Cha-cha-cha la Malul Mării (2021)

idealistic yet realistic

I watched this with my mom and she summarized it best: this kdrama is "mild." I couldn't agree more!

Story:
After putting her foot down at work, the protagonist took a great leap by moving out of town to start her own clinic - which in reality is not easy to do - but her strong will and determination made it look easy. This beginning part of the story happens quickly and starts to feel far away, as the majority of the drama is set in the seaside village. We watch her follow through with her decision as she learns to adjust in the new small town environment. The main lead's appearance often lead to comical interactions, and he plays a strong role as he gradually helps her adjust to his hometown. With time and effort the protagonist grows to appreciate the village and the villagers that she seeks to be a part of. We also get a good understanding of the villagers and their stories as they come to embrace the protagonist as part of their community. The environment is overall painted with seaside hues of blue and sand, often using pale, pastel colours. It really helps with emphasizing the easygoing pace of the drama.

Part of the idealistic, feel-good aspects of this show was how little drama there was in conflicts. If you like intense drama, you won't find it here. The drama level here would be little to just enough, making it not too far from reality. Almost all conflicts were resolved in a peaceful way. What I found most interesting and enjoyable was the way the romantic relationships were handled. The drama shows us that when both sides are willing to communicate clearly, honestly, and want to resolve the issue, it is possible to stay on good terms. It seems simple but is much easier said than done. That's why I was so impressed: it was so satisfying to watch adults maturely handling their relationships, wanting the best for each other without any ill intentions.

Pacing:
This drama is more relaxed than most as it's not very fast-paced or high stakes. There are still tense moments, but nothing to stress over. The beginning half is more action-oriented, and the second half is more relationship-heavy, and perhaps a bit rushed near the end as most dramas do. Overall, this is a very character-driven drama and a lot of character development happens, which I think is hard to find, so it's nice to see.

Instead of slow-paced, maybe the better term is regular-paced as the show does a great job of demonstrating how all things take time, just like real life. This is not to say that the viewer's patience is tested, but that things will work out with effort and timing. This is done successfully by sharing the villagers' stories throughout the show, which I found very well paced. I was on the edge of my seat for most of their backstories, but many of them are tangled with each other so of course we had to wait! Being the protagonist, her growth was consistent over time since she was the main focus. What was kind of disappointing was the male lead, who remained fun and relationship-driven for the most part, until the majority of his backstory is brought into the later half of the drama. When this happened, it felt like the show became indecisive on who to focus on, or maybe I was the one who had trouble focusing. When I said that the second half is relationship-heavy, I meant that at this point most of the character conflicts were further ahead: nearly resolved, or already on the path to improvement . It was a back and forth of the other characters almost at their peak in the show, and then the male lead lagging behind, still in the middle of his conflicts. Perhaps this was intentional, as the drama did make his past to be something like the town secret, mystery, or the greatest conflict in the drama. It would have been a smoother transition if there were more hints of this at the beginning, but we were mainly focused on the protagonist and the other villagers. This left little room for us prepare for the male lead's backstory, so in the end it felt a bit forced. It didn't seem fair since he was the second most important character in the show, but he did not get the growth over time treatment like everyone else.

Additional Observations:
-How the drama may have successfully kept our attention was with the amount of short scenes it had. I noticed this around the halfway mark of the show, where there would be a good interaction and just when it seemed like there would be more, it would suddenly cut to another character. It's as if the drama didn't believe we had the patience to sit for longer scenes. Maybe that's why it felt like a lot happened.
-Something that almost all the characters did was this: when they were asked a question and they didn't want to answer, they would just change the topic, like "the weather is nice today". This didn't only happen in tense scenes, but in casual conversation as well. It was done too much, and was the only type of character interaction I did not enjoy because of how dismissive and rude it was.

Acting:
The characters and their interactions really carried this drama, especially the villagers once we met them. To see the village setting itself would be to see a deserted set, but to have the actors playing their role and feeling at home in the setting really brought it to life. I don't mean to state the obvious but I really mean this. The way the villagers interacted show how they all have good chemistry, and are an example of what a warm and friendly small town would be like. Not that they are realistic or completely accurate, but that the acting was believable and convinced me that I could meet such people in real life. Their backstories were also great at keeping the environment in focus. For a cast of so many side characters, this show was able to keep my interest in all of them.

The protagonist was impressive. I found her unlikeable at first because of how prickly, and hot and cold she was. But as the story progresses, you come to understand that she is a product of her environment when she grew up in the big city. I found her to be the most relatable character, especially with the way she reacted when adjusting to the village. It was adorable to see her rely on the male lead over time, as if she was slowly coming out of hiding behind him to eventually interact with the villagers and eventually depend on them. Once she was in the right mindset, her perseverance became admirable and I began to root for her. It's not flashy but consistent. I would say that the majority of her growth went to watching her cool down and opening up.

The male lead was a little too good to be true, but was still entertaining to watch: an ideal of a carefree, handy, community-oriented small town guy who is good at almost everything. A likeable, adventurous person that you would want to get to know. He is also a product of his environment, which shaped him to be positive, thoughtful, and ready to lend a hand, nearly the opposite of the protagonist. His interactions with the protagonist at the beginning were funny and cute, where he creatively fought back at her hot and cold attitude. I also enjoyed watching the growth of his and the protagonist's relationship over time, because they had space to go from acquaintances to friends before becoming something more. As previously mentioned, his backstory did not have the greatest pacing. So seeing him get more emotional and reactive in the later half of the show felt very sudden. The actor's performance was great and really drew you in! But it's the story's poor handling of his character that made him appear inconsistent.

Music:
I did not pay much attention to the music, but it definitely fit the mood that the drama was going for (relaxing, by the sea, etc) and did well in putting emphasis on the important scenes.

Rewatch Value:
Definitely putting this higher on the list if I ever need something chill, comforting or low commitment since I don't know too many dramas like this. To watch this again would be like visiting old friends. No drama is perfect, but I definitely enjoyed this one!

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Heartwarming show that you only need to watch once

A must watch if you are a fan of Shin Min Ah or/and Kim Seon Ho because they look gorgeous; I have watched the behind the scenes and have been following with new episodes every weekend but I hate to say despite the whole hype of this show, it won't be a show i will choose to rewatch.

PROS:
- Good acting from all the casts in the show
- Chemistry between both lead actor and actress (and VISUALS wow)
- The setting is beautiful and makes u wanna travel there
- Stories from other characters in the show
- Mature conversations with no push pull kind of thing, FL apologise for things she said/done and is not afraid to communicate with ML what she feels
- (For me was a bonus) Shin Min Ah/FL being cute in relationship


CONS:
- ML trauma is quite draggy and keep u in suspense for a long while
- 2nd ML (Ji PD) romance with the female colleague was kind of not needed and came randomly (since he liked FL)
- Personally prefer the chemistry between KSH and SMA offscreen and all their interviews, BTS, etc. MORE THAN the chemistry they have in the show (aka. Dusik and Hyejin). I was quite disappointed that i don't feel the ML's love as much as the FL in the show.. hence putting this point under the con

FINAL VERDICT: worth watching once if you have time

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"Look around yourself closely, and you'll realize that you're surrounded by many precious things" - Ms Gam-ri

Beautiful healing drama-10/10
No wonder why this was so successful.
Everything was perfect! Story, cinematography, cast and OSTs. Chemistry between the leads was stunning. All the couples were great. Yi-jun and Bo-ra were adorable. It was so sweet to see how everyone in the village care for each other, though they themselves were struggling to overcome their painful past. They bicker and gossip a lot, but they do love each other and support each other silently. Just like Hye-jin I too fell in love with Gongjin.
Last 2 episodes were really painful and heart-wrenching, but the sweet moments between the leads and other side couples cover it. Ending was great and funny.
"Romantic Sunday"is my favourite OST.

Refreshing drama. Worth the hype.

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good combination of great cinematography, directing, writing, and acting.

I watched it religiously on Netflix since its pilot episode. But I never expected to love it as much as I did now. hometown cha cha cha is a refreshing and feel-good drama. In this year of pandemic and dark-themed dramas, this drama healed me and became my source of comfort, it’s something to look forward to every weekend after an exhausting week with studies/ work. There was never a dull moment, something is always happening that could either make one laugh, cry, and make hearts flutter to the brim.

I haven’t smiled so much watching two characters fall for each other until dusik and hyejin. The romcom surely didn’t disappoint. It was written with all the clichés but also uniquely flavored. It subverted all those romantic tropes. The chemistry of the leads helped a lot too.

As to the slice of life genre part of the show, each story is enriched to the point that it makes us reflect the values we hold dear in our lives. It’s full of situations where we can relate and learn lessons. The acting of everyone makes one immerse in their stories like the characters in gongjin are so real. One just can’t help but root for everyone’s happiness especially seeing so many good people in the village. Plus, the setting itself (the sea, the nature) is healing in a way. And even though the plot may appear simple, nothing complicated, there’s the mysteries of gongjin which added to how engaging the storyline is.

The whole storyline is written with every detail well-thought of. It shows as each story unfolds every episode. It’s so engrossing that I never would’ve reacted this way if I wasn’t so attached to the drama. I love this drama, thank you for existing hometown cha cha cha.

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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is such a refreshing drama, with more layers than I expected and a beautiful seaside backdrop. I loved all the supporting characters so much, and honestly liked their storylines more than the romance between the two leads. Hwa Jeong and Yeong Guk's storyline was so memorable, Eun Chul and Mi Seon had such a sweet storyline, Gam Ri and her friends, and the two adorable little kids and their friendship! And yes, I absolutely had SML syndrome because Director Ji was so delightful and charming. I loved his friendship with Doo Shik.

But about Doo Shik and Hye Jin: yes, I know Hye Jin is a prickly sort of character who seems superficial on the outside but is very warm-hearted inside. However, I couldn't help but wonder what if Doo Shik hadn't graduated from such a prestigious university?! Would she have changed her mind so quickly? This drama definitely saves its most dramatic, emotional storyline for the last few episodes... and yet the moment that brought tears to my eyes was actually because of a supporting character.

The cast was excellent and I really thought Kim Seon Ho shined as Doo Shik. One last thing though.. it really makes me roll my eyes when there is an overabundance of moments where it turns out the characters had met in the past. Please.

P.S. I love DOS and their song. Where is the full version!!

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YOU Better read this, I put all my mind on it. hehe

I started this drama because of the good reviews and eventually started watching it. To be very hones, I am not very into it at the first half, I mean I liked it but not that much but then they poured out everything at the end. This is like a set of many bomb that has been ticking for a very long time and accidentally explode at once. I just thought that they have been putting a really really calm story but then it burst out like a storm at the end, I think that it is better if they slowly addressing the issues one by one not bombing us at once. I don't know but they gave us so much at the end that I don't know if it is still part of the story. But that was only my negative thoughts, I mostly liked it ,really much.

Firstly feels of this drama is like you are at that boat on the mountain where you can view everything, the drama is like a documentary is a countryside covering all the stories of the neighbourhood. I can relate to this because , I was raised in the province and I found that the traits, characteristics and attitudes of the neighbours is quite the same as my hometown. It is refreshing with the view of the oceans and mountain every episode and not those tall buildings and exhausting traffics in the city.
There are so many story in this series like everyone has their pain, happiness, sadness and problems and they all gave them a happy ending at the end.
I love the friendship of the three grandmas, they always bicker but we can see that friendship and their relationship is pure and honest. The death of Grandma Gam-ri reminded me of my grandma who also passed away for sometime, like Du-sik I did not cry but I know and remember all the memories we have together, she is really like my grandma who keeps on cooking and forcing me to eat them.
I find the two kids really keopta and adorable, they are really great with their acting. And all the neighbourhoods different stories will touch you, it depicts about their past pains, their family relationship, work management and how can they maintain a harmony within all the neighbours.

I also find the story of the police officer and Minseo really cute and adorable, I always laugh because of them, even though they have less airtime, they are my happy pill on this series. Their love is really pure and full of understanding hehe.

And of course the story of our Chief Hong and Ms Dentist. They have a really simple love story but they both have a dark past that is not easy for them to let go and that made their relationship a bit complicated. Ms Dentist has a very sad past but she is very open to share her story so that someone could could hear it and that made her to never forget how her past was like. I know she is very selfish at first but that is because of her past that made her that, that she is selfish in a way that she could also teach the others to at least give love and care for themselves so that their relatives won't be very sad if their gone. For Mr. Hong, he is the kind of person who will keep everything and accept everything then hide it in his heart and that made him live a very sad life covered with the smiles, laughs and happiness he gave to his neighbourhood and Ms. Dentist was able to remove that bandage in his heart to let him open it and let it flow so that they could go out of him. And because of them, I smiled everytime.
I liked how they chose Gongjin as the destination because it is not so famous site and not so busy and that made the story more natural.
I first thought this as a comedy but who would have thought that it was full of sad stories that is why I put my rating on re-watch value lower. I recommend you to watch it and hold until the end and you won't regret it.

Let's say thank you Gongjin.

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Suffers from perfect ML syndrome

I really enjoyed it, everything was perfect, the chemistry, the town, the characters, a flawed FL, until they revealed his supposedly haunting past, what's really upsetting was that they tried so hard to make him blameless, his guilt seemed overkill. He could've just been an overconfident broker or whatever at the start of his career that gave a well intentioned advise that turned sour and started a chaine of reactions b/c it could happen to anyone and it would have added a little dimension to his character and made his back story more relatable, heck him not giving him a warning would have been enough but no! they had to make him mr perfect and by doing that the crumbs about his past that was given through the show didn't make sense (his son blaming him, him giving them money for something he didn't do and to someone he barely knew ...ect) It felt like they changed the story halfway through.

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ONE OF THE BEST ROMCOMS K-DRAMA I HAVE EVER WATCH

After the first episode, I pause everything. LITERARY EVERYTHING just to continue watching this drama. At first, FL has some rough image but as the story goes by, she's going to win you over. I have to say, The ML's smile won me over at the very first episode. HE LOOKS SO FINEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I fell in love with him. Like when he smiles, my whole world brightens up.

Who picked the cast? HE NEEDS A RAISE! As I continue to watch this slow-burn trope, I couldn't stop myself smiling at their tiny little interactions. I love how they're making me feel butterflies and them leaving me smiling at everything. No one can deny the chemistry between the leads.

HEARTWARMING, FUNNY, FLUFFY, AND EYESDRYING! Who said the Hometown cha cha cha only offers romance? Jokes on you! One of the best things this drama has is the storyline. Not only you'll be attached to the leads but also to almost everyone in this story. I cried so much out of sadness, frustration, and happiness that I felt. The storyline gives off a total rollercoaster ride, you've definitely loved and remember.

I love how I regain my whole sense, it feels like this drama heals me and pushes me to be more. As you come to understand their situations and the lessons behind their stories, you'll feel like you've realized something. Definitely. A top-tier K-drama of K-drama history.

10000000/10!! I recommend this to everyone!

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YEEEES A HEARTWARMING KDRAMA

i just watched it... and it was so good tbh????? for those who said that this kdrama is cringe and super cliche, go get a life BITCH because this kdrama is so heartwarming and refreshing. the conflict isn't that serious and turns out they got their happy ending!!! I cried because of several episodes but it ended happily.... i love how hong and yoon is destined to be tgt... i was just amazed when hong actually the one that took yoon's family picture on the beach :( AND ALSO WHEN THEY MET AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE T_____T literally amazed.... i'm so happy for them!!! T_____5

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Sweet & Heartwarming

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).

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Absolutely brilliant - one of my favourite dramas in 2021

This drama had me hooked from the beginning. They did such a great job in introducing the characters, showing their development and completing each story line. It was a refreshing, feel-good and realistic drama. Each episode was exciting and I was never once bored.

The relationship between the main couple was very well developed. They showed us that they talked a lot, they laughed together and first became friends before anything else happened. Also, they did not use the typical plotline of misunderstanding because they actually talked with each other.
I really enjoyed that they fought society's stereotypes such as the man has to confess, the man has to propose, the woman has to do all the house chores and even that they both wanted to be intimate with each other and not only one person. Their relationship felt genuine and they had awesome chemistry. Additionally, I enjoyed that there was a lot of skinship. It made everything more realistic.

The only thing that bothered me was that once the couple got together firstly, that the female lead changed a lot. Of course, it was to show that she was in love but it did not do justice for her strong and fierce character that she was before. Also, that they included her hitting him because they did not want the others to find out about their relationship was too much for me. You should never hit anybody to that extent.

Furthermore, the other storylines kept the show interesting. The ratio between the main couple and the side stories was well done. They included topics such as sexual harrassment, marriage issues, being old, sexuality and many more. In general, the stories of the neighbours were interesting and also well thought-through.

All in all, the show was considerate of the current times and more advanced than other dramas I have watched. It was refreshing to see a more realistic story. I absolutely enjoyed this drama and it became one of my favourite dramas. The last few episodes made me cry so much but in a good way. It is definitely worth the watch.

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