When the Camellia Blooms

This drama is hard to rate. It was refreshing to see a different slice of Korean life beyond the hustle and bustle of Seoul. The acting is mostly very good. Young-sik is my favourite leading male in a K-drama thus far. He's an absolute chaotic weirdo, in the best possible way. However the three things I struggled with the most were: 1. The pacing - there honestly didn't need to be that many episodes. As a result, the series often felt very uneven. 2. The mystery around the Joker - it's a bit anti-climactic and doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense 3. This can probably be chalked up to cultural differences, but the constant labouring over the fact that Dong-Baek is a single mother and *gasp* sells alcohol. You'd think the woman was engaged in organ harvesting for the black market based on the way some of the peripheral characters carried on. It was both hard to watch and, as a point of tension, was overly relied on. We know she's an outcast, we know everyone's favourite hobby is sl*t-shaming Dong-Baek. Maybe if they'd spent less time driving this point home and more time on the Joker element of the narrative, it would be more satisfying.

In summary despite a lot of potential, it's mostly good but frustratingly doesn't quite knock it out of the park (baseball reference LOL).

They **** you up your mum & dad as Phillip Larkin says. The story of Dongbaek and her 8 year old son, she was deserted as a child by her single mother and carries a lot of baggage and insecurities. There is a side story of a serial killer but the main focus of the series is the struggles of Dongbaek and how people can be so cruel about how they perceive others. It is well acted and I have to mention just how good the son is played. Their is also a character who is a social media star and the cruelty of trolls is touched upon. The main love interest comes from a policeman who is not very smart but carries his heart on his sleeve. A beautiful touching story which should remind us all not to judge others until we have walked a mile in their shoes.

" When the camelia blooms " was a nice blend of slice of life and mystery.

The drama had, first of all, great performances, especially from the three main actors and actress. The characters were pretty interesting too. Another thing that worked for them was the mystery. Although the episode before the last on seemed like it had wrapped up everything, the last one was pretty intense and had a nice, unpredictable twist. The romance, in addition, was good at first, but, honestly, it got a bit boring towards the ending. But the family drama was just right.

So, overall, eight out of ten.

Motherhood, fatherhood, childhood, love, sacrifices, humility, kindness, simplicity, crime solving, good music, good acting, lovely elderly characters, social media addiction, lack of money and much more you will find in this slow pace but very good story. Give it a try. A special mention to the acting of Kang Ha Neul awarded best actor of 2019 in this drama😍

First of all, I cannot rave enough about the acting. The casting for this show seems just perfect and everyone, from the main characters to those with smaller parts, truly bring this story to life. Some may feel that this is just a regurgitation of same story about a socially stigmatized single mother trying to raise her son the best way she knows how in a rural setting and finding love along the way. However, the rich character development and great acting make it seem like something original. Rather than trying to grab the audience's attention with fast-paced action and shock element, just for the sake of shocking, the story builds interest through empathy. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in taking a glimpse into the lives of these fascinating characters and becoming immersed in their daily lives; sometimes exciting, sometimes mundane, like real life.