“Like Flowers in Sand”

Reading Time: 3 minutes

This Korean drama follows the lives of Oh Yoo-Kyung (played by Lee Ju-myoung) and Kim Baek-du (played by Jang Dong-yoon). I loved the story-telling and direction (Kim Jin-Woo). The casting team has picked a cast to match the drama perfectly. Every actor, from the main leads to the supporting cast, played their part flawlessly, making the entire drama feel incredibly authentic. And from the moment I laid eyes on Baek-du playing Ssirieum, I was hooked.

The story is all about the life of Kim Baek-du, an aging Ssirieum wrestler (age matters when it comes to sports), and his experiences in Geosan, a quaint seaside village in South Korea. With his innocence, naivety, and captivating smile, he drew me into this drama and his life. I cannot say more on how the director has maintained the consistency of Baek-du’s character — his habit of talking to himself when agitated or confused, makes the character feel like a friend that I would have loved to have. His belief when he’s right, cannot be shaken by anyone else. The other wrestlers’ characters add variety to the different personalities we have in a group of friends and add to Baek-du’s colourful life. The direction, dialogues, and acting all work seamlessly to bring this character to life.

Oh Yoo-kyung portrays her character with a comically serious blend of integrity and awkwardness, perfectly fitting her return to the village. Watching her switch between her Seoul accent and the village dialect (I assume) when interacting with Kim Baek-du is a joy. Their friendship and comfort with each other kicks off instantly when they meet. Their playful banter and gestures remind me of my own childhood friends. When we are together, sharing jokes and old memories while giggling all the way, we relive our childhood all over again. And distance or time truly don’t matter when the friendships you have are deep and caring.

I got incredibly curious about the South Korean traditional wrestling, Ssirieum. It is unique to me and it reminded me of the Indian traditional wrestling ‘Kusti’ in the sand pit. I cannot imagine how much fun it would have been to film the scenes and to get them right :). Such unique plots lure me in, to click onto the Netflix series so much more enthusiastically.

There is a subtle hint towards the issues of gender inequality in sports and I wish they would have gone deeper into it.

If Ssirieum wasn’t enough, the plot has a suspense in the storyline that ties to Baek-du and Oh Yoo-kyung meeting. The entire village is stirred up. This village ensemble cracks you up and makes you literally feel like you are joining their conversations. They could easily pass for genuine village folk (I assume, and perhaps I’ll have a better understanding when I visit a real Korean village. Another reason to go there!!)

This package of an idyllic village setting, nosy neighbours (a treat!), and endless support from everyone for one another through thick and thin, makes this drama a joy to watch (especially during the rainy days here in Brussels). Oh, and let’s not forget Kim Baek-du, who elevates the drama to another level with his performance and authenticity. I eagerly await to see him in another role, breathing life into a different character.

Until the next captivating drama catches my eye… maybe you could recommend me your top favourites of all time.

lured into k-dramas