Today’s topic is Crash Landing on You full review. There are literally no fans in Kdrama-land who have never heard about Crash Landing on You. But just in case if you don’t know then no problem here I am to give you a full and simple review of the drama Crash Landing on You. To be honest when I started watching the drama I had high expectations for it and when finished I realized that I was not disappointed at all. It is worth my time.
Let me give you a simple reminder first, my review is going to help you only if you are a rom-com lover.
Frankly speaking, this drama played a significant role in spreading modern-day Kdrama to global fans. The modern-day people believe in the power of love, which the drama portrays readily. The unique plot and theme made the drama loved by both the critics and the fans.
Plot Summary:
The story of Crash Landing on You is somehow unusual from the other love stories. It shows the love and bonding between two rival countries North Korea and South Korea. The rich and powerful heiress of a South Korean beauty company somehow accidentally landed her paraglide over the border where she met a North Korean soldier who was on duty. The soldier who tries to arrest her first can realize that it was just an accident. Later he wants to protect her and send her to her homeland, to do so he hides her in his own house as a disguise of his fiance. As expected, living under the same roof they ultimately fall in love with each other but is it so easy for them to be with each other? No, absolutely no. They need to face so many obstacles to be with each other. The whole drama is a package of love, emotion, friendships, humanity, melodrama and so on.
We have another couple here who are also remembered by the fans. For those two lovers, the fans cried more than the first leads.
Character Analysis:
As the article is Crash Landing on You full review, so it’s necessary to learn about the main characters of this drama. There are so many characters who are more or less important depending on the situation. We are going to talk about the main cast here who developed the story from the first to the last.
Ri Jeong-hyuk:
Ri Jeong Hyuk, played by the veteran actor Hyun Bin is the protagonist of the drama. Ri Jeong Hyuk is a devoted army soldier in North Korea. When he first saw Yoon Se Ri he tried to arrest first as a typical soldier but when he observed her he realized it was just an accident so he became his protector. His honesty reflects in his eyes. Apart from being a soldier. He is also a lover boy who can do anything to protect his love and lover.
Yoon Se-ri:
Yoon Se Ri, who is the female lead of our drama, is played by Son Ye Jin. Yoon Se Ri is the heiress of a powerful South Korean conglomerate and also the CEO of her own beauty company named Se-Ri’s Choice. Unexpectedly and accidentally she crossed the border and met an army soldier. Later when the story moves forward we see them falling in love and Se Ri coming back to South Korea.
Seo Dan:
The beautiful actress Seo Ji Hye who played the role of Seo Dan,is the direct rival or safe to say the direct competition of Yoon Se Ri. From the very beginning, she was in love with Ri Jeong Hyuk and was also his fiance. Seo Dan is a strong-headed lady and the granddaughter of a high-ranking military official in North Korea. Late in the story, she develops her own love story with a South Korean man.
Gu Seung-Joon:
We can see Kim Jung Hyun as Gu Seung Joon is a con artist from South Korea who ended up falling in love with a North Korean woman, Seo Dan. He was the ex-boyfriend of Yoon Se Ri. He was sent to North Korea as a spy on Se Ri by the wicked brothers. But here he found the reason to live an honest life and unfortunately met his tragic end.
Captain Ri’s Company:
Some of the North Korean soldiers, because of loyalty to their captain, helped Se Ri to cross the border safely. They were so faithful to Captain Ri and later they became the North Korean family to Se Ri.
Themes and Messages:
In this part of Crash Landing on You full review let’s talk about the themes and the hidden message of this drama. The drama deals with various themes and gives so many messages. But the main theme of this drama in one phrase is love and sacrifice. Again, the main message of the drama is Cultural Understanding and humanizing people.
Love and sacrifice:
In the terms of love, we can see the love of the leads, both the leads are superior to any border. They show us that when we love someone there is nothing that can stop us. The relationship between Se Ri and Jeong grows slowly but steadily with so much affection and loyalty. The second lead couple also develops their feelings slowly for each other and Gu Seung Joon tries to change himself to be worthy to love Seo Dan.
In the matter of sacrifice, both Se Ri and Jeong Hyuk take their own part equally. Jeong Hyuk risks everything including his career and life to protect Se Ri and send her to her home. On the other hand, Se Ri, who is the CEO of a company, is ready to forget about the privilege and luxury to live with Jeon Hyuk. Not only the lovers but also the loyal comrade of Ri Jeong Hyuk risks their own family for Se Ri. The most powerful phase of their sacrifice was when both of them sacrificed their love for each other’s safety.
Cultural Understanding:
Both of the lead couples belong to the political rival country of each other. Both of the country’s cultures are poles apart. The characters of the drama show their efforts to understand the differences of their cultures which compelled us to understand the point of views of both the countries. The language difference, the difference in lifestyles and everything is a contrast between both Koreas. The drama shows people in both countries are not 100% good or 100% bad but just a mixture of both.
Production Quality:
The work of the production team of the drama in all probability deserves a lot of praise. The cinematography, choice of colors, set design, location choices and costumes soothe our eyes.
Let’s have a brief knowledge of these.
Cinematography:
The cinematography of the drama is mind blowing. The contrast between the modern Seoul and a small village in North Korea is so vivid that we can see the difference and realize Se Ri’s situation to live in an underdeveloped village from the luxurious Seoul. The paragliding scene is like a treat to our eyes. The wide shots of the mountains, open sky, and forests create a romantic atmosphere and makes us experience the freshness of nature. The beauty of the other locations is so heavenly which captures both our hearts and mind. Not only the nature but also the filming of the characters were also praiseworthy. The close up shots make the emotions look effortlessly natural.
Settings/Location Choices:
Though the setting of the drama shows the North Korean landscape in almost all the episodes of the drama, it was actually filmed in South Korea. The beautiful village of North Korea was actually the different countryside of South Korea. Along with that, the drama was also filmed in Switzerland. The leads met in Switzerland for the first time but the meeting was so brief that they couldn’t remember that for a long time. Again at the end of the drama we see they met in Switzerland after a few years.
Costumes:
There are some significant and messageful variations in the clothes and costumes of the characters. The North Koreans dressed simply as they were in need of various things. Even if some of them were affluent still their dressing was dull. Yoon Se Ri was in stark contrast to them. The dressings talk about her royalty. And the most attractive part was the transformation of Ri Jeong Hyuk. In North Korea, we see the soldier actually like a soldier with his uniform, but when he goes to South Korea we see him as a dashing gentleman.
Music and soundtrack:
All the soundtracks are super nice and you will for sure love it, even if you don’t understand their language you will still enjoy it without the subtitles. To make it easy for you I will give you the list of the OSTs.
A Short List of the OSTs:
There are a total of 18 official OSTs (and 4 instrumental versions) in Crash Landing on You. Those are:
- But It’s Destiny by 10cm
- Flower by Yoon Mi-rae
- Sunset by Davichi
- Here I Am Again by Baek Yerin
- Someday by Kim Jae-hwan
- Photo of My Mind by Song Ga-in
- All of My Days by Kim Sejeong
- Sigriswil bt Kim Kyung-hee (April 2nd)
- The Hill of Yearning by Kim Kyung-hee (April 2nd)
- Goodbye by Punch
- The Season of Us by Lee Seung-yoon
- Give You My Heart by IU
- Like You by So Soo-bin
- Because I’m With You by Tei
- Let Us Go by Crush
- My Companion Kim Kyung-hee
- Again by Baekho (NU’EST)
- You Are My Everything by Jeon Sang-keun
All of the melodies were so emotional and so beautiful. I personally love all of those, and I’m sure you are going to love those too
Most Popular, Fan Favorite and Masterpiece:
As I said just a moment ago that all songs are melodious and loveable but I’m still giving you information about one of each most popular, fan favorite and a masterpiece from the list above.
Most Popular: Give You My Heart by IU is one of the most popular songs in the above list. IU’s sweet voice depicted the love and emotions of the leads thoroughly and it dominated the music chart at that time.
Fan Favorite: Among all the OSTs that captured the hearts of the fans was Flower by Yoon Mi Rae.
Masterpiece: The beautiful lyrics, the soulful voice of Sejeong and the music made this ballad worthy to be called a masterpiece for sure.
The Impact on Viewers:
As I am writing on Crash Landing on You full review, it is necessary to mention a notable impact it had on the fans and viewers. Not only in South Korea but also outside of Korea the drama was impactful for so many reasons. Viewers loved the way they humanized North Korean people despite all the rivalry and political tension between both countries.
Their love which was beyond the border melted the hearts of the viewers. The way Se Ri understood Jeong Hyuk and the way Jeong Hyuk protected Se Ri was heartwarming.
The music was so beautiful that so many people still hum the song sometimes. As the drama was in between the pandemic time the viewers noticed everything because they were bored which also influenced the viewers in every way, including fashion and even tourism. As the drama shows the beauty of Switzerland as well as South Korea, it became an interesting spot for the tourists.
Fun Fact:
Do you know why their chemistry was on Top? Because, like Yoon Se Ri and Ri Jeong Hyuk, Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin also fell in love in the set of Crash Landing on You. Now they are happily married and have a child together.
Here I am ending my article, Crash Landing on You full review but to put it briefly, there are rarely any haters of this drama, from emotion to logic, from heartwarming scenes to light hearted scenes, from romance to climax and from love to sacrifice you can find everything in this drama. And you will not be disappointed at all. Trust me. The storyline, the characters, the music and the emotion is worth watching without any doubt. The story that starts with crossing the boundaries ends with touching the hearts of the fans globally. So what are you waiting for?