[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" Episode 12

So Hye-jin and Chief Hong are still in the early stages of a relationship. That's it. That's the entire plot for "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" right now. I figured after the relationship was outed to the entire community last episode we might at least see some other characters react to it or reference it this time around, but nope. The closest we get to conflict or tension arising from this coupling is a weird scene where Chief Hong grabs a drumstick that had been offered to Seong-hyeon.

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Despite not really caring that much about Seong-hyeon's TV show when he was first introduced, I find myself increasingly annoyed by the fact that I have no idea what this TV show is actually about. There's a big setpiece here centered around which three characters come to join the cast for a brief supper. Why Chief Hong was put in charge of this selection process was unclear to me, especially since he ends up making the decision by drawing lots rather than picking people with the right temperament for television.

This conflict doesn't last that long, since it's right back to Hye-jin and Chief Hong doing cute stuff together shortly thereafter. You know, I'm not one of those people who think that lead characters in a TV show can't get together because it ruins the romantic tension. I think watching people in a stable relationship get along with each other is a lot of fun, and even aspirational when they tackle a difficult problem together.

But there isn't anything for Hye-jin and Chief Hong to actually do. One particularly gratuitous setpiece just involves them shopping for clothes in a store that seems far too fancy for a community like Gongjin which until Hye-jin's arrival didn't have a single dentist. Also, apparently they don't have a gynecologist anymore either. That very brief factoid of social relevance is not mentioned again this episode, so as to avoid impeding more cute date scenes between Hye-jin and Chief Hong.

"Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" has very quickly turned into a very tedious affair, with there being little to no pretense of justification offered for why these episodes are eighty minutes long. I increasingly feel like I'm just watching a convoluted advertisement from the Korea Tourism Organization. Come to the romantic rural eastern coast! See the beautiful landscapes! See the great food! Except lately we're not even getting very much of that either.

Review by William Schwartz

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"Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" is directed by Yoo Je-won, written by Sin Ha-eun, and features Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi, Gong Min-jung, Seo Sang-won-I, Woo Mi-hwa. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/08/28~Now airing, Sat, Sun 21:10 on tvN.