sasorizary

a masterpiece for those who love slow burns, great chemistry, and beautiful cinematography

i loved this show! T_T its been weeks since i've finished it and i am still unable to move on. it got me kicking my feet and cheesing the entire time, which i haven’t felt watching a kdrama in years. while i was pretty disappointed to see such mixed reviews online but, i get it. the storyline was slightly different from trailers and not what everyone expected this romcom to be. the genre change mid-show turned a lot of viewers away but i think it was executed flawlessly (the alter ego/mpd was not overdone in a fantasy way).

first, the main characters are so well-written and incredibly portrayed by the actors. the character and relationship developments were very realistic. the little details in the scenes added so much to the slow burn and was satisfying to watch. i’ve never seen a show with go younjung and i’ve never been too interested in kim seonho, but now i’m a big fan of them both. their chemistry was off the roofs; it got me squealing fr >_<

i really enjoyed the themes of anxious and avoidant attachments, and how realistic miscommunication happens in romance. muhee is an actress, emotional with an anxious avoidant attachment style and hojin is a translator, literal but with high emotional intelligence. hiro seems to have a fearful avoidant attachment style and jisun/yongu protray secure attachments.

the show perfectly captured how misunderstandings don’t come from a lack of care, but rather from the fact that everyone speaks their own emotional language, and that love requires learning how to interpret it. at first, i was confused by hojin’s reactions and actions because muhee’s intentions and feelings seemed so clear, but from his pov, she really was sending him mixed signals. she said what she thought he needed to hear and he did what he thought she meant, hence the title. my only complaints are that it would’ve been nice to have a more developed story/love line with hiro and more depth to muhee’s past/mother. although, the jisun/yongu may have seemed random at first, it was nice to see their fast advancement (in contrast to muhee/hojin). jisun wanted a man that took initiative (her language) and neither hojin or his brother did.

the cinematography was SUPERB!! each setting was so beautiful and each scene was filmed so aesthetically. it really felt like the director made sure every second was carefully thought out. i also liked how each country gave a different vibe but the actors did mention they got a lot more comfortable through the year of filming so that may be why. my favorite scene was the aurora scene; i think it perfectly captured the shift in their relationship and it was beautiful, duh. "auroras do not appear in seoul" "i don't want to watch it disappear" muhee self-sabotages as she doesn't think she deserves happiness and then prepares for the loss while she can still control it by leaving (all while hojin asks her to stay for the first time). ugh, i could go on and on about every scene in this show but this review would be endless.

some other notable things that i really appreciated:
- i loved how much they focused on the foreign languages, kim seonho’s pronunciation seemed to be so on point, which really amplified his role.
- i loved how the love line was between two complete strangers (no red string theory), and how they kept the opposite gender managers platonic.
- “why worry about what happens later? we’ll be breaking up anyway.” as we try to love less, hope less, and dream less to protect our heart, we slowly lose color of our life. what is there to live for if we won’t give out our all?

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viva la vida! life is uncertain, might as well enjoy the ride :)

i expected a lighthearted, coming of age romance with a whimsical travel element, but boy was i wrong. it is much more than that, delving into darker themes such as childhood trauma and abuse, as well as systemic discrimination. these are not easy subjects to appeal to the general public, but i liked that twinkling watermelon was able to explore those themes while keeping the overall atmosphere light and sweet through a colorful lens with music and youth.

the show is centered around eun gyeol, a coda (we learn something new every day!), who struggles to balance his dreams with the weight of familial responsibility. he's given a magical opportunity to travel back in time and possibility change his (and his family’s) destiny. while watching this show, i felt emotional and nostalgic, wishing i could travel back in time to experience life (youth) with my parents, to understand them better and to protect them. now that i’m a bit older, my parents’ worries, concerns, and demands all sound more reasonable than they did at the time, and this drama perfectly captures that shift in perspective. at the same time, it never diminishes the pressure and emotional burden teenages carry, giving equal weight to both struggles.

the cast was very well-chosen and the actors portrayed their characters to be very loveable. it seems like choi hyunwook has aced roles like ha yichan (energetic, silly, and shy loverboy) and i always love seeing him on screen. shin eunsoo also portrayed cheong ah’s character flawlessly (esp after knowing her personality in real life). despite her disability and neglect, i loved how cheong ah’s character was strong and resilient. as many others have mentioned, i wish we were able to see how life was for yi chan after he lost his hearing and how he reconnected with cheong ah. it ending was clear as to what happened those years but it would’ve been sweet to see it happen.

many time travel dramas have explored the narrative of would our lives improve if we had the opportunity to change the past? and, if so, how? answer they often circle back to is that change is inevitable. we may try to wrest control over our fate, but life will always remain uncertain, so we might as well learn how to enjoy the ride. with that being said, i appreciated the ending. even though eun gyeol wasn’t able to change history for the better, he gained something just as meaningful -- the chance to truly witness what his parents went through, to see who they were before him. he comes to understand them not just as parents, but as individuals with their own dreams, fears, and lives.

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entertaining all-thrill action but ultimately lacks depth

this drama started off so strong but began to lose momentum and went downhill after the first four episodes. the concept was cliche but well loved (by me at least): a classic revenge crime action thriller centered on our protagonist, a victim who was wrongfully framed. but as the story progressed, it became overloaded with subplots that were barely resolved by the end.

some arcs that i thought were poorly executed/written or simply unnecessary:
- the death race; the squid game esque concept is overdone atp and revealing yohan to taejoong so early on removed a lot of potential tension
- the prison gangster arc; bringing back the mob boss only for yohan to end up killing him? also, it would’ve been more compelling if one of prison gangsters end up helping taejoong instead.
- yohan’s backstory; he’s such an intriguing character yet we barely see his upbringing/family.
- eunbi’s one-sided crush; would’ve been more fitting if they gave them a close sibling relationship

that said, the action was undeniably intense.. my heart was definitely racing for many of the scenes. as expected,the ji changwook and action combo never fails. they did a good job keeping the show suspenseful, but as everyone already mentioned, the plot armor went crazy. from delivery boy to tackling 100 skilled men at once. and the fact that he had numerous enemies (everyone wanted him dead!) but he still made it out (a bit too easily, i’d say). it would’ve been more awe-worthy/satisyfing if he was able to win with some wits and not just fists.

taejoong’s character felt a bit bland. there was so much potential for him to evolve into a darker anti-hero after enduring prison, learning about his brother’s death, and discovering others had been framed in the same situation, but he remained pure and kind, even risking his life to save the hair salon mother and daughter. while admirable, it limited his complexity and made it frustrating to watch at times. at the same time, the narrative focused too heavily on him, leaving the side characters underdeveloped. they had so many opportunities to build from the prisoners, the doctor (bae nara), nanny, taejoong’s three friends, etc. but they completely missed. i think it would’ve been more entertaining to build the doctor to be stronger and more of yohan’s right hand man (instead of the random chinese girl??) instead of killing him off.

yohan was also a really interesting character, but they failed to elaborate on his upbringing/backstory. with that being said, his death was so random and the “revenge” was extremely underwhelming and emotionally unsatisfying. or i’d like to think that he didn’t die and nanny covered it up with the fire. im torn if i liked kyungsoo as the villain though he portrayed him convincingly—“just a boy”. he was terrifyingly powerful both physically and mentally. the way he killed with no remorse but excitement was so chilling man.

on a more positive note, yongsik and eunbi were good additions to the very bland supporting characters. i liked how they built their relationship development and it was heartwarming to see that they reconciled because of taejoong. i’m glad the writers gave them a happy ending.

overall, the drama had a powerful start, strong action sequences, and compelling character foundations but it ultimately fell short due to uneven pacing, excessive plot armor, and missed opportunities in character development.

“Time is the greatest enemy that you’ll ever have to face while you’re in here. The secret is, the only way to defeat time is to surrender to it.” - Yongsik

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healing and refreshing! finding joy in the ordinary :)

i started homecha when it was released back in 2021 but for some reason never finished it (even though i was already on ep 12). i felt the urge to rewatch it after being smitten with kim seonho post ctlbt and i’m so glad i did. (maybe it’s because i’m a bit older now, but this time it really stayed with me.)

to be honest, at first, i didn’t really care for the side characters and found myself tempted to skip their scenes. however, towards the halfway mark, i started to appreciate the depth they brought to the story, getting to know the villagers, their individual struggles, and how they complement each other in the little ecosystem of gongjin. i liked that the characters were written with flaws, in such human ways, yet still very lovable.

yeo hwa-jung’s character in particular really moved me. the scene where she was screaming (with no volume) at young-guk about the socks (but also not really) broke me. the women really stood out in this show, from the grandmothers, to hwa-jung and chung-hwa, to yun-kyung, and even the kids. their struggles weren’t dramatic or sensational.. just life. i also want to add that i love seong-hyun’s character. although he didn’t give me second lead syndrome, he radiated such warmth and sincerity. i loved that the male leads got along and became good friends. it was so refreshing to have a love triangle without unnecessary rivalry or bitterness.

as for the main leads: the premise alone already had me hooked. a principled (and slightly pretentious) socialite dentist who moves to a seaside village after getting blacklisted in seoul meets a jack of all traits, seemingly perfect local hero with a secret flaw. except it wasn’t a flaw, just hidden pain. i wish it was an actual character flaw, or something he had to work with, but it was just one of those masked strength ‘weaknesses’. it just felt a bit unfair as he was always ‘right’ and hye-jin was always ‘wrong’. anyways, du-shik is perfect…the man of every girl’s dreams. kim seonho never fails. on the other hand, hye-jin’s character development was beautifully written. you could clearly see her growth in the smallest details throughout each episode (kudos to shin min-ah on the execution!) she was always a likeable boss woman, but she grew to be softer, more open, and seems genuinely happy with her new perspective on life.

but nevertheless, their dynamic worked. du-sik comes across as tender and compassionate, carrying quiet grief beneath his smile, while hye-jin’s prickly ambition slowly melts into something more open and heartfelt. their relationship isn’t built on drama or grand gestures but on everyday kindness, shared moments, and sincere conversations. because of that, their love feels genuine (and more satisfying), developing the way it often does in real life.

what makes homecha so refreshing is its sincerity. it reminds you that happiness or “success” doesn’t have to be loud. healing often happens in the background, through routine, laughter, and human connection. in the end, life isn’t defined by grand accomplishments or past mistakes, but by the quiet, meaningful moments that make up the journey.

“Look around you closely and you’ll realize that you’re surrounded by many precious things. Everyday is full of so much excitement as if I’m going on a picnic the next day.”

"It's like staying indoors because you're afraid it might rain; starving, afraid of stomachaches. Stop hesitating or you'll lose out on the chance once again."

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