[Drama 2019-2020] Crash Landing on you, 사랑의 불시착

[EmmyWhammy]

I drew the penguin plushie from Crash <3

 

 

https://www.redbubble.com/i/art-print/Crash-landing-on-you-penguin-by-EmmyWhammy/47055171.1G4ZT?asc=u

 

I just finished watching episode 14 and I'm amazed by the pacing of the show. How have they managed to maintain such a brilliant pace for 14 episodes?! Nothing feels dragged out and every episode feels important. The characters are so damn adorable they've made me care about them so much. It's so cute when Capt' Ri is showing Se-ri his scars, he's like a little boy showing off  And she's so genuinely intrigued and admiring him! How he cried when she was shot I just wanted to hug him! And how he did everything for her in the hospital and wouldn't let the others hug her. And when he found out who his online gaming rival was! I love the relationship between Seo Dan and koo seung joon! And how her mother told her she just wants her to be happy c: I love that we got to see the north korean soldiers in action beating up the bad guys and they looked so handsome in their suits <3 The little one wearing school uniform and with the funny hat was adorable.

I did not expect to love this show but I'm SO glad I'm watching it. I want more shows like this 

Edited April 20, 2020 by Jillia
Please do not post consecutively, edit you previous post instead. Thanks!

[BLurBLur]

Some details about Eun Dong and his background!!!

 

https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2020/04/20/this-039crash-landing-on-you039-star-has-malaysian-blood

 

This 'Crash Landing On You' star has Malaysian blood

---

• TV

• Monday, 20 Apr 2020

  5:00 PM MYT

  By KENNETH CHAW

•  

Tang Jun Sang plays protagonist Jeong-Hyuk's subordinate Geum Eun Dong in 'Crash Landing On You'.

One of the stars on popular K-drama Crash Landing On You (CLOY) has a Malaysian connection!

He is none other than actor Tang Jun Sang. He plays army man Geum Eun Dong, who is one of the subordinates of protagonist Ri Jeong-Hyuk (Hyun Bin).

 

In an interview with South Korean media outlet Xportsnews (translation courtesy of kpopmap), the 16-year-old talked about the origin of his last name, Tang, as it is not commonly found among Koreans.

"I am Korean and it is my real name. Because my last name is special, it seems like a lot of people will remember my name."

The website went on to note: "He explained that he is an only son. His father is Malaysian Chinese and his mother is Korean born in a multi-cultural family. Tang is a common last name in the Malaysian Chinese community."

According to hellokpop, Tang made his acting debut in the stage production, Billy Elliot The Musical, when he was only seven. After several other stage performances, Tang transitioned to film and TV.

CLOY marks Tang's first regular appearance on a TV show.

[L A]

Hello all, could someone explain to me if the writer or the director found and suggested HB first for the role Captain Ri in CLOY? I was under the impression that the writer saved this script for HB, but I could be wrong. In K-ent, who has the right to pick the actors/actresses? Thank you.

[Dee.84]

 

I've seen these articles on CLOY posted on twitter !!!

 

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2020/04/netflixs-crash-landing-on-you-is-more-than-an-unrealistic-romance-across-enemy-lines

Netflix’s ‘Crash Landing on You’ is more than an unrealistic romance across enemy lines

tv review

“Crash Landing on You” follows Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean conglomerate heiress who finds herself stranded in North Korea after a paragliding accident.

 

By Rose Wong

April 20, 2020 | 2:00am CST

 

 

“Crazy Rich Asians,” “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and its sequel gained well-deserved applause for increasing Asian American representation in the media. However, I can’t say that these movies are highly regarded solely based on the merits of their content, which leads me to question whether representation has needed to come at the cost of artistic quality. 

Then I found “Crash Landing on You.” I had heard my Chinese aunts and stepmom gush over K-pop stars and sometimes K-beauty products, but had never gotten into either myself. In the past couple months, however, the Facebook group “subtle asian traits” had been increasingly populated by memes based on a Korean drama commonly referred to as “Crash Landing,” eventually convincing me, in all of my quarantine boredom, to check it out on Netflix. 

The romantic comedy, which achieved the second highest ratings in Korean cable television history, follows Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean conglomerate heiress who finds herself stranded in North Korea after a paragliding accident. She eventually falls in love with a North Korean Special Forces captain named Ri Jeong-hyeok, who helps her return home, while intersecting storylines ensue and viewers pull apart the past that shaped the protagonists into the complex characters that they are now. 

Undoubtedly, the show presents some plot holes: Where did Seung-joon get the rifle that he used to save Dan? In their Swiss reunion, how did Ri Jeong-hyeok know that Se-ri would land on that cliff? It also leads into clichés common in K-dramas — the guy protecting the girl, kissing on the boat to deter a stressful situation and a seemingly static villain who molds much of the storyline yet lacks any real humanity in the character of Cho Choel-gang — but effective lampshading mitigates most of their injury. 

Then there’s the unexpected: a glimpse into North Korean life, as partially told by Kwak Moon-wan, a North Korean defector who served as one of the writers; the idea that you could’ve met someone in a past life, slowly pieced together through the Swiss storyline; the surprising redemption of Dan’s mom, an embarrassingly brash Pyongyang elite who at the end of the day, simply wants her daughter to be happy, and is willing to move heaven and Earth to make it happen. 

Each component of the show — romance, comedy, drama, action and suspense — was given the space to flourish, never leaving viewers wanting. I had belly-hugging laughs and shed, admittedly, more tears in the 36-hour period of binge-watching the series than I did in the same amount of time following my cancer diagnosis (albeit the latter caused me far more long-term pain). The best part of enjoying the production was that I consumed much-needed Asian onscreen representation without even thinking about it. 

Seeing representation on screen is like taking your iron supplements. You didn’t even realize how badly you needed it, but once it reaches your system, you feel so much better — you begin to understand that the prettiest women don’t have to be blonde, “Asian men aren’t attractive” is a big fat (racist) lie and Asian characters can be as multi-dimensional as any role Meryl Streep has ever played. 

“Crash Landing on You” has opened my door to other brilliant East Asian dramas, making me realize how odd it is to grow up exclusively watching white people move through the world. Thanks to different streaming services, I can connect to language, culture and art from other parts of the world more than I ever have before. International cinema from any continent helps to remind us that America is but one country, and we would gain from importing at least half as much art and pop culture as we export. 

As “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho said in his Oscar acceptance speech, “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” (“Parasite” fans will be pleased to recognize the crazed man living in the underground bunker in “Crashing Landing on You.”) 

Nonetheless, Asian American cinema is a niche that desperately needs to be filled, because contrary to what our parents think, Asian American is its own unique identity, rather than a diluted, adulterated shade of our ancestors. The work would also be vital in bridging the gap of understanding between a deeply complex community whose history has been largely ignored and the rest of America. But until such a glorious day, I will be resting my head on Hyun Bin’s broad shoulders. 

 

 

https://vancouverweekly.com/crash-landing-on-you-a-tale-of-forbidden-but-prevailing-love-70603-2/

 

 

MUST SEE FILMS, NETFLIX REVIEWS

“Crash Landing On You”: a tale of forbidden but prevailing love

APRIL 17, 2020 by VANCOUVER WEEKLY

By Michelle Aye and Woojin Lim

Crash Landing On You tells the world-flipping tale of star-crossed lovers separated by borders and their respective nationalities: South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) and North Korean army officer Ri Jeong-hyuk (Hyun Bin). The lighthearted rom-com unveils themes of sacrifice, family, and togetherness that elicit smiles and tears alike, leaving viewers craving for more after each episode. With a candid, humanistic portrayal of North Korea, Crash Landing On You challenges the predominant stereotypes of North Koreans as being morally backwards, underscoring a unique and intrinsic goodness of humanity that prevails over political divides.

One fateful day, while affluent Se-ri goes for a paragliding ride in Seoul, South Korea, a strong gust of wind, takes her off-course across the 38th parallel. Se-ri awakens to find herself having accidentally crash-landed on the treetops of a forest on the other side of the demilitarized zone. There Se-ri is found by North Korean army officer Jeong-hyuk, who secretly provides her shelter in his humble home and aims to help her return to South Korea. Their story continues to unfold in a small military village with low-roofed houses lined across unpaved dirt roads.

As Se-ri becomes more acquainted with the countryside village, she discovers that the seemingly plain village is rather vibrantly colored by the chatty but pure-hearted villagers with whom Se-ri develops fond bonds. Jeong-Hyuk and his team of handpicked soldiers weave through twists and turns to keep Se-ri safe from a North Korean state security officer and the principal villain of the story, Cho Cheol-gang (Oh Man-seok), who eyes to bring Jeong-Hyuk and his influential family down using Se-ri.

Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk’s tale is intertwined with that of Seo Dan (Seo Ji-hye), the daughter of a wealthy North Korean department store owner who is set to marry Jeong-hyuk, and Gu Seung-jun (Kim Jung-hyun), a British businessman and fraudster formerly betrothed to Se-ri who has come to North Korea to hide from Se-ri’s brother. A fated Romeo-and-Juliet-like romance (or, as the North Korean villagers would term it, a love story like Kongji and Patzzi, a traditional Korean love-tale from the Joseon Dynasty), flitters between the two sets of couples.

Combined with hints of comedic irony and tearjerkers, Crash Landing On You centers around the powerful chemistry of main actors Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin. With scenes shot by drones covering the sublime alps of Switzerland and the fields of Mongolia, the drama swerves in and out of picaresque landscapes, waltzing from bucolic mountaintops and yellow-patched grasslands to North Korea’s buzzing capital, Pyongyang.

Having consulted with real-life North Korean defectors, the show provides a near-realistic portrayal of the North Koreans, their lifestyles, and their dialects. Alongside a beautifully strewn soundtrack—including a captivating piano arrangement of “The Song for My Brother”—the drama tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings and brings down to earth the often heartlessly portrayed humans of North Korea. Though the story picks up on a rather bizarre first episode with a poor CGI of the tornado, the show evolves into a dazzling story of a forbidden love that endures.

 

Crash Landing On You is currently available for streaming worldwide on Netflix.

 

 

In addition to the Washington Post shared earlier, here is another article:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/south-korea-crash-landing-on-you-defectors-netflix/2020/04/17/d78c761c-7994-11ea-a311-adb1344719a9_story.html

 

Amid lockdown binge watching, U.S. viewers savor story that puts a human face on North Korea

  A still from Netflix's “Crash Landing on You,” a popular South Korean television series that has earned praise for its nuanced portrayal of life in North Korea. (Netflix)

By 

Min Joo Kim and 

Simon Denyer 

 

 

Spoiler

 

April 18, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. GMT+8

SEOUL — How's this for a romcom plot to escape the realities of the coronavirus pandemic?

A South Korean heiress-slash-business executive crash lands in North Korea after her paraglider is caught in a typhoon, and ends up falling out of a tree, straight into the arms of a strait-laced and taciturn North Korean army captain.

But, in South Korea, the Netflix series "Crash Landing on You" also has found an improbable niche in the tricky world of outreach between the two Koreas. The popular series — whose writers include a defector from the North — has earned praise for its nuanced portrayal of North Koreans that challenges the drab uniformity often depicted in South Korean pop culture.

 

 

Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea, a group that helps people fleeing the North, said the show “crashed the South Korean zeitgeist on North Korea” by portraying a three-dimensional country with relatable — even lovable — people.

 

Television and films have often blasted through cultural stereotypes, bridging political divides such as India and Pakistan, and Israelis and Palestinians. But few places are more estranged — but also bonded by language and traditions — than the Korean Peninsula.

“Crash Landing on You” was inspired by an actual event, when a South Korean actress and three friends accidentally strayed into disputed waters between North and South Korea on a boat trip in 2008, even talking to North Korean fishermen after getting lost in a fog.

 

The rest of “Crash Landing on You” is fantasy, which has also attracted audiences across Asia and in the United States.

 

The Washington Post asked three defectors for their views about the show, what they liked, what was accurate — and what was not.

Romance across the front line

 

The show starts with a South Korean heiress-slash-business executive crash landing in North Korea. (Netflix)

Without giving too much away, the show centers on the far-fetched romance between the South Korean business executive and North Korean captain — and the incredible sacrifices and risks each take to stay together.

 

But is it that absurd?

 

Kang Ha-na fled North Korea as an 18-year-old, sheltering in China for five years, before eventually chatting with a South Korean soldier online and falling in love with him.

 

“At school, I was taught to detest enemy South Korean soldiers as violent and hostile,” she said. “I never imagined I would meet one of them.”

Their online friendship turned into love, and then into a risky gamble to buy a dead person’s identity to obtain a Chinese passport. Kang used it to travel to South Korea to be with the soldier. They eventually got married.

“I had to take terrifying risks at each stage of my journey to South Korea to meet him. It was love that got me through the impossible borders,” she said. “People dismiss ‘Crash Landing on You’ as an unrealistic drama. But I was totally feeling [the North Korean army captain character] when he lied to his family and forged a Chinese passport to save his South Korean lover. Would a North Korean man do something as crazy as that just for love? Well, look what I did.”

Village life in the North

 

The show also includes other characters like a South Korean con-man in a romance with a member of the Pyongyang elite. (Netflix)

Kang, who now lives near South Korea’s border with the North, recently watched the show with her husband. He kept asking her about what he was seeing on TV, she said.

 

 

“He couldn’t believe that was the life I lived before meeting him, but yeah, I also made kimchi out of seawater and showered in a makeshift steam bath under plastic sheets,” she said, noting scenes from the series.

Kang said she used to avoid watching South Korean films and dramas that involved North Korea, because the North was depicted as “so dark.”

“My life in North Korea had hardships, but it was not just suffering,” she said. “There are real people living in the country, and all kinds of things happen there. What I liked about this series is that it showed different kinds of people living in North Korea.”

Plunking a wealthy South Korean woman into a North Korean village provides endless material for comedy in the show. But it also provides an eye-opening account of village life, featuring a group of women who initially come across as busybodies but eventually prove to be loyal to each other.

 

 

But Kang says that warm community feeling is no longer common in the North.

“After the state-led economy broke down, people were left on their own to survive,” she said. “There’s not much room left for such neighborly support.” 

What about the North Korean army?

 

Some viewers feel the show is a step forward from the typical one-sided portrayal of North Korea as an emotionless place. (Netflix)

In the show, the army captain character enjoys a close and informal relationship with four soldiers under his command, and these men also become central characters.

Jung Ha-neul joined the Korean People’s Army fresh out of school as a 17-year-old and was stationed as a guard along the heavily militarized southern frontier, just like the characters in the show. He said it brings back many old memories, calling the show a step forward from the typical one-sided portrayal of North Korea as an emotionless place.

 

But he said it paints too rosy picture of life in the North Korean army.

 

“The border guard unit I experienced was much more rigid and hierarchical,” he said, adding he has “hardly any happy memories” of the 15 months he spent in the army.

Jung sneaked across the heavily mined front line in 2013, when a typhoon knocked out some of the electric fences — just as a typhoon does in the TV drama — but he said he never would have risked his life to run away if the army had been as warm as it is portrayed.

But in one respect, he says, the show is accurate.

“When the soldiers first come to Seoul in the show, the sense of surprise and marvel they feel is real,” he said. “The burgers I tasted for the first time in Seoul were amazing.”

And is the Pyongyang elite so status obsessed?

 

The show is popular with viewers because it shows, through the eyes of the main character, a different side of North Korea. (Netflix)

The show satirizes the elite of Pyongyang, whose children study abroad and are constantly trying to one up each other. They also scatter English words into their conversation in attempts to sound cosmopolitan.

 

 

Kim Geum-hyok, 29, who was an adviser for the show, says he came from a similar background before defecting.

“The European designer goods in Pyongyang department stores, the trendy fashions of North Korea’s study-abroad students, those are all real lives that I experienced myself,” Kim said. “People who had the rare chance of going abroad will try to show that off by mixing broken English words into their speech. There are people like that in North Korea, just like anywhere else in the world.”

But for Kim, a strong element of the show is how it presents North Koreans as having the normal human flaws.

 

“All kinds of people live in North Korea, but the media reduces the country to flat and negative images,” he said. “I am happy to see this show that helps people look at the country in a new light.”

 

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Jillia
Please put more than 3 pics/IGs in spoiler tags, thanks!

[Dee.84]

...and another article/review on Crash Landing on You

 

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/crash-landing-on-you-review-k-drama-checks-all-the-right-notes-with-a-lot-of-heart/article31415444.ece

 

 

‘Crash Landing on You’ review: K-drama checks all the right notes, with a lot of heart

Aparna Narrain

APRIL 23, 2020 17:15 IST

UPDATED: APRIL 23, 2020 17:24 IST

 

 

‘Crash Landing On You’: A perfect comfort watch for those stuck in quarantine  

 

Currently streaming on Netflix, the Korean show is the perfect comfort watch with just the perfect mix of romance, family, friendship and fashion

If you are a newbie to K-dramas and wondering where to dip the proverbial toe, Crash Landing on You may be just the spot. The hugely successful series strikes all the right notes. Romance and comedy? Check. Drama, thrills and mystery? Check. Interesting characters and engaging storylines? Check and check.

Sure, it’s going to take over 17 hours to finish the series but there is literally no time like the present to make that investment. Get past the slightly ludicrous premise and Crash Landing on You is guaranteed to draw you in.

So, what is the show about? It kickstarts with successful and beautiful South Korean businesswoman Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) who has everything except the love of her family. While her two half-brothers, helped by their respective wives, are gunning for the post of chairperson of their father’s company, he appoints Se-ri instead. The next day, she decides to test out the latest Seri’s Choice product – paragliding equipment – herself. Caught in an unexpected tornado, she winds up in self-isolated North Korea and is presumed dead by everyone (or nearly everyone) back home.

As it turns out, she is very much alive and has “crash landed” in the arms of Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a handsome, dutiful North Korean army captain.

Circumstances make it so that Captain Ri and his four-member unit (each of whom has a distinct personality) risk investigation if they haul Se-ri to the State Security Department as per procedure. And so, they take it upon themselves to get her home.

Se-ri also charms her way into a group of four women (again with distinct personalities) in the village, who are invested in the handsome and single Captain Ri’s life (they even ensure his food cellar is well-stocked), led by Ma Yeong-ae, the wife of the highest-ranked officer in village.

Of course, there can be no drama without a bad-to-the-bones villain. That role is fulfilled by Cho Cheol Gang (Oh Man-seok), an officer of the State Security Department, who Captain Ri clashes with right in the beginning, and who engages in a cat-and-mouse game to find out just who Se-ri is. To that end, he orders hapless wiretapper Jeong Man-bok, referred to as The Rat in the village, to spy on them.

Meanwhile, we find out that Captain Ri had an older brother, also an army captain, who died in a mysterious accident. There are also rumours swirling around of a secret truck unit.

The second leads consist of Seo Dan (Seo Ji-hye), a cellist and department store heiress who has a strong connection to Captain Ri, and Gu Seung-joon (Kim Jung-hyun), a roguish charmer who calls it like it is, who escapes to North Korea after embezzling money from Se-ri’s brother. The people around them include Dan’s mother, a loud, scheming lady who nevertheless has her daughter’s best interests at heart and Dan’s uncle (played by Parasite actor Park Myung-hoon) a high-ranking officer prone to getting bullied by her mother.

In South Korea, we see how Se-ri’s family is dealing with her disappearance as her half-brothers compete to try and gain the position of chairperson.

While the slightly dumb elder brother is a bit of a complainer, his wife employs a tactic of praise and appeasement around him. The younger brother is, however, more obviously dangerous, aided by his Lady Macbeth-like wife.

The show wouldn’t work as well if it wasn’t for the excellent actors, from the leads who share a natural chemistry (you can’t help but root for them) to all the supporting actors.

As Se-ri, Son Ye-jin brings a relatable, comedic energy when caught in an impossible situation (think Bridget Jones in Thai prison) while also staying just a little unapproachable (being part of the 1% and all) and as the romantic hero, Hyun Bin is perfect as he slowly lets Se-ri in and realises that perhaps it’s okay to sometimes put one’s wishes before duty.

The action shifts between South Korea, North Korea (the scenes for the North were shot in South Korea and Mongolia) as well as Switzerland throughout the series. Interestingly, a real-life defector from North Korea was part of the show’s writing team and it shows in the show’s grounded portrayal of the country. We get a deeper look at North Korean society from traditional kimchi cellars in rural areas and drinking soju from clam shells, to trains stopping for hours owing to power cuts, and modern life in the capital city of Pyongyang (there is a laugh-out-loud scene where Dan tells an incredulous Seung-joon he has to go to an actual app store to purchase apps for his phone).

While the series’ major themes include love, family, friendship, redemption and overcoming insurmountable odds, it shows, without preaching, that people can be good or evil no matter which side of the border they come from — and no matter how different one’s customs and traditions are, it’s possible to form bonds on a deep level.

In addition, apart from enjoying the stunning locales of Switzerland, and the catchy theme music, keep an eye on Se-ri’s fashion choices.

The only quibbles with Crash Landing on You are that while destiny plays a big part in most K-dramas (meaning the leads have had numerous encounters in the past), one encounter should have been enough. The other thing is that the entertaining Seung-joon is suddenly given a backstory explaining his actions, and Captain Ri’s mother is the only character who isn’t really fleshed out. (His father, on the other hand, is great.)

But these are minor issues in a show that will make you laugh, cry (it’s truly touching how Se-ri pays tribute to the women of the village) and cheer for the characters (apart from the villains of course). In short, a perfect comfort watch for these surreal times.

Crash Landing On You is currently streaming on Netflix.

 

[hallee]

Hello! Any news about Son Ye Jin’s upcoming projects?? I am just curious because Hyun Bin i believe is busy shooting his next film project...Just missing the RiRi couple nowadays 

[sadthe1st]

when cloy is so popular and hyunbin depicted JH so well... 

Spoiler

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/kim-jong-un-hyun-bin-crash-landing-on-you-cnn-indonesia-12670230

 

[queenie]

After struggling watching 4eps of The King, here I am rewatching CLOY for the 3rd time. CLOY's acting and chemistry is really top notch that kinda make me disappointed when I watch other melo/rom com drama. The expectation bar is set too high now.

 

One more thing I hope that wont offend any LMH fan when I say this, but I wish HB & SYJ were casted for The King, instead of current cast. I think it would make big difference.

[TotoroSY]

A really nice review of CLOY by a blogger.  It made me re-live the feelings I have while watching CLOY, esp for the first time. And just like the blogger, as soon as I finish the finale episode, I went right back to Ep 1 and watched it all over again.  This person is a watching kdrama for the 1st time (so many of these new fans!)

 

 

https://responsivereaction.blogspot.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-netflix-k-drama.html?m=1

 

Crash Landing on You - Netflix K-Drama Review

 

I think all of us remember our first love, we remember what it felt like to have our hearts beat that much faster, the butterflies in our stomach, the obsessing about the words we spoke or didn't speak, and other million details that come along with it. Watching a romantic comedy is supposed to evoke some bit of those memories and just fill you up in this warm, fuzzy feeling that feels like a comforting bear hug (if you like hugs!). A while back I was reading this article about the dearth of good romantic comedies nowadays and it's true, when was the last good romantic comedy you saw? To me the evergreen You've Got Mail, Kate & Leopold, Notting Hill, Sleepless in Seattle are still the classics (yes, I think I crushed on Meg Ryan a lot!). In Hindi movies, I know this divides a lot of people, but I do genuinely think Sonam Kapoor has figured this out. I absolutely loved her Khoobsurat with Fawad Khan. I thought it was funny, contemporary and their chemistry was left me with wishing for more! While Zoya Factory doesn't have the same high, I like that she's doing these movies. Kind of like the romance between Neena Gupta and Gajaraj Rao in Badhai Ho.


Anyway, before I digress into a different tangent, let me start by talking about the topic and the reason for today's blog. Crash Landing on You.

I knew Korean Dramas were popular but until now I'd never watched one before. I saw the promo for 'Crash Landing on You' and kept wondering if this would be worth a watch. So last week, we (me and my husband) checked out reviews online and on IMDB and felt like we were living under a rock. Apparently the show and the actors and the characters were a sensation! With a solid 9.1/10 on IMDB and millions of fans we felt like wow, okay, this should be fun. OMG. I seriously underestimated how fun it was going to be.

A week later (exactly!) I have binge-watched the series twice! Yes. I have stayed awake till 3am on average and 10am at max (on Sunday morning) to watch the show. To set some context, I've never done this before with movies/shows. Books yes, but even then not like this. To binge watch something obsessively, to the extent that immediately after finishing the show on Thurs night/Fri morning, I again started re-watching it on Friday night. Partly because I hadn't had enough of the story yet, I wanted to re-live the moments, find the details in the sub-plots, and just spend more time with the characters. It's the most insane thing I've ever done I think and it's incredible, emotional, monumental all at the same time. I'm still processing why and how this happened, so bear with me while I figure it out in the course of the blog.

If you haven't heard about this show before, then allow me to give a brief summary. The show is a 16 episode long series, about a South Korean heiress who happens to land in North Korea as a result of a paragliding accident and ends up being saved by a North Korean captain in the army. It showcases a wide variety of characters, from billionaires in Seoul and Pyongyang, to soldiers and directors in the Army, Intelligence Services, from mothers in a village, to mothers in mansions, from criminals running racketeering rings to employees in corporations, from people who have had exposure to the outside world, to people who have lived in the same town/village for all their life, the breadth of the characters is fascinating to say the least. The fact that the story is about two main leads from South Korea & North Korea brings to the forefront a lot of character and uniqueness (esp. for a person who has never seen a K-drama before!). To me North Korea is defined by the poverty and extreme conditions that its people live in, reminds me of all the photos from articles showcasing the starkness and the rigidity of the capital. What this series does is, it humanizes everyone. It shows depth in their lives. Showcases (with creative liberties) how even in their situation there is laughter, love, companionship, color, flair, warmth and life.

So the setup sounds amazing, obviously it's an impossible love / star crossed lovers kind of storyline (not a spoiler, the trailer kind of makes that obvious) so let me move on to the main leads in the series, Hyun Bin who plays a character called Ri Jeong Hyeok (the North Korean captain) and Son Ye-Jin who plays a character called Yoon Se-Ri (the South Korean heiress). It's so difficult to encompass what I feel about them and their performance in words. They are absolutely fantastic and are the best actors I've ever seen. Why? In one word, effortless. But slight sidetrack, I think the writer and the director deserve a standing ovation. It is their idea, their vision, and their world that is brought to life by these actors and characters, it is such a fabulous foundation. The writing is witty, emotional, endearing and very very memorable (even though I had to rely on English subtitles which were translated so obviously there was a loss of the richness that it must have in Korean).

Coming back to the actors. Hyun Bin is just outstanding. He embodies the character he's portraying, depicts the various layers he has, and the emotions that are running through him with such slight nuances it is insane to imagine that he's not real. And that's the weird thing, the characters are obviously fictional, but they're so deep that they feel real. I was thinking about how a person (who btw has the most gorgeous dimples I've ever seen in a man!) is able to portray such depth in emotions; anger, love, happiness, pain, tenderness, sloppiness, patience, frustration, jealousy, trust, friendship, pity, desperation, panic, fear.. the list seems endless, but trust me I can pinpoint the exact emotions he portrays scene-by-scene. I don't think I've thought about this before, but seeing this series made me realize the few dimensions our characters in movies portray (though, I have to agree that Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy manages to do this).

While I obviously am madly in love with Hyun Bin, I have to do justice to the incredible performance by Son Ye-Jin too. Again as a character, she's extremely well written as well. I absolutely loved how she portrays the emotions so naturally. From her superb comic timing, to the tone of her voice, to how much she expresses with her eyes and posture, she really makes you root for her throughout the series.

Their chemistry together is such fascinating to watch. What strikes you as being very different is how staying true to their characters, there's actually very little physical intimacy between the two. A handful of kisses and hugs throughout the nearly 20 hours of runtime (totally) but the depth of their love is so so deep. I feel like we've totally missed this in recent times. It's so easy to go from being strangers to being in bed with someone, we've edited out the courtship, the butterflies, the fluttering. And that's what this series brings back and how. You feel their emotions, you feel their love, even though you don't understand their words, you hear it in their tone, you see it in their gestures. The two actors literally transport you into a bubble of their emotions and you can't help but just sit and smile blissfully throughout the journey. It's poetic, it's funny and oh so emotional.

Talking of humour more broadly, there's just so much humour. In the strangeness of the situation itself, but more so in the characters. Just when the pressure begins to build in one sphere, there's humour and laughter to ease it right after. I remember crying because of both happy and sad emotions depicted and like genuinely laughing, not the fake laughter because it was a slapstick joke, but because of just how genuinely hilarious it was!

Without going into too much detail, I also want to mention how fantastic the series felt technically. From the architecture / set design / interior decorations across situations (North Korean village, Pyongyang apartments, Seoul mansions and offices) to the soulful background score (available for streaming across platforms!), to the stunning depictions of the locations in which they shot, to the amazing editing that keeps the pace high for the most part (in the last couple of episodes it gets a bit slow while trying to wrap up some side stories), it's a brilliant package.

So to wrap this up, watch it, watch it for the storyline, for the characters, for the actors, but most importantly, watch it to go on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and to fall in love with love.

[UnknownDreamer]

On 3/6/2020 at 5:30 AM, myden said:

Hello,

 

Does anyone know the song from this scene? It's from Episode 16 where Yoon Seri is dancing. I've been searching for weeks and still no luck! Thank you in advance!

 

 

 

Robbie Nevil - Before It's Gone (Party Pop)

 

[TotoroSY]

Another great review for CLOY by a foreign media (Stylist UK). I like how the writer highlighted its international achievements (besides the high korean ratings)  incl

- 97% positive review on google report

- 99% fresh on Rotten Tomato

- selected by Variety Magazine as Best International Show on Netflix etc.

 

https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/netflix-crash-landing-on-you-plot-cast-true-story-north-korea-romance-k-drama/385619

Netflix’s Crash Landing On You: everything you need to know about this record-breaking TV show

POSTED BY KAYLEIGH DRAY FOR LIFE

 

People on Twitter have branded Netflix’s Crash Landing On You a “masterpiece”.

Struggling to decide what to watch on Netflix right now? We know the feeling. After all, we’ve streamed a lot of content during the never-ending coronavirus lockdown. So much so, in fact, that it sometimes feels as if we’ve exhausted all of the films and TV shows on offer.

Thankfully, though, that isn’t the case. Far from it, in fact: Netflix has been busily dropping brand new titles on an almost daily basis. 

And Crash Landing On You, which is now in the streaming platform’s “Recently Added” list, definitely deserves your attention.

 

SO, WHAT’S THE PLOT OF NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU?

In a nutshell? The series – officially the second-highest-rated drama in Korean TV history – sees a South Korean heiress crash her paraglider into North Korea and into the life of an army officer, who decides he will help her hide.

 

 

 

WAIT, WHAT?

Aha, you weren’t expecting that now, were you? But we’re deadly serious, all the same: much like Romeo & Juliet before it, Crash Landing On You tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a South Korean Chaebol heiress, and Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a member of the North Korean elite and a Captain in the North Korean Special Police Force. 

Their relationship begins, as all the best on-screen relationships do, frostily: Ri Jeong-hyeok finds Yoon Se-ri, after all, in an area forbidden for South Koreans. Quickly, she persuades him to give her shelter. Over time, she convinces him to help her get back across the border to her home. And, inevitably, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

SO IS NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU A ROMANTIC COMEDY, OR A DRAMA, OR…?

All of the above! The show offers a well-balanced mix of comedy and suspense, blending a cosy romance with high-octane action scenes, some laugh-out-loud moments, and plenty of emotionally-charged drama, too.

IS THERE A TRAILER FOR NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU?

Indeed there is. Check it out:

WHY IS NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU SUCH A BIG DEAL?

Well, because Crash Landing On You is a legitimate record-breaking TV show.

That’s right: it made history when its final episode aired in Korea last year. Likewise, the K-drama is officially the country’s second highest-rated cable drama, next to 2018’s Sky Castle.

It was also a hit in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. And China’s streaming website for the South Korean drama crashed on the night it aired the final episode due to the enormous number of users.

 

WHAT HAVE NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS SAID ABOUT NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU?

Well, despite the fact that the North Korea seen in Crash Landing On You is fictional (obviously), it has received praise from North Korean defectors for bringing the secretive country to life in such a realistic manner.

Trains are shown abruptly stopping because of power cuts, homeless children on the streets, and fridges used to store books and clothes instead of food. 

A lot of this is down to the fact that the series asked former North Korean soldier Kwak Moon-wan – who had served with the Supreme Guard Command (which protects the ruling Kim family), no less – to work as an adviser for the series, providing the writers with details about life in North Korea as well as North Korean governmental agencies.

“[The show’s] portrayal of various aspects of North Korean society have clearly been thoroughly researched, resulting in the most three-dimensional portrayal of North Korean society of any film or drama to date,” Sokeel Park, who works with defectors through Liberty in North Korea, told the BBC.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU ON TWITTER?

Essentially, all good things. Google reports that 97% of everyone who’s watched the TV show has given it a positive review, while Variety Magazine has named it one of “The Best International Shows on Netflix.” 

Over on Twitter, meanwhile, people are busily singing Crash Landing On You’s praises.

“[This is] a romantic-comedy masterpiece,” wrote one.

“The most fun I’ve had watching something in a long time. Loved their chemistry, loved the storyline,” added another.

And what are people saying on Rotten Tomatoes? Well, you better believe it’s got a 99% ‘fresh’ rating.

“The story was awesome, and I was hooked and wanted more. It has me crying whenever someone was crying on the show so much emotion,” wrote one fan of the show.

“Best K drama of all time,” added another.

And still one more said: “I’ve never been a fan of K-Dramas, but this goes beyond that. I was sceptical at first, but along with the amazing cast, storyline, cinematography, and music, this truly delivers on all levels.”

 

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NETFLIX’S CRASH LANDING ON YOU?

The show is rated a 15 (ooh!) and is subtitled throughout, making it all the more necessary to concentrate on the scenes unfolding before you (ideal if your coronavirus resolution is to stop aimlessly scrolling through Instagram, I guess).

[ncly]

Hi there, I'm sorry if this question has been asked before, but does anybody which the song (background instrumental melody) used in this scene? It wasn't included in the OST playlist :((

 

 

 

[eLizza]

On 4/27/2020 at 2:01 PM, queenie said:

After struggling watching 4eps of The King, here I am rewatching CLOY for the 3rd time. CLOY's acting and chemistry is really top notch that kinda make me disappointed when I watch other melo/rom com drama. The expectation bar is set too high now.

 

You are not wrong chingu.. same thing happened with me ..I can't seem to watch other dramas with the same eyes as before. And this new drama is already recieving mixed reviews. We are too spoiled for the chemistry part. In CLOY even the first scene featuring HB-YJ together in the pilot episode set the screen on fire. Even the most obnoxious glares that he initially gave Seri used to make my heart flutter. 

Whereas in this drama, even a prince charming (or rather King) sweeping off the girl from her feet up on a white horse and travelling to a different world did nothing for me.I can't feel anything.I m sorry if I hurt anybody but I just miss RiRi so much . And I m back to re-watching CLOY clips.

 

But in reality I don't think HB -YJ gonna work together in a drama again that too of romance genre. 

 

1 hour ago, ncly said:

Hi there, I'm sorry if this question has been asked before, but does anybody which the song used in this scene? It wasn't included in the OST playlist :((

 

.All I could hear is some random bg melody in this scene.

 

 

On 4/24/2020 at 8:51 PM, hallee said:

Hello! Any news about Son Ye Jin’s upcoming projects?? I am just curious because Hyun Bin i believe is busy shooting his next film project...Just missing the RiRi couple nowadays 

Nope ..I haven't heard any news about her accepting any offer .

[queenie]

16 hours ago, eLizza said:

You are not wrong chingu.. same thing happened with me ..I can't seem to watch other dramas with the same eyes as before. And this new drama is already recieving mixed reviews. We are too spoiled for the chemistry part. In CLOY even the first scene featuring HB-YJ together in the pilot episode set the screen on fire. Even the most obnoxious glares that he initially gave Seri used to make my heart flutter. 

Whereas in this drama, even a prince charming (or rather King) sweeping off the girl from her feet up on a white horse and travelling to a different world did nothing for me.I can't feel anything.I m sorry if I hurt anybody but I just miss RiRi so much . And I m back to re-watching CLOY clips.

I know what you're describing, exactly what I feel. The chemistry and love scenes of that OTP is awkward, mostly because there's no build-up for their love story. Everything happens for no reason and viewer don't understand why they fall in love for each other. In CLOY, it takes a while for our OTP to realize their feelings towards each other and we're attached to their story, so when their love grows, our hearts flutter.

 

This is my 3rd time watching CLOY so there's no surprise anymore but I still remember the 1st time I watch, I was sitting on edge at the end of every episode. There was no dull moment for the whole 16 episodes, everything is either entertaining, touching, meaningful, or funny. My favorite romcom of all time.

[eLizza]

I m really wishing for CLOY'S big -win in Daesang. But the recent news related to NK  firing at SK territory is bothering me. I m afraid if it will put CLOY in a bad light.. Already so much is going on and with this incident the judges may have some apprehensions related to CLOY so as not to get flaked by netizens.. I really hope I m wrong.. ..and CLOY wins many awards. Atleast in best actor/actress category we have big chances.

[TotoroSY]

https://www.koreaboo.com/stories/k-drama-crash-landing-climbs-list-united-states-top-10-watched-netflix-shows/

K-Drama “Crash Landing On You” Climbs The List of US’s Top 10 Most Watched Netflix Shows

Another South Korean title made it on the same list too.

 

 

 

Jenny Kang

11 hours ago

According to “The 10 Most-Watched Shows & Movies on Netflix During Social Isolation” list on Observer, based on the data provided by Reelgood, the heartthrob K-Drama Crash Landing On You has ranked #6 — following big titles like Elite, Stranger Things, and Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

 

 

While the survey took place March 21 to March 27, 2020, which is over a month past the Korean series’s final episode in February 2020, Crash Landing On You proved to be still popular among Netflix users in the United States.

This romantic series from tvN, featuring the story of a South Korean chaebol woman falling in love with a North Korean soldier, received a record-breaking 21.7% in viewer ratings as it wrapped up the single season

 

 

Viewers believe the globally remarkable stats have been possible because Crash Landing On You offered everything, from the plot to the visual. Plus, throughout the series, actor Hyun Bin and actress Son Ye Jin boasted an incredible chemistry that led the series to be even more attention-grabbing and binge-worthy.

• “You wouldn’t believe how hot this is in the states right now. I’m a Korean in the US and everyone has been locked down at home for two months because of the coronavirus. I guess that meant everyone has been watching Netflix. My coworkers of all ethnicities are raving about Hyun Bin every day. I’m telling you, my non-Korean speaking co-workers are trying to sell Hyun Bin dramas to me.”
• “The story is fun, I have to admit. And I also think everyone in the cast fit and portrayed their roles so well. It’s not hard to see why it became such a hit series.”
• “Oh, this reminds me of the time… This waitress at a restaurant I visited in Saipan started talking to me about Crash Landing On You, LOL.
• “I’m kind of amused by the fact that it’s popular in the United States though. How are the American viewers understanding the South vs. North theme? How are they handling the dialectic differences? I guess a good love story winning against all odds is a selling point in every culture.”
• “Only South Koreans could come up with a plot like this involving North Korea, so it’s unique. Maybe that’s why it’s a hit outside Korea.”

Another K-Drama series, Kingdom starring actor Ju Ji Hoon, also made it on the same list at #9. Observer commented that the platform’s investment in international titles, fueled by the need to attract new subscribers, is noteworthy. Could this mean Netflix users can look forward to more K-Drama hits to be featured? Many remain hopeful.

 

What’s also interesting to note is Netflix’s growing international profile: Crash Landing on You, Kingdom and The Platform are all South Korean originals. Data reveals that Netflix has been seeing a surge in new sign-ups in overseas areas affected by the coronavirus. More generally speaking, it is believed that while Netflix may have hit its saturation point here in the U.S., its unrivaled investment in international areas over the last several years will keep attracting new subscribers.

— Observer

Here’s the full list:

 

[queenie]

Lol, Hyun Bin is getting more popular in US which means he cant just go to LA for grocery shopping with his close friend anymore

[squeak]

56 minutes ago, queenie said:

Lol, Hyun Bin is getting more popular in US which means he cant just go to LA for grocery shopping with his close friend anymore

You got a point there they might have to start to find another place/country to do that again (as if there exist a place where no one could even not recognize them anymore XD)

[Xxyyxzm]

On 4/17/2020 at 10:59 PM, gilaswan said:

I’m still watching CLOY? My 5th time?? Gawsh. I’ve watched other dramas since but I still find myself going back to it!

 

Was wondering - at which point did the F4 realise RJH was in love with Seri?

I think the f4 may have realised it when rjh was in the hospital in NK. There's this patient who was a bts fan who said that ysr said RJH was the babe magnet. Rjh was smiling throughout when joo mok explained what that meant. So I guess the f4 might have discovered it then 

[celest1al]

I don’t think this was posted here, but IU recently sang a part of “Give You My Heart,” on a show. This song always reminds me of the scene with the rings, the hospital reunion scene when RJH says “I love you,” and especially the last goodbye scene at the border. So even though the song didn’t appear until the last few episodes of the drama, it’s very memorable for me. I wish she sang more of it though!