Despite Crash Landing on You's excessive use of k-drama tropes, the talented ensemble cast will still have you swooning and smiling from ear to ear.

CLOY tries to give a refreshing insight of North Korean culture but fails to give a unique spin on the romance. After finishing the first episode, I was able to discern how the story is extremely generic on the surface. The gunfights and gunshots got me rolling my eyes. Most of the conflicts are too corny and mawkish for my liking. The writer could have put new narrative ideas but she solely relied on the chemistry of Hyun Bin and Ye Jin to cover the clichés and predictability.

The real pleasure of watching this k-drama comes from experiencing the characters. They are relatable, funny and precious. The cast is charismatic enough to keep my eyes glued to the screen. Most of the time, I had my eyes on the second lead couple as they have the gentle appeal and quiet chemistry than the first leads.

To sum up, CLOY is strictly the usual k-drama romcom but with less substance than I expected. It is a joy to watch but it is equally disappointing and sappily charmed.