Enjoyable.
I honestly enjoyed this k-drama, I liked it. I felt like the time went by fast watching it, so I didn't feel bored nor did I feel it was too long (something I thought would happen but it didn't).The truth is that watching Welcome to Samdal-ri made me think more about something I already knew: how normalized excessive drinking is in Korea. I don't think there wasn't an episode where one of the characters wasn't drinking some alcoholic beverage, or even worse, getting drunk until they lost consciousness. It was quite curious really, I don't think I've seen this shown so much in other series I've seen, so it caught my attention. This is a bit moralistic, but it's a bit worrying to see how they don't label this as something to watch out for, alcoholism is a serious problem. And leaving this aside, I do think that the use of alcohol (a common cliché) to get the characters to come clean or to give continuity to the plot was excessive.
But that's okay, I'll let that slide because again, I found the drama enjoyable. The chemistry between the leads is quite believable (I love you Ji Chang Wook) and the side stories didn't bore me as they usually do..
I don't have much to complain about, it was ok, to watch in the evenings and have a quiet and relaxing time. The plot was not the most exceptional, but it holds up, so it's ok, you manage to connect with the story. The unbelievable thing was how the biggest problem was solved so easily after 20 years when there was no hope, but ok.
I was amused by the twist they gave to Man-Su's character, but only because I wondered "Why?".
And well, would I recommend it? Yeah, probably.
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divers' slice of life
what I loved about this drama was how they depicted the life of these men and mostly women who dive into the sea all day long to catch fresh fish and shells. this is definitely a thing in korea. I like the story about this little girl who quit her little town to become a famous photographer, but actually, all these was (for me) not necessary for the story to be charming. she could have a been an anonymous worker in a big corporate facing hard time in her job.I think that the main focus of this drama is about how you handle the social pressure. how you handle anonymous pressure on the internet, how you handle it at work when someone is badmouthing you, how you handle the expectations of your family and friends, and from your lover. they looked very deeply in this matter and did a really good job. I appreciated the light they put on real friendship and family bound that can help you go through the hardship in life. the conversations and little advice they give every now and then are very accurate and heartwarming.
the love story between the two ML was touching, but I felt it a little too much idealized. it's very nice to love forever, but for me, long lasting love has a reason: it is in the way the two lovers handle themselves and their partner. and this part is a little bit lacking here. but, we can agree to just accept that they love each other for no reason.
when to watch: it's a very light and uplifting story, watch it after work.
audience: family friendly
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This review may contain spoilers
Good, not great. For fans of light comedy/romance without too critical an eye.
First, I liked this drama very much, but there is no way it deserves a 10/10. Read the reviews that gave more realistic grades and the reasons they were given, and let them guide you. Is this a feel good drama? Absolutely. But realistically speaking that's about it. And despite the fact that I think Shin Hye Sun is one of the best actresses working, this drama isn't in the same league as Hometown Cha-Cha or Hospital Playlist. It isn't even Shin Hye Sun's best work. (Check out "Thirty But Seventeen" or "Mr. Queen".) This drama is simply good, not great.I thought Welcome to Samdal-ri was going great until the final quarter, where things kind of petered out to the expected conclusion. There is a lot of filler in the final two episodes in particular. There just wasn't enough story to fill up all 16 episodes, and dragging things out exposed some issues with the story. Sang Do's 30-year one-sided love was more than a bit farfetched, and the amount of screen time it was given made even less sense. The extent of Cho Yong Pil's father's animosity toward Go Mi Ja felt way too harsh, and it also deserved less screen time. (There had to be a better way to create tension in the plot.) Other storylines really deserved a lot more screen time, like Hae Dal's relationship with the dolphin scientist. (And her daughter was a complete delight, stealing nearly every scene she was in.) More could have been made of big sister's wacky relationship with her chaebol ex-husband, and finally more could've been made of Sam Dal & Yong Pil's reunion, giving them more time to explore their new dynamic. Not exploring these storylines made the presence of so much filler all the more frustrating.
As much as I liked this drama, its flaws were obvious even to me. It is not a 10/10, but if you like feel-good dramas you will like this one. And if you have a more critical eye, there are better shows to watch.
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Not that great
First of all, she was innocent and could have defened herself which she didn't do. They were in their 30s but acted like teenagers, Be more mature and try to solve the problem first rather than running away from it.It could have been alot better and fl's acting was on point but the character was not that great. If they haven't mentioned their age then it could have been better cause they are in their 30s and rather than solving her problems she runs away. It took them 16 eps to prove her innconce which could have been alot sooner. That's the thing that bother me alot in this drama other than this had a great potential but it just lost its charm because of small detials and some bad character development.
The side role couples had good chemistry and her younger sister and the dolphin guy would have a great series ig
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Wholesome
honestly started it just for Shin Hye Sun, she was amazing ofc, but the dolphin family stole my heart (wish we saw more of them).it was a very cosy, wholesome, warm hug drama.
the hometown people, siblings, friends Moms!! it was all very cute.
and gosh the actress(kim do eun) playing cha ha yul! she is the cutest most talented lil bean.
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Not an addictive watch, but a pleasant one.
Though the main narrative of the story is between the two leads, there is a huge amount of supporting cast members who have their own stories.I enjoyed seeing a group of actresses on the older end that showed camaraderie between women, and a dedication to a skill that is truly dying out.
I also enjoyed the family dynamic of the three tempestuous sisters who were unconventional yet generally a motivating force for good.
Ji Chang-Wook is one of my favorite actors so I'm biased, he is a beautiful man and sometimes I think that doesn't work to his advantage when he wants to play grittier roles, his features are just too delicate. But they managed to make him look approachable, and his character had nuances of expression, a warm playful bravado that fit into the role well and helped it be more believable. And nary an ab muscle was shown.
Shin Hye Sun.... I have a lot of respect for her work, but I find her to be abrasive at times. And that was the case here as well. Though I was invested in her tale of redemption and when she finally was able to clear her name it was quite satisfying. especially with all the loyalty displayed by the supporting characters and how they all banded together. I think that might have been the main theme coming through was that your family and your history will support you because they know who you really are.
At times the pacing seemed slow, but I felt like I was learning a part of Korean history and a different lifestyle versus some of the flashier dramas set in the city. A lot of parts of it were quite wholesome, and I enjoyed that insight. I don't think it would be a drama that I read rewatch because it did not have me at the edge of my seat waiting for each new episode to drop, it was not an addictive watch for me. But it was a pleasant one.
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Nice warm drama just wanted more
Countryside dramas are hit or miss with me, the only one I've seemed to enjoy thoroughly is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. I did go into this drama with the expectation it would be like HCCC, which was my mistake because this drama is its own story just like HCCC. I enjoyed the mother, the younger sister, and her daughter a lot in the drama. I think the storyline is consistent however I wish the FL wouldn't give up so easily and run away when defeated. This is something that her character grew out of by the end thanks to the ML. The reason I'm only rating this drama a 7.5 is because the romance was very quiet. Yes, the leads loved each other. Yes, the male lead was consistent and sweet but the romance was lackluster I wanted more heart-fluttering moments. I wish we could've got more of a story for the younger sister and her daughter I loved them. Overall this is an ok drama with little to no rewatch value for me due to the romance not catching my attention that much.Was this review helpful to you?
"Welcome to Samdal-ri" is too overrated drama
The story is very lame. I was quite fed up with Samdal always saying she's embarrassed and her being prideful and egotistic. Also, I can't understand the love situationship that is happening between FL/ML, it's just too all over the place and full of flashbacks. The bond of 5 childhood friends seems forced too, and they don't have that "vibe" as Reply 1988 Sangmundong kids the author wanted to imitate. SHS is one of my top fave Korean actress and I like all of her previous works, but this drama is just LAME. Sorry for the term but the story is very very LAME.Was this review helpful to you?
Go for it
If you are skeptical or doubting yourself on whether or not to watch this series, just go for it. It has a very beautiful village atmosphere and the vibe gives out a perfect village feels with all the people and gossiping. The actors have done a great job. The characters that are supposed to be irritating are truly irritating. The friends gang is great. Even though there are a lot of things that they need to bring solution to, or conclusion to, I am confident that they will do a good job.Male Lead: great job as usual. Those who have watched his other works like Healer, K2,Suspicious partner know what I'm talking about
Female Lead: Since I haven't watched her other works, I can not compare it. But, she did complete justice to the character
Ajumma(female lead's mother): My favorite supporting actor who has acted in a lot of kdrama. she is just apt for this role
ML's father: he is the villain I would say, but he has his reasons.
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wished for more...
this show has been quite confusing,without spoilers:
-i did not enjoy how the director decided to reveal the past in between the present.
-nor did i find it convincing to see a photographer leave her 20years career as if it never happened. making the whole quest of the main character empty
- i was unable to enjoy the rest even with nice visuals... the story was not cohesive for me.
-and character development was lacking as the past 'reveals' make us falsely believe the characters changed, when in fact, its only our perception of them.
don't get me wrong, i usually love slice of life and healing stories....
i tried to keep watching because i didn't know what bothered me or bored me: it was the lack of substance/emotion & glue to the main characters.
i am still neutral on the acting as i normally love these actors!
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A delightful rom-com with a colorful small-town backdrop!
This rom-com is a contemporary take on classic romantic tropes set in a charming town on Jeju Island. The two charismatic leads, Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun, carry this story, owning every moment they're on screen.For Korean drama buffs, the themes are familiar. They are soulmates born within minutes of each other (à la The Good Bad Mother) who break up although they still have feelings (Our Beloved Summer). They reunite in the setting of heartwarming friends and endearing locals in a beautiful small town (Hometown Cha Cha Cha; Our Blues). Those who love these themes are likely to find this show delightful as well!
For less familiar audiences, the exaggerated problems and crises that punctuate the storyline could be viewed as flaws. It's helpful to keep in mind that Korea has an especially harsh cancel culture. It's not unheard of for baseless accusations to stymie careers (Tablo of Epik High comes to mind).
Enjoy this journey of two inseparable friends rekindling love, supporting each other, and helping each other grow!
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This review may contain spoilers
Refreshing lovable new drama
I was getting a little tired of the typical story lines in kdrama and I was kind of stuck with other dramas nothing excited me until this came out. Love it from begging to end. It felt refreshing to watch.The focus on the FL trip and the ML alongside the hardships they had to go through and the time they missed together yet no was ever enough to destroy their love felt so warm-hearted for me.
If I would ask something from those drama is a more extended happy ending cause I really love those, I'll just have to imagine it all by myself.
if you got the chance watch it it's totally worthy. I cry, laugh and love alongside the characters and story, gonna truly miss it.
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