Like Flowers in Sand

I particularly enjoyed this series. At its core is a complete performance by Jang Dong-yoon as the not so bright Ssireum wrestler whose life has been on hold since his first love left the village. His is a very likeable character indeed, putting others first with kindness and forgetting himself in the process.

You cannot but support his journey towards a brighter future.

I also enjoyed its depiction of the world of Korean Ssireum wrestling. Having watched Sanctuary, about the world of Sumo, the comparison was interesting. Ssireum may lack the semi-religious ritual of Sumo, but I found the wrestling itself more exciting.

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.

A ssireum wrestler Kim Baek-doo played by Jang Dong-yoon is thinking about retiring as at thirty two he thinks the opportunity to be a champion has passed him by. Before he makes the decision he runs into Oh Yoo-kyung played by Lee Joo-myung who was his best friend when they were children but who disappeared from his life due to an incident which took place in the town. The plot then looks back at the earlier incident and how it impacted on the group of friends and the townspeople who are all involved with ssireum and how they all turned out. It is a well acted series from the entire cast, a gentle comedy with the funniest moments between the two leads and an easy watch.

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.