A big city dentist from Seoul develops feelings for a carefree jack-of-all trades when she moves to a small fictional town on the coast of South Korea.
After watching some amazing horror and fantasy k-drama shows, I was hesitant to choose something more lighthearted. I will be forever grateful to my husband for pushing me to giving it a try because it is now my favorite k-drama to date! Below lists all the ways I fell in love with this sweet and heartwarming show.
❤ It's easy to fall in love with Hong Du-sik (or Chief Hong as most of the residents of Gongjin call him). He's easy going, intelligent, hard working, and charming. The actor, Kim Sun-ho, shines at creating this affable character without his performance coming off as forced or insincere. You can see how much Du-sik loves his town and the people in it. It's not till the end of the season that his story is revealed, but the last few episodes really hit home the reasons behind his lifestyle decisions.
❤ It's a lot harder to connect to Yoon Hye-jin. She is initially portrayed as materialistic, judgmental, and remote in the first few episodes. And yet, when her guard is down, you also see she's compassionate, driven, and decisive. It's utterly fascinating watching this woman who has built up walls for most of her life slowly allow the residents of Gongjin into her heart. Kudus goes to the actress, Shin Min-a, who is able to pull off such a complex role.
❤ The romance is so sweet and giddy. When the story starts, it was difficult imaging Du-sik and Hye-jin falling in love as they were complete opposites. The show spends time building up their friendship before any other feelings are expressed. Their romance teeters between giddy and sweet, making for fun moments and memories between the two.
❤ Typically I detest love triangles, but I actually adored the execution of it in this show. The show excelled at creating separate moments for each of these relationships individually and as a group. It created an interesting tension between the three as they began to express their feelings mid-season. I also appreciate the love triangle is quickly wrapped up once everyone is open and honest with each other.
❤ The heart and soul of this town is the relationships between people. While they don't always like each other, they do put their conflicts aside to be there for one another during times of crisis and celebration. All of these various threads come together to create such a rich tapestry that truly make Gongjin feel alive. I can't think of one character I didn't absolutely adore by the end of the series.
❤ This show brings together so many elements to create the perfect and charming small town setting. It had a fantastic score filled with whimsical and lighthearted music, which set so much of the overall tone of the show. Who will ever forget DOS and Yoon-Oh's songs? Not me, that's for sure! The snippets of the beach, the docks, the vendors, and aerial shots of the entire town were absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't help but feel as if Gongjin were a real and bustling place, one I can't wait to visit (even if it is only on my screen).
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Watch if you like: 💖 Opposites attract | 🏖️ Coastal setting | 🏠 Small town life
Find it: Netflix (16 episodes)
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