Drama Review [Crash Landing on You]💥

Crash Landing on You (사랑의불시착), also known as Love's Emergency Landing, is a 16-episode romantic drama series aired in both tvN and Netflix from December 14 2019 till February 16 2020. Directed by Lee Jeong Hyo and featured Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, Kim Jung Hyun, and Seo Ji Hye. It has now become the second-highest rated Korean drama in their cable TV history. 

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Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin), a South Korean heiress who owns Seri's Choice accidentally goes to North Korea due to a tornado which suddenly knocks her off during her paragliding ride. She then meets Ri Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin), the NK army officer, who first thinks that she's a spy though later in the series, coincidences happen and he eventually gives her shelter and trying to get her out of NK without getting caught by the State Security Department. Overtime, they eventually fall in love and how they see perspective of life in the midst of the parting two countries. 

MY STORY

I had been waiting for this series to come out since their first trailer and was elated when watching their first episode. Somehow, the unusual topic about the relationship between NK and SK intrigues me to keep watching. I eventually finished this series on Tuesday, February 19 2020. Here's my feelings towards it.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE SERIES

The plot has already become its strong point with such anomaly. I was first entranced by the romance over the dispute between respective countries. I have always been a romance geek but different settings mean different story from the start till their own resolution. A heiress who feels that she's out of place with her own family and a captain who had to leave his passion because of an accident.  There's also her almost-to-be-fiancee, Gu Seung Jun (Kim Jung Hyun) who leaves for NK to get away from his own embezzlement and the captain's fiancee, Seo Dan (Seo Ji Hye) who has just arrived in NK to discuss their marriage.

Eventually during the series, I began to love the characters being liven out by the actors and how I started to see North Korea in a different light. I think it's better to keep our neutrality towards these two countries just like how Swiss sees them. 

The way this drama portrays the NK and their villages has been approved by NK defectors in SK and how the creative team had consulted before with the defectors shows their eagerness on making a drama which doesn't clashes with both countries. After seeing this series, I learn a lot on both their culture, accents, and how they still find happiness with the yellow line bordering the countries. The villagers, the subordinates of Ri Jeong Hyeok, Dan's family, and almost everyone in the series now have a special place in my heart. 

The music builds up the scene and I kept on searching for their OST on Spotify every day. I really like Yerin Baek's 'Here I Am Again' and it has also become IU's first official OST in 9 years with 'Give You My Heart'. The instrumentals will keep on haunting you and you'll know the situation rolls when they starts playing. Now, I've also bought the OST album and these pictures I've shown in this review are all from the album. (Unboxing Video)

The drama is also fresh with comedy coming out on every episode and how in the end it turned to a new trouble and adding spices to the plot. The scenic Swiss, NK (shoots in Mongolia), and SK will take your breaths away on how beautiful they actually look and your appreciation towards God's gift. This drama has made me want to save up money to go to Swiss. 

This drama has also become the first one where I will till the end, even the epilogue because they always uncover a lot of things and until the drama finishes, you're convinced that all of the things happening are not coincidences, but destiny that brought their meetings together. The way that the drama is written and how I keep on losing predictions till the end shows their creative minds on making something that is original.

Back then, I've always heard that Korean dramas also being aired in Netflix have such open endings that may not be well received by the watchers but this is also my first drama which keeps rationality going even until the end of the episode, a bittersweet one though still hoping for a Season 2 because of their chemistry and how well these veterans acted in the series will make you ship them till now. 

It was criticised as Se Ri was really fashionable during her time in North Korea which I may agree as her clothes may only be found to diplomats living in Pyongyang but it doesn't really changes how I see both countries now. Some people may considered this series quite long, noting that an episode lasts about 80-90 minutes, but I like the way the directors add details to make it more lively. 

This drama is definitely a must watch because it contains romance, drama, comedy, and politics and how in the end you'll finally be able to see them with neutral eyes. 

Rating (out of 5): 💍💍💍💍💍