When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

My first completed drama this 2021. “When The Camellia Blooms” is a very heartwarming drama. It has mix of fun, sad, and mystery elements. Generally, I really like dramas that I get attached with specially when I easily sympathize with the characters. Gong Hyojin as usual played her role really well. The only problem I got with her character is how weak she looked like in the beginning, I'm just tired of female leads who can't fight for themselves. As for Hwang Yong Sik (Kang Haneul's character), he really is a cute ball of sunshine. Although at times, I get frustrated when he's too protective of Dongbaek (Gong Hyojin). That's one of my problems in the drama, they were too cheesy sometimes lol. Another problem that I had was the dragging of the mystery part, like we got that moment when they introduced a lot of “possible” killers and they were constantly and unnecessarily confusing us (which is unsuccessful to me because I felt like it was too obvious that they're not). Aside from those, I could overlook small problems I came across (like how annoying Dongbaek's child was at times and also her ex boyfriend). One thing I also like is the Ongsan neighborhood, it slowly grew to me, the people there really looked like a big family. Overall, I like this drama. It taught me a lot about life and it brought me a pinch of inspiration to go on.

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A great story with lots of layers to the plot

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean television series with 20, 1 hr. episodes.

Oh Dong-baek (Gong Hyo-Jin) has always considered her life to be unlucky. Most people would consider single motherhood to be the unlucky part of her life but Dongbaek considers her son, Kang Pil-gu to be one of the few happy events of her life. Dongbaek opens a bar named Camellia in the small fictitious town called Ongsan. Being very beautiful and sweet Dongbaek quickly has many male regular customers who hope she is selling more than alcohol. The attention Dongbaek gets for her beauty makes the women of the town jealous and initially sets them against her. Despite the hardships created from being an outcast, Dongbaek manages to run her business successfully. Though not a place he would normally go one of the town sons and a very eligible bachelor, Hwang Yong-sik (Kang Ha-neul) reluctantly visits the Camellia with his work colleagues and falls in love at first sight with Dongbaek. He starts to frequent the Camellia to be near Dongbaek. Dongbaek is too busy raising her young son to give any thoughts to romance and the sometimes awkward but kind and gentle Yong-sik is not her normal type. Yong-ski is slowly winning his way into the hearts of mother and son when Pil-gu’s father shows up, does the math, and realizes that Pil-gu is his son. Dongbaek had been secretly wishing her ex boyfriend, now a wealthy baseball star, would find her. Kang Jon-ryul is surprised to discover that the girl he never quit loving gave birth to his son and vows to win her back over and gain a spot in his son’s life. Can the love that died be rekindled or is this new love what Dongbaek and her son need? Amidst this love triangle is a serial killer who went dormant for a time but is back determined to kill the one living witness Dongbaek. The mother who abandoned Dongbaek as a child suddenly reappears. And Yong-ski’s motherwho was formerly Donbaek‘s one friend and ally becomes her anti-fan when she learns of her son’s romantic interest. Pil-gu is also not keen on sharing his mother with any other man whether it be the biological father he just discovered or Yong-ski, the local police officer who is his mom’s best defense against the serial killer who wants her dead. Which love can overcome all obstacles?

Spoiler ? I really liked this series. Gong Hyo-jin is a very talented actress and I have enjoyed her performances in “Master’s Sun” and ”It’s okay That’s Love” to name a few. The young actor stole the show multiple times with his vigorous defense of his mom. I loved Yong-sik he was everything a nice man should be. I enjoyed seeing Hyo-jin’s life improve and flourish as she gained friends and experienced love. Trying to solve the mystery of who “The Joker“ serial killer was added a very exciting element. I loved how the community was cautious of outsiders but had each other’s backs. It was entertaining and heartwarming. There were some sad moments but the balance was happy. It ended well wrapped up and happily. Highly recommend this one.

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Keep your boxes of tissue ready! Otherwise tear tsunami in your house!

I loved this drama so much! It's family friendly ,heart warming , cute and some thriller . I cried many times while watching this drama cause it's quite relatable?
As i lost my mother 2 years ago , this drama was so.....emotional , this drama not only shows romcom but also shows motherhood , struggles of a single mother , society and many more. Each ep in this drama has a meaning , moral and life lessons.
And the romance is so cute that even i feel shy and start blushing .

About the cast and characters, 10000/10!
Awesome character development !
Gong Hyo Jin as dongbaek was so....good ! I instantly fell in love with her acting and i really felt her feelings cause she made me forget that she was acting . Same goes with Kang Ha Neul as Yong sik ahhhh he is the kinda guys we girls wanted! he is sweet , helpful ,funny , cute , does act up when necessary and most importantly he is a cop who is very genius that he can be a detective !
Pil gu was cute as well , he cries when he sees his mother cry and thats so....sad and wholesome
Other characters were nice too (i can't list everyone here otherwise this will be a long review )
The side stories were great as well.
OST is great and so...sweet to listen to
And...is it rewatchable ?
yeah i think so....i am not a person who rewatches kdramas.....but you can rewatch it as there are many sweet moments .

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A poignant tale of parenthood & unconventional strength with a side of heart-meltingly sweet romance

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

A story of a child abandoned by her mother, who becomes a single parent, raising the child without the knowledge of her ex-boyfriend; a woman who falls in love with a happy-go-lucky policeman, all while being hunted by a merciless serial killer. Is it a slice of life? Is it a thriller? Is it a rom-com? The truth is, it's a little bit of each. But not the usual mish-mash of tropes one would expect from a drama of multiple genres. Its whimsical storytelling manages to warm the cockles of the heart but also makes it race with adrenaline. Indeed, the leitmotif is parenthood, or more specifically the relationship between a parent and child, the sacrifices, devotion and regrets that come with being a parent and the even the stigma around single parenthood. As saccharine as the romance was, it managed to take a backseat to the heart-warming parent-child relationship between the characters. If none of this tickles your fancy, watch it for the laughs, for there's plenty.

The drama doesn't solely focus on the lives of the main leads, but an array of uncanny characters in the equally uncanny little town of Ongsan. The norm for dramas that focus on multiple characters, is that they tend to neglect the main leads and over fixate on a bunch of incredibly banal secondary characters. However, I did not meet a single character in When the Camellias Bloom that I did not fall for. The characters are of varying levels of eccentricity, a truly delightful pack. They're not extraordinary. They're not perfect. Rather, they're all very flawed, very realistic characters, just like regular humans. Isn't it human nature, after all? No one is blameless. No one is impeccable- we may do erroneous things sometimes, but we're not bad by nature. Yong Shik's mother boasts of being tolerant when she's under the impression that her son is in love with a lawyer, but quickly recoils when she realises that it was, in fact, Dong Baek- an orphaned, single mother. She crosses the line by calling Pil Gu a burden, after which she swiftly realises her hypocrisy and changes her ways. The neighbourhood ladies pester and poke at Dong Baek with their prejudice, but come to care for her with sisterly fondness.

Gyu Tae starts as a flirty, obnoxious wannabe social figure, with an inferiority complex, but grows to comprehend his love for his wife and grows out of his immature ways. Ja Young, a highly educated lawyer and self-made woman, slut shames Dong Baek but later befriends her. Dong Baek's mother abandons her not because of the lack of love, but because of the abundance of it. Hyang Mi is a kleptomaniac due to her arduous childhood. She suffers silently and toils selflessly for her brother, despite his thanklessness. I liked that. I liked that no matter how horrendous the characters may have been, they had redeeming qualities. Even the serial killer was difficult to hate.

Dong Baek would have to be one of my favourite female leads that I've watched in a very long time. Often people complain of female leads being weepy, dependant beings whose badassery evaporates as soon as they fall in love. We identify crying with weakness. I'm not faultless either. I would rather cease to exist then let someone see me at my worst. Dong Baek is a paradox. She starts off as a clement, compassionate and timid character, who harbours pain from a motherless childhood and as a result feels scared to fill space. She tearlessly suffers as the resident doormat, blamed for every mishap that happens in Ongsan. Yet, she's not entirely diffident from the get-go. She's someone you would feel like protecting but is, in actuality, entirely capable of defending herself. Her often unexpected zingers and moments of blind fearlessness is testament. As the drama progresses, she learns to let down her iron-clad walls and learns that she's not as alone as she thought she was. Her strength is not necessarily physical. She cannot beat up 50 thugs like Bong Soon or outsmart obnoxious chaebol heirs like Yi Seo. Rather, it's her quiet fortitude, her resilience and her boundless heart that makes her strong. Her slow yet steady character development is a show-stealer.

Speaking of show-stealers, Kang Han Eul is undeniably the superlative. His portrayal of the boisterous, moon-eyed cop with a devil-may-care attitude, a mellifluous cachinnation, and a cotton candy heart and a ChungCheong accent that befits him is so spot on, that I don't think anyone else could have played it better. Dong Baek and Yong Shik's romance is not torrid and sultry. There are no heated kisses or sizzling skinship. It's slow-paced - an affection developing over time that builds into a mutually supportive relationship. They don't love with elan, but with sweetness and light. Yong Shik may look one fry shy of a happy meal, but he is anything but unintelligent. His unadulterated support and understanding towards Dong Baek and Pil Gu, delivered in clumsy words with his charming dialect is so lovable that it made my heart melt one too many times.

Pil Gu and Jung Suk are on the two farthest ends of the age spectrum, yet managed to shine equally. Kim Kanghoon's often mardy, but shrewd Pil Gu is so delightful to watch. He has miles and miles to go with his oodles and oodles of talent. This is certainly not my first rodeo with Lee Jung Eun, who is perhaps one of the most talented actresses in the Korean Entertainment industry. After all, she has an Oscar to her name. She delivers what she promises.

Watching Kang Jung Ryul finagle his way in and out of Dong Baek's and Pil Gu's life was perhaps the most grating part of this drama. He's a douchebag through and through. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to hate him. He is, much like the other characters, imperfect but not damnable. He has his shortcomings, but he manages to grow a backbone and make peace with himself and those around him towards the end. His redeemable quality is that he grows as a person and that's more than you could ask of most people.

I went into this with the assumption that it had 16 episodes. At episode 15, I was ready for a conclusion only to find out I had 4 more episodes to go, at which point I found myself losing motivation to finish it- a predicament which lasted only till the beginning of the next episode. However, this drama did not have a single unnecessary minute- no pointless fillers, fights or fallouts. There is a breakup, but it doesn't feel redundant. Initially, I thought that the editing of the episodes was a little confusing, simply because it was hard to ascertain the timeline of events, but as the series progressed, I grew fond of the way it added to the poignant pacing and storytelling. This is where one would say that they would definitely watch 10 more episodes of this and would even wish for another season. But, I dissent. This drama was perfect in its length and had the most satisfactory conclusion. Surely there's no better conclusion than growing old together. Any further elucidation like their married life or Pil Gu's teenhood would be overkill. This drama made me ponder a bit about the meaning of strength. I would rewatch this drama when in need of some reassurance of my own. It's one of it's kind.

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I have never seen a bad drama of Kang Haneul (Hwang Yong Shik). This drama is 10/10, though I got a little bit bored because of the length of time per episode, and the number of episodes, but I still manage to complete this because the story line is reallly superb for me.

This drama doesn't just focus on the love story of the main leads, or the problem that surrounds Dong Baek. It also talks about the length or measures that the parents, especially the mother will take just to protect their child. I love how ALL the female character here in this drama are portrayed as a strong woman and not those typical drama where they are weak and childish. I also love that all the male character here don't treat females as a fragile or weak type. The fact that their place, Ongsan, is known to be lead and controlled by woman really amazes me. This drama really screams ✨ WOMAN POWER✨.

Even the coloring, and OSTs are wonderful and admirable. 100% worth it to watch and won't waste your time ;)

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Tear Jerking!!!!! I cried so much!!!!

Such relatable and heartfelt characters. Such a positive message. Such a journey through love and struggle.
I only cried at a handful of dramas and probably only once or twice, but this show had me crying so many times. I emphasised with so many of the characters and many of their backstories really broke me, I generally had to pause because tears were in my eyes.

I understood all the characters and their motivations.

This is such a well written Drama. It was just so human and touching.

And Kang Ha Neul, I love him so much. He made me smile like a fool in every scene I saw him in.
The romance in this drama is just too cute and so real.

The struggles that happened in this drama were just bittersweet. There was so much positivity and love as well. I just loved every second off it. This is definitely one of my favourite dramas!!!! 1000% in my top three.

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When talking about this drama, I could tell that it was soooooo beautiful, that my heart kept aching every minute, throughout watching it, and that it is a dangerous panda eyes zone:), and that for days I kept walking around with a broad smile on my face whenever a really funny scene came back to my mind.
I could praise the actors, the main characters as well as the supporting ones. Because they were brilliant each one of them. (it was real fun watching here Ha Neul as a cute garrulous hillbilly, after seeing him in Moon Lovers, as an intellectual politician. Even his voice was different).
So no big deal, since many of the Kdramas have those attributes.

But... and here comes the most important thing, the writer was a genius.
The most meaningful conversations in life are very simple but weighty by their truths. Just think about it, how many times have you been left with the "aha" feeling after a talk with a friend, parent, lover, that wow - he/she is so right, and wow - now I have learnt something? And frankly, you do not meet those weighty words so often in life. The sad truth is, we tend to be superficial and corny. If you talk to old people, and ask them what exactly did life teach them, you will get only a few sentences, as a gist of their life experience. And then I ask myself, this is what you learnt in 70 years?
But in this drama, the dialogues were so lively, touching, witty, very simple and so true at the same time. And those simple dialogues showed us, what is important in life. One can make as much fuss about psychology as one wants, but we humans are very simple. We need reliable loving parents, friends, and a lover that we can lean one. And we need GENUINE ones.
Those dialogues written by Im Sang Choon are in a way similar to the "Dialogues of Platon". He too wanted to teach people using Socrate's conversations, to reveal and explain the truth. Im Sang Choon does the same, teaching us how to live a good, meaningful life. I don't think that anybody can give more valuable advice to another person.

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what a fun ride!

casting gong hyojin and kang haneul is the best decision this drama has made. what I like about the love story of fongbaek and yongshik is that they are simple. just holding hands, trusting each other, encouraging each other, it's just.. warm my heart. yongshik is THE man everyone, ugh my expectations for men, once again, rise because of him. kim kanghoon also did a great job, I cried too when he cried ㅠㅠ. but if you ask me who's my favorite character, then the answer is hyangmi! i didn't really invested in the stalker and killer case tho, this drama has presented quite a lot of conditions that really happened in society like the stereotype of single mothers like dongbaek and jongryul's wife who care more about her popularity than her child.

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