Crash Landing On You has all the ingredients to make a successful recipe — two hottest stars opposite each other, a story about a star-crossed lover, a high production budget, and a top writer. The result — a delicious meal, but not without flaws. It makes for a fun watch with some golden moments and fun characters.
This show takes a lot of distrust right away from its main basic plot. Once that's done, it's an entertaining fictional journey.
The play is divided into two parts, one in the North and the other in the South. This gives us double the 'fish out of water' shenanigans.. I have never had any doubts about a happily ever after couple. But done with an interesting plot, full of romantic and sweet moments. The chemistry between Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin is captivating, and they both look gorgeous. The acting is good as expected, which makes all their scenes beautiful. Each scene is framed like a perfect romantic picture.
Ri Jung Hyuk is the epitome of a man and an ideal companion. He was so naive and adorable and brave, at the same time. This is the first time I've seen Hyun Bin in such a sweet and humble role, because most of the previous ones were arrogant men. It's very fresh. Her shy smile is simply amazing. Even though there are many examples here for her to act as a girl in trouble, Se Ri always uses her brain to solve a situation. I do have some confusion regarding his character though - we see him as a warm person when he's in the North with everyone but also hints that he's cold towards his employees in the South. There is no clear sign here and as such, I'm not buying the "now our boss is changing" verdict.
It's refreshing to see a drama that showcases everyday life in the North. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but I think there must be a factual depiction. We see through the various characters, the villagers as well as the soldiers, how unaware their world is from modern developments. I really enjoyed our heroine's pleasant interactions with the village women. They are naive and compassionate.
One of my favorite parts is definitely the team of four warriors who always look after the heroes (and heroines). They are all different yet similar. Their scenes are funny and warm and have a lot of heart. I felt sad when they separated from Se Ri because their newly formed family was so sweet.
Coming to the second lead, I found Seo Dan a very strong character and Seo Ji Hye looks amazing and plays it amazingly. It's the first time I've seen him in any way. Kim Jung Hyun's Gu Seung Joon is a character who doesn't leave much of an impression at the start but gradually I started to like him for his sense of humor, recklessness and also the fact that he redeemed himself by helping our lead. I'm glad that the second cast has their own love story but the culmination of their arc is handled sloppily and completely unsatisfactory.
The villains as well as Se Ri's family at home are too overwhelming and boring. The urge to speed up their scene was too strong. The soundtrack is also pretty basic and average. The duration of the episode is too long so it slightly reduces the enjoyment. Also, I rolled my eyes at the lead's previous connection, as it adds another unnecessary layer to an already melodramatic romance.
I enjoyed the funny and simple solutions to the problems our heroes and their gang faced when they were caught in the South. The thing about Crash Landing On You is that I enjoy everything and love everything on a very superficial level. It never touched my heart. The cinematography is stunning, and plus it's a Swiss dream location with our beautiful lead together, it's like the cherry on top.
Great actors, funny characters, sweet and easy chemistry, star-crossed romance, fun scenario. But it never had my heart completely.
