Crash Landing On You (2020)
사랑의 불시착
Starring: Hyunbin, Son Yejin, Kim Junghyun, Seo Jihye, Oh Manseok
Seen: End of January 2021
First new drama watched in 2021 and oh how I missed my k-drama obsession during the little impromptu hiatus over Christmas and New Years. YES, I really didn't binge watch dramas all holiday. I've been shoulder deep in studies, but now I felt like I needed a little carrot at the end of my long studying days. Thus, Crash Landing On You.
I had heard "rumors" about a new drama last year which apparently was pretty special. I can agree with the rumor now. Reading about it dealing with North Korea felt very brave, or perhaps not. Either way, I got curious. You know by now that when I get curious, I investigate!
*Disclaimer: Long post ahead!*
Story summary:
The story follows Yoon Se Ri, a chaebol heiress to Queen's Group (founded by her father) whose made a name for herself in the fashion and makeup business. Se Ri's father wants her to take over the family company, something that treatens her two older brothers. During a paraglide test run for sports wear, she gets caught in a storm and end up on North Korean territory. There, she runs into Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok. At first, Captain Ri tries to help smuggle her back to South Korea but things don't go as planned and he ends up hiding her at his house, in a small village full of nosy ladies. To make her sudden apperance less suspisious, he claims her to be his fianée recently returned from having worked in the South as a spy... During this time, Se-ri's eldest brother Se Hyung and sister-in-law conspires to lead Queen's Group and take over Se-ri's company. After Se-hyung realized Se-ri still lives, he tried to prevent her from coming home.
The drama revolves around these two characters' journey to love. Along the way Se Ri finds a second family in Captain Ri's soldiers in Company Five, whom stand by her all the way through her dangerous attempt to return back home.
The bi-story of the drama involves Alberto - an ex of Se Ri's whose sought identity coverage in North Korea and Seo Dan - Captain Ri's actual fiancée. Alberto, when realizing Se Ri's in North Korea and not dead as her brother has proclaimed her back home, wants to marry Se Ri and tries to use a propsal to help her back home. Seo Dan wants to finalize her nine year long engagement with Jeong Hyeok, being the only one of the two with feelings for the other. As Alberto and Seo Dan both realizes that neither of their love interests are interested, they end up falling for each other.
First impression:
My very first thought when starting to watch this drama was "what an unlikely thing to happen", but who knows? I've fortunately enough never even seen a tornado in real life. Must be terrifying getting stuck in one (for those poor souls who might have been through that). Even though I completely understand her thinking "of course I'm still in South Korea", but when seeing the symbol on Captain Ri's jacket I think she should've understood her mistake rather than congratualting him on his 'successful escape'. If a North Korean solider, especially of his rank, were to decide to escape I doubt they would be wearing their uniforms (this assumption can be considered supported towards the end of the drama when Jeong Hyeok makes his way to South Korean through the tunnel cave - the first thing he does is changing and leaving his uniform behind)!
For this drama I was very good at taking notes at every episode, so I'll write this review out of every episodes comments!
Episode 1
My second thought was how horribly annoying, naïve and rich-kid snobby Se Ri is! She really doesn't seem to think well in stressful situations either. Firstly, she didn't check where she was going when she was running from Company Five even when she knew there were a lot fo undetected mines in the area she was in. Even Jeong Hyeok and his men were half impressed half terrified of how she kept running. She could've blown her legs off, or worse!! (Has anyone read Henning Mankell's "Secret of the Fire"? Great book! All three. Read them.) But I guess it wouldn't have been a drama if she had've.... Secondly, she automatically thought she'd made it to South Korea the second she crossed a fence. Does she think it's suddenly a walk in the park crossing the boarder between the countries just because she's a celebrity? No. Thirdly, it took her waaaaaaay too long to piece together how she was in fact not in South Korea when she reached the village. She's so rich she only thinks about her own comfort tsk tsk tsk. Very interesting how they portray a country village in North Korea, though! I wonder how much they researched to try and get it somewhat like it could be in real life. I only know what I've read in Park Yeonmi's biography. Cities and villages are usually very different, no matter the country and North Korea does not seem to be any different on that part from my understanding of her stories.
I love the little extra scene at the end of the episode, though. His little amused smile when he hears her begging on the combiradio in episode one and how he puts the safe back on his gun, he knew she wasn't dangerous. But nonetheless he didn't know who she was, of course so he plays his part.
Episode 2
Furthermore, I wonder how Hyunbin managed to keep from laughing at how silly So Ye Jin was. Jeong Hyeok is dead serious about possiby having to permanently get rid of her (kill her) and Se Ri just babbles? Makes up some kind of role play of what could be a life or death situation regardless, just because the officer is "just her type"? Brave or stupid, that is the ever thin line...
I actually got quite mad at her (read actual note being UNGRATEFUL B*TCH) for whining about Jeong Hyeok bringing her the wrong kind of candle, when he'd gone out of his way to get one at all. He said he wouldn't be kind and hostle with her, yet he couldn't help but wanting her to be comfortable and he payed attention to her claiming she couldn't slepp without a sented candle. He'd been at work all day, then goes to get her stuff purely out of kindness. and comes home and is super concered for her when she's crying in fear but the reply he gets is louder, annoying sobs as if from a little child having a tantrum. Why didn't she say THANK YOU?!? I did not approve of that behaviour from her side.
Episode 3
In this episode the relationship between Se Ri and Company Five quickly starts to evolve and I adored watching her bicker with Sergeant Pyo from the first moment. It was clear it'd become a thing, a part of their friendship. The odd friendship between them all is very endering. They all want her gone, but not really. She want to go home, but at the same time not urgently enough that she's in a constant state of panic. She can rely on Kim Ju Meok to understand her best, thanks to his excessive love for South Korean dramas, and it's so cute how proud he is to be some sort of interpreter. I appreciate how she respects Geum Eun Dong for his position despite his age, but also likes how she takes him a little under her Nuna wing. Same with Park Kwang Beom. Also, I like how subtle yet clear the little hints of love between the protagonists you can already see. It's not hugely obvious, but it's sweet how you can start to tell that he's already falling in love with her. "It's a shame you that you live there (South Korea/North Korea)".
Episode 4
My primary thought about episode four was how resourceful Jeong Hyeok is! I was very impressed by his idea of how to avoide being caught by the guards on the mountain. He used his military knowledge to find a quick solution, but it definitely wasn't an expected solution (even if the only available one). To through yourself out from a cliff without hesitation just to avoid being caught redhanded is very brave, borderline idiotic but hey; he saved the day. Further, I liked how Jeong Hyeok stared noticing Se Ri fitting in with his comrads. It's sweet how they let her be a part of them when she could get them killed by simply being there. Yet again brave, borderline idiotic (but humane none the less). I absolutely LOVE their accent so much. For a little appropriate cultural point, accents are viewed completely different in Sweden from South Korea. Here, we are engouraged by the government to speak and teach our accents as to not risk them disappearing/dying out. Our accents are a part of us, of our identites and our heirtage, so it more those who do not have an accent (which really still is an accent) that get an eye brow lifted at them. In South Korea it's considered "ugly" to have an accent, thus many people who move from the countryside start speaking "propperly" when moving to Seoul. Considering how long North and South Korea has been divided, the language has changed a lot between the countries. I'm guessing the view on accents could very well be the same - different. So as someone who greatly enjoys accents and considers it part of someone's personality, I loved hearing it so clearly in the drama (no matter if it's really how North Korean accent sounds like or not).
Also, similar to It's Okay Not To Be Okay, I love how they've met before even if neither of them remembers it for a long time of the drama.
Episodes 6-9
For episode 6 my most prominent thought was how smart Jeong Hyeok is. He's clearly very skilled in his field of work. He thinks four steps ahead of his oponents. Possible outcomes, consequences, solutions to them... He covers all aspect of a plan very thoroughly. He's increadibly dedicated to his job and her. I loved how he predicted the attack on her, so he prepared the motorbike with weapons ahead of time. He's one heck of a keeper. No need to fear anything when he's got your back alright!
In episode 7 I mostly admired how he confessed his feelings for Se Ri to Dan. There was no beating around the bush, trying to soften the blow, trying to coddle her. No drawn out crap. He said it straight out, quite on spot. Her reaction was expected, since she was still very much in love with him but either way they seem like theoretically they could've been great friends had their situation not been as it was. He still cared about her honor, but not abou her in a romantic setting. Had their characters gotten a life in a different environment, like South Korea, I bet they could've been the kind of platonic love brother-and-sister kind of friends. I could definitely imagine that.
Episode 8 annoyed me to a part. My key notes said "HE'S TRYING TO MANIPULATE YOU", hahah. I think more though that rather than manipulating her he tried to trick her. That, of course, is quite obvious. Asking her to marry him as a solution for getting out of the country is sneeky, considering he has feelings for her and probably never intended to let her go if he got her to agree to the speedy marrige. I'm glad she was smarter than that, and that Jeong Hyeok showed up juuuuust in time. How practical~
In episode 9 we got to see just how ugly the officers methods to get what they want could be. Beating and kicking a man down and already wounded is low, even for the lowest like them. Is manners not mandatory in North Korean military? Of course it is, unless you have a higher statues... Tsk tsk. Scumbags always get away with anything and everything.
Episodes 10-14
Something episode 10 helped me noticed about dramas in general, is the none-macho culture. The guys cry too, even if the girls always cry more, you will see the lead male roles cry of some reason too, not seldom on many occasions. In this episode we see Jeong Heok shedding tears because he hears the old recording of his brother talking about him just before he died. I understand that considering their fondness for each other it would've been strange for him not to cry, but he didn't even try to hold it in. That detail, I admired. Besides this I LOVE that the soldier buddies got sent to South Korean too!! They're really the awsomest bi-characters ever!! Imagine my utter shock, too, when Kim Soo Hyun appeared. As you all should know by now I love him, so I was very pleased to see him but at the same time very annoyed that he was there at all for the sole reason that he had such little importance in the story. So little screentime for such a brilliant actor.... The sadness is real. But he brought a laugh, I don't think I've seen a more horrible wigg before XD
(JUST LOOK AT THIS GOOF!!)
Episode 11 was purely adorable. The café scene had me fondly shaking my head. "South Korea is a scary place with cameras and high speed interent. You have to cover your face" and his eyes just told her "Lady are you forgetting I'm from NORTH Korea?" A little whole hearted humor is always appreciated in intense dramas~
Returning to my previous comment about absolutely melting for the solider squad, in episode 12 they had me melting even more. They truely are the cutest (and dumbest), purest and most heartwarmingly genuine freinds I've ever seen on TV. So sweet and oblivious. Can I just engulf them in fluffy blankets, please? Pyo getting her a stuffie for her birthday was the dop over the i. My favorite friendships on TV are always the unlikely pair becoming the best friends. This friendship between Pyo and Se Ri is no less special and individual than any other, but it's just a little extra cute when characters who begin bickering or hating each other end up supporting each other the most.
Parallell to following the main and main-bi characters in the South, I liked how they didn't forget the ladies in the village up North. It was very moving to see them helping Yeong Ae. They proved that while they begun only wanting to impress her, they really cared about her and really were (became) her friends. I started crying a little too when she did and her friends comforted her. I don't think she had really believed them to be her honest friends, so she didn't expect them to be there for her when she needed support and wanting to help her out with food and firewood. My heartuuuuuuu.
With episode 13 I realized a conclusion I've been thinking about while watching dramas is that korean dramas' storyline-base is always very evenly devided between getting to see the protagonists perspective, the second protagonists and then the third. You always get to see all the different angles and how their lives play out in relation to each other. It's quite interesting. This type of storytelling (litterature analysis concept) is called an "almighty" teller. When you're reading a book there is always a storyteller, a hidden voice from which you get to see different perspectives of/in the story. The almightly teller is the one who literally knows everything in the story, like being able to follow and tell all characters thoughts and feelings even if they're not with the protagonists. Sounds complicated, I know. It's more difficult to understand written concepts when applied to visual ones, but considering I learned this at Uni I wanted to mention it just for some fun fact!
In a regular western show you'd get to see 90% the protagonists and the rest divided up between the bi-characters, where it has something to do with the rest of the story. Like Vampire Diaires, you get to see the trio the most, the Salvatores a fraction more than Elena since they are technically the main characters, you barely get to see anything about Matt or Tyler. Bonnie and Caroline are second protagonists, so you get to see a liiittle bit more about them through out the story, especially as relationships with the brothers grow, but yet it's no where near as close a big part of the whole story as it is here. If you haven't nerded The Vampire Diaries like me, I apologize for the confusive referens!
For the final episode (14) I'd like to comment on the fact of how much he cares for her well being in every way. Filling her fridge and cupboards, leaving notes of how she does things he did for her in North Korea. He even bends down to measure where he should put stuff so she can reach because she's so much shorter than her. I felt that. Hyun Bin is 185 cm tall, but to me he looks taller because he's quite broad shouldered. Son Ye Jin is 165 cm (and always wear heels). I am 160 cm......... You can draw the height-comparation-reference-conclusion yourself~
I definitely feel like this story is about destiny and destined love. Throughtout their lives, they've unknowingly met several times. Jeong Hyeok even saved Se Ri from suicide once, with asking her to take a picture of him and Seo Dan away from the bridge. Then, he helped her realized she didn't want to die by playing his song by the lake. Her hearing that might have been completely conicidental, but then again - coincidences usually take a lot of planning. Was the plan destiny playing its cards right? It's an appealing thought for this drama.
I also enjoyed that there was actually two love stories in this drama, not just the one between the mail characters but Alberto and Seo Dan's too. For the main characters to get a happy ending, Alberto and Seo Dan paid the tragic price, but them just being there at all gave an added perspective of the drama. The thought of a Romeo and Juliet love story across the boarder to North and South Korea is very thrilling, I completely understand this, but the love stories of Se Ri and Jeong Hyeok and Alberto and Se Dan are constantly paralell. There's a South Korean woman loving a North Korean man, but there's also a North Korean woman loving a South Korean man. This drama delivers two Romeo and Juliet stories. Depending on how you choose to see it, both end up badly or happily, not just the drama's obvious option - the protagonists' happy ending and the bi-romance's tragic one.
The way I see it, Se Ri and Jeong Hyeok managed to "cheat the system" very well with finding a "Switzerland" in Switzerland. There, they could be themselves without boarders in between, rules or theats. There, they could be the couple the wanted to be. Switzerland only lasted for two weeks a year while the other 50 weeks were spent unable to contact each other, though. That leaves me impressed by their love for each other, the constant hope of seeing each other again and the patience they have for the long periods of time they're forced to stay apart. However, it also make me sad for them that they weren't able to create a stable life together - like getting married like the wanted. They bought a house together in Switzerland, with photos of them together, books and bits and bobs of their separate and united lives, but what was that house during the long time they couldn't live there? So even if they filled each other's lives (super cute of Jeong Hyeok to fix those scheduled messages for Se Ri, which ultimately made her embrace life in a much more positive way), I didn't get the feeling their happy ending was that happy at all.
When it comes to Alberto and Seo Dan instead, it's obviously very tragic that Alberto had to loose his life saving Seo Dan's. What would their life together have been like had he survived, though? Alberto is wanted for God knows how many stupid things, which is why he's hiding in North Korea at all. Would they have lived on the run even in North Korea? Would they have been able to illegally change his identy to North Korean? I don't feel like that would've been much of a happy life, even if they would've been happy together. So their tragic ending, I think, could've/would've been somewhat tragic even if Alberto hadn't died.
Cultural imput:
Weeeeeeellllllllll what cultural imput can I give, really? It's not like I know much about North Korea. I have however read Park Yeonmi's biography In order to live* and even if I believe everything she speaks about the general, strict, crule and frightening culture, I wouldn't want to say her perspective is the same as in the drama. Not to mention, her experiences and traumas both of her native country and her escape are real.
I find North Korea very fascinating of two reasons. Firstly, because of what we know about how they do things there (such as some of the strict things mentioned in the drama) and secondly because of everything we don't know. When it comes to this particular subject though, I believe it's better not to try and find out too much. I remember hearing on the news over the years how reporters trying to smuggle out something so simple as a poster, a piece of paper, got caught and thrown into North Korean jail... I don't even know if their home countries managed to get them out or if they're still there... Even if this drama is fictive - as it mentions in the beginning of each episode - I admire just as much as a lot of other fans how realistic the portrayal of the country was. Apparently the show's writer used countless interviews with North Korean defecters to try and create a realistic scenary and culture in the drama, which I found very smart!
Instead of discussing cultural differences, I'll mention a most interesting detail I noticed regarding what North/South Korean call their countries and thus engage in a small history lesson! In North Korean Korean, North Korea is called Joseon and South Korean Nam Joseon (literally South Joseon). In South Korean Korean, South Korea is called Hanguk and North Korean is Bukhan. And this had me curious where the South Korean name for South Korea (한국) came from. As you'll know if you've watched Chicago Typewriter (review coming shortly), before the war, the Korean half island was called Joseon. My first guess to why Korea was called Joseon was because Joseon was the name of the Korean dynastic kingdom (which lasted roughly 500 years) and was the last Korean ruling dynasty before the official Japanese occupation in 1910. There is however more to the origins of the name Joseon and if you're interested in learning about it you can read about it here. As to not make this section waaaay to long, digging into the origins of both Hanguk and Joseon, I'll focus on Hanguk!
The English name "Korea" origins from "Goryeo", a kingdom founded in 918 on the Korean half island (see Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo). That's easy to see the word resemblence. If we break apart Hanguk, 한국, Guk 국 comes from Hanja and simply means country or nation and Han 한 refers to Korea. Literally speaking 한국 thereby means "The nation of the Han" or "The nation of Korea". Even though continous historical reserch, there apparently is no direct answer to who the Han's were, however their print on the country's name goes far back in time. There are speculations that the word "Han" is a related word to "Khan", which was used in the titles of inner Asian leaders (like Genghis Khan, yes) but it's not confirmed. The referens furthest back in time we can clearly see is the relation to Samhan (삼한), the collective name for three Korean historical kingdoms: Mahan (마한), Chinhan (진한) and Pyeonhan (변한). So the South Korean word Hanguk has it's roots in the name Samhan. The Samhan were the precursors to the three kingdoms,having been absorbed by Silla and Baekje. Goryeo was the biggest kingdom, stretching up into today's China and Silla and Baekje were mostly located in the Southern part of the Korean half-island, which I find very interesting - sneeky even. The answer to why South Korea started using Hanguk can thus be traced back to the location of the Samhan. This also answers the question of why North Korea chose to keep the name Joseon, because the Kojoseon (the origins to the name Joseon) was located in the North. I feel like a "tada" is in order. Tada~
If you want to read more about the origins of the name Hanguk, you can do that here. Always look for more sources than wikipedia for a stronger credibility~
(Way to fail "not make this section way too long..... the history nerd in me popped out oops)
*Park Yeonmi 박연미, born 1993, is a North Korean refugee who escaped through China and Mongolia in 2009. She published her detailed biography about her life back in her home country and her escape in 2015. Today, she lives in America with her husband and son and is a Human Rights activist, public speaker, author and economist.
If you haven't read her book, do! It's increadibly well written, extremely capturing, nausiatingly horrifying, sad but also very inspiring. I know there are more defectors than her whose written about their stories and some day I'd like to read them too.
Like I mentioned in my first post of the year on the blog's Instagram account, this spring will not be full of reviews. Studies are taking up too much time and energy, sadly. I do have some in progress though, so hopefully I'll get to finish writing those and publish them before summer. I can't promise anything, but I will do my best~ Hope you are all in good health despite Covid.
Is this my longest review yet???? Definitely. I'm not going to apologize. This drama was worth every type.
안녕 Until next review, my hearties~
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