~ "Having a place to return to is an incredible relief"
The series ended with this line and I couldn't agree more with it, especially after seeing this series... A perfect display of what having a family or someone have your back looks like. This series actually reminded me so much of another kdrama I saw some months back.
"Hometown Cha Cha Cha" is a lot similar to "Welcome To Samdal-ri" but the difference in them is worth seeing them separately. They have their unique storyline but promoting two things in common... Family and hometown.
Welcome To Samdal-ri is a 16 episode series set in a small hometown called Samdal-ri, a seaside in Jeju. I've once shared one of my dream that I would love to visit Jeju Island someday, you can imagine how excited I was to see that this series is focused on showing more about the beauty of Jeju with a wonderful storyline.
The series cast two of my favourite actors as characters, Ji Chang-wook from the popular series "K2, Suspicious Partner and Healer" and Shin Hye-sun known for her role in "Mr Queen and See You In My 19th Life". I must say, these two are a perfect combination for the storyline in this series looking back to their former roles in other series they've started in.
The storyline of this series goes like this...
Four friends who grew up in a small hometown together decided to start a life and achieve their dreams in Seoul but after some years, only one could stay strong and continue to pursue her dream. But after a wrong allegation from an assistant, all her hard work crumbled and she had no choice but return back to her hometown like her friends had done long before then.
Going back to her hometown begins to rekindle past emotions and reveal hidden truths, it also brought her back to her family, her friends and learn more about her dream to be a professional photographer.
There is romance, comedy, drama and a lot more in this series but most importantly, there is the Family Vibes which I'd love to focus more on in this review.
If you're looking to seeing a series that would teach more about family, relationships and love, this is a perfect go-to series as it unveils a lot of sacrifices done by family and hurt that anyone may tend to go through in achieving a dream. To focus more on the family vibes, I'll share my thoughts about our lead character siblings and her best friends.
Samdal-ri (starred by Shin Hye-sun) is the lead character who has three sisters, three friends and a best friend who turned her lover. It wasn't until after her encounter with her jealous and evil assistant, she began to realize how much her family and friends loves and care for her.
Her eldest and youngest sisters had to go back to their hometown with her for different reasons but most importantly to help each other get through the hard time they were faced with it in Seoul. These three sisters are the talk of town when they were growing up for different but notable personalities they had.
They have their own story to tell and even amidst the difficulties, they had their own happy ending which is a sweet addition to the series.
The friends of Samdal-ri are my favourite part of the series, how they care for each other even when they are not in contact or they have some quarrels within themselves is amazing. It shows the strength of love even in hurt and quarrels.
There is Wang Gyeong-tae, the talkative and insensitive one who seem to be the life of their cycle, I still can't get over a scene where he felt so sorry for his friend after the setback in her work place.
There is also Bu Sang-do and Cha Eun-woo who also played their roles well in being friends and support system to Samdal-ri. And finally, Cho Yong-pil who went from friends to being lover to our lead character, the perfect blend of everything she needed in a family and a friend.
There are other characters who played significant roles to make the series memorable one. From her parents to a father who hated for 20 years... In fact, this series should be a must watch for every family and it teaches family more. I'll rate it a 9/10 and I hope you do check it out and share your view.
