Cuando la camelia florece (2019)

I've watched some of Gong Hyo Jin previous works and I've noticed that she has a definite acting style. What I've noticed with some actors who have a specific style in their acting is that when they attempt to step outside of that role, often times it does not go as planned. In my opinion this is what happened with Gong Hyo Jin portrayal of Dong Baek. It was a major tactical error in casting her in this role. I know a lot of people disagree with me and had a lot of poor sentiments directed my way from other forums but I stand by my verdict. Hyo Jin's traditional acting style is more outgoing and sometimes pushy, an extrovert she portrays in her characters. This style ultimately clashed with the character of Dong Baek who is meek but finds inner strength in a quiet way. This frustrated me to no end because it made me want to smack Dong Baek multiple times, with her faking being meek. She was a puzzle piece that just didn't fit.

I did like the concept of the story but the pieces did not come together well for me. The first 5 episodes dragged the story line a lot and even after that it was slow to pick up. To me the highlight of the show was Kang Jong Ryul. His character arc was most satisfying. Even though I did not like Dong Baek treatment of him and denial of his relationship with his son, he too had many transgressions for a redemption. He was both a lovable and pitiful character. He understood what he lost and desperately tried to reclaim. I really hope Kim Ji Suk gets the recognition he deserves .

Second to him was Hwang Yong Shik the good guy who finished first. This was a refreshing change. Often times we watch the bad boy get the love he didn't deserve and the nice gets thrown to side. Overall the drama just had a few poor decisions made which resulted in a not quite good drama for me.

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So many emotions have been involved. From a single mother, a broken family, first love, a new love, career, money, respect, parenthood, friendship, and ALL the cruel judgment of society if you are an orphan and a single parent. It's a roller coaster of emotions. And surprisingly, I didn't notice that I catch up with the 14 episodes in 2 days. With each character has a story to tell, you'll definitely keep on watching. Kang Ha Neul here is a ray of sunshine in the midst of those thrilling scenes. This is one of the bests dramas that I watched from 2019. It set another high bar for a well written story.

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There were some amazing acting performances in this drama. I've always been a big fan of Gong Hyo Jin and she has been amazing here, she has shown (once again) that she has quite the acting range. The rest of the actors were great too, especially Hyangmi, but there are no -acting related- weak points really. It's worth noting that this is a very pretty show, the cinematography is just excellent.

Onto the bad stuff:
One of the biggest problems with this drama is that they've extended it to 20 episodes, all the filler stories that were used to fill up the additional 4 episodes were related to things I usually don't enjoy watching in a kdrama, namely Confucianism crap and an incredible amount of melo. I'm fine with watching melodramatic scenes in general, but this was just way too much, for way too long. There is also a shift in writing after XYZ's death, it's like all my favorite things in the show got dialed down to the bare minimum. Some characters got some personality & intelligence adjustments mid way and then in the finale everyone suddenly changed their world views for a super fast ending that was quite underwhelming. To sum it up the pacing is just off. The disadvantages of live filming were on a honking display here. Oh I almost forgot, the 30 million won thing, I have no words for how stupid that was..

So why do I still rate the show at 7.5?
Well, I enjoyed the first half (more like 2/3rds), there was quite a lot of "Monogatari style" dark moody, but funny dialog. The romance was great up to the point when Yongsik's mother started interfering with them. The balance was perfect between romance,comedy and mystery too up until XYZ died. Even though I'm not happy with the last 6~ episodes, I would feel bad to give a show this memorable a score any less than this.

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For me this film was overhyped

Sorry I don’t mean to offend anyone, we have our own taste when it comes to dramas but this just wasn’t my type. I felt like the story was dragged for too long that 12 or 16 episode would suffice instead of 20 episodes. The story is too long and very draggy, but overall if you enjoy up and down dramas, this would be great for you! :) The story line was indeed very realistic which i guess why a lot of people liked it, I liked the story too but it’s too draggy. Every episode makes you think who the Joker is but you just can’t guess it. I only enjoyed watching the last episode in this 20 episode drama :( Totally not worth watching again.

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Horrible pacing and tone

Minor minor spoilers ahead if any.

This drama wasn't for me... A lot of people like it, but after episode 12 I decided I just couldn't waste any more time trying to watch it and I pretty much just skip-watched to the end from there...

First of all, the premise has potential. After loving Hometown ChaChaCha I thought I'd love another small town story, but this one has some really annoying characters I just couldn't stand. I loved the actor who played Gyutae in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, but whenever he came on in this show I just hated him because he was just screaming like a big manbaby (I know that's who he is, but it was still really irritating). Dongbaek has a really bad victim complex... the women of Ongsan are developed really poorly and they suddenly decide to just like Dongbaek because she kind of starts to assert herself but she's actually so flip floppy. I didn't feel for Hwangmi that much throughout the whole show. Omg Jongryeol... Probably the most annoying. Even if that was the aim for these characters, the pacing was just sooooo dragged out, and while I had no characters to grow close to and love, I was just bored and annoyed watching this whole show. I will say there were some moments and scenes I enjoyed though. But those were far and few between.

The tone of this show is very confusing. It was either really bubbly and bright or so dark and eerie that I was like.. This can't be serious. I was thinking if they made that police guy the Joker that would have been soooo good if they made it work... but of course they made some random guy we don't know the Joker.

I'm glad I don't have to worry about trying to finish this show anymore!

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This drama is so good in making me cry. Honestly I got bored at the pilot episode of this drama and then I started to get confused on who really Joker is and got kilig on how Yong Sik expresses his love to Dongbaek and the rest of the characters follows but Pil Gu the son of Dongbaek is the one who breaks me into tears this kid deserves an acting award. The ending is so heartwarming just make sire you have your tissues reafy because you will definetly cry. I super love the ending.

Do miracles happen? "Miracles don't exist. It's just the little heroes inside us working together."

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Definitely not another Gong Hyo-jin Rom-Com

Comedy is not what will be remembered about When the Camellia Blooms. Although that seems obvious based on the plot synopsis (single mother, serial killer, etc.), I expected something similar to Gong Hyo-jin’s previous works, and I was glad that WtCB was not. I am not a huge fan of GHJ, especially her comedic timing, and seeing her in this drama is a pleasant surprise. Funny moments still dot this drama, but its main draws are the looming mystery thriller and its emotional punches.

With a veteran cast & crew and solid production quality, the drama executes its plot cleanly, mostly. The beginning exposition is a little messy with the introduction of the mystery plotline and the romance plotline, but WtCB finds its footing. However, I find the messy beginning more captivating than the polished execution of the middle and ending. The tension in the drama dissipates a little too quickly given its long buildup, and I am left wanting more.

Story:
There are 2 main stories in When the Camellia Blooms, the mystery and the “drama”, and the romance and comedy both take a back seat. The 20-episode format gives the mystery and drama ample time to develop, but due to their poor integration, it results in an uneven pace. Throughout it all, romance and comedy still peak their heads, like a familiar, friendly reminder.

The characters in the drama are much better written than the plot, and they remain relatable even as a serial killer lurks in their town. In particular, the development of minor characters stands out, especially Noh Gyu Tae and Jessica. The way these two characters are made endearing throughout WtCB shows its excellent character drama.

Acting:
Furthermore, Gong Hyo-Jin has said in an interview that Dong Baek is a character who she could not pass on to another actress. The role really challenges GHJ to portray a vulnerable person putting herself out there. It relies less on comedic timing and more on emotional delivery, and GHJ shows she does not need comedy to create relatable characters.

The supporting cast is also stellar, and the trio of GHJ with the 2 male leads bring all the different plotlines together. Kang Ha-Neul excels as he bounces from the different plotlines, all while bringing his comedy chops (even while solving a murder!). And as mentioned earlier, even the minor characters get their moments to shine throughout, and the interaction between all the characters had me tuning in week by week.

Music:
The music also consistently delivers week by week. It trends towards the typical kballad genre but employs a group of talented singers. I look forward to giving the OST and soundtrack a re-listen. Shoutout to Punch who has killed it with drama OSTs in 2019 (plus she has a popular OST in another GHJ drama, “It's Okay, That’s Love”). And, I will never say no to more songs by Heize.

Rewatch Value:
As much as I love the lesser known hits in kdramaland, credit is due to the major networks and their products. They bring in starpower and have the capacity to cover all the facets of drama making. It results in 10+% ratings rarely achieved by the smaller cable networks, but it can be difficult to determine whether that was because of quality or mass-marketing/appeal. As far as WtCB is concerned, it is an enjoyable watch and better than most other 2019 major network productions (like “Angel’s Last Mission: Love”).

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Is there any hope for a better life?

While watching I felt myself gripped with this sad melancholic feeling as there were just so many instances that are just too unfortunate and hopeless for Dongbaek (the main female lead Gong Hyo Jin) to withstand. She encounters seemingly endless obstacles and is beaten up and dragged down by all the people in her life that take advantage of her. Many of the supporting characters in this drama are quite unlikable at first. They either take advantage of Dongbaek’s kindness and soft-spoken nature or verbally abuse her and judge her for circumstances she has been placed in that have been out of her control. To have no one on your side, that is what loneliness is. The triumphs in this drama are few and far between but when they arise they are intensely strong and rejuvenating for the characters as well as us, the viewers. These triumphs are almost always related to Yong-Sik (Kang Ha Neul).

This drama is a slow burn. It takes 3 episodes to really commit to it but everything picks up speed around that point. I remember browsing through the comments after having watched the first couple episodes looking for some confirmation that I should continue watching, and that was the comment many made. I also noticed comments saying how great of a character Yong Sik was and that he would turn the whole drama around. AND HE DOES! Yong Sik is the sweetest, most caring, thoughtful, endearing, precious character ever!! He is the sunshine of Ongsan and the only one who consistently stands by Dongbaek’s side. He defends her, encourages her, and instills in her self worth. He reassures her that she does matter and that she deserves to be loved and to love herself. Dongbaek’s character could frustrate some as she is on the more timid side, but once you come to understand her story and see the multitude of little ways that she persists and conquers her own life you see that she is much stronger than she appears.

In this drama there were slow moments, there were weak moments, but there were also intensely powerful moments, lessons about self worth and perseverance, and real struggles and stories that show what life can really be like sometimes. Life is unfair. It’s hard. It’s full of judgment from others and pain. But to have someone, even one person, to be there for you along the way can give you so much strength. One person can give you the strength to not only triumph over life’s obstacles, but to be happy while you’re enduring them.

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“miracles don’t exist. it’s the little heroes inside us working together. The donations that quietly pile up. The small acts of kindness done by kind people. It’s just the result of all the good deeds you’ve done. You just think it’s a miracle”

Finally a drama that succeeded to keep my attention constantly through all of it. This drama is very unique in its own way, without using some over the top or incredibly original tropes (that means that even simple plots can be interesting if well written and well executed!). I love the concept of the single mom having to deal with her bills, her past and also her neighborhood (and the fact it's not even set in Seul for once xD )
At first what hooked me was the mystery, then I fell in love with almost every character in the drama (I didn't liked the bully ajummas because they remained bully ajummas till the end and they caused a lot of problems for that poor girl for no reason. Tho, I liked how the whole block was some sort of a family and they finally got close but they stepped over the line several times to me D: )
Most of all, Hyang Mi. She is some sort of dark character, she blackmails more than one character, giving them a motive to be the killer, but ultimately you can see how this character is three-dimensional and deep, even if she may be not a GOOD character (I really liked this "grey zone" she felt like a real character! That said: I didn't liked a lot of her choices). She had reasons for being as she was and her habits where forged by the environment she grew up. I especially liked when she told Jessica "you and me are the same: if you get lucky you'll become a Jessica, if not a Hyang Mi".
Her relationship with Dong Baek was also a cool surprise (usually the trope "we knew each other from childhood" is boring, but this time gave emphasis to how people in the same situation can take different roads) - and I felt really sad when she was waiting for her in the bar.
Yong Shik was a pure gem. I loved him, even if in the beginning was a little pushy (?) but he meant really no harm. It was a refreshing male lead (and not a ceo!! Incredible!), supporting and patient. In many other dramas there would have been a LOT of stupid misunderstandings.
Both Dong Baek and Yong Shik are flawed characters but I liked them with those - I understood when Dong Baek came from, why she was the way she was (as I said before I could feel a connection to her, that's why I probably understand better some choices she made)
Jong Ryul was also a complex character, but his trying to be the father actually got me on his side: he didn't know she was pregnant and he didn't just turn the car and went back to the city. It's just that he didn't know how to approach him. I felt his pain and I think he had the right to know it or a better chance to be a father. (I appreciated they didn't drag the love triangle for more than 2 eps because it was unnecessary xD)
In the end the drama gave me a satisfying mystery in the first part (because they insinuated a lot of possible suspects beside the killer, a 3D characterization, a fluffy romance and finally a warm overall sensation.

The only things that left me "meh" where:
- Dong Baek's mom: from someone who suffered the same condition as Dong Baek and Hyang Mi it was a bit overcoating (?) She abandoned her because she was running away from an abusive husband and had no means to let the both survive. Just that some people don't have such noble soul, they just throw away their children like that. Probably there's a bit of a subject matter because I felt really connected to Dong Baek.
Also the fact that they miraculously saved her from kidney failure was idk, it was a bit given? At some point I thought "oh maybe the mom knows about the killer / is related to, or there some reason she was in danger, like she's the daughter of a married man (?) something like that xD
- Yong Shik's mom: I understand that she felt scared for the son but eventually the neighborhood accepted the two. There's nothing wrong in taking care of "someone else's son" - but I think this concept includes also the culture factor, divorcees and single parents are demonized as I saw in many other dramas (emergency couple treated pretty well this issue)
- Gyu Tae and Ja Young: I would have shipped them if the only reason to divorce was the alleged affair, but they just couldn't stand each other so having them back together got me a bit like the writer just wanted to give them all an happy ending (Gyu Tae wasn't happy at all, not that happy ending means everyone paired xD)
- Why tf Dong Baek should go alone in an abandoned mall, knowing that some psycho killer is watching her??? mmh I would have used idk, Hyang Mi's phone to lure her

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definitely a good watch but I feel it's a bit overrated

there's no doubt that it's a good drama but I've mixed opinions abt it. I had some big expectations from it because how successful it was & how everyone was praising but once I was done watching it I didn't know what to feel. Ofcourse enjoyed it & didn't hate it but I also didn't loved it the way some people I knew did.
Maybe it's cos of my high expectations or maybe I was not in the right mood for it when I watched it.

So the first half was more or less entertaining but later the plot became a bit repetitive in my opinion & everything was all over the place. I really feel I would've enjoyed it more if it had lesser episodes.

It's definitely a good drama & deserves a watch but just don't expect too much.

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Shaking my head

Started watching Korean dramas on Netflix during the COVID pandemic. Some were pretty decent but most shows ranged from ‘meh’ to ‘um...what?’ But this show topped them all as far as ‘what the ?!?! is going on?’ department. So much so that I’m actually writing a drama review for the first time. For your info, I’ve watched up to Ep. 15 or 16.

I’ll just write down a list of my comments/thoughts/questions I had while watching the show to keep things simple.

1. I’ve never not liked both female and male leads but wow! They assigned the FL to be sheepish and the ML to be hotheaded and goofy. Ok, I’m ok with that but they turned up the unrealism dial all the way to 100. It’s so hard to like them and root for them because they’re cartoon characters.

2. So basically people act crazy and ignorant because they’re all just country bumpkins. Very convenient. I see why they chose a podunk town.

3. The ML can’t control his mouth and fists? He’s on live TV and starts beating up a suspect? He’s a cop? He got reassigned but still can’t control himself?

4. Is this a Rom-com, drama or murder mystery? Every couple of episodes, they shake things up.

5. I still can’t get over the fact that they introduced a serial killer and s/he is after the FL? What?

6. Side characters like the landlord and the kid’s dad are absolutely unnecessary. Could have cut at least 6-7 episodes easy. Also, the girl that blackmails.

7. It doesn’t matter who it is, the FL has time for them all. She’ll eat/drink with male characters no matter how badly they treat her. She tells them to leave but still ends up eating/drinking right after. I guess that’s because she’s sheepish.

8. So the serial killer resurfaces but only the country bumpkin cops are investigating. No Feds getting involved?

9. The serial killer breaks into FL’s business multiple times but everyone seems to forget that he’s around. Nothing major gets done. Very nonchalant about it. Episodes come and go but it’s like they’re investigating a missing dog case. If someone’s after my life, that would be my #1 priority and I would get everyone and everything involved but not the FL.

10. I don’t think the writers bothered to do any research on dementia at all. When you first meet FL’s long lost mom, she urinated on herself. Then she seems pretty normal except that she’s a bit crazy.

11. I’m getting a sense that whenever they run out of drama, they bring up the serial killer.

12. My wife just asked “so how big is this small town?”

13. A famous pro baseball player keeps coming around in his Audi but I guess nobody notices this

14. Now everyone’s suspected of killing the blackmail girl. Ridiculous.

15. The town bullies are nice to the FL all of a sudden because she wore a red dress?

16. Oh, now we’re supposed to feel bad for the Instagram wife.

17. FL keeps doing stupid stuff and asks why her fate is so mean to her or something like that. It’s called bad decisions. Not fate.

18. This show has something against men. Men are portrayed as idiotic, weak, greedy, insecure, spineless and/or hotheaded.

19. Would you hide your dad if you thought he was either an arsonist or serial killer?

20. So now the FL’s mom doesn’t have dementia. Her idiot daughters the only one who fell for it. So hard to like this woman.

21. They keep introducing new side characters that are irrelevant. Trying so hard to drag the story along. Sigh.

22. The FL just walked into an abandoned shopping mall with the entrance chained shut. She knows she has a serial killer after her. These people are cartoon characters.

23. The FL’s way of dealing with her bratty son is to just appease him. She breaks up with the FL because her son is turning into her? What??? Maybe the writers never had kids of their own or they have bratty kids themselves?

24. Show runner: Ok, now we found the serial killer but we still need a couple more episodes... I know, let’s have the FL dump the ML after all he’s done! Brilliant!

25. Er... so now the bratty son is the narrator of the show? He’s all grown up? What?

26. It’s like this show had 3 different writers taking turns to write different episodes without reading what the others wrote.

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An ode to motherhood; with brilliant acting !

It is genre bending because the main premise of the story is how a police officer, protects his love interest, Dongbaek, from a serial killer. But really, the story is about Dongbaek (or Camellia in Korean).

Dongbaek is a beautifully written character who is beaten down by life and ostracised as an unmarried mother, but can be fiercely protective. And Kong Hyo-jin wears this ultra-complex character like a glove, with demureness even while she's threatening. There are episodes dedicated to motherhood, particularly one about three single mothers that tugs at your heart. (In fact, there's only one father character in the show and he's shown in poor light.)

Set in a small town, the tight-knit community is inherently heart-warming with a solid supporting cast: Lee Jung-eun (of Parasite fame), Oh Jung-se and Kim Sun-young to name a few.

Among all the stellar performances, Kang Ha-neul shines through. While most Kdramas feature successful and suave male leads, Kang Ha-neul plays an average small-town guy, awkward and simple, and very straightforward, who cries just as easily as he laughs.

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