Benvenuti a Samdal-ri (2023)

need a lot of patience to sit through the first half

first half is both annoying AND boring but if you have patience, the second half is truly beautiful.

The goods :
1. The way this drama showed grief and how different people confront it. The lack of healthy communication was frustrating at times but very realistic and relatable. Yongpil was the first one who realized they were drifting apart cuz they were all running away and decided to put an end to it.
" why you didn't run? why you didn't try to forget?"
" but what if I did forget you?"

2. Go Mija. easily the best character in the whole series. She is the most well written character along with Yongpil. Her character has layers and I cried each time a new layer was revealed. She was so kind and brave. A great mother for her daughters and Yongpil.

3. Go Mija and Bo Mija flashbacks. tear jerkers.

4. Yongpils dad redemption arc. God knows he is one of the most annoying characters I've seen in my 12 years of being into Kdramas but I'm happy with the result.

5. Samdals family ( minus Samdal herself ) are all intriguing both in characters and their relationships with each other. I wished we knew more about the sisters pasts. Their love stories were more interesting than the main couple in my opinion. The family dynamic is very fun to watch.

6. Samdalri island and its beatiful beaches and gardens.

Now the bad;
1. Our female lead Samdal. I dont know why she and her collogues were so dumbfounded that she fell into a scandal given the fact that she's both unprofessional and a BRAT. Samdal is unlikable from episode 1 to the very end. She is an immature girl with a big ego who constantly throws tantrums.

2. Alcoholism. Samdal developed a horrible drinking habit after going back to samdalri and I think its an irresponsible portrayal if none of the other characters in the drama mention it in a bad light. She wasnt just sad, she was Addicted.

3. Samdalri people and their big mouths. small villages where everyone know each other have their own problems for sure ( gossips, lack of personal space, fear of being judged etc etc) and this has been touched upon in few other dramas but it doesn't make watching them any less insufferable. Yongpils friend had nothing else to talk about other than Samdal.

4. Second male lead. What was the point of his existence?

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Give it a try

Mostly all reviews praise this show, with a lot of comparisons with Hometown Cha Cha Cha (and rightfully so). There was a lot to like about it, but there were numerous things that really bothered me, hence my lower score.

What I liked:
-The acting by all was very good, but I did find Shin Hye Sun's constant pursed lip/pout talking very irritating after a while. I have loved her in other things she's done and never noticed her doing it before. I loved the friends, the families, the townspeople, and Samdal-Ri's little niece was just precious.
-Jeju. The cinematography was just stunning, and if this doesn't increase tourism, I don't know what will.
-I really like the idea of friends that have known each other for years, supportive of one another when apart, and then coming back together like no times has passed.
-2ML. I may have seen this actor in another role at some point in time, but I really liked him here. He had that almost palpable sadness surrounding him. Though it's not really realistic for someone to have one-sided love for that many years, the romantic in me just loved it. I also like how he was at odds with himself as to whether he should tell her or not. On top of that, he was just such a good friend to both the ML and FL.
-The sisters' storylines were well-developed and didn't feel wasted.
-Happy, though lackluster, ending.
-The friendship between the ML and FL. Which brings me to...

What I didn't like:
-For me, there was no chemistry between the leads. I loved them as friends but didn't buy them as a couple at all. Add to that that he thought she broke up with him, she thought he broke up with her, and all I could think was "how hard is it to just talk to each other?"
-So much drinking
-Drunk confessions
-The way the FL was written was problematic for me. She was portrayed as this strong, independent woman, but yet she slinks quietly away when the woman made up lies about her? She doesn't stand up for herself. She attended a long pity party for herself. I realize that the lie was pretty much the whole premise for the show, but it could have been written much better.
-Working with your ex? Nah.
-There needed to be a more satisfactory ending for the evil girl, she just kind of went away. I'm not a big revenge person but come on!
-After the 8-year (I think that was the amount of time it was supposed to be) time skip, we get another two-year time skip at the end. And that one made no sense. Suddenly he's going away to "realize his dream". Throughout the first part of the show, I really got the feeling that he NEVER wanted to leave Jeju.
-The ML's father's story line. It was immature and went on too long. If he was that troubled by Samdal-Ri's family, I'd think he would have moved away or something.

If you are still reading, I'd say give it a try, you might love it. I'm definitely in the minority.

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Power Rangers

Amo a vibe de Jeju, sempre assisto dramas que ocorrem na ilha e amei todos! O relacionamento da Sam Dal com o Yong Pil é muito lindo e divertido, vibrei muito por eles! Mas uma das coisas que mais amei foi a dinâmica dos amigos, os power rangers, todos uns queridos, mesmo com "triangulo amoroso" não atrapalhou na história e nem foi chato. As irmãs são umas queridas, o relacionamento entre elas mostrado de uma maneira bem real haha. O casal golfinho simplesmente perfeitos!

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Highly overrated

Ji Changwook is a versatile actor and we all know it. Shin Hyesun is the toughest and one of the most elegant actress and we know that too. But here, both of their potentials were wasted big time. I can't even get started on the sheer ridiculosity of the story. The writer made some unbelievably stupid and irritating characters and just dumped them without a proper background. One of them is Cho Samdal herself. That woman's fake pride was high up the sky, and she was living in denial all along that she can never fail, because according to her, she is supposed to be the only one to succeed in Seoul from Jeju. Her bratty behavior and her demeanor was a pain to watch tbh. Next is Yongpil's dad, Sangtae. He definitely has some serious woman issues and was almost a lunatic. He blamed Samdal's mom for his wife's death when in reality it wasn't anybody's fault. I have never seen such a spineless man ever in my life. Imagine blaming someone else for your own incompetence. All in all, it was a forcefully curated slice of life drama where there's no slice of life in it. The only saving grace was the natural backgrounds, at least they were pretty. Eunju, the antagonist, was supposed to be annoying, but she was less annoying than Cho Samdal actually.

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A comforting drama with a stellar cast!

I did enjoy this drama, once it got moving - it took a few episodes- as the beginning does feel like its just going in no direction at all. What we do get is never ending angst with lots of whining and yelling from the FL. They never seem to have the guys act like that, and its so common in kdramas having the girls screaming all the time, its ugly and hugely off putting to the viewer. Nothing will turn me off the FL faster than constant screaming dialogue.

The alcohol consumption in this show is off the charts. Like please, stop this korea, does anyone have a healthy liver? I highly doubt it. I know its common in Korea but this kind of drinking in shows is so disgusting. All the drunk scenes are ridiculous.

I loved this cast, especially all the side characters. I was here for that development between the younger sister and the dolphin center dude. Nothing felt inorganic in any of the plot lines, it was well done.

We do see quite a bit of character growth and that is a win for the writing in this show. So many characters saw a positive change, except maybe for the lying cow and the dad - who seems to remain just a fairly chill guy from start to finish. Even chasing JCW didn’t even feel overly threatening lol.

The views were great, I’m sure even more people will want to visit Jeju now than they do already, look out!!! ??

Loved the relationships amd connections and a community coming together.

Final thought, what is with all these time jumps amd people chasing their dreams alone in Kdramas??? Doesn’t anyone just hook up and go off together???!!!! Like for reals in this case it even would have made complete sense. At 38 with so much wasted time - another time jump felt more annoying that supportive. Amd it makes no sense in a drama. Like who sits and honestly watches the time wasting filler while we wait for thr inevitable return? Not me. Time waster. Last episode was incredibly rushed because of that, and what was the benefit of the credibility of the experience- he just comes back and is treated as not knowing anything still… like that was weird.

Overall, I’m glad I watched. I enjoyed this far more than My Demon, it would probably have hit a 10 for me if we could have toned down the screaming, the over drinking and lengthy circles this show goes in.

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Te amo Baekhyun de Jeju ?

Que delicinha de drama! Me lembrou muito a vibe de Hometown Cha Cha Cha que foi um drama muito querido por mim na época e eu estava buscando algo parecido há meses. Gosto muito de exes to lovers, acho que as pessoas precisam abrir mais o coração pra esse tipo de enredo e Welcome do Samdalri é um ótimo conteúdo para fazer isso. Amei os personagens e a complexidade do término deles. Os personagens secundários são ótimos também, principalmente os amigos de Jeju que tiveram suas histórias contadas e me fizeram gostar muito de cada um deles. AMEI o jeito como a história da Samdal e do Sangdo foi contada e como terminou. Achei de uma sensibilidade e verossimilidade incrível. Amei também o fato que eu passei o drama todo vendo o Baekhyun no ator do Yongpil!

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I feel like they could have done more with the characters and paced the story better.

There were parts that were compelling and gripping, and then parts where the plot dragged like crazy and I could only get through it at 1.5x speed, especially the middle. I think they spent too much time on the townspeople gossiping about Samdal and Yongpil when they had their own lives to live. I also felt like Yongpil's dad coming around was too sudden and we should have seen a gradual change start several episodes earlier. I also think the downfall of the villain was too brief for the grief she caused. Overall I feel mixed about it. I think this story could have been told and been better in 10 eps max. My favorite character is probably the little girl. She was too cute for words but was also the voice of reason a lot. I don't think I'd recommend this for most, there's better and there's worse.

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Samdalri is very welcoming! Great chemistry with a predictable but still interesting plot.

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

I think I enjoyed “Welcome to Samdral-ri” a little bit more than I expected. There are a few things that usually give me pause when I watch a drama about moving back to a village/small town/rural area, and then learn to live or re-acquaint with a different lifestyle. Oftentimes, there are a bunch of loud, nosy, annoying villagers/town folks that irritate me to no end. Or, the plot is so slice-of-life that I need something to happen. Afterall, I prefer a plot-driven drama rather than a character-driven drama.

Luckily, aside from one somewhat nosy auntie, everyone is lovely. Even this auntie isn’t too bad, just a little annoying with her high-pitched voice. Everyone in Samdalri is really welcoming, friendly and caring. Moreover, “Welcome to Samdal-ri” is not very slice-of-life and the pace isn’t that slow. There are actually many side plots, in addition to the main plot of FL’s career downfall and moving back home. These are the two main reasons why I enjoy this drama more than I thought.

Despite being more plot-driven than other similar dramas, there are times when I do feel that the drama could have spent more time on the side characters, instead of the main leads. FL’s career and the main romance are important, but towards the second half of the drama, I just wish the leads would have opened up to each other sooner, or get back together sooner. I actually want to see more of the two sisters’ romances and backstories, and also more of the friendship between FL’s mother and ML’s mother. There’s a lot of potential here in keeping the drama interesting by sharing the spotlight with other interesting characters.

The acting is great all-around. Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun did not disappoint. JCW could be a hit or miss. I enjoyed his acting here more than in “If You Wish Upon Me”. SHS is just a goddess. She can slide into any role and become that character. The two of them have amazing chemistry. I have to say, I am a little disappointed with the kisses, given how experienced they both are in that area. LOL. The supporting cast is just as strong. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I really enjoy the acting of our beloved ahjumma, Kim Mi Kyung (FL’s mother) and also Yoo Oh Sung (ML’s father). The two of them broke my heart with the storyline about ML’s m other. Oh, and I discovered Kim Min Chul. He’s adorable as the dolphin guy.

Overall, I really enjoy “Welcome to Samdal-ri”. It’s not perfect but it’s worth a watch even if it lost my interest for a little bit. The plot is quite predictable but maybe that’s what you are looking for if you want something easy and light.


Completed: 3/24/2024 - Review #420

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A review coming from a sincere heart.

"Having a place to return to is an incredible relief". What a beautiful reminder. This kdrama has reached the depth of my heart in a way that I didn't think was possible. It reminded me that love is everywhere as long as you are willing to see it.
Home is place that heals your heart and gives you the power to keep going. Remember to stop once in a while and look around. When cho samdal finally realized how much her people loves her and started staring at them with a wide smile, the following phrase accured to my mind : it's everything you ever want, it's everything you ever need, and it's here right in front of you, this is where you wanna be. (from the greatest showman)
This kdrama has brought a lot of joy to my month, I hope you guys watch it heartfuly .

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Welcome to Kdramal-ri--stay awhile, you will enjoy this!

This is what good Kdramas are all about. A well-written story full of delightful characters, all with their own stories to tell who take the viewer on an amazing experience. The main word I would use to describe it is heartwarming. As the main character returns to her hometown due to a scandal, she must confront a past tragedy and grief that influenced her decision to walk away from her one and only love. He too has to confront the past, the pain of losing her, and the influence his father's grief has had on his life. The two main leads did an exceptional job portraying the simultaneous emotions of heartache with attraction, and walking on eggshells with their parents. I don't think they could've gotten better actors than these two. They were so genuine with their roles and characters, with each other, and with family and friends. It was like two best friends who actually grew up together said to each other one day, "Hey let's make a movie!" Well done Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun!! And who could not help but fall in love with the Haenyeos?!! Set and filmed in both Seoul and Jeju Island, the cinematography will stir the traveler in you to get on a plane and visit these beautiful areas of South Korea. All of this wrapped in a good soundtrack and you've got the makings of viewer nirvana, which is actually what it was. Great story, good subplots, great acting, great locations, music, and a good ending. All that's left is to grab the popcorn, curl up on the couch, and watch!

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Conflicts Aren’t Great but Enjoyed Light, Positive Vibes

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I picked this drama up because I like the lead actors. Actually, I don’t like Ji Chang Wook (지창욱) in any roles other than action, but I decided to give it another shot. This seemed like it could be a cute romance, but in order for it to work, the chemistry needs to be on point.

Acting/Cast: I was pleasantly surprised by the cast. There were some actors that I was very happy to see again and some actors I’ve seen for the first time. I think everyone did great acting-wise (except for the female lead’s dad). However, like I mentioned before, the chemistry is the most important aspect here. All of the friend groups had good chemistry as well as the side romances, but I’m not sure the two leads quite got there -- at least not as more than friends. Maybe it’s because they were so overly cutesy with each other or maybe it’s because there weren’t any - even remotely - steamy scenes between them. I just wasn’t completely sold on them. Especially, after that ending with the choice that the male lead made. Careers were obviously way more important to everyone over love, which is strange for a “romance”. 7.5/10

Writing: I like the plot and the side stories. I like the characters. However, there’s some details that bothered me. The useless love triangle is one of those things. Literally, it was only there to motivate the male lead to make a move. They really built up this second male lead like he was going to be a huge threat, but no, just another poor victim of second male lead abuse. I think he was an interesting and unique character, too, so it’s such a shame. Another issue I had with this drama is the forced conflicts (apart from the love triangle). The initial conflict that sets the plot in motion is fine, but later on, things happen that make it feel unrealistic. There’s also another conflict between the male lead’s father and the female lead that just feels annoying and childish. I wanted to just skip over all of that nonsense. Then, the “plot twist” at the end with the foreigner seemed so pointless… I was like ‘Why??’ Blink and you’ll miss it. Fortunately, this drama has good side stories and likeable characters all around. 4/10

Direction/SFX/Music: The ending was so cliché that it didn’t feel consistent with the male lead’s personality. The pacing was decent despite using so-so conflicts to push the story along. The OST isn’t really my cup of tea, but I did add two of the songs to my playlist. Beautiful Day by Gemini (제미나이, 아름다운 날) is really pretty and of course the drama’s theme song: DK (도겸) (Seventeen) - Short Hair (단발머리). 6/10

Entertainment Value: It was an easy, light watch. Nothing very exciting to make me want to binge watch this drama, but also nothing so irritating that it would make me want to drop it. The second half is when I started feeling a bit of a drag (episode 9) and episode 10 or 11 is when more conflicts are forced in which began to annoy me. The ending was cliché, too. Although one of the side love stories was solidified, which was a pleasant surprise. 4/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. It makes me wish I had a rabid posse of male friends. It almost made me want to start taking photos...I hate taking photos.

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