Como flores en la arena

This show is both comforting and interesting. I felt like I was a part of the small town of geosan as we went on a journey through the eyes of Kim Baek-Du wonderfully acted by Jang Dong-Yoon. He is an absolutely green flag of a guy and I genuinely rooted for him over and over.

I hadn't heard of ssireum (Korean wrestling) before watching this show and by the end, I felt wholly invested in the sport.

Although a murder mystery circled the central plot it doesn't overwhelm the main plot or become gruesome in any way.

This drama keeps the story tight with just 12 episodes so at no point do you feel like it's dragging. I would definitely recommend this for a watch.

Loved this series for a couple of reasons. One, because I learned so much about a sport I never knew existed. Ssireum....who knew? Jang Dong-yoon is a true pro who remade his physique, not to look awesome, but to look real for the sport. The matches looked so authentic to me, and I got invested in Kim Baek Du's challenges as well as the connection between the teammates. The seedy gambling world touches about every sport, and this series showed parts of that as well. Next, the culture of the village was immersive, and you could relate with the gossiping neighbors, get angry with their ridiculous nosiness and be touched by their loyalty. Third, the characters of Baek Du and Doo-sik (sounds like doo sheek) are perfect foils for each other, with a mysterious bond from childhood that neither can forget. Their relationship is the heartbeat of the series. Don't see how anyone could resist the charm of this show.

Korean Drama '' Like Flowers in the Sand '' is a slice of life drama with many other genres blended nicely in the main plot.

The drama is a sports drama that handled it well, with some training, some games, and a championship of course.

However, the drama didn't forget the rest of its plotlines. The mystery case was solid and blended nicely with the story of the friends and their backgrounds.

The romance was, in addition, subtle, but cute.

Finally, the performances were all great by everyone in the cast. Especially the leading man was really enjoyable and had a sweet character.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

I don't always seek out a drama with sports as a central theme, but when it's done well they can be really enjoyable. This series does that, but also believably weaves past secrets, murder mysteries, small town beauty and not so beautiful issues, friends, and a slow burn romance. None of those subjects take over the entire experience, they are gently and expertly woven together at a pace that keeps you interested.

The cast was wonderful and it was nice to see so many familiar faces. I was a big fan of the ML's mother, and all of the child actors. The kids made me cry real tears. Both leads were great in that the FL was very good at showing the different sides of herself; while I felt the ML was outstanding with his athleticism and expressiveness. They had great chemistry in all the ways.

The only reason I didn't give it a full 10 was because occasionally the ML would be a bit much for me in his persistent ways, sometimes the dialogue would drag a bit with characters taking quite a while to spit out what they were trying to say, and the ending could have wrapped up a little tighter. But this was still one very worthy and thoroughly enjoyable watch that I highly recommend.

I was really surprised this got buried in my algorithm, but I quickly saw why that might've been the case. The general story, characters, and great actors were all there. Unfortunately, what was truly disappointing was the pacing and plot. Although the overall premise was solid, the interactions-especially between Baek Du and the supporting characters-lacked depth and development.

Most notably, it seemed to focus heavily on the main characters, often during moments that felt unnecessary or even irritating, while the central friend dynamics were underdeveloped. I wholeheartedly believe that including more scenes between Jin Su/Baek Du and Jin Su/Mi Ran would have improved the series significantly. Less frequent interactions between the main leads would have left us wanting more, rather than feeling overwhelmed.

That said, it was still an interesting and well-done thriller/mystery. The extended supporting cast-such as the family and villagers-delivered strong performances. I also appreciated the authentic small-town accent and what felt like a genuine representation of ssireum from my perspective.

Overall, I fairly enjoyed the series and just wish there had been more focus on the other characters. I was also glad they kept it to 12 episodes.