“Like Flowers in Sand” (모래에도 꽃이 핀다)

By Jae-Ha Kim
Teen Vogue
August 1, 2024

☆☆☆☆
Kim Baek-doo (played by Jang Dong-yoon)
Oh Yoo-kyung (played by Lee Ju-myoung)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

From my Teen Vogue article on K-dramas with sports themes:

A mystery thriller as much as it is a wrestling saga, Like Flowers in Sand is set in a small town where everyone is obsessed with ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling.

Once a child prodigy in the sport, Baek-doo (Jang Dong-yoon) is the family’s failure who hasn’t lived up to his potential. Now in his early 30s, he has to decide whether to retire — as he promised in a drunken stupor — or try again for a win that continues to elude him.

Meanwhile, people are being killed in this sleepy town. Even more disturbing to Baek-doo is a woman (Lee Ju-myoung) who refuses to acknowledge that they grew up together.

This series thrives on Jang’s earnest likeability. He creates a man-child who is believable even in the most out-there possibilities.

Olympics: While ssireum specifically isn’t an Olympic sport, Koreans are big fans of wrestling. Kwon Sim-ho became a national hero in 2000 after becoming the only South Korean wrestler to win two gold Olympic medals. His were in back-to-back Games.)

Airdates: Twelve hour-long episodes aired from December 20, 2023 to January 31, 2024 on ENA. (I watched this show on Netflix.)

Best of: This series made my year-end best-of list for Teen Vogue:

Once a ssireum prodigy destined to outdo his brothers and father, Baek-doo (Jang Dong-yoon) — now in his 30s — knows it’s time to consider retiring from competitive sports. But what else can he do? He’s not qualified to do much more than wrestle. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose in his small town, but the nosy residents seem more excited than frightened by the threat of danger. Meanwhile, Yoo-kyung (Lee Ju-myoung) moves into a house previously occupied by Baek-doo‘s childhood best friend, Doo-sik. He’s convinced that they’re one and the same, but the newcomer denies it. All of this brings up painful adolescent memories for Baek-doo, who needs some kind of resolution before he can get closure and move on. Though this K-drama premiered in 2023, eight of the show’s 12 episodes aired in 2024. (Netflix)