Crash Landing on You (2019)
Quick Take: Crash Landing on You (2019), starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. 11/10. 16 seventy-minute episodes.
Synopsis: Wealthy South Korean heiress and fashion entrepreneur accidentally paraglides into the DMZ between North and South Korea. A taciturn North Korean army captain discovers her and tries his best to smuggle her back home. She teases and flirts but he remains determined to get rid of her. Subplots include previous fiances on both sides, family dysfunction on both sides, and murder plots on both sides.
Yoon Se-ri cries a lot and Ri Jeong-hyeok barely smiles, but it’s not all serious. Secondary characters provide broad comedy, including Jeong-hyeok’s four sidekicks, a matchmaking mother, and the gossipy but good-hearted women of the North Korean border village where Jeong-Hyeok lives. South Korean intelligence agents are actually nice guys, who knew? Some action scenes, lots of romantic tension. Questions around Fate v Coincidence are an ongoing theme. (Spoiler: Fate wins.)
Review: Crash Landing on You has been the gateway drama for many K-drama fans. It is one of the Practically Perfect (along with Descendants of the Sun (XX) and 100 Days My Prince (XX)). It was a huge hit domestically and internationally, and received critical praise for its depiction of life in North Korea. Also, the lead couple started dating IRL and married in 2022.
Recommended!!
Rewatchable - 5. Compelling - 5, Plot/ Story/Writing - 10, Acting/Casting - 11. Production - 10, Bonus Points, 10. Bonus points for deft comedy and OST. Check out this music video for “Flower.”.
Notes:
Hyun Bin
is one of the highest paid and most influential actors in South Korea. See him also in Secret Garden (2010); Hyde, Jeckyll, Me (2015); and Memories of the Alhambra (2018); as well as films The Negotiation (2018), and Confidential Assignment 1 (2017) and 2 (2022).
Son Ye-jin
has been acting in films and television dramas since 2001; she has won 51 awards out of 72 nominations. See her also in films The Last Princess (2016) and The Negotiation (2018), and tv series Something in the Rain (2018).
Kim Jung-hyun
has been acting in films and television dramas since 2012. His first major role was in School 2017 (2017); see him also in Welcome to Waikiki (2018) and Mr. Queen (2020).