When Blackpink’s Jisoo starred in her first lead role, it was surprising that she chose a story like Snowdrop. Sure, at the time, stories set in the 1980s were a hit in Korea, with dramas such as Reply 1988 and Youth of May that nostalgically recreated the aesthetics of the time, while also re-examining the loss and the pain under the dictatorship then. Snowdrop does the same, but it adds a more controversial twist– the love story isn’t between innocent bystanders caught in the fire, it’s formed between a South Korean student and a North Korean spy. Writer Yoo Hyun-mi and director Jo Hyun-tak take this interesting premise to chaotic, unpredictable scenes, and it’s a fun ride, at least until the secrets he holds and the politics inevitably brings their childhood to heartwrenching ends. Seolganghwa isn’t a perfect drama, but it’s a story that understands how muddled and confusing the era got, and how much the country should avoid a repeat of state interests acting at the expense of personal freedoms.
Genre: Drama, War & Politics
Actor: Ahn Dong-gu, Ariane Desgagnés-Leclerc, Baek Ji-won, Choi Hee-jin, Heo Joon-ho, Jang Seung-jo, Jeong Hye-young, Jeong Sin-hye, Jung Hae-in, Jung Yi-seo, Jung Yoo-jin, Kim Hye-yoon, Kim Jisoo, Kim Jong-soo, Kim Jung-nan, Kim Min-gue, Lee Hwa-ryong, Park Sung-woong, Park Ye-ni, Yoo In-na, Yoon Se-a
Rating: TV-14
