https://asianwiki.com/Crash_Landing_on_You
Genre: Romance, Kdrama
Rating: TV-14
Episodes: 16
Summary: A wealthy heiress has a paragliding incident where she lands across the border in North Korea.
Plot: 4/5 Okay, I did not expect to enjoy this series that much, but it had so many touching scenes and sobering moments. Overall, it’s an unrealistic Romeo & Juliet kind of story, but what GOT ME CRYING were all the scenes of family, sacrificial love, and brotherhood. Despite how unrealistic the circumstances of romance were, I actually quite liked the romance story this time around. While some ridiculous things happened (I mean, come on, it’s a Kdrama, so what can I expect), overall I quite enjoyed it. For example, the ending probably could never happen, but I liked it and was satisfied with it.
What also had me crying was the very real and current state of North and South Korea relations right now and throughout history. I was saddened by the reminder that there are real families separated across borders even though it’s not even a long distance away.
I also enjoyed seeing the portrayal of North Korean life, from the jangmadangs (local markets) to the lack of electricity to the highly regulated hair styles. I’m sure a lot of the North Korean scenes were dramatized, but I appreciated the steps taken to represent the country and its people as people living their everyday lives.
Now, I hope that when people in North Korea get their hands on a copy of this drama, they don’t think it’s actually this easy to leave North Korea. This drama made it seem way too simple and even for a wealthy family, I’m sure it’s a very difficult process to defect from the county.
Characters: 5/5 Y’all, I LOVE the captain’s little band of soldiers. They were precious cinnamon rolls! I loved that they looked out for each other and even grew to love and respect the main female character. Unfortunately, this portrayal of North Korean soldiers is probably not the most accurate, but to be honest, they made the series work! *SPOILER ALERT* One of my favorite scenes is when they had a chance to watch a soccer game between South Korea and Japan. Given the tragic & painful history between the Koreas & Japan, it was strangely touching to see these North Korean soldiers joyfully celebrating the winning goals of South Korea. *ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT* Another thing about the soldiers that stuck out to me is that they chose to return to North Korea, knowing that things would be difficult for them or they might even lose their lives. I have not personally met many people from North Korea, but I once had an opportunity to meet with refugees from North Korea. They struggled so hard to leave their home country, so I was amazed that many of them said if they had the chance they would go back to North Korea to bring the rest of their family and friends. It really made me reflect on what things and people I would risk my life for. It also made me reflect on how a lot of the privileged and developed world don’t even fathom what some people go through just to have a better life not for themselves, but for other people.
Actors: 4/5 I have watched interviews of North Korean defectors reviewing this series, and apparently some of the actors’ North Korean accents were pretty spot on! (not the MC though lol)
Hyun-Bin | Son Ye-Jin | Seo Ji-Hye | Kim Jung-Hyun | Yang Kyung-Won | Lee Sin-Young | Yoo Su-Bin | Tang Joon-Sang | Jeon Kuk-Hwan | Oh Man-Seok | Kim Young-Min
Special Effects: 4/5 I’m definitely not an expert on fighting or North Korea, but as I mentioned before, I thought the drama-makers paid attention to detail as best they could while still keeping the story entertaining. I read an article that says the portrayal of North Korea is maybe 60% accurate.
My Score: 4/5 So yes, the romance is good, but it’s the characters and details of North Korea that made this series worth the watch. Highly recommend!
Gubongee Lost in Thought 