Voicing out an unpopular opinion on a popular drama is always risky but I am going to take that risk and do it anyways: CLOY is nice but it's not a masterpiece.

The biggest problem I have with this drama is that there are too many unnecessary elements, scenes and I dare to say even characters. It's not that I don't enjoy a good subplot but in this drama we were presented with so many of them that it felt overwhelming:

- the drama within YSR's family
- the drama between YSR and her stepmother
- the drama between GSJ and YSR's family
- the love story between GSJ and SD
- SD's unrequited love to RJH
- the mysterious murder of RJH's brother
- JMB's involvement in the murder and his guilty conscience
- the lives of the ahjummas in the North Korean village
- the North Korean soldiers entering and discovering the luxuries in South Korea

Many of these could almost be material for a new drama but they decided to squeeze it all in CLOY and I am asking myself WHY? Is the main plot not interesting enough? IT IS (at least I think so). Two people from enemy countries crossing paths and falling in love, dealing with the hardships of a harsh political regime that doesn't allow them to be together, breaking national laws in order to protect each other - that sounds enormous to me! I am not saying that I didn't like the supporting cast and their characters. In fact they were amazing and very likeable (hence my highest rating goes to the acting/cast of this drama) but a little bit more compactness would have made CLOY MUCH more enjoyable. Dragging out each episode to almost 1,5 could have been avoided if they had toned it down with the subplot and focused more on the main couple.

Speaking of: RJH and YSR definitely have chemistry. You can see that both actors enjoy working with each other. Nothing feels awkward or forced, it's all very natural. I liked that. However just like with the plot, the producers have great material but don't know what to do with it. RJH and YSR are supposedly very much in love but it takes a bit more for me than deep stares, endless tears and cheesy lines for me to believe that. We have two people who are in their late twenties or thirties but they barely hug, kiss or do anything that makes me believe that they long for each other. They were sweet, yes but where was the fire? The passion? And no, I am not necessarily talking about sex here. When I say "longing" I don't mean it only in the physical sense but the emotional, too. It's only when they say goodbye for the 10th time that we see them acting as real lovers - and they do that well, no doubt! But most of the time they only have this subtle push and pull thing going on, denying things even after they have confessed to each other already like? To put it in a nutshell, they had good chemistry but it didn't go beyond "Aw they are sweet together!" for me. Imo they could have (should have maybe) scratched the whole super cheesy "fated lovers" thing that happened in Switzerland and focused more on creating more moments between them that make us believe that they are established lovers who are past the flirting stage.

What I really liked About CLOY was the cinematography and the way the differences between the North and the South were being portrayed. While watching the episodes set in North Korea (the best ones imo, after that it went kind of downhill) I actually believed that they were filming there. They did a fantastic job and it felt very realistic although I am aware that it's probably not. I was so fascinated that the sudden easiness of Seri getting to South Korea and RJH not facing any consequences after all he did was something I could swallow. The final … was loaded with clichés and overdramatic scenes but it satisfied most viewers I guess. Me not so much but I want to stop here so this review won't get any longer …

To say it briefly: CLOY has a great main plot and catches your attention very quickly in the first episodes but as soon as the setting changes to South Korea, the writers seem lost and lose their focus, only to slightly gain it back in the last two episodes and topping it all with a fairy-tale like ending everyone expected. It is worth watching for the comedic way the differences between NK and SK are being potrayed and the good acting from everyone included in the cast.

Lees verder