Welcome to Samdal-ri

Goodbye Samdal-Ri

I came to watch Welcome to Samdal-ri mainly to see my favorites, Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun. I almost titled this review "Maybe I expected too much" only to be reminded I came to watch with that single motive. I was happy to see their antics and their playfulness both on display on plenty occasions. However when Episode 16 wrapped up I just sat there wanting but unable to identify where the series fell short. I keep on having nagging feelings of uneasiness throughout the show like either the original story started out with less cast or production started before the script was even complete. Did the production budget get cut? There seems to be hastily added storylines which are unnecessary and did not drive the plot.

The characters were not fleshed out well either.
I need to see Sang-tae's devastation. What was shows was just not enough that I can feel for him too. Instead he just comes across as a petty father who arrogantly holds his grief over and above everybody else.
Sang-do was not believable. I mean it takes a bit more personality under the hood to drive a yellow convertible. But Sang-do was made so dry he is like toast with no butter. In love for decades and he doesn't behave like a moth to a flame 24/7?
Eun-hye devolved into a shadow of her self from Episode 1 so fast I got whiplash.
Pan-sik was so comically written that his character only worked on the first few episodes. Unfortunately, when things got serious you could say he can be edited out so easily. Shame that the writers did not even attempt to keep him relevant to the story.

To be honest, the actors I felt did well with the lackluster material they had. Not sure what made such stars sign on this project but I would love to be the fly on the wall each time this was pitched.

Sadly, I do not think I will be watching this ever again.

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Let’s go back to the beginning…

Self Discovery.

Who are we outside of our profession? What is our drive and passion in life? I think these are the main questions this series wants viewers to dig within.

It wants us to recall. To go back into time and discover who we are before we grew up to be workers. It also urges viewers to take a chance again. Failure doesn’t mean it’s the end. We can all stand up again. We can try again.

The picture and the lesson the show wants to send is truly heartwarming. Growth doesn’t truly mean we should forget everything that made us who we are. It shouldn’t change the youth and joy within us.

Beautiful really…

The issue FOR ME, is that there are so many things that needed more attention in this series. The story focused so much on just Samdal- and yes I know she’s the star of this show, but there are people behind who she is.

Her sisters, her friends, and the diving residents of Samdalri also had really great stories to share. Stories that are all part of her as well. I mean her exhibit showed that. I just wish that they were all given proper endings rather than all of it being crammed in the last episode. It would have made a great full circle.

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To have a place to return to is an incredible relief

Ending on a positive and lovely note, the drama's run was sure a rollercoaster of emotions. While at times I felt extreme amounts of hate towards the writer for not having the female lead take very obvious logical decisions, she managed to calm me down by the second half of the drama. The journey of finding herself was beautifully portrayed. Shoutout to Shin Hye Sun, what an actress she is! The sheer amount of emotions she can convey with just her eyes is *chef's kiss*. The cast did an amazing work, especially Jo Yoon Seo, god did I hate her character's guts. Overall a good slice of life drama with great side character arcs, wouldn't go through the pain of watching the first half of the drama again tho.

The Man-Su arc was the best in my opinion XD

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So many writing problems

I liked the overall vibes of family, friendship and healing. Good comedic timing and the most dramatic parts were very touching. I was really moved by the sequence of Yongpil's mother's death. It was all so sad... and poignant. The friendship between the leads' mothers was beautifully portrayed. I had a good time watching it, however the drama had many problems of narrative:

- I found Samdal a little annoying in the beginning. She seemed too self-focused and kinda oblivious of people around her. Her dream of making big in Seoul and leaving Jeju wasn't explained, like why she hates Jeju so much? Later she got better but still I couldn't empathise with her. She acted like this strong woman while in Seoul but after what her assistant did to her she just became too passive and forgiving. She never did anything to change what happened to her or to make justice. When things are resolved in the end, is bc other people did. And let's not forget that she accepted to work with her ex, who cheated on her with her assistant and helped that same assistant to screw her up. It didn't make sense!
- Yongpil was a little disappointing as well. He lacked a story of his own. He never stood up against his father to defend Samdal. Basically, all the drama with his father was poorly written. But not as much as his love for forecasting. He dreamed of working abroad but we only know that through third parties cuz he doesn't say this not even once. He set himself and his dreams aside for FL the whole time. It was not good. Ji Chang Wook is great and I only liked his character bc of him.
- The romance could've been better. I mean, every moment potentially romantic is always linked to their past together. So there's little swoony moments of them in the present time. Their chemistry could be better explored. Samdal never showed that she still had feelings for him. They spend a lot of time interacting together with other characters. Idk if I just wasn't caught on the couple but I felt smth was lacking.
- Sangdo's one-sided love was boring. I never really like love triangles, it's one of the worst tropes, but they can be bearable if done right. But I hate when the third wheel is such a good person that is only there to suffer. For real, that's his only function in the narrative. He loved Samdal his whole life, she never got to know his feelings, and Yongpil didn't really care so... yeah... he's there to suffer. alone. forever. UGH!
- Isn't it annoying when people in dramas hide an important info abt themselves to sPAre EveRybOdy frOm wOrRyiNg. Seriously, why was FL's mother hiding such a serious thing (like a heart problem!) from her daughters?! But I do understand that they never bothered to come home even once for their family so it served them best.
- What happened to Bang Eunju? I know she lost credibility in the fashion world but did she give up attacking Samdal seeing she was obsessed with her? How did she end up?
- Many things were left for the last episode. a) Haedal's history with swimming and interest in being a haenyeo was only brought up in the last eps so it didn't have more screentime to develop this storyline. b) Jindal's history with her ex felt rushed to me. It wasn't clear how his relationship with his family was resolved. Did his family accept her? Are they in a secret relationship? Does his family still treat him like garbage? It was a mess. c) Sangdo, Gyeongtae and Eunwoo's success in Seoul was a surprise. After failing in mainland, they never showed any interest in going back and trying again. Samdal's dream was always in the forefront and everybody helped her with it but nobody ever talked abt THEIR dreams and wishes. Besides, they all had good jobs in Jeju. Why leaving? Why success can only happen in Seoul? Also, does anyone know why Sangdo is rich? Just too many plot holes.

OSTs are very good and were present during the whole series. The more melancholic ones played during sad scenes were the best. They really helped me connecting with these moments. Visuals were great too. Jeju is a beautiful place and they used it well.

To conclude, it had a lot of problems of writing but it was an enjoying drama overall. It wasn't as bad as I made it seem although it could've been a lot better.

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A Decent Small-Town Slice of Life Romcom

This is a slice of life drama at its core--not the best of the bunch (that probably goes to Hospital Playlist or Because this is My First Life) but still pretty good. It had its problems, mostly pacing and very abrupt endings to the secondary plot points which is a damn shame since the characters involved would have been more interesting if given enough time to shine. Also did a good job with not going into too much kdrama romcom cutesy tropes which can be grating for viewers who are looking for a more grounded and mature atmosphere in their kdramas.

Shin Hye-sun did good carrying the drama though, and this would certainly have been very mediocre without her great performance. Overall, not too shabby of a watch--specially with the beautiful Jeju scenery in the backdrop.

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A healing drama filled with love, acceptance, dreams and reunions.

Choi Samdal and her people. Just a simple story of people in Samdalri. People who can love with their whole heart and hate with a passion too, if you provoke their loved ones. A drama which showed "Many people may support you at your highest but the ones who support you at your lowest is the ones that truly loves you, and eventually you realise that those people are your home. A place where you can be yourself and be supported."
The leads were the reason I was waiting for the drama and they truly delivered what I was hoping to see. Their emotions and acting was truly heartwarming. Every character was really giving their all.
It was a slow paced second chance romance filled with love, acceptance and reunions. A drama filled with people following their dreams with a strong home to fly back to.
I really feel sorry for those who stopped watching this after first 2-3 episodes. Because heartwarming dramas like this doesn't come often.
💙💙💙

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Not that great

First of all, she was innocent and could have defened herself which she didn't do. They were in their 30s but acted like teenagers, Be more mature and try to solve the problem first rather than running away from it.

It could have been alot better and fl's acting was on point but the character was not that great. If they haven't mentioned their age then it could have been better cause they are in their 30s and rather than solving her problems she runs away. It took them 16 eps to prove her innconce which could have been alot sooner. That's the thing that bother me alot in this drama other than this had a great potential but it just lost its charm because of small detials and some bad character development.

The side role couples had good chemistry and her younger sister and the dolphin guy would have a great series ig

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Not an addictive watch, but a pleasant one.

Though the main narrative of the story is between the two leads, there is a huge amount of supporting cast members who have their own stories.

I enjoyed seeing a group of actresses on the older end that showed camaraderie between women, and a dedication to a skill that is truly dying out.

I also enjoyed the family dynamic of the three tempestuous sisters who were unconventional yet generally a motivating force for good.

Ji Chang-Wook is one of my favorite actors so I'm biased, he is a beautiful man and sometimes I think that doesn't work to his advantage when he wants to play grittier roles, his features are just too delicate. But they managed to make him look approachable, and his character had nuances of expression, a warm playful bravado that fit into the role well and helped it be more believable. And nary an ab muscle was shown.

Shin Hye Sun.... I have a lot of respect for her work, but I find her to be abrasive at times. And that was the case here as well. Though I was invested in her tale of redemption and when she finally was able to clear her name it was quite satisfying. especially with all the loyalty displayed by the supporting characters and how they all banded together. I think that might have been the main theme coming through was that your family and your history will support you because they know who you really are.

At times the pacing seemed slow, but I felt like I was learning a part of Korean history and a different lifestyle versus some of the flashier dramas set in the city. A lot of parts of it were quite wholesome, and I enjoyed that insight. I don't think it would be a drama that I read rewatch because it did not have me at the edge of my seat waiting for each new episode to drop, it was not an addictive watch for me. But it was a pleasant one.

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Most hated characters.

I honestly loved the show but once Boo Sang-do and Cho Sang-tae came on screen, I wanted to rip my hair out.

Boo Sang-do: My issue with him is that he had a crush since he was little on Cho Sam-dal but why are you going out of your way to make her like you when you know that she doesn't and why are you getting mad that the whole village is rooting for Cho Sam-dal and Jo Yong-pil. Ugh, I am still frustrated with his character and how desperate he seems.

Cho Sang-tae: He honestly kept projecting his pain and suffering on to everyone around him, especially his son who considered his mother's best friend as his own mother. Like how would your wife feel if she were alive and witnessed you were treating her best friend so horribly.

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Welcome to a little bit of everything

This is a sweet drama combining parts of Our Beloved Summer, Reply 1988 and with something more... i am not really sure what that is is could be hometown cha cha cha (without the leads regressing in character) it could be som idol drama... maybe parts of Our Blues. Whatever it is I am sure I have seen most of this drama before most of which was really enjoyable but highly predictable. Which was fine until the cringe came along with voices speaking together as one and some trope that jus got on my nerves lowering the score.

Both leads in this drama are absolutely phenomenal, I had forgotten how good Ji Chan Wook is at being sweet, and while it did feel a bit odd to see him as just a regular guy not trying to kill anyone and fully dressed all the time, he definitely has this amazing charm and is indeed capable of captivating the audience.

Shin Hye Sun was also very well casted as she is probably the queen of hot, cold and vulnerable all put in to one

The scenery here is lovely, and the drama is pretty much a commercial to visit Jeju Island while minding the crowds at the popular tourist spots. The use of water and umbrellas is great and I am pretty sure there is a referens in there to the umbrella scene in Something in the Rain with a twist. Other things that had me baffeld was the amount of alcohol the people in this dram could consume without ending up at a hospital or dead.

I love the friendships, the sisterhood, the kid, the families the blasts to the past and learning about the weather. I could do without the actual reasons for the drama in this show as they where not very relatable and lacked depth beyond the depth of the sea... Other things that bothered me where over the top characters with the typical over the top imbedded moments of not that again that many other drama watchers love but just get on my nerves. That said this is an enjoyable watch, an easy binge and couple that is a pure joy to watch.

Healing is kind of my nemesis I knew that going in to this so I will leave it at a it could have been a lot worse, but it was still there to take away from my personal experience. For those of you who love watching healing dramas and do not mind moments of over the top, maybe you even love the moment of over the top then this is defiantly a must watch. For those who can appreciate a mature romance this is also a pretty decent place to find. it.


P.s. this drama was probably also part of the find a deep connection challenge among the writers of Korea, and while it seems to have only lasted one life time I would say it may not be as twisted as some of the other drams with this theme it goes deeper under water than some of the multiple lifetime themed onec out there.

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