Crash Landing on You

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

​Yoon Se Ri is a rich heiress running her own company. As part of a promotional event, she decides to go paragliding for a video clip. Everything seems to go well until a sudden storm appears. Winds changes and she is taken away by a tornado. When she wakes up, she ends up face-to-face with a North Korean soldier. She has unintentionally crossed the border! Helped by the sergeant Ri Jeong Hyuk, she will try everything in her power to go back to her country, while progressively falling in love with him. 

​My Opinion (No Spoilers)

INCREDIBLE!

​I think we all agree on that, Crash Landing on You is one of the best dramas of 2020! And with good reasons! First, it is a TvN drama – I know I say it all the time but TvN has become an excellent content provider and this drama is living proof that it is true. Second, the screenwriter is none other than Park Ji Eun to whom we owe Legend of the Blue Sea and My Love From The Stars. If I had to explain how amazing her dramas are, I’d say Park Ji Eun ranks as high in terms of drama popularity as the notorious Kim Eun Sook (Goblin, The King, Descendants of the Sun) and Lee Woo Jung (Reply series, Hospital Playlist). 

Third, the director Lee Jung Hyo is the mastermind behind the realization of famous dramas like Romance is a Bonus Book or Life On Mars. 

Fourth, probably the most attractive part of it, the amazing cast that embodies these adorable characters. Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin as main leads have nothing to prove regarding their skills and Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun – like all other supporting actors – asserted themselves as forces to be reckon with in the field. 

​Apart from all of that, the drama didn’t disappoint me one bit and transported me to North Korea, where I discovered warm, welcoming and bright friends. The two main romances are distinct and particular in their own way, but I rooted and encouraged both of them. 

​Finally, I won’t lie about it, Switzerland’s landscapes are beautiful and the enchanting background grasped my attention, to the point that I literally went there and enjoyed these beautiful sceneries myself (yes, yes, I reproduced Crash Landing on You scenes in Switzerland!). 

​I don’t think I actually need to describe a lot of things about the drama, as its notoriety precedes it, but I highly recommend if you have not seen it, that you give it a go!

​Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Ri Jeong Hyuk (Hyun Bin) is a North-Korean military. His family is well-off and well connected (by chance!), but he lost his brother in a mysterious accident, that was buried by the dictatorship. He was a music major in the first place but entered the military after his brother’s death to uncover the reasons behind his passing. He is a very loyal soldier, friend and lover. The way he is completely devoted to a cause is admirable, either it’d be protecting Se Ri or discovering why his brother died. Moreover, he appears to not be that social and is quite silent; yet, he is a man of action and keeps his words and promises. He balances perfectly in my opinion with Se Ri who expresses her emotions a lot, when surrounded by close people. What I found out is that despite the fact that he doesn’t speak a lot, he always happens to throw some good punchlines against his enemies. He is a man of few words, but god he knows how to use them perfectly! And with such authority! Ri Jeong Hyuk is also a very good leader, who thinks about what’s best for his comrades. If he can avoid putting them in danger and sacrificing himself instead, he would do it. He is a man of honor and unbending, he has an amazing integrity and is not afraid of revealing the truth (even the uncomfortable one). He fights for what he believes in and never gives up. 

What I loved about that character (and what Hyun Bin in my opinion portrayed perfectly) is Ri Jeong Hyuk’s very soft and childish side. He knows how and when to be serious, but he also acts like a child, gets jealous over ridiculous things and has the funniest sulking expressions I have ever seen. Even though he knows that loving Se Ri is painful and involves separation, he still goes full in and prefers following his heart without regrets. 

​For all characters there is an amazing sense of humor that Park Ji Eun conveys; especially for Ri Jeong Hyuk, as he constantly ends up in ridiculous situations. The one that comes to my mind right now is the entire sequence when he plays video games (reference to Memories of the Alhambra with the music for those who hadn’t remarked!). He can get so mad or sulk because of things so futile, which turns him into this hilarious and yet very brave character. 

​Yoon Se Ri (played by Son Ye Jin) also has that funny side to her, but she only reveals it to those she feels comfortable with. For example, with her family she is this distant and cold daughter, who doesn’t want to get involved in family matters anymore. She has always been mistreated as a child (especially by her mother who abandoned her) and even though she tried to reach out, they always gave her the cold shoulder. Thus, she has decided to cut ties with them. It is very interesting to see how the coldness of her family is counterbalanced by the warm welcome on the other side of the frontier, in her new North-Korean family. Se Ri might be tied by blood to South Korea but she has her heart in North Korea. 

Yoon Se Ri distinguishes herself by being a brilliant and strong-willed businesswoman; she is somewhat fearless. She fights for her life and protects herself (she has always done so since childhood in reality), but she opens up to others and learn to do so the more time she spends in the North Korean village. Just like Ri Jeong Hyuk, she is willing to sacrifice herself and her love if it means protecting the others and lives her emotions 100%. 

Ri Jeong Hyuk and Yoon Se Ri – I don’t know if it’s because of distance – have this devotion towards each other. It is incredible to see how strong their love is and how much they care for each other. By the way, many scenes were a pure demonstration of that passion for the other, especially the one at the border by the end, when Se Ri runs towards Jeong Hyuk. Big up to their inspiring couple!

​Not only our main leads but also our supporting characters were very complex and charming at the same time. Seo Dan (Seo Ji Hye) is this cold wealthy North Korean woman, who expects to finally get married to her long-time fiancée. Yet, Ri Jeong Hyuk has fallen in love with someone else and so does she. Sign of destiny or not, she runs various times into Gu Seung Jung (Kim Jung Hyun) a con artist, who manipulates others and stole from Se Ri’s family. His moral compass is completely destroyed and is not a very positive character at the beginning. However, his encounter with heartbroken Seo Dan makes him want to comfort her, to the point that she stole this con artist’s heart! I personally rooted so much for that couple; that’s why the tragic ending really destroyed me. I thought that it was so unfair to have these two people, learning to become a better person for the other; separated forever. Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop thinking that it was actually doomed from the very start, since Seung Jung had so many demons from the past haunting him. Yet, I saw a sort of redemption in his actions. He went from being this selfish and manipulative opportunist to this grown-up man sacrificing his life for the woman he loves. The only thing we can accept is that Seo Dan changed him the same way he changed her. 

​Melting cold ice: I don’t know if it is just me who saw that, but I had a feeling that everything in the drama was connected to coldness. Let me explain myself! 

Let’s start with Se Ri: her family is the embodiment of coldness, they don’t have affection between siblings (they even want to kill her in North Korea) and worse they consider themselves more as rivals than brothers and sisters. Se Ri’s father encourages this battle and every member is calculative and sly. Se Ri’s mother broke her heart multiple times by simply hating her. What was interesting to see though, was the reverse mindset the mother adopts, when she discovers that her daughter has given up on a relationship with her and  has thereafter disappeared. Thinking that her daughter might be dead acts as a trigger that revives her maternal instinct. Her mother will try everything she can to get Se Ri’s trust again and protect her; to the point that she melts the ice that crippled Se Ri’s heart all these years, as they embrace each other. Se Ri’s father also realizes how bad his sons have become and punishes them in order to protect his daughter. Se Ri’s family goes then from an icy bound to an almost affectionate one. 

Se Ri can find comfort in her new North Korean allies too, who consider her as one of their team, something that she has never felt, since she was always excluded. These positive and sincere feelings melt also the ice around Se Ri’s heart. Of course, she finds love with Ri Jeong Hyuk and both cold and lonely characters are struck by this passion, that blooms and is set on fire in most episodes. The best representation of that for me is the moment, when their train stops suddenly. It is winter (once again coldness) and they share confidential stories in front of a bonfire, covered in blankets. What better moment to highlight the passage from solitude and coldness to love and trust!

​Ri Jeong Hyuk shares a similar background as that of Se Ri. His family is of course closer but the loss of his brother completely disunited the family and blocked them in time, incapable of sharing feelings or even communicating properly. Fortunately, Jeong Hyuk’s parents affirm their love for their remaining son by protecting him at all costs, as he tries to uncover his brother’s death. 

​Seo Dan is a cold character too. First, she comes back from Russia for her studies (Hmm, cold place right) and doesn’t really know what love is. She has been educated to follow the rules and not question them, so when she realizes she fell in love with Seung Jung the con artist, she is hesitant at first. In the end, she goes full in. Same for Gu Seung Jung: I guess because of the way he acted he always denigrated himself thinking he didn’t deserve real love. Yet, he was gifted with Seo Dan, melting his cold attitude. 

​So, to me the entire drama was balanced by this cold/warm atmosphere. Even in the title 불 (“Bul”) means fire, reinforcing this opposition. Even in terms of countries: North Korea is normally expected to be cold, a dictatorship, where everyone is living in terrible conditions; compared to South Korea where everyone is supposedly happy and can have what he/she desires. Yet, in spite of the numerous dangers, the North Korean village was a safe and warm haven and South Korea a suffering pit for our characters. 

​North versus South Korea and the political background: Of course, I can’t talk about this drama without highlighting the contrast between North and South Korea and all of the political talks that come with it. Even though the drama was criticized for idealizing the life in North Korea, I thought that it could actually be realistic (I have never been to North Korea so I can”t tell!). The fact that people there, have less and are constantly spied on, actually pushes them (I believe and this is just my opinion) to get closer and to find comfort in others. Of course, the character of the delator is an excellent one, as we truly understand the dilemma brought by his job. The villain is accurately portrayed as well as the hierarchy, I think, realistic enough. 

I truly understood the numerous life and political struggles of North Korean inhabitants, and it is an excellent drama, that forces us to think about all of these issues. 

​On the other side, following the adventures of our favorite soldiers in South Korea was a roller coaster of emotions and a sympathetic new look thrown on basic South Korean life aspects!

​The only unrealistic scenario for me: Ri Jeong Hyuk literally never dies, he is just invincible!

​Connecting with people: Another point that needs to be stressed out is the relationship between Yoon Se Ri and the other soldiers and Yoon Se Ri and the women of the village. It is hard to express with words how close they become over the course of the drama, but it is pleasant and very funny to see them being so united. Their mutual solidarity andunderstanding is beautiful and I felt like I was witnessing a reunion between old-time friends. The second-lead lives and stories are very moving and their synergy and dynamic as groups brought me as much joy as it brought me tears. 

Each character is complex and specific, emphasizing on his own specificity, and they all fit so well in the group as a whole. They protect, care for and help each other. 

​Love that transcends frontiers: This drama transmitted a message of love, but more importantly it proved that love transcends frontiers. An authentic and even more accurate message in our actual times, where distance, war, hardships and societal concerns separate individuals. Love unites (any kind of love) and transcends all of these superficial and material problems. An ode to love then, that makes everything impossible possible! No matter the pain, the hatred, the others, love surpasses all of that. 

​Switzerland, land of neutrality: Very clever middle ground in our story to best express that transcending love! Switzerland has always been the country of neutrality (especially from a political point of view). Thus, he was only a normal choice that the author selects that destination to make our characters meet and re-meet, by adding an enchanting touch of destiny. Plus, the landscapes are beautiful and the vast spaces gives us an impression of freedom that comes opposite to the incommodious village. 

​Fashion and its meaning: Crash Landing on You has another striking element that needs to be taken into account: fashion. From Se Ri’s elegant but strict outfits in South Korea, to her more traditional and comfortable ones in North Korea, not forgetting her floral patterns in Switzerland to indicate renewal and blooming season (did you notice main leads reunite during spring? Not winter cc cold theme); fashion gives us some many information. The outfit makes the man in Jeong Hyuk’s case in South Korea when he transforms into a bodyguard; or ridicules when his soldiers cross the border (and dress up ridiculously). Fashion can also get you out of any difficult situation, like in Se Ri’s case in North Korea with her village lady friends. 

Fashion in the drama is a disguise, a protective mask or a revelation of the character and his personality (cc the military uniforms, Seo Dan’s sunglasses; Seo Dan’s mother outfit showing that she is a “new rich”, Seung Jung’s bold costumes just like his personality…). 

​I will let you enjoy all of them but applauses to the costume team of the drama!

​Se Ri’s Choice: Anyone else finds it funny how Se Ri’s brand is closely related to her real life circumstances? Indeed, she has so many choices to make: will she stay with Ri Jeong Hyuk? Will she wait for him? Will she leave North Korea? Will she forgive her family? So many questions that are englobed by that one brand. Park Ji Eun proves once again that is very meticulous and pays attention to details. 

​Music that bonds: Finally, I had to close this analysis with the use of music in that drama. The enchanting piano that connects our characters’ souls in Switzerland before they even know each other. Plus, the fairy-like chant as OSTs in Swiss and the North Korean-like song, that transports us in the drama. 

​I could go on and on with the details: the bridge in Switzerland (Sigriswil for those interested), the importance of candles and light (as a representation of hope), the brother’s watch, even Ri Jeong Hyuk’s house in itself as a meeting and connecting point; but then I won’t be able to finish this review!

​I suggest you watch the drama and try to find yourself the little details that actually make the drama!

​P.S: There are so many good cameos in that drama: Jung Kyung Ho, Park Sun Woong, Na Young Hee, Kim Soo Hyun’s and Choi Ji Woo’s cameos and so many others

​P.S.2: Did you notice the great reference to Hyun Bin’s previous drama Memories of the Alhambra?