Cast
Hyun Bin / 현빈/ 玄彬 – Ri Jeong Hyuk /Lee Jeong Hyuk/李正赫
Son Ye Jin/손예진/ 孙艺真 – Yoon Se Ri/ 尹世理
Seo Ji Hye /서지혜 /徐智慧 – Seo Dan/ 徐丹
Kim Jung Hyun/ 김정현/金正鉉 – Gu Seung Joon / 具承俊
Kim Young-min – Jeong Man Bok
Yang Kyung-won/杨庆元 – Pyo Chi-soo/ 表治秀
Lee Shin Young/ 李新英 – Park Kwang-beom/朴光范
Yoo Su-bin/ 刘秀彬 – Kim Joo-muk/金舟墨
Tang Jun-sang/唐俊尚 – Geum Eun-dong/金殷桐
Oh Man Seok /오만석/吴万石 – Jo Cheol Kang/赵哲强
Kim Jun Nan/金正兰 – Ma Yeong-ae/马英爱
Kim Sun Young/金善映- – Na Wol-sook/罗月淑
Jang So-yeon/张少妍- Hyeon Myeong-soon/玄明顺
Cha Chung-hwa/车清华- Yang Ok-geum/杨玉锦
Ratings for the Show:
Acting: 7.5
Storyline: 7.5
OST: 7.5
Overall: 7.5
Grade: B
“Crash Landing on You” (CLOY) crashed in as the highest-rated drama in TVN history, surpassing “Goblin” with a viewership rate of 23.249% for the final episode. It ended on an all-time high note, rendered the viewers with mixed emotions of happy, poignant moments and “Post Drama Withdrawal Syndromes”.
A team of delectable stellar cast, star scriptwriter Park Ji-eun (writer for “My Love from the Star” & “Legend of the Blue Sea”), North Korean Defector consultant Kwak Moon Wan, make what is seemingly “impossible” into a “fantasy drama”.
The cast and storyline of CLOY crashed into my heart, leaving deep imprints and insights.
Other than heartthrobs Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin’s impeccable chemistry, the intense storyline that causes you to grapple with fear of losing any of the characters, Se Ri’s self-exploration and healing journey with the accidental landing, Jeong Hyuk’s determination to not lose another person that he loves again, the wise quotes by Seung Joon that led to food-for-thought moments, Seo Dan’s 敢爱敢恨, the many hilarious and heart-wrenching moments with the supporting characters, made the drama so much more captivating.
The female protagonists’ latest lavish wardrobe fashion serves as a reference for the fashionista wannabes, while the OST is packed with swooning ballads such as “Flower”, “Here I am Again”, “Give You My Heart” that would bring you back to certain swoon-worthy moments in CLOY.
It isn’t merely the romance that melts your heart, but to a great extent how the relationships forged and 浓浓的人情味 that’s heartwarming.
CLOY’s theme revolves around “LOVE”.
It teaches one the meaning of self-love and loving others, to forget hurt and only remember people you love (and vice versa). There’s self-reflection time on what is important to us, learn how to appreciate the simple things in life and to show more care and concern to the people we love.
It’s a self-exploration journey not just for Se Ri, but also for the other 3 leads and us. We watched them grow as individuals through times of adversity.
No matter how tough life is, there is always a reason to smile. This smile is the answer to why we are pressing on.
When there’s love, there’s hope.
It’s about a love story between a wealthy heiress who gets stranded in North Korea due to a paragliding accident and fell in love with the soldier who risks his life to send her back to South Korea against all odds. We can label them as a pair of star-crossed lovers like “Romeo and Juliet” in modern times.
While most would be swooning over Jeong Hyuk and Se Ri’s love line, the budding romance between Seung Joon and Seo Dan grows on you over time. You could not bring yourself to dislike them for trying to come between the 2 main leads.
Likewise, viewers would love the 5th Infantry guys and village ajummas.
人与人之间的相处就是那么微妙。人们会觉得待人处事冷漠是给自己最佳的保护色。殊不知在感觉到温暖后才发现, 用心经营，真诚待人才是能令心里感到真正豁达的。
It isn’t just about finding true love in times of adversity, but also finding friendships and forging unforgettable relationships with people that they would never have known otherwise. These are all “compensated” to Se Ri in a way for the lack of family love.
I agree that we should all live each day to the fullest, tell the people we love how we really feel and live each day as if it is the last. We will never know if they would still be with us tomorrow.
This drama has received much rave and compliments, but also backlash over sensitive political issues.
North Korean defectors have complimented on how close the settings are to North Korea in reality, from frequent electricity cut off, kimchi caves (since they have no refrigerators), costumes, furnishings down right to the North Korean accent and Pyongyang dialect.
Intense and dangerous fleeing, car chasing, gunfire scenes were cleverly weaved in every episode to balance the pace and capture your attention. You would only begin to feel a little toll towards the last 3 episodes.
I like this drama, except for some overly exaggerated scenes and the way the final episode was handled. Not going to provide spoilers here but those who have watched the drama would agree that some “arrangements” were a little unnecessary. =(
Intense Storyline and a Seemingly Different “World”
The story embarked on a relatively fast pace with many events unfolding in every episode, while we attempt to understand the various characters’ real motives, no matter how small their role is.
There isn’t much time to get bored as the audience gets to explore how life in North Korea is potentially like through this drama. They are mostly normal people who lead ordinary lives.
While we are not going to dwell on sensitive topics, it is also very much about how a rich girl has to learn “survival” skills in a totally different environment.
We could see the contrast in the leads’ respective lives, the environment they grew up, the circumstances which shaped their personality as the years went by.
As how the drama portrays it, we can see the vast difference in living conditions. Seri came from a cosmopolitan city and definitely, it was a culture shock for her to have to live in a village, with electricity being cut off anytime, no warm water running from the tap, etc and also have to be fearful of her own safety.
There is an interesting “role reversal” when they went to South Korea, when Jeong Hyuk became her “bodyguard”, with the 5th Infantry guys trying to adapt to the cosmopolitan life with fake branded clothing, while Man Bok did what he does best in “eavesdropping”.
Reasons why it’s successful
– Impeccable Chemistry between Hyun Bin & Son Ye Jin
An almost perfect male lead who gives his all for you – who wouldn’t fall for it?
Hyun Bin’s 华丽回归 to the small screen after “The Negotiation” & “Rampant” is a highly acclaimed & successful one. When Hyun Bin joins forces with one of South Korea’s top actresses, Son Ye Jin, it’s an all-kill.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin are a perfect match in K-Drama Land, be it in terms of looks, acting or that overflowing chemistry. Audience love this pairing so much that they “ship” them to be a real-life couple. Rumours sparked since they were filming “The Negotiation” and this is the 3rd time they are embroiled in dating rumours.
However, both parties have denied they are in a relationship. Whether sparks really flew both on and off screen (time would tell), we wish the 2 would meet their fated halves in real life soon.
Despite the dating rumours, there’s no stopping them in making such a perfect, compatible and formidable “make-believe” couple in CLOY. Sparks flew the moment Se Ri landed right into Jeong Hyuk’s arms. It was from this exact moment that this couple stays deeply rooted in our hearts throughout the 16 episodes.
There’s no such thing as an “accident”. We meet the people we meet for a reason.
For them, it’s predetermined and fated.
They found true love and healed each other in the process.
We love the interactions from when they would squabble nonstop when they first met but Jeong Hyuk paying attention to all the nitty gritties, being so sweet as to buying her the daily necessities, such as shampoo, etc, tying her hair up for her and always looking out for her, only goes to show he is a big-hearted and considerate man, who pretended to be indifferent.
He didn’t want to amplify his actions as they are akin to daily gestures to him.
He is a man of few words who didn’t know how to express himself, but we can pick up a hint or two from his little actions that it has always been a 2-way love from the beginning. He even went all out to ensure her safety even when she is back in South Korea.
Could any lady out there not be subdued by his actions?
所谓, ”患难见真情”.
The star-crossed lovers may not have known each other for long, but the so many incidents bonded them quickly and would be enough to last them for a lifetime’s worth of memories.
The one scene I love was when Jeong Hyuk confessed to Se Ri in his half-drunken state that he wished he could stay with Se Ri forever, but deep down inside, they knew they couldn’t as they would be divided across the border.
There was a hospital scene when Se Ri confessed her deepest thoughts to an unconscious Jeong Hyuk:
“一般的事都不会害怕 ，直到他变成了特别的存在。 以前只有自己一人，没有其他人, 现在发现还有政赫在。 别人从来不守承诺 。但我和你之间没有合同, 你却能守承诺 。”
When you are used to being alone, you will only think of yourself. She never believed in anyone honouring their promises, even if a contract was drawn. However, Jeong Hyun meant all that he said even when there was no written contract.
“He would do all he could to protect her, as long as she is within his sight”.
If that is not an act of love, I don’t know what else is. It was pure trust and commitment on his end. She never was afraid of anything till now, she felt so afraid of losing him because this is when she realized she has fallen for him.
We wouldn’t otherwise be affected by people whom we don’t feel for, isn’t it so?
This was the moment when they finally had the realization that they had each other in their hearts.
Some sweet kiss scenes.
Jeong Hyuk – The Steadfast Superhero
Hyun Bin‘s focus has been mainly on “more masculine” theme movies in the last few years. This is a common move for most actors who started out on the small screen and made their names in romantic comedies. He took on antagonist roles at times so as not to be confined to the same type of roles.
Most ladies would be exhilarated to have him back to star in a romantic comedy-cum-melodrama. The last I remember Hyun Bin having such electrifying chemistry with his female co-lead was with Ha Ji Won during “Secret Garden”.
A decade later, he’s able to showcase more mature acting (manly, boyish, romantic aspects) plus a different kind of chemistry with Son Ye Jin in his 30s.
Jeong Hyuk is determined, courageous, serious, a little 木纳 but we begin to see smiles and loving, electrifying gazes after Seri crashed into his life.
He is a tall, handsome, hunky superhero who loves Se Ri so much and would always save her in the nick of time. He looks suave in military uniform and suits too.
Does such a guy even exist? Yes, only in K-Drama Land.
Just why is Jeong Hyuk a fatal attraction?
– A guy who loves you more than his own life
– A guy who swore to protect you as long as you are within his sight.
– A guy who will take a bullet for you
– A guy who will shelter you from the rain and let the raindrops fall on him instead
– He makes it a point to send messages to her every day (even if it were pre-set)
Jeong Hyuk is particularly cute when he gets jealous and pouty over the “heart sign” that Se Ri sends to his fellow squad, for it isn’t exclusive to him anymore.
That priceless expression when he discovered she used to date many guys.
The way he looks at Se Ri with the 腼腆的笑容 will sweep you off your feet too.
He would tolerate Se Ri’s tantrums and bossiness, though the over-protective boyfriend can get super mushy at times too.
Here’s the boyfriend with the “sexy” scar trying to garner some attention from his girlfriend. =S
The numerous fighting scenes allowed Hyun Bin to showcase the manly side and 好身手 of Captain Ri. He’s a fighter not just for his country, but also for the woman he loves.
From an aspiring pianist to being a soldier after his brother’s unfortunate passing, Jeong Hyuk gave up all his dreams, except to lead a simple life. He agreed to whatever arrangements his parents made for him, including the arranged marriage with Seo Dan, so as to fulfill the duties of the only surviving son.
It was till Se Ri appeared when he began to understand that this should not be the way to live.
In order not to go through the pain and torment of losing someone he loves again, he would go all out just to ensure she is safe and happy.
Even if they knew they may not have a future ahead, he would always ask Se Ri to be happy and even if they could never meet again, all that it matters to him is for her to lead a happy and healthy life.
What we learn from Jeong Hyuk is that we should always 从日常生活中，寻找那些小小的幸福。
Se Ri the 霸气富婆
Son Ye Jin is a timeless beauty, who is so ever graceful and able to maintain her composure. I would call that 气质美. She is more fondly known as the “Queen of Melodramas” in South Korea, as she would always bring the audience to tears with her melodramas.
Her latest drama was “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food” with Jung Hae In. Truth be told, I stopped watching around Ep 10 as I just couldn’t take super slow-paced dramas.
She is known for her palatable chemistry with her co-stars, and this is more so evident in her teamwork with Hyun Bin in CLOY. We would believe if they told us they are a real-life couple.
We think it is a good choice for her to adopt a more lively and funny character, whereby we would laugh and cry with her in CLOY.
Finally, Son Ye Jin is no longer the very weak damsel-in-distress in most of her previous K Dramas.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, be it in the corporate world or with Se Ri’s family members. There is the usual “Chaebol’s family” fighting over inheritance conspiracies.
She’s a rich, capable, wilful and strong-headed heiress who feels the world revolves around her. Much as she looks strong and hostile, her inert self yearns for family love and someone she can connect with.
Se Ri is not a weak damsel in distress. While she would be flustered and fearful about her safety in a foreign land, she still keeps her pride high and not allow others to bully her.
There’s a natural disposition about her that you would love, even if she continues to act like a “Picky Princess”. At the same time, she learnt how to get along with others and enjoy their accompaniment.
(She’s rocking that village girl look too)
Her family treated her like an enemy as an illegitimate child who wanted to fight for the inheritance. She found her life to be so difficult and meaningless that she wanted to commit suicide.
Se Ri confessed to Jeong Hyuk that despite having suicidal thoughts, she realised at the end of the day that “只是不想活，并不代表想死”.
Not having the will to live, does not equate to wanting to die.
How true this is.
Many people would feel sick and tired of their lives, but it doesn’t mean you want “death” to be released of it all. Sometimes, all it takes is to give yourself a break, travel around for a breather and your perspective would change.
Ep 11:
Jeong Hyuk told Se Ri that she should not remember the people she hates for it will bring her more hurt. She should remember someone she likes, even if this person cannot be by her side.
She used to be self-centered, was a workaholic and never knew the joy of enjoying a meal together with others. She wouldn’t even release her employees early for festive celebrations and find such things meaningless.
Luckily we have Jeong Hyuk, the 5th Infantry guys and the village ajummas to change her take on life forever.
She found people who genuinely care for her and began opening up her heart to them. That includes Jeong Hyuk, who made her understand the meaning of true love and putting your loved ones before you.
She has shown her softer and more vulnerable side because she feels safe around them. She became more understanding and considerate of others’ feelings.
Some cute moments when Se Ri was “pissed off” with Jeong Hyuk.
Even cuter moments when she tried to “hide” her dashing boyfriend from the public’s eye, or even proudly showcasing his brooding looks.
(Captain Ri “Suit Up” as “The Bodyguard”)
We are glad that she was able to mend her relationship with her family, especially her stepmother.
Ep 14: Se Ri’s Mum to Se Ri at the hospital
我的人生会是一场地狱，不是因为你，而是因为我。我却选择了去讨厌爱我的你。我可能是想要这样折磨自己吧。
We all know that Se Ri never really had the love of her stepfamily. It was a love and hate relationship between her stepmother and her, but her step mum finally realized that she was the cause of all her own misfortunes. Se Ri wasn’t the one who ruined her life.
More often than not, we tend to overlook the fact that we are the only ones with the power to choose how we react to certain situations.
Our unfortunate experiences may not be caused by others, but it is always easier to blame it on others than to find fault with ourselves.
2nd Couple Leads Syndrome
If there is something that’s lacking, it would be for our 2nd love line.
The love line between a conman and a haughty, rich girl is not unheard of, but we love the 2nd love line so much that we wished they had more screen time together.
It’s not rare that we suffer from “2nd Male Lead Syndrome” from time to time, but it takes more for the audience to love both the 2nd male and female leads who tried to break up the main lead couple.
Both started out as liking the main leads and in the process of trying to break them up, they turned from 冤家 to 心心相系.
The 2 female leads are of stronger character, so I like how they bicker with the guys and would not relent, while the 2 male leads would express their love and affection in their own manner.
Gu Seung Joon – The Conman that You will Love
Kim Jung Hyun is undoubtedly my most favourite actor in this drama, and he probably gained the most attention from the public with the broadcasting of CLOY.
Despite the controversial “rude” behaviour at the “Time” drama press conference in 2018, which we got to know he was suffering from depression, he has reminded us just how good his acting chops are with his comeback drama. With a better mindset and focus now, we can be sure he will soar to even greater heights in the future.
We got to know Jung Hyun improvised a couple of “adlib” scenes in CLOY. I wondered if those were adlib scenes before they talked about it as it seems like something that’s probably out of the script. True enough, it was. I like actors who discuss and try to better enhance their characters’ personalities.
We don’t usually feel much about a conman or try to put ourselves in his perspective on why he is doing what he has been doing.
(An adlib scene which we can put on nonstop repeared loop)
You will undeniably grow fonder of Seung Joon , so much so that you might have teared a little after understanding what he has gone through. How life would have been very much different if he has put his wits to good use. Nonetheless, he is still a good person at heart.
Seung Joon is a conceited, cheeky, flippant and flirty conman who never reveals his real feelings. He’s only concerned about his personal well-being and benefits. One of the sad characters in the drama, I would say.
He has all the money in the world after embezzling funds from Se Ri’s 2nd brother but decided to spend the next 10 years hiding in North Korea.
Beneath that aloof surface, lies a really sad and deep character, who only wanted justice for his family and for someone to truly love and remember him.
As we unraveled the layers of mystery surrounding him, you began to comprehend his real intentions and start to empathize with him. He’s actually a kind and attractive guy with a magnetic charm, who’s somewhat a romanticist too.
He’s one with the wits and wisdom, especially when it comes to giving some love advice to Seo Dan. He sees things in a very 斩钉截铁 manner.
It’s hard to guess what’s on his mind, for he can seem benevolent or loving at times, but unfeeling or hostile in other times. You may also question his low moral threshold for money is what makes things work for him.
After all this while, he began to wonder if living well is the best revenge, instead of getting himself into such torment and predicament.
“只要自己完美地幸福起来，才是真正的报复” – 具承俊
也对，我们何苦为了要报复而为难自己? 来个华丽转身才是王道。
Resentment knows no end. We should not torment ourselves further but to make things right in a more positive manner.
I love all the wise advice he gives Seo Dan whenever she feels down.
We all become discouraged and wonder if we are not good enough when out of love.
However, Seung Joon reassured Seo Dan that she is a capable & attractive lady who is deserving of love, no less even if Jeong Hyuk loves another.
Well, we all hope to meet someone like this, who sees, loves and appreciates us the way we are.
This is something that we should always remember, that we are all worthy to be loved, nothing less, if not more.
Seo Dan – A Prideful but Lovable Lady
Seo Ji Hye is one of the prettiest South Korean actresses in my opinion. She exudes an allure of 冷艳美, just like Jun Ji Hyun. However, she has proven she is more than just a pretty face. While she has always been in supporting roles or at the best, 2nd female lead, she is able to bring her characters to life and create an impression.
You would remember her as the irritating 2nd female lead in “Black Knight”, or even her few-minutes small role in “Rampant” as a concubine who morphed into a zombie.
While she enacts a lady with a haughty personality in CLOY, you will learn to love her over time as she unveils her more vulnerable side.
Seo Dan is the only daughter of the owner of Pyeongyang Department Store. A rich, confident, cold and beautiful woman but still succumbs to “arranged marriage” setup because of filial piety. However, she agreed to the arranged marriage as she was in love with Jeong Hyuk since high school days.
(rich, fashionable & baddass)
She’s straight forward, doesn’t sugar coat her words and doesn’t display much emotions as she wanted to maintain a “perfect” image. It was till she met Seung Joon that things changed.
He is always ready to lend a listening ear, give her a 当头棒喝 to knock some sense into her, yet able to lift her spirits at the same time. I feel they truly complement each other.
She’s one of the toughest women in the drama, who’s being robbed of her first love but still able to forge on strongly. She’s never afraid to stand up for what she feels is right.
Seung Joon and Seo Dan’s 1st conversation was about him telling her not to be bothered about what she saw about her fiancé (Jeong Hyuk) being with another woman (Se Ri), for men would not want to stay with someone who often gets upset with them.
While she offered him similar advice that money comes to those who ignore it and runs from those who chase it.
Such a wise comparison.
The other few conversations was when he told her that it wouldn’t work out between Jeong Hyuk and her for it is an arranged marriage.
There is no love when there is no spark, no skipping a heartbeat, no quarrels and all. They were just going through the motion for the sake of getting married eventually.
Even though Seo Dan knew the reality, she was still trying to delude herself. That’s when we concur with Seung Joon that “爱的太久，它已变质烂掉了。那是执迷。”
When time passes for too long, love would have turned into an obsession and the reluctance to let go of what you think is “yours”.
If you already knew that your fiancé risked his life for another woman, you know you need to cut yourself off. It is no longer love but sheer stubbornness trying to wait for a man whose heart is not with you.
爱情没有先来后到的顺序。
If you can see the end, then you should end it.
那已经不是爱，而是一种执着。
一味地执着是为了不想让自己狼狈不堪，却也是让自己更逃不出深渊的固执。
I like how Seung Joon instilled this in Seo Dan’s head and also our heads. It’s just so apt that we wouldn’t let go of things or people just cos it has been “so long”. If you feel that waiting for someone for so long has made you pathetic, it’s time to let go.
Seung Joon knows it better that it’s never easy to impress the Ice Princess. He wasn’t able to con Se Ri, but neither is he able to con Seo Dan.
She’s just so cool-headed and she knew he carries a torch for her. It’s so fun watching how he tried to play it cool but totally lost it when Seo Dan smiled when he asked if she liked the Ramyeon, another guy or him.
An invitation to having Ramyeon together means more than its literal wordings in South Korea. If a guy asks if you would like to have ramyeon at his house together, it is an invitation to spending the night with him.
Seo Dan would always throw him glares when he tried to “irritate” her, but we know she enjoyed all the attention and loved his accompaniment.
It seemed as if he scored a goal whenever Seo Dan smiled or opened up a little more to him. That victorious feeling, we all know.
Good things don’t come easy. You will learn to fight for it and appreciate them more.
We witnessed how they gradually opened up to each other, with Seong Joon wanting to tell her nothing but the truth and she is the only one he wouldn’t lie to. He knew his life was in a mess and he needed to become a better person, in order to be worthy of someone so outstanding like Seo Dan.
While she learned that it is a blessing when it’s a 2-way relationship as compared to being in a one-sided love for 10 years.
He needs a chance at redemption while she deserves a go in having her true love.
If you have met the love of your life, you wouldn’t yearn for anyone else ever again.
Wish the scriptwriter were kinder to this pair.
Despite the 7 years age gap, Kim Jung Hyun and Seo Ji Hye’s chemistry were pretty good. We can totally picture how these 2 would gradually fall in love with each other.
The Interesting Side Kicks
CLOY is no doubt a big scale production, from overseas filming in Switzerland and Mongolia, to having so many supporting actors.
A major success factor is due to these supporting roles and big name cameos like Kim Soo Hyun and Choi Ji Woo, who injected so much life to the drama.
Be it the villains, 5th Infantry guys, village ajummas or Seo Dan and Se Ri’s comical family members (Seo Dan’s mum and Uncle, Se Ri’s 1st brother and sister-in-law), the drama would not be as intense, exciting and “flavourful” without them.
One heartfelt moment was when Seo Dan’s mother felt that she had done wrong by having that arranged marriage as she only wanted her daughter to be happy at the end of the day.
Also, she would accompany her daughter through the downtimes in her life regardless of what happens.
The first thought that struck me when Se Ri came to the village was “how tough it will be for everyone when she leaves eventually”.
That’s probably why some people will not try to get close to others whom they will only be with for a short duration. That’s life and how fate goes.
Some people will leave lasting footprints in your heart.
Despite the advancements in technology, there may be some people whom you may never be able to meet or contact again after you leave that place. There’s no means of contact and they will never see each other again. They can’t update one another on how they are getting along or how much they miss them.
Hard to imagine that in this era now. It’s like back to the ancient days.
It pains me every time I think about this.
5th Infantry Guys
These goofy and hilarious guys are part of Jeong Hyuk’s elite squad in the North Korea Military.
No matter what happens, they would always catch his back and reinforce him, even if it means risking their lives to escort Se Ri back to South Korea or even in South Korea. They are his 最强的后盾.
The scriptwriter injected more lively elements instead of making them seem solemn and serious. They are just like any other guys out there except the living environment is different.
Pyo Chi Soo – Someone who 口不对心. He is always at loggerheads with Seri but we all know he also treats her as a friend.
Kim Joo Muk – One who loves Korean dramas and wishes to meet Choi Ji Woo someday
Park Kwang Beom – A man of few words but definitely the “looker” of the group, someone whose actions speak louder than words and is loyal to Captain Ri
Geum Eun Dong – Maknae of the group who leans on the older hyungs, but he began to learn to be more independent as time goes by.
There was definitely some culture shock after they got to South Korea, but some of those scenes were pretty funny in how they tried to assimilate into the culture so that they would not be identified as being “different”.
One would fondly recall the Jjimjilbang (public bathhouse) scenes and trying to dress up like South Koreans with fake branded clothing.
Another hilarious scene was when they were tricked by Kim Soo Hyun’s role as Dong Gu, a North Korean Spy from Division 13 (role from “Secretly, Greatly”).
While Manbok isn’t part of the 5th Infantry, his role had a chance at redemption to help Jeong Hyuk when they got to South Korea. The guilt-stricken guy finally got a chance to showcase what he is best at – being the ears.
Some happy moments together:
(Se Ri sharing her birthday wishes with them)
(“Unified” moment in supporting Team Korea for soccer match)
(Farewell BBQ)
Village Ajummas
These ladies did a great job at throwing us into fits of laughter sometimes, from their sarcastic remarks to the things they do.
They may seem mean at first, but they are kind-hearted, united and would help anyone in need.
Se Ri has also learned from them that despite being poor, being able to have a shelter over your head, sufficient food and clothing and being with your family, is one of the simplest forms of happiness in life.
Despite having everything from money to a business empire and all, she was a hollow soul in Seoul.
She has nothing in a village in North Korea, but she found people who are genuinely fond and concerned about her, even when they did not know her real identity.
Villains – Jo Cheol Kang, Seri’s 2nd Brother and Sister in Law
The biggest villain in the drama is none other than Oh Man Seok’s role as Jo Cheol Kang. Most viewers would hate him to the core, but he has done such a wonderful job you need to give him your thumbs up.
Without him, there’s not much “excitement” and fear factor lingering in the drama.
If you could think of anything bad, he probably did them all in the drama, from bribery, killing the innocent, manipulating people to do illegal things so as to reach his aim, to rise to the top.
He’s coy and ruthless and behaves like a lunatic going round shooting everyone’s heads or asses off.
In order to cause harm to Jeong Hyuk and his influential family, he would stoop to anything, including hurting Se Ri.
There are times when I detested Se Ri’s 2nd brother and sister-in-law more than Jo Cheol Kang. Despite being family (in name), they had ill intentions towards her and could be so unscrupulous till they gang up with outsiders to cause harm to Se Ri, disregarding her safety.
All these were for inheritance.
It’s such a contrast when we see how people who are totally oblivious to who Se Ri is and would risk their lives to help her out, versus people she calls “family” who are so venomous at heart.
We got to agree with this saying that “Not all blood is family”.
Life Lessons and Thoughts
– Karma goes one round to teach Se Ri a life lesson about love, sacrifice, friendships and not to take simple things for granted.
It is only when she is totally broke, then did she learn to appreciate the intangible.
– 我们视为理所当然的，是别人需要用生命换来的。
对于这些村民，许多事情都是身不由己。They need to do things against their will for survival, as well as ensuring the safety of their loved ones.
She never knew how fortunate she was till she was thrown in this predicament.
– Living each day to the fullest and bidding farewell every day like it is your last together
Through the repeated cycle of meeting, separation, reunion, separation again, has taught Se Ri and the many characters about seizing each day and living in the moment.
Bidding farewell has become so common in CLOY that it is akin to a daily “good night” greeting, but it still feels sad whenever you bid farewell to your loved ones.
Teary moments (Spoilers included)
Other than feeling for the 4 leads’ predicament and shedding tears every now and then, these are the more tear-jerking moments for me:
– Se Ri’s farewell note to her favourite ajummas and how she named Seri Choice’s new season products with their names and have their faces printed on them. The ajummas wondered how to send their message across to Seri while staring at the sky.
They know that they will never forget Se Ri, neither will she ever forget them and some things needn’t be mentioned but boy, I wished they could at least meet one more time.
– Whenever the 5th Infantry guys risked their lives to save her, and telling her to be safe when she returns to South Korea, or even after sending her off, they would be wondering how she is doing.
What made me tear the most was, she may never see these people in her lifetime again, despite them just being across the border.
Hate to think of the “fact” that there’s no means for Se Ri to communicate with her friends in North Korea, let alone meeting them in person.
As the saying goes, “so near yet so far”.
As long as they all know that one another is doing well and happy with their loved ones, that’s all it matters.
While the ending for some characters is less than satisfying, these 16 episodes of “paragliding” experience with Se Ri, all cast and crew involved in “Crash Landing On You”, have brought us an emotional roller coaster ride filled with much joy, warmth, solace and some tear-jerking, heartbreaking moments.
We learn that we need to be strong and believe in ourselves. If we have enough faith, we will ultimately meet the people we wish to meet again, someday.
It is a drama that has crashed deep right into our hearts and will remain deeply embedded in the many years to come.
Thank you for the wonderful drama and we hope to see the main leads working on their new projects soon.
