I didn't like the turn of events to be honest.

I wished a daily life drama about ssireum and it's a full police drama now.

I didn't like Yu-Gyeong/Du-Shik neither. She never gave any news about her to Baek-Du, they never talked during the whole time but she came back and decided she knows him the best and can take decision about his own life when still lying to him... She belittled him a lot because she didn't want to be caught.

I was feeling sorry for Baek-Du, I wanted people to leave him alone, that he can take a decision what he really wants to do and not be obliged because of pressure from others or because he believes he owes them something or out of friendship.

I don't really like how Joo Mi-Ran spies on everybody.

I knew it was a fake marriage when he took her arm. But I was very happy to see Yun Jong-Seok after Our Blooming Youth. His role is more fun.

I thought this would be the healing drama to pick me up from my Lee Sun-Kyun depression.
At any other time, this would be a good drama for me.
But Ep4 had a police interrogation scene which hits way too close to home right now.

@missvictrix Thank you for another recap detailing the emotions at play in the drama.

I love the way Baek Du is written and being enacted by Jang Dong Yoon. He is the personification of extraordinary in ordinary because it is really appealing to watch a character who is not just humble but also realistic. "Cute kid" as Jin Su's mom said.

I am looking forward to the frenemy development with Jin Su because Jin Su looks like a guy who misses his friendship with Baek Du.

Bora's role is small, but her mysterious aura is both funny and enthralling. Her way of reasoning at the station was hilarious.

Like another beanie has mentioned above, I want less of the cop story and more of the ssireum matches because even for a non-sports fan like me, the matches have a nail-bitting thriller quality to them.

Also, the ajusshis and ajummas make the little town and the drama livlier. Good acting and writing without exaggeration.

Love,love this drama and your wonderful recap @missvictrix made me relive and relish every wonderful moment of this gem of a drama ....now let me go and re-watch ep 1-4 yet again whilst I wait for the next episode

Baek Du was exactly what my heart needed yesterday. He is precious. I am glad he is so loved. His family is wonderful, so are the township folks. Even opposite camp Ahjumma has no choice because she is smitten by how cute he is. Baek Du’s mom worrying about his underweight son was just adorable. So was the scene of her planning his retirement.

The leads ending every line with yo and shi after their totally Banmal chatter was hilarious. I don’t even know what they were trying to achieve. They are hilarious.

I like that right off the bat Baek-Su blurts out that she was his soulmate. A connection he so strongly feels with her and I totally can see why he is shaken up by her arrival. And the fact he never forgot about her and was probably having imaginary conversations with her probably meant that he needs her. To talk to discuss.

The whole cops and investigation scenes are something I don’t look forward too. Even thoughBaek Du was adorable with his 40000 won confession the whole thing made me immensely stressed. They couldn’t wait 2 minutes for the match to end? Or ask him in private? What if there was no witness? I really don’t want to see cops for sometime. Sigh.

p.s Watchibg Baek Du walking around the town talking to himself is really well done. Such a Baek Du moment.

My favorite scene is Baek Du watching them unconvincing lock arms through the window in the stadium and scaring her "husband," hilarious.

2023 has been a terrible year for kdramas for me (it doesn't help that I'm still hoping for something with the same magic as My Liberation Notes to come along and give me all the feels). I haven't watched that many kdramas. The few I started watching I ended up quitting at the beginning because they were underwhelming. Or I finished them just because.

I haven't seen many of the dramas that aired this year. In fact, I'd say I haven't seen most of them. Because I haven't cared to. So when I saw Like Flowers in Sand on Netflix, I instantly wrote it off as another drama set in a small town with main characters I don't care for/can't connect to.

But then I read @missvictrix's recap of the first episode and the way she spoke about it made it seem worth giving a try. And I'm really glad I did because it's such a gem of a show. An unexpected gem.

Baek-du is such a sweetheart. I'm really loving Jang Dong-yoon here. And I think that not only does he look the part of a ssireum wrestler, he looks really good and healthy and soft and I want to put him in my pocket and protect him from all the negativity and bad things/people because he's too precious for words. I'm not as sold on the female lead though, but I like her well enough to give her a try.

She probably changed her name to something more feminine to distance herself from her tomboyish, roughhousing childhood self.

However, as much as I love the show, I do have a few complaints. And they all concern Doo-shik. She's not as nice to Baek-du or her hoobae as she could be. She needs to stop treating Doo-shik like an annoying younger kid. They haven't seen each other in ages and she doesn't know him at all, so why does she act like he owes her and she knows him oh so well?

And I wish people would respect Doo-shik's choice to quit ssireum. His parents aren't giving him grief, so why can't everyone else do the same? After all, it's not like he's that great at it, like they constantly remind him. Then again, I understand that it's a small town and this sort of thing happens, so I'm not too bothered by it.

@missvictrix, thanks for the recap !
I like it so far. I hope the killings are kept at one, Reservoir Guy .
Doo-Shik can be a little over the top, but over all I like it so far.
The mothers , the townfolk are well done .
Thank goodness it is twice a week. One a week is painful 😣 .

I have been feeling unsure about this drama through promos and the first week, but this weecap clinched it for me. I don’t know if I’ll catch up in time for next week, but I’m definitely going to pick this up. Thanks, @missvictrix !

I like a lot about these episodes, understanding it could go wrong at any moment.
First of all, I'm with everyone about just loving Baek-du as a character. On the one hand, he really is not very sharp and he is, up to now, a failure. On the other hand, he has an essential decency about him and (maybe) an intuitive emotional intelligence -- we'll see if that develops. One thing you can say he really isn't full of himself, he isn't bitter about his failures, he clearly has always been in love with Du-shik and so he isn't bitter about her either, just hurt that she never contacted him.

Second, if I could slightly disagree with @kurama and @emsel -- its not that Du Shik is a loveable character, and I think in making a clean break,
she was really cruel to Baek-du. But I think you can see that returning to the town, she is beginning to be genuinely conflicted about what she did to Du-shik and (is doing to him) now. If she learns any lessons, it will be about the virtues of Du-shik, not about the virtues of a provincial small town community.

That's why I don't mind a crime investigation at the center--sure, its a contrivance, yes, again, its using murder as a way to bring the main couple together, but its also a way to bring Du Shik back without suggesting that her ambitions to make it were a mistake, and I would love for Baek Du to establish his value to her by assisting her in the investigation.

I must confess the wrestling now for me is not the main point, and I actually would prefer that Baek Du not triumphantly return, but rather return in a way that affirms his early decision to move on. I continue to find it interesting, though, as a sport that I really didn't know much about, and I think so far they've had just about the right amount of it. I especially love the way Baek Du always ends up flat on his back, ruminating about matters that have nothing to do with the match. As I've said, its something that I can certainly relate to!

I like that details or jokes are brought back later on or are continued to another scene. Example: Baek Du being worried about paying back the $40 and much to her chagrin, his mother said she'll cover him to the store ahjumma in the next scene. Her embarrassed reaction was so funny.

I love Baek Du. His genuineness and kind spirit. His relationship with his mother and brothers are fun to see. She is brusque, yells often, and gives him a smack to get him to focus, but she clearly cares for him. It reminds me of my family and old times a bit. We tend to shout at each other yet we aren't trying to be mean. We're less physical, but I've given a headlock here and there. My cousins use to pinch my ears. XD

It's nice that everyone in the town are decent, realistic people. Jin Su's mother and Baek Du's mother were being cold and silent to each other, but that didn't last long. They easily got along again, back to normal. It was sweet how Jin Su's mother adored Baek Du. She's right that he is likable.

There's always talk and gossip, but there's no cruelty or villainy in the foreground. Maybe it's the calm before the storm and the villain reveal will come as a shock to the community.

Mi Ran is the only one I'm slightly worried about. Her witness statement may have helped Baek Du, but it could have made things worse. She looked threatening with her last remark that he owes her a favor.

Yoo Kyung & Baek Du reunited and they immediately looked like close friends. I don't know how long they have been apart, but their interactions were very natural. Much like his mother, she has a tough persona. She also worries about Baek Du and looks out for him. I love that he worn her down lol. I love that she could see through his excuses. They know each other so well. No one has taken the time to ask Baek Du how he really feels about ssireum.

I was getting frustrated at the interrogation scene and at how the cops were leading poor Baek Du on and grilling him. However, the brilliant twist humorously stunned me. It was a good way to deflate the seriousness of the situation.

The cliffhangers have been good. All with just a line or two. It's pleasant to see Baek Du's intuition and adds depth to his personality.

I was on the edge of my seat during the ssireum fight scene. When I started this drama, I did not expect to feel so invested in ssireum, but this drama has turned things around for me.