So on went Crash Landing on You, and with it, a whole magical new world opened up, like hearing Mozart after an exclusive diet of Stockhausen. There’s a general misconception that K-dramas are all violent, and indeed some are: the ruthless and disturbing content of Squid Game and Oldboy makes The Walking Dead seem like the life cycle of a Norland Nanny. But much of it is family viewing, a mash-up of romance, comedy and tragedy, crime and sweetness. But it was not just the superb acting, cinematography, wit, subtlety, directing, writing and very attractive actors of Crash Landing that had me captivated (or thoroughly over-invested, as my children said), it was also different.
Kim Jung-Hyun, one of the stars of the Netflix series Crash Landing on You
Lim Hyo Seon/Netflix
And so began our love affair with all things Korean. A love that has seen me try to learn the language, visit the country on holiday and revel in its cooking.
We spread the word to our friends that they too could say, ‘Goodbye, cruel world’ and escape into the benevolent Narnia that was Crash Landing, but their responses were disappointing. Most didn’t bother, one watched for five minutes before giving up, and another said: ‘I didn’t think much of that.’ Now we know how missionaries felt when confronted with the unconvertable.
