that I've ever watched. The story plot is very unique and intersting and I must say very delusional. I loved every bit of it because of the uniqueness that this story holds.

The story had a typical starting like any other series and turn out as a great masterpiece. Even the actors did a great job with their characters. So I must say that this made me think about what will I do if the world really going to end just as this. We can go into their shoes and think what will we do if the world is going to end I've never think about my future through a series but this is the first time I compared something like this into real life.

About the music it must've been a little bit improved in some scense. So it'll deliver the correct emotions to the audiance wa more better. About the rewatch value I must say that everyone need to watch this masterpiece atleast once if you're a bl watcher. Overall this is so beautiful and I really loved it.
So what will you do if the world comes to ad end?

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Avoid!

I'm sorry to say this, but there is simply nothing positive to highlight about this. In my honest opinion, this is one of the worst dramas I have ever watched. The cast may have gotten paid, but that's about the only consolation. It's clear that the scriptwriter and director were not up to par, as the characters come off as childish and immature. And don't even get me started on the casting choices - who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to cast an aunt who looks like a disguised teenager?

I strongly advise against wasting your time on this one. The script is horrendous, the cast is subpar, the plot is messy, the chemistry between the characters is non-existent, and there is no happy ending to make up for it

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Ending matter so much

This isn't usually what I go for yet it has sparked hope for other Chinese dramas.
Chen yu were my favourite character but still waiting for my smile from him as it is rare for him to be carefree. At times I wanted to yell at him myself because of what he did but we didn't get that chance. Yang Yi was a true friend of his willing to put him with his actions with no explanations
WZF was a compelling character with his story that I enjoyed watching him but at times he made stupid decisions one is not ever fully trust Chen Yu
The ending, I like cliffhangers usually as it makes you question what is happening yet I wanted to see what was going to happen as there was no explanation

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Cult Classic

I think that is the easiest way to explain this drama concisely. It's a cult classic. If you read some of the critical reviews, I'd tend to agree with them, but the thing is it's what makes it a cult classic in my opinion.
The acting isn't perfect and the dialogue can be weird at times, but that makes it even funnier.
I think if you go in knowing it's not a serious tv show, you will better be able to enjoy it. You can't compare it to highly choreographed big budget tv shows of today because that's not what it is. But if you go in and just accept it for what it is, a lower budget old funny spoof on some cliches, I think it's pretty solid and has pretty good rewatch value

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