Kim Baek-du is a ssireum prodigy within the Korean drama Like Flowers In Sand. Early on he excelled on the type of Korean people wrestling that has been performed because the fourth century. In such a wrestling two gamers put on lengthy material belts round their waists and one thigh, which they use to flip their opponents and pin them to the bottom. However regardless of his early promise, Baek-du by no means managed to win a championship.
Now at 32 he has to make some selections. Proceed to compete and lose or retire? His father is a well-known ssireum wrestler and it should be humiliating to see his son lose. Even his mother not watches his competitions as a result of she will be able to’t stand to see him get pinned to the bottom.
As his mother is watching a TV drama about infants switched at start, Baek-du quips that perhaps he was switched at start and his mother’s “actual son’ is a proficient ssireum wrestler—not like him. However then they acknowledge that such loopy plot twists solely occur in k-dramas. This k-drama could have one other type of plot twist that arrives within the type of some a lot wanted encouragement.
It’s not that Baek-du lacks expertise. Some say he’s too variety, serving to different wrestlers who would change into his opponents and freely giving secret signature strikes that might assist him win. Being a pleasant man has not labored out for him. He wants somebody to inform him profitable is definitely worth the combat.
Baek-du, performed by Jang Dong-yoon, is prepared to surrender, although he doesn’t have another profession choices. Then a mysterious lady arrives within the seaside village the place he lives. He’s satisfied that Oh Yu-gyeong, performed by Lee Joo-myoung, is his childhood buddy, Du-sik, however she says she’s not. She provokes feedback, initially strolling across the village underneath an umbrella, whether or not she’s underneath the solar or within the shade, then she mysteriously visits a misty lake the place a shadowy determine died. She has a behavior of exhibiting up unexpectedly.
Maybe as a result of the artwork of ssireum is all about flipping an opponent, the drama then flips viewer expectations by having Yu-gyeong turn into an achieved ssireum wrestler. Though ssireum is historically a male-dominated sport, feminine ssireum have made strides in recent times, profitable championships in opposition to different feminine wrestlers. This proficient wrestler additionally appears very inquisitive about Baek-du’s profession.
The folksy sports-drama-romance set in a seaside village presents worldwide viewers an opportunity to be taught extra about this conventional sport which is taken into account an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco. And as in any good sports activities story, viewers will wish to cheer for Jang’s good-hearted hardworking protagonist and hope he lastly wins a championship. It’s spectacular that Jang Dong-yoon had the time to coach for this position since he can be seen in three different dramas this 12 months. He performs Cupid in My Man is Cupid (Prime Video). He appeared in Every day Dose of Sunshine (NetflixNFLX) and performed a scholar who goes to jail for a buddy within the historic drama Oasis (Viki.com).
Like Flowers in Sand additionally stars Yun Jong-seok as a newcomer to the village, Kim Bo-ra as a unusual cafe proprietor and Cho Seok-hui because the police officer all the time searching for Baek-du. Choi Moo-song performs Baek-du’s father and Jang Younger-nam performs his plain speaking mom. The Netflix drama is directed by Kim Jin-woo, who additionally directed the dramas Healer and Good Physician.
