Crash Landing on You (2019)

love

he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭

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You will like it if you are new to k-dramas

Intro:
Don't hate on me for not falling in love with this drama as most people have. It is my personal opinion and does not have to be the same with all.

What I didn't like:
I think in the story Captain Ri had multiple opportunities to send Seri back to South Korea and at some point, it felt like they didn't only because they wanted to drag the story on longer. Also, I think though Captain Ri was one of the main characters whose role was that of a North Korean soldier, he didn't do justice to the role. For some reason, he seemed the least North Korean in terms of accent and acting there.

What I liked :
I loved the acting of Seri and the other North Korean soldiers, they did a phenomenal job. I also really liked the OSTs of this drama. Through the drama I think many people were educated about life in North Korea, so kudos to that.

Rewatch value :
I think it is one of those cliche drams you could watch over and over. I was not especially moved by it the first time I watched it because I have seen many K-dramas and this did not spark any special interest in me. But I do have to say I rewatched some cute scenes especially those of the second leads.

Overall remarks/ Outro :
If you are new to the k-drama world and are watching something like this for the first time. I recommend you watch it with an open mind and then liking it or not is up to you. But you will mostly fall into this k-drama black hole 😅😉. If you are a drama addict like me, then it is up to your preference I guess. If you love cliche and cute love stories with a lot of melodrama..This is totally something you should be watching.

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great, even MORE unrealistic expectations for love and men

Let me preface this by saying I am not a person who rewatches a show in its entirety. I watch movies once, I watch TV shows once, and I do not do rewatches.

This show is different. I don't know what they put into this show but it is straight crack and I am an addict.

I have rewatched it a total of five times and each time the show never fails to make me laugh, to make me cry and scream in frustration and smile in happiness. This show is poignant, it's beautiful, it touches the soul and heart and pulls every emotion a person can have forth to the surface where you cannot help but feel them in their entirety. Watching this show feels like I am coming home to a place I never knew existed, being wrapped up in a blanket and comforted by people I never knew who would love me and feeling safe in my corner of the world.

The show is somewhat wacky in its premise; star-crossed lovers across boundaries and cultural divides, death is imminent and the two lovers are reluctant in their relationship - not exactly enemies-to-lovers because they never were enemies despite how they were brought up to believe. North and South, antagonistic towards one another and led to believe they cannot coexist because of how fundamentally different they are from one another. But Se-ri and Jung-hyuk soon realise that there's a thin line between love and hate.

Where to begin, where to end? The show begins as an adventure - get Se-ri home before everyone is found out and subsequently unalived for harbouring a South Korean. Jung-hyuk takes the role of Se-ri's protector and carer because she is extremely out of her depth here but she quickly adapts and learns to the situation at hand because if she doesn't, she'll be discovered and sent to meet her maker. The two clash in the beginning because of their cultural differences: communist vs capitalist, spoilt vs hardworking, but they quickly understand each other.

Se-ri comes across as "spoilt" because of the fact she is so far away from home and is trying to chase after the comforts she's used to because of the fact she's technically in a foreign land and is under immense stress to keep up this charade of being a member of an elite, NK spy team. Jung-hyuk comes across as aloof and stubborn because he's never been in this situation and is trying to remain as pragmatic as possible because he knows the stakes and the consequences if they fail.

But he starts to empathise with Se-ri, begins to realise that he can't exactly separate his empathy from his pragmatism because she's scared and frightened and placing all her trust in him to get her home and it's different to his subordinates relying on him. Se-ri disrupts his life and routine but Jung-hyuk doesn't seem to mind that much and the two learn to learn from each other, to trust and have fun and to laugh and find comfort. With Se-ri growing up with little to no love and a mother who hates her, and Jung-hyuk growing up under a dictatorship and forced to give up his dreams as a result of a dead brother, it's no wonder the two find companionship under one another.

The cast has a wonderful pool of side characters including Jung-hyuk's subordinates (who I affectionately call his ducklings), Jung-hyuk's fiancée, Seo Dan, and Se-ri's old con boyfriend, Seung-jun. Dan's family are even colourful who bring light and laughter to the otherwise serious storyline in the North, and Dan's story doesn't exactly revolve around Jung-hyuk and she begins her own life, with a very unexpectant love interest.

The show portrays the pure love of Se-ri and Jung-hyuk time and time again; you'll find no miscommunication tropes, no lying to save the others life, there is a moment when you think Jung-hyuk is going to go "i don't love you Se-ri it was all a lie" but he backs out almost immediately because he can't bear to keep the act up. There's not a single one dimensional character in this show, they all have different sides to them, different reasons to live and keep on living, they all have a life outside of the main storyline. The show manages to balance the cast and characters expertly, while never really forgetting the main couple in the meantime.

Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin put their entire Yejinussy and Binussy into their respective roles and you don't know how happy I was when i found out the two actors are dating! Love IS real and these two are living proof of it! They expertly craft Se-ri and Jung-hyuk into real people with their own lives and motivations all the while never forgetting that Se-ri and Jung-hyuk are the main reason they keep on going. The way they are in love is something so beautiful to watch, while painful to know a person could never experience it. It makes me cry every single time to watch them come together and fall apart and then put each other back together again, the way these two soulmates managed to find each other time and time again despite all the impossibilities that should exist but dissolve because of their love and devotion to one another.

I really could go on and on about this show but then I would end up with a novel. This show will never be a regret for me, and it definitely won't be a regret for you if you decide to watch it. The romance, the comedy, the drama, and the politics - the show balances these all so equally with their large cast.

Watching this show makes me want to die alone because if I can't have what they have, then i don't WANT IT

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THIS IS A MASTERPIECE

I know I'm very late to review this drama but "crash landing on you" is perfect in every way. the characters are spectacular and there are no unnecessary ones. the romance feels genuine and authentic (not forced in any way). the acting is superb and there are no cringe-worthy moments. the plot is easy to follow yet intricate. the story is very well thought out without unnecessary plot holes or plot twists. the camera work is also very detailed. when the directors want you to cry, you will cry. when they want you to laugh, you will laugh. when they want you to smile you will smile. overall, this show is one of the most well-written shows I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE & EVERYONE.

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My Favorite Rom-Com

I don't know why it took me so long to watch this drama. It has been on my "To Watch" list for years and I was always skipping it in favor of something else. I finally sat down to watch it and absolutely loved it--despite some of the plot implausibilities. The best part of this show is the stellar acting and strong chemistry between the main leads. I had watched both leads in previous dramas and was only mildly satisfied with those. Maybe that's why I waited.

Both leads bring a lot of heart into this drama. They are completely invested in it and in each other and I think this is what makes it work. We can sense their enthusiasm. It was interesting to see how two people from completely different backgrounds and worlds come together and rub off on each other--so to speak. He learns to loosen up and break the rules, while she learns to put others first. I love character development in dramas and this did not disappoint.

Their trusty sidekicks make the greatest ensemble of comedic talent I have ever seen in one drama. From Ri Jung Hyuk's men to Yoon Se Ri's neighbors, to Dan's mother and uncle, they all did a wonderful job balancing the heavier aspects of the drama with their light-hearted escapades. You couldn't help but love them.

Just watching our MLs slowly gravitate towards one another, as well as the secondary leads, was the best part of this drama without feeling contrived or forced. That slow gravitation is well-executed and earnest. I am also glad that it doesn't give you everything you want. I have to commend the writing team for this. This production is one I will remember fondly.

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Can see why it’s a cult favourite and though it has plenty of feel good romance, humour, memorable OST, it’s not quite a hit for me. The reason I picked this up was because I wanted cliched romance, and cliched romance I got. But sixteen episodes of all of it and each episode the length of an average movie made me feel lethargic towards the end. The first ten episodes are very bingeable, it was fun to see the North Korean setting and the constant is she going to escape safely or not keeps you hooked, but once we cross over that arc things gets monotonous. Overall a fun drama which many missable scenes towards the end.

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UMA HISTÓRIA DE TIRAR O FÔLEGO

A história tem um diferencial enorme, que é a Correia do Norte, e como seria se nós fossemos para lá. Não é algo que encontramos em outros doramas.
O casal tem uma química incrível que ultrapassa as telas. Há alívio cômico e muita emoção também. Os soldados com a Seri fazem um grupo de amigos extremamente envolvente, cada um com sua personalidade faz uma harmonia bela de se ver na tela. Quem diria que até o "vilão" pode nos fazer chorar.

Que casal secundário foi esse Brasil! Ainda não te perdoamos Correia. Não senti em nenhum momento que tive que forçar para ver a série por que ela estava cansativa, também me emocionei demais, principalmente no final (Você me paga Correia, me enganou direitinho).

Embora nós gostaríamos de um final mais "MAIS", com mais cenas do nosso casal, entendendo a história sabíamos que era extremamente difícil eles ficarem juntos, e embora pudessem ter usado alguns artifícios meio trapaceiros para o casal ter um final "Digno", talvez tenha sido um boa escolha eles optarem por não sair muito da realidade que foi o tema do dorama inteiro. Afinal, se fosse fácil eles ficarem juntos tiraria um pouco da intensidade da história no final.

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CLOY is riddled with ridiculous but enjoyable (to some extent annoying) clichés

The chemistry between the leads was oozing like I could watch the whole series just them staring at each other.

The story had a lot of loop holes, but I enjoyed watching every character so I kinda shrugged it off. It's a bit corny at times too. Sometimes I felt like the interaction between the leads were originally written for teenage lovers. The theme was original but the story telling was a little too cliché. They could've reduced the obvious meant for each other trope, they highlight that part too much. There's some lazy writing going on in the later part of the drama. Leads and the rest of characters really carried the show for me.

Acting were great overall. It really adds a punch when all the characters felt like characters and not just actors acting. Although I noticed their North Korean accent weren't all the same.

CLOY is peak kdrama, the feel, the setting, the tropes. It's the epitome of a romcom KDRAMA. You'd find most kdrama tropes in this show that there were times the writers make fun of it themselves.

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The first half of the drama was captivating. Son Ye Jin proved her versatility in tackling not only dramatic roles, she showed her comedic talent in this drama. What can I say about Hyun Bin; he's drop dead gorgeous eye candy. Together, SHJ and HB had excellent chemistry and were great in their respective roles. The other characters, the gossiping ahjummas, Jung Hyuk's comrades and Seri's assistants, although they were a tad naive, they provided delightful entertainment. I'd like to make special mention of actor Go Kyu Pil as Hong Chang Shik. He is a natural actor and I love watching him. I hope he'll have meatier roles in the future. He could be Korea's answer to Jonah Hill. I did not like the secondary characters portrayed by Seo Ji Hye as Seo Dan and Kim Jung Hyun as Koo Seung Joon nor care about them. The writer attempted to create a love story for these two but it was unconvincing considering these characters were both unlikeable.

What I find frustrating in a number of Korean dramas is that, they start at a very high note and then become duds in the end. Unfortunately, I regard CLOY as one of them. It started out brilliantly in the first few episodes then went downhill fast. The repetitiveness ie, the number of failed attempts to send Seri back to the South, the near death situations of both leads, the loss of focus on the story of Jung Hyuk and Seri with unnecessary scenes involving the supporting cast, was a clear indication of a writer that was losing ideas and could not sustain the integrity of the story.

The last two episodes made me want to pull my hair. The cinematography in Switzerland was so beautiful and picturesque and with it as the backdrop for the last two episodes, this drama could have ended on a very high note. Too much melodrama involving the near death of Seri (again?), constant scenes of the ahjummas, comrades, SD and JH were frustrating. The pathetic attempt of changing SD and SJ into these sympathetic characters culminating in SJ's death was poorly executed. SD was obsessed with JH and SJ was a conman who was in love with Seri and for these characters to all of a sudden fall in love with each other was unbelievable. This drama was not about them and removing their characters' presence in the last two episodes would not have change the story.

Since it's an unusual love story, it should have been celebrated. I would have wanted a wedding in Switzerland and maybe an epilogue of JH and Seri walking their baby.

In conclusion, this drama did not inspire me and made me sad.

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Solid Gold Classic

What can I say about Crash Landing on You that hasn’t been said already? For starters this drama belongs to the Premier Division of k drama IMO, in line with Secret Garden, You Who Came From the Stars, Legend of the Blue Sea. Not entirely coincidental these dramas were aided by respectively the same actor, Hyun Bin, and the same screen writer, Park Ji Eun. The question remains: what’s so good about it? I think it is the right mix of story, actors & music.

The Story

Crash Landing on You combines many proven genres that capture a worldwide audience from the start: action, romance, comedy, drama, tragedy, business, rags & riches. Moreover it is meticulously written according to the golden rules of screen writing:
1. Use the time of your audience in such a way that they will not feel their time was wasted
2. Give people at least one character to root for
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water
4. Every minute must either reveal more of a character or advance the action
5. Start as close to the end as possible
6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet your characters, make awful things happen to them to show what they are made of
7. Don’t try to please the whole world, this only weakens your storyline
8. Give your audience as much information as possible in order to stay hooked.
The storytelling is also rock solid: boy meets girl - they get into trouble - things go from bad to worse - there is a closure but at the same time it keeps us from knowing if new developments are good or bad, hoping for a sequel.

The Actors

Even well written stories are made or broken by the cast. In this case the acting of each and everyone was on point. I can’t imagine any other actor playing the lead than Hyun Bin (the stern and sturdy North Korean army officer Ri Jung Hyuk) and Son Ye Jin (the sophisticated South Korean chaebol heiress Yoon Se Ri). Also the supporting cast did a great job, with honorable mentions for Yang Kyung Won (sergeant Pyo Chi Su who speaks North Korean to a T according to North Korean defector Kang Nara) and Bang Eun Jin playing the emotionally scarred mother of Se Ri.

The Music

So, we've got our story and the right actors, but we can check the box of the soundtrack as well. This one leads the Top 10 of most downloaded OST’s at the moment I'm writing this review.

Rewatch

Sometimes I can forget a story as soon as the clue has been reached, but I think I will rewatch this drama. There are many layers in the episodes that deserve a re-run.

Verdict

Overall, if you haven’t seen this already, go watch it, and learn how k drama earned its reputation.

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Great cast and production, but story went stale

Production is incredible, but the story went boring very quickly. I started skipping scenes and eventually dropped it. I don't even remember what episode I started finding it boring. Like the entire leaving North Korea got old early on, and when she's actually gone back to Seoul, it's ridiculous how the story dragged further. I don't find the villains and their scheming nor the romance compelling. This drama should have been a movie now that I think about it. It should have just been 2 hours. Honestly can't see any chemistry with the leads too. They were showing a lot of backstory clips that are clearly impossible, but like props to the production, they were beautifully shot. But not remarkable.

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Dorama: Pousando no amor!

Esse foi o melhor dorama que já assisti na minha vida!!
Diferente do que muitas pessoas dizem, não achei essa história tão clichê como outros doramas, pelo fato de que não é todo dia que você vai voar de paraquedas e é pego por um tornado e vai parar na área militar da Coreia do Norte...
O casal principal não deixou a desejar em nenhum aspecto, tinham uma química que não consigo descrever, suas histórias individuais eram muito boas também, que por diversas vezes se cruzaram.
O casal secundário começou a ganhar forças no meio do dorama, o que me deixou muito feliz, já que comecei a shippa-los com muuuita força! Mas, fiquei completamente desolada com o final deles, não queria que o Seung-joon morresse e deixasse a Seo Dan sozinha, mas espero que se ocorrer uma segunda temporada, ele volte misteriosamente....
Os soldados amigos do Capitão Ri tiveram uma participação impecável, trazendo alegria e um toque de comédia que fez toda a diferença
A Se-ri antes de parar na Coreia do Norte não tinham amigas de verdade, mas quando passou a ficar na casa do capitão Ri, fez amizades com as mulheres da vila, uma amizade muito engraçada, que fez uma baita diferença na vida de Se-ri, e uma parte que me emocionou muito foi nos últimos episódios, quando ela fez uma linha de cremes de sua empresa, onde tinha o rosto de cada amiga que ela fez lá, onde a linha desses cremes se chamava "Saudade"
Tinha um ranço pela família dela, que pareciam ser interesseiros e só queria o mal dela. Durante o dorama, ela consegue reatar o relacionamento com a mãe e mandou aquele irmão imbecil dela e sua esposa pra cadeia
O final me deixou feliz e triste. Feliz por que "ficaram juntos", mas triste pois eles só podiam se ver 1 vez por ano, por duas semanas na Suíça.
Vale super a pena assistir esse dorama, foi o dorama onde mais chorei em toda a minha vida, mas cada lágrima valeu a pena, e assim, se tornou meu dorama favorito!


( Confesso que queria muito que o Capitão Ri deserdasse a Coreia do Norte para ir pro Sul, mas não aconteceu)

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