A warm and refreshing dose of escapism
I loved this show. From the moment it began, I was enamoured with it. The acting of the lead pair was brilliant in exhibiting the right energy and aura of their characters. An urban raised middle-class girl with smug dismissal of the poor rural countryside folk and the man with little ambition in life other than to see the sun rise the next morning. This show was great. I enjoyed how it introduced and warmed us to the ethos and social norms of the town folk by essentially taming Hye-Jin's assumptions and forcing her to see the beauty of a simpler, less noisy life. Yes there's fewer opportunities to stardom, but there is peace and relative sanctity from malicious gossiping and the choking competition and judgement she faced back in Seoul. I loved how she was portrayed, and found her character to be refreshingly engaging, easy to sympathise with. Her flaws weren't ever annoying traits but understandable ones that made you empathise with her.Chief Hong was a vibrant male lead and he had to the right amount of exuberance and compassion to make you love him. Plus, he is a really beautiful man when he smiles. I'm a heterosexual guy and I'm telling you right now - I got butterflies whenever he was laughing.
The show was carried by the chemistry of these two whenever they shared a scene that helped bridge the differences and create a grudging respect for who they were. Watching them fall in love didn't feel stale because of its inevitability, because they still wrote the scenes with realism. The show was also helped by not focusing too much on an overarching plot ahead of its character directions. Though this sometimes created problems when it came to laying the seeds for conflicts concerning Chief Hong, it meant you could get more invested in the characters.
I loved the town folk - the support cast were terrific. I was less interested in the film crew and didn't have time for those scenes but that's really my only quibble with it.
Overall, this was such a good show.
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This review may contain spoilers
Very long, but a comfort to watch
This drama was good - but, why. do. the. episodes. have. to. be. so. long?Okay, so it started out and I was like, “why does this man do literally everything in this town? It’s so unrealistic.” But then my sister reminded me that it is a drama and not made to be realistic, obviously. But still, when he revealed his whole wallet of cards for trades he was registered in I was like, “come on, really?”
Hye-jin - I really liked her character. I thought she was a strong female lead who knew her own mind and what she wanted in life. Very driven. Her little dentist surgery was so cute and the big tooth sign out the front just made it. I felt so bad for her when she was stating the blatantly obvious about Cheon-jae while the mic was on. Thinking about that man even now makes me chuckle.
The fact that Hye-jin and Chief Hong were so different made it hard for me to picture them together in the end, and even ship them throughout the show. I liked their characters individually, but together I just couldn’t really see it. Even when they confessed to each other and kissed I felt no sparks for them. During that scene, all I was really enjoying was the song. Seungmin has a beautiful voice!
I found myself liking all of the side characters and was actually interested in their storylines. These people definitely boosted the show's rating in my opinion:
* Hye-jin’s friend and Eun-chol are just the cutest - I think I shipped them more than the main characters.
* The children! Omg they were so cute! Yi-jun is such a respectable little man. God bless him. Bo-ra - her too! When she sang that song at the talent show it made me weep.
* Cheon-jae’s daughter was also cute and funny. Her enthusiasm about DOS is great.
* Yi-jun’s parents
Towards the end, of course, as with any drama, it was dragging but then it suddenly got really deep which I was not expecting. And then Gam-ri died and it was just sad.
The soundtrack was great - I even bought a couple of songs after completing it because they just gave me the feels.
I feel like maybe I’d watch this one again. It was definitely a comfort show and was well produced with a great cast etc.
-E
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A slow-burning romance in a country side
I love slow-burning romance dramas that are executed nicely. And that is exactly what we have in this drama. Two great main leads with a great team of supporting characters, great cinematography, and a storyline that fully holds up this beautiful drama. First of all, I loved our dimple couple in this drama. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved how they slowly got to know and love each other.I liked how all the characters had an emotional side story. It helped me connect more with them and also get to know them better. Even though the drama is light-hearted and funny for the most part of the drama it is also emotional at times. And I rate emotional scenes over funny scenes any day. As it is easier to make a person smile rather than making them cry for a character. As the story needs to touch the heart of the viewer for them to become emotionally attached to it.
There is only one thing I disliked in this drama and that is the love triangle. I know that it was good, as it made the ML realize his love interest in the FL and made him more active in pursuing the FL during the story. It was like a wake-up call for him. But still, I don't prefer love triangles.
Apart from the love triangle, I loved the drama and its beautiful cast. The drama is still ongoing let's see how it turns out to be.
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My only regret…
….………………,………..………………………………………………………,………..……………………………………………………….……………………………………..….…… is that I didn’t wait until this drama was fully released before watching. It’s such a light-hearted and refreshing story with an awesome cast but the cliff-hangers are driving me nuts! I love this drama and all the butterflies it gives me! I’m already grieving the end.Was this review helpful to you?
my heart feels empty,now that it ended..
everything was beautiful!!The story is quite realistic hence,relatable..characters were quite annoying at first,but everyone had a reason for their behavior. I loved how they showed everyone's side story and make us love them more and more.it's nice that everyone had a character development too,especially hyejin,I think i can say that she had the best character development.the chemistry between the leads is top-notch! it feels like i am watching a reality show of two real life couples.i love how the dialogue seems like a real life conversation between them. as expected from great actors~
watching this really felt refreshing but warm too,at some times..I will really miss our sikhye couple and the people from gongjin..
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Who wouldn't love a dimple couple?
I loved Hometown Cha Cha Cha. You know the feeling when you got home from work, tired as hell, take a hot shower and go to bed then do absolutely nothing. It's just that feeling of comfort that this drama gives. Well, at least most of the time. In the drama, nothing really happens, you just follow the characters chaotic daily lives and that's pretty much it. Some romance here and there, some past traumas, some heartwarming moments and life lessons.I can see why a lot of people have problems with the show because it is actually quite problematic, but it all depends on how you look at it. Let's start with the female lead; I guess you can say that if you meet a person like her in real life, you'd try to avoid her because she just doesn't have good friend vibes. Why would you want to be a friend with someone who talk behind other people's back? Or a friend who don't know their own emotions and act childishly because they are immature and can't take responsibility for their own actions? Yoon Hye Jin is not a good character in everyone's eyes, but it's okay, because I loved her. Somehow, she felt like a real person. We're all used to main lead either being strong and independant, or exaclty the opposite, weak and relying on someone else. She's somewhere inbetween. Her character is hard to digest, but once you get past and accept her for what she is, you'll be able to enjoy the drama.
Hong Doo Shik is exactly her opposite. Too good to be true. Maybe that's why they look so good together, opposites attract is the best thing you can say here. They have a nice chemistry, it's easy to look forward to their scenes and they make your heart flutter.
I think we are all already used to kdramas and the tropes the screenwriters use. You saw them in the previous drama you've watched, you see them here and you'll see them in the next one, too. That's just how it works. The point is how these tropes are used in the plot and how they connect the overall storyline and in Hometown, I think they aren't much of a burden.
The side characters take a good part of the screen time so your skip button might be useful. I loved some of them, some of them I couldn't care less about. The performances of all actors are great but Kim Seon Ho is the star in my opinion. He was the best Hong Doo Shik you can ever dream of. Overall, a well-chosen cast with great chemistry between every actor.
Overall, Hometown Cha Cha Cha is a good show, but not for everyone. It depends on your mood, it depends on what you're looking for. It depends on what kind of characters you like, it depends on how much of a patient viewer you are. The show delivers the messages pretty straight-forward, it's not that complicated, you shouldn't expect much of it. But it's worth giving it a try.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cha-cha-cha your way to watching this drama, you will not be disappointed!
Totally unexpected gem! I reluctantly started watching this drama as I was browsing Netflix. I am so surprised that the storyline and acting is so freaking good. While the drama is near perfect, I will give feedback on what I like and dislike about the characters (not the actors, not the drama itself).The female lead - The actress did a fantastic job acting, and her dimples are so freaking cute. However, character wise (this has nothing to do with the actor nor the drama), I disliked how she constantly gave backhanded compliments (e.g. while the album was bad, I did like this one song). I know that this it is apart of her "city girl, traumatized" character, and that because of the abandonment issues that she developed after the death of her mom, and her first college-boyfriend leaving her, that she likes her personal space, but if we continuously justify people's behavior because they have trauma, they will never change.
The male lead - This actor did a fantastic job acting, and his dimples are so freaking adorable. I rarely love male characters in dramas, especially in K-dramas. This is the first drama that I watched in which the male lead was not toxic, like at all! The male lead character is actually someone that I would need, if I were interested in dating lol. Although the female lead is doing a lot of pushing and pulling, he is patient with her, and kind to her. He doesn't allow her selfish nor mean comments impact his self-esteem, nor does he allow it to stop him from helping her or helping others.
Cho Nam Sook [Department store president / Chinese restaurant owner] - Cha Chung Hwa is such a talented actress. I fell in love with her after watching Mr. Queen, and then I saw her on a Running Man episode, and after watching it, I realized how hilarious and outgoing she was. In this drama, she acted so well.
I love the older women characters in this drama. It's refreshing to see Korean dramas open up acting opportunities for the elderly.
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KIM SEON HO COMEBACK STRONGER AFTER START-UP
2021 has been on Kim Seon Ho, not only his drama success also his activity in variety show!People have not know him before start-up. He is a wonderful actor. His acting method really good since he has a theater background, that explain how he manage to deliver such a big emotion to the viewers ! Hong Du Sik is actually really complicated character, we might think he is all rounded but.. having a dark side of him and how Du Sik hide it from people around him is tough. Seon Ho really have to study and understand this character before portray as Du sik. As for now we don't really know the true nature of Hong Du Sik ( I didn't watch movie ) until his dark past reveal.
Some people might not like actor who portray a character like a theater artist but for me.. by combining emotion and body language... a perfect character is created !
I hope that he can continue acting and I cant wait for his next project!
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The story i can't thinking
The storyline has decline at episode 10 how that to be.To be honest i Don't like the actor and i Don't GIVE any specific opinion. In the end from episode 1 to episode 9 amazing and come to episode 10 this nothing lmoa just bad i see. Because the performance of any play is such an ephemeral experience, writing a play review can be an exciting, though difficult, task. You have to be both spectator taking in and enjoying the performance and critical analyst of the production itself. You have to be able to provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance you attend, and an interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, directing, and so on.The review assignment asks you to analyze in an objective manner the relative success or failure of a given production. Note that you are not asked simply to summarize the plot or give an opinion regarding the text of the play being mounted; your review must be grounded in the production itself. Your job is to describe the production accurately, and then to render a value judgment of it based upon what you have seen and what you expected. The assignment will test your skill as a reader of the play and as an observer and critic of the production.
In addition to grounding your review on the production you witness, you must be careful to limit your review to a few essential observations in support of your thesis (which will be discussed below). You must concentrate on a few important ideas and aspects of the production and focus your attention on only what you consider the most significant parts of the production itself. Unlike a newspaper review, which can be loosely structured and superficial, your assignment is quite definite. You are not asked to cover a wide variety of production elements (i.e. performance of every actor, every costume change, every set change, every directorial decision, and so on); instead, the assignment demands that you develop a few key ideas in thoughtful detail.
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Boring, mediocre, easily forgettable
I started watching this drama few months ago, and I dropped it after the first few minutes. Then I came back and I was ready to give it another go, and somehow I ended up on episode 11. Let me be clear, the plot is not strong enough for the amount of episodes,the unnecessary long and boring scenes that are easily skippable, pointless dramas and what not.The leads were alright,not the biggest fan. The acting was alright but some parts were cringey.
At least I liked the music. I guess that was the only thing that was not boring and pointless.
Other than that, this is a easily forgotten drama, especially through being uninteresting or mediocre.
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Can't get enough!!!!
Been watching the show right away after it was aired and I don't know how to feel about it. I can't wait to finish all the episodes all at once but at the same time, I don't want it to end. There was never a dull moment and every single character are as important as the main leads.Besides the fact that I love the casting, the first episode had me looking forward to what is to come. I can't help but smile whenever both of the leads smile, their characters are simply adorable. And their dimples, I don't think I'll ever get tired looking at their dimples. Who will not love them?
With just the first episode, I'm already sure that this show is another gem. I know I'll love the show and all the casts. Not only the leads but also the supporting actors will make you look forward to what kind of role they will play in the story. I loved the pilot episode, I loved the second episode more, and I think I'll fall deeper in love in every episode that will come (as I'm watching it ongoing as of the moment). The story was very heartwarming and relatable. Heartwarming in a way that even when they were not a family by blood, all of them seem like a family. It was really soothing to watch. And the life lessons in the series!!! It's another thing to look forward to. In just two episodes, I was already reminded of the good things one can do while living this life. I also enjoyed looking at different perspectives of people as the characters have distinctive differences despite sharing some similarities.
One of the comparative perspectives that I like is the generation gap. As the place is set in the countryside, Yoon Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah) and the elders' characters definitely don't match given that the elders' are conservative. But what made me love the different perspective part is when Hong Doo Shik (Kim Seon Ho) is in the picture. It's rare to meet someone with a very open-minded mind and is up for understanding the people around him/her. He plays a vital role in uniting the people's town together. He's like the bridge connecting everyone. He is definitely my favorite character because of that. Also, watching him act like that will make you wonder what his story is. You know the saying that a person with more scars is the kindest, I think he's one of them. Yoon Hye Jin is also the same but she's not the showy type so it may take time before you realize her kindness which will make you actually look forward to what she has to offer more. Their kindness combo is something I will really love to see. Plus, it's coated with their strong chemistry, something that will make you feel good all throughout the runtime. The whole cast chemistry is actually another thing.
Watching the series will definitely make you realize different dreams, personalities, and kindness in people. The show surely offers different faces of love; may it be eros or agape. So far, I was never bored while watching. I actually feel light, relaxed, and happy as I watch the show. Of course, the OST played a crucial part in creating that vibe.
It was a job well done so far.
Kudos!
[Review will be edited every episode]
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Waiting for the next episode is really killing meeeeee !!!!!!!!!
Lately, all the K- dramas are based on dark comedy, thrillers...I was looking for rom-com, something refreshing and then I found this....I thought I will binge-watch this after its release...But after watching the first episode I couldn't resist myself...the story is simple but the director made it so interesting... I can co-relate with all the characters...all the characters are beautifully written...I think I don't have to talk about their chemistry...it's 10/10 for me...they literally give me butterflies in their every interaction... the cinematography is superb...It's soooo good...you should watch it if you haven't watched it yet...
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