Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)

A heart-warming drama

From the first few episodes, it became clear that this wasn't the typical revenge drama. This meant that no matter how much I wanted Bang Eun-Ju to suffer in the worst way for her wicked deeds, Sam-Dal's journey would take center stage - and what a journey it was. It was one of healing, re-discovery, friendship, family, and community. The best part is, that it wasn't just Sam-dal's journey. All the characters, in one way or another, had something they needed to heal from. Decades-long grief and resentment, anger, heartbreak, unrequited love, guilt, and the shame that comes with failed dreams. It was a richly rewarding experience for our characters as individuals and as parts of the close-knit Samdal-Ri community.

One of my favorite things about this drama is that it showcases the importance of a supportive community, a home to return to whenever one gets weary of the drudgery that living often requires. Home is where you can come up for air, take a rest, and when you are recharged, go out to face the world again.

Everyone got the ending they deserved, a second chance to go at shelved dreams, to mend broken relationships, to fall in love. It was so wonderful. Bang Eun-Ju also got the ending she deserved, of course. The actors were spectacular; all the characters were memorable and evoke warm memories even after it's over - except Bang Eun-Ju. (JCW moved me to tears more than once with his powerful, emotional scenes. Yong-Pil was my favorite).

Overall, a very enjoyable drama.

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Best lighthearted show for the start of 2024

Welcome to Samdal-ri was so refreshing and, although there are some frustrating characters once in a while, we see the character development and how life really comes to play out. The story was not something seen super often and the love story wasn’t over the top the MUSIC was amazing shoutout to DK from seventeen for making the song cover sound so good. The story makes me realize that the meaning of home and love and I really liked that. I would give this show a 10 but it’s more of a light show which is not my favourite genre which is my own preference. So despite my biases this show would be a 10.

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A SHOWSTOPPER! PURE GREATNESS!

As I’m being introduced to Korean actors, several have become favorites: Jang Gwang, Jeon Gook Hwan, Lee Min Ki, Yoo Ji Tae, Song Kang, Won Jin Ah, Lee Bo-Young, Ahn Eun Jin, Kim Ji-Won and many others, but the one I’ve come to adore, is Ji Chang-Wook. He has that wholesomeness of “boy next door,” charm and charisma! Above all, he’s a great actor-no matter the genre. Commanding my attention also, is Kim Mi Kyung. Whatever the role (generally a mom), she is captivating! After scrolling past “Welcome to Samdal-ri” numerous times, I decided to read its synopsis and noticed the list of actors. Chang-Wook and Mi-Kyung were listed! Although the title is not enthralling, it becomes apropos, as the show progresses. I give kudos to the screenwriter and director-a job well done; a bow to the casting agency that assembled this group of performers: SUPERB! Each role internalized and brilliantly delivered! Whether Lead, Support, or a Bit part, all were outstanding and deserving of awards! This show depicts camaraderie, friendship, fun, love, pain, loss, revival, and has a great OST. It is definitely worthy of your time, and must be considered for rewatching!

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WHAT A WAY TO START 2024.

Now, I might be slightly biased since I'm a huge fan of both main leads. Especially JCW...I Love the man, but this just maybe the best drama I've watched this year.

Let me start with what I didn't like;
1. I like a good revenge story; I like seeing the tables turn on bullies and them getting a piece of their own pie; did it happen here? Yes, it did. Was it enough? No, it wasn't. I needed that woman to suffer a lot more, more backlash and hate from the same media she tried to manipulate.
The boyfriend too, I mean all the cheating ass got was vinegar and a spoiled kimchi bath...I needed more.

2. The ML's dad, the redemption arc was kinda fast and not deserved to some extent, but hey at least he gave his blessing.
3. Bu Sang Do...I don't know I just didn't like his entitlement; dude I know the heart wants what it wants but still...damn.
4. Why the hell didn't we get a Mansu side story???????????
5. Jin Dal's Inlaws...I know they got punished but I needed to see it.
6. With all this I think this drama was finished in haste and deserved a lot more than 16 episodes.
7. I needed all the people who turned their backs on Sam-Dal to quite frankly eat shit. Sorry excuses of humans.

What did I like? Buckle up, folks.

1. Ji Chang Wook; I don't know, I just love the guy. He could be the most macho man in a scene and still be cute and lovable. I like me a guy who can do both. I'm also obsessed with his walking style.
As for the acting, the guy never disappoints, we will take what he's dealt and serve it exceptionally, kudos to the casting team because if I were asked to describe JCW i'd point at Cho Yong-Pil...man owned that character, he delivered the best emotions. Who doesn't love a green flag who's a tad bit emotionally dramatic and while lot stubborn?

2. Shin Hye Sun; My first drama with her was Mr. Queen and I was excited about her character here and man ...did she deliver. Slightly unhinged; I mean who carries rotten kimchi just to fling it on someone? She played her character so well, too well that I believed her hometown was Jeju and that she was a real professional photographer.

3. KMK...any drama with this woman...I'm in. It was like a sequel to Healer watching her and JCW again. The woman puts her entire self into every character and I love to see it.

4. The supporting cast, the haenyos were for once nice ahjummas...some dramas just have annoying ones who meddle and create trouble. The Jeju friends was a nice add, I especially liked WKT who was a hoot; sure we needed him to shut up sometimes but the man was the best cupid if i ever saw one...he jumped the plot that would have otherwise dragged with a whole lot of secrets and miscommunications.

5. Sam-Dal and the relationship she has with her parents, her friends and especially her sisters who were a favourite. I can't believe i hated Jin-Dal in K2...that woman was mean! But here...i looked forward to every scene she was in esp with her 'husband' .The director said I want crazy and the woman was like hold my beer!

Lessons learnt;
1. Fear Knetz.
2. The Korean fanbase system has a whole lot of power than they should. Entire cooperations rely solely on public opinion which could be shifted at the drop of a hat.
3. It's sad and shocking to see how lives could be ruined by one person and their smartphone. How many people has this happened to and why does it continue to happen???????

Anyway, I'm giving this a couple of weeks before I come back to binge-watch it .

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Welcome to Samdal-ri

I really enjoyed this drama, some people might say that it's boring or that the main leads are too childish in their behavior. And of course everyone has their opinions which should be respected.
In my opinion, this drama, depicted how easy it is for celebrities in Korea to have their careers crumble and even their lives sometimes all due to rumors or speculation.
I enjoyed all the side stories and main story line on this drama, as it shows the hardship of making it into the world and how difficult it is to succeed sometimes, it also shows us that even if people sometimes don't remember in most cases there is always somewhere we can go back to, there is always a chance to restart and get back up even if it's difficult. That it should never be an option to just stand down and accept such treatment when we are innocent.

I think that in my opinion the main characters on this drama also showed us that in a relationship people don't need to be serious all the time, it's okay to be silly and goofy and even outside a relationship, it's okay to be all of that, people don't need to be silly all the time, it's okay to be childish sometimes no matter the age we have, It's okay to cry if we want to cry, and it's okay to be silly and funny when we want to (of course when it's appropriate as well).

Overall, this was a wonderful drama to watch, it had a sense of nostalgia and all the supporting roles made a great job during this drama as well, this drama had some of my favorite actors, so I was incredibly pleased with everyone present and their performance.

(as mentioned before, everyone's opinion should be respected and everyone had a right to have one as people have different tastes and takes on every situation)

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underrated pearl

the acting and the story is great, even though I was sometimes annoyed at the female lead for not defending herself but the writing was well done and as the episodes went on, her take on the situation and her decision not to do anything made sense.

every characters are touching in their own way and the development is delight to watch. each one of them has a story and it's nice to see how they interact with each other.

the way they protect each other, grieve, laugh and cry together is heartwarming.

and as usual, all the actors give a great performance

can't wait for the last episodes and for the karma to catch the Seoul girl.

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Welcome to Ji Chang-wook!

Fans of small-town dramas will feel right at home here.

To be fair, the village based plot doesn't start in earnest until a few episodes in but once in place, all the typical elements are on full display. Bucolic setting, tight knit community and "colourful" locals all slot in seamlessly.

It doesn't mean this drama is all sunshine and sea breezes, quite the contrary. The first few episodes can be titled, "How low can the FL go?". The simple answer is very low. Not only did her professional and personal life collapsed in Seoul but her troubles follow her back to her hometown on Jeju.

To be honest, the first few episodes are hard to watch. Not because of bad acting but it was an endless series of setbacks, angst and tears. There is little concrete reasoning behind her fall from grace other than the A-plot demands it. The problem is that the shouting and crying only got worse when she arrived home because now it involves the whole family unit and sundry other characters. It was surprisingly relentless when you consider this is supposed to be a rom-com.

Fear not, Ji Chang-wook is here! Our ML is the soothing influence, the voice of reason and the mirror for the FL to see the truth behind all the ill feelings and maltreatment she has suffered for years. Members of the 5 Eagles Brotherhood helped as well. They might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but their total dedication to Cho Sam-dal is a sight to behold and woe to anyone who stood in their way.

Thankfully, the feel of the series changes completely once the OTP acknowledge their feelings for each other. There is nothing a united village can't handle and while they still face challenges, we know they are just speed bumps on their road to success.

Speaking of romance, the OTP is always going to be front and centre, but it is relatively uneventful once they clear the air. The shaky romance between the eldest sister and her ex-husband is more engaging. Props to the actor playing the ex-husband. He could have been a typical spoiled heir, but he is so earnest and sweet that you just have to love him, warts and all. The scene with the cockroach is unmissable.

As I mentioned before, the show is angst heavy, but it is not well balanced. This is largely because the antagonist is light weight. There is no dastardly master plan. She got desperate and the fourth estate took care of the rest. She rode the tiger but have no idea how to get off. This also means the resolution, when it came, felt underdone. It closed the chapter but there is not a lot of satisfaction to be had.

The last EP is total fan service. There is a lot of lovely scenes that wrap up the various threads but the best one is probably the photo exhibition. It is a lot more about the ensemble cast of locals than the weather and it was very touching and uplifting.

All in all, it is an uplifting story that ticked a lot of boxes. Fans of JCW will rejoice. He is such a versatile actor nowadays. Honourable mention must go to Kim Mi-kyung. The veteran actor really gave us her all. Bravo!

Is it the best example of this genre, not quite. There are shows which nailed the formula better and/or the ensemble cast turned in better performances but it is good enough to earn my recommendation, for now. Enjoy!

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it had potential but then...

the last three episodes felt excruciatingly long, unfortunately, I tried and tried to like this but I just couldn't, can't say it was terrible in itself, but it was definitely forgettable.

I couldn't feel like there was a decisive plot, it was simply moving in an ambiguous way and it was a bit unsettling to feel like there were so many important elements missing, the love triangle was absolutely unnecesary here and its resolution wasn't even satisfying, and there was a scene that solidified it to me when Yong Pil was sobbing, there were actually a few other moments like this, he was breaking down and there wasn't enough context, no enough clues, not enough of anything for us, the audience to build a bond, it just felt like another loose end, and it made me, at least, feel frustration... over the fact that there was nothing for me to hold on to in terms of the story, I think that if they actually tried to make this more about the haenyeos, it would've been more interesting to me, though the gossiping aspect, while may be true in these kind of communities, it felt a bit overbearing, it almost made me feel less interested in the island, sadly, it still held a lot of the comedy scenes, so it wasn't absolutely detrimental, that said the whole story and ending didn't feel like there was closure in any of the aspects, it was just shown visually but there wasn't a whole lot of evolution and growth in the characters, and subplots.

Production wise, it was incredible, visually it was lovely and the music really matched the energy of the show, acting wise it was really solid, there were some very credible moments in terms of the relationships, specially between the main characters, they had a really nice natural chemistry, and there was scene when Ji Chang Wook was angry, he was truly red, there was so much rage outpouring in that moment, it reminded me how good he is! to me, the best part of this show were the main actors and the beautiful production with the most outstanding scenery, made me yearn for a trip to the beach!

I really hoped for more it felt a bit inconclusive and ambiguous, there were many clichés that didn't feel like they were handled correctly, there were many missed opportunities here, with such a great cast and production, it lacked dynamics, it lacked a strong story, at least in my opinion.

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A healing drama

This slice of life drama is really comforting to watch.
But of course, some plots are a little bit annoying to watch such as,
FL - easily forgive the framer even tho her whole life is nearly destroyed and not standing up for herself.
ML - not much character development.
Second ML - unnecessary plot from my pov.
FL’s mother - close mouthed about her bff death, never confront ML’s father for years and she even made the whole family also felt guilty for ML’s mother weather related death.
ML’s father - his way of hatred on FL family is too childish and too nonsense (that I can’t even watch his scenes) and forgiveness is too sudden.

But overall, this drama is light hearted to watch from heavy plot dramas.

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A heartwarming kdrama!

This kdrama is just one of the prettiest I've ever seen. All the scenes are beautiful, they took the best pictures and videos of Jeju. The history is so pretty, and heartwarming. I love it from the beginning until the end. The last episode is just too beautiful, I cried a lot, the pictures and all the photos that she took... I don't have words to explain.

One of my favs kdramas so far. I just want to rewatch it and rewatch it and rewatch it again. Welcome to Sam Dal- Ri really has a special place in my heart. I just wanted that this Kdrama had more episodes, and showed more of the love story of the sisters too.

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