What a lovely trip down memory lane reading your newsletter. Watched them all and love them all too! My Liberation Notes and When the Camelia Blooms still stands in my top 10. Especially Camelia. As an adoptee who's story of her birthmother felt so akin to the one portrayed, I was gutted watching that episode of her reveal and backstory. After watching the series a second time, I also found myself realizing how much Dong Baek repeated the narrative of her abandonment, it was the mantra she had in her head and that felt oddly close to many adoptees. The lens through which you see your life will focus in a way that all evidence will point there if that's the way you need to see it....until you don't. I also loved that the story of the birthfather was included, the dialogue between him and his son; his grief and his inner conflict were all really well acted. I don't know if Korea felt this was comic relief, it was a relief he was human to me even if he was a superstar athlete. At the end of the day it's still a drama and yet not impossible. The best way to feel when watching a drama.
Joy, thanks so much for your input, especially your analysis on how Dong-baek's abandonment was handled. Many of us can only extrapolate what it must be/feel like, but it's the voices of adoptees such as yourself that are truly valuable. Thank you for all that you do!
I love that you review both When the Camelia Blooms and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha in the same article. Both were filmed in the same city of Pohang, and I see them as almost companion pieces. These are two shows that I wish had some crossover; like what if the cop in Hometown visits the station where the cop in Camelia works? or something like that. One problem is that the actor Lee Sang-yi is in both! That could be explained by being twins; or the baseball coach had a side gig as a food influencer that blew up into a show biz career! I just need these characters to all exist in the same universe! Even better: a sequel that combines characters from both shows.
Tonally, they're probably slightly different. Both are humorous, but in slightly different ways. I think I'm drawn ever so slightly to the more blackly comic tone of Camelia and it's, shall we say, very cutely intellectually-challenged protagonists, lol.
These were my comfort food during COVID, and they're the kind of shows that I wish I could live inside. I feel like I could navigate the tiny side streets, alleyways, and waterfront of Pohang, and know what restaurants and houses I'll find around every corner. (Of course, it's the illusion of filmmaking, because in reality many of the places depicted in the shows are quite far from each other.) I keep talking about setting, and these two shows do an excellent job of it. You never feel like any scene is filmed in a studio.
The crossover idea actually happened: actor Kim Soo-hyun reprised his role as a North Korean spy (in Secretly, Great) in a cameo in Crash Landing on You, playing the same character. I feel like a lot of viewers might've missed that, but it was hilarious.
But he didn't play a twin, he played the same character. (I noted that in my Meta Moment section of my CLoY review. It was such a fun appearance!)
My other favorite Kim Soo-hyun cameo appearances were in the film MISS GRANNY and the K-drama HOTEL DEL LUNA. But, he was amazing in SQUID GAME reprising his SECRETLY, GREATLY role.
Too bad his scenes were cut from Squid Game! LOLOL. (I saw what you did there! hahaha)
You won't believe this, but I'm currently rewatching Hotel del Luna - it's like my 3rd or 4th time to try to finish it. I've always liked it, but somehow always stopped watching at some point. I had no idea he has a cameo in this. I must push through and finish it this time!!!:)
Same. My Liberation Notes handled the topics so well, so much so that some viewers were not happy at the reality of it all. I always say: there's a K-drama for everyone! So if not this, there's something else!
My Liberation Notes stayed with me long after I finished watching/binging. I watched it during a time when I was feeling professionally stuck, so it really resonated with me. I know it was a hard watch for some, but it lingered with me to a point where I want to watch it again.
Thank you for this list. Two of the titles are on my still-to-see list, so now I'll be sure to watch them. The only one I've seen is My Liberation Notes which I found disappointing. I thought Son Seok-Koo was wonderful (he always is) but the siblings seemed so relentlessly self-pitying that I lost patience with them. I had been looking forward to the series because I believe it was written by the same writer as My Mister, which is an absolutely brilliant series, one of my two all-time favorites, which I wrote about extensively at 3 Quarks Daily: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2020/07/the-beauty-of-sorrow-in-the-tv-masterpiece-my-mister.html Do you happen to know if that writer is working on a new series? She's incredibly talented.
I love My Mister too! Such a great show. I love the nocturnal vibes, and the relationship between the 3 brothers. One of these days I need to re-watch it.
Yes, Park Hae-young wrote both of the K-dramas you mentioned. I haven't heard about anything else that she is currently working on, but hopefully she is working on a new project now. "My Liberation Notes" (2022) was her last series.
What a lovely trip down memory lane reading your newsletter. Watched them all and love them all too! My Liberation Notes and When the Camelia Blooms still stands in my top 10. Especially Camelia. As an adoptee who's story of her birthmother felt so akin to the one portrayed, I was gutted watching that episode of her reveal and backstory. After watching the series a second time, I also found myself realizing how much Dong Baek repeated the narrative of her abandonment, it was the mantra she had in her head and that felt oddly close to many adoptees. The lens through which you see your life will focus in a way that all evidence will point there if that's the way you need to see it....until you don't. I also loved that the story of the birthfather was included, the dialogue between him and his son; his grief and his inner conflict were all really well acted. I don't know if Korea felt this was comic relief, it was a relief he was human to me even if he was a superstar athlete. At the end of the day it's still a drama and yet not impossible. The best way to feel when watching a drama.
Joy, thanks so much for your input, especially your analysis on how Dong-baek's abandonment was handled. Many of us can only extrapolate what it must be/feel like, but it's the voices of adoptees such as yourself that are truly valuable. Thank you for all that you do!
I love that you review both When the Camelia Blooms and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha in the same article. Both were filmed in the same city of Pohang, and I see them as almost companion pieces. These are two shows that I wish had some crossover; like what if the cop in Hometown visits the station where the cop in Camelia works? or something like that. One problem is that the actor Lee Sang-yi is in both! That could be explained by being twins; or the baseball coach had a side gig as a food influencer that blew up into a show biz career! I just need these characters to all exist in the same universe! Even better: a sequel that combines characters from both shows.
Tonally, they're probably slightly different. Both are humorous, but in slightly different ways. I think I'm drawn ever so slightly to the more blackly comic tone of Camelia and it's, shall we say, very cutely intellectually-challenged protagonists, lol.
These were my comfort food during COVID, and they're the kind of shows that I wish I could live inside. I feel like I could navigate the tiny side streets, alleyways, and waterfront of Pohang, and know what restaurants and houses I'll find around every corner. (Of course, it's the illusion of filmmaking, because in reality many of the places depicted in the shows are quite far from each other.) I keep talking about setting, and these two shows do an excellent job of it. You never feel like any scene is filmed in a studio.
The twins concept would be great and could fit in as a fun trope!
The crossover idea actually happened: actor Kim Soo-hyun reprised his role as a North Korean spy (in Secretly, Great) in a cameo in Crash Landing on You, playing the same character. I feel like a lot of viewers might've missed that, but it was hilarious.
But he didn't play a twin, he played the same character. (I noted that in my Meta Moment section of my CLoY review. It was such a fun appearance!)
My other favorite Kim Soo-hyun cameo appearances were in the film MISS GRANNY and the K-drama HOTEL DEL LUNA. But, he was amazing in SQUID GAME reprising his SECRETLY, GREATLY role.
Photographic proof:
1) https://x.com/GoAwayWithJae/status/1445527400318603279
2) https://x.com/GoAwayWithJae/status/1872323319896367109
😂
Too bad his scenes were cut from Squid Game! LOLOL. (I saw what you did there! hahaha)
You won't believe this, but I'm currently rewatching Hotel del Luna - it's like my 3rd or 4th time to try to finish it. I've always liked it, but somehow always stopped watching at some point. I had no idea he has a cameo in this. I must push through and finish it this time!!!:)
i still think about my liberation notes so much. also really enjoyed our blues- more than I thought I would!
Same. My Liberation Notes handled the topics so well, so much so that some viewers were not happy at the reality of it all. I always say: there's a K-drama for everyone! So if not this, there's something else!
My Liberation Notes stayed with me long after I finished watching/binging. I watched it during a time when I was feeling professionally stuck, so it really resonated with me. I know it was a hard watch for some, but it lingered with me to a point where I want to watch it again.
I think you summed it up very well, Cynthia. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for this list. Two of the titles are on my still-to-see list, so now I'll be sure to watch them. The only one I've seen is My Liberation Notes which I found disappointing. I thought Son Seok-Koo was wonderful (he always is) but the siblings seemed so relentlessly self-pitying that I lost patience with them. I had been looking forward to the series because I believe it was written by the same writer as My Mister, which is an absolutely brilliant series, one of my two all-time favorites, which I wrote about extensively at 3 Quarks Daily: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2020/07/the-beauty-of-sorrow-in-the-tv-masterpiece-my-mister.html Do you happen to know if that writer is working on a new series? She's incredibly talented.
I love My Mister too! Such a great show. I love the nocturnal vibes, and the relationship between the 3 brothers. One of these days I need to re-watch it.
Yes, Park Hae-young wrote both of the K-dramas you mentioned. I haven't heard about anything else that she is currently working on, but hopefully she is working on a new project now. "My Liberation Notes" (2022) was her last series.