I never was a huge fan of Kdrama. Not to say I think they are bad, but I assumed they would be too cheesy for my tastes. Plus, I never really grew up with Korean media. I was more into American cartoons, sitcoms, and Japanese anime.
Just recently though, this show came up on my radar on Netflix. I didn’t give it too much thought at first. However, with the insistence of my fiancee, I decided to watch this Kdrama series with her.
Little did I know that this series opened my eyes to a whole new story that seems crazy at first, but it would feel real and heartfelt. I know that this is my first Kdrama that I have watched in full, but I must say that I don’t believe any other shows can reach the level of pure TV show magic as this one. I admit there were moments I cried and, believe me, there are not many things that can make me cry. The show is perfect blend of drama, action (well not too much), comedy, and, most important of all, romance.
PREMISE
The story follows Yoon Se-ri, a wealthy South Korean businesswoman of high status, and Ri Jeong Hyeok, a member of the North Korean elite, who happened to meet due to unusual circumstances. Due to a weather anomaly while paragliding, Se-ri landed in North Korea across the Demilitarized Zone and met Jeong Hyeok who was patrolling in the area. With her life and safety at stake, Jeong Hyeok helped to protect her and assist in finding a way for her to return to South Korea. Along the way, Se-ri got to meet a group of local North Korean village women from a border town and Jeong Hyeok’s group of loyal soldiers. She would also encounter a former boyfriend, Jeong Hyeok’s fiancee, and many others along her journey to get back to South Korea. All in the while there are political and familial intrigues that will seek to hinder Se-ri’s path to home.
Before we get into the review, I will note that there will be spoilers ahead. So if you haven’t seen Crash Landing on You yet, DO NOT READ FURTHER AND GO WATCH IT ON NETFLIX. If you don’t have a Netflix account, ask a friend or family member to borrow their account. I do recommend getting a Netflix account, even if it is for a month to watch the series. Your subscription will help to make their living and to finance future projects like this.
And if you want to know if I recommend this series, then YES! ABSOLUTELY! Go watch it! I highly recommend it! I’m serious! You won’t regret it.
CHARACTERS and STORY
Given my lack of knowledge of Kdrama, there’s not much I can say about the individual actors and actresses. However, I was able to judge the series by the strength of the performances and how well they are portrayed. I have to say that this is one of the best cast of characters I have seen in a long time.
One of the best aspects about the show is its comedy. Every person, from the minor roles, to the supporting cast, and to the main cast, played their roles well. Now I don’t claim to understand how Korean comedy works compared to American comedy, but I must admit that I found myself laughing many times through the series. The dialogue is genuine and smooth. Even at parts that sounds serious, the dialogue gives off a comedic tone to it. One noted acting technique that I found through the series was when the characters speak at a rapid manner, which gives off that comedic feel. Another is when the characters traded sharp witted barbs at each other, sometimes in exaggerated tone and expression. In addition, part of the comedy is due to characters’ reactions to difference in culture, customs, and norms. This is especially the case for Se-ri, a wealthy South Korean businesswoman, where she had to learn about the life of the people in North Korea. Her interactions with the North Korean village women, Jeong Hyeok, and his fellow soldiers made many of the witty, but funny dialogue. Their cultural miscommunication is not a throwaway humor tactic, but a genuine way to demonstrate human behavior between two different groups of people.
The story has a couple of notable antagonists. The main antagonist is Cho Cheol Gang, a corrupt North Korean officer of the State Security Department (similar to like the FBI but a lot more harsh and punitive). Minor antagonists include Se-ri’s second brother, Se-hyung, and his wife, Sang-a. These three are despicable for their cold, self-serving, and amoral view of their world. All three wanted nothing more than to gain power and authority and would do anything to achieve their goals, even it means hurting or killing those in their way. While I wouldn’t call them great villains, they nevertheless provide the unwavering obstacles that test the two main protagonists, Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok, and make you really root for these two to succeed.
Two other minor protagonists on the show include Se-ri’s former fiance, Seung-jun, and Jeong Hyeok’s fiancee, Dan. While not as fascinating as Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok, they nevertheless provide an abundance of their own comedy and drama, as they deal with the fact their feelings for the ones they thought they loved were not real. Their chance encounters and subsequent interactions like Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok offered great character development for these two characters who acted like anti-heroes but ended up being heroes to each other.
Most importantly, the main reason why I love this series is its two main protagonists Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok. Their journey together, while perhaps dramatized to the point of coincidences, is nevertheless the driving force in the series. One might believe immediately that they will end up together and live happily ever after. However, what is great is how the story slowly but surely built up their relationship. Through all the twists and turns, they grew to understand and help each other. Both may come from different countries, but they are actually pretty similar. Both came from high status backgrounds and are well-educated. Both are actually caring and loving people. Both suffered emotional trauma that they tried to hide away. Both, at some point, thought they had nothing to live for and didn’t think about the future. However, through a series of chance encounters, they somehow saved each other. They realized that all this time that the person they needed had been there for a long time, but that only at this point in time they were able to truly meet. Every interaction with them helped to reveal who they are, how they feel, and what they think. Not only that, the actor and actress who play these characters have excellent chemistry. There was never a dull moment when they are together on-screen. Especially during the sad and happy moments, they feel so real that you can feel what they feel.
FAVORITE EPISODE
All 16 episodes in this series are amazing! Even with about 1.5 hours in each episode, they managed to create an entertaining story that never felt too slow or too fast. Not one moment I feel had any filler moments. Though at the end of each episode, we get either flashbacks or additional scenes that helped to flesh out the characters or scenes more.
It is difficult to pick a favorite episode, but if I had to pick one, it would have to be Episode 9. I feel the two main characters were at the most emotional moment. Jeong Hyeok thought that Se-ri could have been killed since the end of the last episode. He was in agony and tearfully stood up to his father over Se-ri. There he spoke perhaps some of my favorite lines in the series. Once his mother revealed Se-ri to him, he goes back to being stoic and calm (which is amusing), while Se-ri still as always was pretty emotional about him. One other big moment was when both realized they have encountered each other before in Switzerland, where he played the song he dedicated for his brother and she happened to listen to it. This miraculously saved her life by giving her courage to move forward despite her emotional pain and depression. Granted it has been foreshadowed before, but hearing these characters having that realization makes it all the more better and meaningful. It is as if fate was trying to bring these two together somehow.
FAVORITE SCENES
There are so many funny and dramatic scenes in this series that there are too many to count. Therefore, I will count down my fifteen favorite scenes.
15. (Episode 2) Se-ri meets with Jeong Hyeok’s band of soldiers with hilarious interactions. They thought she was killed in an accident, but they were shocked she was alive. The hilarious bit is between her and Chi Su where they try to one up on each other.
14. (Episode 3) Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok attempted a boat-to-boat escape route so she can return to South Korea. This is where they had their real first genuine conversation with each other.
13. (Episode 4) After the boat-to-boat escape route failed due to being caught by North Korea patrol boats, they argued about the situation and bickered over Jeong Hyeok’s kiss on her when they tried to distract the person in charge of sea patrol. Se-ri’s fast-paced dialogue and exaggerated expressions are hilarious, as well as Jeong Hyeok’s attempt at being stoic and somewhat uninformed about certain cultural references.
12. (Episode 5) When the train to Pyongyang was stopped due to power outage (this happens often while in North Korea), Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok spent the night outside, laying on straw and blankets. This had one of my favorite conversations between the two as she mentioned an Indian proverb “Sometimes, the wrong train takes you to the right station”.
11. (Episode 7) Pretty much the entire first 40 minutes of the episode. Specifically, after Jeong Hyeok saved her from an attempt on her life by Cho Cheol Gang’s men, Jeong Hyeok was shot and injured. She decided to drive him to the nearest hospital instead of going to the airport, which was her chance to go home. While he was unconscious, she expressed how she used to never care much about others, but acknowledged he is now someone special to her. After waking up and initially being upset that she didn’t get on the flight home, he realized she stayed to save him by donating her blood. Given that, he and Se-ri finally kissed properly for the first time.
A special note to the scene afterwards where Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok talked about what to do after their romantic kiss from last night.
10. (Episode 9) Jeong Hyeok’s father kidnapped Se-ri per Dan’s request. Jeong Hyeok feared that she would be killed and so he went to his home and confronted his father. This scene had some of the best lines in the series. Jeong Hyeok emotionally says that he cares about Se-ri, all the while his mother and Se-ri listened. When his mother revealed that Se-ri is alive, they had a touching reunion.
9. (Episode 9) While at Jeong Hyeok’s home, Se-ri learned that Jeong Hyeok used to be a pianist. Now during the previous episodes, we saw a glimpse of her hearing a beautiful piano piece in Switzerland years ago that gave her the strength to move forward. Jeong Hyeok revealed that he composed and played that music, which was dedicated to his late brother, for the first and last time, while, at the same time, Se-ri heard it. This was a beautiful scene as it demonstrated the power of fate and how these two somehow had this bond they never knew before.
8. (Episode 10) Okay I’m going to cheat a bit and say a few scenes. Se-ri’s epic reveal and return to South Korea. Man Bok, a local North Korean wiretapper, met with Jeong Hyeok and confessed how he was involved in the death of Jeong Hyeok’s brother. Jeong Hyeok got to hear a recording of his brother’s last words, giving him closure over the pain he suffered from his brother’s death. Cho Cheol Gang finally got the punishment he deserved after Jeong Hyeok found the evidence his brother hid away.
7. (Episode 11) Continuing from the previous episode’s emotional cliffhanger where Se-ri noticed that Jeong Hyeok is in Seoul. I really loved this scene. It was so romantic and I agreed with Se-ri that is almost like a dream.
A special mention to Jeong Hyeok’s comrades, including Man Bok, who were assigned to bring Jeong Hyeok home. Their utter shock and surprise of how much better things are in South Korea compared to North Korea.
6. (Episode 12) I’m sorry but there are too many scenes I have to mention. Se-ri being a badass when confronting Chinese tenants to ask for their help in finding Cho Cheol Gang, who fled to South Korea to kill her. The hilarious attempts by Jeong Hyeok’s men and Man Bok to find Jeong Hyeok. Seung-jun telling Dan about his family’s history with Se-ri’s family and Dan drinking a whole bottle of whiskey. Se-ri found out that Jeong Hyeok had the watch she was planning on giving to him in Episode 8. He also revealed that this watch saved him, though she didn’t realize it before. And finally, Se-ri’s emotional reunion with Jeong Hyeok’s comrades.
5. (Episode 13) Continuing from Episode 12, Jeong Hyeok and his comrades gave Se-ri a birthday surprise. She initially thought they left already and cried over it. The guys thought they did something wrong, but Se-ri revealed to Jeong Hyeok that she is actually happy because for the first time in her life that she had people who cared about her enough to wish a happy birthday. This lead to Jeong Hyeok lovingly say that every time it is her birthday, it is a good day. Go watch the scene and don’t tell me those are some of the most romantic words ever put to screen.
4. (Episode 13) Three specific scenes with Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok are my favorite besides the one previously mentioned. First, Jeong Hyeok gave Se-ri his present, which were couple rings. This tears me up as they symbolically affirm their love for each other and “marry” each other. Second, Jeong Hyeok heard from Se-ri subordinates about past men she dated before, albeit briefly and with no real attachments, and wondered if he is just a passing fancy. She teased him in a flirtatious manner, while he was all being serious in a hilarious manner. Third, he revealed to her that they have met before years ago in Switzerland when he asked her to take a picture of him and Dan. This was right when she was attempting suicide. An ending scene from the previous episode showed he found Se-ri suicide recording and that led him to remember they have met before, confirming that fate has brought together. I know this is near impossible, but I can’t help but love it when things like this happen.
3. (Episode 14) Okay at this point, I’m just going to list them out for each episode. After Se-ri took a bullet for Jeong Hyeok from Cho Cheol Gang, Jeong Hyeok watched with deep sadness and agony and gave a beautiful internal monologue of how he wants to be with her and how she changed him for the better. Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok’s emotional reunion once she woke up from the surgery. Jeong Hyeok’s comrades listening in from the wiretap in Se-ri’s hospital room, which gave Se-ri the chance to hear her stepmother’s apologies and regrets to her. Seung-jun and Dan shared an emotional moment and, after a long time hiding her feelings for him, she kissed him. At the same time, Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok hilarious talk about battle scars and they shared a kiss. Se-ri’s mom met with Jeong Hyeok and shared her approval of his relationship with Se-ri.
2. (Episode 15) Cho Cheol Gang finally dies like a spineless pansy. The North Korean village women banded together to protect one of their own from State Security department men. Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok shared a really sad moment where she tries to convince him of telling the South Korean national security agents the truth, but, in a foolish effort to protect her, he lied and scoff of anything relating to her, which led her to pass out and rushed back to the hospital. This really is the moment that Jeong Hyeok screwed up big time. Seung-jun and Dan finally had the moment where he declared his love for her and gave her the ring he initially gave to Se-ri. Seung-jun was about to leave North Korea, but thugs kidnapped Dan. He decided to stop running away and save Dan. However, he was mortally wounded. At the same moment, both Seung-jun and Se-ri internally thought of what had happened to them and expressed happiness of what they went through.
1. (Episode 16) This scene is the one I literally cried. Jeong Hyeok and his comrades were allowed to return to North Korea in exchange for captured South Korean spies. Se-ri managed to arrive there in time and tried to stop Jeong Hyeok from being taken back to North Korea. However, he assured her that he will be okay and that they will find a way to be together, reaffirming their love for each other. Extra crying points goes to when his comrades said goodbye to Se-ri.
Bonus crying points to the final ending to the series. I won’t give it away. You have to watch it to find out.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This TV series, I think, came at the right time. Much like how fate brought Se-ri and Jeong Hyeok together, this series came at a time when humanity is facing its most dire crisis in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to shelter-in-place, unable to interact normally with friends and family. It also has killed millions of people around the globe. Never has humanity faced its greatest challenge to its existence.
It is shows like this that reaffirmed my belief in love and the goodness of humanity. The story centered on two people from different countries, separated by a hotly contest political struggle that has been ongoing for more than 50 years. It is almost unheard that this kind of story could exist in real life. But the creators of this series managed to create an emotional and meaningful story that could possibly happen in real life. This show demonstrates a real possibility that peace between North and South Korea could one day happen. It demonstrated through the characters that people from both sides are not so different from each other. In addition, it demonstrated that both sides can be friends. The North Korean village women all cared and protected each other. The village women were quite forgiving of Se-ri’s deception because of her sincere friendship with them. Same thing with Jeong Hyeok’s comrades. Even Jeong Hyeok’s and Dan’s mothers wanted their children to be happy, and Jeong Hyeok’s mother was especially kind and welcoming to Se-ri. For Se-ri, Jeong Hyeok, Seung-jun, and Dan, they somehow found love in the last place they thought to find. The relationships they had with each other showed how people can change people. It is important now and forever that we never lose faith in the endless potential of goodness in people and that true love is always possible.
If there one thing I would criticize is that the action in this Kdrama is somewhat underwhelming. Granted that this series is more a comedic series; however, that doesn’t excuse of how some of the action scenes were shot and edited. The use of slow motion and quick cuts can be too much and overemphasized.
In the end, I loved this series. With a wonderful cast, witty and comedic writing, and excellent setting, Crash Landing on You should be one of the examples of excellent Kdramas. Even watching on repeats gets me the same raw emotional reactions every time. The acting feels so genuine that makes you feel like you are on this journey with the characters. To me, that is the work of a great piece of art. When a piece of art makes you think, understand, and feel for the characters, story, and setting, it is what makes life worth living and exploring. To the cast of crew of Crash Landing on You, a toast to you for making our lives feel more hopeful in these difficult times.