CAST: Kim Seon-ho, Shin Min-a

DIRECTOR Yoo Je-won

If you want to see how a simple story in a small town be told with immersive techniques, this is the series for you.

Hye-Jin is a dentist from Seoul, but a series of unfortunate events see her wind up in the small seaside town of Gongjin. Once there, she immediately finds herself an outsider and struggles to fit in. When she decides to open a dentistry, it only exacerbates issues. Step forward “Chief Hong” Du-Sik.

Du-Sik is a handsome and suave man who’s officially unemployed but undeniably a busy man. He helps out all the different residents and gives Hye-Jin some sound advice. As one may expect, the duo start to grow closer together and across the episodes each grow and evolve over time.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha goes a lot deeper than just the romance with a large ensemble of characters helping to flesh this show out. Chun-Jae is a former Seoul-bound singer who’s retired but itching to get back in the studio. There’s also Nam-Suk, the resident gossiper, and recently divorced Yeong-Guk and  Hwa-Jeong. Their child Yi-Joon is caught in the middle of their marital issues but finds solace with the utterly adorable Bo-Ra. Bo-Ra’s parents are expecting a child but friction between Geum-Cheol and Yun-Gyeong complicates matters. There are extra characters here too, including the young police office Eun-Cheol, Hye-Jin’s best friend Mi-Seon and her college friend/crush Seong-Hyeon.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha does an impressive job juggling everyone, with numerous episodes honing in on one or two residents. Each of these stories have a consistent arc too, with a lovely conclusion by the end of the 16 episode run. In fact, every character in this show is given a decent ending by the time the final credits roll.

The series does well to keep things consistently engaging right the way through, though sometimes the flash back stories create a momentum deficit. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, a remake of a 2004 Korean series called Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong, is one of those shows that work if you’re familiar with the rhythms and pacing of typical K-dramas. Since each episode clocks in at 75 minutes, the show can take its time introducing its characters and the worlds they inhabit, then bring them together to start fanning the flames of romance.