K-Drama: Slow Down and Refresh in Gongjin's Seaside Village

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | 갯마을 차차차 (2020)

If you are an avid fan of K-dramas, then you would have most definitely heard of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. This k-drama has continually taken the number one spot in ratings in Korea and it seems like this trend won’t stop even outside the country. To see what all the fuss was about, I decided to give this k-drama a go. Initially, I didn’t think I would enjoy this k-drama as much as I do. I personally like something that has a little bit more thriller to it (ahem, Squid Game 😅) but after watching a show so intense and brutal as Squid Game, this was a k-drama that I really needed.

Netflix | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a heartwarming k-drama that puts me in such a good mood every episode. We are first introduced to the dentist, Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a), and at first glance she seems rather cold and unfriendly. But soon after, we see that she truly cares about others - you’ll see in the first episode that she loses her job at the dental clinic to prevent her client from overdoing treatment for the clinic’s profit! After a few whirlwind instances, she decides to set up her own dental clinic at her hometown, in the seaside village of Gongjin. 

TVN | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Here we see Hye-jin making a bad impression on everyone there including Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho). Du-sik is a jack-of-all-trades and has countless part-time jobs that essentially helps the village operate. On top of that, he has an extremely friendly personality. Because of this, Du-sik is loved by everyone in the village. However, behind his friendly exterior, there’s a bit of mystery to him. He keeps his personal hardships to himself, leaving an unsolved mystery that no one in Gongjin knows about. This k-drama does a really good job at keeping us on our toes as to what really happened to Du-sik in the past. I guess we all have to keep watching to find out 😉! 

Netflix | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Of course, the public is all in love with the chemistry between the main leads, Hong Du-sik and Yoon Hye-jin. What makes this k-drama so comedic is that these characters cannot be more opposite than each other. But it seems like opposites do attract because they continually bump into each other and develop mutual feelings. It’s touching to see their relationship develop as they help each other out through tough situations. 

TVN | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

I personally love how Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha focuses on capturing the element of family between the villager's. It makes this drama much more entertaining as each character brings a different story to the table. I personally love the sub-plot between Jang Yang-guk and Yeo Hwa-jung, a divorced couple as they try to co-parent while realising the misunderstandings that they had for one another. I think the versatility in the characters makes Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha that much more interesting and heartfelt. And of course, I can’t forget to mention Ji Seong-hyun (Lee Sang-yi), a TV show director who has as bright of a personality as Du-sik. It’s refreshing to see a second male lead that has the same positive energy as the main character. Everyone in the neighbourhood sees each other like family and is always helping each other out with no hesitation - this neighbourly love also makes a huge impact on Hye-jin’s character development! We see Hye-jin’s character slowly develop throughout each episode as she learns about each villager’s hardships and begins to show more compassion. Along with Du-sik’s straightforwardness, Hye-jin's hard shell begins to break and she learns to become more selfless.

TVN | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a feel-good k-drama that leaves me smiling after each episode. Even though it's not a k-drama genre I usually go for, I'm thoroughly surprised that I'm enjoying it as much as I do. In times like this, I think this k-drama is a must-watch to lift our spirits! 

Check Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’s trailer here, to see what all the buzz is about!