El Amor es como el Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

LA LA LA LA LA ~ RO~MAN~TIC SUNDAY~~

This show brings fluffy sweet scenes and tropes galore! You'll enjoy it as long as you don't take it too seriously. You'll find corny wrist grabs and stumbles, sudden fevers, childhood connections, and even a white truck of doom. That being said, even hearing the opening notes of "La la la la la Romantic Sundaaaay" instantly brightened up my weekends over the past couple of months. Kim Seon Ho brings all his Good Boy charms here, down to his soft spot for a local halmeoni.

At its best, this show delivered emotional scenes depicting all sorts of interpersonal relationships. Bora's Umma stole the show during the typhoon, and I-Jun stole my heart during his moment in the park. I never expected this show to elicit tears from me, but here we are. Gongjin is a charming small town with a whole slew of excitable busybodies. Whether you find yourself squealing over DOS (dare I say... "In the Soop"?!) or clapping along with the town's festivals or parties, anyone can easily find a home in this little seaside town.

My main gripe with the show comes from the minimal conflict. After roughly the halfway point, the plot dragged for a while. The Ji PD storyline was such a non-issue; I don't know a single person who felt SLS for him. We knew where things were going, and we only had the PROMISE of three mysteries to keep us going: Why did Hwa Jeong and Young Guk divorce? What happened to Dushik during the five years he lived away from Gongjin? Who won the lottery? ...And each of these were resolved right near the end, with just a little bit of time devoted to each. I wish we got more on Dushik especially — his story ultimately made sense, but I wish we got to see him wrestle with these demons more. It almost felt like he fled and compartmentalized everything instead of learning to cope with his demons head-on. I didn't appreciate the resentment from the other parties; their non-apologies fell flat to me. Imagine if he had a scene with Do Ha's father directly!

Instead of dangling these plot points in front of us for episodes without a conclusion, I wish we got there sooner and then spent time exploring the fact that Hye Jin and Dushik came from pretty different worlds. We saw shades of their compromises: Dushik putting in effort with Hye Jin's "friends" on the golf course, and Hye Jin setting other opportunities aside. While that may be realistic, the feminist in me was hoping that SHE hoped for more. Her compromises felt way bigger than his, and I wish we saw a bit more give-and-take, or at least a bit more of the moments that changed their perceptions and goals.

|| SPOILER: I wish that the ending of ep 15 actually set Dushik free, so that he would be energized to try again in Seoul. Practically, it would've made sense to me if their careers flourished there, especially considering the fact that their (future) children would've had more opportunities in the big city — yes, I was hoping for a time-skip that involved kids. Of course, this alternate ending in my mind would've still involved frequent trips to Gongjin. I think I merely wanted Hye Jin and Dushik's lives to open up a bit more as a result of their connection, but I suppose I'll have to recognize that not everyone has such lofty dreams. Some people are content to live in a small town surrounded by a doting found-family, and I suppose I can respect the coziness in that slower walk of life. ||

Still, this show offered some thoughtful messages beneath its bright, shiny exterior. I especially liked the sentiment that small actions can make a world of difference to others, like a simple text message or call during a time of turmoil; the fact that asking for help can actually support the giver more than the recipient (@ both Nam Sook and Dushik); and the powerful role that bystanders can play in someone's life (like helping someone smile in a photo that will eventually mean the world or calling to help a stranger and making sure they are safe before driving away). Sometimes kindness comes from ignoring someone's feelings rather than acknowledging them (@ Cho Hui). But beneath it all, empathy and care for one another is truly what brings a community together.

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A beautiful and warm drama that will definitely bring you joy!

I just loved it. Hometown cha cha cha caught my attention because it seemed as a simple and funny drama, i watched the first episode and right after i knew it was going to be a favourite. I love everything about it either it being the characters, the story or the music everything was top tier to me.
I loved how every character had a story and how that story contributed to the build up of the whole drama. I loved how Hyejin and Dushik learned how to accept and love each other. I loved how Hyejin helped Dushik get over his own struggles and she helped him be happy again.
This whole drama made me cry not only of sadness but mostly of happiness, as i got to see everyone have their story told and as well get their happy ending. I couldn’t stop smiling on the last episode, it was pure happiness to me.. i hope that anyone who watches it will get the feeling of this warm drama. I guess i would say it helped me a lot to unravel my feelings.

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Feel too good you'll dance cha cha cha

At first, I was kinda prejudiced and thought this was overhyped.

I was shocked about the casting and was doubtful as I thought they'll not be able to blend but I was wrong.
The editing was fine except you can notice when they retake some scenes. The shots were also too tight.

Personally, the main leads don't enchant me that much but I can agree they have chemistry.

Even though you're just watching you'll also feel the freshness of Gongjin.

Overall this drama was fantastic and indeed recommended if you want to refresh and feel good.

P.S: You might pass on this one because you'll think that it's just pure Rom-Com but no there's more than that so you better check this drama out.

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Heartwarming and healing

When I started the drama, I didn't think I'd love it that much and now, I'm already missing it.
All the characters were realistic, had problems and learnt how to deal with them, the side characters weren't distraction. And even if at first I kept wanting more SikHye screen moments, I loved GongJin, cried with Gongjin and laughed with its villagers.
The plot, it was simple, it was a remake of Mr Hong they said, and the director got us with previews that let you wait worried will that happen like the movie or not. And It wasn't like the movie, it was written in a beautiful straight mature way that will raise your expectations in Dramaland. Tell dramas that we don't break up but we face problems together, tell them that facing typhoons don't matter if we're on the same boat. Hye Jin is the best decision maker FL I've seen( apart the hitting part, skip that part please hhh) but she knows what she wants, and care, support and doesn't run away when needed.
The acting was sometimes missing it but I chommal enjoyed the journey from Romantic Sunday to tearful one to satisfied one. I'll miss these Saturday and Sunday nights that showed me that waiting for the release of the episodes every week can be sometimes better than binge watching <3

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A refreshing story

This drama was soo nice.

It was a very refreshing story about our FL, a dentist from Seoul, who came to a little seaside town to open a her business after some event went down at work.

In this village she meets our ML who is a guy from the little town.

There were no big fights, no angry step-mom ou jealous second lead. Everything was smooth and nice.

The ML does have a past, but it does not tarnish the sweetness of the story in my opinion.

The drama was fun, and all the characters were great.

It's such a feelgood drama that I will rewatch, for sure, on gloomy days.

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Sweet healing romance that managed to be underdone and overcooked

As a rom-com I can't fault its setting, both M/FL and support casting. OTP chemistry and swoon worthy moments. They are all present and accounted for, if anything, someone must have done a checklist so that every item was ticked and double checked. The problem lies more in the show's desire to please "everyone". To be honest, the writer-nim largely succeeded in doing this but it was also its Achilles heel.

The premise of the show is simple, the FL is forced to restart her dentist career out in the boondocks and there she found love as well as new friends and found family. It is a well used trope and with the show navigating a fairly safe path meant that for the longest time, it never hits any real highs or lows. I think that may well be because it is the FL's first show after 2 years away from the limelight. She probably wanted a high profile hit and this definitely delivered.

Having said that, the meet-cute and the OTP's journey to true love was well done and there is always something happening to push them closer together. The seaside village of Gongjin cannot be more idyllic. It was picturesque day and night. The FL is in her 30's (ML is 1 year older), well dressed, sophisticated and pretty. She became all giggly and with aegyo dialled up after she fell in love. To be honest, it was a little jarring. This was initially matched by her best friend who also fell in love with a local and formed half of the 2OTP but she is a lot more grounded as the relationship progressed. The ML was handsome, charismatic, chilled, helpful, friendly and a bit eccentric. A total opposite to the usual cold, rich, man-child of a ML. The local villagers were a eclectic bunch. They are classy actors who knew their trade and will steal the scene if you let them. It was clever of the writer-nim to drip-feed their backstory slowly so that what appeared to be just the usual nosy neighbours and busybodies were shown to be true friends and have raison d'être for their behaviours.

The deft hand of the writer-nim is evident else where. There are lots of tropey plots and cliché scenes but they were seldom over the top to the point where you facepalm and groan out loud but they can also be undercooked so that it became a bit superficial. One area where the writer-nim went a bit overboard was the fate motif. There were just too many coincidences to be believable.

Hence, it was quite odd when around episodes 14,15 the story became a potboiler/melodrama. There were certainly buckets of tears (have tissue handy). The whole plot about the ML's role as a fund manager was overcooked. Seriously, it wasn't really his fault and certainly in regards to his friend's death. So it was drama for drama sake and not very convincing. After all the hints of a dark past, it turned out he was even more saintly than he already is.

The "tread lightly" approach also meant that there was not a lot of growth in the characters but more like story progression. Old wrongs were righted, broken or strained relationships were healed. Naissance love triangle morphed into a bromance. The snobbish and judgemental FL became someone who appreciates the country lifestyle and her new friends but she was essentially the same decent person. The ML stays the same except now everyone knew his backstory and loved him even more.
It was no surprise that everybody got a happy ending. Sunshine, rainbows and a herd of unicorns roamed the land. :D It was sugary but it brought the show to its own logical conclusion. At least it was not rushed and there was enough time to give everyone a proper sent off.

OST was nice and breezy. Production value was high. Quality cinematography captured the lovely sceneries. I really enjoyed this show so rewatch value is there for the swoon worthy and feel good bits but skip ep.15 if sentimentality is not your cup of chai. Almost forgot to mention the PPL, there were quite a bit of it. Not egregious but more than I'd care for.

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This show is very subtle and pure and it will change your perspective

I really liked it starting, in starting it was like a romance comedy type of show but as the story progress we get to see all type of emotion, the love between husband and wife, the romantic story of our main leads, the difficulties and beauty of childbirth, love between two best friends, a love of a father for her daughter, death of someone dear to you, regret and difficulties of this modern life with revolves around money. And many more stories, This show's characters are very deep and the romance of this show is very pure. I would love it if you all try this show, It will literally change your perspective on many things . I know you will definitely like it.

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This show was such a treat ♥︎ the vibe is so refreshing and good for the soul. I already miss it.

First of all, love seeing my angel Shin Min-ah back on screen. And even happier seeing Kim Seon-ho be cast as a male lead! He’s been second male lead after second male lead - it was his time!! And their chemistry, omg they are the gold standard.

Their love story is the heart of the show but you also get to watch the lives and stories of the other main residents in town. I’m not usually one for lots of side stories but as the show goes on you do get more attached to the townspeople and seeing their stories progress truly brings a smile to your face. I was especially a sucker for Mi Seon and police officer Eun Chul, they were adorable.

Although do be prepared for some heavy topics, and it can come as a bit of a shock when it’s right after episodes of fluff and happiness. Hometown Cha Cha Cha is a love story but it is also a story of healing. The burden and trauma that Hong Doo Shik carried..no wonder it was so difficult for him to open up after a life of those around him leaving him. I’m so glad that Hye Jin was there to be his rock so he could finally learn to forgive himself.

On the whole, a really beautiful show and I’ll miss the seaside town of Gongjin and its characters so much. I really want to go to the beach now ^-^
I’d highly recommend this show for viewers looking for something light and easygoing but who are also prepared for the angst and trauma that comes before healing. I promise the payoff is worth it!

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All about community !

This is a drama that sounds like a hallmark rom-com; a city girl who focuses a lot on frames and her career moves to a beautiful small town and meets a scruffy local men that she falls in love with. But this is actually a slice-of-life story. It’s overflowing with warm feelings and wonderful, deep and imperfect characters that you will fall in love with along the way. It’s almost like a warm drink on a rainy day in kdrama form. Hometown Cha Cha Cha is one of those dramas that really moved me from the very first episode as there was something so cozy and homely about them that just gripped me by the heartstrings and would not let me go.

The story may not be big but it seems to be enough there that the story never drags it’s legs or or goes into endless circles with the plot. It spends a good time with all the characters and the introspection of those characters that takes place within the drama.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha strikes a pretty good balance between having a story that is constantly moving forward while also capturing this mundane life and the quiet moments as we follow all of these different characters and their lives in this small community where everyone knows everyone.

All the characters we meet on our way through the story are interesting and it’s fun to watch them and their impact on each other’s lives. Everyone has their own burdens and baggage’s in life that the drama manages to explore quite well. Watching people’s walls break down over time and people face their demons without it ever dragging too long or being too dramatic.

We get to see the different sides of most of all the characters and how complex and human they are. Each episode of the drama is more than an hour long, which I usually do moan about, but here I hardly felt it. Because I enjoyed the time with the characters so much.

There is almost this subdued suspense that is there all the way through the story. It never get’s too big, too dramatic or too ahead of itself. It captures this feeling that life can be messy but it’s also just a series of moments that pass and fade over time really well. Some moments are wonderful, warm and calm but some cruel and sad. But life still goes on somehow. The message of the story and the story itself is not much bigger than that, but it works really well.

So much of the romance, but also just the friendship that is going on, is just about the individual’s personal boundaries and the communication between them. Everything about how the romance was built radiated comfort and warmth in my opinion, which I found really sweet and just pleasant to watch. Like everything about the drama was. Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho, as well as all the other actors, fill their characters with life and emotions.

There is also a really good balance between the love stories within the drama and the other stories that deal more with people’s personal lives and their position in life. The love story will never be too sappy, which would not suit this type of story, but rather it seem more human and sensible. Even if misunderstandings occur it is quickly worked out and one can understands the reason why the character act a certain way because they story has worked for it. These people are complex and you get to see them from many angles.

The love story is still a very big part of the story; both when it comes to the main characters and the supporting characters. But even though the story is about them falling in love, it is also so much about these characters learning to love themselves as well as the other characters around them. But the drama also deals with loads of different themes such as loneliness in old age, divorce, there is a lgbt character, and many other things that crop up as we go through the lives of the characters of this small town as this is ultimately a story about the community.

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Here fo you the best k-drama of 2021!

Yes, I say it and I'll confirm it for life, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" is the best k-drama of 2021, if not one of the best in recent years. Why? Well, nothing is missing: complete characters, a wonderful soundtrack, fantastic light, colors and shots, not to mention the story! But what is it about?

The story revolves around Yoon Hye-jin, a beautiful city girl who works as a dentist in Seoul, but who is fired one day for accusing (rightly) her boss of suggesting expensive treatments to patients just to make more money. At that point, without a job, she immediately decides to look for another job, but unfortunately her sweet ex-boss has spread false rumors about her, and for this reason Hye-jin have to resign. In the meantime, she decides to take a short trip to Gongjin, a small earthly paradise located by the sea where she used to go with her parents as a child, and here she meet Hong Du-sik. Du-sik is literally the opposite of Hye-jin: a handyman country boy who is even called a "village chief" by the citizens precisely because he knows how to do any type of job and above all because he takes care of the village elders. The two initially don't get along very well, but over time, as they continue to cross paths, they take a liking to each other. At this point Hye-jin decides to open a dental office in Gongjin, but initially things will not go as expected due to some misunderstandings, but luckily Du-sik intervenes to get her out of trouble, and things will slowly start to settle down.

The strong point of the drama are certainly the two leading actors, who are played respectively by Shin Min-a (Oh My Venus) and Kim Seon-ho (known for Start Up). In particular, this was the first leading role for Kim Seon-ho, who I can say managed to bring out the best of himself for this rural and unconventional character, in addition to his smile that I personally find very sweet (and not only his but also that of Shin Min-a, if you want to know why I warmly invite you to see it and grasp this adorable detail that binds them). Another familiar face of the cast is certainly Lee Sang-yi (found in Youth of May), who plays a former director of Hye-jin's schoolmate who wants to shoot a new show in Gongjin.
"Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" is one of those romantic comedies that will remain in your heart for a long time; thanks to the skill of the actors and some issues that are addressed, it will be able to warm your soul and make you feel part of a big family: the one of Gongjin. So, if you want a funny and light story, but at times also very dramatic (I cried a lot in some scenes), I recommend this beautiful k-drama, it will not disappoint you.

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