The first 7/8 episodes are pure sweetness. We witness the way a woman who's used to the fast pace of a consumer society adapts herself to a slower life focused on essentials and community. And far from all her obligations as a buisness woman, she discovers herself again, her capacity to trust and to love.
The leads are incredibly good at mixing the sweet and sour of an impossible romance and remind us of the existing reality : a nation devided in two. The comedy glimpses are also a much needed and well introduced relief, often brought by the hilarious secondary characters.
But at some point, towards the middle of the story , it felt like each episode was put on repeat.
She has to leave, but they don't wanna be separated, the bad guy comes at them, he saves her, they cry. Next episode, repeat.
For 6 episodes or more, i felt like the main characters had only one facial expression : crying, and only said one thing : "i dont want you to be hurt because of me, live well. "
There was no real storyline or at least the one from the beginning got kinda repetitve and lost its purpose.
I got into this drama without expectations at all and was mind blown by the beginning, thinking i found the drama of the year and got so disappointed toward the end.
I think it's still worth watching, at least for the beginning and also for the side characters who remain very entertaining.
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Recommend!!
This drama is AMAZING. We watched a lot of kdramas and without a doubt this is in our top 10. We really loved two main characters, they had such a strong chemistry, but also all the side characters were very interesting to watch and we're so happy they gave them depth and this authentic and likeable side (Jung Man Bok for example). We loved the setting in North Korea, it gave us a glimpse of their daily life and im glad they showed us not only the "scary" parts but also normal, heartwarming parts of their lives. This drama with that kind of setting and amazing, unforgetable characters (we love military squad with Se-Ri)created this very special and peculiar vibe that we just adore haha. We highly recommend this drama to everyone. 100/10Was this review helpful to you?
An incredible Love Story
Crash Landing on You is a Love Story that just stays with you! I was putting off watching this and now I just feel so stupid. This was such an incredible drama! It’s so emotional and full of the feels. You really feel the love between Captain Ri and Seri. Their bond is so special and so Beautiful. I will warn you now “you are going to cry” Gah, I cried so hard for these characters. I truly fell in love with everyone. The friend ships and the bonds that were created through Seri’s accident and her struggle to get back were unlike any other. The family drama was so frustrating, and heartbreaking. This was a very intense drama. It has it’s insanely cute and funny moments and the sweetness will make you swoon. I now understand why everyone recommended it. It’s truly a love story that proves just how far love can reach.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
why did i watch this so late??!!?
everyone got their happy ending which was lovely but seung joon… his death broke me. i full on sobbed when seo dan was recalling their past together. i wish he had a moment with rest of the comrades they wouldve gotten along so well together. he was effortlessly funny i loved that he got to have a hearty meal with the nk ladies too. seung joon & seo dan u are so loved.this drama was lovely. the comrades and the 4 ladies are my absolute favourite i looked forward to their scenes tiny bit more than the main couple.
the ost esp sigriswil is so beautiful as soon as i heard it in the opening i was entranced. this drama will live with me forever.
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Ensemble cast with a disappointing and sappily charmed story
Despite Crash Landing on You's excessive use of k-drama tropes, the talented ensemble cast will still have you swooning and smiling from ear to ear.CLOY tries to give a refreshing insight of North Korean culture but fails to give a unique spin on the romance. After finishing the first episode, I was able to discern how the story is extremely generic on the surface. The gunfights and gunshots got me rolling my eyes. Most of the conflicts are too corny and mawkish for my liking. The writer could have put new narrative ideas but she solely relied on the chemistry of Hyun Bin and Ye Jin to cover the clichés and predictability.
The real pleasure of watching this k-drama comes from experiencing the characters. They are relatable, funny and precious. The cast is charismatic enough to keep my eyes glued to the screen. Most of the time, I had my eyes on the second lead couple as they have the gentle appeal and quiet chemistry than the first leads.
To sum up, CLOY is strictly the usual k-drama romcom but with less substance than I expected. It is a joy to watch but it is equally disappointing and sappily charmed.
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THE CHARACTERS were all very enjoyable. The officers under Ri Hyeok were quite charming. They were apprehensive about Se-ri coming into their home, but as the story developed, they became so close to the point where they put their own lives in danger to make sure she was out of harm's way. The character growth with them was cute to watch. Seo Dan and Goo Seung Jun were my favorites among the cast. Honestly I got more invested in their storyline than the leads, idk I just got kinda bored after a while with Ri Hyeok and Se-ri. They DID NOT deserve the endings they got. I feel the end to their stories deserves a rewrite. I think they got a sad ending just to follow the "someone has to die during the finale" trope. If anything I think they are more victims than antagonists. I wanted to see Se-ri's mother's character in a better light but she was just reduced to being Se-ri's father's wife, which was a waste of potential. I feel like the negative dynamics between Se-ri and her mother were just thrown into the story for unnecessary emotional conflict.
THE MUSIC was excellent. At times I think the OSTs took over some scenes but once Yerin Bark's "here I am" started playing I feel like time stood still for Se-ri and Ri Hyeok. I personally found the music memorable and even downloaded some of OSTs to my playlist. I felt the music for each scene was just right.
THE ENDING kind of had a neutral ending. Given the current situation between North and South Korea, I figured that Se-ri and Ri Hyeok would not get that happy ending that everyone wanted. But I'm fine with the way the writers decided to wrap up their story. Not entirely sad but not entirely happy. Just neutral.
Overall I give this drama a 8.5/10. It's a good drama to binge watch during the weekend. I probably won't rewatch it because the episodes are 1 hour long and midway through the story things slow down.
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Only thing I can add after many rewatches (sic) is:
Simply, a classic!(oh , 500 characters, huh…ok…)❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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"Sometimes the wrong train takes you to the right direction."
Damn this was my 2nd korean show, and it did not disappoint at all.CLOY takes you on a journey full of humour, sadness and keeps you invested in every character all the time. Seriously I could NOT get this show off my mind no matter how hard I tried. It was just that good.
Also im not gonna lie its the first show that actually made me cry lol, I was just so invested in it.
10/10. It'll be hard to forget about this show.
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Comedic. Heartfelt. Dramatic. Action packed.
One of the more unique stories. One that allows us into a whole new world than the usual one we're used to in K-Drama land. And in most aspects, it's excellent. The comedy is really great and well written. It blends with the more serious tones of the drama really well. It varies as wel from being situational, fish out of water humour, to be jokes told. The two leads and the soliders really made this drama what it was. Outside of the main story, this was the real heart of it all. But the main plots were really exciting and tension filed. The twists and turns allowed the story to play out without any questions in plausibilty. I dug how the story split into two half way through and gave us double to fun. Obviously the Cpt Ri and Se Ri together is wonderful and touching. But the relationship between Dan and Seung Jun is just as warm, albeit sad by the end. One aspect of the story that I didn't like too much was how Se Ri's suicidal attempt weren't really taken with any weight - obviously its sad and not totally blown off but I would've liked something more emotional. It's simply just a means to connect the two leads rather than to convey any message about self-hating.The acting was really great. The actors really knocked it out of the park, capturing all the themes and story elements needed. Hyun Bin's strong but sweet character was the perfect hero of the story. Hyun Bin's chemistry with Son Ye Jin was off the charts, instantly striking. It's rare that two people are able to play off each other with such great effect. Son Ye Jin was really great in her female role too. Incredibly mart but naive about the smaller things, the lack of luxuries that the North Korean have. It fits into the comedy well though. Seo Ji Hye gave maybe the best performance of the drama though. Her character came off very tough and stubborn but there is a soft side to her character, a hidden sadness and willingess to be loved by someone. It's a very nuanced character and she knocks it out of the park, pardon my cliches.
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This review may contain spoilers
Imaginative Creative & Emotional
Is there ever a time that Son Ye Jin doesn't Shine -- She brings Life & Magic to everthing she does -- of course it helps that her Lead Hyun Bin became her husband years later. The series was imaginative crossing over the border into North Korea , being found by the NK forces escaping and later finding safe haven in the very soldiers home that she escaped from very creative writing there. She plays the rich beautiful Diva Perfectly & engages everything and one around her she is so Amusing Lovable & Real -- The cast of misfits that surrounds her in this film is nothing short of brillant -- each one bring perfection in their roles delivery -- Hyun Bin as the Rich Soldier -- Kim Sun Young this actress always plays important characters in all the films she does & she is one of the best at it -- I love her in all the roles , I wish they would bring together all these amazing character actors in more films it would really be something to behold --Ko Kyu Pil plays Son Ye Jin characters faithful manager friend and he really bring so much humor to this series -- I think it also plainly shows that being Chaebol isn't all it's cracked up to be when everyone around you is a viper It is considered one of the best Dramatic Series & it crossed all borders Well Worth the WatchWas this review helpful to you?
Very Unexpected
*outline*I wasn't expecting to like this drama as much as I did. The fact that the story has so many twists and turns not only makes the series more dramatic, but also adds a perfect amount of heartbreak, shock/surprise, and love. I felt empathetic and sympathetic throughout, something to credit the actors for. The pacing was perfect till the very end.
*thorough*
STORY : Having a screenwriter write up a story based around North Korea was quite innovative, so it really caught my eye when it was introduced to me. This gave us a break from the cliche Korean story lines we usually find, not that they're any bad but I felt refreshed. The whole drama up until the last episode were really good. My emotions were being played with, which is a good thing of course. However, that sort of changed in the last episode. Episode 16 didn't exactly live up to my expectations which were slowly being built throughout. It's almost as though the screenwriter and Director got tired of the drama and just wanted it to finish quickly. But that's my own take on things... I just feel that the ending should've been a little different. In conclusion, the pacing was off for Episode 16.
ACTING/CAST : I found myself being hit by various moods and emotions because of the actors. They portrayed their roles perfectly. I felt all the love, heartbreak, shock, and even the war. The best played out role was definitely the antagonists. You'll only realize when he's defeated, just how much of a lonely life he's lived. Unlike other antagonists, he didn't use this as an excuse (maybe to even reform), it just showed how deserving of his end was.
MUSIC : Okay, I'm sorry, but I hated CLOY's OSTs. From the very beginning. Literally. It did nothing for me, definitely not set the mood. I only remember two songs now that I think about it... Is that all there were? Meh, not like I'm gonna look for them anyways. The intro was the most disappointing one for me, so I just skipped all of them on the first beat. The other OST I remember was the one that was played during every sad scene (or love scene? or both?). It was decent enough to be able to listen to, and it even set some of the scenes.
REWATCH VALUE : This drama was way too long to sit through. If there were more episodes which were also shorter in time length, maybe I'd be willing to rewatch it. But I doubt that's going to happen. And even in the ending, the Yoon Se Ri and Ri Jung Hyuk aren't that memorable as a couple. Apparently they're dating in real life, but I find it hard to believe how they must act in real life because the love really wasn't portrayed. I 'aw'ed at the love scenes because of the innocence to it, despite them both being quite... erm- well, older than average Korean actors and actresses today. However, it felt very dry otherwise...
*p.s.*
I would definitely recommend this to someone, even if they've been watching K-dramas for a while. It's an amazing drama and it definitely deserves its high ratings. I really vibed with the drama and it was continuously interesting.
*recommendations*
'What's Wrong With Secretary Kim' if you're looking for more rom-com
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This review may contain spoilers
A marvelous story diminished by hidden scenes
Kdrama episodes typically end with photo cards - pictures that capture key moments of that episode. If you watch these shows on Netflix, that signals the episode's end, and to click to the next episode.Shockingly, “Crash” includes key scenes after the photo cards roll. These “hidden scenes” can provide significant character insight and plot development. For instance, in episode 2, the hidden scene reveals Yoon Se-Ri visited a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland to end her life because of severe depression. She’s also seen standing near Ri Jong Hyeok as they both gaze at the paragliders.
This scene adds significant insight to Se-Ri’s character as well as enhancing the notion of fated love. That such material is buried in the credits section is inexplicable (unless the viewing public, beside me, is in on this secret).
And one last comment, the suicide scene mentioned above is offensive. The counselor who rejected Se-Ri for euthanasia suggested she go sightseeing instead. So, a suicidal patient comes to a clinic seeking to end her life and the advice she receives is literally, “Go take a hike?”
This is just sloppy, lazy writing. In the real world, Se-Ri would have received counseling from a suicide prevention specialist, a professional every euthanasia clinic employs.
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