Crash Landing on Youis one of the most iconic K-dramas ever made, but that does not mean it was without its faults. First airing in December 2019,Crash Landing on Youdepicted the forbidden romance between South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) and North Korean solider Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) after a paragliding accident left Se-ri trapped in the North. The K-drama’s blending of genres and the all-too-real backdrop of the political tensions between North and South Korea madeCrash Landing on Youone of thebest K-dramas of all time.
Despite its overwhelming success and acclaim,Crash Landing on Youfaced criticism. From pacing issues to its depiction of North Korea,Crash Landing on You’sfaults are clear to see. Even so, its impact is unfounded. Many attribute theromance K-dramato being their gateway into Korean television, contributing to its growth in popularity with international audiences. However, despite its widespread appeal, some of the realities ofCrash Landing on Youcannot be overlooked.
10The Pandemic Greatly Helped Crash Landing on You’s Popularity
It Would Not Have Been As Successful Globally Without It
While many elements contributed toCrash Landing on You’s overwhelming success, the pandemic certainly had a positive influence. The pandemic thrust people into their homes and increased demand for online streaming services such as Netflix. Fortunately, Netflix had begun to expand its K-drama range before the COVID-19 outbreak. Its first original K-drama,Kingdom, aired in January 2019, shortly followed byLove Alarmin August 2019.This expansion of Korean content online made way forCrash Landing on You’s dual releaseon TVN in South Korea and on Netflix, which saw incredible results.
Netflix’s Crash Landing On You Replacement Is Different From The 2019 K-Drama In 3 Big Ways
Netflix’s biggest romantic K-drama since Crash Landing on You shares some similarities with the 2019 show, but there are also important differences.
Domestically,Crash Landing on Youachieved record-breaking viewing figures of 21.9%, making it TVN’s most-viewed K-drama until the release ofQueen of Tearsin 2024. This was echoed internationally, asCrash Landing on Youtopped Netflix’s top ten in Japan for a staggering 69 weeks, while according to theBBC, Netflix’s K-drama viewership grew by 370% in India. ThoughCrash Landing on You’s epic tale of politics and romance certainly was always going to grab attention, the pandemic pushed it to new heights and helped to make it as successful as it was.
9Crash Landing on You Was Very Predictable & Unrealistic
Its Biggest Weakness Was Also One Of Its Strengths
From the beginning,Crash Landing on Youtold audiences exactly what it wanted to be. Though the events it depicted were plausible, the unlikely nature of these actions ever occurring made the K-drama seem unbelievable. While a certain level of unbelievability is expected in K-dramas,Crash Landing on Youconstantly pushed these boundaries with every episode. This resulted in a plot that quickly became repetitive and easy to predict.
Writer Park Ji-eun was inspired to writeCrash Landing on Youafter actress Jung Yang’s boat became caught between the boundary of North and South Korea in 2008.
ThoughCrash Landing on You’s unrealistic approach could be seen as a weakness, it was also a strength of the K-drama. It never pretended to be anything other than it was and asked audiences to suspend their sense of belief so they could enjoy it in its purest form. This certainly worked for the K-drama. Despite its weak plot, the unrealistic and predictable nature ofCrash Landing on Yougave it the sweeping fairytale effect it aimed to have, making it as engrossing as it was.
8Se-ri & Jeong-hyuk Got The Best Ending They Could Have
They Never Could Have Been Together Permanently
Throughout the series,Crash Landing on Youbattled between fiction and reality. Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok’s impossible romance felt like a forbidden fairytale and helpedCrash Landing on You’s storyline to hit its dramatic climax with full force. Yet, the real and tense status of their nationalities held a heavy burden over their relationship, often being the cause of the show’s biggest problems.Crash Landing on Youblended these two elements to create an ending which may have been disappointing for some, but was ultimately the best outcome these characters could have had.
Kim Jung-hyun
Gu Seung-joon
IfCrash Landing on You’soriginal endinghad gone ahead, then the tragic finale would have completely flipped the tone of the K-drama and done a disservice to the romantic fairytale it had cultivated. Similarly, a happy ending would have taken the unrealistic elements of the series too far. Therefore, having Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok only be able to meet for two weeks a year made sense. The ending satisfied the romantic appeal of the K-drama, while also ensuring that it stayed true to the reality of their situation, even if it was a little unrealistic.
7Crash Landing on You Would Not Have Succeeded Without Its Supporting Cast
They Gave Crash Landing on You Dimension
Crash Landing on Youmay be best known for its romance, but the K-drama would not have been as well-rounded if it wasn’t for the talents of the supporting cast. From the comedic relief of the North Korean soldiers to the conniving antics to the conniving antics of Se-ri’s older brothers,Crash Landing on You’s supporting cast added a much-needed dimension to the series. Their sincere and varied performances helped to driveCrash Landing on You’s relatively weak plot and make the series as memorable as it is today.
Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin also won the Popularity Award at the Baeksang Art Awards.
TheensembleK-dramacast was so good that they won one ofCrash Landing on You’s only awards. At the Baeksang Art Awards in 2019, theCrash Landing on Youteam was presented with eight award nominations in various categories.Actress Kim Sun-young won her award for Best Supporting Actress, thanks to her measured portrayal of Na Wol-sook. Without her efforts, as well as the dynamic performances of the supporting cast,Crash Landing on Youwould lose the richness that helped to make the K-drama so beloved by fans worldwide.
6There Were Way Too Many Subplots in Crash Landing on You
It Couldn’t Give Them All A Proper Resolution
Although the various antics of the supporting characters madeCrash Landing on You’s diversions from the main storyline entertaining, there certainly did not need to be so many of them. This abundance of storylines caused several problems for the K-drama, especially as it drove toward a dramatic conclusion. Several arcs felt rushed or incomplete asCrash Landing on Youstruggled to accommodate the characters it had created, weakening the impact of the final episodes.
Crash Landing on You’s finale did not quite live up to the momentum it had built.
If the K-drama had sacrificed some of its many storylines the plot would have felt much tighter, especially in the second half of the series.Crash Landing on Youcultivated a great understanding of its story and characters until this point, but the snowball effect of the rapidly increasing stakes could not be contained with 100% success. This is not to say that the final episodes were bad, but compared to the rest of the K-drama,Crash Landing on You’s finale did not quite live up to the momentum it had built.
5The Villains in Crash Landing on You Lacked Depth
They Played Into The Classic K-drama Villain Trope
As previously stated,Crash Landing on You’s character focus was one of the K-drama’s biggest strengths. The one flaw that came with this was with its villains. Many of the K-drama’s characters felt dimensional and realized, often invoking a reaction from the audience. The villains lacked this. Instead,Crash Landing on You’s villains felt like plot devicesand their less-rounded characterization hindered some of the show’s biggest moments.
Han Jeong-yeon
Pang Eun-jin
Crash Landing on You’s main villain, Cho Cheol-gang (Oh Man-seok), was the most notable victim. His character had the most backstory but, other than his hatred toward the two leading characters, his character felt underexplored. Plus, the repetitive and often unbelievable nature of Cheol-gang’s efforts to destroy the leading couple stunted the K-drama. Much like other antagonists in the show, his existence ultimately fell foul of the one-dimensional villain trope. This was one of many tropes thatCrash Landing on Youused too much.
4Crash Landing On You Used Too Many K-Drama Tropes
They Greatly Affected The Show’s Pacing
Many K-drama tropes thrive throughoutCrash Landing on You. Forbidden romance, fated love, and tragic circumstances made the K-drama what it was. However, the K-drama failed to use some in moderation. For example, the K-drama relied heavily on coincidence and fate to do most of its storytelling, leaving little room for deeper exploration. Plus, flashbacks were overused inCrash Landing on You, making the story drag rather than add the context they aimed to.
Along with this,Crash Landing on Youoften puts its characters in needlessly perilous scenarios for dramatic effect. Although these moments were some of the K-drama’s best scenes, the number of times the main characters were injured or hospitalized was excessive.The sudden nature of these scenes also stuntedCrash Landing on You’s pacingand their quick resolution did a disservice to the story the show tried to tell. Plus, it further highlighted the issues with the show’s weak plot.
3Crash Landing On You’s Depiction of North Korea Wasn’t Always Accurate
However, It Does Get Some Things Right
One of the biggest criticismsCrash Landing on Youfaced was its depiction of North Korea. The K-drama glossed over many hardships faced by citizens in the country in favor of the narrative it wanted to portray. In this regard,Crash Landing on Youwas a victim of the romantic fantasy it chose to center its story around. Yet, despite the clear romantic lensCrash Landing on Yougave to North Korea, there were many elements it did get right.
I Visited North Korea And Crash Landing On You Got This Major Thing Wrong
There’s a lot of anti-foreigner propaganda in North Korea so I wasn’t sure if my experience would mirror the romantic K-Drama Crash Landing On You.
Firstly,Crash Landing on You’s team included Kwak Moon-wan, a filmmaker and defector from North Korea.Kwak worked with writer Park Ji-eun to help depict real aspects of North Korean life. This attention to detail was evident in the K-drama and many North Korean defectors praisedCrash Landing on You’s approach to daily life in the country. Although several details could not be included due to South Korea’s real-life restrictions, the K-drama navigated well the challenges in portraying life in a different country amidst so many political and social obstacles that come with it.
2Seo Dan & Gu Seung-joon Deserved So Much Better
Their Story Was Just As Compelling As Se-ri & Jeong-hyuk’s
Seo Dan and Gu Seung-joon’s incredible storyline proved they are one of thebest K-drama second-lead couples. Though their story also delved into a forbidden romance between a North and South Korean, Dan and Seung-joon’s relationship felt refreshing and earnest. Their love story had just as much depth as the main leads, with Seung-joon and Dan ready to give up everything for one another to start a life together. Yet,Crash Landing on You’s cruel balance between fiction and reality left these characters with an undeserved fate.
Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk’s ending may not have been ideal, but the bittersweet tones of the finale veered more towards happiness. To balance this,Dan and Seung-joon couldn’t have had a happy ending. This made Seung-joon’s death even more heartbreaking. It also felt unnecessary, particularly as his death paralleled Se-ri’s hospitalization. Despite this, death gave Seung-joon the redemption he deserved and Dan a life free from Jeong-hyeok. However, they still deserved to find happiness just as much as the main couple did.
1Crash Landing on You Could Not Exist Without Se-ri & Jeong-hyuk’s Love Story
They Were The Main Reason For Crash Landing on You’s Success
Ultimately,Crash Landing on Youis a love story. It would not have been the same without Se-ri and Jeong-hyuk’s forbidden romance. Their relationship was the foundation of the K-drama, which worked to balance the fairytale romance they fell into and the harsh reality that surrounded them as a North Korean and a South Korean. Without this, the K-drama would have been entirely different. It would have most likely delved into the darker tones of other K-dramas but would lose the spark people had come to love.
FollowingCrash Landing on You,actors Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin married in real life in 2022.
Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin’s incredible chemistry and performances liftedCrash Landing on Youinto the light. They gaveCrash Landing on Youthe heart it needed and made watching their slow-burn romance blossom into something deep and meaningful a joy to watch. Though the K-drama tends to be repetitive and predictable, the sweeping scale of the romance forgives this glaring issue. Even five years later,Crash Landing on You’s romance continues to be the most memorable thing about the K-drama, making this reality its biggest strength.
Crash Landing On You
Cast
Crash Landing on You is a romantic drama series that follows a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea after a paragliding incident. She encounters an army officer who, despite the political tensions, aids her in concealment, forging an unexpected connection amidst their contrasting worlds.
