Contemporary KDrama Cliches Wrapped into One Show: Does Everything Well, But Lacking Special Sauce
I find this review hard to write because of how beloved and sacred this show is. To me, watching this show the whole way through is like a rite of passage into being a "contemporary Kdrama" watcher -- it's usually hailed as THE series to watch with its elements lauded as being perfectly executed. But unfortunately, I did not feel the level of positivity about this show that most people seem to have.To be clear, it is a good drama: the cinematography, acting, story, music, set pieces, costumes, and everything have high production value and all lean towards the positive side. The story has an internal logic to it. The actors/actresses seem to be giving their all -- if you are Hyun Bin fan, then of course that itself is an amazing plus for you. The OST is comprised of well known, proven musicians like IU or Davichi.
And this show is very "Kdrama" -- you're going to have ridiculous, fantastical situations like the tornado that blows the main female character into North Korea. You're going to have rich heirs/heiress (Chaebols) that cause infighting -- in my opinion, you even have the rich guy/poor girl trope here, except that it's reversed (Yoon Se-Ri is the hyper rich South Korean Chaebol and Ri Jung Hyuk is the poor North Korean by comparison). You have short-lived love triangles (quadrangle?) with side character, second leads and stabilize into a second couple.
But to me, this show is lacking an X factor to elevate it into greatness. The premise of the main female lead being blown into North Korea means we get to spend time as viewers in that setting, which is novel. But if you strip away that premise, what do you have? Just a very typical KDrama. This is my main issue with this show -- nothing about this felt particularly special. The romance was expected and average -- Yoon Se Ri is your misunderstood, Chaebol brat who transforms into an outwardly kindhearted soul and she falls in love with prototypical, perfect male lead Ri Jung Hyuk who is fiercely kind, loyal, brave and caring -- but nothing about this screams match made in heaven to me, but rather just a typical Kdrama setup. Some of the side plots felt predictable too: good Chaebols beat bad Chaebols. True family values beat insincerity every time. Bad guys that do bad things get what's coming to them and good guys get justice or closure.
The absolute highlight for me was small moments of funniness with the side characters: without going into spoilers, I'll vaguely mention that it involves scenes in South Korea and includes the experience of "daily life" such as playing video games or eating South Korean food.
It's said that this drama is an excellent way to introduce non-Kdrama watchers to Kdramas because it does not contain anything oppressively exotic to someone not used to Kdramas while introducing them to some of the typical elements like Confucius values that find their way into a lot of Korean storylines. I agree with this statement, but to me this is exactly what makes this show so average -- it is just really safe and not notable.
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Twice as long as it should have been
I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED IT!While I loved the first 4 episodes, the more I watched it, the less I liked it and by the end the only question I had was HOW MUCH LONGER???!
It was unnecessary stretched without having anything much to tell, there wasn't even enough cheese to make it enjoyable, just boring and extremely unbelievable action scenes and plot twists when the bad guy just. Keeps. Surviving. Again. And again. And again.
However, it wasn't THAT bad. There were a lot of good things. Most importantly, it's the cast. I doubt it would have been so popular if not for the amazing actors in it. They're funny and emotional and obviously enjoyed filming this show, and it is definitely visible on screen. Secondly, the bonds the characters shared were so heartwarming. They had flaws but they were so unapologetically human that you just had to love them. Thirdly, the cinematography was stunning and the soundtrack was on point but not as memorable as it could've been. Finally, the concept itself was great, it's a shame they chose the worst possible route to develop it, so much wasted potential there. And finally, definitely deserving a separate mention, is the chemistry between the leads. Pure electricity whenever the two of them were together.
All in all, it was an above average drama, definitely worth watching for certain aspects, but in no way it deserves so much praise for the overall quality as it gets.
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On one hand, this drama goes too far with too much - too many fated 'coincidences,' too many rescues, too many escapes from death, too many jokes at the expense of N Korea. Yet, every once in awhile, it just turns into pure magic - the story will pause, get quiet-er, the camera work turns cinematic, the insights thoughtful. It would unexpectedly become a different drama all together - one very much worth watching and with themes that are incredibly touching given the current state of the world.
For once, there was an exciting second half instead of running out of steam at the 10 episode mark.
The main leads and all the supporting actors create distinct personalities and characters that linger on. Hyun Bin as Ri Jeong-hyuk can WALK, every time he strode into a room, it was mesmerising. Son Ye-jin as Yoon Se-ri was a great mix of steely and silly. While they were both great in this drama individually - they do less well when they share a frame. I liked it better when they were fighting for each other, thinking about each other, talking about each other more than when they were actually in the same camera shot. When they were actually together on screen, their interactions got a bit stilted and there was no physicality to the relationship. They were both quite awkward in kissing scenes.
The music was competent, and like I mentioned about the story generally, the music would have some unexpectedly great moments - especially with some of the folk/childrens songs and lingering bits of classical music.
Rewatch value is mixed. I could watch Ri Jeong-Hyuk stride into a room anytime but a lot of the draw to the show was suspense on how it would all resolve.
I grade on other criteria:
Themes - 10.0
In a world that can be cruel and unforgiving, a sense of community, kindness, generosity and sacrifice are qualities to be treasured. Even in the most trying and difficult of circumstances, moments of joy, peace and connection with our fellow humans can occur. Seize life and happiness however it comes along - even if its imperfect.
Character Growth - 9.0
All the characters are marked by the experiences they shared together. They are changed people and there's no going back. Yoon Se-ri especially becomes less jaded, snobby and closed off.
Complex Women and Relationships between Women - 7.0
Seo Dan was an interesting character, as was Yoon Se-ri's mom - but that was all it was a sketch. They were defined by their relationships to the other characters especially other male characters. All the women, were overwhelmingly focused on the men in the show. Even when in solidarity with each other, it was often over a man or due to a man.
Cinematography/Production Values - 8.0
Mostly competent. The fight scenes were thrilling. A bit higher score than normal due to the unexpected cinematic moments, and a lot of shooting outdoors.
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I found the music beautiful but most was not memorable. The last song gave me butterflies in my stomach when it began which is a drama first for me!
I will say I was not sold on this drama until episodes 3 or 4 and then from there on out I couldn't stop!
You are not a drama addict if you don't try this drama!!
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The Storyline is Really Plain and the Drama is Overrated
Honestly, this drama is so OVERRATED. Even just looking at the summary, I find it completely ridiculous. Sure, it was quite different from other dramas due to the South Korea and North Korea stuff though it super CRINGY. It's basically a Romeo and Juliet story that has a either too slow or too fast paced plot. The storyline just seemed too easy to predict what will happen. By the parts where they're in the South, the plot seemed to go everywhere. Most people say you should watch it and the drama has high ratings, though in my opinion, I think the opposite. The story is just "destined lovers", "met in the past", "guy travels far to meet his girl". Honestly, rom-com dramas are usually the most interesting, though I find fantasy dramas better than this. They may have the Romeo and Juliet storyline, but they actually make the plot not too complicated, but also not too simple to the point that you can tell what's going to happen. The music was quite good, though majority just made me sleepy.Was this review helpful to you?
The initial idea for the story was pretty good but the execution did not follow. It’s a very cliché, predictable and unrealistic drama. I had to skip many scenes because it was too much but I really wanted to know the end.
There were lot of funny and good scenes and I laughed a lot especially when the comrades were in South Korea.
The actors are pretty good even if I thought they were crying too much.
It’s not something I will watch again but if you like cheesy, over romantic. And cliché drama then CLOY is for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Really don't know why this drama got the hype it got-it's like everywhere I look,people are always talking about this drama.I don't know if this is just my internal bias or what,but I noticed most of these people are kdrama newbies. Sure,it is an interesting premise and i really looked forward to seeing this because I've never heard of a drama like this. However they just tend to overdo it with the tropes and it annoyed the hell out of me. One or two are fine ....but 1 every episode??and THAT unrealistic??like cmon.SPOILER
What especially pissed me off is when Gu Seungjun died.For some reason I liked his and Seo Dan's chemistry more than the main leads and his death felt so forced. Like you're really telling me the main leads can have like 5 near death experiences and spring back alive a day after but my man Seungjun cant take 2 bullets to his SHOULDER? I call bs.
Anyways,don't watch this drama if you can't stand typical kdrama tropes bc it's full of them. I loved the characters tho, Jeonghyuk's soldiers were the best part of the show.Also Seungjun and Seo Dan.
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Don't read this if you haven't watched the show to the very end.Everything about the show was good. The political drama is excellent. The dedication and resourcefulness of Capt. Ri and his father are amazing. The settings are realistic, the plot is intriguing, and the acting couldn't be any better... But it all collapses in the last episode when the writers and producers decide to do what all soaps do - kill off some character - There are many impossible incidents shown where the lead character escapes death, so why couldn't they keep Gu Seung-Jun alive? His character had made a 180 deg turn from being a con artist to a caring person who had helped Yoon Se-ri escape and given Dan the solace she needed after being rejected after 10 long years by Capt Ri, all for a South Korean woman who accidentally came into their life. And what was behind showing Seo Dan as an unfortunate woman whose first love ditched her for Se-ri after 10 whole years of love and hope, and whose second love literally died protecting her.. What had she done to deserve such sadness?
There is also the other weird ending where Capt Ri and Yoon Se-Ri have to spend the rest of their lives meeting for 15 days each year. That itself is disturbing, but that is understandable and probably inevitable considering the utterly impossible political situation between the North and the South.
As Yoon Se-ri's character says towards the end when she lands with her parachute in Switzerland.. "... In life, it's only the end that matters.. " And in Crash Landing on You, the end was disappointing.
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To be very honest, the first few episodes were really hard to get through. I felt like the pacing was slow, and I wanted something emotionally harrowing and scary right off the bat. It felt like the drama went for something more light-hearted, and some humor.
But as I kept watching, it became hard to stop. All the characters grew on me, even the side characters, and it was amazing how three-dimensional they all were. Everyone had their own stories and no one felt like a plot device.
I'm also surprised that the drama how handled cliches not in a cliche way. They went for the "these two people were connected in the past SOMEHOW and them meeting over and over again is fate," but it didn't annoy me as much as these types of things usually do.
I'm honestly super torn about the ending. It's not your typical happy ending, and I normally hate time skips, but within historical and cultural context of North and South Korea today, I honestly couldn't imagine the drama ending any other way.
Overall, I honestly am kind of sad that I don't seem to be as into this as everyone else is — and that I didn't shed any tears over it, but I still find myself appreciating the writing and the love story a lot. It's the kind of story that really needs the setting and all its contexts to break your heart, and for me it's the kind of story you think about when it's 4 am and you can't sleep.
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Space is closer than North Korea
What I learned from all this is that it's easier to have a relationship with an alien than with a North Korean.I also learned the importance of money and being born in an important family.
It took me a while to watch this drama because of the hype around it. I kept watching spoilers and I was worried they'd ruin the experience for me. I was wrong. The story did that on its own.
Yes, my expectations were high since I loved this author's past work. The drama wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as I thought and it makes it very hard for me to understand all the hype around this drama.
The main thing that still sticks out for me is that Yoon Se Ri is not a likable character. She's not relatable, she comes from privilege and meanness and that makes all the acts of kindness she does seem unauthentic. Even at the end. How is it believable that the CEO of a major corporation spends her lunch hour with her subordinates in subway? They could have least set the lunch up in their meeting room or in the company's cafeteria. I know, I know, product placement and all.
There was no chemistry. I don't know if the main actors were compensating because of the dating rumours but there was no chemistry. The sweet moments were very few. You mean to tell me they meet each other for the first time after being apart and all they do is eat, work, shop for clothes and work and exchange couple rings? There are no demonstrations of love and this is why the very dramatic scenes seem a little artificial, because there was no proper build up.
The secondary story was done better but there was absolutely no reason to kill him off. The scene was dramatic enough. It was just cruel and I didn't even care for that character that much.
There's a difference between being uninformed and being dumb. There was no need to depict North Koreans as dumb. They even did that with the main character. He lived alone in Switzerland, I'm sure he would know how to use a coffee machine or would at least figure it out. I'm not going to talk much about how they depicted North Korea because I don't have enough information, it seemed as if they went with a 70's theme as that's it.
I did have some fun, I did enjoy the story and had some laughs and cried a little bit as well.
The ending is very bittersweet. They misused the fingerprint door thingie. It would have been more impactful if he showed up at her place at some point. Their encounter was a bit anticlimactic.
They spend two weeks together every year. I have a closer relationship with my mail delivery person. Even the alien from another star was able to come back and have a proper relationship. The mermaid had to stay near the ocean but she was present! Why didn't they both move to Switzerland or any other country? He lived abroad before.
Anyway, I'll miss some of the characters.
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The concept is nice but..
I really liked the concept of having a romantic relationship with two nations who are at war or so, especially since North korea is quite mysterious, it was really nice to get an insight on how things are (even if they were not as realistically as it should be, but i understand it is a drama.)I hated how the ML only solved things because of his status, then at the end he just gave up the army and went to play the piano in Swizterland, like what??? I'm sure they could have done better! And it IS not that easy in North Korea to do such a thing!! That is sadly pretty unrealistic, and I hated the south korea arc, it was very unncessary, it could have had a bittersweet ending and we would have cheered for it, but they chose an unrealistically happy ending which really ruined the story for me.
It is fun to watch, and this drama is how i got into asian dramas in general, but I wouldn't rewatch it.
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First thing first, that 9.1 is over-rated. These are some things that really stands out for me.The story starts off really beautiful and reasonable. The FL and ML meet, start depending on each other and falling in love. The relationship between all the characters are established very early too. It was nice, good, yes reasonable. Then I don't know where it starts, the story is going sideways. They start playing the 'fate card' on the romance. Over-played it I should say. At the end of the show, I started to think 'well, maybe my Mr. Right is the guy that I passed somewhere. Or is it the guy that helped me years ago?'. I believe in fate, but this left a bitter taste because someone could become delusional into thinking that every person that they met may actually be their fated one, this is especially dangerous for younger audience.
Other than that, the story was good enough. It shows that people are just, people. Wherever they are and their nationality. Bad system and bad individuals are the things that may stain something good and pure into bad. I was really invested in the second couple and the politics. Greed was the sole motivation of all the villain.
The landscape is beautiful, but nothing too catchy. The cinematography too doesn't really stand out for me. But it was beautiful nevertheless. I don't know whether the scene just don't make the cut or it is not written at all, but there are things that should be addressed but doesn't get shown. Such as CCG motivation, how YSR and her mother made up, and The Story of the Handsome One in the NK gang. This left such an unsatisfying feeling. This is a potential to expand the story more and this may add the lacking depth of these things.
The acting is WONDERFUL. I wasn't a fan of Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin, well, am still not. But their chemistry and performance deserves an award. There are some quietness i would say (?) between the actors that I sensed in between scenes. The second couple story and personality is more interesting than the main couple, and both actors are splendid! Also, the supporting characters and acting are just amazing! All the mothers here are so badass and perfectly acted!
The music was beautiful.
Personally, I wouldn't rewatch this because the second half is just bad. My type of drama is realistic, melo, slow burn things like Hot Stove League, Joy of Life, Mr. Sunshine, and It's Okay That's Love. But those who like this type of 'makjang' drama, that doesn't really mind the fate tropes, I think this will be a really worthwhile drama to rewatch.
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