Story:
Se Ri (Son Ye-jin), a wealthy South Korean fashion business owner, finds herself in North Korea and has a chance encounter of Ri Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin), a North Korean military captain. The drama may start off slow to you, but the way their relationship unfolds is really what pulls the drama together. We see Se ri and Jeong Hyeok grow to rely on one another, despite coming from different realms. The supporting leads, Seung-jun and Seo Dan are an integral part of the drama as well, and their relationship develops over the course of time. The ahjummas that live in Jeong Hyeok's village and Jeong Hyeok's comrades liven up the story and support the main characters.
Acting/Cast:
10/10 all around.
Hyun Bin's character won me over. He portrayed the courageous, loyal, soft-hearted, Jeong Hyeok so well. Hyun Bin's facial expressions were spot on, whether he was supposed to appear jealous, heartbroken, or smitten. I can't say enough about how much I loved Hyun Bin's role and the way he portrayed it!
I had never watched a kdrama with Son Ye-Jin before, but I have become a fan of hers after Crash Landing on You. Her voice was soothing, and she delivered her lines with conviction and emotion.
The lead characters were perfectly casted in my opinion. Their chemistry was believable and their acting is clearly seasoned.
Music:
I've had the OST on repeat since I started watching the drama! Almost all of the songs are ballad-like, but they paired with the scenes well. Like the one campfire scene.
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I'm writing this review after re-watching it probably more than 5 times! Yes, it's That good.
Story:
Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung), a famous author of mystery novels, and Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin), a psychiatrist, meet one another and end up living in the same house. Jae-yeol becomes Hae-soo's third roommate, with Dong-min and Soo-kwang already having lived there. Dong-min is a psychiatrist, senior to Hae-soo, that has his own office set up in their home. Soo-kwang has Tourette's syndrome, and enjoys trying his luck at meeting women, asking Jae-yeol for advice often. The four of them support and care for one another, creating such feel-good moments.
Jae-yeol has a troubling history with his older brother, and he is disturbed by his past. Jae-yeol's history begins to unravel and Hae-soo, who has a sex phobia, begins to fall in love with Jae-yeol. The two truly heal one another's wounds in a beautiful way. It was nice to see that the characters were not perfect, but were able to grow together.
The drama is open about mental illness, sex, and the like. There is a transparency that is not often found in other kdramas. For example, during one scene, the characters discussed the importance of consent. I really loved this aspect about it.
Acting/Cast:
10/10.
Jo In-sung plays Jang Jae-yeol perfectly, and made me fall in love with his character. His emotional delivery during scenes that called for it was convincing. The way he portrayed despair, brokenness, as well as playfulness, and humanness, was spot on. Jo In-sung's character is just so Swoon worthy.
Gong Hyo-jin delivered Hae-soo's guarded but loving personality so well. She made you feel the anxiety that Hae-soo was facing and want to see her overcome it. I can't really picture another actress as Hae-soo.
Music:
Replay worthy! So many great and memorable songs on this OST.
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