Navillera

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

Shim Deok Chul is a 70-year old man who wants to learn ballet. He meets Lee Chae Rok, a young dancer who becomes his teacher. They bond and help each other with their respective struggles.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Loved it! Right from episode 1, I knew that I was going to like this drama. Though the themes depicted are quite serious, they are tackled with such warmth, poetry and tenderness that it is almost impossible not to feel connected to the story. The characters portrayed and the plot itself are relatable. They allow for an identification with certain situations characters have to go through, making it even more satisfactory to see them overcome it all.

If you are looking for a feel-good drama, this one is definitely a must-watch! Plus, if you have enjoyed Song Kong’s previous performances in Sweet Home and Love Alarm, you won’t be disappointed at all with this drama.

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters:

Lee Chae Rok (Song Kang) is a young man struggling to become a ballet dancer. His relationship with his father is quite complicated, as well as his friendship with Yang Ho Beom (Kim Kwon). Indeed, Ho Beom and Chae Rok used to belong to the same soccer team and Chae Rok’s father was their coach. One day, the coach beat up Ho Beom, causing him an injury and preventing him from playing. Chae Rok’s father was convicted for assault and sent to prison. Later on, Ho Beom has still not quite recovered (or so he thinks) and takes his anger out on Chae Rok, who feels guilty for his father’s misdeed.

As he couldn’t play soccer anymore, Chae Rok found comfort in another sports: ballet. Yet, he lacks self-confidence and purpose. Therefore, he has been unable to move on from his student status, despite his fierce practice. When we first meet Chae Rok, he is lost, burdened by his past and shackled by his guilt. Even though his teacher encourages him and tries to understand him, Chae Rok remains very reserved. He doesn’t share his emotions with others, suffocating him even more.

Parallel to that, he works in a restaurant as a part-timer. Later on, this place will serve as meeting point between Chae Rok and Shim Deok Chul’s granddaughter Shim Eun Ho (Hong Seung Hee).

From the very beginning, it is clear that Chae Rok has potential and that he is meant to become an amazing ballet dancer. His determination and resilience are proof enough that he is no quitter and that he wishes to achieve his goal. His encounter with Shim Deok Chul serves as a trigger for Chae Rok. He witnesses with admiration Shim Deok Chul’s progress as a ballet dancer and develops with him a deep relationship. Their encounter represents a turning point in both characters’ lives, giving the drama a coming-of-age vibe.

Shim Deok Chul (Park In Hwan) is a 70-year old man. He is married, has 3 children and one granddaughter Eun Ho. In the first episode, Deok Chul appears quite satisfied with his life. Still, the death of his best friend serves as a wake-up call for him. Indeed, he realizes that he has led his life with one great regret: not being able to learn ballet. Indeed, as a kid Shim Deok Chul’s father prohibited him from learning ballet, saying men were not supposed to dress in such “feminine clothes”. So Deok Chul gave up and went on with his life. He met his wife Choi Hae Nam (Na Moon Hee) and became a postman instead. Progressively, the drama gives away some glimpses in Deok Chul’s past. We learn quite early that he was scammed by one of his friends and lost everything. This led to his family’s struggles and resentment (especially his older son’s, who considered him responsible for his difficult childhood).

Because of that particular incident, Deok Chul has never allowed himself to pursue his dreams. He has always felt sorry for his family and guilty towards them. This prevented him from doing anything personal, as he always let their judgement prevail. Despite that, Deok Chul chooses to pursue his dream of learning ballet and firmly stands his grounds. Though the family takes some time to accept it, his happiness is more important than his their own feelings, so they eventually all give in. Even better, they end up supporting him.

Shim Deok Chul is actually a very soft but strong character. Though he doesn’t seem like it at first, he shares a lot of similarities with Chae Rok, his teacher. Both are stubborn, resilient, generous and attentive. That’s why their relationship works so well and they get along, even after a bumpy start. Patience should also be mentioned to describe the pair, as they put a lot of energy and efforts in their dancing.

What are the themes tackled?

Navillera has managed to condense a vast number of serious themes in just 12 episodes. All of them have been dealt with subtlety and a certain poetry. So let’s dig into them!

The world of ballet: If you know very little or nothing about ballet (like myself), Navillera will immerse you in that competitive, yet enchanting world. From an exterior point of view, I felt that the drama was actually quite realistic. Chae Rok and Shim Deok Chul are constantly practicing, you have to start with the basics (though it seems irrelevant), it is a competitive environment, in which only a few make it (Seo In Guk’s character for instance), discrimination is quite present either from the outside (“men shouldn’t do ballet, it is a girls’ sports”) or from within (dancers have a certain age, certain body, so disabled and senior are less accepted), injuries are frequent and not to be taken lightly (Chae Rok’s sprained ankles for instance or his teacher’s broken back, which put an end to his career), the specific diet (Chae Rok repeated quite often that he couldn’t eat too much if he wanted to jump during practice), the international competitions and admission exams in ballet schools are very high-leveled, Moscow is definitely THE country to learn ballet (Chae Rok goes to Russia at the end) and I could go on forever.

Based on all of these elements, it is quite obvious that the drama anchored its story in a realistic world, that is known for his harshness. That is also what makes Chae Rok and Deok Chul’s friendship and rise so beautiful. Both thrive in such a fierce environment.

Live a life without regrets: The first episode of the drama really manages to give a broad picture of its themes. Then the more we watch, the more reliable it becomes. Characters and viewers altogether are encouraged to follow their dreams and to achieve their goals. Regrets and dreams are obviously the main constituents of the drama, to which a plot adds a third one: finding your path.

Indeed, most characters seem to be lost from the very beginning of the drama and searching for a purpose.

Shim Seong San (Jung Hae Kyun) is Deok Chul’s older son. He is very uptight and strict. He is the epitome of the “kkondae” with his fixed ideas and prejudice. He is an office worker with a lot of responsibilities, who doesn’t seem glad that his wife starts working again. He also pushes his daughter Eun Ho into finding an office job like him in a big company, without caring about her desires. Because of that personality, he is clearly the first person to antagonize Deok Chul’s wish to dance.

Yet, this character becomes more complex episode after episode. At a young age he had to endorse the role of head of the family in order to fix his father’s mistake. Therefore, he has never been really free to choose his path and was forced by circumstances to take on the first job that would bring money back home. He has lived like that for so long that he doesn’t even realize that he imprisoned himself. However, his wife and daughter’s decision to live their lives the way they intend to, opens his eyes. On top of that, his company blames its mistake on him and strips him of his credibility as manager. This incident is too much for Seong San, who quits and decides to finally live for himself. At the end of the drama, he has created his own company and can finally have a job that brings him joy and happiness.

Shim Deok Chul’s daughter Shim Seon Suk (Kim Soo Jin) also faces her own issues. Her husband is a bit immature and also jumps from project to project, making her life a bit unstable. She has also been trying for a long time to have a child, but her attempts have never been successful. Mid-drama she confesses to her mother that she can’t stand it anymore and decides to stop trying conceiving. Thus, she is able to move on and finds other joys and comfort in life.

Shim Seong Gwan (Jo Bok Rae) is the younger child of the family. He is a successful doctor but has quit. Trauma, grief and death made it difficult for him to keep working, so he just decided to run away from it all. Just like the others, he is definitely lost and seems to be going through a life crisis. He wanders around Seoul, looks for his first patient’s family and wants to be a documentary director. Eventually, he directs a documentary about his father’s passion (ballet), which remains long after as an amazing memory. After a year looking for his purpose in life, he finally decides to retake his work as a doctor. Still, he has acquired a meaning in life (saving patients and treating them), that he had lost before.

Also, I would say that Shim Deok Chul’s disease seems to have opened his children’s eyes. All of them question themselves at some point in the drama, as they try to cope with the terrible news.

Apart from Deok Chul’s children, his granddaughter Eun Ho also falls prey to uncertainty, fear and doubt in the drama. After a disastrous first internship, Eun Ho realizes that she has never really asked herself a simple question: “What makes you happy in life?”. When Chae Rok actually asks her, she is puzzled and can’t seem to find an answer. This confusion, her grandfather’s determination to do ballet and her wish to find her own path force her to experiment and seize opportunities as they come. Therefore, she ends up working as a writer for a radio station. Although she isn’t convinced at first that the job really interests her, she manages to find pleasure, comfort and happiness in doing it. At the end of the drama, she has remained as a writer and thrives as such.

The last lost character is Ho Beom. After his accident, he convinced himself that he would never be able to play soccer again. So he stayed stuck in the past for 4 years, blaming Chae Rok for his failed life. However, his meeting with Deok Chul acts also as a wake-up call for him. He realizes that it is not too late to become a professional player if he pours his heart into it. Mirroring Deok Chul’s determination, he trains again. At the end he has joined a good team and has fulfilled his dream, overcoming the obstacles he had created for himself.

All in all, it was actually quite interesting to see the impact Shim Deok Chul had. Either it’d be his family, or other characters, his wisdom and courage moved them all and gave them enough strength and confidence to take control of their lives.

Family ties: By the end of the drama, all characters have grown up and matured. This allows at the same time for reconciliation and forgiveness. Indeed, many relationships at first are either broken or tense. Seong San and his wife don’t understand each other anymore, Seong San and Eun Ho are not on the same wavelength, Deok Chul’s children are unable to communicate quietly, Chae Rok and his father are estranged, Chae Rok and Ho Beom are in perpetual conflict, even Chae Rok’s teacher Ki Seung Joo (Kim Tae Hoon) and his ex-wife Eun So Ri (Yoon Ji Hye) have some unresolved misunderstandings (though they remarry at the end).

However, the unexpected friendship between Deok Chul and Chae Rok, as well as their common love for ballet, heal all wounds. First, Chae Rok has a positive influence on Deok Chul’s family. Indeed, he is the senior’s main protector and supporter, a position that forces Deok Chul’s children to understand their parent and encourage him more. Second, Deok Chul’s comforting presence in Chae Rok’s life enables him to confront his past, to forgive and to move on. Third, their intergenerational duo impacts their surroundings as well, as they force others to reflect on themselves and question their own behavior.

I personally loved that relationship. It was the epitome of warmth, one compensated the other’s faults or supported him in his darkest moments.

Dealing with Alzheimer’s: Navillera describes with accuracy, subtlety and delicacy the difficulties of dealing with a disease, especially Alzheimer’s. Though we are not aware of it at first, Shim Deok Chul is in fact bound to forget most of his experience as a dancer. The news trigger his resolute decision to learn ballet before it is definitely too late. When Chae Rok and the entire family discover his condition, the information is like a bomb. All of them worry for him, try to think about what is best for him and share their pain. It is actually the second “bomb” in the drama (the first one being Shim Deok Chul’s wish to learn ballet). Both “bombs” strengthen in fact ties between the family and enables characters to question their own situation.

Though I was heartbroken and saddened by the news as well, I couldn’t help but admit that his disease tightened characters’ relationships more than ever.

Poetry: I won’t probably be able to express with words the feelings conveyed by the drama, but one thing is for sure: poetry is everywhere.

The title Navillera has actually quite a number of connotations in the Korean culture. Mostly related to poems and literary works, the word is usually used to describe something fluttering. The link with the Korean word “Nabi” meaning butterfly is undeniable as well as the relationship it can have with dance, especially ballet. Indeed, ballet often gives the impression that dancers are flying softly and gracefully.

The title has an even deeper meaning in the drama because it is also the name of Chae Rok’s and Deok Chul’s final show/performance on stage. However, there is a visible difference between characters, even in the poetic world. Indeed, Deok Chul’s career as a dancer is ephemeral like a butterfly’s life. On the contrary, Chae Rok’s future is often described by Deok Chul as him “soaring like an eagle”. He embodies a strong and powerful animal meant to last.

Apart from that, the names of characters’ favorite pieces are also worth mentioning. Deok Chul’s love for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is a beautiful reflection of his life: he has never been able to learn ballet and has thus lived his life lying to himself, like an impostor, like a Black Swan. Opposite to him, Chae Rok’s favors Don Quixote, which ends in celebration and dance. A little bit like Chae Rok’s life don’t you think?

Finally, there is definitely one last poetic moment (or should I say two), which have really elevated the drama. I am talking about Deok Chul’s and Chae Rok’s performances in the snow: the first one in order to prove his ability to dance, the second in order to bring back Deok Chul’s lucidity. Even the last scene ends with snow, showing both characters reunite 3 years later. The moment he seems him, Deok Chul asks Chae Rok if he has risen like an eagle, proving that he remembers him. As for Chae Rok he has embraced his destiny as an incredible ballet dancer. A very emotional scene if you want my opinion.

OSTs: Of course, the drama wouldn’t be complete without the perfect OSTs. If you have not checked those soothing songs already, I highly recommend: Taemin’s “My Day” and Ha Hyunsang “Heal You”!

P.S.: I was so glad to see Seo In Guk at episode 9, weren’t you as well?