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North Korea sticks the landing but South Korea crashes this drama
Story: pretty SK heiress with mommy issues literally crash-lands in the arms of a very dashing NK Army captain. While the premise itself - a SK citizen finds herself illegally in the NK and in the hands of NK army no less - is dramatic enough, in an infamous drama tradition, this is complicated with several convoluted subplots to pad the mandatory 16 episode format, most of it with zero consequence to the main conflict. Still, ML and FL are as likable as it gets and have a nice rapport between each other and the winsome supporting cast of NK soldiers and ahjummas who are the main reason why NK proceedings outshine the SK ones.
Acting: Very good. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin carry this drama like pros but Captain Ri's Fab 5 (4 soldiers and a spy) and NK ahjummas steal the scenes. Didn't care for Se Ri's family and Captain Ri's unnecessary, stony fiance aka SFL but the unnecessary SML won me over as his character got more charming and likable as his (side) story progressed. No wonder Kim Jung-hyun scored a ML role in Mr Queen.
Music: Nice and hummable. I also liked that they incorporated it in the plot for captain Ri is a pianist who also composed the main theme.
Rewatch Value: Yes but with lots of skips. There are moments of immense beauty that deserve to be revisited SPOILERS the scented candle scene at the market, first snow, farewell at the no man's land, any piano play in Switzerland scene, just to name a few SPOILERS END but episodes got longer and longer and filler content bigger and bigger and the less said about product placement terror of Subway and that friend chicken restaurant the better.
Overall: See what the hype is about cause there's a lot to love. However, NK portion is much stronger, for bringing the conflict from that side of the story to SK didn't work and there are just too many side plots SPOILERS Ri brother's murder, Ri's fiance, Se Ri's scheming siblings, SML's involvement with mafia, Se Ri's mommy issues SPOILERS END that could have been scrapped altogether. Being stuck as an illegal in NK is dramatic enough and didn't need banality to make it more dramatic. However, those grievances aside, the ending sticks the landing and gives many earned closures which has become increasingly rare in dramaland.
Acting: Very good. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin carry this drama like pros but Captain Ri's Fab 5 (4 soldiers and a spy) and NK ahjummas steal the scenes. Didn't care for Se Ri's family and Captain Ri's unnecessary, stony fiance aka SFL but the unnecessary SML won me over as his character got more charming and likable as his (side) story progressed. No wonder Kim Jung-hyun scored a ML role in Mr Queen.
Music: Nice and hummable. I also liked that they incorporated it in the plot for captain Ri is a pianist who also composed the main theme.
Rewatch Value: Yes but with lots of skips. There are moments of immense beauty that deserve to be revisited SPOILERS the scented candle scene at the market, first snow, farewell at the no man's land, any piano play in Switzerland scene, just to name a few SPOILERS END but episodes got longer and longer and filler content bigger and bigger and the less said about product placement terror of Subway and that friend chicken restaurant the better.
Overall: See what the hype is about cause there's a lot to love. However, NK portion is much stronger, for bringing the conflict from that side of the story to SK didn't work and there are just too many side plots SPOILERS Ri brother's murder, Ri's fiance, Se Ri's scheming siblings, SML's involvement with mafia, Se Ri's mommy issues SPOILERS END that could have been scrapped altogether. Being stuck as an illegal in NK is dramatic enough and didn't need banality to make it more dramatic. However, those grievances aside, the ending sticks the landing and gives many earned closures which has become increasingly rare in dramaland.
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