Sweeeeeeeeetest Drama

Where Stars Land 

Finished on 11 July 2020

I watched a bollywood mv of this drama on youtube and it looked so sweet that I decided to watch the drama. 

And now I love this drama! (And it's every main character.)

First of all, this is the most sweeeeeeeeeeeetest drama I have ever watched. It is sweet and sad, like sugar with salt of tears. Just wonderful! 

The plot summary above makes it seem like the story of hero and heroine is secondary and the stories of people on the airport are the main concept. Nope. The hero heroine are the main characters of this story, the rest is there to support them. While the story of our hero Lee So Yeon and heroine Han Yoo Ruem goes on constantly, each episode has a new problem at the airport for the employees to work on.

And it doesn't get boring in any way. If only, it makes the drama better.

I have never been to an airport, because I or anyone close to me had never been on a plane. But if I were to start travelling in planes someday, I would understand the people there a little. The lives of people working in airports, I kinda understand them now. 

The heroine, Han Yoo Ruem: She is one of the best kdrama heroine I have ever seen! She did everything I wanted her to do, and nothing I expected of her due to my having watched 50+ kdrama heroines. 

Yes, she is a bit annoying in the first one or two episodes, but she learns quickly. You would understand her reasons later. Give her time. (Though I wish they had shown more of her past.)

She isn't the typical kdrama heroine. She doesn't go around asking annoying questions to hero. She is brilliantly understanding. And I admire and respect her for doing what is right despite all the opposition she gets from people around her. She gives me courage and inspiration.  I wish I was more like her. Braver about speaking my mind and doing what is right no matter what.  

Hero, Lee Seo Yeon: He is a quiet and mature man, exactly the kind of heroes I like to see, and I usually don't see in kdramas. He rarely raises his voice, but can get scary for others pretty quickly with his demeanour. 

Anddddd he really really loves Han Yoo Ruem (Another reason that makes him likable). You can see it in the way he looks at her. The actor, Lee Je Hoon, did a great job of portraying Lee Seo Yeon's emotions. I don't think any other actor could have done justice to this character. A big thank you to whoever selected Lee Je Hoon for this role. (I wonder why we don't see more of such a great actor?) 

He is also not a typical kdrama hero. He is kinda aloof sometimes, but he isn't arrogant. He doesn't have a big ego. If something is in his heart, he doesn't hide it out of embarrassment or something. His smiles are rare, but precious. He almost looks like an anime character. He behaves like one too (the way he moves and talks). 

Sometime before watching this drama, I happened to read a book which had a similar character as Lee Seo Yeon, so that made me sympathise more with him. (Can't mention the book, as it can give away spoilers). I cried a little for him from time to time, and for them both. 

I am gonna give some spoilers here, so please scroll down till you can see 'spoiler ends here' written in capital. 

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My favourite scenes were: 
When heroine asks him if he likes her, and he says yes. I was also expecting him to say no, as most kdrama heroes do. 
When he is going through the hallways of office quickly while covering his arm with his jacket, dodging people. Although this drama had many heartbreaking scenes, this scene was the most heartbreaking one for me. And in the background they were playing, "Someday in your life, walking in different ways. Can someone come and take me to my way." He was trying to go home, and when he couldn't, he tried to hide, to find a place to disappear from people's eyes. 
When he tells her he is breaking. 
Everytime he saves her. 
When he beats up that guy for her. He was feeling guilty and he cried later. But he loved her a lot and I think he was feeling more guilty about not being able to protect her and being by her side. 
When heroine tells him that she would be his arm and leg. My heart melted there. Hero's expressions at that time, mirrored my own. 
When her compass gets stuck to his arm. 
That robot scene was so cuuute, when he almost collides into her while running away from the robot. 
My favourite episode was the one where that philipine foreigner refuses to go because he needs to see his baby. 

So the spoilers end here. 

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Other characters were given a good writing too. 

I particularly liked Oh Dae Gi and Na Yeong Jo's character. They were funny at times. These are two security members who work in a team. Na Yeong Jo is curt and often cold and scary. I wished they showed her past story too. So that we can understand. Oh Dae Gi is a softie totally. This one actor doesnt often show up on our screens too despite the talent. 

Seo In Woo, actor Lee Dong Gun was annoying sometimes. But I understood him by the end. I am glad they showed his side of the story. 

Yang Seo Geon, their team manager, was a good character to see on screen. I wish we say more characters like her. 

The drama dealt with everyone's story. They showed what everyone was like outside the office but they did it inside.

Their Director Kwon, he was an interesting character too. An ambitious man, who exchanged his name for a title. His character told me to never run after titles. Because then you loss your own identity. Now you are somewhere someone or something's director. 

And it's ost! This drama's ost Mystic World is one of the best things about this drama! It suited well for whatever scene they played it for. Mystic World is now in my playlist.  

Admittedly, this drama was not completely realistic, and had some flaws. Like some things were left unexplained. But it still left me with good feelings. There are heart warming stories in it, and there are heartbreaking stories too. I would definitely rewatch it after some time. I loved it. 

Here are some of my favourite quotes: 

"Why is that  important? It could take a person three weeks, three years, or three seconds to suddenly start liking someone." 

Lee Seo Yeon

"We are not much different from these passengers. Just like how they pass through here to get to somewhere, we are here temporarily before we move on. There is no need to attach a meaning to it." 

Said by a worker at airpot on his last day before retirement. This quote made me think a lot. Maybe he was talking about life. 

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A drama that tried to make us feel bad for gold diggers. At times it worked and at times it didn't.

But it did make me think a lot.

I am glad I watched this drama, despite its many flaws. It was not a regrettable desicion. I will tell you the reasons for that in detail. I also binge watched it. And that can be blamed on the intriguing story, my curiosty for the ending, hero's cute smile, and the ost that people found ordinary. (Something ought to be wrong with me.)

STORY

This is a modern day Alice in a Wonderland. Wonderland is Cheongdamdong and Alice is Han Se Kyung. She is looking for a White Rabbit to take her into the world of Cheongdamdong.

Han se kyun is a middle class woman who cant afford fashionable clothes but aspires to be a designer. She always got good grades in school and college, won many contests, but because she couldnt afford to cover herself with expensive clothes and accessories, and lacked overseas education, she couldn't find a proper designer job and instead runs errands at her job. A series of incidents happen that makes her turn from a nice innocent 'Candy' girl to a woman who wants to marry a rich man and change her life: a gold digger, to be precise. Her hopelessness and disappointment in the world causes her to change.

Our hero, Seung Jo, is a guy who always has an (adorable) wide smile but he has some mental issues and seeks therapy. Mainly due to women in his life having only used him before, and his broken relation with his father. He sees heroine as a nice innocent woman.

WHAT I THINK

I think this drama said a lot of stuff that isn't said out loud. Or isn't supposed to be said out loud.

Is there a love in the world that is 100% pure? A person's personality, looks, family background etc. do we love only one among these or all of them, when loving a person?

Love isn't always enough. Or is it?

It also talked about how hard it is to succeed in life when you dont have your inborn (wealthy background) advantage. It talked about the discrimination against the poor background, and all the advantages the rich have, including the ones they don't even realise they have.

I understood a lot of this drama, agreed with somethings while disgreed with others.

CAST AND CHARACTERS

Han Se Kyung was not an easy person to like. I felt bad for her in the beginning, then hated her, then felt bad for her again, and then I didn't know what I felt anymore. Her character was not good or bad, it was what it was.

She didnt know exactly what she wanted. She want to be dark but she also felt bad for it. However she admitted all her darkness. It was hard to watch her. She was clever beyong words. If I met a person like her in real life, I would be very cautious. She even made Seung Jo feel as if he had been wrong or bad. But the guy had been nothing but nice? (Even if somewhat stupid at times.)

Moon Geun Young, the actress who played Han Se Kyung didn't have a variety of facial expressions, and her stylist really showed that Han Se Kyung was poor. But I was more focused on the story (and Seung Jo's, Park Shi Ho's adorable smile), so I didn't care much.

Coming to Seung Jo, I don't think I have seen a more cute character. Actor Park Shi Ho was perfect for this. He portrayed the immature character of Seung Jo brilliantly. He had this bright smile on and he ran to meet the heroine.

Seung Jo was immature, joked around nearly all the time, was one of the reason I kept watching this drama. However nice guys are the scariest when they are not 'nice' anymore. Seung Jo was like that too. I found him really scary when for just a few moments, he was a nice guy who had been hurt.

Seung Jo was naive in many matters of life. He let himself be played around with, let people use him, and even apologised to those who had hurt him. He changed as much as Han Se Kyung by the end of the drama, but not like Han Se Kyung. I believe he deserved better.

Coming to other characters, Soo Yoon Jo, the woman who had used Seung Jo before. I didn't really understand her character. What did she want and what was she doing? It seemed she had made a mistake she terribly regretted.

And Tommy Hong, I wished we could see more of him. His past and future. But we didn't. He was just a supporting character.

HUMOR

Yes, there is comedy in it, although not much. And it's HILARIOUS at times! All credits are attributed Park Shi Ho's character Seung Jo and his secretary with his weirdly dramatized comical expressions. I liked them.

MUSIC

The osts were another reasons I kept watching this. Daddy Long Legs (female version) and Love Like This were the best! Check out their translations too.

OVERALL

Looking at it, this drama was realistic in many ways and also addressed the stuff no drama ever talks about. Take for example the dialogue, "Why in a drama the heroine is interested in everything in a hero except his wealth?"

There were flaws. Many. Moon Geun Young's acting, the lack of a good chemistry, the hero's stupidity or naivety at times, heroine's frustrating character traits etc.

But there are other things too. It's definitely worth a watch, even when its frustrating and angsty and imperfect. Because it's thought-provoking. You will find yourself questioning many things and viewing the world a little differently.

I liked the ending too. I will rewatch this after a long time when I can see it with fresh eyes. Right now I can't bring myself to watch anything else, because my mind is still stuck on this drama.

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