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My “First Impressions” post is here. Navillera: Episode 1 First Impressions
Gifs from earthmixs’ tumblr.
I’ll have to remind myself to bring tissues.
Let’s enjoy the show.
20 Comments On “Navillera: Open Thread”
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It’s a bummer that this drama only has 12 episodes. And next week is the finale week 😭.
How do you find the young lead actor here, @LeeDale9198? He reminds me of Rowoon (sp?), the actor in “Extraordinary You.”
@packmule3 I am pleasantly surprised? His range is better than Rowoon. He cries beautifully 😂. I didn’t watch him in Love Alarm? How was he there? He seems to be the “it” actor of the moment? I keep seeing his name pop up everywhere. His name popped up with Park MinYoung in a drama possibility and I rolled my eyes. Another noona romance? 🙄 But then he ended up turning it down and went with another rom com with Han SoHee (the classically beautiful Princess in 100DMP).
I honestly can’t remember much about “Love Alarm.” I only did Lovebangwon a favor and reviewed that one episode. And I was looking at the characters, not the actors. I know Lovebangwon was quite taken by him and she was rooting for him to end up with the heroine. Lovebangwon has good tastes. 🙂
I’m glad that he turned down the PMY drama. He had good sense. Noonas shouldn’t be his base fans. 😂
Strange how all these noona romances cropped up at the same time. Are these kdrama writers drinking from the same well or something?
I wouldn’t mind him with our Kim HyeYoon (“Extraordinary You”). Where are all our young actresses? Like Kim Yoo Jung, and Yoon So Hee (the KAIST engineering student).
Kim SoHyun seems to be the hardest worker of her group, and she’s doing drama after drama.
@PM3 – Song Kang seems in demand and working hard. He has 4 dramas in Netflix from last year to now. 2 Love Alarms, Sweet Home and Navillera. I don’t think I will watch Love Alarm, I’m curious on his role in Sweet Home but I don’t like the genre. I think he is doing fine in Navillera on the emotional scenes and the dancing, plus he is handsome and tall! No hardship to watch. 😉
Episodes 9 & 10 didn’t have much physical action to move the plot, it was all about changing relationship dynamics: younger son, Seong Gwan, finally explaining to his father why he walked away from his career as a surgeon; Chae Rok and his father finally spending time together and showing kindness to one another; Coach Lee apologizing to Yang Ho Beom for dashing his football career hopes and encouraging him to strive toward them again; Seong Gwan, who had been so emotionally guarded with his family, showing his emotions to his older brother; Deok Chool’s oldest son, Seong San, admitting to his father that he respected and leaned on him for support, etc.
There was a relationship hiccup when Chae Rok told Deok Chool to give up ballet and Deok Chool stayed away from their lessons. Chae Rok, I imagine, was motivated by fear and overwhelmed by the responsibility of looking out for the safety of someone so vulnerable. He has come to care for Deok Chool and doesn’t want him hurt, but in his youth doesn’t realize that some forms of deep pain can’t be seen.
It seems that the plot setup in these episodes is pointing to Deok Chool’s family and the ballet group, including orthopedic doctor Oh, working together to support Deok Chool and his dream for as long as he is able to pursue it. The look on the elder son’s face as he watched his father dance in the street was a look of wonder and love.
Having Seo In Guk appear in a cameo was a treat. Because he has a puppy face, I tend to overlook how tall he is. Seeing him glammed up and acting like a vain ballet star was a change of pace from other roles in which I’ve seen him.
Song Kang dancing ballet is my new religion 😁
Ep10 is another tearjerker episode 😭 we are getting closer at the end…i’m not ready to say goodbye. Chaerok will go abroad and harabeoji’s illness is getting worse 💔
“even if you don’t remember me, i’ll remember you” -chaerok
Gah I’m a mess after Ep10. It’s fitting that Haraboji wants to do swan lake. Like his swan song. 😭
Everyone is terrified. I am glad his family members know now. CR was living in constant fear that something would happen to Haraboji (he felt responsible for his welfare). He opted initially to run away from that responsibility by telling Haraboji to quit ballet. If he didn’t have to teach Haraboji, he was no longer his responsibility. But it was for naught. Running away from it is not the solution. Facing the abyss head on is. Accepting it and making the most of what precious time is left. Making memories that will live on in the minds of those who can still remember on Haraboji’s behalf.
I liked the conversation between SG and his mom at the tteokbokki stall. A mixture of grief and relief. Relief because he’s no longer the only person in the family bearing the burden of the knowledge. It’s a shared burden. And as more and more members of the family learn about it, it will bind them closer as they shoulder it together.
I also liked the boys talk on the rooftop. The framing of that shot was beautiful. Right at the end after his friend encourages CR to just give it his best shot, he says this
https://i.ibb.co/3kSbGvF/77854-E24-BA1-A-4367-A717-757-DED100072.jpg
then this lovely framed shot of the 2 boy with dreams looking up. And the church spires (2 of them) in the background. As if giving them a blessing. Hope for the young because they have time on their side – they can afford to fail and start over. Circle of life.
https://i.ibb.co/3yjhDGg/5-C8-FF1-E0-629-A-4-F11-B517-58-B9-DDAAEC26.jpg
I love how the family opts to leave it for Haraboji to tell them for as long as they are able to. It gives him that dignity. No blame game. No guilt tripping. Just shared grief as they weep together when the penny drops. They are all terrified. No one is trying to act brave or pretend it isn’t something that you can just wish away or jolly along. It’s just a resolute acceptance and to make the most of what little time they have left.
I also love the depiction of DS’s lonely trek to the institution. Getting his affairs in order. There’s a certain stoicism that is remarkable here. Courage under fire. Rather than just imploding and retreating into depression, he ticks off things he wants to be able to do on his own whilst he is still lucid. Then his lonely figure under the solitary tree on the hill. As he talks to his friend who passed. It highlights the journey he is embarking on. No matter how much his family wants to be there with him, it is in reality a solitary affair as the battle is his alone.
https://i.ibb.co/0yf7N69/EA54-CAF1-257-B-48-E4-B220-E2-B441-C59-E9-E.jpg
2 more eps. A much anticipated finale. I don’t think I will be the only one wanting to watch Haraboji’s swan song so much more than CR’s competition dance. It will be a standing ovation. Of that I am sure.
Hi @packmule 😃. I’m not fairly attracted to Song Kang and Rowoon enough to fangirl over them, though I’ll admit they are fine, handsome boys. I agree Song Kang is the better actor than Rowoon, by about one step I guess 😁.
I actually skimmed through S2 of Love Alarm because of him and his pairing there (the other girl not SoHyun). Their couple’s story is sad because Song Kang’s character hasn’t rung his gf’s love alarm but Song Kang was willing to do his best in their relationship and looks forward to eventually loving her. I’m wishing for their love to flourish and for them to be the leads if ever Love Alarm S3 happens.
I recently found out that he appeared once in an episode of Touch Your Heart by Yoon InNa and Lee DongWook. I watched this drama, and knowing that Song Kang was the handsome guy in that one episode (his minor role was a young deliveryman that made Dongwook’s female attorney coworker’s heart flutter a bit because he’s handsome) made me root for him now.
So now I have Lee Jaewook, Hwang Inyeop, and Song Kang in my list of k-actors I’m rooting and watching as they progress their careers in the k-ent industry 😃
On to Navillera. I know this is a story about Grandpa DeokChul and Chaerok and ballet and alzheimer’s.
But being young as I am, I’m also watching closely the relationship (romance?) progress between Chaerok and Eunho 😁😃😄😅. I love how they instantly looking at each other’s way even before grandpa introduce them to each other. And now it comes the time when Chaerok wants to inform Eunho firsthand about Grandpa’s situation. He’s itching to tell Eunho even after he informed SG. I can’t wait for the time they’ll discuss on their relationship after everything else on their lives settles down. I don’t want their tension to go down the drain.
@LeeDale9198 I wouldn’t hold my breath for the romance. This writer is all about subtlety. She won’t cave in and detract from the main message/thrust of her story. She did the same in her other work Tunnel. Now that was a series that had time travel and serial killings. And it was gripping from start to finish. She did the same there with the relationships. None of them detracted from the overall momentum of the drama. With EunHo and CR, if their relationship will progress it will be one of shared grief over Haraboji whom they both adore. It’s not going to be your usual head over heels young love. I trust this writer to give it just enough for it to feel real. She’s dealt with all the different relationships the same right through the drama. I am very satisfied.
@nrllee Well, I like the subtlety of the romance here anyway hihi. My imagination would just serve me in filling the gaps. Overall, I love this drama. It’s only sometimes that I am able to watch dramas with little to no romance in them. I fell in love on the first episode because the drama was able to fit in everyone’s stories in just the single pilot episode 😃.
Hello.. I just finished watching the 10th episode of this drama today, and I’m so happy. Thank you all who discuss this drama here and recommending this.
This drama is definitely going in my all time favorites. If anyone here watching Dear My Friends.. it’s kinda remind me of that. The senior actor is becoming the main lead: i’m hooked at this concept and I will look forward to this type of drama/movies.
I love how Haraboji developed the relationship and conversation between him and Chae Rok. I also love that Haraboji is always a supporter for everyone around him (his granddaughter, his children, his wife, Chaerok, even Ho Beom). This drama is so heartwarming and yeah I’m a always crying watching a family drama..
What I think that make it special too is because in general, many senior actors/actresses were usually given only few parts/scenes in the scripts. Most dramas would have the young and beautiful actors for their center of attention. Maybe because of these reasons, not many of Senior Actors are confident enough to keep “soar” in the entertainment industry. But if there are more writers who are interested and sincere enough, I believe they would make a lot of beautiful pieces with senior actors/actresses as the main leads. There are a lot that we can learn from their point of view too..
PS: i really hope i could see Haraboji on the stage. *fingercrossed*
And the drama reached its finale…
It really stopped my heart for a second during the last few minutes of Ep 11/beginning of ep 12 when Grandpa didn’t immediately wake up when the alarm sounded off. Phew really, I don’t want deaths here to happen. Good thing nothing grave like that occured.
But having a memory blackout episode on the day of the awaited performance sure is nerve-wracking! Well this is dramaland so everything ended well. It sure is heartbreaking if in real life you suddenly can’t remember what you’ve been striving and toiling for everyday. It would really crushed hearts if Grandpa end up not remembering steps/choreography and he would of just stand on stage.
The gala performance was a success! Grandpa and Chaerok finished Swan Lake gracefully. The family gathered together to celebrate. Grandpa relayed to the family his decision that he would go to the nursing home. Of course everyone opposed.
After that Seongsuk had a one on one with grandpa, talking about how grandpa takes care of her and that she would do the same to her children. But she guessed it was fate that she didn’t have children, that instead of repaying her father’s love through loving her children, she would repay it instead to grandpa by taking care of him. So after their talk, Grandpa decided to not continue in the nursing home.
Then the day after, SeongGwan played the documentary film in front of the family. Everyone was able to see Grandpa’s journey.
Seonggwan talked with Grandpa. He shared his decision to continue being a doctor because he learned about time being the most treasured and coveted thing, and because patients needed time the most and that doctors can prolong time. Grandpa told Seonggwan it was the right decision.
Another day has come again. Grandpa is in high spirits. He is now on manager mode because Chaerok still has a competition in 2 weeks. Everyone is doing great so far.
Seongsan and Eunho had a talk. He’s now encouraging Eunho to do whatever she wants to do. Btw, in ep 11, Seongsan was actually fired from his job because of the mismanaged funds and the company set the blame on him even though the headquarters instructed them to do everything to sell as many funds as they can. Anyway, when the news about it came out, Grandpa visited Seongsan and encouraged Seongsan and assured him that grandpa has his back. Grandpa reminded Seongsan of the latter’s love for baseball by giving Seongsan a baseball glove. So Seongsan got the courage to take responsibility and resigned from his company who suggested him of quitting anyway (thus I said fired in the beginning).
Chaerok and Eunho met. Eunho gave Chaerok a flashdrive containing the documentary. She proceeded on thanking him for everything. She also told Chaerok that she found her happiness, that she was enjoying her time in the radio station. Chaerok is delighted, and wish Eunho success and that she could become a radio dj someday.
Yeah okay I didn’t get a romantic conclusion for Chaerok and Eunho but we have a great moment for romance anyway as Teacher Ki proposed again to Teacher Eun 😆. The proposal, hahaha Ki just gave Eun the ring and told her he spent more on it than the previous one. She smirked but she accepted the proposal anyway.
Now came the part as Chaerok needs to fly away to compete and study ballet abroad. He was sent off by his father, the two ballerinas from Teacher Ki’s studio, Teacher Ki himself, and Grandpa accompanied by Eunho. Chaerok and Grandpa had one final embrace, a tearful separation as Chaerok’s gonna soar high away while Grandpa has his progressing illness.
It is a beautiful drama 🥺🥺🥺
I cried like a lot in the last 2 episodes. I am glad that we got to see everyone’s closure. Seong San with his baseball club, Ae Ran becoming head consultant, Seung Suk taking care Haraboji, Seong Gwan back to the hospital and put his heart into what he does, Eun Ho found what she makes her happy, Mr Ki married to her ex, Ho Beom pursue his career on football, Chae Rok soar in the last 3 yrs and Haraboji didn’t forget ballet and Chae Rok face. He even took a bow when seeing him.
Seong suk and haraboji moment was a tearjerker.. I could imagine how Haraboji wearing his yellow raincoat and waiting happily for his daughter in front of the school.
I learn a lot from Haraboji. Of how someone’s sincerity and strong determination could touch everyone’s heart, and how powerful their impact could be for others. Haraboji for me is like the center of this story, aahh my heart is so warm.. 😊😊
Three years had passed. Grandma found out Grandpa sneaked away from the house again. Turned out he was delivering “mails” from house to house. She came to fetched him. Grandpa didn’t remember Grandma. Grandma lured him to vanilla ice cream hihi. They went home afterwards.
Seongsan’s wife became a head consultant in her workplace, while Seongsan’s working as a administrative manager I guess in a baseball club company. Eunho continued working in the radio station, aceing it as an employee there. Sejong (Chaerok’s friend, he also sent off Chaerok at the airport btw I forgot) and Hobeom were now players in the same football/soccer club. Teacher Ki and his wife Teacher Eun now have a ballet company/troupe.
Seongsan sent a message to the family chatroom reminding everyone on Chaerok’s return as a successful ballerino and the upcoming dinner to celebrate it. Apparently Seongsuk and her husband now lived just beside Grandpa and Grandma, so surely they would not be late in the celebration.
Chaerok’s father put on the fridge a news article clipping on Chaerok’s return as a pride of Korea. The ortho doctor had a poster of Chaerok’s upcoming gala performance posted outside of his clinic and bragged to someone outside the clinic about how he was CR’s doctor.
Grandma talked to Grandpa about Chaerok returning. But grandpa could only think of when it would snow. As he was sitting outside in the sofa, snow fell. He went out until he arrived at the train track intersection, on the other side of the track is Chaerok.
Chaerok: Grandpa. I’m back. *proceeds to bow*
Grandpa: Did you soar?
Chaerok: Yes!
And then Grandpa bowed in response.
This is a great drama. I’m overall happy with the conclusion. But I’m wishing for more though.
I wish this drama could’ve had the usual 16 eps. If so, maybe we could’ve seen more ballet 😁😅. The ballerinas from Teacher Ki’s studio could’ve had more appearance/involvement. I totally forgot about them. Why did they have to appear in Chaerok’s send off? 😅 They were done dirty here lol jk.
Or maybe if we got a longer finale episode, we could’ve seen SeongGwan in his white gown again. Or SeongSuk and YeongIl frantically looking for Grandpa too. They could’ve ended with a family dinner with Chaerok. (and then we could’ve got to see the palpable tension between CR and EH) 😃.
Ahahahaha my young shipper heart is a little frustrated you know 🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡. I already know what to expect, but still 😭😂. I’m gonna partially blame the promotions lol!
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In the end, Navillera is centered on Grandpa. He is the butterfly who brought positive effects on people around him. He showed that no matter what age, for as long as we have time and determination, we can do the things we want to do. Supporting one another lifts us up, whatever challenges we may face. We may stumble in life, but we could get up and move forward. We just have to keep moving and running, then in no time we will be soaring.
Sigh…this was a lovingly crafted drama. Packed so much into it in 12 short episodes. I loved every minute of it. Everyone had a part to play. Just like a well choreographed ballet. The corps de ballet did their parts and told their stories well. And of course there’s the pas de deux between CR and DC. Haraboji danced his swan song. And then the epilogue. Loved how they met again in the snow. At the rail crossing. Their fleeting moments shared at a significant juncture in both their lives entwined them together in a bond that transcended the disease. As the snow rained down in flurries, DC’s memory distilled to that one moment where he soared so long ago. CR bows his gratitude and thanks to Haraboji. And Haraboji asks the most relevant question in his mind to his young prodigy whom he inspired. “Did you soar?” CR nods as his eyes well up. A satisfied smile breaks across Haraboji’s face as he bows in return. Bravissimo. And the curtain of snow falls on the pair. A fitting finale. 🥰
Beautifully recapped @nrlleeand @leedale.
I can’t add anything more than to express how much I love this kdrama. So much dignity (even in sickness and tackling aging), compassion, gratitude and heart.
“Did you soar?”
“Yes.” Absolutely!!!