Crashlanding on this series on Twitter is the only introduction I got from the show. I have not seen commercials for Crash Landing On You on Youtube or a marketing ad in my Facebook account. However, since some people I followed in Twitter are talking about this, it piqued my interest in the show, more so that netizens are tweeting how one TV series could use an entire box of tissue while watching it. Melodrama is my thing, and I am always up for a good heartbreaking story that would make me whimper in my room at night. #ChallengeAccepted
With no hesitation, I hastily downloaded the entire episodes. This, by the way, is an original Netflix KDrama series alongside Vagabond and Kingdom. South Korean series are always well-woven; with scripts full of metaphor and analogy. They use deep dialogue just to relay their stance on an issue or situation and amplified its impact with their minimal yet expressive facial acting. Going back, the first episode is just character-building for the female lead and set up the entire premise for the upcoming episodes where the cliff-hanger ending of the pilot episode is the meeting of our 2 main leads – Ri Jeong Hyeuk and Yoon Se-ri.
For the next couple of episodes, it is something that I did not expect, a total display of North Korea to my naked eye. I only remember seeing North Korea briefly on movies like Confidential Assignment and VIP and then the location will shift towards South Korea. But Crash Landing On You exposed parts of North Korea that we seldom see or hear about. For the first time, I feel like North Korea opened its borders to us and graciously quenched our curious minds on the insides of this secretive country. As someone who is eager to know more about the country, it is a given that when presented with the opportunity to fill those blank lines with answers, you will surely stay and wait for that information bubble to burst into thin air and then inhale them for your body to absorb. I can also compare it to food cravings that you cannot just stop munching, munching and munching till your plate is empty. With Crash Landing On You, we were invited to visit the beautiful country of North Korea.
On another note, a third of the series was light and fun. Captain Ri Jeong Hyeuk’s company is full of strange habits. We see North Korea’s elite military force watching South Korean drama, casually drinking in the middle of the day while at work and/or crying in the meadow longing to know how their loved ones are doing. We also have a very rowdy community composed of North Korean housewives. The writers made sure that we can relate to the gossips, the ignorance and the fight for social status in a positive way. While all of these were just a fraction of the series, the other two-thirds of the series is full of heartwarming and tons of heartbreaking scenes. This is only bound to happen knowing that North and South have defined their borders and territories and is not yet a unified nation.
Additionally, the show has a special episode that will make you realize that the antagonist is simply just playing his character in the series. It contains bloopers and behind the scenes that you will surely love.
Conclusion:
Crash Landing On You’s brave venture to the heavily guarded and militarized country is a sure-fire hit to me. It is like their opening up North Korea to the world now and that itself is the captivating beauty of the series.