Let be sincere, I watched Crash Landing On You for Hyun Bin. But in this drama I discovered others wonderful actors and characters and I fell in love with this story, and especially the first part, in North Korea. It's really strange to say but in one hand, this drama make the viewers dislike North Korea because it shows how people are living there, it shows there is no justice and people are not free (like we all know). But in the other hand, the North Korean characters of this show (except for the evil characters) are the most likeable. I really like the main lead who was so sincere, heart softed and straightforward. He was ready to do anything for the woman he loves. I also liked all the woman in the village and, above all, I absolutely loved all the soldiers who work the protagonist Company. I loved them so much, and during the second part of the drama, I even prefered the scenes where they were than the scenes with our main couple. I also loved our second couple and I was so sad that the scenarists chose this ending for them, but it shows that life is not so beautiful.
I think that the second part in South Korea was good but it was too long (the episodes themselves were too long) and too teerful during the last episodes. I had the feeling that they spent most part of the series in the hospital... I didn't like Se Ri family, even at the end. The romance and chemistry however were perfect, I really felt the love between our leads. I love the evolution of Se Ri character and how she becomes so lovable. I liked her friendship with the other soldiers and how she makes so many presents for them and cry for them. It was too cute.
Finally I think the plot of this show (despite the fact it's happening in North Korea) is not so original. But it's kinda exotic and I liked discovers the life of North Korean people (even if it the vision of South Korean and it's not the reality because we don't really know what exactly is happening in this country). Plus, maybe Hyun Bin was a little old to play his younger self aha.
I loved the OST they were so amazingly beautiful! And the cameos were incredibly funny. Love the acting also.
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I loved the first half of the drama the most. The dichotomy between the North and the South is extremely evident, and the show does a good job at portraying the differences, but also demonstrating how similar they are in actuality as people. I actually loved the 'side-plots' and the secondary OTP as well. This drama has one of my favorite supporting casts; the 'ducklings', as everyone affectionately calls them, really brings the drama to life and balances out the more melodramatic moments of the OTP. But seriously, so melodramatic but I loved it!
The chemistry between the leads was a bit reminiscent of DOTS, but I think I like this one more just because of the 'cliche' tropes they used throughout the show that were tied in very well. Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin have incredible chemistry and they are very natural with each other. Everyone loves Hyun Bin and his longing, warm gaze (I do too!) but I think Son Ye Jin carried them as a couple, she has some acting chops!
I appreciate how the show demonstrates all the different kinds of 'love', whether that be familial, romantic, platonic, patriotic, etc; they do a great job at just resonating love throughout the show. The OST is incredible and they do a good job at really hammering those emotions home during those pivotal moments.
Admittedly, like many shows, I think the plot got a bit draggy in the latter half, but I think the ending is realistic enough for what they could do, and I'll miss watching the adventures of the ducklings with Se Ri and Jung Hyuk. With any show, I definitely think the villain part was extremely dragged out, and honestly quite unrealistic, but hey, you need him there to create that tension and drama so I can't complain.
Anyways, grab some tissues and get ready for some happy and sad tears! No, but seriously, give this a watch even if you have to fast forward through some of the more boring political parts-- the other parts are worth it.
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Beautiful Couple
I feel CLOY is one of the best Rom Coms of the past 4 or 5 years. In India, we also have a cross border cross starred lovers story called Veer Zaara. Considering the similarities between the two countries geo political situation, I was extremely intrigued with the premise, how they will incorporate such a tricky story which doesn't involves Aliens, Gods, Robots or Goblins but rather a Geo Political conflict.First the positives, the USP of the show is the beautiful chemistry of the couple who are one of the most good looking couples I've seen in KDrama land. The couple and their whole dynamic has made the show a really smooth ride. While I agree Captain Ri is kinda unrealistic ?, but what I loved about our leads is that they both have their own rich lives outside their romance and only want what's best for each other. It's a very healthy relationship ideals.
The cinematography is as usual amazing with amazing shots from for the rural setting as well as the breathtaking shots of Switzerland.
I loved the story and the character dynamics. It was refreshing to see many characters and their interactions and I was rooting for all of them. I fell in the love with the second leads romance as well. In fact towards the end I was more invested in their story as compared to the leads.
This brings me to my small negatives. Last 3 episodes were melodramas af and fulfilled all KDrama cliches. What started as refreshing take soon got muddled with melo situations and that was a little irritating. Also I thought the whole resolution for the country infiltration thing was resolved in a very unrealistic way, things could have gotten way dark considering how most countries have strict protocols to deal with such a situation but yeah I can make sense of that.
Overall I loved this one after watching 4-5 unsatisfactory ones so yeah I'm happy.
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It's true to life but still feels like a fantasy SML (L: Love, Life, Laughter)
Never a dull moment in this series! There's no doubt that I'd fall in love with the main characters but I was surprisingly attached to the supporting ones too! The RiRi couple has a very stunning visuals that I'll never get tired of looking at. I also like how funny and innocent some of the characters are which perfectly balances the drama. Also, this series makes me want to experience the beauty of South Korea and Switzerland, and even more curious about North Korea. The story made me realize that anyone could be your family if we just understand, love and respect one another. Even though the person seems like a stonehearted one, there will always be a possibility for him/her to change or show compassion and even better, love. Overall, it's fun and easy to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Story
NENHUM. REPITO. NENHUM PERSONAGEM VAI CONSEGUI SUPERA O RI JUNG HYUNK.Esse é o homem mais perfeito de todo universo dos Doramas. Minhas expectativas para relacionamento foram totalmente arruinadas por culpa deste homem. INSUPERÁVEL EM TODOS OS QUESITOS. E olha que eu tenho suspeitas com militares.
Eu demorei anos para assistir esse drama e me arrependo muito. Merece sim o hype que tem, ele é perfeito demais. Os personagens, a química deles, a história, a OTS, a direção, as paisagens, EU JA FALEI O RI JUNG HYUNK. Tanto de vezes que eu surtei com a quimica desses dois, juro como pode ? A quimica foi tão surreal que eles até casaram na vida real. Provavelmente vai ser difícil outro drama que supere esse. Eterno ❤️
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This review may contain spoilers
Great first half, ok second half
I really enjoyed this drama but won't be able to give this drama a 10. Here are my reasons.What I love about this drama:
The story in the first half of the drama. The story is original and captivating. North Korea, a place at which everything can happen, is the perfect incubator for the kind of romance between Ri Jung Hyuk and Yoon Se Ri. The story is infused with really funny and heartwarming that makes the audience fall in love with the leads and supporting characters soon. The pace was good and the sequel of events is logical (at least for us who know nothing about North Korea...). The romance is sweet and the 'goodbyes' are painful - my heart went up and down along with the story flow.
The chemistry between the two main leads is just great. I know Hyun Bin in one type of character: the rich bad boy who turns to be softie after falling in love with the unlikely heroine (not sure why he is always casted in this type of role). Therefore it was extremely refreshing to see HB playing this soft-hearted, almost nerdy army boy who at the same time can fight like Jet Li. To my surprise, he did a great job. Some say that his acting can be improved, but I find it to be exactly right to reflect RJH's introverted character. Needless to say that So Ye Jin's performance is outstanding. She perfectly depicts the arrogant and successful heiress who in reality has a heart made of glass and is deprived of love. I also applaud the second leads who are very sweet together. These two and all supporting actors displayed great acting performance and contributed to a lot of laughter and tears throughout the drama.
The realistic display of life in North Korea: I have watched many Korean dramas and this is my first drama that is set in North Korea. I appreciate that I was able to get to know North Korea as not only a dark and hopeless place but hosts warm people with comradeship. I can see that the writer wants us to realize that material wealth often does not contribute to happiness (e.g. the fight between the Se Ri and her siblings) but a simple life in harmony and solidarity can provide much more.
Finally, the cinematography is beautiful. The shots just leave the audience in awe: the crystal blue sea and the snow-covered mountain of Switzerland, the sprinkling white first snow and the sunlight gleaming through the woods... the director just knows how to shoot beautiful scenes. The OST is great and underlies the emotions well (through I have heard better ones).
Now a few points why I deduct two points for this drama:
I found the second half of the drama only ok. To me, I felt all the emotions in the first half already and left me feeling a little "less emotionally engaged". I don't blame the writer - it is very hard to make the incidents in South Korea more exciting than what has happened in North Korea - in order to do so writer imported all the bad and good guys into Seoul to create the excitement and that felt too forced. The villain and his followers become too instrumental and act illogically to create hurdles for the main leads. YSR becomes a little crying mess thus her tears are also not as effective anymore. As a viewer, you know that the director does it on purpose to create certain emotions with the audience. This is good, as long as the audience does not realize this. But when one does realize this (at least I did...) you know, the drama has fallen short.
Another short-coming of this drama is how they depict Yoon Se Ri's family. It still puzzles me of whether YSR's mom actually loves YSR or hate her when she was little - and why but does she suddenly realize she loves her again? And did YSR really made up with her? Also again, her second brother, and his wife were really functional and 2D which is a shame, given that many other supporting characters are well written.
Overall, I found the second half quiet draggy, almost repetitive in certain episodes though I enjoy seeing how the relationship of the second couple unfolds or how the group of soldiers survive in South Korea. I think the entire drama could have cut down to 10-12 episodes focusing mainly on happenings and the escape from NK with a reunion in SK (I know it would have been unrealistic but the current ending is unrealistic too!).
But I have to say, I still overall enjoy this drama and would still recommend everyone to watch it for the wonderful first half, the beautiful cinematography and the romance and acting of the leads.
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Pretty much perfect
This show is basically perfect. The plotline is riveting and so well thought-out, the main romance is absolutely electric, the characters are all complex and layered, I could go on and on. This show is so impressive in how it blends many different genres: it's a comedy, a love story, a suspenseful mystery, and a family drama. Most times, when a show tries to be all those things it fails but CLOY succeeds at all of them! Absolutely hooked me in from the start.I think my favorite parts were the friendships between the soldiers and also among the women of the North Korean village. So cute and heartwarming the way they all protected and cared for each other! Also, I wasn't expecting to like Seo Dan and Gu Seung-joon at first but they really grew on me. That's how you know it's a good show, when the actors and writers can change your mind about characters.
If you have any hesitation about watching CLOY, just do it. You won't regret it, I promise.
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But the main reason this series truly shines is the story and the characters. The characters that are meant for the audience to fall for are so easy to fall for, while the villains just as they're meant to be make audiences hate them. This is all thanks to the actors that brought them to life, not one was lacking. While the story is very unique it really could've easily become boring half way through the show, but it doesn't. The writers knew how to progress the story and without it from feeling like it dragged out.
I do feel there was a couple of side plots not needed in the story and a couple of characters that didn't have any purpose so there was no point of them even existing. That aside the series was just close to perfection. Also when it comes to acting this probably one of the best acted korean dramas I've seen. The two leas especially were incredible. In conclusion if you want to check out a drama with a more unique story, with no unnecessary love triangles and that causes you as much laughter as it does tears this one is for you.
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Most buzzworthy drama of 2020!
I loved everything about this drama. I think this is one of the more solid dramas in recent years. From the casting, acting, writing, directing and evn the beautiful soundtrack! The drama has got everything (fantasy, romance, action, suspense, thriller, friendship, family, politics, work) except mystery and horror LOL. Will just list down some of my fave things about the show.Likes:
1. I love both Seri and Captain Ri. I cant decide who is my fave character. And they are even better together. Perfect chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin made these two characters come alive.
2. Captain Ri's team. I love them all but i especially enjoy watching the bickering between Chisu and Seri. And special shoutout to Manbok who was a crucial team member. His wiretapping skills are the best!
3. Seri and Dan's fashion. The coats. The jewelry, the bags, and shoes. Dan's hairpins.
4. Captain Ri's hairstyle. I didnt realize you can do so much with a male's hair and Hyun Bin kept looking better in each new hair style. I think my fave is the last one when they were finally together in Switzerland.
5. All the romantic, funny and tearjerking moments between the lead couple. I esp love the two scenes where they crossed the line: when Ri stepped over the line to kiss Seri before she goes back to SK. The other is when Ri crossed the line again to hug Seri before he goes back to NK. and the 2 paragliding scenes when they met.
6. I didnt really pay much attention to Dan and Seung Jun but i loved the ramyun scene, the market scene where the orphans were singing and SJ was crying (made me cry too), the proposal scene and the ambulance scene.
7. The NK ladies. They were annoying at first but they grew on me. Sweet of Seri to remember them.
8. Captain Ri's dad is so cool. No wonder he raised two beautiful and loyal sons.
9. Dan's mom was also amazing. And hilarious.
Dislikes:
Cho Cheol Gang is the worst person. I think he should have died sooner and i hate his face. The actor did a great job of portraying him.
Rating: 9.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
Family drama that anyone can enjoy!
This drama took my heart by storm! I remembered during the pandemic when I was stuck at home with nothing to watch. I stumbled upon this gem, being curious about the storyline, I started watching it. And boy was I hooked on this drama. I binged it and even after I finished the drama, I couldn't get enough! There are so many points that make this drama the best especially in 2019-2020.Plot/story:
First of all, the setting! I'm sure many of us are unfamiliar with how North Koreans live in their daily life being that it's a colonist country. That alone already got me interested in the setting of the drama. According to the production team of the drama, they did consult with real North Koreans about how the places and day-to-day life of them are really like and they portrayed that in the drama really well. Other than that, the fact that the female lead who's from South Korea ends up in North Korea meeting the male lead who is a North Korean, and slowly fell in love with each other is everything a slow-burn love story needs! Not only it's forbidden love, but an adventurous one. We then follow both the main leads story in North Korea, surviving together through obstacles and helping each other.
Characters:
The main female lead, Yoon Se-ri who's a rich heiress in South Korea landed in North Korea meeting Ri Jeong-Hyeok, an officer in the North Korean Military due to a paragliding accident. Se-ri is smart, confident, and a hard-working woman instead of the typical spoiled female lead we sometimes still see in a drama. She is an independent wealthy businesswoman who runs her own successful fashion and beauty company, Seri's Choice.
Our male lead, Jeong-Hyeok, comes from a powerful political family, his father being the Director of the General Political Bureau, but instead, he chose to keep his lineage a secret from everyone around him. A piano prodigy as well! WHAT! A proficient but emotionally-reserved Captain, well-respected by the unit he leads in the army. Jeong-Hyeok is such a perfect man I have no words to describe him. He is literally everyone's dream husband material, I don't blame Se-ri for falling in love with him HAHA.
The supporting characters are such beautiful people, I remembered shedding tears when they were leaving each other at the end. The squad with Captain Ri and the ahjumas in North Korea will have a place in my heart. The acting by all the cast here was flawless, all of them did such a good job. I have no complaints about the acting and portrayal of emotions in all the scenes.
The second couple had me going squealing most of the time they were on screen, but boy my heart was just destroyed by their ending. That's the only thing that made me wish the story was different for them :')
Rewatch Value:
Yes!!! 10/10 rewatchable! The story is also pretty suitable for any age range to watch. Whether you are a parent, teenager, young adult, this drama will have some characters that you can relate to! I already re-watched it 3 times HAHA it's just that good! If you are in need of some rom-com, touching, family drama to watch, this is the one!
Thanks for reading my review! Hope it helps anyone that wants to watch it or for those that already watched it and misses this drama like me hehe xD
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This review may contain spoilers
So I usually never write reviews no matter how much I love a drama, but this one... This one I cannot just let it be. This drama easily became my favourite one of all time in a matter of a few minutes in the first episode. And every new episode I watched, I hoped I wouldn't get disappointed and change my mind, and actually I never did. Story: this is a touching story so beautifully written that leaves you engaged until the very end, always expectant of what is to happen next. In the last 2 episodes, although I kept trying to believe it'd have a happy ending, I couldn't help but cry like a baby. Their love is just unbelievable, the messages he left for her, the voice memo with the piano playing, the post-its with the recipes, the fridge filled with food, the act of putting the food in the lower shelf thinking she wouldn't reach the higher one.
Also Gu Seung-Jun's tragedy touched me deeply and I cried so much, I never disliked this character to be honest, I believed he had no true malice in him, he was just a coward, so his story with Dan was a punch in the stomach for me. ?
The script is also one of my favourite parts, even if I think there were some lines that weren't so natural, most of the time I was giving all my love to the script, especially Ri Jeong Hyeok lines, his character was so good in so many levels.
Now I do think there are some timeline gaps and lapses and maybe some parts that could have been shown to make it more complete (the story), hence that being one of the reasons I stick with a 9.5/10 and not an actual 10 (as well as some directing flaws, that, at the end of the day, are just casual details that bug me a bit).
Actors: don't even get me started on this one. It was the first work of both Hyun Bin and Son Yejin that I watched but both of them are now on my list of favourite actors of all time. They're both so hot, charismatic, with amazing acting skills and, of course, a level of chemistry with each other that I've never seen before.
All the other actors did an AMAZING job as well, they all have a place in my heart now. I think they all got along with each other very well and it shows in their performances. Also I wanna give a major applause to all the actors who played North Korean characters, their accents were always on point and they clearly worked hard to make this drama an incredible one.
Production: the production team deserves a lot of love too. All the places and sceneries were SO GOOD and well-achieved, especially the North Korea scenes, they really made an amazing work building up all of that. All the details production wise got me hooked up (apart from some green-screen scenes).
I'm a person that hates rewatching stuff, be it movies, series, dramas, anything. But I know I will surely rewatch this one some time. I will have a hard time moving on from this drama, since I've fallen too deeply in love with the story and the characters. And from now on, every time someone asks me for drama recommendations this will definitely be always my top one. A love like no other.
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This review may contain spoilers
Can I have my heart back now, please?
There was so much to appreciate about this drama.- The story was very unique to the South/North Korea situation. Such an unlikely love story unfolding between just two humans of rival nations. I was setting myself up for heartbreak from the get go. At first, I thought that Ri would never make it to South Korea. And when he did, I was sure he'd leave without saying a word and I'd just have to cry myself to sleep.
- All involved really committed to their roles. Hyun Bin as the quiet, miserable North Korean soldier, slowly warming up and becoming vulnerable and cute pouty. Son Ye Jin as the lonely depressed but also charismatic, strong and snobby Seri. Even the second leads had complex personalities and growth. There was almond no one dimensional characters (exception being the Seri's siblings and sisters in law).
- The music, weather classical or OST was poignant. It always picked up at the right time to give the feels.
- I really appreciated seeing the differences between South and North Korea. Obviously it wasn't shot in North Korea, but looking at the scenery and how beautiful the country likely is, the differences in infrastructures, differences between their bureau and the NIS. As well as the perceptions held by the people - For example, the sergeant that was in love with dramas saying how all South Koreans suffer from amnesia, and I think Pyo Chi Su saying it was because in capitalist societies they drink too much coca cola which leads to amnesia.
- Ri's squad in general was so well balanced for comedic effect. We had the "bad" guy who was actually soft in the inside, the little kid, the funny guy, and the quiet model guy.
- I really loved how strong all the women were. Seri choosing to live and choosing to stand up to her family. Managing to keep herself together while trying to escape from North Korea and then trying to take care of Ri Jung Hyuk. Seo Dan, having to realize that she's been waiting for nothing for 10 years, only to fall in love to basically become a "widow" and then choose to be alone and work on herself and her career. The ahjummas, that initially seemed like they'd be a bunch of gossipy troublemakers, but actually bonded with each other and Seri, even getting involved to stop the Rat's wife from being kidnapped.
- I actually even liked the first husband's wife. Despite obviously being an idiot and evil, the fact that their relationship was so solid, especially in juxtaposition to brother #2, was very refreshing.
- It obviously had a great budget as a Netflix production, and was beautifully shot.
- I'm glad there was no true "love triangle". The two leads always knew who #1 was, there was no confusion (despite Jung Hyuk initially thinking he would go along with family obligations). And their first kiss in the rain! "stop looking at me with such wistful eyes" I may have rewinded to watch that scene a few times. The amount of care and attention that he put into her, even while pretending that he would forget about her in the future was so touching. Coming back with the candle, finding her with the scented candle, setting future messages for her phone, leaving recipes for her to cook. <3
The main negative aspect of the drama was the sheer number of "coincidences". I know that they write this as destiny, and not a coincidence, and that the director viewed the drama as a fantasy. It is fantastical to have met that many times, but I just can't say that it was necessary since the plot of a South and North Korean falling in love as she accidentally crash lands into North Korea is interesting enough as it is.
On the last episode, I had to stop and ask my husband to check if the ending was too sad. He said "it's not 100% bad" so I don't know why I was still so sad when I found out they are spending only weeks out of the year together. I immediately decided that they're just waiting until his parents pass, and then he'll probably defect. It just doesn't seem like a long-term sustainable solution, and how long will he be part of the national orchestra? Forever? What happens when they're 70? Or 80? And they can't communicate at all between visits. What happens if one of them has an accident, or a disease? And to appease these questions, I'm believing that this a short-term solution. She probably gets pregnant, they keep this up for a little bit, and then he just hops over forever.
I read that the filmed the last episode at the beginning, and so the Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin weren't fully "into character" yet and some people found particularly Hyun Bin lacking. But actually, I found how relaxed the characters were very comforting. To me, this showed that the urgency and the fear that they would never see each other again was gone. They knew they loved each other, they found a way to keep their relationship forever. No longer wondering if there would be a tomorrow. It was truly a beautiful way to end with Jung Hyuk walking into the hall and Seri simply saying "He just started playing" and he replies "I know" and then they hold hands, instead of crying like I was expecting.
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