If Park Ji Eun wanted to package her two fantasy dramas You From Another Star and Legend of the Blue Sea into a trilogy, I would accept that Crash Landing on You would round it out despite not having any supernatural or alien beings in it. It’s so beyond the realm of possibility but delivered in a fairy tale way where we don’t really worry about any real bad things happening only those that serve to bring the OTP closer together. Episode 3 broke 7% ratings to hit 7.414% so this is definitely a hit in the making once it’s clear ratings are going up from the premiere weekend’s 6% range. I dig it and understand why the domestic audience does as it, there remains utmost fascination with crazy long lost cousin North Korea and the romance is really old school swoony.
This drama is entirely being carried by the two leads, but I guess Park Ji Eun deserves credit for knowing she got a good thing going there and letting them do the work.
Weird and outlandish premises are a thing with her, the most ‘normal’ drama she ever wrote was Producers (which I really like btw, it had a great cast too, I was quite impressed by IU).
No, Park Ji Eun herself is a big contribution. Her writing style already tested. She wrote My Husband Got a Family in 2012, which is got the best rating in SK this decade. So her success with YFAS was not coincident.
That’s my point, she deserves credit for writing scripts that show off the actors’ chemistry even if the plot is otherwise weird or the story is nonsense.
Just finished ep 4. I never got why girls were swooning left right center for Hyun Bin and I have seen all his other dramas except MOA (sorry but i can’t stand PSH). Started this drama, alternated the time in between to watch their previous pairing in Negotiation and now totally get his appeal. He truly is one handsome and tall dude with swoon worthy dimples. But it truly takes a chemistry loaded partner to bring out the sexy in him. Really liking the drama and the story got a little deeper tonight. I think it will be a hit. Everything is hitting the right buttons now and I’m so ready for the romance ahead 🙂
It’s the writing too, like his drama with Han Ji Min was terrible for both actors but in The Fatal Encounter, where she played his scheming step-grandmother, they had great chemistry in scenes together.
Agree. I for one found kim sam soon so-so. The lady lead was so repulsive in some of her mannerisms that it was a stretch of a romance for me. Didn’t like secret garden either. Couldn’t watch past 2 eps of that drama with Han Ji min or the one with song hye gyo (too depressing and quite boring). So all these years I just didnt get his appeal at all. But today… JUST WOW. He was very hot in Negotiation too. This man truly ages like good wine. Hehe
Why i like hyun bin is he looks so manly compared to all pretty boys. Anyways this show is going to be blockbuster because it has entertainment quotient like my love from the star. . 7% on tvn is great ratings which is equal to 14% on public channel like sbs. They will hit 10% and become a blockbuster.
It is worth the money and chemistry is great. Son ye jin has won me over bcoz in first 2 episodes i felt she is not made for ott scenes. But now she looks natural in these scene. Chemistry is great and i watch it to relax!
HDL in same time slot on tvN has higher ratings, lower budget and a much younger cast, on Netflix with good international viewership too.
yes but it is successful too. And i can see this show double digit in few weeks. In the end average rating of 7 or 8% for 16 episodes will be great success for this show. I personally didnt like hdl but understand its success!
yes, I will give CL a try after so many praises in EP 3. HDL is interesting because it consists of many little stories. I am not sure how CL can drag one romance for 16 eps but will see.
@candy – CL is only on episode 4, chances are its ratings will increase after this.
HDL did really well but I’m shocked that even hit dramas don’t pay their workers, they earn so little as it is.
@Candycane be prepared to eat up all your shitty cruel words of bashing on Binjin. They’re the best so shame on you. I will lol if this shameful girl fall in love with Binjin. SYJ is god.
@Sam – I will never ship any OTP bcoz that is the stupidest thing in my opinion. SYJ is NOT god. Why do you care who I love anyways? You are so insecure, delulu. And this is your problem – always looking for confirmation of your ship, do you? lol. I am just a drama watcher, I only like the entertainment!
HDL is good but with its high profile cameos I don’t think it’s production budget is lower than Crash Landing On You. Both dramas were equally promoted. Remember HDL lead role was offered to Jun Ji Hyun in the initial report.
By the way, why the comparison is brought up?
because I like to chat with @adyjunjihyun.
HDL budget was not small but the production was petty enough to not pay its workers despite the success of the drama.
@Ginny – not surprised. K-industry is known to not pay up. It’s a stinky business.
This drama is such a easy watch. It keeps touching my heart, not only the leads but all characters have their charms. I found Seri a bit annoying at first but no more, she’s just very cute, witty and kindhearted. Hyunbin is so lovable in this, JH may appear distant and hash with words but actually very attentive and caring. Their chemistry is really spot on. The whole drama just feels warm and i love it.
The positive comments are making me waver but I must stand strong until this show ends before I make the decision to start this. I don’t know how they can maintain this show satisfying throughout its run and close a good ending with this wacky premise. I don’t know the two can end up with each other plausibly. The writer other shows, I can accept it even though they are different species because in alien drama, they never showed anything about his life from where he’s from or talk about his family. So we don’t care that he decides to stay on earth. The mermaid show is like Disney little mermaid. So there’s precedence.
In this show I don’t know how they can make it happen unless somehow the show is written in the fantasy world of north and South Korea finally reuniting. If they do it in a stupid cheesy way or if they break up it if one of them abandons their family for love… I’m totally not going to watch this show.
I was like you, reluctant to start it, in my case because I felt sure that it would go bad as most bright, fun Dramas do. I still feel that way, but don’t regret having watched the first four. They’ve been great fun, so much so that they have increased my conviction it will all go horribly wrong. But as for how they end up together, his brother’s already long dead, and his parents have yet to make an appearance, so he won’t be leaving much behind if he goes South.
@stuart
That’s good to know that he won’t leave much behind if he does leave North Korea.
@eve
I share your sentiments.
Vagabond ending is so stinky that even dung beetles know to stay away from. Extraordinary You so called uniqueness at the beginning was just a thin skin layer for status quo that burst out from its jail cell after 7-8 episodes. MOA became unhinged. Sigh, it seems like most drama writers nowadays find joy in teasing and taunting its audience.
@Laura: ew dont remind me of vagabond, I was there in the first few eps expecting some heart-pounding espionage thriller and look at what it came to…
@sam: rude and shameful? *looks ard* AH u were talking about urself? worshipping two celebs who dont even know u exist and whose careers dont even make u rich? HAHA I don’t know what is more shameful and pathetic than that. I’m also super flattered u seem to be following me ard the blog! 😀
I’m gonna wait until ep 8 or 10 as well. Maybe even after the entire series ends. Have been burnt way too much by Korean dramas starting off really good and crumbling by the 6th or 10th ep. Moa was just like that, started off strong for 4 to 6 eps then disintegrated from there. Extraordinary you etc so many others were the same.
Another rude and shameful commenter happened to drop by because of the buzzing and wonderful Crash Landing On You. Lmao!…
If they can’t be together in North nor South, they can probably meet halfway in Switzerland. Somehow, they had their first encounter there. What do you think?
If they(the writers) can logically migrate them to Switzerland, then why not? HAHA
If they can’t be together in North nor South, they can probably meet halfway in Switzerland. Somehow, they had their first encounter there. What do you think?
Absurd as it is, I somehow enjoy this drama very much. I have been on drama slump this year. The last drama I enjoyed so much and stayed till the end is Story of Yanxi Palace. So I am glad that Crash Landing Love got me something to look forward to. Both leads are wonderful.
I am very hopeful for this drama seeing how good the four episodes so far. However, I have been conned so many times by so many dramas that start off strong but deflate like an aimless balloon by episode 8 or 10 or misfire completely by the last episode. I still haven’t recovered from Vagabond and MOA’s ending. So traumatic. The latest ones that pierced me are Doctors starring PSH and Cinderella and the Four Knights starring Park So Dam that was so prominently promoted by Netflix. Darn you k-drama writers, don’t you sketch out your entire story-line first before you proceed? Still keeping faith this writer will keep Crash Landing super solid till episode 16.
your comment reminds me of Tale of Nokdu which stays strong until the end. But yes most kdramas deflate.
Sigh, candycane, what can I say? Some seriously well written dramas in my eyes are so quiet and underrated, with no hype/publicity at all & low ratings BUT they all did so well in engaging my attention, the plot-lines actually moved along, editing well-paced and had credible character development. I need more character driven type actors like Seo In Guk which I didn’t know was the same person when he starred in Master’s Sun (bodyguard), Abyss (Grim Reaper cameo) and Shopping King Louis. All 3 completely different characters which I didn’t recognised coming from the same actor. Now that is what I call a masterclass in acting yet he is so underrated and under-promoted compared to other candy eyes big name actors which also have their own appeal that I also like. Rant over about quality of acting & dramas. Lol.
Nokdu was a rare case where the pacing was actually good and the plot not boring.
I’m currently watching episode 12 of Extraordinary You and quite enjoying even the sageuk parts but tired of the love triangle, it’s getting repetitive with the one guy acting like a jealous jerk (thankfully not the guy the heroine likes).
anyone want to share a personal list of dramas they’ve watched this year that stay fairly strong till at least episode 14. I can make it through 2 weaker episodes if most of the previous ones are solid. I’m trying to be lax so there won’t be like 3 dramas listed in total (it’s sad)
Hi Deb, here’s my personal list. Not sure of your preference and taste. Some are old ones as I only have Netflix to rely on. I am in the mood of light comedies, rom-coms, some tacky ones but they have so much heart and cuteness. 1. Shopping King Louis/Shopaholic Louis 2. Strong Woman Do-Bong Soon 3. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Book Joo 4. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim 5. Her Private Life 6. Oh My Venus 7. Oh My Ghost (Park Bo Young) 8. Single Cunning Lady 9. Birth of A Beauty 10. Legend of the Blue Sea
If you like the high school setting then here’s my list. 1. High School King of Savvy 2. School series I only watched 2017 bocz og Kim Jung Hyun 3. Reply Me series 1997, 1994, 1988 4. The Heirs/Inheritors and a very old one but a cult classic called Goong or Princess Hours. At this time of the year, I stay away from medical, political, crime, murder/thriller and lawyer dramas that require too much thinking.
Is your type RomCom only?
Because OCN/tvN produce some of the best writing dramas like Secret Forest, Life on Mars, Bad Guys, Signal, Reply 1988 etc. But they are not rom-com at all. May have hints of romance, but it’s like Sherlock, it’s going nowhere.
I’m not the person to watch romcom ever, so watching OCN/tvN only for suspense/thriller/mystery is just fine with me.
How to explain- the drama continues to be so absurd but I just can’t help but like it. Just watched ep4 – the CGI is so bad in one scene but I hit repeat 5 times for this because .. I don’t know – the main couple really works for this and my heart was pounding ridiculously. Omo omo LoL this is a case of it’s so bad it’s so good. Hyun bin! He’s definitely rom com king!
Did not understand the appeal of Hyun Bin but being friends IRL with Son Hye Jin makes this drama a lot of fun! Genuinely loving this show!
Thank God, there’s not a past life storyline but two paths which crossed in the past, meeting up again – unfortunately in North Korea. Love the contrast between the simple North Korean countryside against modern South Korea.
But what really gets me is the tongue-in-cheek performances of the two leads – are they or aren’t they together IRL?!
Crossed paths in the past is a past life storyline.
4th episode already hit 8.5%.
All these good reviews. Maybe have to start watching. I haven’t watched a Kdrama since the secretary one with PMY and PSJ. Can’t even remember the title. But I liked it, and definitely like Rom coms. Anyhow – SYJ I like but haven’t seen many shows of hers, but really like her movie with JWS a long time ago.
Binnie- definitely like him. Watched HJM all the way through and liked it. Don’t know why but did as crazy as it was and bad. Also liked SG and even MNiKSS. But I didn’t watch MOA – no real interest somehow. I wasn’t planning on watching this one but it sounds like it’s off to a good start. Hope it remains strong!
Hyun Bin is so hot and handsome whatever drama he’s on. Aside from Secret Garden which I used to watch 5 times, Crash Landing On You will also make its mark because of the amazing plot. I hope the story will not dissapoint us until ending. I’m looking forward for more funny scenes.
I put my trust and faith in PJE having seen MLFTS; The Producers and LOTBS so I have no doubt she’ll wow me with her stellar script. The cast are a given so it’s the story that is key. I’m waiting for 8 eps to screen before I dive in boots and all but I’m excited as to know it’s really pushing all the right buttons! ❤️
Drama increased so much in ratings in 4th episode. 8.5% fourth episode. Soon on way to 10%. Wonder what will peak ratings be? 15%. That is like 30% on sbs. Will be big win. It can if it stays funny. Audience is hooked
Really enjoying this drama so far, and waiting anxiously for next weekend’s new episodes!! Been awhile since I love a romcom! The chemistry between SYJ and HB started a little slow at first but is hitting to the roof right now! SYJ is surprising me with her comedic acting and feisty character in the show. And HB is so swoon-worthy here!! It’s no joke that your heart will go pitter-patter when he looks deeply into SYJ’s eyes (same like all the ahjummas in the show lol!!). One big attraction and uniqueness for me is the setting in North Korea, giving a totally different cultural experience vs other kdramas. All the other characters are really funny too, like the soldiers (they are like SYJ’s little fanboy troop) and the village ahjummas. Can’t wait for more scenes of the 2nd male lead (Kim Jung Hyun) and 2nd female lead cuz they are gonna add more fire to the plot!!
That one ahjumma in the village when does she get time to rest? I mean the actress, this year alone I saw her in Romance is a Bonus Book, HPL, Moment at 18, Vagabond, Camelliar and now she is here CL. Anyway I am enjoying this drama SYJ is killin it and HB is swoon worthy.
You mean Kim Sun Young right? Gosh I love her! She does so many different characters – all side ones – but she does it so well that sometimes I take awhile to recognise her! Watched her play a mamasan in Gong Hyo Jin’s movie, Missing, and I’m in love. She was so different there and so cool!
Yes, she is a character actress. She was hilarious in Shopping King Louis as the ex-wild child rebel nicknamed Double Axe from Busan who became Louis’ grandma’s right-hand woman. Carrying a baseball bat to scare people. She was also in Hospital Ship, The Guardians, LOTBS, My Fist Love and This is My First Life.
And Reply 1988 ❤️
Yes her, I like her too by the way.
The writing on this show is very ridiculous and doesn’t have the appeal of My Love From Another Star. I am someone who has read three autobiographies of defectors from North Korea, and placing a romantic comedy in a nation with concentration camps and children starving is extremely problematic. Perhaps the writer should have openly called this a fantasy instead of a romantic comedy.
My favorite performance of Hyun Bin’s is The Snow Queen and my favorite of Ye Jin Son’s is the film The Last Princess. Here they really ACTED instead of getting by on looks alone. They are pros now and know what they are doing. Oh and I loved Hyde, Jeckyl and I, it was super fun and by the time the two lead characters fell for each other it was totally convincing and adorable to watch.
The only work I appreciated from this writer was Producer and that was mostly cos of the stellar cast. MLFAS I only liked Jun Ji Hyun in that, the alien storyline was so ridiculous to me but her portrayal and the way it was written didn’t need a super huge suspension of belief. Crash landing from what I’m reading in dif places sounds like it needs a hugeee dose of suspension of belief and I’m not into stories like that. There are also large numbers of Koreans on forums complaining about the North Korean angle – it’s a very sensitive topic for alot of them. It’s still early days but if the writing crashes and burns in later eps, u bet they will pick on this point like crazy.
Agreed with ur second ep. My fav drama of HB’s is also SQ and i tend to prefer his movies though the last one I liked was Confidential Assignment, should do more of those. I also liked HJM though I ff-ed most of the eps cos of the bad writing but liked how the leads came to like each other. Tbh, these days he seems to choose scripts that make him look good and which have blockbuster/hit potential. Not so much about acting pedigree. Disappointing since he used to say earlier in his career that he wants to be known for his acting.
I find the depiction of the teenage thief who stole the uniform from Captain Ri’s house heartbreaking. Living in a make-shift tent to feed his starving little sister. That’s when reality hits hard. The thieves who stole the wiretapper’s wallet would be shot dead by the soldiers, not just walk away after being beaten up by HB. This part I find unrealistic. I have lived in Malaysia for many years and still remember Kim Jong Un sent 2 female assassins to murder his half brother Kim Jong Nam with the deadly VX nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017. That made international headline news as Malaysian authorities refused to hand over the body to the North Korean government for a while.
Oh you lived in Malaysia! Yeah I read a recap about the part you mentioned and agree with you. Actually alot of things that have gone on in the show, I think the NK soldiers would have already shot dead the people involved. I mean, Seri herself paragliding in and running across the fields and all will definitely have gotten her shot down/shot at. But there wont be a story if that happened lol. I think this is the bit that requires alot of suspension in belief and for me it’s kinda too much.
I am loving this show right now. the OTP are stars, and are shining with all the confidence decades of experience in front of the camera brings.
It really doesn’t matter what Binnie’s lines are, in fact, he speaks very infrequently. Even so, he is a romcom kinda guy with his sly sidelooks and mini smiles. He knows what the audience wants, as silly as it is, and is willing to put aside thespianism for US. He loves US!
I think SYJ is wonderful. I didn’t feel she was too OTT but quite natural.
The supporting cast makes a big difference, too. They are adorable, “naive but savvy” village folks with hearts of gold. Sure, I’ll buy it. And nobody wants to piss off NK, so let’s go with it. I look forward to SK drama soldier call out all the tropes, and Binnie wisely following these guidelines because they work, duh. The kisses in the boat were awesome LOLing all the way.
I’m loving this drama! I’m back to kdrama once again. Binnie is funny and sexy. Omo
Have been waiting for this drama and it is soo goood!
Love Hyun Bin.. so charming and handsome!! His chemistry with SYJ is very good. The drama is getting more n more interesting every episode. I hope for a happy ending?
Loves all Hyun Bin’s drama n movies???
Have been waiting for this drama and it is soo goood!
Love Hyun Bin.. so charming and handsome!! His chemistry with SYJ is very good. The drama is getting more n more interesting every episode. I hope for a happy ending?
Loves all Hyun Bin’s drama n movies???
Memories of the Alhambra starring Hyun Bin was not that great, and I felt that the two main leads lacked chemistry. Here in CLOU, there is amazing chemistry between the two main stars. It is also very very funny. Yes Hyun Bin’s soldiers are like a fanclub to Son Ye Jin and that is also funny. Finally a great romantic comedy.
Yes, Eve, I had. 🙂 If you can keep thinking this is fantasy rom-com, then you will enjoy it. It’s one of those dramas that you don’t watch with critical analysis as one fan put it. We all know Santa Claus is not real right but we play along it’s part of the festive season. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone, keep safe, eat till you drop and worry about it next year. Cheers!
Hyun Bin is really handsome.. I am enjoying watching the crush landing on you, it’s funny and romance..I’m actually waiting this drama since they announce.. kudos to all the cast..????