Crash Landing on You (2019)

IL DRAMA DEI DRAMA

La prima parola che mi viene in mente per descrivere questa serie è: perfetta.
Mi è piaciuto TUTTO ma davvero TUTTO.
La storia originale, con il tutto che si svolge tra la Corea del Nord e la Corea del Sud, con panorami mozzafiato, usanze e costumi diversi eppure così simili, tradizioni antiche, il tempo che si è fermato, le persone così semplici e umili ma più gentili e umane della multimilionaria famiglia di Se-Ri. I protagonisti li ho AMATI dal primo all'ultimo episodio: mi ritrovo tantissimo in Yoon Se-Ri, una persona apparentemente superficiale, determinata, professionale, fredda, irraggiungibile, ma con le persone giuste mostra la sua simpatia, ironia, dolcezza e molta moltissima sensibilità; poi lui Ri Jeon-Hyeok anzi il Capitano Ri con tutta la sua austerità, virilità e serietà che si trasforma il un cucciolo geloso e bisognoso di affetto, con la donna che ama. Mi ha fatta commuovere parecchie volte la loro sincera e travagliata storia d'amore che è tra la più bella che io abbia mai visto in tutta la mia carriera di k-drama lover e che porta gli spettatori a pregare anche la notte per un lieto fine!!!! (Poi si vedeva la grande intesa tra gli attori ;)
In generale tutto il cast è spaziale da Seo Dan, ai sottoposti del capitano Ri, tutti bravissimi, espressivi e calati a fondo nella parte.
I paesaggi MOZZAFIATO girati davvero in Svizzera e che mi fanno venire voglia di organizzare un viaggio a Sigrinswill!!!!
Dai... si sa che prima o poi ci andrò....
La musica azzeccatissima che ormai so a memoria e che mi spinge a cercare su TUTTI i siti che conosco il K-drama o.s.t. album di CLOY che è introvabile qui in Italia!!!!!
E per ultimo il finale per niente scontato e che mi ha fatta davvero penare fino alla fine.
Crash Landing On You è stato il mio primissimo K-drama e ci sono davvero affezionatissima.
L'ho rivisto ormai più di 10 volte in questi anni (non sto scherzando) e anche adesso che lo sto guardando per l'11esima continua a farmi emozionare come se fosse la prima.

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Crash Landing on My Heart.

“If you give up on waiting, the pain of loss will kill you. That’s why I wait.” —Captain Ri.

Most people who have watched the entire series love CLOY, which is one of KDrama’s finest, especially for its fascinating strong woman lead and the equally strong, gentle man who loves and protects her. But also for some of the following points:

1. The writer, Park Ji-eun, who also gave us “You Who Came from the Stars,” is one of the best, knowing how to balance drama, comedy, themes, and closure while keeping her audience intrigued and in love with her characters. The director, Lee Jeong-hyo, who has worked on many series and movies, kept everything focused and carefully paced so that the series steadily evolved each week.

2. The cast is one of the best I’ve seen with immensely beautiful and talented leads, warm, hilarious village ajummas, and Capt. Ri’s delightful squad, dubbed “the ducklings”—all of whom became a family for one another and for the viewers.

3. Themes varying from the pain of losing family, being abandoned and becoming a street orphan, all the way to the belief in a Zen appreciation for patience and waiting; also kindness, protection, sacrifice, and unconditional love. The themes drive the plot, and the cast brings everything to life, making us impatient for each weekend to finally roll around so we can see what happens next to our beloved characters—whether love, laughter, danger, and heartbreak, we got on that train with them.

4. A great story that keeps the reader interested, a love story whose premise was there from the beginning and revealed brilliantly in the steady epilogues. But also the comedy of the sidekicks—and the horror of the bad guy consumed with envy and jealousy that destroys innocence and beauty, making this the classical struggle between good and evil embraced by every generation since time.

5. The touching, beautiful OST, which many fans have downloaded. The piano piece “Song for My Brother” leaves me in tears every time.

6. A wealthy, beautiful but hurt SK woman who learns to love herself as well as others, who can be hilarious and sassy, yet who finds strength in loving and protecting the most amazing man—Capt. Ri.

7. A beautiful man, a pianist who becomes a NK army officer, a quiet philosopher and tomato plant caretaker with a “low voice”—the kindest man I believe I’ve ever seen in any narrative—who adores the hurt woman, knows who she is, finds her, protects her, and loves her no matter what evil, what danger threatens them. Yes, he sounds too good to be true. . . . .but he’s not. The whole world is in love with Capt. Ri because Hyun Bin developed him and made us believe that such a man can exist.

8. Talented Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, who wanted to work together again after “The Negotiation” and gave us “the gift” of “Crash Landing on You.” Thank you from our hearts. And congratulations on the many awards the CLOY team have won and for the love you found in one another. You blessed those of us who love you and this series.

—A J McAninch

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SOS: I'm in love with Hyun Bin (again) T-T

This drama was just addictive! The plot had the right dose of rom-com, heartwarming gestures, witty dialogues and action. Every episode ended on such a cliffhanger that kept you restless for the rest of the week until Saturday came to take the edge off ;)

Hyun Bin was just adorable and sexy and honest and honorable and kind and perfect (so, so perfect). I could go on for70,000 years. It was so refreshing to see Son Ye Jin step out of her usual Melodrama set-ups (well, most of the time anyway, haha) and play a badass, funny heiress. She nailed this role. I loved what she was wearing in North Korea (anyone remember the sunflower-print dress? It was so lovely). I also loved the fact that she did not wear any make-up in her North Korea scenes.

In fact, one of the biggest charms of this drama lie in the fact that the writer tried to subvert the usual norms. Son Ye Jin played a heiress (not the typical, poor, melo damsel-in-distress, possibly dying) and Hyun Bin played a sweet guy (unlike his usual jerk characters). Also, love the fact that the girl was from South and the guy from North (usually it is the other way around, engendering the North as the poor, weak female and the South as the strong, dominating male)(king2heart, blow breeze). Also the fact that the woman was the one who had the played the field and had experiences with relationships, while the guy was innocent and sweet. All this breathed life and freshness into the drama.

The second leads were great. So happy to see Seo Ji Hye landing a lead role. She is so deserving. Seo Dan was not a nasty second lead. She was so nice beneath all that hard exterior. Hyun Bin's subordinates were so awesome. My favorite was the one who loved Choi Ji Woo and Korean dramas but I loved all of them really. The maknae was so adorable! The cameos were great. The rest of the supporting cast was awesome. I loved North Korean ahjummas. They remind me of Reply 1988. Seo Dan's mother and uncle were awesome (I realized so belated they worked in Parasite, lol. "RESPECT" xD).

The OST was perfect! I already want to watch it again. The chemistry was so, so good.

If I had to summarize this drama in one scene/phrase, I would say: HYUN BIN'S POUT!!!!!!!!!!!

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OK, this was seriously not what I was expecting. I originally thought this was about a spoiled right girl getting into a sticky spot but it isn’t at all that. She’s not a spoiled rich brat. She is smart, confident, kind and hard working. Completely different from so many other rich girl/boy kdrama. I have watched several series that have originally aired on Netflix and they have been blunders. This one was surprisingly refreshing and fun to watch. I laughed so many hard on some scenes. There were many scenes that were heartfelt and that made you feel like you wanted to cry too. I can only give this series a 10. It was unique, funny, heartfelt, romantic and a had some action to go along with it. Even the small fight scenes were good. The leads had an amazing chemistry and the supporting cast really felt like a major part of the series. Their presence was felt and if they weren’t there you’d notice, I seriously grew attached to all the cast.

Love, loved, loved the series. This was so different and fun. The supporting cast had the personalities that made you laugh or cry. I knew when I saw them on a scene something funny was about to be said or happen. They were brave, somewhat smart, loyal to a fault and honest. Loved the female lead as well. Her personality was authentic and just yes.

Watch it. Get ready to laugh, laugh and swoon.

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I was hooked from episode to episode. The cast are brilliant, the story is brilliant, the changing locations are brilliant, the soundtrack is brilliant, the videography and production are brilliant. The ending wasn't *quite* to my taste, but that's nitpicking, it was still.. well... brilliant.

I'll put a spoiler-masked-comment below to discuss my thoughts on the ending.

Since this one started I have been eagerly anticipating the next episode and they've been getting better (or worse, depending on your perspective...) at the cliffhangers throughout the show, the last few episodes have some serious "ARGH! NEXT! NEXT! NEXT!" endings, fortunately the show is complete and you can now hit next without the angst of waiting a week :)

I really enjoyed the portrayal of North Korea, and the interactions North and South. I appreciate some of these are going to be simplified, dramatised and possibly even flat wrong - but it did provide an effective contrast between the two nations I think and certainly sets you thinking. There was an interesting article posted on MDL which told more of a story about the real situation in North Korea and there was a lot to reflect on in the show, so it's worth reading that article if you haven't already. Education is the best cure for misunderstanding, after all.

There are some fantastic characters in this, from the village ladies in North Korea to the staff of Se-ri's Choice that hunt relentlessly to find Se-ri after she goes missing. I thought the substory with her step-mother was nice and while providing an insight into why Se-ri is the way she is at the start, provided a warmth later on that was also reflected in her character.

Hyun Bin was ... just.... outstanding, as always, as was Son Ye Jin. There are many really emotional scenes, happy, sad, crying you name it, and they pull them off beautifully.

Son Ji Hye plays the ML's North Korean fiancé, the last time I saw her in a drama was Black Knight - she played Sharon and it was a great performance there too.

Definitely recommended. Stop reading, and start watching, right this minute!

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I am still in tears because of this drama. It's so amazing and very unique how the story is created. I just finished watching this drama RIGHT now... and the ending was... I don't want to spoil it but this drama deserves an award. I really like how the plots are created. It's so distinctive to see and very hard to create your own ending for this drama. We don't know how it will end especially when both North and South are not united in real life. This drama is full of emotions that will make you cry, laugh, smile, cringe, confused, and be shook. Their romance was so daebak! They will risk anything to save one another. I'm trying my best not to spoil it but Fate can be true sometimes... Ykow. I like how they are brought together, and how they show their love to one another. Especially the 4 comrades, OMGod, don't even get me started. They were amazing! Very funny and very Stupid in a good way xD
I don't know what else to say but the only problem that I was scared of was the ending because I couldn't even think of an ending for this drama. I thought they will not be together cuz of their country or they might die, or just fall apart. Who knows. We even created (not me...I just joined xD) like a poll of 'How do you think this drama will end' because I believe we all are curious and this is a new drama and the first drama where we can't think of an ending.
I love both the protagonist n antagonist character but Sometimes you just gotta hate the antagonist you know. xD
iN MY opinion, this is the best drama I've ever watch in a Korean drama. Before it was DOTS ... but now it's this. I'm thankful to the creator and writers for creating such an amazing drama. This is my first time waiting every week to watch this drama because it's just another level of KDrama. I waited every week and did not regret it at all. I am very honored to be a part of this drama (watcher haha) and to enjoy it from the beginning till the end.
Thank you so much.
I love this drama so much.
And I am cheering for the casts to earn awards because they deserve it.
They worked hard no matter how cold the weather is.
Saranghae and FIGHTING!!
2/16/20
3:13PM
<3 <3 <3
P.S. THEY DID WIN AN AWARDS. MULTIPLE AWARDS. IM PROUD!!!!!! AND HYUN BIN won a grand award as well. I forgot what it was called but it's from 'Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards Ceremony'

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This is a good drama made worse by inserting too many cliche kdrama tropes.

big problems in story progression (characters, especially evil/expendable characters keep making insane choices to escalate things and keep the story going), and standard characterization flaws (villains keep doing unreasonable things, side characters are one dimensional; only used as a lever progress the story and then forgotten/kept in limbo the rest of the time.

I think Yoon Se Jun and Do Hye Ji (eldest son and wife) were among the more interesting characters in this drama. They had their own goals, and pursued them seemingly relentlessly but without being "too evil". They were a unit, always supporting each other, and I was interested to see more of them but in the end they are left alone just be used as comic relief and not much else. This my be one of my biggest disappointment with this drama.

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A nice addition to the greats

Crash Landing On You was about our main female character that ends up in North Korea after getting into an unexpected accident and a North Korean soldier that ends up falling inlove with her. Sounds interesting right? Well the premise of the story is already an attention grabbing but I didn't immediately watch it upon airing simply because I was dissapointed by majority of Kdramas that was released last year which has also interesting premises but got boring/uninteresting in the middle and eventually dropping it. This drama was like a saving grace for my drought, After getting recommended by one of my friends, I watched the first 4 episodes when it was still airing and finally a series worth of sticking up until the end! Every episode leaves you wanting for more. All characters are potrayed very well by the actors. I've seen comparisons of this to DOTS and I can say that the plot and acting wise, CLOY was wayyy better miles ahead. (This is coming from a big fan of DOTS like me). Probably the only thing that DOTS did better are the osts, yes CLOY lack great osts with only a handful of memorable ones unlike in DOTS where every ost leaves an impact. You might think why I'm comparing this two series because some of you might be doubting to watch CLOY simply because it's another soldier theme drama especially those who still haven't watched or dropped DOTS, but I can assure you, this is different. You will enjoy every bits of it, This drama makes you care for every characters, no one is left behind. Our main leads have great chemistry like I can't imgine any actors playing the same role, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin were really meant to play the roles of Captain Ri Jeong-Heok and Yoon Se-ri. All in all Crash Landing on You managed to give everything I want from a rom-com series. It might be cliche and predictable at some parts but it was done right and this series will also give you a new perspective on how people actually live on the other side of the korean peninsula.

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Okay...I guess?

Okay, here`s the thing:This was just a mess from a writing standpoint and there`s no two ways around it.
We don`t have to find something realistic in order to connect with it and find it interesting. However, in my case, it should be consistent and this drama`s execution is lacking, when compared to the synopsis. And it`s not due to the lack of trying. It just feels mechanic. The girl finds herself in an absurd new world, has trouble dealing with it, a handsome savior appears, they fall in love, chaos ensues. Nope, it's not another Disney movie, it`s a supposedly gritty and ill-fated romance of two people found on opposite sides. But I just couldn`t get into it.

First the acting. This is Hyun Bin`s best acting role to this date, easily. His character is also the most likeable, albeit seen before and the chemistry between his unit is great as well. Honestly, I would`ve been fine watching their perspective of this unfolding, it would make for an interesting change. Seo Dan`s story is also mad intriguing and deserves its own show. Son Ye-jin however... I don`t know. I`ve watched her in this and in Personal Taste and I guess her acting style is just not doing it for me. In that way she reminds me of Lee Min-ho, though I did like his newest project. Se-ri is just an unfinished character. It`s like the writers wanted her to be strong and bitchy, but also a damsel in distress so from the get go, we see her be cunning and calculated, but then at the same time, she makes stupid mistakes a character with her capacity shouldn't. And through it all, it just doesn`t feel believable to me and that does fall on acting. And people will probably judge hard but here it goes: I see no chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. None. Zilch. They effectively feel like a brother sister duo to me, if anything. Also, and I cannot go without mentioning this but: CLICHÉS!CLICHÉS LEFT AND RIGHT!YOU GET A CLICHÉ, YOU GET A CLICHÉ, EVERYONE GETS CLICHÉS!

I have a bone to pick with the way they used these clichés, rather than them being used at all. Again with the we`ve met before. Only this time we`ve met so many times, that it`s just crazy how we haven't recognised each other already. Again with someone being shot and almost dying. Only this time, it was done twice. Again with, OH LOOK WE`RE IN A BAD SITUATION. Should we solve it and think, as we`ve been established as smart characters?Nope, let`s kiss instead. Look, my main issue is that if you have such an impressive concept and such a cast on board with it, you better use it to your best advantage. And they haven`t really. If I was to interchange North Korea with any other severe world where individualism is not accepted, it wouldn`t make a difference basically. And that`s a problem. There was potential in this:That scene when the main leads had to separate finally made me feel something. But it came too late.

And then, THE COP OUT ENDING. Maybe I misunderstood something but this just may be one of the worst endings to a drama I have ever seen. If I`ve got my facts right, Ri Jung Hyuk was accepted as a pianist in Switzerland and his position was given to Pyo Chi-soo. Meaning that he can stay in Switzerland?And Se-ri, who now has no reason to hesitate decides to stay in Seoul instead of moving in with him and they settle on 2 week-are writers on opiates? What even?I can`t even hide how much I hate the ending and I don`t even like this drama a lot.

Anyway, sometimes you should trust the percentages and sometimes...just don`t.

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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.

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