웰컴투 삼달리 S1

I really enjoyed this show, and watched the whole season in less than a week. If you’re interested in 제주 as a location, the language of 제주, or the lives of 해녀, this is a great watch and I’d really recommend it. While I didn’t find the main couple’s romance that compelling, I think there are other interesting aspects to the series that make it a worthwhile watch.

I’ve included some information about the language in this review which should be helpful if you’re planning on watching the show; while the dialogue isn’t pure 제주어 (which is unintelligible to standard Korean speakers), there is enough to make it interesting (and challenging!), so I’d recommend having a look at the language section of this review before starting the series.

Entertainment

I have mixed feelings when it comes to the writing: while there are many positive aspects to the show, there are also several weaknesses. If I were to consider the plot alone, my rating would probably be only two or three stars; however aspects such as the gorgeous setting, the use of dialect, and the glimpse of 해녀 culture really made the show enjoyable, which makes up for the weak plot to some extent.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, although I felt like the main couple were a bit bland: 삼달 is free-spirited and 용필 is nice; that’s about that can be said about them. I think it would have been better to either flesh out these characters more, or reduce their screen time to allow more time for other characters’ stories. I feel like the latter would have made the series more interesting, as the show really comes alive when we see the relationships between the various members of the community.

The plot for the first half of the series feels a bit sluggish, and it takes a while for the show to really get going. I think this is due to focusing too much on the rekindling of 삼달 and 용필’s romance: as well as their characters being a bit boring, there’s an awkwardness between them that takes quite a while to subside. Not that this is an issue in and of itself—in fact, it makes sense since the two haven’t spoken in 8 years—but their relationship is at the forefront of the story, with other characters’ stories not really getting started until later in the series. This makes for a rather slow and painful start.

As well as the slow and somewhat flimsy story between the main couple, 상도’s unrequited love for 삼달 doesn’t add much to the plot at all; it’s never really used as a point of tension, which makes me wonder what the purpose of the storyline (and character) was at all. It’s obvious from the start that this will be a love story between 삼달 and 용필, who have a long and complicated history, and 상도’s love for 삼달 doesn’t cause conflict or add drama to that; he pines for 삼달 from the sidelines, and that is the extent of his involvement. It’s unfortunate, since there was an opportunity for his character to have a more interesting storyline, either as a real rival to 용필 for 삼달’s affection, or for his family drama that is hinted at to be fleshed out and give more purpose to the character.

There are also the antagonists, who aren’t utilised to their full extent: 삼달’s boyfriend cheats on her with her assistant, who falsely accuses her of 갑질. The two act as a catalyst for the real story to begin by forcing 삼달 to return to her hometown and escape media scrutiny. While they do reappear a couple of times throughout the show, the tension between 삼달 and the two people that betrayed her fizzles out rather quickly, and rather than building to a thrilling climax, the rivalry ends up being a bit of a damp squib. The ex-boyfriend could have been another potential rival to 용필 if he had seen the error of his ways and tried to rekindle his romance with 삼달, and the assistant could have plotted and schemed more to crush 삼달 and solidify her own burgeoning career. Sadly, the characters aren’t put to good use, and again it feels like wasted opportunities.

However, I really enjoyed everything to do with the 해녀: the characters are so cute and funny, and it was interesting having a glimpse into their way of life. The viewer gets to see the bond between the women, the great respect they have towards their leader, and their admirable work ethic (including how difficult it is to give up the way of life, even when one’s life is at risk). Scenes of the women preparing to dive, bringing in their hauls, and preparing their yields (cleaning the seafood, drying out seaweed) are peppered throughout every episode, which really emphasises how the 해녀 are the heart of the community. I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to see more of the actual diving, though - there are only a couple of episodes that show underwater scenes, which I think was a missed opportunity.

It’s a little frustrating that some characters and storylines feel almost like an afterthought, when they could easily have been adapted to be more integral to the story. That 삼달 and 용필’s awkwardness was given so much screen time when important information about other characters are crammed in awkwardly seems like a misstep.

For example, we only find out 해달’s dream was to become a professional swimmer in the last episode, which leads her to her becoming a 해녀. It would have been easy to bring this up more naturally earlier in the story so it didn’t feel like it came out of nowhere. Similarly, the inclusion of the representative of the dolphin centre seems as though it was shoehorned in a little: while most of the other characters are part of the community, he is an outsider that only interacts with 해달 and her daughter, and their interactions have little to do with the rest of the story. Again, it would have been easy to integrate his story earlier in the series and make the character fit more naturally into the community.

There were a few other things that I found disappointing: the product placement was too obvious, as is usually the case in dramas; and the music was generic and forgettable. There’s also an epilogue at the end of almost every episode, which shows scenes from the past, usually focusing on 삼달 and 용필’s relationship, which often switched between relative and absolute dates. It’s a minor thing, but it did make the timeline a bit harder to follow. Another issue is that in the final episode, the series comes to a close not in 제주, but in 서울; this strikes me as a strange choice considering the show seems to be highlighting how wonderful 제주 is as a destination. It could be symbolic of 삼달's triumphant return, as she had fled the city due to her scandal, but honestly it's a bit jarring: although it may have significance to 삼달's character, it doesn't have the same meaning for the several other characters that are present. It also feels as though 제주 has been left behind so the characters can start their real lives in 서울, making 제주 a temporary refuge rather than a home. Considering the vast majority of the series is set in 제주, and so much of the culture is integral to the story, the finale taking place in 서울 seems especially out of place, particularly as 삼달 rediscovers herself back in her hometown.

Although I had issues with the plot, something that greatly contributed to my enjoyment of the show was the setting: every episode showcases different scenic spots on 제주, which really enhanced the viewing experience. The show makes a nice advertisement for 제주 as a tourist destination, not only for its beautiful scenery, but also for including interesting cultural aspects about the island such as the 해녀 lifestyle, and its reputation as a destination for dolphin watching. The show also touches upon how the island has changed in recent years due to tourism: 삼달 is devastated that all her favourite spots which were once unknown are now swarming with tourists.

In the end, I found the story and characters underwhelming. The writing could definitely have been improved by focusing less on the main romance and more on the other characters’ lives and relationships, fleshing out some storylines, and properly utilising characters to add more conflict and tension to the story. However, while the story was lacking, the focus on 제주’s scenery, culture, language, and community really brought the drama to life and made the series an enjoyable watch.

Content warnings: illness, threat of death, death of a parent, alcoholism, violence

Language

As mentioned above, the characters don’t speak pure 제주어; however there is enough dialect included to give an authentic feeling of the setting - unsurprisingly, the older characters tend to have stronger accents and use more dialect than the younger generation. Some resources I found useful for understanding the language were: Jejueo: The Language of Korea's Jeju Island; the 제주 government website 방언사전; and the Wordrow 사투리 dictionary.

First, let’s look at familial terms. One noticeable feature of 제주어 is that 삼춘(삼촌) is gender-neutral, and is used towards male and female elders alike:

제주 토박이로 시골에서 나고 자란 나는 이 삼춘이란 말을 개념 없이 써 온 세대에 속한다. 남자삼춘, 여자삼춘 하며 성별 불문으로 남자 어른과 여자 어른에 통용되는 호칭이다.

I also noticed that the 해녀 use “형님” for older women; I’m unsure if this is another gender-neutral aspect of 제주어, or if it’s specific to 해녀 culture.

Compared to standard Korean, 제주어 familial terms are shorter, and have the ‘ㅇ’ (이응) sound added at the end:

• 할망 (할머니)
• 어멍 (어머니)
• 아방 (아버지)

This addition of the ‘ㅇ’ sound at the end of words ending in vowels is common:

• 바당 (바다)
• 있당 (있다)
• 왕 (와, from 오다)
• 강 (가, from 가다)
• 줭 (줘, from 주다)

Some short, common words are noticeably different to standard Korean:

• 무시 (무슨)
• 기 (그래)
• 겐디 (그런데)
• 게민 (그러면)

As are particles:

• -추룩 (-처럼)
• -헌티 (-한테)
• -꺼정 (-까지)

And pronouns:

• 느 (너)
• 야이 (이 사람)
• 가이 (그 사람)
• 자이 (저 사람)

The formal imperative ending is also noticeably different:

• 읍서 (오다)
• 갑서 (가다)

I think I’ve covered the main differences present in the show, although there are lots of minor quirks that should be understandable in context.

As well as the dialect, there is plenty of standard vocabulary to be gleaned from the show, particularly relating to the following areas:

• Photography (삼달 is a photographer)
• Weather (용필 works at the meteorological office)
• The life of 해녀 (diving, equipment)
• The sea and coast
• Seafood and local dishes

I think this is a great show to start off with if you’re interested in 제주어, as it includes enough dialect to make it interesting, but not so much that it’s difficult to understand. And if you’re not particularly interested in 제주어, the dialect is only a minor hurdle in understanding the language, so please don’t be put off by the inclusion of 사투리.