Are you a KDrama fan? I have been one for almost 20 years! I started with Full House and I never looked back! Recently, one of the KDramas that I have been curious about was the series Snowdrop. It is a show on Disney+ which stars Blackpink member Jisoo. In this post, I want to share my review of this series. I hope it helps readers to understand what makes this appealing to KDrama fans like me.
Snowdrop is not your typical KDrama. It's an interesting story that tackles love, betrayal, and survival.
The show is set in 1987, with Jisoo’s character Yeongro as a college student living in an all-female dorm. She meets and falls in love with Sooho (played by Jung Haein), someone she met on a group blind date.
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| Image credit: JTBC, Disney+ |
The Plot
One night, she finds Sooho lying in her dorm room covered with blood. She assumed that he was a pro-democracy protester like her dorm mate and needed a place to hide. She takes it upon herself to help him heal and hide him from the authorities.
The problem in this situation is that he is not a protester, but a North Korean spy. Sooho was on assignment in South Korea. His government struck a deal to help rig the elections in South Korea in exchange for money. After a series of complications, Sooho and his fellow spies take over the dorm. The spies end up holding everyone hostage until they can find a way to escape back to North Korea.
Controversies
From what I’ve read online, there were a couple of controversies about this show. The biggest controversy was that the show tackled a sensitive period in history. It was a time that led to the changes that resulted in the democratic form of government that they are using today.
There was a part of the show that alluded to the possibility that student protesters could be spies. People criticized the show for rewriting this part of history.
I am someone who is not that familiar with the history of South Korea. From that point of view, I agree that it would be easy for people like me to believe parts of what the show says. While the show is fiction, I would assume that it is partly based on facts. Viewers could get the wrong idea about this part of history. Even if they put disclaimers on it being a work of fiction, it could form an idea in the viewer's mind about it.
Review
I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like the drama. Now that I have looked back on it, Snowdrop was something that I found myself glued to from start to finish.
The show has such a good mix of elements in it. It has school and family drama. It was also a story of friendship and loyalty. All this in a story that revolved around government conspiracies and power struggles. Then, of course, there was also romance. I love a good romance in a KDrama!
I was also hooked on the theme song that played during the opening credits. By the final episode, I realized that I was already singing along to the song when it played to start the show. Very catchy!
One of the things I enjoyed about the show was the fact that it featured some actors that I liked from other shows. I was surprised to see Kim Mingue from Business Proposal in this show. He played such a different role from what I last saw him in.
There were also two other actors from one of my favorite KDramas, Missing: The Other Side. Heo Joonho and Song Geonhee (he only had a small but significant role though) were both in this show too.
I liked how the series showed the characters in a way that viewers would have strong feelings for them. They would either want to root for them or be happy to see them get the karma that they deserve in the end.
It was interesting to see everything play out in the series. It was a series of surprising twists and turns in every episode. You never knew what a character was going to do or where they were going to end up in the end. Not knowing who was the spy or who was going to betray or help everyone was part of what kept the show interesting.
The two leads had an ill-fated romance from the start. It is such a Romeo and Juliet story with him from the North and her from the South. I couldn't help but compare it to Crash Landing on You.
As sad as the ending of this show may have been, I felt that this ended on a more realistic note than Crash Landing on You. We all want that happy ending for the leads of our favorite shows. But in stories like this, we all know that a happily-ever-after was not going to happen. Not if you want to be realistic about it.
One thing that I found a little too good to be true was the coincidence of Sooho and Youngro's parents. The fact that both parents were involved in the conspiracy seemed too perfect. Having both their children suffer for what they did was very dramatic, but it was too much of a coincidence. Or is it the writer's way of showing the punishment or karma of their parent's actions for things to end up that way?
There were so many actors in this series for me to tackle them all one by one, but I have to say that everyone was excellent. The acting was so good that you can't help but form opinions about each character in the show. Each actor came out with a strong portrayal and I can't ignore how that made the show as good as it was.
I also have to applaud the production of this series because the cinematography was so good. It worked so well with how the costumes and the set were so accurate for the 80s. The show brought the viewers back in time with how well they made the visuals so appealing.
Snowdrop entertained me enough to watch from start to finish, but it felt too sad for me by the end of it. Given the heavy theme of this show, I don’t think this is something that I would want to watch again in the future.
If you're after KDramas to feel good, this might not be the show for you to watch. The theme is not something that would appeal to you. It’s a good show, but that ending was too sad for me to ever want to relive the experience of watching it.
I enjoyed Snowdrop, but I don't see myself rewatching this series anytime soon. I would recommend it to people because it is a good show, but I would most likely not want to see it again.
Where are they now
Jung Haein
From what I've gone through online, he is working on an unnamed movie that does not have a date of release yet. His most recent work after Snowdrop has been on the streaming series DP.
Jisoo
Jisoo has been busy as a singer and performer. As of this writing, she has recently completed a world tour with the rest of Blackpink. She has also been making appearances at fashion events. There is news that she will no longer be renewing her contract with YG, which manages Blackpink. There is no word yet on what her plans are for her career in the future. I hope that she takes on more acting projects because I enjoyed seeing her onscreen.
She recently confirmed her relationship with actor Ahn Bohyun, which broke my heart. I thought she had such great chemistry with Jung Haein! I hoped their friendship would develop into something else in real life. I felt so sad to learn that would not happen.
Snowdrop is a drama that will put you through a rollercoaster of emotions. If you are looking for something like that, this is the KDrama for you. It not only features drama and romance, but it also gives viewers a look into what life was like in South Korea in the 80s. If the star-studded and talented cast isn't enough to pull you in, that plot (and plot twists) will.
Has anyone else seen Snowdrop? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it to anyone else? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section, I would love to know your take on the show!
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