Crushing over Crash Landing on You

It's been a week since Crash Landing on You ended! Huhu I really sunk into a post kdrama depression this week when it ended last Sunday night, February 16. When I watched Episode 15 the day before, GOSH YOU NEED TISSUES WHEN YOU REACH THIS EPISODE, it really left me a gloomy and grumpy state. AHH THAT'S HOW THIS DRAMA HAD AFFECTED ME SO MUCH.

I am so happy that I've watched and followed this kdrama, you know, it felt good to have trusted a kdrama and was not disappointed by it along the way. And whoa, that whopping ratings of the finale episode!!! CLOY got the highest rating of a kdrama episode on tvN, surpassing the ratings of Goblin (2016). It was just then that my friends were convinced to watch it! Haha! So happy that a lot of people are trying to watch it already!

Before I decide to move on from this drama, since there's so much ongoing dramas to catch up on e.g. Itaewon Class starring Park Seo-Joon, I decided to write a blogpost for CLOY to remind me that it had been really part of my life. Yep, I'm that dramatic as a person.

I'll list down all the things I loved about this drama and I'm still not certain how long this list is going to be hahaha. I'd be pouring all my emotions in this post so.. *spoilers alert*!

10 Things I Love about CLOY

1. First, HYUN BIN

*uwuuuuu* Look at that fine man in a uniform! Most of us, duhh girls/women, swoon at the sight of prim and proper men in uniforms, right? Just like how Big Boss aka Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun had donned that military dress. I had always imagined Hyun Bin to be that guy with long hair but in this drama, he got a good cut and it suits him very well! This is somehow my first kdrama I watched where Hyun Bin leads. And all I can say is that,

HE. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. 

Hyun Bin is such a great actor!!! He will really get to you and melt you by his charm! Fans of his said that his role in this drama was not much the same as his dramas before, where he is always so strong, serious and stern. His role here, though still serious, was softer and a lot more submissive. GOSH, I love Hyun Bin now.

Ri Jeong Hyeok, meanwhile, is a character you'll find yourself falling in love with. He is responsible and takes care of the people he loves so well, even if it means sacrificing himself. I love that he had a very close relationship with his family, especially his brother. Also as a captain, he takes care of his Division so well. He is a mature guy and can easily become your ideal man.

One thing I'd like to point out also is that even though he doesn't love Seo Dan, he is still willing to take the responsibility to marry her because he knows that it is his duty as a son of a family with reputation, even if he had already started to fall in love with Seri. He did not go into tantrums and complain to his parents haha unlike other dramas or like Romeo and Juliet (of which the drama has been compared to because of forbidden love story). More points to RJH!


I watched a funny video where a North Korean defector described that military men back in NK don't look as much as Ri Jeong Hyeok and even emphasized it's because IT'S HYUN BIN and NK doesn't have Hyun Bin. Haha I'm with you unni!!! (Check out the video here: North Korean's perspective of 'Crash Landing On You' (Feat. Kang Nara))

2. Second, SON YE JIN

This is the second time I've watched Son Ye Jin in a drama, first being the Personal Taste where she co-lead with Lee Min Ho, my first love. My first impression of her is that her looks seemed so mature for Personal Taste and she doesn't have much chemistry with Lee Min Ho. Her action skills are so good though and better even now in Crash Landing on You!

Her role here was a heiress of the top one conglomerate family in South Korea and damn her fashion looks so great!!! I drool. Haha YeJin is sooo beautiful and her beauty is so natural that she hardly wears heavy makeup. I've read articles also attesting to this claim that she doesn't let her makeup artists put so much makeup on her. I aspire to have a great skin like hers so I don't need makeup hahaha sana all!

I love the character Yoon Seri. First, her background story being the illegitimate child of the family pushed her to strive to build and manage a company owned by her. She belonged to a family where her mom (not her biological mom) despises her presence when she was a child, brothers that are only after the company's inheritance and a father who is emotionally unattached to all his children. It led Seri to stand on her own in a place she did not receive any love. She is wise and smart in everything and strategic in handling and conversing with people. I stan a strong and independent woman!

Char that's why on episode 12 where she thought she was alone again because the guys had gone back to NK, I CRIED WITH HER. It sucks to be alone for a long time and only receive happiness by having people who love you back for a short time. Son Ye Jin's acting made me feel all of these!

3. IT'S THE CHEMISTRY, GUYS

Yes it is. So far, people I know who watched it find their moments very kilig! Even women in their 40s!!! I know some moms do haha. Kdrama nalang talaga nagpapakilig sa atin. The chemistry is soooo on point!! For me this is because both actors have the same mature looks and they are somehow in the same age range.

I am so happy that they had a kdrama together!!! Hyun Bin had stated that he really wanted to have a project with Son Ye Jin after their encounter in the movie The Negotiation (2018). That is so cute, y'know??! Hyun Bin was being intentional in this relationship!! Char okay they kept denying dating rumors, but srsly guys why not?! *talking to Bin and YeJin* You look so good together, eomma and appa.

Gosh I just love their behind-the-scenes, too. They were so comfortable in acting together. So happy for them that they had a great time while shooting the scenes. Such great actors! The gif below is an excerpt from my favorite scene in the finale episode!!! THE EMOTIONS MAMSH. I cried so much in this part. I can really feel the situation. 

4. SECOND LEAD SYNDROME

I'm sorry guys but I really did not see this coming!!!!! Like super. I thought Seo Dan's gonna be that kontrabida bitter fiance (she's really good in giving off that aura) who will keep haunting Ri Jeong Hyeok until she gets him or else, she'll end up miserable. I thought Seung Jun's gonna be that thug also and will be part of the kontrabida section. But I am so amazed of their character developments that they are even part of the story until the end. I was not really prepared for a love encounter of Seo Dan and Seung Jun and I did not expect that I'd be so emotionally attached to them!

Usually, I don't get so attached to second leads, not even in DoTS or in Goblin, but in CLOY, they've put so much background story on Seo Dan and Seung Jun (!!!) that you can't not just be into them. Gosh, don't we all just hate how they ended it all for Seung Jun and Seo Dan? Just when they built the bg story of Seung Jun on Episode 15, the reason why I cried so much, too, (that part where orphans covered up for him huhu), they killed him off on Episode 16!!! Huhu it was really heartbreaking. I did not expect him to die. I thought the writers would be kind in giving Seo Dan and Seung Jun another chance on love.

Gosh, the finale episode left me miserable because of Seo Dan's love life. It sucks to be her!!! To not be loved by your fiance after waiting for 10 years! To have your potential lover die on your arms after he saved you! Seo Dan experienced loss many times! My heart grieves with her. So bummed for their ending but realistically beautiful huhu.

Just leaving this quote here. I'm in this trend with you, Seo Dan-ssi.

5. The 5th Infantry Division

COMRADES! This squad reminds me so much of the squad of Reply 1988, it makes me cry. I like their brotherhood and loyalty to each other. At first, I never thought that these actors will be together for the rest of the drama, because usually, kdramas don't consider minor roles to be as a group or usually they don't highlight them that much. I just love that in CLOY, they were given each a proper background story, made them essential in the drama.

These guys brought the comedy in this show! They are so funny North Koreans especially that time when they were in SoKor already and thinks SoKor is a show-off for using that much electricity. You can also learn from these guys some culture and traditions in NK and NK accent from Pyo Chi Su!

These scenes are from Episode 13!!!!!! I so love these parts huhu it's because of them that I super love this episode. One of the best episodes I've watched in kdrama history hahaha. It feels like Boys Over Flowers F4 all over again! May their friendship last!!!!! Pyo Chi Su, Kim Ju Meok, Park Gwang Beom and Geum Eun Dong, hearteu!!!!

6. North Korean Ahjummas

CLOY writers are really good and I thank them for giving these supporting actors great stories! When the latter episodes of CLOY involve setting in South Korea, I was really wondering what's gonna happen to these North Korean ahjummas. It turned out that their stories continued and life in North Korea was continuously portrayed. I love how CLOY portrayed North Korea also and how they tried their best to immerse NK culture in the drama. Because of it, we have a glimpse of what its like to live in NK and how mostly everything there are for practicality and functionality, not aesthetics. We are also able to see how the rich and poor people greatly differ in lifestyles. The roles of these ahjummas brought light of what life in North Korea is somehow like. I love every moment with these ahjummas!!!

7. The Eommonis

I'll just leave this tweet here and let it explain everything. Huhuhu really great characters. I love Seri eomma's character development. I cry everytime when Jeong Hyeok's parents are shown. His mom is such a dear and had undergone so much. Seo Dan's mom just wants her daughter to be happy. Their love for their children, just so unconditional.

These moms will do everything for them. Moms are the best.

8. THE SOUNDTRACK, THE BEST

Listening to the soundtrack does not help me from moving on but I still do it anyway. The melodies are so beautiful, gives me nostalgia and takes me to scenes in the drama. I'm not a fan of kpop so much but my brother is haha and he said that the singers & composers of the soundtrack are well known in the industry, sooo.. yea. I want to buy an album even (it's that good! and it has posters from the drama, that's why).

Listen the soundtrack on spotify.

9. SWITZERLAND

This kdrama has really great cinematography and they had also filmed in beautiful places! This article is a summary of their filming locations. (Preview PH: All the Iconic Filming Locations from "Crash Landing on You"). This drama made me want to go to Switzerland! It made me want to go to North Korea also at first because I thought that they really shot some scenes in NK but it turned out it was just in SoKor and just made it look like it was from North Korea. Still, I'd want to go to that part of SoKor.

And yey! Photos below are some of the filming locations but you can't find the list of filming locations here! HAHA just click the link above. Thanks.

10. Overall Plot

So, as an overall review, it's my favorite kdrama now. But it's not greater than Reply 1988. I think they're just at the same level, let's just say they have different genres that's why one is not greater than the other. Its viewership ratings say so and all age ranges can relate to it. Well, idk. If your type of romance is that of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, a bubbly and high school kind of love story, probably you'll not be so excited about CLOY. It somehow has the same vibes with Descendants of the Sun. The romance of this drama, that's why I like it, is because it's mature and not too pushy but it will really mess up your emotions!!

Plot's not boring, too. I thought the plot conflict's going to revolve on the death of Jeong Hyeok's brother vs Cho Cheol Gang and the arranged marriage of Jeong Hyeok and Seo Dan but it was resolved on the first half of the season.

The plot keeps on changing but at just right amounts of twists and turns. They gave their characters great background stories, even the antagonists (just not so much with Seri's brothers) and even the have minor roles. Remember the insurance guy? 

AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE THE CLIPS EVERY AFTER EPISODE?!! The drama is beautifully written! It also ended beautifully and for me, even if it pains me to say this because I want more, it ended at the right amount of episodes. I also don't think it needs a Season 2, but others say otherwise. The ending may be vague but I like that it gives the viewers a chance to assume and interpret the ending the way you want it, too. 

Anyhow, it's perfect. 10/10. Hundred percent will recommend it to you guys!!!! It will really hook you. Now time for me to move on again. Or I'll never be able to because I am getting my daily dose of CLOY on Twitter. #CrashLandingOnYou Leaving you here a crying Pyo Chi Su (just like me) and a handsome Hyun Bin.

DISCLAIMER: ALL IMAGES AND GIFS POSTED HERE ARE NOT MINE. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE OWNERS.