*spoilers ahead*
It’s almost been a week since “Crash Landing On You” ended and I still can’t get over it. The Netflix Korean drama series captured the hearts of its viewers through the story of two star-crossed lovers from South and North Korea.
The story takes place both in South and North Korea, following the life of a South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri landing on North Korean land after a paragliding accident. She is then discovered by North Korean army captain Ri Jeong-hyeok who takes her in as his “fiancé” to protect her. Later on, it’s revealed that he is actually engaged to North Korean socialite Seo Dan who tries to push their wedding forward upon learning about Yoon Se-ri.
Back in South Korea, Se-ri’s second brother Yoon Se-hyung finds out that she’s alive and orders his men to make sure she doesn’t go back home to secure his inherited position as CEO of their family business. One of these men is Gu Seung-jun who tried to con him and was formerly a suitor of Se-ri. He then has a change of heart and helps Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok with the former’s escape from North Korea.
Upon arriving back in South Korea, a North Korean ex-military officer plots his revenge following Jeong-hyeok’s move to prove him guilty for his bribery of other officers. He escapes to South Korea and tries to assasinate Se-ri—since she is someone who Jeong-hyeok treasures deeply. The South Korean government learns of his whereabouts and kills him.
The series finale, which aired on Feb. 16, shows Seung-jun sacrificing himself to save Dan from the gangmen who wanted to kill him for his betrayal. It started off sad for the star-crossed couple as well as they were forced to separate after Se-ri wakes up from a coma. However, it is revealed that the South Korean government supported the lovers by letting Jeong-hyeok schedule messages to Se-ri—leading to their reunion in Switzerland.
Here’s what I thought about the ending:
If you thought Dan and Seung-jun will have their happily ever after, think again. Although the finale showed a fairy-tale like ending for Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeok, the final episode didn’t do justice to Dan and Seung-jun’s love story. The episode starts off with Seung-jun leaving the airport to save Dan from the gangmen intending to bait him. And while everyone thought he was gonna make it out alive, Seung-jun had his final breath in the ambulance.
If you watch the series, you would know that the two met at the rooftop of the Pyongyang Hotel. It started out as strangers giving each other advice about love and money. They started developing feelings for each other while sharing their personal problems, which included Dan’s unrequited love for Ri Jeong-hyeok and Seung-jun’s revenge against Yoon Se-ri’s family.
What disappointed me was the fact that they killed off their story the minute the final episode started. Both Dan and Seung-jun came a long way, with both characters maturing throughout the series. They deserved a happy ending. It would have been nice to finally see Dan be with someone who gave her the attention she deserved. It would also have been exciting to see how much Seung-jun would have changed because of his love for Dan.
Some people on Twitter even agree with this:
Second lead couples have always been underappreciated. Although overall, the plot of the series was amazing, I felt like the story of Dan and Seung-jun was rushed in the end. Dan might have powered through the loss but she didn’t deserve to feel lonely in the end, given that she’s always been the one giving herself (to Jeong-hyeok and Seung-jun). I hope that future K-dramas would give second lead characters the happy ending they deserve because they aren’t just for the main leads.
Photo courtesy of DUCKHU TV’s Instagram account
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