When I started watching The Legend of the Blue Sea, I really didn’t see myself watching back to back korean serieses! After I finished that one, I wasn’t too keen on starting the next one my wife suggested (despite her first suggestion being a total hit with me). The show was called "Crash Landing on you."
This time however, I wasn’t prejudiced against korean dramas. I was prejudiced against this specific show, simply because I really didn’t think it could outdo Legend of the Blue Sea. I accepted korean dramas were good, I just hadn’t considered the possibility that most of them could be that good. And once again, I was terribly mistaken.
If anything, "Crash Landing on You" has driven out any memory I had of Legend of the blue sea out of my mind. I think it is time I start treating this genre not as "korean drama," but just like any other genre of Tv shows. I wouldn’t shy away from watching the next show just because I liked the last show too much if I wasn’t fixated on the korean drama part, would I?
As we watched the first episode, my wife was getting more and more disappointed. It was a long episode (each episode is nearly 90 minutes) and the plot apparently hadn’t even started after having watched for so long according to her. I disagree, I quite enjoyed the first episode and I was getting a really good feeling about the show from that episode itself. I felt the base for the plot was very well set in the first episode. The episode being mostly under a military setting made it even more interesting for me, I like that sort of stuff.
If you google you can find out the plot of the show. So I don’t see the need to delve too deeply into the synopsis. Instead as with any reviews I write (be it movies and tv shows, be it books) I will try to write my take on the different events and plots without giving away any major spoilers (hopefully).
To me, the grand plot and takeaway of this show (regardless of what google and most generic review sites say) was how beautiful friendships can be forged between people of two supposedly "enemy" countries. The separation and hatred are in the end all political agendas driven upon us for their ulterior motives. Notice how I didn’t say "love," but I chose the word friendship? This is by far a romantic drama, no questions asked. But it is the development of friendships that touched me more. From probably minute 10 or so you could tell the two main characters were going to fall in love and the entire plot was going to revolve around that. It was easy. But what no one saw coming was the unconditional friendship and bond of care that developed between Yoon Se-Ri and the rest of Captain Ri's battalion. It was heartwarming, it was kind, it was heavy.
Speaking of heavy, these Korean dramas have an unique nag of making the story very, very heavy towards the end. The final few episodes of Crash Landing on you was extremely heavy and you'd be watching more of these episodes with a lump in your throat more often than not. This is a phenomenon that you'd see in Legend of the blue sea as well.
The striking differences between life in North and South Korea was also portrayed quite vividly - a lot of which provided some very enjoyable comic relief while at the same time you couldn't help but feel for the fellas down north. I am not really sure how accurate these portrayals were, I have not visited either of the two countries. But it was to get more of a general idea I suppose, and not meant to be accurate representation of life in either of the two countries.
The comic relief was great, it was better than that of Legend of the Blue Sea if I really want to compare. But I don't want to compare, they are both great shown on their own merit.
While fun and lightheartedness, romance and kindness, and loyalty were the major story tellers, this show quite subtly, and accurately I must add, portrayed the hypocrisy and greed, and unyielding cruelty that comes with power and illegal money. So while these may not have been the at the forefront, they surely played a major driving role in directing where the story went.
The character choices were spot on and each of them delivered exactly as you'd imagine them to be if it was a book and you were left to imagine the characters. Very rarely can you say the characters on screen are the exact mirror of your imagination. This was one of those very rare occasions! I especially how the character of Captain Ri evolved from a very stiff, "follow the rulebook to the dot" kinda guy to a more "Not a care in the world" type as the series went on.
But I think Korean Villains are something else entirely! My wife was cursing Cho Cheol Gang every time he was on screen! That's how well he played his role LOL!
I will not tell what I thought of the ending. I will however easily recommend anyone to watch this show, without a shadow of doubt.