simple and fun
I watched Like Flowers In Sand right when I needed something light, sincere, funny, and heartwarming. No devastating conflict, and the drama of the characters' past wasn't over the top. I really enjoyed the story and the choice of actors and actresses. For me Jang Dong-yoon was perfect as the not-particularly-bright Kim Baek-du, a former wrestler with a heart of gold and a surprisingly quick grasp on putting pieces together. It still amazes me that Jang Dong-yoon was discovered on the news and has become such an impressive actor. His portrayal made me laugh out loud multiple times. I also loved Lee Joo-myung as Oh Doo-sik, Baek-du's long lost best friend and first love. Too often, for my taste, female characters in Korean shows talk like children and dumb themselves down, but Doo-sik is strong (literally and figuratively), works for justice, is opinionated, smart, and loves deeply. The group of older villagers who are always in the background watching and gossiping were a lot of fun. Same goes for the wrestlers at Baek-du's gym. I knew nothing about ssireum before watching this show, and found it very interesting to see the matches and learn about it. The seriousness of a pair of possibly-connected murders, the loss of fathers and childhood friends, along with a rumor of match-fixing add poignancy without being overbearing. And I think a little white runaway dog named Snowball might just steal the show.
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