Marshmallow-Chocoholic
Europe
Certainly Overrated For What CLOY Actually Gives Us As Viewers...
Whilst this comment will most likely be lost amongst others, I must admit that I was fairly amazed just looking through the top comments as to how many people gave this show 10/10 upon all categories , with few being able to critically and respectfully note some of the more glossed over issues of the drama as well ( particularly towards life in North Korea).
Do not get me wrong. Crash Landing On You was actually quite a good show, however, would I actually say that it was “ good” enough to be seen as the “ “ BEST SHOW EVER WRITTEN” , worth 10/10 on here and raving reviews on other websites ? Probably not .In all honesty, I can already think of numerous K- Dramas out there which have tackled the theme of relationships and even issues over North Korea more in depth and realistically than this drama as well as better pacing . ( Korean Peninsula , Spy, Iris and even The King 2 Hearts .)
However, let’s not bring this drama down entirely. Crash Landing On You was an entertaining rom-com and this was particularly seen through the comical gold and actual intrigue between the cultural differences of the group of our North- Korean soldiers and our female lead Yoon Se- Ri played by Son Ye- Jin. ( Language choices, gestures, popular culture etc. ) Additionally, praise must also be given for renowned scriptwriter Park Ji- Eun ( Legend Of The Blue Sea, My Love From The Star) daring to tackle the trickier concept of an international and humanising taboo relationship between a North- Korean solider ( Hyun Bin) and a South- Korean chabeol heiress ( Son Ye-Jin).
Although it makes for good script material, most of the show’s centralisation in North Korea did bring one flaw to the show, where the premise “ write what you know” wasn’t always the best solution for Ji- Eun. Whilst the show did share some evident cultural differences and dangers of life in North Korea ( especially surrounding our second Male lead played by Kim Jung- Hyun), it was never exactly going to be from the get-go a fly on the wall documentary of what life is actually like in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Yet even by Crash Landing On You’s standards , it was fairly eye brow raising to try and gloss over the oppression , lack of freedom of speech and even the fact that North- Korea is a communist dictatorship with the classic and beyond comical element of having a department store ( a very consumerist South-Korean element) and “ Rich Ahjummas” in a country where money restrictions are so severe.
Whilst I do appreciate that the show was try to humanise our characters ( and did this successfully to some extent) by showing North- Koreans to be actually human beings rather than the “ enemy” and “ threats”, it still felt poorly tackled how the show decided to gloss over a lot of these more predominant issues over actual circumstances for many North-Koreans in order to add to the angst and humanity of our characters. This also moves on to a strange plot point over our two main characters as well as Se- Ri’s debates over suicide only being mentioned when it was necessary to earlier or later storyline. ( There was little explanation over this element of Se- Ri’s decisions which would have given her depth apart from just Ji-Eun just wanting to add angst before the big plot twist in the finale).
So, what are my final words to you upon this drama? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? Probably the biggest thing I should say that is Crash Landing On You isn’t a terrible drama and has a lot of fun playing with the renowned tropes of rom-coms. The ending is bittersweet, the concept is quite interesting, the characters and cast will grow on you and the cinematography and filming locations ( particularly in Switzerland and Mongolia) are gorgeous . On the other hand, the pacing simply falls after the halfway point to a slump, the glossing over and the attempts to write a mini- Seoul in Pyongyang were ridiculous in addition to the portrayal of North Korea and certain characters.
It can probably be concluded that whilst good, the show is just a little too overrated . If you’re looking for a binge-watch and something to easily watch and throw aside, it’s a perfect watch, however, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for actual depth, characterisation and sensical storyline, then there are so many other dramas out there to consider.
Do not get me wrong. Crash Landing On You was actually quite a good show, however, would I actually say that it was “ good” enough to be seen as the “ “ BEST SHOW EVER WRITTEN” , worth 10/10 on here and raving reviews on other websites ? Probably not .In all honesty, I can already think of numerous K- Dramas out there which have tackled the theme of relationships and even issues over North Korea more in depth and realistically than this drama as well as better pacing . ( Korean Peninsula , Spy, Iris and even The King 2 Hearts .)
However, let’s not bring this drama down entirely. Crash Landing On You was an entertaining rom-com and this was particularly seen through the comical gold and actual intrigue between the cultural differences of the group of our North- Korean soldiers and our female lead Yoon Se- Ri played by Son Ye- Jin. ( Language choices, gestures, popular culture etc. ) Additionally, praise must also be given for renowned scriptwriter Park Ji- Eun ( Legend Of The Blue Sea, My Love From The Star) daring to tackle the trickier concept of an international and humanising taboo relationship between a North- Korean solider ( Hyun Bin) and a South- Korean chabeol heiress ( Son Ye-Jin).
Although it makes for good script material, most of the show’s centralisation in North Korea did bring one flaw to the show, where the premise “ write what you know” wasn’t always the best solution for Ji- Eun. Whilst the show did share some evident cultural differences and dangers of life in North Korea ( especially surrounding our second Male lead played by Kim Jung- Hyun), it was never exactly going to be from the get-go a fly on the wall documentary of what life is actually like in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Yet even by Crash Landing On You’s standards , it was fairly eye brow raising to try and gloss over the oppression , lack of freedom of speech and even the fact that North- Korea is a communist dictatorship with the classic and beyond comical element of having a department store ( a very consumerist South-Korean element) and “ Rich Ahjummas” in a country where money restrictions are so severe.
Whilst I do appreciate that the show was try to humanise our characters ( and did this successfully to some extent) by showing North- Koreans to be actually human beings rather than the “ enemy” and “ threats”, it still felt poorly tackled how the show decided to gloss over a lot of these more predominant issues over actual circumstances for many North-Koreans in order to add to the angst and humanity of our characters. This also moves on to a strange plot point over our two main characters as well as Se- Ri’s debates over suicide only being mentioned when it was necessary to earlier or later storyline. ( There was little explanation over this element of Se- Ri’s decisions which would have given her depth apart from just Ji-Eun just wanting to add angst before the big plot twist in the finale).
So, what are my final words to you upon this drama? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? Probably the biggest thing I should say that is Crash Landing On You isn’t a terrible drama and has a lot of fun playing with the renowned tropes of rom-coms. The ending is bittersweet, the concept is quite interesting, the characters and cast will grow on you and the cinematography and filming locations ( particularly in Switzerland and Mongolia) are gorgeous . On the other hand, the pacing simply falls after the halfway point to a slump, the glossing over and the attempts to write a mini- Seoul in Pyongyang were ridiculous in addition to the portrayal of North Korea and certain characters.
It can probably be concluded that whilst good, the show is just a little too overrated . If you’re looking for a binge-watch and something to easily watch and throw aside, it’s a perfect watch, however, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for actual depth, characterisation and sensical storyline, then there are so many other dramas out there to consider.
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