Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)

What was the point of this drama??

My intent is not to underplay anyone's hard work here.

So purely from a global viewer's perspective, I struggled with this drama.
Could not find a theme, goal or intent here.
Forget looking for romance and chemistry - it was like a cloud that flitted away before you knew it appeared in the sky.

Comedy - what where when??

Story was crafted for a certain demographic of folks who reminisce about Jeju island, the small town mentality and unity and friendships. But haven't we seen this over a dozen times already??

The love triangle was outdated and honestly both leads were too old for their characters - as much as I adore them both.
The bad girl story drags through to the last episode.

I've been waiting for one classic romcom all through 2024 - nothing through April.
And there seems to be a very dim light at the end of the years tunnel 😳

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wholesome, heartwarming, tear jerking, adorable

I will never stop saying good things about this drama. I started on a whim and fell in love. Just one more episode turned into let’s binge all of this. Waiting every week for it gave it a certain charm that just made it all the more enjoyable.

The best thing about this drama for me was the characters. They made everyone so damn likeable (except Cheungi, Eun Bi, and Yong Pil dad). Like genuinely, I would’ve watched a whole drama based on anyone of the characters. They’re all so wholesome, and the entire town is so cute. It’s such a close knit family, and they may be nosey at times but it’s because they care.

This was my Ji Chang Wook awakening. I have missed out. Then, I went to watch his other dramas, and I LOVE HIM EVEN MORE. He is so golden retriever coded. Lord bless me with a Cho Yong Pil.

The sisters were all so spectacular in each of their own way. I wish they gave more screen time for the other two sisters because their story was so worth it. THEYRE SO CUTE I SWEAR. The rich guy is such a puppy. He never did anything wrong. Hae-dal and Ha-yul are absolutely adorable. Hayul is a national treasure, and I can’t wait to see how the actress grows up.

The love story. IM DYINGGGGG. I thought I would be annoyed, but they did it so well. They’re very mature about it, and I love them so much. The Power Rangers are iconic, and I wish everyone could have friends like that.

THE MOM. Let me tell you, I love this woman. I love this actress too. I’ve seen here everywhere, and she ATEEEEEE.

This drama made me go through all the feels, and I feel so full from it.

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A true love never dies

Usually I am not that kind of guy who will let tears to fall because of some sweet emotions…BUT watching this drama….it totally got me.
When everything is packed in one peace, like comedy, drama, intence and love, you got one emotional product that leaves you speachless. Not many actors can bring such a pure emotions, like these two and one hufe applause for director of this drama. I can’t recall when was the last time I watched so touching series.
On every scene I can connect a real life, every emotions, every pain…everything. I think you really need to be maked from a stone and not to feel anything (like most of the comments)
We cannot play with love, I tried and got hurt. It is painful. A true love never dies and remain to be a true love for a lifteime…

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The drama isn't peaceful or wholesome but rather weird and frustrating at times

Before anyone says i like ml a lot , i loved fl in "see you in 19th life stillhere things aren't working for me

The cast is great no doubt
But it seems they couldn't put everything together , the drama is scattered here and there
They wanted to show comedy but did too much with their anger , frustration especially gossip
I mean why would they thought lead actors or even the side ones being angry and frustrating will make viewers think it's fun ,
Also the gossip part , they showed too much gossip from town which leads to think there is no warmth which everyone is talking about
The drama isn't really wholesome or warming ...
If you have watched hometown cha cha cha and came thinking it would be like that it's a big no , they showed the location of countryside but couldn't really show the beauty apart from few seconds of sea .

The three girls are too much for the mother , they are shown as if they are naive , i mean why would anyone in their late 30s would be this clueless about their mother , none is shown caring in nature , again in order to show their funny side it is irritating


I think they just could shown them in their late 20s or around 31 but 38 is too much , neither they look nor their behavior that way

And ml character is not really detailed , his life is all around fl , which i can understand but it feels the drama revolves around her only , he is there to accompany her

The first ep is good but then things go downhill till 6th episode as i thought now it would be better , they popped the love triangle , it was okayish but still bit irritating till ep 11 , it was okay thenwards but .... didn't really satisfied me

The love triangle was so unnecessary, it sucks
The way 2nd lead says he let the ml have her ot gave up on her was just too irritating and destroyed the story too badly

There wasn't really sweet moments shown from their pas or even present which is unsatisfying

I skipped a lot of drama and watched at 2x still seemed too much for me .

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More of a healing drama

I don’t like storylines where a person is falsely accused of some misdeed or misconduct, and the public suddenly turns against them so fast without concrete evidence and without knowing the full story, quick to judge. And the victim has no way to vindicate herself- I which I find incredulous it being 2024 with all its advance tech etc…

Anyhow, so ya. That’s how the story goes for our FL to run away back to her hometown. It’s very much a healing drama, so there will be lots of crying. I would say the main underlying ripple here would be the issue of unforgiveness, which involves not only the main leads but the families as well. The comedy and supporting cast are not too bad, I was able to watch without ff too much ;)

The romance and chemistry is not so evident. So if you’re looking for that then you will be disappointed. Both actors did a great job though, and I’ve like Ji Chang Wook since Healer, but his other dramas after were not so promising.

All in all this was a pretty good watch. Just get ready those tissues!

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Great cast and acting

A pleasant show with a mainly interesting storyline. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was the cast and their exceptionally skilled acting. They managed to portray their characters and emotions in a genuine and heartfelt way - while the chemistry between the leads was definitely also on par. The setting and supporting cast were really good, too. The downside is the fact that it is yet another plot where the inability to communicate or be truthful, is what causes their issues and suffering. As such, the plot core drama-storyline seems more juvenile than challenging and makes for a deflated climax during the second half of the episodes.

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Dramatic but not dramatic

Welcome to Samdalri is Ji Changwook's drama that I watched again after only managing to finish his drama entitled The K2.
This drama doesn't seem to be very popular internationally compared to other dramas that also air in the same slot. This drama has a vibe like a mixture of the dramas Hi Bye Mama, When the Camellia Blooms, and Hometown Cha-cha-cha with conflicts that are much lighter than those three dramas.

All the characters in this drama are interesting and have their own characteristics. My favorite character is Cha Ha-Yul, the daughter of Cho Hae-dal, namely Sam-Dal's younger sister.
In my opinion, the plot of this drama cannot be called slow, because actually every episode always reviews and resolves problems, so every episode is worth watching or even needs to be watched to better understand the plot.
It is true that perhaps the nature of this drama which tends to be relaxed and not dramatic might make us a little bored, but in my opinion, this is not something that can reduce the point of this drama.

I like the development of each character which doesn't develop significantly, but looks like it will continue to develop in the future.

This drama is like a comfort zone when you don't want to think about very complicated things, theories, and secrets.
I also like the resolution of Bang Eun-Ju's conflict which is not made dramatic. This drama from the start always focused everything on Sam-dal's character, they didn't want the audience's focus to run to Bang Eun-ju when she finally got her karma.
Actually, this drama has many messages that can be taken away. But I don't think I need to explain it because everyone has their own perception.

In terms of flow, I think it's pretty good, but not so great that I can rate it more than 8.5. But this drama is really enjoyable and I always look forward to it every week. This drama feels like a friend, watching it makes us feel calm and comfortable.
I really appreciate all the actresses and actors who play in this drama, after a long time I finally really saw a drama where all the actors acted very well, especially the Hanyeo ladies who always entertained every scene they appeared in. Maybe because in this drama there are not many newcomer actors, and newcomer actors such as Cha Ha-yul and Gong Ji-chan also play very well. This drama also attracts the idol, Kang Mina. But Kang Mina's acting is one of the idols with good acting, so it doesn't matter what her real profession is, in this drama Kang Mi-na is Cho Hae-dal.

This drama doesn't seem like an interesting drama to rewatch because the conflict is simple but relatable. I think it will take a while to remember the plot of this drama because it is packaged in the easiest way to digest.
Apart from that, this drama is a good drama and I highly recommend it to be watched with friends, family, and all your favorite people.

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A great summer comfort :)

I was a in a k-drama withdrawal for months so I needed something to take me back, and a comfort drama set in a cozy village with local best boy Ji Chang Wook? I was SAT.

I'm not the biggest fan of the trope "childhood friends to lovers" BUT I think it's done quite well here, I find it really interesting how close their moms were and how Yong-Pil and Sam-Dal were born on the same day and basically grew up attached to the hip.
Sam-Dal and Yong-Pil have a really cute relationship, they know each other well but can also be completely oblivious about some things. I know the "strong independent woman who needs no one" trope is a must in these kdramas, but sometimes it really felt like Yong-Pil was much more into in than Sam-Dal , or at least I got that impression; at the very first hiccup she was ready to hit him and run away, while he fought and chased her over and over.

In general I would've liked to see Sam-Dal stand up more for herself, especially with the scandal with her assistant. That woman stole your boyfriend, your projects, your career and your reputation from you, you have the evidence to prove she's lying and you just do nothing? Come on!! I get that Sam-Dal didn't want to go through the revenge route (plus it's difficult to deal with the media in these situations) but anytime someone insulted her it was always her family or her close friends defending her, and it's also thanks to them that in the end the assistant got what she deserved. In that regard, she didn't grow at all.

What I really loved about this is the people. I love love LOVE the relationships in this drama, the sisters are really close and always 100% supportive of each other, and the Power Rangers?? I wish I had a group of friends like that.

The side characters are also super interesting and I actually enjoyed all their storylines and adventures. Jin-Dal was definitely my favourite, but Hae-dal and Hae-yul are adorable together and their newfound dolphin dad was very sweet!

Honestly, the only exception is Yongpil's dad, oh how I hated that man. I'm sorry, you can be in all the pain of the world and that still doesn't give you the right to treat your own son like shit , his girlfriend or Ko MI-Ja's family. I can understand not wanting to interact with them and blaming them, but come on, he threw away anything Ko MI-Ja cooked him and SPAT in front of her? that's disgusting and rude. I don't even care he got a redempion arc in the last two episodes, it was WAY TOO sudden and honestly felt a little fake but, oh well.

To wrap this up, I want to say I really liked this drama. It was genuinely funny and made me laught a lot in some parts, but it also made me cry a lot, especially in some stories like the story of the two Mi-jas or the final exhibition. All the townies are super funny and sweet and they really help you get into the story

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Let’s go back to the beginning…

Self Discovery.

Who are we outside of our profession? What is our drive and passion in life? I think these are the main questions this series wants viewers to dig within.

It wants us to recall. To go back into time and discover who we are before we grew up to be workers. It also urges viewers to take a chance again. Failure doesn’t mean it’s the end. We can all stand up again. We can try again.

The picture and the lesson the show wants to send is truly heartwarming. Growth doesn’t truly mean we should forget everything that made us who we are. It shouldn’t change the youth and joy within us.

Beautiful really…

The issue FOR ME, is that there are so many things that needed more attention in this series. The story focused so much on just Samdal- and yes I know she’s the star of this show, but there are people behind who she is.

Her sisters, her friends, and the diving residents of Samdalri also had really great stories to share. Stories that are all part of her as well. I mean her exhibit showed that. I just wish that they were all given proper endings rather than all of it being crammed in the last episode. It would have made a great full circle.

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