Despite its overwhelming success and acclaim,Crash Landing on Youfaced criticism.
From pacing issues to its depiction of North Korea,Crash Landing on You’sfaults are clear to see.
Even so, its impact is unfounded.
However, despite its widespread appeal, some of the realities ofCrash Landing on Youcannot be overlooked.
The pandemic thrust people into their homes and increased demand for online streaming services such as Netflix.
Fortunately, Netflix had begun to expand its K-drama range before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
This resulted in a plot that quickly became repetitive and easy to predict.
This certainly worked for the K-drama.
Similarly, a happy ending would have taken the unrealistic elements of the series too far.
Crash Landing on You is a romantic drama series that follows a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea after a paragliding incident. She encounters an army officer who, despite the political tensions, aids her in concealment, forging an unexpected connection amidst their contrasting worlds.
Therefore, having Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok only be able to meet for two weeks a year made sense.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin also won the Popularity Award at the Baeksang Art Awards.
TheensembleK-dramacast was so good that they won one ofCrash Landing on Yous only awards.
This abundance of storylines caused several problems for the K-drama, especially as it drove toward a dramatic conclusion.
Crash Landing on You’s finale did not quite live up to the momentum it had built.
The one flaw that came with this was with its villains.
Many of the K-drama’s characters felt dimensional and realized, often invoking a reaction from the audience.
The villains lacked this.
Much like other antagonists in the show, his existence ultimately fell foul of the one-dimensional villain trope.
This was one of many tropes thatCrash Landing on Youused too much.
Forbidden romance, fated love, and tragic circumstances made the K-drama what it was.
However, the K-drama failed to use some in moderation.
Along with this,Crash Landing on Youoften puts its characters in needlessly perilous scenarios for dramatic effect.
Plus, it further highlighted the issues with the show’s weak plot.
To balance this,Dan and Seung-joon couldn’t have had a happy ending.
This made Seung-joon’s death even more heartbreaking.
It also felt unnecessary, particularly as his death paralleled Se-ri’s hospitalization.
Despite this, death gave Seung-joon the redemption he deserved and Dan a life free from Jeong-hyeok.
However, they still deserved to find happiness just as much as the main couple did.
It would not have been the same without Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk’s forbidden romance.
Without this, the K-drama would have been entirely different.
Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin’s incredible chemistry and performances liftedCrash Landing on Youinto the light.
