One of my sisters is a big fan of actor Kim Seon Ho, the actor who rose to fame after appearing in the series Startup. He had a follow-up K-Drama on Netflix called Hometown Cha Cha Cha. My sister and her daughter were both watching and recapping episodes with each other. A few weeks later, my nephew followed and started to watch it as well. He was already on the 10th episode when I started watching. I got so curious whenever they talked about what happened in the latest episodes! I decided to see what the fuss was about and began to watch the show myself. Join me in this series review to find out more about this show!
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| Photo Credit: tvN |
Plot
The show is based on a 2004 South Korean film called Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong. This show, one of the most-watched Korean dramas on Netflix, did not disappoint. I found myself liking the plot of this series. The city girl dentist loses her job and finds a new life and home in a seaside village as their resident dentist. As someone who moved out of the city and to the province, I could relate to the story. I understand the change that the lead character, Yoon Hye Jin (played by Shin Mina), had to go through. Luckily for her, she had the very capable Hong Du Sik (Kim Seon Ho) to help her every step of the way.
My Review
I am not always a fan of shows that have too many supporting characters. This show is an exception. The supporting characters did not take away from the lead character’s screen time. Their parts complemented them and made the story even better. I love that every one of them has his/her own back story that people can relate to and grow attached to. By the end of the show, I found myself rooting for each one of them.
The show wasn’t a heavy drama, it's more of a romantic comedy. There were a lot of cute and funny moments in the episodes. There were also “kilig”-worthy scenes that rom-com fans would enjoy. To balance it off, there were serious parts too. The stories explored various forms of love, relationships, divorce, and grief. They also tackled experiences with sexual harassment
I love that it seemed Hye Jin and Du Sik were always running into each other at various points in their life. It meant that these two were destined to be with each other. I thought that was a cute part of the story. One thing that I didn’t expect but appreciated having were the parts about Du Sik’s back story. The story of his grief and guilt about the deaths of people around him. I love that those parts showed how it drove him to be the man that he was in the village. Even with all the cute and kilig moments, I loved that this show also made me cry buckets while watching it. This show had a lot of heart, I liked that.
Controversy
It’s too bad that as this show was coming to an end, Kim Seon Ho had a media scandal involving his ex-girlfriend. I won’t go into detail as I have no idea what happened. It’s too bad that this affected the show at the end. I read that they had to cancel some promotional things at the end of the show because of the scandal. He is a good actor and is very charming on screen. It would have been such a waste if he did not get to come back to work on other projects because of this issue. I was so happy to hear that he not only got to make a comeback but that he has even won acting awards for his latest movie role. I got to see that film recently and he was so good at it! He was such a different person compared to his role in this show!
BTS Connection
As a little side note, I have to add that I saw a little BTS connection with the show. Part of the storyline had a couple of K-pop idols who went to the village to live there for a few days. The way they were going about the show reminded me so much of BTS In the Soop, only that they were in a seaside village.
Another little connection was during the end of the show. I noticed Du-sik wearing the same shirt that SUGA had worn before. This was during an interview with Chris Martin to promote Permission to Dance. Those connections may not be intentional, but they were very cute for an ARMY like me.
Where Are They Now?
Shin Mina
She appeared in the drama Our Blues in 2022. She is set to appear in the drama Because I Want No Loss in 2024 and has a drama with no release date yet called Karma.
Kim Seon Ho
He had a successful comeback in the movie The Childe and has recently won awards for his performance. He is set to appear in a film titled Tyrant and will have a special appearance in the drama called You Have Done Well.
Lee Sang Yi
He has done several shows after Hometown Cha Cha. The most notable of these shows are Yumi's Cells, Crash Course in Romance, Blood Hounds, and Han River. He is currently on the Netflix show My Demon.
Gong Min Jeung
After this drama, she has done the shows Little Women and One Dollar Lawyer. She is currently in the show Daily Dose of Sunshine and will appear in 2024 in the drama Marry My Husband.
Woo Mi Hwa
She has been in several shows after her role here as the stepmother of Hye Jin. Her latest has been in the show The First Responders.
Park Ye Young
After Hometown Cha Cha she was in shows like Inspector Koo, Reflection of You, and Anna. She was also in the movie Emergency Declaration.
Kim Young Ok
One of my favorite K-drama grandmothers, she was most recently seen in the series King The Land. Her next project is a drama called Men and Men but there is no release date yet.
Jo Han Chul
After his role as the cafe owner in the show, he had roles in shows like Jirisan and Reborn Rich. He was also in Stealer: Treasure Keeper and The Matchmakers. His next show Gyeonseong Creature is set for a December release on Netflix.
Lee Bong Ryun
She was also in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Narco Saints, and Crash Course in Romance. I recently saw her in the drama Destined With You.
In Gyo Jin
He was in the dramas Love All Play and Romantic Guest House after Hometown Cha Cha.
Hong Ji Hee
Her next projects were Big Mouth and The Uncanny Counter after this series.
Cha Chung Hwa
This is another K-drama favorite of mine. Cha Chung Hwas has been in many other shows after this series. Among those shows are See You in My 19th Life, Song of the Bandits, and most recently, My Demon. He was also in the movie Brave Citizen.
Yoon Seok Hyun
After this show, he was in Forecasting Love and Weather, Big Mouth, and The First Responders. His other shows were Crash Course in Romance, Taxi Driver 2, and Our Blooming Youth.
Kim Joo Yeon
She next appeared on May It Please the Court and Welcome to Wedding Hell.
Kang Hyung Seok
He was last seen in Love in Contract.
Kim Sung Bum
Extraordinary Attorney Woo was his most recent project.
Kim Min Seo
This memorable young lady has been in many shows after this series. She appeared in Young Lady and Gentleman, Cafe Minamdang, and The First Responders. Her most recent appearance was in the show Mask Girl.
Cameo/Guest Roles
Lee Jung Eun
She has made appearances in many of my favorite dramas. She was on Missing: The Other Side, Soundtrack #1, and Our Blues. She is currently in the show Daily Dose of Sunshine.
Bae Hae Sun
After her role in this, she appeared in several dramas. Among them are Love in Contract, Crash Course in Romance, Joseon Attorney, and Numbers. She was also in See You in My 19th Life and All of Us Are Dead.
Lee Jin Hye
After this show, she appeared in the shows Abyss and Bulgasal: Immortal Souls.
Lee Ho Jae
One of the familiar K-drama grandfathers, he was recently in Divorce Attorney Shin. He was also in the show Bean Pods in My Eyes.
Lee Si Hoon
Many projects notable is All of Us Are Dead 2022 and The Killing Vote 2023
Kim Dae Gon
He appeared in shows like Taxi Driver, Shooting Stars, and Alchemy of Souls after this series.
Kim Ji Hyun
She appeared in dramas such as Thirty-Nine and D.P. 2,
Oh Eui Shik
After his role in the show, he was also in Crash Course in Romance, The First Responders, and Shooting Stars. He was also in the show Big Mouth.
Lee Do Yeop
He was in shows like Adamas, Little Women, and The First Responders after this series.
Shim Jin Hwa
She was in the shows Stealer: The Treasure Keeper, Cafe Minamdang, and Dr. Park's Clinic after this show.
If you love K-dramas, particularly romantic comedies, this is a must-watch for you. I highly recommend it! It has a sweet story and a powerhouse of a cast! If you've seen this one already, let me know your thoughts on the show in the comments section!
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