While this is my first blog post for 2021, in some sense I am also writing a late review of something from last year-- all because of a news that made everyone cheering on at the start of the year.
When the Kdrama Crash Landing on You became popular in 2020, I was almost left behind by the bandwagon. I really didn’t care much about what the hype was about because I was too occupied and exhausted with work. It was only after the persistent urging of one of my teammates who was influenced by her husband (who is a Kdrama fan) that I decided to give the show a try.
Just like the past instances, I was left wondering at first what to get out of it. The story revolves around two people from two different walks of life, Yoon Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin), a chaebol heiress from South Korea who crash lands in the North Korean peninsula after a paragliding mishap and meets a dashing soldier named Ri Jeong-hyeok (played by Hyun Bin). But the question of what happens next given that the main characters involved were from two conflicting countries was what got me hooked to each episode. I got intrigued as to what other possibilities might ensue between two people who are from two states in political conflict-- or if such “possibilities” can even be viable in such a complicated situation.
I confess that I instantly became a fan of Crash Landing on You right after the Episode 1, but I only got all too smitten with Hyun Bin upon reaching Episode 11. I admired how the story was conceptualized taking the facts about North Korea into consideration. The show somehow gave me the gripping reality about what’s it like to be living in North Korea (and I realized how I don’t want to end up living there regardless if they have good-looking men in uniform like Captain Ri!), and how thankful we should be that a neutral country like Switzerland exists. The scenic view of Switzerland made me include the country to my lakwatsa list. The characters of the North Korean squad, and how they demonstrated loyalty to the leader of the pack also made the story fun and endearing to watch. The other thing was of course, was the chemistry between Captain Ri and Yoon Se-ri; because just like the others who have seen the drama, at one point I wished that their on-screen relationship could turn from reel to real.
So when it was finally confirmed on New Year’s Day this year that they are indeed a couple, I will not lie in saying that I got both happy and kilig too. Blame it on my writer brain, being a fangirl and a hopeless romantic, I have this tendency to believe that there are people with certain chemistry with their on-screen relationship might work better if it were to be carried on in real life -- and Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin are among the appropriate example.
Among other things, Crash Landing on You kept my sanity intact at the height of all the craziness of a shit-filled 2020. It encouraged me to somehow try to see hope even when things and situations seem to be impossible. And with the confirmation of their relationship this year, it allowed me to realize that there is indeed power in love and possibilities if only you take chances, the courage to make that leap of faith and believe in them. Yes, I want to believe that 2021 will somehow be a good one. And things like this is a good start.
Whenever I watch TV programs, science fiction is always the genre that is the least of my liking. But after watching the movie The Passengers on cable TV recently, I remembered that I have one sci-fi Kdrama that has been sitting in my external hard drive for months. That Kdrama was Melting Me Softly.
Melting Me Softly is the story of variety show producer Ma Dong-chan and TV show part-timer Go Mi-ran. Two ordinary people who will try to make amends in catching up with the time they lost after a supposed 24-hour science experiment where they were both part of fails. Both people wake up 20 years later, leaving them confused, in a daze and racing against time to adjust and cope with the changes they encounter in the present time.
My author-friend Elizabeth told me that this Kdrama is another show that can give one a lot of feels -- and indeed it is. There was actually a moment while watching this drama that I felt it hard to process what I was feeling towards Dong-chan and his girlfriend Na Ha-young’s situation. Ha-young was left powerless when Dong-chan went missing; and despite being in a situation where there was no clear resolution as to what happened, she still waited for him to return -- even if it meant she will have to wait for two decades. But what made it all the more painful was when Dong-chan confessed that his feelings no longer aligned with hers. It made me realize that time indeed can change everything, and it’s not just limited to one’s physical features but even to the emotional aspect of their being as well.
Aside from the humor and a bit of the romantic side, this drama showed a good representation on the importance of family. I particularly found the episode where Dong-chan had this heart-to-heart conversation with his youngest sister where he assured her that he will always be his older brother and that she is still precious to him. But honestly, if there was one thing that really pushed me to watch the show aside from wanting to observe the genre, it’s only because of its lead actor, Ji chang-wook. Melting Me Softly would have been better if only the main characters were given a much-deserved conclusion to their story. I mean come on, Dong-chan and Mi-ran went through a lot of complications from that botched science experiment and a stabbing incident caused Mi-ran to be a cryonic human again for another three years so the ending that they both travelled together to the United States and did a travel vlog does not give justice to both the storyline and the characters. I guess viewers would have enjoyed it more if the story and the characters had a more interesting ending.
Throughout this quarantine period, there had been a few Korean dramas that I have watched more than once because I enjoyed the story the first time. One of which is the romantic comedy Touch Your Heart. The show stars Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na who happens to be the second lead couple, Grim Reaper and Sunny in the 2016 Kdrama Goblin.
While I was unable to see them portray their respective roles in Goblin, I decided to give this one a go mainly because I found the trailer interesting. In Touch Your Heart, Yoo In-na plays as an actress named Oh Yoon-seo. After being involved in a drug scandal, she hopes to redeem her top star status by making a comeback as a female lead in another drama. But to do so, she must first get some work experience by serving as a legal secretary at a law firm. It is there she meets the workaholic and aloof lawyer, Kwon Jung-rok. Just when she's firm with just acquiring some field experience for her role, love unexpectedly blooms between her and her immediate boss.
I must say that I could somewhat relate to the plot of the story especially with Yoo In-na's role as a legal secretary as I also ventured in the same career before going into this unexpected hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than just a glimpse of life inside the confines of a court, the law practice, and reuniting with legal jargon, what made me enjoy watching this drama was the element of romance (of course). But specifically, I liked how the show was able to convey the concept of office romance between two people from obviously different social status in such a delightful way. I confess, there were moments when I have to lock the door of my bedroom because I was squealing in giddy delight whenever there are kilig moments involving the two characters.
But the show is not just all about all that lovey-dovey stuff. It also included some elements of suspense and conflict especially the ones that involved evidence gathering during those crime-solving scenarios. This rom-com also showed some of the pros and cons, the ups and downs that are part of romantic relationships, and how vital compromise is for a couple to sail through the rough patch and make a relationship work.
The episode ends with Yoon-seo making a successful comeback and finally deciding to make her relationship with Kwon Jung-rok known to the public. While the ending of Touch Your Heart is simple and not as fireworks-worthy as I hoped it would, I must say it was still worth watching.
I would recommend it to friends who are after feel-good, lighthearted Kdramas to binge-watch on Friday nights. Who knows they might end up wanting to have someone like Kwon Jung-rok in their lives after finishing the series, as in #SanaAll.
In a post I wrote months ago, I mentioned how intrigued I've been to watch Romance is a Bonus Book. But there was another Kdrama that I also looked forward to watching -- Her Private Life. When I read that Park Min Young is starring in the series, I thought that maybe I'll enjoy watching this one too as I have seen her other rom-com, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim.
Her Private Life tells the story between an artist and eventually museum director, Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook) and museum curator Sung Deok-mi whose "private life" is the center of this Kdrama because next to working for Cheum Museum of Art, she is a fangirl of a Kpop idol, Cha Shi-an of the group White Ocean. Trouble ensues when a rumor breaks out that Deok-mi and Shi-an are dating. So in order to protect Deok-mi from the threats of Shi-an's diehard fans, Ryan Gold suggests that he and Deok-mi pretend to date each other instead. Another challenge was when the previous director's daughter, Sindy, (who is also a Shi-an fanatic) gets to be an intern in the museum with a mission: to prove that Deok-mi and Ryan aren't really dating. But the question of where their play-pretend relationship leads them is worth watching as you move from one episode to another (at least, that's how it was for me).
I honestly thought I would quit watching the second episode because I got annoyed with Ryan Gold's aloof personality. But towards the end of that episode (and after knowing that there's such a thing as caffeine allergy which made me think of my coffee consumption for a moment), I just found myself watching one episode after another which made me disregard my "one episode per night" rule. The decision was worth it. In one of the episodes, I even felt like being slapped by reality over the subject of having a little courage-- especially when it comes to love. Yup, at some point it made me remember a former professor's advice: follow the path to romance!
Pardon me for the lack of words on how I could describe my thoughts on this series. I guess it's because things have yet to sink in as I only finished binge-watching the series hours ago. But next to feeling giddy seeing the chemistry between the two characters, Her Private Life offered some surprising twists in the story. I've always wondered why those "bubble-themed" paintings were that important to Ryan. Who is Lee Sol and Heo Yoon-jae? What is the significance of Lee Sol and Cha Shi-an to Ryan? In all those, I was left with a surprised reaction when the answers are revealed. But what made me cry the most was when Sung Deok-mi found out the truth about the child named Deok-soo and what happened to him.
In general, Her Private Life was worth the late-night binge-watching. I can absolutely give a thumbs up to the characters, the plot, the feelings it will give the audience and even the OST (Float and Maybe are my favorites-- I even play that on repeat!) Next to people who are after some feel-good romantic comedy, this show is ideal for those who are inclined to arts and the artistic life and if you are intrigued about the life and how it is like to be a fangirl.
