Okay, I know it seems too mainstream to review about this series right now. Because, after taking over the highest rating in tvN and defeated Goblin’s rating, Crash Landing on You (CLoY), I think, will be the next most popular drama of all time. It will be legend-(Wait for it)-dary, at least for 10 to 20 years later in the future. Now, where do we start.. let’s see..
So, when I first read this drama’s synopsis I feel this unusual urge to watch the drama. I never watch Hyun Bin’s drama before (yea that’s my loss.. lol) so I don’t have any idea how’s his acting. But I like Son Ye Jin (the female lead), she is pretty and has this tough but kind of vibe that I respect so much. I also watch her several performances on dramas and movies. What I like most from CLoY is the story idea; a love story between two world or background which has this hostile status. Like Rihanna’s song “We Found Love in a Hopeless Place”. I always feel attracted to the concept of finding the good side in every kind of situations. Therefore, I almost can imagine how heartwarming this drama will be.
After watched Be Melodramatic, the korean series about people who works behind the scene in the entertainment industry. I try to get to know these great people that responsible in making the drama touch our heart. I mean, our deepest heart. I think, they are really fantastic and genius! So, I have to start with the Writer, Park Ji Eun. She is a 40-something woman who has already written hits dramas such as My Love from the Star and Legend of the Blue Sea. She is graduated from Korean Language and Literature and has Master degree in Film Arts. With these background, I kinda understand where she got this deep thinking and how she could knit the fragments of small deep moments become the whole beautiful story. I haven’t seen her other works, but I can confidently say that Crash Landing on You is one of her masterpieces.
Next is the Director, Lee Jeong-hyo. I never watch his drama before. But when I saw the interview with him and the main casts, I can sense that he has this high level of patience. Maybe therefore he could wait for hours to capture the best moments out of the good actors and actresses. I believe that in every filming location, the director holds the most important role to set the mood of everyone. I can’t imagine to work in a such extreme weather, for long hours, just to film a couple of minutes scenes. If the moods are bad, it will be harder for everyone to keep such a high performance. I also believe that the director is one of the first people who sense this bedazzling chemistry between the actors and actress, I imagined how excited he was when saw the actors and actress portraying the “fiction characters” into the real world as great as they’ve done.
What I also love from Kdrama is usually its soundtrack. If I like the drama, it is most likely I will love the soundtrack too. After Long Vacation, I rarely watch drama which has piano tunes could stuck in my head. In this drama, the main actor is also a pianist and the song is so calming. Nam hye-seung, as one of the main composer of CLoY soundtrack who’s created most of the songs in this drama actually created some of musics in Goblin. It’s amazing how I hear the resemblance between my favorite song from Goblin with several songs from this drama. Surprisingly, some of the people behind them are the same. I believe that music holds the main important role in creating such a beautiful scenes. Especially the sad scenes. The mellow music most of time become the main culprit in making us cry seeing the acting. Lol, at least it was for me. My favorites from this drama:
- The Song for My Brother (Orchestra Version) – Nam Hye Sung & Park Sang Hee
- Same Sky, Different World (instrumental only) – Nam Hye Sung & Park Sang Hee
- Flower – Yoon Mi Rae (singer), Nam Hye Sung, Park Jin Ho, Surf Green (composer)
- Give You My Heart – IU (singer), Nam Hye Sung & Park Jin Ho (composer)
- Like You – so soo bin & Kim So Hee (singer)
- The Hill of Yearning – April 2nd (singer), Kim Kyung Hee (singer & composer ), Nam Hye Sung (composer)
- Sigriswil (opening title song) – Kim Kyung Hee (singer & composer)
- Here I am Again – Baek Yerin (singer), Nam Hye Sung, Surf Green (composer)
woaaa. that’s a lot!
Crash Landing on You producers are Studio Dragon and Culture Depot. Studio Dragon has already produced several great dramas since its establishment in 2016. It was actually a spin off company from CJ E&M. Culture Depot is actually the subsidiary of Studio Dragon, so I don’t really understand their companies structures, but I think all in all they are from the same background/environment. CJ E&M also own tvN as one of the several numbers of media companies that managed under this group. What I also noted is that Culture Depot is also the management company of the writer (Park Ji Eun) and also Seo Ji Hye, who played beautifully as the female second lead Seo Dan.
Now let’s move to the actors and actress. People who watched this drama must be understand how strong the chemistry between Ri Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Se Ri. They have successfully made the viewers wished that they are actually a real couple. If you are in a mood of watching romance with the perfect combination of cute, deep, sad, happy, cringe, but not too much in a way make you want to puke, then you should try watch this drama. I’m sure you will smile, laugh, and even cry.. For me personally, I think the writer has made one character that is too perfect to be true. Yes, it is Ri Jeong Hyeok. He is a compilation of personalities that I think couldn’t exist in one character. He is kind, calm, reliable, competent in what he does, but also cute and can be like a kid, also he’s humble enough with all the features he’s got from elite background to perfect visuals. What I love from this character is that he doesn’t back and forth with his feeling. When he’s confirmed that he loves Yoon Se Ri, he doesn’t hesitate to show it to everyone. Yoon Se Ri also the character that I love in this drama. She’s strong but not afraid to show her vulnerability too. It must be lonely being her, so I was really happy that she’s crashed in North Korea and meet the heartwarming persons in the village. What a great story, writer-nim! Also, I don’t think that other actors and actress beside Hyun Bin and Son Ye jin are suitable enough to play as these two main cast. They are the most perfect actors, like it was fate for them to play these characters.
The second lead story (Alberto and Seo Dan) is the almost perfect one. I never watch the writer made secondary story before. So I kinda have a bad feeling about this. But the development of each character is very heartwarming too. I can see their sincerity in what they’ve done from many scenes. I actually hope more screen time for them, but anyway… I love their story and their acts. Hopefully, there will be another drama with the same characters with these two and the actors would play them, maybe in the alternate universe. I’m really really in love with their chemistry too! They were cute!
The supporting roles such as comrades and village ahjummas are also have the special spots in my heart. They’re not only played their unique characters well, but they managed to create such heartwarming scenes. I’ve seen the gang of ahjummas in previous drama When the Camellia Blooms, so seeing these kind of pact in another vibe of North Korea actually very refreshing. They can teach us about how strong women actually are, and how precious it is to have friendship in between our difficult life. Another highlight is of course the interaction between the comrades and Yoon Se Ri. The comrades with their innocence attitude could change Yoon Se Ri from previous proud and cold woman into the humble and warm woman. I guess, the comrades hold the important role in Se Ri character development and also the several funny scenes that make us laugh. Each comrades have their own special attribute. From all the comrades, I think Pyo Chi Soo is the one who captured most of attention because of his tsundere character. Well to be honest, Park Kwang Beom also stolen our attention because of his good look (I kinda see the resemblance of Kim Soo Hyun on his face).
Last but not least, the story between Yoon Se Ri and her mother also touched my heart. I cry in some of their scenes. I guess the writer is really great to put such a complicated mother daughter relationship in this drama. I can imagine how frustrating it is to be the mother or the daughter. Very well written!
Besides what I’ve talked above, there are many things that you can appreciate from this drama. I think every character in this series is so strong and memorable somehow. Be it the main roles, supporting roles, or the special appearances (yes, the cameos surprised me too! I love all the cameos). I don’t know how, but I’m sure I can feel the hard works of everyone involved in this drama. Great Job yeorobun!! I really hope to see more of great dramas in the future. And I secretly hope that our country could make this kind of drama. I believe our people can do it too, don’t you agree?
inspiraww 