Snowdrop (2021)

a potentially great love & story, snatched

I wanted to like this more than I did. Jung Hae In's acting is what kept me watching ultimately. His character went through some serious ethical dilemmas and development, and I felt Jung Hae In portrayed it exceptionally well.

This had potential though in terms of story. There were significant points and moral dilemmas being illustrated throughout, but ultimately it just didn't hit the mark aside from Jung Hae In's character (and some characters in relation to him). Though I even attribute that more to his acting skill than the script itself. If they had focused more on the issues/storyline and less on the characters themselves it would have come off a bit better maybe. They spent so much time on the political figures and obnoxious rich scheming mothers / side characters; it was honestly over the top (and without a clear point).

The love story was sweet and had very good chemistry. Though the female lead spent most of her role sobbing. And understandably so, because past the first few episodes...they just made the female lead's character more and more pitiful -- to the point where it seemed like she was just there solely for the male leading character's development and love interest.

They totally extinguished or minimized all of the female lead character's motivating goals and ambitions...and then literally killed off every. single. good family member/friendship/important person in. her. life. Then it didn't really end up giving you any notion of if she was able to go on to lead a content life despite losing literally every. single. thing. Talk about unsatisfying.

I was most disappointed with how they managed the female lead character; it just didn't feel like it did her justice, and it ultimately made the love story less compelling. Because--aside from the male lead's character development in specific ways (and torturing the female lead + all of us viewers)--what was the point really?? There wasn't a strong enough reason for the romance with respect to the story and backdrop of the issues being presented, in the end. Unless the point was to depict tragedy purely, stir moral/inner conflict, or simply pad time.

Not terrible, but not something I'll probably re-watch. You may enjoy it if you like political dramas and tragedies.

Lire davantage

Watch it!!!

First of all, it was very very very good and I recommend you guys to watch it. The ending was very sad. I was kind of expecting this ending but I hoped I was wrong. I cried while watching most of the episodes I wished the ending was more like a happy ending.
Second of all, I heard a lot of people criticizing Jisoo's acting can I know why? Her acting was amazing I really enjoyed this drama, I enjoyed her acting too I hope she act in another drama soo.
Last but not least, Hae In Oppa's acting was amazing as always. We don't have to explain how amazing and wonderful he was. He was perfect as always. I cried a lot while seeing him suffer in the drama and especially the last scene when he died I wish he didn't die, but the drama was amazing thanks to him and his amazing acting skills.
I'd like to think all the actors for their acting skills they were amazing.
love you guys, and watch it definitely watch it.

Lire davantage

Phenomenal series - a heartbreakingly beautiful love story

I just finished watching this kdrama, and one thing I can say is... WOW, what a masterpiece!
The kdrama leaves you sitting at the edge through every episode and plays with your emotions like a roller coaster, which is something not a lot of kdramas succeed in doing.

The last episode left me completely devastated because of Suho's death (and his two comrades), however, it was pretty much expected since he did not go to the ship to leave with Dr. Kang.

I started watching this series with no expectations of Jisoo since this is her first work (?), but I was pleasantly surprised by her exceptional acting. One would never guess that she is a rookie actress.

The only thing I disliked was the fact that about 80% of the series was in the dorm. We did not get a lot of scenes with the ml and fl outside the dorm.

Lire davantage

One way ticket...

I began watching this drama because of jisoo and hae in (my favourite actor). It was every thing I was expecting but not at the same time (those who watch will understand). I will began my review with the acting. We all know well how talented at acting Hae in is, going from a cute, express charcter to an emotionless, seen all the wrong things guy, in this drama he expressed so many emotion. He expressed the emotional power struggle within him, trying to choose his country or whats right. Its often hard to show this internal pain and struggle but he presented so well that caused the viewers to sympathize and try tell him what side to pick even though they are on the other side if the screen. Jisoo shocked me with her powerful acting, we often see with idols them playing roles that have more of a cutsy feel, but jisoo went full out with an emotional performance. Her pain of seeing everyone she loved be ripped apart from her, is shown so well it cant help but cause pain to those watching. Her scenes presents her inner struggle for the man she loves but hates, or wishes to hate but cant due not so simple emotions, love. The side characters also did and amazing job, some parts they added to the emotional pain of the viewer and other times the added comic relief. The duality some of these actors show are truly amazing. One thing in this drama I really appreciated was the forshadowing of events, especally with simple things as talking about Romeo and Juliet and Youngro singing the beloved song 'one way ticket'. For some reason this show reminded me of a quote from the outsider; "two of my friends died that night: one a hudlum the other a hero" it reminds my of how sooho sacrificed himself to save so many but will be potryd as an evil murdering communist which we all know he isnt. Even though this drama isnt perfect, at some points the plot began yo drag and the ending traumatised me, i dont regret watcing it is well done and would recommend it those interested in watching. Instead of continually rambling on ill end it my review with one more thing, a poem called "snowdrop" written by Louise Gluck which i think suites this drama;



Snowdrop

Do you know what I was, how I lived? You know
what despair is; then
winter should have meaning for you.

I did not expect to survive,
earth suppressing me. I didn't expect
to waken again, to feel
in damp earth my body
able to respond again, remembering
after so long how to open again
in the cold light
of earliest spring--

afraid, yes, but among you again
crying yes risk joy

in the raw wind of the new world.

Lire davantage

What can i say?

At first i was looking forward to watch it cause of Jisoo, but after reading the synopsis i just knew this will not gonna be a typical romance drama. The story is so unique and complicated that i don't even how it will progress. The 80's setting and the students living in a dorm makes me feel nostalgic even tho i didn't experience it. watching it makes me feel like have lived in that era. All the actors are excellent and did an amazing job with their respective roles. Also kudos to the director for choosing Jisoo and Jung Haein as the lead actors, their chemistry is one of the best. Before it was released, i was already expecting it will be tragic but as the story goes on i was hoping all of them will have their happy ending, but then i know it wil not be possible given the situation. I really enjoyed my experience with this drama, waiting for each episodes weekly and watching the livestream. i will miss it.. idk if i can rewatch it knowing how it ended but i will never forget this drama for the rest of my life. Will still support all the actors who participated on this especially Jung haein and Jisoo ❤️❄️

Lire davantage

They just ruined it... It had lot of potential. With the cast they have and overall story it could have been made much better. The leads were so so. At first when they introduce the ML as a very smart spy whose face is also not known by anyone. Then suddenly in a simple mission he is caught. Through the drama, I didn't see his smart side or any spy characteristic at all. The FL character had nothing interesting. She is much below average. Through out the series, her contribution is nothing.

Other characters were more interesting than the main leads. And man how many spies are there in a dorm. That grandfather who helped ML in the beginning is spy then why didn't he send out the message when ML was in the dorm that he is alive. I had more fun when Nam Tae il and those 3 wives were having a conversation than main leads.

When it comes to Romance, where was it? Only one kiss and three hugs when they are going through soo much. And the worst twist in this would be ML's Parents. That was pathetic.

Overall, I don't think I am ever gonna watch it again.

Lire davantage

if's & PLOTHOLES

HOW MANY TIMES LIM SOOHO COULD'VE USED EUN YOUNGRO :
- sooho could've taken youngro along with the northern agents in the last ep.
- sooho could've used youngro as a shield in the last few minutes so that those swat team wouldn't have shot at him.
- i mean youngro has no family left anymore, so atleast she could've depended on sooho if he took her along with them, GODDAMNIT.
- also when youngro returns, they could've gone out the same way youngro came and joined ms.pi and lee gang-mu. you may that the swat team entered thru there. but they had enough time and lee gang-mu and sooho could've easily taken those swat team down.
- isn't sooho an veteran agent?!! how could he leave huge trail of blood along the way?!

PLOTHOLES:
- what happened to comrade kang after she left the port?
- did comrade kang go north korea and save the other agent's families as she promised sooho?
- and after that did she live happily in another countries?
- what happened in NK after the whole election scheme was leaked?
- what happened to choi suyreon?
- they showed us ms.pi and kye boon-ok but what happened to the other roomates of youngro in room 207? and also their boyfriends?
- who was seol-hui's father?
- what happened to man-dong's son?
- they showed us what happened the bad 3 and their wifes but what happened to their posts? who's gonna takeover?
- also they should have shown us if youngro makes up with friends, or if she vists her brother's grave?
- also what happened with sooho's body? is cremated or buried alive? or shown to public (publically shamed) or what else?
- what happened to suhui?
-many more....

*i still can't digest the ending even though i excepted but with these many plotholes how can finish this kdrama?!!
p.s also is my side couple over?!!

Lire davantage

*contains spoilers*

Loved the show very much!❤ the chemistry of main leads, music , cinematography, acting was just top notch✨. However, will never rewatch as i can't go through that trauma again :((i've never cried so much for a show). I waited a year for the show and it left me in a complete mess ,gah:(((. I was rating the show 10/10 literally everywhere but after going through that brutal ending, i don't think i could give 10/10 for rewatch value. I'm still broken? i honestly prefer both the leads dying than one grieving for the others loss:(. Ugh, i don't think alot people can move on from that ending. It was just unfair:( they barely had romance in the show, it was just their chemistry what kept me going:(((.sigh,after all they went through they truly deserved a happy ending ?. Yeong-Ro and Sooho were honestly the most unfortunate female and male lead ever!?? I really hope haesoo will be there in a rom-com with a happy ending ?❤

Lire davantage

HIGHLY Recommended!!!

(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!)

I just loved it!??No other words!!! Speaking ABT snowdrop - This drama bought me to kdrama world! that's how huge of a impact it had on me! This drama is such a rollercoaster of emotions ! A moment I was impacted with their love n chemistry while the other I was crying oceans of tears! yeah a Lil spoiler- "IT DOESN'T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING"although its still worth the watch! For Young-ro (Kim Jisoo) a rookie actor with her first main lead drama - She just bought out the Young-ro character in herself! I just can't believe She did such a great acting starting from showing LOVE,CARE,HATRED, JEALOUSY, BETRAYAL all at the same time! godd!!!! She just outside herself! def gonna look up for her future works! and who brought me to snowdrop - yeah, it was JISOO from BLACKPINK! I EVERYTHING ABT HER ! she's the Best ACTOR, IDOL, AMBASSADOR, FRIEND,UNNIE, DAUGHTER,AND EVERYTHING! SHE SCREAMS PERFECTION ❤️‍??

Lire davantage

One Tragic after One! Many Plot Twists with Roller Coaster Feeling!

I would say I like this drama so much. It might not be the best/number 1 in my all time favorite dramas list, but at least, it's one of the best to my all time favorite dramas and the best drama of 2021 to me. First reason is, I like dramas with plot twists and 'Snowdrop' has so many plot twists that my jaw dropped many times. Secondly, I get to learn a lot on political strategies. Even though this drama is fiction, the knowledge on political strategy grows after you watch this drama, and I really like such a meaningful drama. Therefore, whether it's a happy/sad ending, you should try watching it.

You may find it draggy and the time in the drama runs really slow because most of the setting for this drama will be inside the dormitory and so many things happen each day inside the dormitory. However, with the plot twists back and forth, you will not feel bored watching inside the dormitory, yet it's rather a roller coaster feeling.

You may not see 'action' tag, but this drama has a lot of actions. At first, you feel it's action, but at the end, you will feel it's melodrama even if you are watching action scenes, and I think that's why 'Action" is not tagged here.

After all, Love Beats Ideology and Conscience. 'Love' here mainly focuses on the love between a man and a woman but also includes the love between family members (Spies and their family members); love between a righteous ANSP team member and the students (People).

Talking about acting, I would appreciate Jung Hae In the most. To be honest, I wasn't his fan before watching this drama. I used to watch in 'While you were sleeping', but he didn't give me any impression back then. I didn't even remember he was in there as it pasts so many years, but now that I like him in 'Snowdrop', I just remember he was in 'While you were sleeping', and I feel like what? His acting was really perfect here. Why didn't I notice such a great actor back then? In 'Snowdrop', even if he does nothing, his eyes portray everything; we can feel all of his emotions through his eyes. If I need to sum up in one word, it's 'Perfect'. As for Jisoo, I admit that her acting is still limited in some plots which made me realize 'Ah, she is acting'. However, she did a good job as a first time acting in overall. On top of that, she acts on such a difficult project as a rookie actress. Compared to other idol actresses when they acted for the first time, Jisoo is one of the best.

Besides these 2 main leads that most people see through posters, we actually have many other main leads that are important characters in the drama as well. When you start watching it, you will realize that their presence is really really important and inevitable. Without those other main leads, this drama can't be a success, so I appreciate all the actors and actresses.

Music makes us more immersed into the story, so it's perfect for me.

Rewatch value: I already did the rewatch many times while waiting for next episodes to come as I watched it while it's on-going and couldn't stand the wait. That's why I rated the rewatch value high. One thing I can say is, it's addicted.

I will not say much more. Just go and watch it! Sad or happy, it deserves your time!

Lire davantage

You bloomed flowers inside me who was so cold. ♡

This drama really grew on me. Waiting every week for the new episodes gave me so much joy and the thought that the weekend is for Snowdrop gave me strength and motivation for the assignments I had to do in uni. I don't know about you, but for me it hits dfferent when you're watching an on-going drama. It's just not the same as when you binge-watch a completed one. When you're watching the drama while it's releasing, you get even closer to the story, to the actors, to the beautiful soundtracks...The emotional bound you create is deeper. That's what happened with Snowdrop. Saying goodbye to the drama the other day was more painful than I imagined. And I really needed time to accept the reality and to emotionally heal from everything I've watched. (I'm just a person who gets emotional very easy and when once I finish something whether it's a book, movie or a drama I feel empty for days...)

If I should describe the drama with one word it would be "suspense". Every episode was so unpredictable and every second of it is important. Once you start the episode, you'll be mesmerized and you'll lose track of time... and then oops - you'll be surprised how fast the episode is over. 1 hour and a half passes so fast.

I really love the actors and their acting game. All of them portray their character and the emotions so good. They'll easily make you love or hate them. Some of them will annoy you to the point where you'll want to just go and punch them, haha. There are no words for the acting of the main male and female lead. I was really impressed by Jisoo and her acting. If I didn't know I couldn't tell Snowdrop was her debut drama. I really loved her character. Both she and Haein nailed their roles. The chemistry between them was really good (both on and off screen - I really recommend you watching the making films in JTBC's YouTube channel for full experience). Sometimes they didn't talk much, but the body language and expecially the eyes said everything and it was more than enough. Those scenes where their eyes speak are probably my favourite ones. All actors were brilliant, that's all I can say.

The story. I love stories that include North Korea. Everything related to it is so interesting to me. I want to know, read and watch more about it. The story here...it just breaks my heart that this is maybe the reality for the people in North Korea. Living for one person, worshipping one person, working for one person... Being given tasks they should do, doesn't matter if they like it or want to do it. I remember the moment Young-ro and Soo-ho were talking and she asked him why he has chosen such a dangerous job as a spy and whether he can't just stop doing it... But then he answered that nobody can choose where one will be born. In the same way he didn't have a choice but to be a spy. This scene, their conversation there with the coffee is one of my favourite scenes - both of them being honest and themselves, Young-ro trying to comfort Soo-ho, Soo-ho showing his feelings - truly one of the most touching moments for me.

The music. The soundtracks. Love all of the OSTs. Truly. Deeply. I listen to them and get emotional. Every time. So beautiful, yet so sad. Snowdrop is the second drama, in which I like all of the soundtracks. Without an exception. Now after the drama is over, they hit even harder. They're bringing such a nostalgic vibe. I usually don't listen to slow songs, but these here have all of my heart. Personally I feel like I'm in another universe, another world when I listen to them, that I'm back in the time... somewhere between the 80s and 90s. Definitely will listen to them on repeat for a long time.

And last but not least. How I feel after the drama finished. I must say I was hoping for a happy ending until the very end, until the last minutes. The last episode was just pain and tears. A lot of tears. It broke my heart into a million pieces. For an emotional person like me it was so much to bear. The way Soo-ho protected Young-ro, the fact that she also kept her promise to be with him until the end, the way he gave her the cassette, his last words to her - it was heartbreaking. It was so sad and so beautiful at the same time. At that time I couldn't take a breath, I was just crying and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Even though this is sad and heartbreaking enough, what came after that was even more painful. And yes - that's what Soo-ho had recorded for Young-ro. It was so painful, because you can finally see what was in his heart all this time. In the episodes it may seemed that Soo-ho didn't show his true feelings to Young-ro, that he doesn't say a lot, but this is not the case. It's the opposite. He fell hard for her. It was love at first sight for him as well. He also had a really hard time, although he tried to look strong. Knowing he can't do anything, knowing that it's dangerous for Young-ro to be with him, knowing that they can't be together. If only they were ordinary people... Listening to the tape hurt as much as Young-ro and Soo-ho's last moments together. And I'll just write his "letter" to her because it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard:

"Young-ro, I remember when I first met you at Rome Coffee Shop. When I saw you putting out your hands to stop the match tower from collapsing... To be honest I've had feelings for you since then. If I were... just an ordinary young man... I would have asked you out on a date that day. Then we would have become a couple, right? Going to the amusement park and the movies with you... I wanted to spend a long time with you. How did I become someone who shouldn't stay by your side?

But I never regret meeting you. Young-ro, you bloomed flowers inside me who was so cold. Thank you. I'm leaving but I will...I will... I'll remember you forever. Eun Young-ro, I love you."

... More tears are coming while I'm writing this. No words are needed, I'll just say that when he says "Young-ro, you bloomed flowers inside me who was so cold." and the scene with the snowdrop comes out is that broke me in tears. For me that's why the drama is called "Snowdrop". This flower blooms in winter. Although in winter is so cold, this little white flower blooms. Despite the coldness. And just like that - Young-ro bloomed flowers inside Soo-ho's heart. The love between them bloomes despite the dangerous circumstances, the difficulties, despite the political chaos and schemes.

I think I'll stop here. Snowdrop is truly a drama that will stay in my heart for a very long time. And although the ending is sad, I think I'll rewatch it someday. Watching it was quite a journey and I won't be able to forget it. I have no regrets watching it. It will forever be a beautiful memory.
♡

Lire davantage