Parts of SotB reminded me of CLOY. Particularly the train travel through a relatively undeveloped, and frequently dangerous, land. The vibe of the story in those parts felt very similar to CLOY. Both are interring examples of navigating living under a military state and the difficulties that presents for the leads, as well as the corruption and different forms of lawlessness that kind of system breeds.
When watching crash landing on you I immediately thought of Myung Wol the spy.
Both are romance between a north and a south korean. IN Crash Landing on you the female lead is south korean and accidentally lands on North Korea and thus begins her romance with a NK soldier.
In Myung Wol , the male lead is a south korean and the female lead is a north korean agent. She comes close to him with an ulterior motive. Male lead is more a jerk compared to Crash landing on you.
Personnaly I prefered Myung Wol because the romance was slower and more developped, seemed less forced than is CLOY.
Both are romance between a north and a south korean. IN Crash Landing on you the female lead is south korean and accidentally lands on North Korea and thus begins her romance with a NK soldier.
In Myung Wol , the male lead is a south korean and the female lead is a north korean agent. She comes close to him with an ulterior motive. Male lead is more a jerk compared to Crash landing on you.
Personnaly I prefered Myung Wol because the romance was slower and more developped, seemed less forced than is CLOY.
In Both shows:
>The Female Leads similar in attitude and their interactions with the MLs are similar as well. With her dictating what the ML should do in order to sell "their (pretend) relationship" to other people.
> The MLs are serious but really nice people.
> MLs' ex return and create a love triangle.
> The MLs bend over backward for the FLs.
> They end up cohabitating.
> They pretend they have a relationship in front of other people.
>The Female Leads similar in attitude and their interactions with the MLs are similar as well. With her dictating what the ML should do in order to sell "their (pretend) relationship" to other people.
> The MLs are serious but really nice people.
> MLs' ex return and create a love triangle.
> The MLs bend over backward for the FLs.
> They end up cohabitating.
> They pretend they have a relationship in front of other people.
The drama made a lot of references to Crash Landing on You, because the actress who played Do-hee (Seo Ji Hye) was in it, so I think it's worth mentioning here. In my opinion, CLOY explored the destiny theme (which sadly only appeared in the first half of Dinner Mate) very well. Both dramas also have very funny and lovable female leads.
The harmony of action and romance in both of the dramas are great! Although I want to say that while CLOY is on more on the romance side, Vagabond is more on the action. The chemistry between the actors is better in CLOY and the story is focused on their relationship. In Vagabond the romance stays in the background but the action scenes are too good and definietly worth watching. Also the male leads in both of the dramas turns into unstoppable warriors when it comes to protect what they care about. And female leads are strong in their own way too. Both of the drama gives power couple vibes which I personelly loved.
The FLs both come from rich and powerful families. They have built reputations for being cold, demanding, and prone to shallow flings. The MLs are both good looking and good fighters, and the FL makes it clear that she finds the ML attractive early on. The leads seemingly start out on different sides and the ML does not tell the FL about his connections to the most powerful people on his side. But the ML takes on the role of the FL's bodyguard and goes to extreme lengths to protect her from harm - even if it means risking injury or death. The ML falls for the FL quickly and has no problem with the FL's demanding personality (in fact, it seems to be one of the things he likes about her).
When I watched Crash Landing on You, the Arsenal Military Academy drama (Chinese drama) came to my mind due to the military environment and even the people dressed up in both dramas are almost in the same way although the dramas are in different eras.
Both dramas are also different in language and story line but the dramas would be totally giving the same kind of romcom despite of the conflicts they are having.
Arsenal Military Academy is a Chinese military drama but it's very easy to understand their story line. It's a gender bender drama whereby the main actress had to disguise herself as a man in order to replace her brother in the military. I really do love gender bender drama and if you do too, then you should give this drama a shot too!^0^
Both dramas are also different in language and story line but the dramas would be totally giving the same kind of romcom despite of the conflicts they are having.
Arsenal Military Academy is a Chinese military drama but it's very easy to understand their story line. It's a gender bender drama whereby the main actress had to disguise herself as a man in order to replace her brother in the military. I really do love gender bender drama and if you do too, then you should give this drama a shot too!^0^
Despite not knowing how this drama ends yet (Feb 2nd 2020), it reminds me a lot of Healer and the way the relationships formed there.
With both shows, you are on the edge of your seat waiting desperately to find out what is going to happen. Healer involves more flashbacks, and they are needed for the sake understanding the plot, so if you don't like flashbacks, maybe not for you - but I would give it a shot just to experience the chemistry between two amazing actors.
The emotional experience is also similar - you can find yourself laughing one minute, and sobbing the next.
With both shows, you are on the edge of your seat waiting desperately to find out what is going to happen. Healer involves more flashbacks, and they are needed for the sake understanding the plot, so if you don't like flashbacks, maybe not for you - but I would give it a shot just to experience the chemistry between two amazing actors.
The emotional experience is also similar - you can find yourself laughing one minute, and sobbing the next.
Both dramas have Hyun Bin as a lead who plays a north korean who is in the military and comes to south korea for a mission. During his partners up with a south korean detective and lives with his family.
The concept is very similar but Crash Landing is the romantic/humor version whereas Confidential Assignment is full with action and has nearly zero romance.
The concept is very similar but Crash Landing is the romantic/humor version whereas Confidential Assignment is full with action and has nearly zero romance.
-Star-crossed lovers
-Oh Man Seok's character again tries to separate the said star-crossed lovers, by playing a vile, creepy, villainous govt. agent all over again.
-A+ level of acting, will spot some veterans in both the shows.
-Accented/ Dialect Korean: YoM (Jeolla Satoori) versus CLoY (NK accent). Sounds *very* different from the Dialect spoken in Seoul (90% of k-dramas)
-Vintage fashion!!! <3 <3
-Amazing Soundtrack!
-Backdrop of Military Dictatorship: YoM (during the 80's in South Korea) and CLoY (present day, in North Korea). So lots of police patrolling, small-town/ semi-urban settings, curfew, random 'kidnappings' by govt. agents, etc.
-The MLs have a political/ arranged marriage planned for (aka, has a 'fiancée') but not interested in her at all.
-The FLs are pretty much 'stuck' and they wish to get out of the situation/ country: YoM (the FL wishes to leave SK to study abroad for Germany, but can't) & CLoY (FL is stuck in NK trying to get back home to SK)
-Both 'romances' have a tacit understanding that their togetherness is only a matter of time before they have to be separated (angst... yes)
-Overall vibe of CLoY is rom-com with angsty, serious melo in parts, whereas YoM is a melo sprinkled with sweet, vintage romance. Lands differently, but overall... very similar vibes.
-While CLoY has Seri's ducklings (the 4 adorable NK soldiers)... YoM has the two baby-brothers, and the two nice soldiers who bring in the cute :D
-Oh Man Seok's character again tries to separate the said star-crossed lovers, by playing a vile, creepy, villainous govt. agent all over again.
-A+ level of acting, will spot some veterans in both the shows.
-Accented/ Dialect Korean: YoM (Jeolla Satoori) versus CLoY (NK accent). Sounds *very* different from the Dialect spoken in Seoul (90% of k-dramas)
-Vintage fashion!!! <3 <3
-Amazing Soundtrack!
-Backdrop of Military Dictatorship: YoM (during the 80's in South Korea) and CLoY (present day, in North Korea). So lots of police patrolling, small-town/ semi-urban settings, curfew, random 'kidnappings' by govt. agents, etc.
-The MLs have a political/ arranged marriage planned for (aka, has a 'fiancée') but not interested in her at all.
-The FLs are pretty much 'stuck' and they wish to get out of the situation/ country: YoM (the FL wishes to leave SK to study abroad for Germany, but can't) & CLoY (FL is stuck in NK trying to get back home to SK)
-Both 'romances' have a tacit understanding that their togetherness is only a matter of time before they have to be separated (angst... yes)
-Overall vibe of CLoY is rom-com with angsty, serious melo in parts, whereas YoM is a melo sprinkled with sweet, vintage romance. Lands differently, but overall... very similar vibes.
-While CLoY has Seri's ducklings (the 4 adorable NK soldiers)... YoM has the two baby-brothers, and the two nice soldiers who bring in the cute :D
=> Both Hyun Bin dramas that are romance comedies where he has sizzling romance with the female leads
=> Hyun Bin's parents want him to marry someone else in both dramas
=> The female lead actresses in both dramas are two of the most successful actresses in Kdramaland , both having won Baeksang awards in both dramas and films, so good acting is indeed guaranteed in both shows
=> Both dramas were extremely popular after airing, to the point where Hyun Bin was shipped so hard to both female leads immediately after both dramas aired
Interesting Trivia about the two female leads connected to the two dramas:
1. Ha Ji Won (Secret Garden female lead) also played a North Korean person in love with a South Korean like Hyun Bin, in her drama King 2 Hearts
2. Son Ye Jin has a cameo in the last episode of Secret Garden
=> Hyun Bin's parents want him to marry someone else in both dramas
=> The female lead actresses in both dramas are two of the most successful actresses in Kdramaland , both having won Baeksang awards in both dramas and films, so good acting is indeed guaranteed in both shows
=> Both dramas were extremely popular after airing, to the point where Hyun Bin was shipped so hard to both female leads immediately after both dramas aired
Interesting Trivia about the two female leads connected to the two dramas:
1. Ha Ji Won (Secret Garden female lead) also played a North Korean person in love with a South Korean like Hyun Bin, in her drama King 2 Hearts
2. Son Ye Jin has a cameo in the last episode of Secret Garden
