KDrama Calling: Crash Landing On You - Hyun Bin, Son Ye-Jin Timeless Love Story Is Korean Veer-Zaara, Spoils You As Hopeless Romantic

Crash

Landing On You is NOT a show to watch as your first K-drama, if you aren't prepared. Now, many would argue why, given it's a classic starring Hallyu heartthrobs Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. The reason is simple. If you begin your Korean content journey with CLOY - there's NO looking back!Crash Landing On You is a title we all have heard of, even before knowing anything about it. Infact, desi K-drama lovers often hail it as "Korean Veer-Zaara". It is true to an extent, and that gives it a strong upper hand.

Crash Landing On You's purity

Crash Landing On You is like the feeling of walking barefoot on fresh morning dew. It is the falling of cherry blossom petals or the first snow. It is delicate, untouched and pure. The romance here has just the right amount of sweetness to keep your taste buds triggered. So when Son Ye-Jin's character falls literally into the arms of Hyun Bin, you feel butterflies.

What is Crash Landing On You about?

Yoon Se-ri, a chaebol heiress from South Korea, gets into a paragliding mishap and crash-lands on the other side of the border, in North Korea, where she is discovered by Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok, who hides her and helps her return to her homeland without getting caught. But it's not that simple. Se-ri has a plotting family who wishes to take over her business, and Captain Ri is out to solve the mystery behind his elder brother's death. Meanwhile, there's also a subplot of two people in love with the main leads, who cross-paths and fall in love instead.Captain Ri's team of boys is innocent and curious. They show the rawness of a friendship, just like the locals in Ri's town. The show depicts the purity of simple living and innocence when you are unaware of the world outside, even if it is due to the establishment's socio-political curtain. While there's a lot of surveillance and pretence, the more we understand the two leads who come from different worlds, even warring nations, the show emerges as a perfect blend of humour, action and a delicately brewing romance amid the vast political and cultural divide between their countries.

Hyun Bin - the green flag!

The extent to which Captain Ri goes for Se-ri, the things he does to pamper her, be it getting her a scented candle or a high-brand shampoo, or shifting the items in her kitchen shelf to match her height, or even leaving her pre-recorded voice messages to help her sleep when he's gone, makes him a green flag! Adding to the pluses is his sparklingly handsome good looks. A woman would be blind if she didn't fall for such a man.CLOY wins due to its simplicity and how its characters manage to strike a chord, even if they are in supporting roles. The unexpected friendships, the beauty of a place that's still untouched by development, and the lesson it teaches not just Se-ri, but even fans is what earns it brownie points.

Pacing issue, bittersweet ending

CLOY's infectiously beautiful inter-Korean love story will please romance fans, its geopolitics will serve those interested in other genres. And all credit goes to its writing for its unique blend of humor, tragedy, suspense, and deeply human moments. Even though you might find pacing issues in certain subplots, that doesn't stop CLOY from becoming a perfect entry point for K-drama newbies and a stand-out series for seasoned fans. CLOY's second lead's (Seo Ji-hye, Kim Jung-hyun) love story is tragic, and for many, even the show's ending might seem bittersweet. But, given its subject, it could be the only feasible option. The finale leaves us hopeful for these complex characters who are caught up in a cross-border forbidden love.

Crash Landing On You - our Veer-Zaara, a benchmark

Even after 5-6 years, the show lives on. Why? Because it is not just about a compelling romance and excellent performances, it also caters to complicated family relationships, political drama and crime. It is for everyone, and that's a difficult trajectory for writers to satisfy. CLOY can be kept as a benchmark. from Son Ye-Jin's oh-so "I need it" wardrobe, to Hyun Bin dripping visuals in that soldier uniform, a huge applause for the good looking pair too.For Indian K-drama lovers, CLOY would instantly remind of Veer-Zaara (2004), and now we know why. No, it isn't an adaptation or a remake. It is the same Shah Rukh Khan-Preity Zinta timeless story with a DNA from a different country.

ALSO READ: KDrama Calling - Descendants Of The Sun | King The LandA write-up on CLOY is a never-ending pouring of emotions. It leaves you so full that you'll shed happy tears, yet feel so empty that you'd still feel the void. And if at all you pick Crash Landing On You as your first Korean show, fasten your seatbelts for a never-ending roller-coaster. Because this one will spoil you and make you a hopeless romantic for life.(KDrama Calling is our weekly series where we dissect and look back at a fan-favourite Korean show, decoding what makes it a hit even after a considerable time after release.)