Category: Korean Dramas

A memorable scene that I feel encapsulates the heart of this series is one where Jang Ju Won aka The Monster (played by the exceptional Ryu Seung Ryong) explains to Hwang Ji Hee his love for wu xia (martial arts) novels. He tells her that at the core of all the fighting is usually a love story, to which she smirks. But this accurately sums up what Moving is to me.

The best way to enjoy this is to imagine it as a live-action of a manga featuring a rich and flamboyant Jin Yi Soo (styled in Johnny Bravo) who gets thrown into a Violent Crimes Investigation Unit led by a serious and dedicated female detective Lee Gang Hyun.

I think the literal translation for the title is actually “flowers that even bloom in sand” which sends a clearer message of resilience and hope. It is rare to find childhood friendships that persevere through to adulthood, and even rarer to be reunited with a childhood crush.

Murder case aside, there is another unresolved mystery behind former ssireum child prodigy Kim Baek Du.