This was the most controversial drama I’ve ever watched. Controversial in the sense that I went from wanting to rate this 7.5 stars, to giving it 8.5 stars, and then 9 stars and finally settling on 9.5 stars (even though I feel like I might change this to 10 stars later, depending on how I digest it). When I was on episode 4, I read a review on mydramalist that gave 7.5 stars to the drama and listed this show’s flaws (mainly when it comes to the representation of North Korea). At the time, I agreed with that review and even commented that I was afraid my review and my rating would be similar. I also thought they were making this drama way too “pretty” and unrealistic, since it took place in such a scary and mysterious place, known for public executions and complete isolation. But as I kept watching the drama and watched some videos of North Koreans talking about the show’s representation of their country, I realized they really did the best they could. They obviously wouldn’t show the worst sides of the North Korean system but they still showed how corrupt and power-driven some people are, as well as some small details about the “normal” citizens, that lived their daily lives a bit differently than what I personally am used to seeing. I came to appreciate the way they didn’t make North Korea the villain but instead showed us different facets of the country and the people living there. What I also loved is that they showed a lot of flaws in South Korean’s characters, like Seri’s family, proving that there are bad people everywhere. My perception of North Korea ended up changing thanks to this drama. It’s easy to forget the “normal” citizens of this country when the leader is that scary and the system so revolting. So I’m thankful the drama focused on giving these people a voice and a life.
I often wanted to roll my eyes at the “coincidences” in the show (or fate?) but I came to appreciate them. Even when I wasn’t loving the show (around episode 4), I couldn’t help but tear up at some scenes. I think I cried at least in 80% of the episodes hahaha. The “coincidences” were there to make your heart break even more, and I love it.
Honestly, we wouldn’t have gotten this amazing drama if they had tried to be more “cruel” in their representation of the country and hadn’t included “unrealistically good” characters that would help the female lead. Thankfully, I realized that and now I can deal with the improbability of the plot and love the story for what it is.
Now I’ll list some of the things I loved about the show:
-The women in this drama. The village ajummas? Queens! Seri? Although I didn’t really like Son Yejin’s acting in the beginning because I thought it was TOO much, I still ended up loving this character. What a badass!! Seo Dan? You can’t help but like her by the end of the show. I even liked Seri’s brothers’ wives, but that’s probably an unpopular opinion LOL (I liked them as characters, not as people).
-The variety of themes. Poverty, corruption, friendship, leadership, family issues and jealousy, the hardships of a military life etc. And, of course, how terrible the separation of the two Koreas really is! They’re very different but have a lot of history in common too. It’s sad that they live in constant rivalry.
-The production and the beautiful scenery choices. Switzerland and North Korea are completely different countries but both of them are full of nature and there’s green everywhere. I don’t know about North Korea (they filmed in South Korea, obviously) but they definitely captured the best of Switzerland (I live in Switzerland so I can confirm). They even mentioned Heidi in the show; you can’t get more realistic than THAT. So pleasant to watch. And what surprised me the most is that the show made me want to visit those places (I don’t remember ever going to those locations) and made me appreciate Switzerland a lot more, which is amazing. I’ve always wanted to study abroad and I thought I wouldn’t even miss this country but after watching this show I’m already missing it! I’m still here, why am I missing it?! Hahahaha
(THIS PART MIGHT INCLUDE MINOR SPOILERS)
-The characters. All of them. The good and the bad. I loved them all. Seri’s character development was so satisfying! She learned how to not be afraid of loving others and showing her emotions. Ri Junghyuk was simply perfect, wasn’t he? Caring, smart and... comforting (which we don’t always get from MLs). The most beautiful quote in the drama is when he says that waiting is the only way to handle loss. It’s stunning. The soldiers squad!! When they went to Seoul I couldn’t stop laughing. Our favorite scammer, Gu Seung Jun, who wasn’t black nor white. The villains actually had motives (as bad and selfish as they were) and weren’t complete idiots! No character was empty.
This drama gets 100 stars when it comes to characters, without a doubt.
(END OF SPOILERS)
-The humor. I laughed so much while watching this, I’m very thankful.
Anyways, I’m not sure if my review does justice to this drama but I write reviews for myself, so that I can remember my feelings months and years later. And I wrote about the main things I loved and felt while watching it, so I’m satisfied.
I don’t think this drama is overrated at all, and I’m very glad that it took so many risks because dramaland was needing it, wasn’t it? A lot of recent dramas have been good but forgettable, not quite epic enough. Finally an epic one, that I certainly won’t forget.
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About the plot: I think it was well thought of. Not the usual star crossed lovers' story for me. I think the people behind this great drama were very careful. They made sure that it won't seem unrealistic despite the fact that a person had crash landed somewhere. The way the conflict had been resolved, and overcoming several breathtaking moments, everything made sense. Good job! It ended beautifully also, detailed and not rushed, like every character's single line is important during the last episode, most especially in epilogue. It leaves the viewer with a great feeling after watching.
About the actors: oy! The chemistry was perfect between the main actors (seri and jeong hyeok) and between the second lead characters (seo dan and seung jun). Can't get over with how they perfectly portrayed their roles. How great it must be to find someone who's really made for you, who loves you unconditionally. In short, these couples made us believe in love. Even though some of us may have been hurt so bad in the past, we'd still believe in love AGAIN after witnessing their love stories. Captain Ri's squad was also the best! North Korean women were also good, that surprisingly brought me into tears during that part where they received Seri's customized products for them. The antagonist Cho Cheol Gang also annoyed me so much. Very effective actor! Ugh! Everyone of them.. did a perfect job!
OST is sooooooooooo goood!! Will finish it here because i think this is the longest review I've ever made already. Hehe
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Definitely not a must-watch
An OK love story or maybe a rom-com, but definitely lacking laugh-out-loud moments that most Korean rom-coms have. Its neither an emotional one as well, it could have been one if this were to be 8 or so episodes instead of 16.Seems like main leads are big names in Kdramas, so maybe the high rating must be from all their fans, otherwise it doesn't make sense to me; because the story is too predictable, cliché and forgettable for the most part.
For me the noticeably good romantic scenes came from second ML in episodes 14/15. There was nothing from main leads. No good comic reliefs. Best emotional scene I felt empathetic towards was when the village ladies coming out to help the village lady chief in her time of crisis. That is it.
Basically whole show was ML as stern/serious with no expressions coupled with his low pitch voice. FL left with playing all the emotions, more than 90% of which were mainly crying over separation anxiety. Too many episodes were wasted hashing out the same concept again and again.
I watched this one only because it was mentioned as the recommended show under "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" & "When the Camellia Blooms", both of which were awesome shows.
Overall, forgettable & not even one time watch worthy. Definitely not a must-watch. It would not be a loss if you miss out on watching this one, I wish I had not wasted time on this one.
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Putting aside the beautiful scenery, music, great actors the director made such a good job I can't find even a single part to complain I mean the story from the start looked a bit classic but they developed it in a way that it won't look classic or predictable at all. The suspension, sad moment, hilarious moments were put in the right amount nothing has been exaggerated
Obviously I was drooling like a dog every time Hyun Bin was there ha ha ha just kidding anyway his acting skills I think are great I saw some comments somewhere poeple saying he can't make crying scenes etc but believe me that's completely wrong I mean if you watch the last ep there is a scene that he looks like crying but he acts like not...and and the ending they made for the 2nd lead honestly I think that wasn't necessary to put it in that tragic
I fully give my 10/10 it fully deserves
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After I finished CLOY, I honestly felt a void in my life, and made it my life's mission to convince everyone I knew to watch it. And I succeeded in convincing a lot, and they all loved it. First off, the cast was superb. The leads were incredibly casted (Hyun Bin + Son Ye Jin), and the seconds had an incredible plotline. I felt like the character development was incredible, and I found myself laughing, crying and just swooning throughout the entire series. I'm so so happy that we were given this drama, this will go down for me as one of the greatest.
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Story : It brings the south and north korean storyline into the whole new interesting and fun way to tell. Even we could see several brand new things that we barely know about daily life in north korea. Every sets in north korea are so believeable and bring me questioning "was this really took place in north korea?". Because I watched kdrama with the south and north korea story "Doctor Stranger" in 2014, sorry it was not giving me the believeable vibes as cloy. I've found the story really fun and heartwarming to watch.
Acting/cast : I've got no single doubt to say about the casts. The main roles Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, magically show the undeniable chemistry that could send electricity straight to north korea. Say no more about this RiRi couple, tons of articles and evidences about their sizzling chemistry are out there. After finishing this drama, I watched Hyun Bin's other dramas and movies but can't find his chemistry as great as his with Son Ye Jin. Honestly I feel so sorry that I gotta say this, but when I watched Hyde Jekyll Me I felt nothing but eyesore to Hyun Bin and Han Ji min's chemistry. I am a fan of Hyun Bin, but I would say that Hyde Jekyll and Me is a big slump on his entire career. Back to CLOY, I would not forget to mention the whole other casts are just so great as well to develope the story until the very end.
Music : I even listen to the original soundtracks on spotify every single day. My favorite is Let Us Go by Crush, it's beyond beautiful I can't.
Rewatch value : I told you, still can't get over it. I rewatch for like billion times that I'm so done with myself but the drama still get me every time. Hope there would be another great project just like CLOY, so I could move on. I'm looking for another project of Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin together in the future as well.
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if cliche romance is your thing, with a little bit of angst and drama and AMAZING acting, definitely watch this! it is worth the watch, even if just for the minor characters as i find they are the saving grace in this drama.
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The big stake throughout is whether their love can survive across the dangerous border. I was lukewarm to it at start cause I thought it would be dark and angsty, but it is romcom-y. Nevertheless, this drama was satisfying, as it shines in the comedy, swoony moments, meaningful epilogues, and the everyone’s chemistry. Thanks to the direction and talented cast, each emotional scene hits the way it should. I invested equally in the main and secondary couple; Dan and Seung Jun, who could easily have their own spin-off. Jung Hyuk’s ducklings and their blossoming understanding of South Korean culture were hilarious and heartwarming. Also, beautiful scenery and heartfelt OSTs.
My few hot takes are… First, why the dead fish-eye kisses? It was very jarring considering Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin's perfect chemistry and that they're in real love. Then, I wouldn't mind a slightly less fairytale scenario for the leads and a fairer scenario to second lead couples. Despite all of that, it's undeniably an engaging and memorable watch! :D
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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Amazingly well done
I saw this show as a suggestion within my Netflix's account, wondered why it was there, but I decided to give it a try. Never in my wildest dreams would I guessed how much a grip this show would eventually have on me. I often found myself wondering what will happen next, and that isn't an often occurrence when I watch shows. From beginning to almost the end this series crash landed on my emotions and took me for an amazing ride.The story...
Was well written to the point of me not being able to guess what was coming next quite a lot, that masterful mystery, kept me watching episode after episode. While it may not have been totally original, it was original enough to make me feel like no aspect of it was repeated in another show. The comedy the action, the suspense, the uncertainty of it all had everyone on the edge of their seats. Wanting and waiting for what is going to happen next. The pacing was also well done, building from a moment of will they wont they, are they falling for each other, or are they just crazy. It was so much fun watching their dance of the sugar plum. The action, the back stories and everything in-between built a series that everyone should watch. The leads dedication to each other's happiness and well being will keep you watching, along with their interactions with the other members of the 5th company. That moment when they were trying to surprise her for her birthday, even I wanted them to still be there. Even the mole is loved in this show.
The characters...
Captain Ri's character was soooo refreshing, to see someone from his background, be so gentle and caring for basically a totally stranger that crash landed on him. While his every move may not have been calculated, it was all for the same goal. Has character was so well built, from his leadership qualities to his family values to his duty. Nothing could have been better with this man. Just take a look as his faithful squad members, that never missed a beat to make sure that he was taken cared of and safe. When you got people that would risk their lives for you, that is when you know that you have been good in life. His chemistry with yoon se and the 5th company members were perfect. You could swear they were all family that grew up and sipped tea together since they were children. He did an excellent job with his role.
Yoon Se was masterfully built to be a strong and independent woman, that still knew how to be a polite and sometimes petty woman. This made her sooo loveable, that you couldn't help but want the best for her. Given what she endured growing up, she's not broken just bent, but still her family were written to be complete rubbish. You'll see.
5th Company members were all the best ride or die friends you could ever ask for and you could tell it wasn't strictly about them being in the military together. Their personal relationships were some of the best bromances ever written. That moment, when Capt. ri shoed up with those shoes to give to guem. I bet you will cry. These blokes were a joy to watch, their chemistry and physical comedy were amazing.
Wow these people had me. THat's just it, they had me for the entire series, they just had me. They did what they want and they just had me. Thank you for this series. I always say blood ain't nothing but blood, family is what you need to check for.
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love
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
he waters the tomato plant 🍅 😭
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You will like it if you are new to k-dramas
Intro:Don't hate on me for not falling in love with this drama as most people have. It is my personal opinion and does not have to be the same with all.
What I didn't like:
I think in the story Captain Ri had multiple opportunities to send Seri back to South Korea and at some point, it felt like they didn't only because they wanted to drag the story on longer. Also, I think though Captain Ri was one of the main characters whose role was that of a North Korean soldier, he didn't do justice to the role. For some reason, he seemed the least North Korean in terms of accent and acting there.
What I liked :
I loved the acting of Seri and the other North Korean soldiers, they did a phenomenal job. I also really liked the OSTs of this drama. Through the drama I think many people were educated about life in North Korea, so kudos to that.
Rewatch value :
I think it is one of those cliche drams you could watch over and over. I was not especially moved by it the first time I watched it because I have seen many K-dramas and this did not spark any special interest in me. But I do have to say I rewatched some cute scenes especially those of the second leads.
Overall remarks/ Outro :
If you are new to the k-drama world and are watching something like this for the first time. I recommend you watch it with an open mind and then liking it or not is up to you. But you will mostly fall into this k-drama black hole 😅😉. If you are a drama addict like me, then it is up to your preference I guess. If you love cliche and cute love stories with a lot of melodrama..This is totally something you should be watching.
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great, even MORE unrealistic expectations for love and men
Let me preface this by saying I am not a person who rewatches a show in its entirety. I watch movies once, I watch TV shows once, and I do not do rewatches.This show is different. I don't know what they put into this show but it is straight crack and I am an addict.
I have rewatched it a total of five times and each time the show never fails to make me laugh, to make me cry and scream in frustration and smile in happiness. This show is poignant, it's beautiful, it touches the soul and heart and pulls every emotion a person can have forth to the surface where you cannot help but feel them in their entirety. Watching this show feels like I am coming home to a place I never knew existed, being wrapped up in a blanket and comforted by people I never knew who would love me and feeling safe in my corner of the world.
The show is somewhat wacky in its premise; star-crossed lovers across boundaries and cultural divides, death is imminent and the two lovers are reluctant in their relationship - not exactly enemies-to-lovers because they never were enemies despite how they were brought up to believe. North and South, antagonistic towards one another and led to believe they cannot coexist because of how fundamentally different they are from one another. But Se-ri and Jung-hyuk soon realise that there's a thin line between love and hate.
Where to begin, where to end? The show begins as an adventure - get Se-ri home before everyone is found out and subsequently unalived for harbouring a South Korean. Jung-hyuk takes the role of Se-ri's protector and carer because she is extremely out of her depth here but she quickly adapts and learns to the situation at hand because if she doesn't, she'll be discovered and sent to meet her maker. The two clash in the beginning because of their cultural differences: communist vs capitalist, spoilt vs hardworking, but they quickly understand each other.
Se-ri comes across as "spoilt" because of the fact she is so far away from home and is trying to chase after the comforts she's used to because of the fact she's technically in a foreign land and is under immense stress to keep up this charade of being a member of an elite, NK spy team. Jung-hyuk comes across as aloof and stubborn because he's never been in this situation and is trying to remain as pragmatic as possible because he knows the stakes and the consequences if they fail.
But he starts to empathise with Se-ri, begins to realise that he can't exactly separate his empathy from his pragmatism because she's scared and frightened and placing all her trust in him to get her home and it's different to his subordinates relying on him. Se-ri disrupts his life and routine but Jung-hyuk doesn't seem to mind that much and the two learn to learn from each other, to trust and have fun and to laugh and find comfort. With Se-ri growing up with little to no love and a mother who hates her, and Jung-hyuk growing up under a dictatorship and forced to give up his dreams as a result of a dead brother, it's no wonder the two find companionship under one another.
The cast has a wonderful pool of side characters including Jung-hyuk's subordinates (who I affectionately call his ducklings), Jung-hyuk's fiancée, Seo Dan, and Se-ri's old con boyfriend, Seung-jun. Dan's family are even colourful who bring light and laughter to the otherwise serious storyline in the North, and Dan's story doesn't exactly revolve around Jung-hyuk and she begins her own life, with a very unexpectant love interest.
The show portrays the pure love of Se-ri and Jung-hyuk time and time again; you'll find no miscommunication tropes, no lying to save the others life, there is a moment when you think Jung-hyuk is going to go "i don't love you Se-ri it was all a lie" but he backs out almost immediately because he can't bear to keep the act up. There's not a single one dimensional character in this show, they all have different sides to them, different reasons to live and keep on living, they all have a life outside of the main storyline. The show manages to balance the cast and characters expertly, while never really forgetting the main couple in the meantime.
Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin put their entire Yejinussy and Binussy into their respective roles and you don't know how happy I was when i found out the two actors are dating! Love IS real and these two are living proof of it! They expertly craft Se-ri and Jung-hyuk into real people with their own lives and motivations all the while never forgetting that Se-ri and Jung-hyuk are the main reason they keep on going. The way they are in love is something so beautiful to watch, while painful to know a person could never experience it. It makes me cry every single time to watch them come together and fall apart and then put each other back together again, the way these two soulmates managed to find each other time and time again despite all the impossibilities that should exist but dissolve because of their love and devotion to one another.
I really could go on and on about this show but then I would end up with a novel. This show will never be a regret for me, and it definitely won't be a regret for you if you decide to watch it. The romance, the comedy, the drama, and the politics - the show balances these all so equally with their large cast.
Watching this show makes me want to die alone because if I can't have what they have, then i don't WANT IT
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