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Story: 10/10The storyline is so beautifully made and filmed that I can't give it lower than a 10. I was hooked to the storyline. Even though, I generally already love stories in which someone needs to be undercover.. this is a new look on the concept. The woman needs to hide in North Korea and adjust to the lifestyle while staying away from all the danger. Despite being so locked up, she actually finds herself and her happiness which she had lost. She learned the value of love, life and loyalty. The growth she makes throughout the drama is amazing to watch and you might actually learn something yourself too. Besides that, the innocence of the fellow soldiers were also beautifully played and just so adorable (AND FUNNY).
I really just binged this drama 'cause it got me soooo hooked.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
ALL THE ACTORS WERE SO GOOD AND CONVINCING!! The fellow soldiers had their own unique personality which were all well played. You will definitely fall in love with all of them!!! Some of the characters might fool you. You'll think that you hate them, but you'll actually grow to love them.
Music: 10/10
I loved all the OST's. It doesn't happen very often that I listen to the OST's seperately, because I watch so many dramas but these ones are just sweet and amazing.
Rewatch Value: 10/10
I've just finished the drama so for now I won't rewatch it, but I will put it on my ''to rewatch list''. So when I'm yearning for nostalgia, I will definitely rewatch this drama first.
Overall: 10/10
I would recommend this drama to everyone who loves: romantic dramas, cultural dramas, undercover dramas and action dramas. Also, if you're interested in North Korea, because even though they've romanticised some things (in my opinion) it's still a good representation of how it'd be in North Korea.
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That brings me to the one observation that is confirmed for me now since I watched Something in the Rain: Son Ye-jin is one of the best (if not the best) criers in k-drama land. Lol... I know how that sounds, but, when she cries I cry and I really feel for her characters. Props to her for choosing such multilayered characters - strong yet vulnerable women. Can't wait to see more of her!!
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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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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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