Navillera (2021)

A rare GEM... One of the BEST dramas I've seen...

Brilliant acting from the main leads and supporting actors. I became an instant fan of Song Kang after watching this. Mr. Park, whom I've seen in a lot a of dramas before continues to amaze me. I loved how original the story was, it was simply a heart-warming and inspiring story which was beautifully portrayed on screen. Every character (even those with supporting roles and those you would initially get annoyed with) had a back story that was told clearly so you can understand where each one was coming from and why they behave that way. The family frictions and individual struggles were all very real and relatable. The character development of Chae-rok from start to finish was executed well, I literally witnessed how Chae-rok matured in all those 12 episodes and how that relationship with Granpa made an impact on his life and vice versa.

This drama would really make you want to reflect on life after watching it. The lessons in this drama about forgiveness, moving forward, discovering your passion, pursuing your dreams and rising above adversities were conveyed so well by the different characters in the drama. There was nothing overly-dramatic or far-fetched in this drama unlike in the others I've seen, yet this drama will surely tug your heartstrings. I wish more people would discover and watch this drama, as this is truly a gem, This is indeed one the best dramas I've seen so far, and believe me I've seen quite a lot (though I rarely write reviews, just had to write one for this drama as it was truly exceptional). Hoping this drama will get an award, as it will be well-deserved.

Lastly, make sure to have lots of tissues handy, you'll definitely need it. =)

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Mucho más que ballet: el poder sanador de realizar los propios sueños

Un maravilloso e inesperado drama, que tocará sin duda lo más profundo del corazón de quienes han vivido de cerca la decadencia producida por el Alzheimer, el abandono, los malos tratos. Pero al mismo tiempo, una bellísima hstoria de superación, coraje, y del poder curativo de la realización de los sueños, los propios y los de aquellos en quienes ponemos nuestras expectativas.
Excelente actuación de todo el reparto, tanto de las historias principales como de las secundarias. Oportunos flash-backs y una envolvente atmósfera de academia de ballet, con su correspondiente música, mantienen un tono cautivador a lo largo de todo el drama.
Solo queda el capítulo final, espero tan excelente como el resto.
EDITADO: Cierto, el capítulo final ha sido igualmente excelente. Un drama excelente.

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Cliches and secrets central

I guess I saw where this was going from the first episode but i figured it was ok since the premise was new and unique. So the show wants to tell us to slow down and be kind to ourselves by doing what we want to do. The main character always wanted to learn ballet and finally decides to go for it. While at it, he touches younger people around him, especially, the young ballet guy, Chae-rok. Of course, as this is a K-drama, we find out that he’s diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s and doesn’t have much time. Sigh.

The good.
- Thank God for the absence of a love triangle.
- I loved the main character. Basically, he’s really the only one that was fleshed out. He’s gracious and easy going. Character traits I typically don’t associate with Korean men.
- As mentioned, I really liked the message even though I doubt hyper-competitive Koreans would ever change. Also, is it even possible to slow down and enjoy life in Korea?
- I gained a new appreciation for ballet. But is ballet any popular in Korea?
- I loved seeing Na Moon Hee. She’s almost 80 and she’s still doing her thing.
- I’m glad the main character achieved his dream but I wonder what real ballet people think about the old guy learning ballet so fast that he was able to do a solo/duo performance.

The bad
- Its annoying that once again, this K-drama writer resorted to secrets and miscommunications to push the plot forward.
- Keeping the Alzheimer’s hush hush made no sense as the affected person becomes a danger to himself. Let’s see how it goes attitude by his family and Chae-rok is absurd.
- The yellow haired kid’s victim mentality went a little too far, especially, when he started physically harming Chae-rok.
- I’m surprised that Chae-rok’s dad went to prison for corporal punishment in Korea.
- I’m not sure if there were any meaningful growth in characters. People were changed with little motivation. Just kinda happened.
- The entire time, I wondered what made Chae-rok special in ballet? They imply that he’s special but you never find out why. He’s way behind his peers at the beginning and you don’t see him getting anywhere.
- Young people in this show (except part time jobs at restaurant) don’t seem to need any job to survive.
- Main character’s family doesn’t add much to the show. They’re just cliche characters and represent different stereotypes.
- Please don’t let your elderly with the Alzheimer’s wander around alone. This keeps happening throughout the show.
- I feel like the show started strong but like most K-dramas, they had to take things too far once they introduced the Alzheimer’s angle. Please figure out a way to make things interesting without pushing things to the realm of absurdity. Lazy writing never works.

All in all, it’s a shallow, predictable story with enough cliches to fill up your room but I didn’t find it terribly except for the bit about how the characters handled the reality of the Alzheimer’s.

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Park In Hwan who played Shim Deok Chul was amazing in telling this story regarding Alzheimer's. South Korea must love the Black Swan... I praised Jimin and Jungkook in their solo dance at the MMA's and BTS for their Black Swan song. I'm a lover of the Black Swan for decades. I also praised this drama for the same dance.

Song Kang who played Lee Chae Rok was extremely amazing with all of the talents he showed in his acting skills. OMG, I love ballet and he seemed like has a niche for dancing. I am very shocked with his 6 months of training only. I loved it. He played this part very well and I am very pleased as a lyrical and street dancer. For being 27 wows, I need to see more dramas with him in it. The only thing I was embarrassed about is that a ballet costume is to cover what it needs to cover on a man but I felt bad for Song Kang because it revealed more than a real ballet costume would.

Na Moon Hee who played Choie Hae Nam the wife of Shim Deok Chul was awesome. I credit her acting in being and accepting Alzheimer's. I became very emotional with this actress.

We need more movies like this. My mother had pre-dementia starting at the age of 78 where she forgot all of her past but she didn't forget her children. She lived to be 95.

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Lol I don't feel that strongly about this drama...

Another great drama by our favorite Netflix actor Song Kang. Despite the fact that I’m not involved in ballet whatsoever, I’ve always enjoyed anything ballet related for as long as I can remember. I was particularly excited for this drama because I enjoyed Song Kang in Sweet Home and thought the premise of this show was very interesting. While I did enjoy the drama, I found it a little too slow for my liking, and I struggled to develop a connection to any of the characters. Nevertheless, it was a nice drama that I could watch on Mondays and Tuesdays to make those days a little bit brighter. It wasn’t a drama I was too invested in, (I just think it’s too short for that) but had fun watching it casually and can appreciate the heartfelt and simple storyline. Overall, I’d recommend this drama for those who like ballet, Song Kang, or slow and sweet melodramas.

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Una historia conmovedora llena de esperanza

Netflix nos ha regalado esta primavera una maravilla! Un kdrama que es un tesoro! Ayer lo acabamos en familia y teníamos los ojos rojos de tanto llorar pero el corazón completamente satisfecho!!! Han sido 12 capítulos llenos de emociones: risas, lágrimas, tantos momentos emotivos y sanadores hay en este drama que podríamos llenar bastantes páginas. De principio a fin te identificas con los personajes (tanto los principales como los secundarios). Se ven tan reales, tan auténticos! Creo que el drama ha conectado con éxito con tantos espectadores porque nos hemos visto reflejados en sus vivencias, penas, alegrías, pérdidas, ilusiones. Es un drama que nos habla de esperanza, de no desistir frente a las dificultades, de perseguir tus sueños, las vocaciones perdidas, los anhelos del corazón e intentar ser felices.
También nos habla de la importancia de la familia, de esa familia de verdad que debería ser pilar fundamental de nuestra infancia y nuestra vida adulta, el hogar al que todos volvemos para encontrar calidez y consuelo. El Sr. Sim y su mujer, en su humilde estilo de vida, han construido un hogar así y eso es muy conmovedor y atractivo. Sus hijos y sus familias son personas normales, con sus cosas buenas y malas, con sus virtudes y defectos. Sus relaciones son como las de uno mismo, tienen sus luces y sombras, pero en medio de las dificultades y sinsabores de la vida encuentran en sus padres, ya mayores, ese refugio inmutable. El amor es palpable, es muy especial. Mi marido me dice: "Me he creido de verdad que esa pareja de ancianos eran marido y mujer y que tenían esos tres hijos".
Este cuadro ya de por si precioso y cálido se realza aún más al desarrollarse la historia principal: el Sr. Sim quiere aprender a bailar ballet a sus 70 años y en el camino de realizar su sueño se encontrará con Lee Chae Rok, un joven bailarín muy prometedor pero faltado de ilusíon y con un entorno familiar bastante complicado. Dos mundos diferentes (el de la juventud y el de la vejez) que se cruzan, dos personas que en principio no tienen nada en común pero que encontrarán la una en la otra lo que les falta para conseguir su felicidad. Su relación evoluciona a lo largo de los capítulos y nos da tantas escenas memorables, que el corazón nos explota de ternura: El Sr. Sim se convertirá para Chae Rok en su persona más importante, en el padre que le ha faltado, en su amigo y su mentor; su mujer en la madre amorosa que añora. Él a su vez, será el maestro para el anciano, su motor y su motivación para conseguir su último sueño. Me ha encantado el trio protagonista y los actores que lo han encarnado. El veterano Park In-hwan como Sr. Sim está espléndido, maravillosa Na Moon Hee como la voluntariosa y vital Sra Sim y el chico de moda de dramalandia, Song Kang se luce en el papel de joven bailarín y demuestra su versatilidad como actor más allá de Love alarm. La música es perfecta, la escenografía, la fotografía acompañan con sensibilidad cada momento. Los personajes secundarios de 10, el guión no decae en ningún momento y el final es tan precioso y esperanzador que no puedo sino felicitar de todo corazón a los que han permitido que este drama salga a la luz. El mundo necesita más historias como estas para sanar el corazón.

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A Piece that Tugs at Your Heartstrings

A short, sweet drama about family, ballet, willpower, resilience, and dreams. Although I know nothing about ballet, this drama taught me so much about dance. The beauty behind it, the emotions that support it, and your passion that keeps you going. If you're currently struggling about going after something you love, watch this! Although it has the cliche "follow your dreams" message, it's a refreshing watch and reminds you that age is simply just a number.

Story: Centered around a 70-year-old man trying to learn ballet, the plot unfolds slowly yet beautifully. The two main characters share a special relationship, one that says "I always got your back". However, the more personal part of this drama was the family love and the respect for others. Each couple in the family had their own problems yet the end was clear: as long as I'm here, we'll be okay. I was also relieved when the writers didn't force a relationship between Eunho and Chaerok; the focus of the drama was clear, and the unnecessary love stories were avoided. Overall, the plot is very intriguing and branches off to several sub-plots that make the drama more interesting and personal.

Acting: I've never seen any of Song Kang's works, so this is my first impression of him. And, he did not fail to disappoint. His character development was played perfectly by him. And can we mention how he learned ballet for 5-6 months? While watching, I was certain that this was a very experienced dancer...the turns, the positions, the elegance, and the emotion. Park In-Hwan was also magnificent. His character evoked so many emotions from me, ranging from pure happiness to heartbreaking pain. My tear ducts are dry because of many of his scenes. The couples were also cast perfectly! The way the director recruited some of the most famous Korean actors to play these roles shows how well the research was done.

Music: My Day by Taemin and Heal You by Ha Hyunsang. That's it. The soundtrack was composed perfectly to match the dynamic and warmth of certain scenes; the music literally painted the screen.

Please watch this short 12 episode drama if you're looking for something more personal, realistic, and heartwarming. This drama is a poem about relationships, an ode to love, and a reminder to never substitute your dreams for money. But be prepared, have a few tissues lying around. It does tug your heartstrings a bit.

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Navillera, 12 hours of a perfectly written metamorphosis story.

A little boy sees a man wearing makeup and a funny little dress, his eyes shine with curiosity and he peers into the hall. The man twirls like the spinning top he plays with at home. His hands make delicate movements. Every single swish is with purpose, his eyes seem to follow a trail of fireflies as they form a halo around him, the audience stares in silence and the little boy can't hear his heartbeat over the music that had hypnotized his body. But his mesmerized self is brought to reality as his father yanks him away. The little guy asks his father, "What is that?" "Ballet. But you don't have to pay attention to it." Replies the father. A little boy knows nothing except what he feels and his soul left a piece with the dancing man.

Every single character in this drama is written with so much conviction and reason. It's like a game of chess where every single piece advanced. Whether they took two steps forward or circled the board twice, each piece broke out from the rules set by society and the hush of all the neighbors, to experiment with life.

I am going to miss the duo so much. I began every week knowing that I would cry my eyes out but also leave comforted. Navillera brought a warm hug and a bag full of chocolates. Ones I could savour because it brought the snow with it and so it wouldn't melt.

It touched my heart in so many ways and fulfilled me completely. There was not a single loophole, no overdoing, no dramatisation. This is a story about two men who learnt to let go of their fears and doubts and take flight. But the best thing was that they influenced the people around them and impacted their lives significantly.

Navillera will definitely strike a chord in you so why not do yourselves a favour and watch uri Halabeoji and Chae rok grow fond of each other and take a piece of your soul with them too. ✨

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Must see!

Out of all the K-dramas I have seen, this was very original, in my opinion.

I absolutely loved this one. It's message that it's never too late to pursue your dreams was so inspiring. And the added message that you shouldn't delay because tomorrow isn't a guarantee.

It was also a tale of an unlikely friendship. I feel it also broke down a lot of stereotypes about men who do ballet.

I recommended this drama to my senior citizen parents and they actually finished watching the whole thing before I did. My mom went on to recommend it to other people their age as she found the message to be extremely inspiring and important for people who are older. She found the message to be hopeful too.

I have viewed a lot of heart-warming K-drama, but with this one, I cried A LOT and love this Kdrama for that!

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Magnificently written, directed and performed by all involved.

I can't praise this drama enough. It's a beautifully warm-hearted, soft and cuddly film, with each character given a chance to soar. Even the unsympathetic, hateful ones - or those who at the start seem that way - are revealed as human, with their own strengths and struggles.
I seldom ever ever ever award 'marks' this high, but this deserves everything.
It seems to be making less of a splash than other dramas just now, but deserves much more notice. Perhaps because it's shorter, perhaps because there's nothing 'dramatic' going on, perhaps it's the age(s) of the cast.
I don't care. It's honest, emotional, and inspiring.
It may not be flashy (it's not) but it's still a jewel.

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Need inspiration? You're on the right place!

Words can't express how I feel about this, not too short not too long, it's on the right pace for a slice of life drama. Emotional but not over dramatic only real emotions. The cast did justice to the drama especially the main leads, nothing seemed off, acting was so on point with a perfect chemistry.
The OSTs fits perfectly with the drama ,my personal favourite was Taemin's My day the one that plays at the end of the episodes, I already had it on loop for days.
Overall if you like heart warming stories with no expectations of much suspense , you should definitely watch Navillera!

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Now I'm emo

I just want to fight the writers of this drama for making me cry that much. Y'all need to cut me some slack, please.

I'm giving this show a 10 because I didn't find a reason not to - everything about this production is good. The concept, the storyline, the (flawed or not) characters, the pacing, the cinematography, even. I just wish Navillera had a full OST like most popular dramas do, but it's not a top priority for me at all, anyways. All the family progressed and developed that much in only 12 episodes, and by the end I was rooting for all of them.

A special shoutout to Park In Hwan for his acting - I've never watched his work but he portrayed his character (& his illness) perfectly here.

Also, it pleasantly surprised me that they did NOT give Chae-rok and Eun-ho a love story line. I'm happy that they remained friends. Friendship between men & women is something we need more often in K-dramas.

Definitely one of my favorites from 2021.
10/10.

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