Postmortem: Welcome to Samdal-ri

A review of Welcome to Samdalri

Well not really a postmortem while the show is going on now is it?

But I have fallen in love with it so deeply that here I am, trying to convince you, dear reader, to watch this pronto. 

Synopsis: Cho Sam Dal, a resident of a small neighbourhood called Samdal-ri in Jeju, moves to the big city, Seoul, to make it as a photographer and vows to never return. However, a scandal forces her to run away to the only place she knows, her hometown. There she encounters her old life, friends and an ex-boyfriend who becomes her reason to both leave and stay. 

It’s a hot summer day. You’re sweating. You sit by the window hoping for a moment of respite. And then it comes, the gentlest, sweetest, cool breeze. That is Welcome to Samdal-ri. It lifts your heart and envelops it in warmth. Samdal-ri is a small sea-facing neighbourhood in Jeju. It is shaped by its residents who have lived there for years. They are, in short, a group of gossiping aunties who, unlike others, have good intentions.  

Cho Sam Dal grew up in Samdal-ri along with Cho Yong Pil, named after the famous singer, Wang Kyung Tae, the useless one, Bu Sang Do, the successful one, and Cha Eun Woo, the simple one. Together, the five friends have seen everything together including Cho Sam Dal and Cho Yong Pil’s lovestory. The two were born to mothers with the same name, on the same day, five minutes apart. They are soulmates. Their friendship soon turned into love but for some unforeseeable circumstances, they had to break up. It’s been 8 years since that day. 

The show is a warm hug. It has love in every cut. K-Drama royalty Ji Chang Wook as Cho Yong Pil is beyond lovable. His understanding smile catches you off guard more than once. He loves fiercely, forgives easily and helps wholeheartedly. They don’t make men like him anymore. And yet, he has his own baggage, but he carries it without it weighing him down. His relationship with Sam-Dal is a forever kind of love. The kind that never needs words and only needs glances. 

Cho Sam Dal’s two sisters Jin Dal and Hae Dal played by Shin Dong Mi and Kang Mi Na tell you that they love you by yelling. But the creme of the creme is yet another K-Drama legend, Kim Mi Kyung as Sam Dal’s mother Go Mi Ja is stoic, stubborn and absolutely brilliant. This lady doesn’t need an essay to justify her abilities, just watch her. 

Of course, a cute love story, a cute set up, a stunning backdrop (Jeju is f****** gorgeous), is the recipe for a good drama. But what makes it great is how subversive it is. The women in this drama are achievers without making a big deal of it. They are stubborn, living their life on their own terms. The men are the perfect supporters. They enable the women and carve out legitimate roles in their lives just by loving them right. Sam Dal’s mother is a haenyeo or a female diver that harvests molluscs, seaweed and other sea life. She is the matriarch and earns the bread for her home. Her husband, played by Seo Hyun Chul, is her unwavering support. Cho Sam Dal herself moves to the big city to live out her dream as a photographer. Her friends, all male, move with her. Cho Yong Pil remains by her side till the very end. As he says right in the beginning of the show “Cho Sam Dal is my dream.” 

The show never points fingers asking you to notice these things. It just, well, let’s it happen. And that is how it nestles itself deep in your heart. 

TL;DR: If you’re looking for comfort, start here. 

13 episodes are out, streaming on Netflix.