Synopsis

“Crash Landing on You,” (CLOY) is about a South Korean businesswoman and heiress, Yoon Seri (Son Ye Jin), and a North Korean captain, Ri Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin).  Due to a freak paragliding accident, Seri finds herself crossing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and landing in North Korea.  She is discovered by kind-hearted North Korean Captain Ri who ultimately decides to keep her presence a secret and assists her in returning safely to South Korea.  During the process, Seri and Ri, who are violating the law of North Korea simply by being together, fall in love.  Aiding Captain Ri in Seri’s return to South Korea are 4 of his troops, who realize that they are all in danger if Seri is discovered.  Unfortunately, the group is hunted by Lieutenant Commander Cho Cheol Gang (Oh Man Seok) who wants to use Seri to ruin Captain Ri’s powerful family.  After several failed attempts, Seri is finally able to return to South Korea, but Cho follows her to Seoul, determined to kill her.  Captain Ri goes to Seoul in pursuit of Cho and to protect Seri. Ultimately, Ri is able to stop Cho, but in so doing, his presence in South Korea is discovered and he is forced to return to North Korea.  The series ends with Seri and Ri secretly reuniting in Switzerland, where they can be together as a couple.

Lead Couple

The biggest draw for me in any series - Korean or not - is if the story centers around a strong Lead Couple that has natural chemistry on screen.  The chemistry between Seri and Captain Ri (Son and Hyun), is noticeable upon their very first encounter.  The connection that Seri and Ri form is slow-building, but intense.  They constantly and effortlessly care for and protect one another.  Whether buying her illegal beauty products, sending troops under his command to watch over and protect her when he cannot be with her himself, pretending that she is his fiancé when she is discovered in his house during an unexpected house inspection, stopping a bullet for her, or crossing the 38th parallel to protect her from an enemy intent on killing her, Captain Ri provides for and and protects Seri.  Seri, in turn, also protects and cares for Ri, passing up an opportunity to return to South Korea when Captain Ri is shot and need of a blood transfusion, driving her car and putting her body into the path of an oncoming bullet aimed at Ri, and testifying on his behalf against doctor’s orders when he is apprehended by the South Korean National Intelligence Service.

No K-drama has ever hit me as hard in the feels as CLOY.  The Romeo-Juliet dichotomy that is established by a North Korean soldier falling in love with a South Korean businesswoman makes every connection feel like a stolen moment, one which is dangerous and likely to end badly.  Whether it is when they share their first “real” kiss in the rain after Seri gives up an opportunity to leave North Korea in order to save Ri’s life; when they embrace on a dark road on a snowy night after Seri thinks pushing Ri away will save his life; when Ri thinks Seri may have been killed by his father and stands before his parents in tears; when Seri thinks she is dreaming when Ri suddenly appears before her in Seoul; when Ri tells Seri that he wants to stay with her in South Korea, marry her, and have a child who takes after her; when Seri mistakenly thinks Ri has returned to North Korea and collapses to the floor on her birthday; when Ri is ejected by Seri’s family from her hospital bedside and he runs to her when she calls for him to return; or when Seri arrives just in time to say her final tearful goodbyes to Ri as he is forced to return to North Korea, the feels hit my heart HARD in this drama.  Those moments are nothing short of emotionally gut-wrenching, as we, the viewer, are expertly drawn into a forbidden relationship that we fear must inevitably end.

And of course, we cannot ignore the fact that this Lead Couple married IRL (in real life) in the “South Korean Wedding of the Century” in March of 2022.  When Ri gives Seri couple’s rings for her birthday present, my heart flutters right along with hers.  Watching the series now - post their wedding IRL - that scene has extra meaning, as I cannot help but wonder at life imitating art.  I shipped this couple when I first saw CLOY, and I wish them nothing but the happiest of marriages together!    

But back to the drama… 

Past

A well-known trope of K-dramas is the trope of the Lead Couple having known each other - or at least, having met each other - in the past.  We learn through a series of flashbacks that Seri went to Switzerland many years ago to end her life.  At the same time, Ri was also there to go to school for piano.  When Ri encounters Seri on the bridge from which she has chosen to end her life, he interrupts her taped suicide confession by asking her to take a photo of him and his fiancé, Seo Dan (Seo Ji Hye), who is visiting.  We also learn that Seri overhears Ri playing the song he wrote for his brother on the piano, and that it is this song that helps Seri to realize that she does not want to die.  The flashbacks slowly reveal to the audience how connected Seri and Ri really are, and that that connection actually began many years ago.  The flashbacks are woven into the main storyline effortlessly, connecting our Lead Couple in the past and drawing them closer together in the present. 

Fate

Another trope of K-dramas is that of fate.  When once betrothed partners Seri and Gu Seung Jun (Kim Jung Hyun) are unexpectedly reunited at the Pyongyang Hotel in North Korea, Seung Jun remarks that it “has to be fate.”  When Seri mentions to Ri that her meeting Seung Jun in North Korea might be “because of a peculiar destiny,” he scoffs.  When she presses further, Ri recounts the circumstances of their own meeting - how Seri fell from the sky into his arms, and then ran away, only to end up at his house.  Ri argues that there is a difference between fate and coincidence.  After learning that their lives first intertwined years before in Switzerland, and then again in North Korea, Ri remarks that their meeting “wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate.”  As they are about to cross over the Southern Limit Line into South Korea, Seri also calls their meeting “fate.”  And later in the series, when talking about her failure of a dating life prior to meeting Ri, Seri argues that it was not her fault that her “fated one” was in North Korea.    

Snow

Another trope of K-dramas is that the presence of snow - particularly the first snowfall of the season - has romantic implications.  Seri and Captain Ri experience snow many times during the series as their relationship builds.  They witness the first snowfall of the season together in Pyongyang.  Seri explains the South Korean myth that if you watch the first snow together, your love comes true.  This is the first appearance of their theme song in the soundtrack, which signals a major milestone in their relationship.  It snows again when they share their first embrace in the woods and when they share a “farewell” kiss after they finally succeed in crossing the Southern Limit Line into South Korea.  It also snows when they are reunited on the streets of Seoul.  Snow falls.  Christmas lights twinkle.  Their theme song begins as Ri slowly approaches Seri whose eyes fill with stunned tears.  The snowy scene is epic (and romantically mirrors an earlier scene when Ri uses a scented candle to find a terrified Seri in a dark and crowded North Korean market).  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Ri says.  Once Seri is convinced it is not a cruel dream, they share a passionate embrace...cue the swooning. 

Ensemble Cast

In addition to Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin, CLOY has a fantastic ensemble cast which provides significant comic relief as the differences between North and South come into striking contrast.  This is most aptly demonstrated in the relationship Seri forms with Captain Ri’s North Korean soldiers, who ultimately befriend and protect Seri.  According to protocol, Captain Ri should take Seri to be interrogated by the State Security Department upon her arrival in North Korea, but because the soldiers would face consequences if the truth came out about Seri’s presence (coupled with the fact that Ri does not trust the State Security Department), Ri keeps her presence a secret and decides to help her return to South Korea.  Seri admits that she feels sorry for giving everyone a shock and for causing the soldiers issues.  This confession serves as a turning point as the soldiers dedicate themselves to helping Seri safely find her way back to South Korea. 

The arrival of the soldiers in South Korea and their attempts to adapt to Seri’s world are pure comedic gold.  Their arrival in Seoul is almost childlike as they are impressed with the number of cars, running hot water, stable electricity, internet, size of Seri’s apartment, and lack of wiretapping.  But mostly, I love the heartfelt embrace Seri and the soldiers share when they are reunited in South Korea.  The relationship that Captain Ri and Seri have with the soldiers resembles that of family.  When Captain Ri tells the soldiers that he will not be returning to North Korea with them, the soldiers insist that they will remain in South Korea, as well, because Ri is “as important as our country” and “Seri has become a valuable friend.”

Escapism

CLOY examines the concept of escapism throughout the series.  The series opens with a breathtaking view of the DMZ.  The camera follows a bird as it sails from first the Northern side of the border to the Southern side.  This foreshadows Seri’s unexpected “flight.”  While Seri is proud of her professional successes, she is unhappy in her personal life.  Her dating life is riddled with scandal and her family life is smothered by a greedy and unloving family.  Before beginning the paragliding equipment test that brings her to North Korea, Seri asks her assistant, “Why does the wind blow?”  She answers her own question by saying that it blows because it cannot stay; it must move.  The answer is reflective of Seri’s inner thoughts.  Like the wind, Seri wants to move - higher, further.  Seri wants to escape from the shackles of her current, loveless - in every definition of the word - life. 

With a tornado filled with flying cows, bicycles, and tractors; a woman who is misunderstood by her family; a journey (via a twister) to a foreign land where she is befriended by a group of characters unlike her; parallels between CLOY and “The Wizard of Oz” are obvious.  Unlike in “The Wizard of Oz,” however, we get to see what happens after Seri returns to “Kansas.”  We also get to see her reunited with many of the friends she made on her fantastical adventure.  Both Seri and Dorothy Gale are changed by their journey and find the acceptance and happiness that eluded them prior to their escape from their everyday lives.  For Seri, the love that she finds in Captain Ri - who is the first person in her life to actually look at her, listen to her, and keep his promises without a contract - as well as the friendships she makes with the soldiers - fill the void of sincere love that is missing in her life.

With the death of his brother, the loss of his promising music career, a dutiful career in the military he never anticipated/wanted, and a loveless arranged marriage, Captain Ri is also trapped in a life from which he eventually desires to escape.  Ri tells Seri that he does not think about the future because he gets disappointed when things do not go as he expected.  Seri shares an Indian proverb - “sometimes the wrong train can take you to the right station.”  This proverb is the theme of CLOY.  Seri opens up to Ri saying she has always felt like she was on the wrong train, and they share a laugh when they talk about the “wrong train” that led her across the 38th parallel!  Still, Seri urges Ri to consider his future, wishing him happiness.  “I want you to arrive at the right station, no matter which train you take.”  This statement allows Ri to start thinking about the future he wants for himself, and not just the one laid out for him out of duty.  After his brother’s death, Ri vowed to live a life without love, fun, or dreams of the future - a life he leads until Seri crash lands into his world.  When Seri and Ri are finally able to be together in Switzerland, Seri incredulously asks Ri how he came to be there.  To which Ri simply responds, “I got on the wrong train.”    

Antagonist

The main antagonist of CLOY is Lieutenant Commander Cho Cheol Gang, who ultimately wants the power “to be able to kill whoever and wherever.”  We learn that Captain Ri’s older brother, Captain Ri Mu Hyeok, was going to expose Cho for grave robbing, drug trafficking, and murder, but Cho had him killed to cover up the corruption.  When grave robbers arrested by Captain Ri’s company are killed in a similar manner, Ri connects the incident to his brother’s death (and others like it), launching an investigation into Cho and the State Security Department.  Using documents his brother assembled before his death, Captain Ri is able to ensure that Cho stands trial for his crimes.  Cho is found guilty of terror crimes, smuggling, and the stealing of cultural heritage.  He is sentenced to life in prison with hard labor, but during transport, fakes his death and escapes.  Cho learns of Seri’s relationship with Ri, follows Seri to Seoul, and teams up with Seri’s middle brother and his wife (who see Seri as a threat to the brother’s position in their father’s company).  Cho’s plan is to kill Ri (whom Cho taunts with threats of killing Seri, knowing he will follow him to South Korea to protect her) and return to North Korea with Seri to take down Ri’s father, the Director of the Political Bureau.

Redemption

One of the most interesting secondary storylines of CLOY is the role of Jeong Man Bok (Kim Young Min) known as “The Rat.”  As a wiretapper, he is the eyes and ears of Lieutenant Commander Cho and is forced to feed him information that leads to the death of Captain Ri’s older brother, Mu Hyeok.  Man Bok has agonized over his role in Mu Hyeok’s death for years, and is put in the same position by Cho with Captain Ri.  Man Bok’s wife tries to reassure him that he is simply fulfilling the mission given to him by his country. Man Bok holds great respect for the brothers who always treat him as an equal, however, and feels that if his country’s mission is to let men who treat him like a human being die, but to follow the orders of a man who does not treat him like a human, then his country’s mission is cruel.  It is poetic justice that it is Man Bok’s betrayal of Lieutenant Commander Cho in South Korea that allows Captain Ri to ultimately apprehend Cho and save Seri.

Negatives

CLOY is an outstanding K-drama with very few negatives.  While the storyline of the Second Couple (Dan/Gu) frequently slows the plot, and the depiction of the North Korean characters errs on the side of cartoonish, at times, my biggest frustration with CLOY comes from an unsatisfying ending.  While seeing Seri and Ri happy and reunited in Switzerland where their love story began makes my heart soar, it is extremely disappointing that they lead separate lives in their respective countries, only secretly reuniting for 2 weeks out of the year.  Due to Captain Ri’s family’s position in North Korea, this seems to be the only safe solution for the couple and his parents, but the romantic in me yearns for more.  I do not want to see Romeo and Juliet limited to 2-week visitations once a year; I want to see Romeo and Juliet together…always…and forever.  I have read a theory that postulates that this situation is only temporary - that Seri and Ri will be able to be together permanently once Ri’s mother and father have passed away and are no longer at risk for execution.  This is the way that I have chosen to alter/view the ending!

Final verdict: MUST WATCH

“Crash Landing on You” is one of my favorite K-dramas to date.  Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin are my favorite couple - in and out of K-dramas - and their relationship serves as the core of this series.  Surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast, especially Captain Ri’s North Korean soldiers (I could do an entire review on them alone!), you cannot help but root for this forbidden love.  The intense, gut-wrenching moments are balanced well with laughter, though you cannot walk away from this drama without feeling the pain of the citizens of one of the only divided nations in the world, separated from their loved ones.

So there it is, our review of “Crash Landing on You.”  What did you think?!  Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!!  We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

Up next, “Goblin: The Lonely and Great God”