Benvenuti a Samdal-ri (2023)

A true love never dies

Usually I am not that kind of guy who will let tears to fall because of some sweet emotions…BUT watching this drama….it totally got me.
When everything is packed in one peace, like comedy, drama, intence and love, you got one emotional product that leaves you speachless. Not many actors can bring such a pure emotions, like these two and one hufe applause for director of this drama. I can’t recall when was the last time I watched so touching series.
On every scene I can connect a real life, every emotions, every pain…everything. I think you really need to be maked from a stone and not to feel anything (like most of the comments)
We cannot play with love, I tried and got hurt. It is painful. A true love never dies and remain to be a true love for a lifteime…

Leggi di Più

RESEÑA <3

No me pude enamorar más de los personajes y de la historia. Según iban pasando los capítulos, más pena me daba de que se acabara, y ahora de solo pensar en ella, me emociono. Estoy muy segura de que lo volveré a ver en algún otro momento.
Esta serie me va a dejar huella, y se a convertido en una de los mejores K-drama que he visto este febrero de 2024.

Cada personaje tiene sus cosas.
Yong- Pil es un personaje especial.
Me sentí identificada con Sam-Dal, por el hecho de querer hacer fotografía y estar orgullosa de sus exposiciones.
Las hermanas tienen una unión muy bonita.
La gente del pueblo es verdaderamente fantástica.
Los padres de las dos familias...
Todos ellos se ganaron mi cariño desde el principio.

La verdad, no puedo decir nada malo sobre ello.

Leggi di Più

More of a healing drama

I don’t like storylines where a person is falsely accused of some misdeed or misconduct, and the public suddenly turns against them so fast without concrete evidence and without knowing the full story, quick to judge. And the victim has no way to vindicate herself- I which I find incredulous it being 2024 with all its advance tech etc…

Anyhow, so ya. That’s how the story goes for our FL to run away back to her hometown. It’s very much a healing drama, so there will be lots of crying. I would say the main underlying ripple here would be the issue of unforgiveness, which involves not only the main leads but the families as well. The comedy and supporting cast are not too bad, I was able to watch without ff too much ;)

The romance and chemistry is not so evident. So if you’re looking for that then you will be disappointed. Both actors did a great job though, and I’ve like Ji Chang Wook since Healer, but his other dramas after were not so promising.

All in all this was a pretty good watch. Just get ready those tissues!

Leggi di Più

Dramatic but not dramatic

Welcome to Samdalri is Ji Changwook's drama that I watched again after only managing to finish his drama entitled The K2.
This drama doesn't seem to be very popular internationally compared to other dramas that also air in the same slot. This drama has a vibe like a mixture of the dramas Hi Bye Mama, When the Camellia Blooms, and Hometown Cha-cha-cha with conflicts that are much lighter than those three dramas.

All the characters in this drama are interesting and have their own characteristics. My favorite character is Cha Ha-Yul, the daughter of Cho Hae-dal, namely Sam-Dal's younger sister.
In my opinion, the plot of this drama cannot be called slow, because actually every episode always reviews and resolves problems, so every episode is worth watching or even needs to be watched to better understand the plot.
It is true that perhaps the nature of this drama which tends to be relaxed and not dramatic might make us a little bored, but in my opinion, this is not something that can reduce the point of this drama.

I like the development of each character which doesn't develop significantly, but looks like it will continue to develop in the future.

This drama is like a comfort zone when you don't want to think about very complicated things, theories, and secrets.
I also like the resolution of Bang Eun-Ju's conflict which is not made dramatic. This drama from the start always focused everything on Sam-dal's character, they didn't want the audience's focus to run to Bang Eun-ju when she finally got her karma.
Actually, this drama has many messages that can be taken away. But I don't think I need to explain it because everyone has their own perception.

In terms of flow, I think it's pretty good, but not so great that I can rate it more than 8.5. But this drama is really enjoyable and I always look forward to it every week. This drama feels like a friend, watching it makes us feel calm and comfortable.
I really appreciate all the actresses and actors who play in this drama, after a long time I finally really saw a drama where all the actors acted very well, especially the Hanyeo ladies who always entertained every scene they appeared in. Maybe because in this drama there are not many newcomer actors, and newcomer actors such as Cha Ha-yul and Gong Ji-chan also play very well. This drama also attracts the idol, Kang Mina. But Kang Mina's acting is one of the idols with good acting, so it doesn't matter what her real profession is, in this drama Kang Mi-na is Cho Hae-dal.

This drama doesn't seem like an interesting drama to rewatch because the conflict is simple but relatable. I think it will take a while to remember the plot of this drama because it is packaged in the easiest way to digest.
Apart from that, this drama is a good drama and I highly recommend it to be watched with friends, family, and all your favorite people.

Leggi di Più

A great summer comfort :)

I was a in a k-drama withdrawal for months so I needed something to take me back, and a comfort drama set in a cozy village with local best boy Ji Chang Wook? I was SAT.

I'm not the biggest fan of the trope "childhood friends to lovers" BUT I think it's done quite well here, I find it really interesting how close their moms were and how Yong-Pil and Sam-Dal were born on the same day and basically grew up attached to the hip.
Sam-Dal and Yong-Pil have a really cute relationship, they know each other well but can also be completely oblivious about some things. I know the "strong independent woman who needs no one" trope is a must in these kdramas, but sometimes it really felt like Yong-Pil was much more into in than Sam-Dal , or at least I got that impression; at the very first hiccup she was ready to hit him and run away, while he fought and chased her over and over.

In general I would've liked to see Sam-Dal stand up more for herself, especially with the scandal with her assistant. That woman stole your boyfriend, your projects, your career and your reputation from you, you have the evidence to prove she's lying and you just do nothing? Come on!! I get that Sam-Dal didn't want to go through the revenge route (plus it's difficult to deal with the media in these situations) but anytime someone insulted her it was always her family or her close friends defending her, and it's also thanks to them that in the end the assistant got what she deserved. In that regard, she didn't grow at all.

What I really loved about this is the people. I love love LOVE the relationships in this drama, the sisters are really close and always 100% supportive of each other, and the Power Rangers?? I wish I had a group of friends like that.

The side characters are also super interesting and I actually enjoyed all their storylines and adventures. Jin-Dal was definitely my favourite, but Hae-dal and Hae-yul are adorable together and their newfound dolphin dead was very sweet!

Honestly, the only exception is Yongpil's dad, oh how I hated that man. I'm sorry, you can be in all the pain of the world and that still doesn't give you the right to treat like shit your own son, his girlfriend or Ko MI-Ja's family. I can understand not wanting to interact with them and blaming them, but come on, he threw away anything Ko MI-Ja cooked him and SPAT in front of her? that's disgusting and rude. I don't even care he got a redempion arc in the last two episodes, it was WAY TOO sudden and honestly felt a little fake but, oh well.

To wrap this up, I want to say I really liked this drama. It was genuinely funny and made me laught a lot in some parts, but it also made me cry a lot, especially in some stories like the story of the two Mi-jas or the final exhibition. All the townies are super funny and sweet and they really help you get into the story

Leggi di Più

Let’s go back to the beginning…

Self Discovery.

Who are we outside of our profession? What is our drive and passion in life? I think these are the main questions this series wants viewers to dig within.

It wants us to recall. To go back into time and discover who we are before we grew up to be workers. It also urges viewers to take a chance again. Failure doesn’t mean it’s the end. We can all stand up again. We can try again.

The picture and the lesson the show wants to send is truly heartwarming. Growth doesn’t truly mean we should forget everything that made us who we are. It shouldn’t change the youth and joy within us.

Beautiful really…

The issue FOR ME, is that there are so many things that needed more attention in this series. The story focused so much on just Samdal- and yes I know she’s the star of this show, but there are people behind who she is.

Her sisters, her friends, and the diving residents of Samdalri also had really great stories to share. Stories that are all part of her as well. I mean her exhibit showed that. I just wish that they were all given proper endings rather than all of it being crammed in the last episode. It would have made a great full circle.

Leggi di Più

MUST WATCH!!

Ahhhhhhh what can i say....this drama was just so wholesome and the osts, acting, story, place was on POINNTTT! It just feels cozy, warm and healing. For those who are impatient, i would not recommend this series to you but regardless its very enjoyable.
You think the story would get boring halfway but no there are many interesting elements in it. The casts are also my favourite, they were just so into their roles making it very fun. Also not forgetting JEJUUUU ISLANDDD!! So beautiful, the show has portrayed every corner of the island so beautifully and it looks as majestic and beautiful like I've heard from people. Every bit of this drama was like home to me idk why but i felt so connected, there were many times when it got so emotional for me. But overall i very much recommend to EVERYYYONEEEEE
Just so worth it!! THANKKKKKKKKKKKK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU "WELCOME TO SAMDALRI" for making my weekends wholesome!

Leggi di Più

Overall an enjoyable ride with great acting and scenery but plot and some characters are amiss

I really struggled to decide on a rating for this show. Overall I liked it but there are a couple of things that irked me.

There are two main things I really liked in this drama, one of them was the scenery and photography with such beautiful landscapes. The other one was the acting. I think most of them did a great job, but I have to mention especially Ji Chang Wook, Kim Mi Kyung and Kim Do Eun, their characters and the way they portrayed them are of the best of the show for me.
The relationships between characters were very good and I liked the banter and funny bits in this show.

I like slice of life dramas so it's no surprise that I found the plot interesting and entertaining and I thought they generally did a good job in also including the sisters' story lines, although I do wish Jin Dal's story had gone in a different direction ultimately and didn't end up with her ex, but I give it a pass; and I wish they had dwelled more on Hae Dal's past as well as the present relationship with Gong Ji Chan. Other than that I do not have complains about the subplots in this drama, they were all entertaining. I wish I could say the same of the main plot but alas, I can't.

The main plot, this is what I consider the two story lines of main leads love story and the "scandal" of FL are unnecessarily unsatisfactory. I say "unnecessarily" because they had more than enough time to explore this in detail and have a more realistic and natural progression than the one they chose.
I didn't like how the conflict with Yong Pil's father was tackled and solved. If the change of that man had happened slowly from the start of the show and they had shown the change progressively it would have had a pass but as it is, that man didn't deserve redeeming in such a quick way. He was abusive both verbally and physically to both his son and the neighbours and it had been 20 years of the passing of the wife. He never had the excuse, but with the amount of time it had passed even less so. The man doesn't even stop to think twice about how his wife would feel at the way he was acting. I don't think he deserved forgiveness in the manner it was given considering how that plot line was developed. But I wish the story with Yong Pil's father was less melodramatic if it was going to be tackled like that. The show really made me despise him a lot, and I was very annoyed when it ended like that after all the drama. The script just decided to make him think in the end but realistically a man behaving like that doesn't change that easily or quickly, more so when everyone around him is enabling him and he's playing the victim. His sense of ego was way too big to see the light in that manner but of course we were running out of time in the drama so it had to be done quickly.

On the other hand, the plot with Eun Joo was also solved too quickly for my liking, especially when it was a major plot point in the story. This again should have been solved slowly throughout at least a couple or three episodes. I do also partially agree with some of the other comments here in the fact that FL should have been more active in the solving of the issue and that her character did suffer inconsistency throughout. At some points she was shown as independent and head-strong, and at others weak and very passive. There are a few instances in which I could see or agree with that passiveness, in a way in which when you're being attacked constantly it gets to a point you just want to avoid the drama and sit still and do nothing because you are just too fed up. But if they were going more for this idea I think it should have been done better in terms of execution. Her stance changed and was ambiguous at times so it could get a bit frustrating.
So I do think it was solved too quickly but I'm half half when it comes to the "how" it was solved. A part of me thinks it's realistic that we don't even see major consequences other than Eun Joo reading the new's article because life be that unfair in real life too, or because we can more or less imagine how it continues. But another part of me just wishes we had seen the consequences of her actions because she pissed me off so much lol

As usual, SML romantic interest tends to be very pointless and it's not exception here. He really added nothing to the story and had he been just another friend in the group it wouldn't have made any difference to the plot. Also although I do know people in the characters ages that hasn't had a relationship ever, I still think that having more than one character like that is a bit unrealistic. At least they should have mentioned them dating around but not settling or other things like that. Especially in the case of Sang Do I think it would have worked well. Oh, but you want Sang Do be interested in FL? Easy. Make him a divorced man for example, and he had a crush for her when young and when seeing her again he gets a bit of a crush back. I don't know, there are many ways. As it is, his story line was pretty absurd.

The ending is a bit, I don't know, I'm not disappointed but also not super happy and the cameo of whoever-that-woman-was was pointless. It reminded me of that pointless ending in "Behind Your Touch" with another cameo that added nothing to anything. I'm not going to lie I did wish FL had gone with ML to Switzerland. After being apart for so long I get it was not a deal-breaker to have a long distance relationship for some more time, but at the same time she being a photographer made so much easier in my eyes to move with him for a while and work from there. Either way, it was a cliché of one of the leads going away last second and it could have been avoided entirely, but oh well.

This drama doesn't portray the typical romcom love story with fireworks, so if you're looking for that kind of romance this might not be for you. It's a slow rekindling of a relationship in a more muted and realistic way. Sure, especially FL does act more like a fangirl with the butterflies at times but the progression is more subdued.

Leggi di Più

found family

Achei a história do dorama muito boa, os personagens muito bem construídos e adorei como eles evoluíram ao decorrer do drama, todos os casais tem muita quimica e são uns fofos.
Adorei a relação do Yong-Phill e da Sam-Dal, além de ser muito linda a amizade que eles tem e como as pessoas de Samaldari sempre acabam ajudando a Sam-Dal.
O final também foi bom, gostei de como todos tiveram uma segunda chance e deu tudo certo
Me envolvi com os personagens e com a história ao desenvolver do dorama e fiquei bem satisfeita!❤️
O único problema é ser um pouco repetitivo e demorado, eles tratavam as coisas como se fossem adolescentes não adultos mas mesmo assim não tive vontade nenhuma de dropar.

Leggi di Più