REVIEW: ‘Like Flowers In Sand’ Takes Its Time

Like Flowers in Sand (Moraeedo kkoch-i pinda) is a slow-driven, heartwarming Korean Drama (Kdrama) that asks its viewers to be patient. Starring Jang Dong-Yoon and Lee Joo-Myoung, Like Flowers in Sand doesn’t seem like much on the surface at first. An underlying mystery takes hold of the sleepy, quiet Geosan County. As the story unfolds, it showcases the ssireum sport, highlights the long-lasting, devastating impact of rumors, and reinforces the importance of friendship.

The series follows Kim Baek-Du (Jang Dong-Yoon) on the precipice of retirement. Ever since returning from his military enlistment, Baek-Du fails to live up to his prodigy status. With the team on the verge of disbanding, things look bleak for the series’ resident himbo. His life changes when his childhood friend, Oh Yu-Gyeong (Lee Joo-Myoung) returns to Geosan County and takes over as manager of his team. It’s not long before he figures out that Yu-Gyeong didn’t return to Geosan for nothing. A match-fixing conspiracy boils over, resulting in a murder that forces Yu-Gyeong to take on the case.

Like Flowers in Sand, it starts off strong but slow. For viewers requiring more action and speed to their stories, Like Flowers in Sand, will not fill that void. Director Kim Jin-woo and writer Won Yoo-jung work in tandem to build out the characters over the course of the series’ twelve episodes. Much of the episodes in the first half focus on fleshing out Baek-Du. Actor Jang Dong-Yoon plays him as the most adorably simple-minded athlete. It’s difficult not to fall in love with Baek-Du’s personality, especially when he’s paired with Yu-Gyeong.

Yes, Like Flowers in Sand is about a combat sport. No, it’s not an action Kdrama.

Yu-Gyeong’s background is filled mostly with flashbacks and whisperings from the townsfolk. Formally known as Oh Du-Sik, she carries the weight of shame placed on her by Geosan County. Her father’s reputation is still in tatters twenty years later, but the lure of conspiracy is too much for her to resist. The only time we truly see her at ease is when Yu-Gyeong is with Baek-Du.

The tomboyish girl from the past comes out around him. Actor Lee Joo-Myoung’s oscillation between relaxation and tension spans the length of Like Flowers in Sand. As Yu-Gyeong becomes more comfortable with the people around her, the direction shifts Joo-Myoung’s approach to Yu-Gyeong’s body language too.

Halfway through Like Flowers in Sand, the series stumbles. It seems unclear as to its identity or what it wants to focus on. Three storylines try to fight for dominance. There is a focus on Baek-Du and his ssireum career, the murder mystery conspiracy, and building out Yu-Gyeong’s past. With these three storylines fighting for supremacy around Episode 6, it creates a lag in the pacing of a series already operating at a slow burn level.

Thankfully, writer Won Yoo-jung rights things. One by one, answers reveal themselves, which pushes us further into figuring out the mystery. The three storylines converge in the second half. Identities are revealed, and then things boil over in tension towards the end of Like Flowers in Sand. The twist of the murderer’s identity may be polarizing for some. In addition to there being little set-up to support the identity, the utilization of flashbacks to fill in the gaps feels more like an addendum rather than something wholly convincing. But a happy ending brings things full circle.

Like Flowers in Sand captures the difficulties that grow between generations.

Throughout Like Flowers in Sand, much of what the younger generation of characters deals with is breaking away from the wounds of the past. Baek-Du, Yu-Gyeong, Joo Mi-Ran (Kim Bo-Ra), Kwak Jin-Su (Lee Jae-Joon), and Cho Seok-Hui (Lee Joo-Seung) all find themselves reunited. Friendships are mended or revisited towards the end of the series. Most damning is that you can see how much of an impact Geosan County’s insular community has wounded them.

For Yu-Gyeong and Mi-Ran, their fathers’ fallout and how the townspeople’s gossip pushed them away highlight the damage a community can do. The ripple effect is we see Baek-Du lose his dearest friend. While Seok-Hui and Jin-Su fill some of the absence, it is not enough to repair the wound in his heart. Yu-Gyeong is his motivation, and the community that celebrates Baek-Du and other ssireum players is also responsible for driving others away. While this might not have been the focus of the series, Geosan County and its community are important driving factors in Like Flowers in Sand.

Like Flowers in Sand is a slowburn tale that asks its audience for some patience as it sets up its story. Driven by strong characterization, particularly with Baek-Du, and eventually finding its footing, Like Flowers in Sand manages to come together. Weaving together the storylines takes time, but it all makes sense in the end. Ultimately, Like Flowers in Sand rewards its viewers with a story that is both compassionate and heartfelt.

Like Flowers in Sand Episodes is streaming now on Netflix.