The beautiful seaside village of Gongjin, with its picturesque landscape, sandy beaches, rustic homes and a quaint red lighthouse that overlooks the vast openness of the ocean. It is the perfect sanctuary for weary travellers and those who seek refuge in its peaceful, idyllic setting. All visitors from near and far are warmly received by its friendly inhabitants with wide smiles, open arms and fresh seafood. Welcome to Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (where the only thing that’s perhaps missing is a dental clinic).

This fictional village truly exists but goes by a different name in real life - it is actually the coastal town of Pohang in South Korea’s east coast. HomeCha is a remake of the 2004 film, Mr Hong, which in turn is based on the original screenplay written by Kang Seok Beom and Shin Jung Goo. The 2021 iteration is helmed by Yoo Je Won (The King: Eternal Monarch and Hi Bye, Mama!) and adapted into the 16-episode drama format by Shin Ha Eun (The Crowned Clown and Argon). Im Ha Young (Oh My Ghost and Search: WWW) serves as music director.

As it was in the movie, Homecha is a rom-com about a girl from the big city who moves to the quiet little village where she meets and falls in love with a local boy. Sounds like the typical fish out of water character in an opposites attract love story except there’s more than meets the eye. In addition to the romance and comedy, this is a healing drama that explores slice of life aspects, from the mundane to the extraordinary, amidst a backdrop of myriad colourful characters and mysterious backstories.

I haven’t watched nearly enough K-drama romcoms to qualify as an expert in this subject but I’m well aware of the associated tropes that are usually present in the genre. This drama is no exception and features a number of such cliches and plot devices in the storytelling, which I don’t really mind because for the most part, they are generally well executed and not OTT. Despite the plot being rather straightforward, it has to be said, it does start off brightly and remains steadily engaging along with a multitude of story arcs and sub-plots involving certain side characters, mainly the residents of the seaside village. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, however, due to the inclusion of angst and tragic circumstances in the overarching story.

The production is of high quality and the scenic location of the principal photography affords the drama some utterly breathtaking panoramic vistas, largely attributed to the excellent all-round cinematography. The well-rendered night shots particularly at the waterfront and pier deserve praise as well as the art direction and overall interior set designs of the traditional village homes. The action sequences are minimal but the special effects for a significant event in episode 15 are very well executed.

As far as the cast is concerned, Kim Seon Ho shines the brightest as the affable and down-to-earth Hong Du Shik aka Chief Hong. He certainly fits the role to the tee and rounds off his performance with a powerfully emotional delivery towards the closing stages of the drama that is heart-wrenching to witness. Shin Min Ah portrays the FL Yoon Hye Jin who eventually falls in love with Chief Hong. I find the character somewhat lacking in depth and infuriating at times, while her interpretation of the role is merely adequate. She is certainly capable of more dramatic range but seems to be constrained by the limitations of the script. Nonetheless, both Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah do complement each other visually and the chemistry that they share appears convincingly developed. It’s worth mentioning that the production takes full advantage of their similar facial features for viewers to assign the moniker of “dimple couple” to the leads.

Among the supporting cast, Lee Bong Ryun and Kim Young Ok impressed me the most, as Yeo Hwa Jeong and Kim Gam Ri respectively. These two veterans certainly showcased their nuanced portrayals throughout. Despite her limited screen time, Kim Ji Hyun is memorable in her guest role of Seon A, a testament to her stage experience indeed. The child actors are also deserving of praise, especially Ki Eun Yoo as Jang Yi Jun.

The drama features 8 OSTs, the most prominent being its upbeat main theme, Beautiful Sunday which reflects the overall tone of the production. The rest of the soundtrack consists of slow-tempo love ballads.

로맨틱 선데이 Romantic Sunday by Car the Garden 카더가든
어느 햇살 좋은 날 One Sunny Day by Kassy 케이시
My Romance by CHEEZE 치즈
바람 Wish by Choi Yu Ree 최유리
빛이 되어줘 Be the Light by Kim Jae Hwan 김재환
내 기억 속에 남아 있는 그대 모습은 The Image of You (Remains in My Memory) by Sandeul 산들 of B1A4
Here Always by Seungmin 승민 of Stray Kids
행복했으면 좋겠어 I Hope You're Happy by Lee Sang Yi 이상이

HomeCha is generally an easy and relaxing watch that provides sufficient heartwarming and entertaining moments to fill the weekend and in between more serious or darker dramas in the watch list, which was exactly what I did. The story did take a brief detour through a slightly melodramatic and angsty arc, but eventually everything worked out to deliver a much needed HEA ending for everyone involved.