Gaetmaeul Chachacha: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

October 18, 2021 7:35 PM - Season 1 (Full Season)

A big-city dentist opens up a practice in a close-knit seaside village, home to a charming jack-of-all-trades who is her polar opposite in every way.

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Zapzee - 2 Brilliant Charms of Healing Rom-Com ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’: "Amid the waves of works overflowing with provocative materials and scenes, a rom-com that provides comfort and healing has appeared. tvN weekend series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is directed by Oh My Ghost director Yoo Je Won and penned by The Crowned Clown writer Shin Ha Eun. It’s a drama remake of the movie Mr. Hong, and the story begins as dentist Yoon Hye Jin opens her clinic in Gongjin, a sea village."

posted by oh yeah! (7 comments total)

Another 2-episode-a-week Netflix/tVN show that wrapped up this weekend, was anyone else following?

Overall, I thought this was another fun one. I loved Kim Seon Ho in 'Strongest Deliveryman' and 'Start-Up', and I liked Shin Min Ah in 'Tomorrow With You' (which is disappearing from Netflix on October 29, so I think I'll need to give it a speed-binge-rewatch). The pairing was fine -- definitely not the strongest chemistry compared to other kdrama rom-coms I've seen, though their both having dimples was pretty adorable. The heroine's characterization is a bit all over the place, changing to fit the plot/comedy needs rather than an organic arc. But for a beachy, opposites-attract rom-com, I didn't mind too much. And there were enough side-plots with the ensemble to keep things interesting.
posted by oh yeah! at 4:36 AM on October 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

These k-romcoms in small seaside town settings (e.g. Where the Camellia Blooms) are like comfort food for us. You need at least three grandmas, a lot of delicious food, and (for some reason) a divorced or separated couple (where she's the grown-up) that the writers are shipping back together.
posted by kurumi at 10:50 AM on October 19, 2021

This sounds like something i'd watch. thanks for posting.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:22 PM on October 19, 2021

Have you watched other kdramas, OHenryPacey, or would this be your gateway show?
posted by oh yeah! at 6:45 PM on October 19, 2021

This was really sweet. I wouldn’t usually say this but I enjoyed how they leaned into all the standard kdrama tropes, cliches and melodrama. I also liked that the lead couple was in their mid-30s and had to deal with their own issues before committing to each other. Overcoming personal obstacles and past trauma seemed to be the theme for almost everyone.

The three kids were great! I was so happy that Ju-Ri got to fangirl over her K-pop idol (see the video where Min-Seo, who plays Ju-Ri meets IU to see what I’m referring to).
posted by plastic_animals at 6:25 AM on October 20, 2021

I've watched a few others -- Abyss is the one I liked the most. I bounced off of Crash Landing into You after expecting to like it. As a dentist myself, I will almost always try a situational that involves one just to see how they are portrayed.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:26 AM on October 20, 2021

I liked the character of Hye Jin from the start: she was a highly ethical dentist who advocated for procedures that were in the patient’s best interest (I wish I could find a dentist like her). Still, I struggled to get through the first two episodes which, I thought, portrayed her as a city girl who doesn’t know better than to wear sparkly and expensive high heels to the beach. But I wanted to see her redeem herself and to see more of the seaside town with its red lighthouse, so I continued to watch. The road trip to Seoul with the Grandmas and the story of Gam Ri’s need for dental work won me over. The storytelling meandered a bit in the middle with separate stories about two predators and a scammer (I felt like that was weird), but for the most part, the series was light and sweet – well, I guess Doo Shik’s back story was kind of dark, but not as traumatic as the events in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (another story set in a small coastal town with a red lighthouse, hmmmm).

This probably won’t make my top 5 list for the year, but I enjoyed watching it. I loved the décor in Doo Shik’s house and his great collection of books. I stumbled across a YouTube video by Life in Colour that analyzed Doo Shik’s (aka Du Sik) reading choices and explained how it might impact his character. It helped me to forgive him for his rude treatment of Hye Jin when he first met her (as an adult).
posted by kbar1 at 10:40 PM on October 20, 2021