This review may contain spoilers
An enjoyable beachside romance
This drama is not overrated in the slightest.I’m not one for romantic comedies especially in a small town setting but this one has a special place in my heart. I’ll share about what was really enjoyable for me and what I felt could’ve been better.
- CHIEF HONG
Every episode was interesting for me and the humour was OUT OF THIS WORLD. No seriously, shut up I’ve never laughed so hard my entire life. I loved, loved and LOVED chief hong’s character. The way he managed everything in the small town and had so many official licenses. He was so cheerful and charming that I couldn’t help but adore him even if I personally am not a fan of Kim Seon Ho. His character had so much substance and humour. Plus, his interactions with grandmother was so touching and tear jerking. When he piggybacked her and that boyish laugh he let out…God, I was done for. When I learnt about his past and what he had gone through in Seoul, it was the only time I ever cried with a character. His backstory wasn’t what moved me but more of the way he finally let out his bottled up emotions and dropped the act. Goes to show that behind every smile, there really is something more.
- THE VILLAGERS
Every form of entertainment came from them. The three grandmothers, Bora and her family, the divorced couple with their son. All of them made a lasting impression with their funny interactions and bittersweet moments. Personally, I liked the little boy whose name I can’t seem to recall the most. He was so mature for his age and when he cried, it really stuck with me.
- THE PLOT
There wasn’t a lot of drama because this was a lighthearted watch and the events that took place were quite trivial, with occasional conflicts here and there getting resolved fast. It wasn’t entirely based on the main lead’s romance because most of their interactions were centred around things happening in the town. The main “plot twist” or “climax” was really discovering about Chief Hong’s tragic backstory. Other than that, everything was enjoyable and realistic.
- THE FEMALE LEAD
Yes. I understand that in the end, there was character development but her personality thoroughly annoyed me even until the very end. She wasn’t excessive or anything but her disdain towards her was very apparent and I didn’t like how she had to rely on Chief Hong to save her ass. BUT what I did like was how realistic and refreshing her character was at the same time. Sounds contradictory but hear me out. Despite how difficult the dentist was at first and how rude she was to her neighbours, I couldn’t help but relate to her in some ways and find bits of myself in her reactions. I liked how honest and upfront she was about her feelings but yet, she also felt apologetic when she knew she was in the wrong. Her character isn’t perfect or ideal to say the least but that’s the part that moved me the most.
- THE TEMPORARY LOVE TRIANGLE
It wasn’t much of a love triangle but rather a history between the dentist and her ex classmate who after so long, still pined for her but respectfully did so. It was an unrequited love and a matter of bad timing and I do like how unlike some typical seconds leads who spend their entire lives in a one-sides love, this man got a decent ending of his own. It wasn’t rushed or anything but a slow matter of healing from his first love and embracing a new one. It felt natural and refreshing.
I’ll now be moving on to the parts which I personally didn’t like but didn’t find unbearable to watch.
- THE (CRINGE) PARTS
My cringe tolerance is very, very low so rest assured it’s probably won’t be cringe for you. Just throwing this out there. I was up to my neck when they took pictures in school uniforms and the female lead was constantly whining or shrieking in ways that…bothered me. Some parts were okay, quite sweet but it felt overdone a little. I won’t say much but yes, that is my take on the romance and if you enjoyed it, don’t let my opinion spoil your enjoyment :)
- THE GRANDMA DID NOT NEED TO PASS AWAY
Yes. There was already enough going on what with Chief’s Hong past getting revealed and his backstory. I was praying hard that the grandma would not die when she said those sad things before sleeping and it broke me when she didn’t wake up the next morning. I felt it would’ve been better if she had at least seen Chief Hong come out of his house before she passed on because the last time she went to visit him was to leave him corn on his doorstep .
Overall, this was a lighthearted drama with hilarious scenes and a perfect beachside romance. It’s something like crash landing on you with the village camaraderie and all but very different in a way. A must-watch if you’re an emotional person!
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A drama full of life lessons
The drama in general is already perfect in every aspects so i wont discuss much about acting, plot, ost etc.What made this drama stand out is the life lessons the writer and director managed to incorporate. The drama was highly anticipated because of the leads but as the drama progressed it was no longer just about chemistry and typical romcom that we watch to free ourselves from stress. It has become the light and reflection of our past our present and our future. When i watched this drama it had me thinking of the life choices i made. It is very rare for a drama to bring an impact on viewers and having read alot of comments im not the only one. Im so proud to the whole production of this drama. I wish nothing more but for more dramas like this.
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Fantastic drama!
For me it is an amazing drama!The strory was truly wonderful and so many unexpected things happened. Sometimes you felt happiness other times it was a bit of a sadness but it really gave you a feeling of reality and it's ups and downs. It really was something!
Music was blending perfectly with story fitting into every action. I think it was one of the best of all dramas I have watched. Actors were amazing and I think they were really good at playing people in village. Because of high complexity of story I think a lot of people could relate to certain parts of it and in addition it had quite a lot of comforting parts.
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Where Healing Meets Hilarity
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is peak cozy-romance energy — equal parts laughter, healing, and “how do I move to this town?” The cast is phenomenal, and the supporting characters could each have their own spin-off. You’ll find yourself rooting for everyone’s growth, love, and happiness — even the gossiping neighbors.And let’s talk about Kim Yong-ok, the undisputed grandma queen of K-dramas — every scene she’s in is pure gold!!! This show is basically a warm hug with tangerines!
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Heartwarming...a feel-good ensemble show from beginning to end
So. Heartwarming. Cute kids. Sweet Gradmas. Beachy vibes. Strong chemistry and comedy between the leads. I thought it was going to be the typical big-city kid returning to save the little picturesque hometown story, but it turns out that the town reached out and saved him. Just a feel-good ensemble show from beginning to end. Dimples galore!Was this review helpful to you?
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Review from top media critic of her time
Best of all time. Zenith of the medium. Holy incarnate of media. Top tier standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Grace of invention. Remnant of genuity. Highest point of imagination. Top barrel of innovation. Highest of highs. God among gods. PEAK fiction. Best of all time. Zenith of the medium. Holy incarnate of media. Top tier standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Grace of invention. Remnant of genuity. Highest point of imagination. Top barrel of innovation. Highest of highs. God among gods. PEAK fiction. Best of all time. Zenith of the medium. Holy incarnate of media. Top tier standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Grace of invention. Remnant of genuity. Highest point of imagination. Top barrel of innovation. Highest of highs. God among gods. PEAK fiction.Was this review helpful to you?
NO SPOILERS!! - the most heartwarming drama ever! perfect for relaxation. MUST WATCH!!
Even if you don't enjoy light-hearted dramas, this drama is still definitely worth watching once in your lifetime. Here are some clarifications to help you out! NO, this is not one of those "cheesy" dramas that make no sense and have no character development! NO, this drama is not cliche! There are parts where you can anticipate what happens next, but they're not really related to the romantic aspect of this drama. Now, onto the reviews of separate aspects!For the romance aspect, this drama is definitely heavy. It's pretty centered on romantic relationships and progressions, but it's WELL WRITTEN! And very much realistic! The pacing is perfect, it's not a slowburn that makes you bored out of your mind, it's not so fast that it makes no sense, it's perfect. Of course, they come around hardships, but those hardships are very realistic, and you see them in the real world too. They also MAKE SENSE.
Next, the characters! Each and every character in this drama was written carefully and beautifully, from the townspeople to the children to the main leads. You can see each character's past and connect it with their actions in the present, and I really love that. It's not like the writers are trying to make some petty excuse for a villain's rampage. This drama shows traumas, pains, and most importantly, of course, realism. Personally, I value the realness of dramas, which is why I love this drama so much. It really connects with the real world, which made me extremely emotional while watching. I'll probably write another review with spoilers because I really cannot get over each character's stories. I will tell you here and now, however, that the female lead makes sense. She is not stupid. She breaks many stereotypes. She has a healthy relationship mindset. She is strong mentally, and her instincts and common sense are perfectly intact. I love that about her. The male lead is well written. He is not a jerk, hell no, he is an absolute sweetheart! His character has a lot of depth, and his thoughts and actions make sense. The second male lead is also very worth praising! He also has a loooot of depth. He has reasons for having feelings for our female lead, and he is not just there as a nuisance. Personally, I did not feel bad for him because while he has an amazing personality, so does the male lead. This is one of the very few dramas I've seen where both male leads make sense, and the male lead overpowers the second male lead. The second male lead's confession was straightforward, the female lead's rejection was also straightforward, and it's just *chef's kiss*. I love it.
Alright, the ACTING! Please, oh my god, the cast is insane. It's perfect. Kim Seonho as such a flexible range, and his microexpressions are really well depicted. You can see him reminisce about the past with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He gets that teary-eyed look when he uses expressions of affection, and most of these are similar to Shin Min-ah's acitng style as well! They are both amazing actors. I really love Shin Min-ah's voice. It's very relaxing. I also really feel the need to praise the townspeople's acting. They have such amazing duality, and they really go all out. I don't why, but a lot of times, the side characters have better acting than the leads. In this case, the leads' acting falls just a tiny bit short of the side characters. But the leads' acting is not at all bad! The side characters are just phenomenal.
Slice-of-life aspect: Apart from all the romance and stuff, what made me most emotional was how realistic this drama was. As the synopsis states, our female lead, Yoon Hyejin, moves to a small seaside town named Gongjin due to some personal issues. Now, the town Gongjin is very well depicted. They live traditionally, but you still see hints of modern-ness around. Like Juri stanning a K-pop group and the presence of technology. It's not like she went to the stone age, so I appreciate the realness of it. It's hard to write about this without spoiling anything major, but I'll just say that I really respect the authors of this drama for the realism. I love it when things are realistic but spicy.
Lastly, personal opinions. Personally, I tested positive for Covid and was quarantining, so I thought I'd watch this drama because I've seen it around a lot. And at first, I thought it was a cheesy cliche drama, haha! But I was watching Lawless Lawyer, and I got a little tired of all the scheming and stuff. I appreciated the romance in Lawless Lawyer, but like... I didn't really want to watch two people being affectionate when there's people trying to murder them all around. So, I sought out something more light-hearted, and tada! I ended up with Hometown Cha Cha Cha. And I am honestly so, SO glad I decided to watch it. I actually pulled through with it, because it got interesting right after the first episode, and it just kept getting more interesting. No disappointments whatsoever, at least for me. I think I'll end it here, HAHA. I rambled off. All in all, this is definitely worth watching. I gave it a low rewatch value because I still haven't recovered from crying my eyeballs out over it, but I know I'm definitely going to rewatch some parts, maybe even the whole thing. I just love it so much. Be sure to check it out!
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My fiancé (soon to be wife) is a dentist thanks to this drama! Anyway, perfect healing drama.
As a male fans of Kim Seon Ho since Start-up, I watched this drama expecting only comedy part of it. But I can't deny the whole casts and chemistry have hooked me everyday a month since release to watch it over and over again. It's truly heart-warming and healing romance story. I was single when I watch this drama. This drama made me to like a dentist and now my gf's is a dentist! Recommended drama to watch for boy or husband to spend with their woman to find ideas to date and be romantic. I really like their Romantic Sunday OST, too. It's giving me slow living vibe. I even plan to spend my honeymoon in Korea because of this drama!!Was this review helpful to you?
And so we were able to learn, as long as we have the memories of them our loved ones are always with us.
- Yoon Hye Jin
Very few fictional stories / characters possess the power to come so close to our heart that they bring back a ray of hope that is lost along the way. Hometown cha cha cha is one such kdrama and Hong Bangjang has stolen the highlight of this beautifully written and picture perfectly casted kdrama. The storyline is very simple, sweet and has been made quite clear from the beginning. Only until the middle of the show or so because ofc what's a good kdrama without a little traumatic flashback? What’s something else that I love about this drama is that it’s not just about our main leads. So many other characters have so much to convey which is so perfectly delivered. It’s like a cute little hamper of wholesomeness handed to you alongside going crazy over the main couple’s chemistry.
Storyline - the storyline of this drama almost looks like a recycled yet another enemies to lovers troupe with one lead who thinks oh-so mighty of themself while the other is everyone’s favourite with age old drama clichés like “fated to meet” and “past trauma”. But I absolutely love how it unfolds into something much more that’s comforting and meaningful. Needless to say the style of story telling is just as compelling with the perfect timing on flashbacks and interesting epilogues that keep viewers’ eyes peeled. Not only has the writer done justice to our main lead couple but also shed light on topics like effects of the aftermath of a divorce on a child through stories of side characters.
Acting - I couldn't emphasize over how perfectly casted this show is. From the main leads who'll never cease to draw your attention when they're onscreen to the side characters with the least screen time and backstory every actor has done such an appreciable job.
Music - The range of this OST album has made me so happy I truly do not want to simply put it in words as to how good this album is. One sunny day by Kassy is such a happy song! It can cheer me up and drag me out of my blues anyday. And the song wish by Choi yu ree has to be the most touching song I've heard in a while.
And the signature "lalalalalala" from romantic Sunday really fits the drama so well, I couldn't have asked for a more fitting OST album.
Re-watch value - Hometown cha cha cha might have had some episodes with a lenghthier runtime but if I'm ever in the mood of watching a wholesome plot with a lot of characters who practically bond like a family and a kdrama with the most adorable couple that’s visually pleasing this will be my go-to kdrama without a doubt.
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Some of The Worst Writing and PPL I’ve Ever Seen
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.Am I in the Twilight Zone? This drama was one of the worst I’ve ever seen, but how are so many people are saying it's their favorite? I’m flabbergasted…I was trying to avoid using that word because it sounds weird, but it’s the only way I can describe my feelings right now.
Acting/Cast: I like Kim Seon Ho (김선호), who plays the male lead. I know him from Catch Yoo Ryung, which is a drama I really enjoyed. His character is probably the only okay thing about this drama and he’s not even a well-written character. All the acting is bad from nearly everyone. Even the child actors weren’t great, aside from maybe Kim Min Seo (김민서). However, I think this is probably due to bad writing and directing; even the actors had no idea how to deliver these terrible lines. 1.5/10
Writing: The first half of the drama is decent. Although, the male lead literally is a Gary Stu, which is a clear indicator of bad writing. He’s good at everything, he went to a good college, he has a perfect personality, everyone loves him, blah blah blah. The female lead is a little better because she starts off very flawed. This was a nice surprise as drama writers tend to be afraid of writing flawed female leads. However, her character growth isn’t written well and when episode 11 hits (more on this later), any hopes for more character growth goes out the window. This drama has no message and it could have had one if the male lead wasn’t a Gary Stu. Then the female lead could learn to value people for their hearts and not for their schooling and designer clothes. One of the flaws that the female lead has is that she’s materialistic. Apparently this isn’t a bad thing because they use her materialism for all kinds of product placement and she never stops being materialistic. Ugh...the PPL in this drama is so bad that calling it PPL doesn’t even feel right. It should be called shameless advertising or infomercials or something. If the PPL interrupts the flow of a drama, then it’s a problem, and this happens multiple times. I think what happened was, they didn’t fulfill enough of the PPL requirement in the first half of the drama, so the second half was jam-packed with it to make up for it. Poor planning on their part. They even have a long Domino’s pizza commercial in the last episode where the actors have to pretend like they’ve never tasted pizza before. It’s so cringey. And the PPL isn’t the only thing that’s cringey about this drama...as I’ve mentioned earlier, the dialogue – particularly the dialogue between the two leads – it’s so bad. It’s so bad that I can swear the actors were cringing just as much as I was. There are multiple instances where the female lead simply tells the male lead how her personality is. That’s not how that works...we’re supposed to be shown a character’s personality, not told. Now let’s talk about episode 11. This is when the drama really imploded. The leads are now dating, but of course they got to put in the ‘secret relationship’ trope for the sole reason of trying to pack as many tropes as possible into this drama. In an attempt to keep their relationship secret (which is already super disrespectful and why I hate this trope), she physically abuses the male lead. It’s even to the point where she makes him bleed. It was not cute, it was not funny, it had nothing to do with the story, it was alarming. This chick is supposed to have feelings for him and she can still do all that to him! Imagine if the roles were reversed and it was the male lead who was slapping, kicking, and head-butting the female lead out of “reflex”. But no, it’s okay because it’s a man being abused by a woman. This is when I wanted to drop the drama. I was disturbed by the female lead’s behavior (and by the drama writers thinking that this is perfectly fine and funny). It was no longer cute or romantic by any means. However, I decided to keep going mostly because I wanted to type up this review. Unfortunately, since that point in the drama, it was a painful watch through to the end. The physical abuse stops, but the female lead’s crazy does not. Her personality in the first half of the drama and her personality in the second half of the drama are two completely different characters. She is so vastly different that I was expecting the male lead to fall out of love with her since she’s not who he fell in love with anymore. She is so cringey, constantly talking with a baby voice trying to act “cute”. If you thought Welcome to Samdal-ri and Doctor Slump was bad, hold my beer. The leads had decent chemistry in the first half of the drama, but since the female lead has now become some sort of baby-talking sleep paralysis demon, the chemistry has left the building. By this point in the drama, I’m well aware of how terrible the writing is, so when the male lead’s mystery gets uncovered, I’m already 100 steps ahead. I won’t “spoil” it, but think of the most cliché thing that it could be and you’ll be correct. I really hate this trope, too; it’s so lazy and makes no sense. Around this time, the female lead starts to blatantly emotionally manipulate the male lead into revealing his past to her (something that he has kept private from everyone). Excuse me bitch, how long have you known him?? And you think you have the right to know all his secrets?? And what makes matters worse is that there are no interesting side stories to keep me from wanting to drop this drama either. All the side relationships are also kind of annoying and/or weird. To be completely honest, I thought almost all of the characters themselves were annoying. 1/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The best thing about this drama is the filming location. The production value looks decent. The OST is decent. The directing...I don’t know who to blame. With such a bad script, can you really do anything to make it better? It's also as if the last half of the drama is a completely different drama. 4/10
Entertainment Value: The first half was decently entertaining. I liked the frenemies vibe that the leads had. I liked watching her befriend the townspeople (although it could have been done much better). However, the second half is so bad (from episode 11 and on) that I was actually angry. I would have dropped this at episode 11, but I was so freaked out by all the positive reviews that I wanted to finish this drama so that I could write one. 1/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 1/10. I have to give it a 1 because I would have dropped it at episode 11. There's only one drama I've seen so far that has worse writing than this one and that's The Third Charm (and that's even debatable). If you didn’t like Welcome to Samdal-ri, you won’t like this. There are no good characters, no chemistry, no message, and every cliché in the book is thrown into this drama. It ends up turning into a series of PPL commercials.
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I regret watching it late...
I mean, why did I come to know this masterpiece now, it's just too beautiful.No boring episode, even the back story was just so beautiful.
I found everything about this drama beautiful, I couldn't even stop until I finish watching, I spent two full days watching.
The ending was perfect too.
This drama indeed is a masterpiece and it portrays life well.
I mean, everyone has a past they want to hide so bad, and there are people who are already used to their pains that they find it hard to tell others about it.
Please go and watch this drama if you haven't.
it's worth all the time.
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