Benvenuti a Samdal-ri (2023)

Not an addictive watch, but a pleasant one.

Though the main narrative of the story is between the two leads, there is a huge amount of supporting cast members who have their own stories.

I enjoyed seeing a group of actresses on the older end that showed camaraderie between women, and a dedication to a skill that is truly dying out.

I also enjoyed the family dynamic of the three tempestuous sisters who were unconventional yet generally a motivating force for good.

Ji Chang-Wook is one of my favorite actors so I'm biased, he is a beautiful man and sometimes I think that doesn't work to his advantage when he wants to play grittier roles, his features are just too delicate. But they managed to make him look approachable, and his character had nuances of expression, a warm playful bravado that fit into the role well and helped it be more believable. And nary an ab muscle was shown.

Shin Hye Sun.... I have a lot of respect for her work, but I find her to be abrasive at times. And that was the case here as well. Though I was invested in her tale of redemption and when she finally was able to clear her name it was quite satisfying. especially with all the loyalty displayed by the supporting characters and how they all banded together. I think that might have been the main theme coming through was that your family and your history will support you because they know who you really are.

At times the pacing seemed slow, but I felt like I was learning a part of Korean history and a different lifestyle versus some of the flashier dramas set in the city. A lot of parts of it were quite wholesome, and I enjoyed that insight. I don't think it would be a drama that I read rewatch because it did not have me at the edge of my seat waiting for each new episode to drop, it was not an addictive watch for me. But it was a pleasant one.

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Nice warm drama just wanted more

Countryside dramas are hit or miss with me, the only one I've seemed to enjoy thoroughly is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. I did go into this drama with the expectation it would be like HCCC, which was my mistake because this drama is its own story just like HCCC. I enjoyed the mother, the younger sister, and her daughter a lot in the drama. I think the storyline is consistent however I wish the FL wouldn't give up so easily and run away when defeated. This is something that her character grew out of by the end thanks to the ML. The reason I'm only rating this drama a 7.5 is because the romance was very quiet. Yes, the leads loved each other. Yes, the male lead was consistent and sweet but the romance was lackluster I wanted more heart-fluttering moments. I wish we could've got more of a story for the younger sister and her daughter I loved them. Overall this is an ok drama with little to no rewatch value for me due to the romance not catching my attention that much.

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Anfangs meh, Der Rest supi :)

Die ersten 4 Folgen oder so, haben mich manchmal echt wütend gemacht und haben mir auch einfach nicht gefallen.
Es wurde einfach so vieles getan, was ich nicht tun würde, Sam-Dal hat sich so komisch verhalten und es hat mir einfach weh getan.

Aber, ab dem Punkt, an dem sie sich mit ihren alten Freunden wieder verstanden hat, hat es mir gefallen.
Die neben Geschichten von ihren Schwestern fand ich auch sehr interessant. Vor allem von Hae-Dal. Die Story mit dem Delphin Mann und ihrer Tochter fand ich super und hätte gerne mehr davon gesehen.

Auch das Ende, warum Hat Yongpil nicht einfach die Bilder geholt, warum musste Samdal auch dabei sein?
Und Yongpils Vater, hat mich einfach ein wenig wütend gemacht, wie ein Mensch so sein kann. Aber süß, wie er seine Meinung geändert hat und jetzt auch mit den Eltern von Samdal wieder zusammen ist.

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Go for it

If you are skeptical or doubting yourself on whether or not to watch this series, just go for it. It has a very beautiful village atmosphere and the vibe gives out a perfect village feels with all the people and gossiping. The actors have done a great job. The characters that are supposed to be irritating are truly irritating. The friends gang is great. Even though there are a lot of things that they need to bring solution to, or conclusion to, I am confident that they will do a good job.

Male Lead: great job as usual. Those who have watched his other works like Healer, K2,Suspicious partner know what I'm talking about
Female Lead: Since I haven't watched her other works, I can not compare it. But, she did complete justice to the character
Ajumma(female lead's mother): My favorite supporting actor who has acted in a lot of kdrama. she is just apt for this role
ML's father: he is the villain I would say, but he has his reasons.

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wished for more...

this show has been quite confusing,
without spoilers:
-i did not enjoy how the director decided to reveal the past in between the present.
-nor did i find it convincing to see a photographer leave her 20years career as if it never happened. making the whole quest of the main character empty
- i was unable to enjoy the rest even with nice visuals... the story was not cohesive for me.
-and character development was lacking as the past 'reveals' make us falsely believe the characters changed, when in fact, its only our perception of them.

don't get me wrong, i usually love slice of life and healing stories....
i tried to keep watching because i didn't know what bothered me or bored me: it was the lack of substance/emotion & glue to the main characters.
i am still neutral on the acting as i normally love these actors!

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A delightful rom-com with a colorful small-town backdrop!

This rom-com is a contemporary take on classic romantic tropes set in a charming town on Jeju Island. The two charismatic leads, Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun, carry this story, owning every moment they're on screen.

For Korean drama buffs, the themes are familiar. They are soulmates born within minutes of each other (à la The Good Bad Mother) who break up although they still have feelings (Our Beloved Summer). They reunite in the setting of heartwarming friends and endearing locals in a beautiful small town (Hometown Cha Cha Cha; Our Blues). Those who love these themes are likely to find this show delightful as well!

For less familiar audiences, the exaggerated problems and crises that punctuate the storyline could be viewed as flaws. It's helpful to keep in mind that Korea has an especially harsh cancel culture. It's not unheard of for baseless accusations to stymie careers (Tablo of Epik High comes to mind).

Enjoy this journey of two inseparable friends rekindling love, supporting each other, and helping each other grow!

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Refreshing lovable new drama

I was getting a little tired of the typical story lines in kdrama and I was kind of stuck with other dramas nothing excited me until this came out. Love it from begging to end. It felt refreshing to watch.
The focus on the FL trip and the ML alongside the hardships they had to go through and the time they missed together yet no was ever enough to destroy their love felt so warm-hearted for me.
If I would ask something from those drama is a more extended happy ending cause I really love those, I'll just have to imagine it all by myself.
if you got the chance watch it it's totally worthy. I cry, laugh and love alongside the characters and story, gonna truly miss it.

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