Welcome to Samdal-ri: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
- Aug 3
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Title: | Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023) |
Platform: | Netflix |
MDL & IMBD Rating: | |
Genre: | Contemporary Romance |
Episode Count: | 16 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | TV-14: LOTS of drinking, Language, bullying. For more info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26653824/parentalguide/ |
Starring: | Ji Chang Wook (The Manipulated) Shin Hae Sun (See You In My 19th Life) Kim Mi Kyung (Head Over Heels) Seo Hyun Chul (The First Night With the Duke) Shin Dong Mi (The First Night With the Duke) Kang Mi Na (If Wishes Could Kill) |
RBTS Rating: | 3/5 Stars (A healing island romance where three sisters return home to get black out drunk everyday and find respite and romance in their hometown. Not terrible, but not good.)  |
Cast From Left to Right: #JiChangWook, #ShinHaeSun, #KimMiKyung, #ShinDongMi, #KangMiNa
Synopsis:
After losing his mother—who worked as a haenyeo (female diver who harvests sea life)—at a young age due to a mistaken weather report, Cho Yong Pil makes up his mind to become a weather forecaster and protect the elders of his hometown. However, his passion and refusal to let misinformation slide earns him a reputation at work as a stubborn troublemaker who isn’t afraid to argue with his boss. Cho Sam Dal grew up with Cho Yong Pil. Unlike Cho Yong Pil, content to remain in his hometown of Samdalri, Cho Sam Dal makes it her mission to get out of their small town and move to Seoul. After years of toiling away as an assistant in the fashion photography industry, Cho Sam Dal—who changes her name to Cho Eun Hye in Seoul—finally succeeds and makes it to the top. However, when everything she’s worked so hard to build comes crashing down in the blink of an eye, she returns to Samdalri, where people still know her as Sam Dal and not Eun Hye. Although Cho Yong Pil and Cho Sam Dal used to be joined at the hip when they were younger, the once inseparable friends are no longer in contact with one another due to an incident that drove them apart. When Cho Sam Dal returns to Samdalri, however, they find that the longtime affection they once had for one another comes rushing back. @MDL
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Welcome to Samdal-ri is a lukewarm Jeju island greeting that aspired to exude the healing small town vibes of Hometown Cha Cha Cha, but instead turned out to be a call for the return of prohibition. The drama follows three alcoholics returning home to drink more with their fellow hometown inebriates, as they sort through past unjusticies and look for a path forward by retracing their steps. Someone get this island an Alcohol Anonymous stat. Seriously, the amount of drink consumed was crazy! I wondered if this was a me thing, but two other people I know who have watched it also pointed it out. What was going on?
I liked Shin Hae Sun as Cho Sam Dal (FL) and thought she handled her crisis with grace. I would have thrown some serious hands lol. Cho Jin Dal (Eldest Sister) was a little too all over the place for me, but I liked Cho Hae Dal's (Youngest Sister) story of finding love as a single mother. I also really liked her cute bob. Now I want a bob. It was nice that all three sisters got a romance, but I wasn't actually invested in any of them. Ji Chang Wook (ML Actor) once again did nothing for me. I didn't think he had chemistry with the FL.
The inciting incident of false bullying accusations was an interesting jumping point, but on the real world side of things, it was just as "interesting" of a choice to have the allegations be false and have them thrown at the "good guy" considering the state of Korean entertainment and the lack of responsibility towards those victimized by it. So many valid complaints are ignored, and perpetrators with power tend to get away scott free. I can't help but question the intention of the drama a bit.
Dramas on Jeju island are always a good time, but the ML's insane dad really put a damper on things. The story felt so contrived and people were so insanely horrible, that I wouldn't call it a comfort watch. It did not need 16 episodes, we could've wrapped it all up in 12. Overall, a skip from me, but it wasn't terrible. The shorts were pretty terrible though.
Story=3, Acting=2.75, Production Quality=4, Ending= 3.5, Enjoyability= 3, Would I rewatch= No
Trailer:
Director: #ChaYoungHoon (We Are All Trying Here)
Screenwriter: #KwonHyeJoon (Hi Bye, Mama!)
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