Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

a very, very Romantic Sunday in dramaland!

Hometown Cha cha cha is very much like the ost of its - Romantic, so so romantic in all the ways that it could be, and so so refreshing and exciting as a Sunday; makes you enjoy yourself while preparing you for the journey thats about to come.
HCCC talked about love like love deserves to be talked about, the love for ones self, love for smallest things and life, and most importantly love for other people.
The characters were like water; fluid and developing. HyeJin, you may not like her at first and Hong Banjang may be the first to catch your eye, but HyeJin definitely was the one i fell in love with the most. Her strong will had her standing head held high even in the deepest waters, she taught us emotional vulnerability, transparency and honesty is a strength not to be ashamed of. Hong Banjang taught us to hang onto love, even in the darkest times. If not for yourself, then love for other people.
Behind the scenes characters were just as strong and not overshadowed by the main leads, each getting their own stories and character depths. All the people of Gongjin, no matter how broken, come together in this witty little town that lifts up all our spirits.
The acting was impeccable. HyeJin is probably my favourite character Shin MinAh has ever played, just how realistically she captured her development throughout the episodes is truly, truly, amazing. Kim SeonHo, guys, dont get me started on him. I love that man to bits, and here he outdid himself. Layers and layers of expressions and micro-expressions, they made Hong Banjang into the character that we have all come to love. He was amazing.
and so was the rest of the crew, the chemistry was off the charts. esp love the bromance between KSH and Lee SangYi.
The drama had the best love triangle in kdrama history, the best breakup, and the best friendships. Genuinely good portryal of what it truly means to be a good human.
the production, music, setting was all so fresh. i couldnt recognize most of the artists in the OSTs. It included Seungmin's solo debut, which was IMMACULATE might i add. all the songs felt new and refreshing. Romantic Sunday, Here Always and Wind are my favourite osts.
The story is warm, like the sand on the beach, and the slow melting of ice in a jar. It melts you along with it and soon you find yourself a part of it, all warm and cozy inside. I dont think ive ever cried at a confession scene, but i did here. the emotions were all too real and all too there, it was difficult not to be teary eyed.
overall, a beautiful, beautiful slice of life masterpiece that will definitely go down in books. amazing. ill be so sad to let it go and not wait for it every week. will definitely rewatch for all the good vibes <3

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WORTH THE HYPE, WORTH THE WAIT

This is one of the purest drama I've ever seen. Hometown cha-cha-cha is a well penned, casted and directed drama with beautiful visuals and cinematography.
From the first trailer itself I was looking forward to this. I usually don't watch ongoing dramas. I have always thought future viewers are lucky since they don't have to wait inbetween episodes. But this one was an exception.This is the first time I am happy that I decided to watch a drama while it was still airing. Every weekend was a worth wait. Every episode got better and better. And my weekends are never the same after homecha ended.

PLOT
The story is simple and pure. A city girl Yoon Hye Jin ,a dentist had to move to a village Gongjin and there she encounters a village boy, Hong Doo Shik( chief hong). Their multiple encounter eventually makes them fall in love. This looks like a typical cliche storyline, right?? But this is not just that. But yes, there are usual cliches. But the way they dealt with it is what makes it special. This is light, warm, refreshing and healing drama with a group of loving Gongjin villagers. This is not just the story of the leads. The side characters are not some filler characters. They also have their own story and a life to deal with.This show is about love and how it makes us stronger.


With all these cliches what makes Hometown Cha Cha Cha the best?
No messy love triangles,no toxic relationships, no unwanted misunderstandings and break ups, no hate, just love and forgiveness.

SPOILERS AHEAD

WHY THE TITLE HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA??

I read this somewhere where that the title, CHA means car and Gongjin is the HOMETOWN here. And the three cha's refers to the cars of Dusik, Hyjein and Sung Hyun. All three came to Gongjin is somewhat connected to car. One of the reasons Dusik came to Gongjin is because he lost his hyung in a car accident, Hyjein couldn't go back to Seoul because her car needed a repair and had to stay back in Gongjin and Sung Hyun lost his way and ended up in Gongjin. So their cars(three CHA's) led them to Gongjin (HOMETOWN). And that's the title HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA.

MAIN LEADS- Dusik , Hyjein and Sung Hyun (Ji PD)

SikHye(Dusik and Hyjein) have one of the most healthiest, mature and wholesome relationships amongst all K-Drama couples. They acted like a married couple even before they started to date. They fight,annoy, bicker and care for each other. They're the definition of opposite attracts so it's a given for them to constantly argue. But I love how their misunderstandings were quickly solved. They are the definition of healthy relationship. They talk everything out and endlessly support eachother.
There is a love triangle. But this is not your typical love triangle with leads fighting for the same girl. I am not a fan of love triangle. But here it was quickly solved and all you can see was their bromance.They proved love triangles can be healthier too. HCCC have one of the best resolution of love triangle. And this love triangle was never an issue because the main leads were mature and understanding.
Their wholesome relationship is the actual reflection of how a healthy relationship works. They had their own struggles and hardships but they never broke up. And they never said the cliche line "I'm breaking up with you coz I don't want to hurt you". I believe nothing hurts more than your loved one leaving you during your hardest time just by saying they don't want to hurt you!! LOL.
When we were expecting love triangles they gave us bromance . When we were all prepared for the rejection by Dusik, he accepted her feelings. When most of them(not me) were expecting for a break up between ep 12 and 14 saying that's the usual kdrama troupe, they showed how a healthy relationship should be.To add-on to the cliche thing there was also childhood trope. But they fell in love not because of that. It was just a pigment to the whole story.

FAV EPISODES
Ep 10
The realisation, confession, acceptance with a kiss everything happened here. The realisation of Hyjein was the best part here. The way she walked in the rain realising her feelings for Dusik and that gradual changes in her expression was perfect. Special claps for Shin Min Ah for that particular scene. That's my most fav scene.

Ep 16- THE FINALE
I love how they wraped the whole drama so perfectly. They also had the funniest and cutest proposal ever. The way Hyjein told to consider the proposal as a relay and handed the baton to dusik when he was upset for her getting ahead and proposing first will never not be funny.Their confession and proposal was sincere and full of love.

FAV LINES
"Who cares if the wind blows a little when we're in the same boat?"- Hyjein
"Life isn't a mathematical equation. It doesn't have a clear answer either." - Dusik
And many many more.......

FAV SCENES
Ep 12 -- In that nightmare when he was afraid in the dark it's hyjein he calls out to. Because she is his light.
Ep 9 -- Hyjein was relieved when she saw dusik at that night. Ji pd gave all the tools to protect her from harm. But she just want Dusik's arms. And the ending hug was just wow. That felt so real.

They bicker all the time but that they are eachother's safest place.

I love the way the writer dealt with hyejin dusik relationship without breaking them up. Also Hyjein's character breaks all the stereotypes. When she was aware of her feelings she proposed to him. She was the first one to kiss, first one to confess and first one to propose. She just don't care about all these stereotypes. When she realised her feelings she run towards him instead of running away. She knows what she she wants and is sure about it .Hyjein is so far my favorite FL. I saw many comments hating her. But for me she is one the realistic FL ever. Hyejin is not your typical girl who asks for a break up when things aren't going well. Coz usually in kdramas these issues are more than enough for the couple to break up. But she handled it differently. She gave it a good thought and decided to wait for him. How many female leads will do this?? Most of them will break up without even thinking twice. That's why I say HYJEIN IS A STANDARD.

The fact that most of us were expecting a rejection from dusik but instead he accepted her feelings was a different twist. Even though he was healing inside he didn't push her away like how the usual ML's do. He's not your typical arrogant angry guy, he's just an ordinary guy.Out of all the doubts, fears, anxieties inside his head, there is one thing that he’s sure of, he loves hyejin.

All the characters were realistic and well portrayed by all of them. This is my first Kim seonho drama and he's already my favorite. His micro expressions are everything.I’ve never been this impressed by someone’s skill and personality in such a short amount of time.

The top-tier writing with an amazing cast made this drama heart warming. This deserves to bag lots of awards. Also the OST'S are soothing. la la la la la keeps playing in my head ever since I started this drama. Whatever I do, all my head does is go......Lalalalalala!!! For me homecha is a gem. My love for them is as deep as lake baikal :)

You should give it a try if you want some light hearted healing drama. It's better you don't go for it if you are here expecting some twists and turns. As I said this is just a simple story with relatable characters. Do watch this if you’re into healing dramas or romcoms! You won’t be disappointed.

PS it's been a month since homecha ended. But I'm still not over them. I miss them like crazy: (

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Wholesome and Romantic

I don’t usually write reviews but I just had to give my thoughts on this drama! It honestly made me so happy, it was so wholesome and it’s so easy to fall in love with Chief Hong. I was nervous that there would be too much of a love triangle but it wasn’t focused on too much which I was glad of. Also the lesbian representation was done well and made me so so so happy!! The only downside was that when the main couple got together it did start to get a bit boring? I’m not sure if it’s just the loss of the thrill of their initial falling in love, but it did kind of feel like they changed completely as people when they became a couple. Also they were a bit cringe lol. But overall this drama was such a good watch!

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The Perfect Fairy-tale with a Realistic touch

It may seem like 10/10 is saying a lot but honestly i'm not one to give a perfect rating just like that. I have watched my fair share of kdramas and when i say this one really touched my heart, i mean it. This is my first time writing a review because i feel this drama genuinely deserves it.

Not only did this kdrama captivate me from the very start, it kept making me want more. The home-ly, heartwarming and wholesome vibe it has is honestly unbeatable. The characters are so interesting and the writer managed to give depth to all of them, be it a main lead or supporting cast. each person had a story, background and life that you want to know about and not just skip cause it feels forced. the second lead couple was adorable, so were the rest of the gongjin residents.

its really hard to keep a person's attention if the show goes slow but this one went at the perfect pace. it defied the usual kdrama cliches of evil step-moms and broken families, inevitable break up between the leads due to some misunderstanding, troubled past for both the leads, etc. Sure the main male lead does have trauma but it doesn't feel like the cliche plot. This kdrama gives you all the butterflies, happiness and princess-y feelings you want but with a much needed realistic touch. It is lighthearted but does not lack depth. A fairytale romance but not one that consumes its leads instead it betters them. Plus a great ending. It basically gives you alot of hope in life tbh. that's what it did for me.

Overall, to me this is the perfect show and i honestly have no flaw to point out. Definitely one of my go-to kdramas for when i want a serotonin boost.

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A warm and refreshing dose of escapism

I loved this show. From the moment it began, I was enamoured with it. The acting of the lead pair was brilliant in exhibiting the right energy and aura of their characters. An urban raised middle-class girl with smug dismissal of the poor rural countryside folk and the man with little ambition in life other than to see the sun rise the next morning. This show was great. I enjoyed how it introduced and warmed us to the ethos and social norms of the town folk by essentially taming Hye-Jin's assumptions and forcing her to see the beauty of a simpler, less noisy life. Yes there's fewer opportunities to stardom, but there is peace and relative sanctity from malicious gossiping and the choking competition and judgement she faced back in Seoul. I loved how she was portrayed, and found her character to be refreshingly engaging, easy to sympathise with. Her flaws weren't ever annoying traits but understandable ones that made you empathise with her.

Chief Hong was a vibrant male lead and he had to the right amount of exuberance and compassion to make you love him. Plus, he is a really beautiful man when he smiles. I'm a heterosexual guy and I'm telling you right now - I got butterflies whenever he was laughing.

The show was carried by the chemistry of these two whenever they shared a scene that helped bridge the differences and create a grudging respect for who they were. Watching them fall in love didn't feel stale because of its inevitability, because they still wrote the scenes with realism. The show was also helped by not focusing too much on an overarching plot ahead of its character directions. Though this sometimes created problems when it came to laying the seeds for conflicts concerning Chief Hong, it meant you could get more invested in the characters.

I loved the town folk - the support cast were terrific. I was less interested in the film crew and didn't have time for those scenes but that's really my only quibble with it.

Overall, this was such a good show.

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Very long, but a comfort to watch

This drama was good - but, why. do. the. episodes. have. to. be. so. long?

Okay, so it started out and I was like, “why does this man do literally everything in this town? It’s so unrealistic.” But then my sister reminded me that it is a drama and not made to be realistic, obviously. But still, when he revealed his whole wallet of cards for trades he was registered in I was like, “come on, really?”

Hye-jin - I really liked her character. I thought she was a strong female lead who knew her own mind and what she wanted in life. Very driven. Her little dentist surgery was so cute and the big tooth sign out the front just made it. I felt so bad for her when she was stating the blatantly obvious about Cheon-jae while the mic was on. Thinking about that man even now makes me chuckle.

The fact that Hye-jin and Chief Hong were so different made it hard for me to picture them together in the end, and even ship them throughout the show. I liked their characters individually, but together I just couldn’t really see it. Even when they confessed to each other and kissed I felt no sparks for them. During that scene, all I was really enjoying was the song. Seungmin has a beautiful voice!

I found myself liking all of the side characters and was actually interested in their storylines. These people definitely boosted the show's rating in my opinion:
* Hye-jin’s friend and Eun-chol are just the cutest - I think I shipped them more than the main characters.
* The children! Omg they were so cute! Yi-jun is such a respectable little man. God bless him. Bo-ra - her too! When she sang that song at the talent show it made me weep.
* Cheon-jae’s daughter was also cute and funny. Her enthusiasm about DOS is great.
* Yi-jun’s parents

Towards the end, of course, as with any drama, it was dragging but then it suddenly got really deep which I was not expecting. And then Gam-ri died and it was just sad.

The soundtrack was great - I even bought a couple of songs after completing it because they just gave me the feels.

I feel like maybe I’d watch this one again. It was definitely a comfort show and was well produced with a great cast etc.

-E

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my heart feels empty,now that it ended..

everything was beautiful!!The story is quite realistic hence,relatable..characters were quite annoying at first,but everyone had a reason for their behavior. I loved how they showed everyone's side story and make us love them more and more.it's nice that everyone had a character development too,especially hyejin,I think i can say that she had the best character development.

the chemistry between the leads is top-notch! it feels like i am watching a reality show of two real life couples.i love how the dialogue seems like a real life conversation between them. as expected from great actors~

watching this really felt refreshing but warm too,at some times..I will really miss our sikhye couple and the people from gongjin..

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Who wouldn't love a dimple couple?

I loved Hometown Cha Cha Cha. You know the feeling when you got home from work, tired as hell, take a hot shower and go to bed then do absolutely nothing. It's just that feeling of comfort that this drama gives. Well, at least most of the time. In the drama, nothing really happens, you just follow the characters chaotic daily lives and that's pretty much it. Some romance here and there, some past traumas, some heartwarming moments and life lessons.

I can see why a lot of people have problems with the show because it is actually quite problematic, but it all depends on how you look at it. Let's start with the female lead; I guess you can say that if you meet a person like her in real life, you'd try to avoid her because she just doesn't have good friend vibes. Why would you want to be a friend with someone who talk behind other people's back? Or a friend who don't know their own emotions and act childishly because they are immature and can't take responsibility for their own actions? Yoon Hye Jin is not a good character in everyone's eyes, but it's okay, because I loved her. Somehow, she felt like a real person. We're all used to main lead either being strong and independant, or exaclty the opposite, weak and relying on someone else. She's somewhere inbetween. Her character is hard to digest, but once you get past and accept her for what she is, you'll be able to enjoy the drama.

Hong Doo Shik is exactly her opposite. Too good to be true. Maybe that's why they look so good together, opposites attract is the best thing you can say here. They have a nice chemistry, it's easy to look forward to their scenes and they make your heart flutter.

I think we are all already used to kdramas and the tropes the screenwriters use. You saw them in the previous drama you've watched, you see them here and you'll see them in the next one, too. That's just how it works. The point is how these tropes are used in the plot and how they connect the overall storyline and in Hometown, I think they aren't much of a burden.

The side characters take a good part of the screen time so your skip button might be useful. I loved some of them, some of them I couldn't care less about. The performances of all actors are great but Kim Seon Ho is the star in my opinion. He was the best Hong Doo Shik you can ever dream of. Overall, a well-chosen cast with great chemistry between every actor.

Overall, Hometown Cha Cha Cha is a good show, but not for everyone. It depends on your mood, it depends on what you're looking for. It depends on what kind of characters you like, it depends on how much of a patient viewer you are. The show delivers the messages pretty straight-forward, it's not that complicated, you shouldn't expect much of it. But it's worth giving it a try.

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A Perfect Light Watch ❤️❤️

One of the most talked about kdrama of 2021 starring our dimple couple, and the drama is really worth the hype. A very relaxing, feel good, light hearted, healing and cute drama that gives only positive vibes. The drama will take u to a beautiful vacation to the seasides of Gongjin with them and I bet u won't be able to get over it. A happy place for me.

The story revolves around chief Hong of Gongjin(a small seaside town) who is literally everybody's savior in Gongjin . The most loved , respected and everybody's favorite. When a Seoul dentist Ms.Yoon Hye Jin comes to Gongjin to set up the only dental clinic there after a mishap in her life , their lives change for a lifetime.
The cute chemistry between the main leads is heart touching and adorable.
What made this drama special was , it did not only revolve around the main leads, but also portrayed the story of everybody's life .
It taught us not to judge anyone by the way they are living, they have their reasons and we should just accept them happily.
Also it taught us hardships are part of life , but it should not stop us from enjoying our lives , to spend time with our loved ones.

At some points this drama gave reply 1988 vibes. Extremely cute story with twists and turns. The location was breathtaking so were the osts.
I bet u won't be able to stop singing "Lalalallalalallala romantic sundayyyy " ;)

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The story i can't thinking

The storyline has decline at episode 10 how that to be.To be honest i Don't like the actor and i Don't GIVE any specific opinion. In the end from episode 1 to episode 9 amazing and come to episode 10 this nothing lmoa just bad i see. Because the performance of any play is such an ephemeral experience, writing a play review can be an exciting, though difficult, task. You have to be both spectator taking in and enjoying the performance and critical analyst of the production itself. You have to be able to provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance you attend, and an interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, directing, and so on.

The review assignment asks you to analyze in an objective manner the relative success or failure of a given production. Note that you are not asked simply to summarize the plot or give an opinion regarding the text of the play being mounted; your review must be grounded in the production itself. Your job is to describe the production accurately, and then to render a value judgment of it based upon what you have seen and what you expected. The assignment will test your skill as a reader of the play and as an observer and critic of the production.

In addition to grounding your review on the production you witness, you must be careful to limit your review to a few essential observations in support of your thesis (which will be discussed below). You must concentrate on a few important ideas and aspects of the production and focus your attention on only what you consider the most significant parts of the production itself. Unlike a newspaper review, which can be loosely structured and superficial, your assignment is quite definite. You are not asked to cover a wide variety of production elements (i.e. performance of every actor, every costume change, every set change, every directorial decision, and so on); instead, the assignment demands that you develop a few key ideas in thoughtful detail.

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Cha-cha-cha your way to watching this drama, you will not be disappointed!

Totally unexpected gem! I reluctantly started watching this drama as I was browsing Netflix. I am so surprised that the storyline and acting is so freaking good. While the drama is near perfect, I will give feedback on what I like and dislike about the characters (not the actors, not the drama itself).

The female lead - The actress did a fantastic job acting, and her dimples are so freaking cute. However, character wise (this has nothing to do with the actor nor the drama), I disliked how she constantly gave backhanded compliments (e.g. while the album was bad, I did like this one song). I know that this it is apart of her "city girl, traumatized" character, and that because of the abandonment issues that she developed after the death of her mom, and her first college-boyfriend leaving her, that she likes her personal space, but if we continuously justify people's behavior because they have trauma, they will never change.

The male lead - This actor did a fantastic job acting, and his dimples are so freaking adorable. I rarely love male characters in dramas, especially in K-dramas. This is the first drama that I watched in which the male lead was not toxic, like at all! The male lead character is actually someone that I would need, if I were interested in dating lol. Although the female lead is doing a lot of pushing and pulling, he is patient with her, and kind to her. He doesn't allow her selfish nor mean comments impact his self-esteem, nor does he allow it to stop him from helping her or helping others.

Cho Nam Sook [Department store president / Chinese restaurant owner] - Cha Chung Hwa is such a talented actress. I fell in love with her after watching Mr. Queen, and then I saw her on a Running Man episode, and after watching it, I realized how hilarious and outgoing she was. In this drama, she acted so well.

I love the older women characters in this drama. It's refreshing to see Korean dramas open up acting opportunities for the elderly.

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KIM SEON HO COMEBACK STRONGER AFTER START-UP

2021 has been on Kim Seon Ho, not only his drama success also his activity in variety show!

People have not know him before start-up. He is a wonderful actor. His acting method really good since he has a theater background, that explain how he manage to deliver such a big emotion to the viewers ! Hong Du Sik is actually really complicated character, we might think he is all rounded but.. having a dark side of him and how Du Sik hide it from people around him is tough. Seon Ho really have to study and understand this character before portray as Du sik. As for now we don't really know the true nature of Hong Du Sik ( I didn't watch movie ) until his dark past reveal.

Some people might not like actor who portray a character like a theater artist but for me.. by combining emotion and body language... a perfect character is created !

I hope that he can continue acting and I cant wait for his next project!

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