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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (갯마을 차차차): Plot, Characters and Cast
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (갯마을 차차차, Gaetmaeul Chachacha) is one of those so-called healing romantic comedies: calm, warm and smelling of the sea. tvN aired it in 2021, in 16 episodes, written by Shin Ha-eun and directed by Yoo Je-won. It's a remake of the 2004 Korean film Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong. Here you have the plot, the characters, the cast and their playful Saju.
- Cast
- Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi, Gong Min-jeung
- tvN
- 2021 · 16 episodes
Official video
![Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z66fazyp3-M/hqdefault.jpg)
Official video by Netflix K-Content on YouTube. It only loads if you press play.
Plot (no spoilers)
Yoon Hye-jin is a perfectionist dentist from Seoul, the kind who plans every step. When her career in the capital falls apart, she drives to Gongjin, a seaside village, on her late mother's birthday. It was meant to be a short visit, but a chain of small disasters keeps her there longer than planned. On an impulse that has nothing to do with who she is, she decides to open a dental clinic in the village.
Everywhere she goes she runs into Hong Du-sik, whom everyone calls Chief Hong. Officially he has no job, but in practice he does everything: he fixes, he solves and he is always lending someone a hand. For Hye-jin, who measures life in titles and results, he is a mystery that's hard to label.
As she learns to live alongside nosy but big-hearted neighbors, her best friend Pyo Mi-seon keeps her company, joining the clinic as a hygienist. Also arriving in the village is Ji Seong-hyun, an enthusiastic, workaholic TV producer who has come to film a variety show. Little by little, the question stops being whether Hye-jin will adapt to Gongjin and becomes what Du-sik's past is hiding.
Characters and their Saju
Yoon Hye-jin 윤혜진
Shin Min-a · Yin Metal · The Jewel
Hye-jin is a perfectionist Seoul dentist with very high standards. She arrives in Gongjin at a bad moment in her career and, almost on a whim, opens a clinic there. At first, the village's slow pace and the neighbors' curiosity leave her completely baffled.
If Hye-jin had a Saju card, it would be Yin Metal · The Jewel: polished, demanding and with a shine you can see from far away. A jewel like that is afraid of getting scratched; the village teaches her that some marks tell lovely stories too.
Hong Du-sik 홍두식
Kim Seon-ho · Yin Earth · The Garden
Du-sik, Chief Hong, is the person the whole village calls when something breaks. He has no steady job, but he can do almost any work and is always helping someone. Behind that total availability is a past that sparks Hye-jin's curiosity.
If Du-sik had a Saju card, it would be Yin Earth · The Garden: fertile soil where the whole village plants something. He gives without keeping count and feeds everyone, but he also needs someone to water his own roots.
Ji Seong-hyun 지성현
Lee Sang-yi · Yang Fire · The Sun
Seong-hyun is a variety show producer full of energy and hooked on work. He comes to Gongjin to film and brings the fast pace of television with him. His enthusiasm is contagious and his good mood rarely fades, even when work gets tight.
If Seong-hyun had a Saju card, it would be Yang Fire · The Sun: bright, optimistic and always on the move. Wherever he goes, the mood warms up. His only risk is forgetting that even the sun sets to rest.
Pyo Mi-seon 표미선
Gong Min-jeung · Yin Wood · The Climbing Vine
Mi-seon is Hye-jin's best friend and joins her on the village adventure, signing on at the clinic as a dental hygienist. She is loyal to the end and is there when Hye-jin needs her most. Her presence gives her friend a piece of home in a new place.
If Mi-seon had a Saju card, it would be Yin Wood · The Climbing Vine: she intertwines with the people she loves and grows beside them. Where her friend goes, she goes, and together they turn an unfamiliar wall green and livable.
And what would your Saju be? Find out free with your birth date.
Why so many people fell for it
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is the perfect K-drama for taking a break from the noise: a village by the sea, neighbors who get into everything and a slow-cooked romance. Its charm lies in the everyday. It arrived on Netflix in Latin America in October 2021, while it was still airing in Korea, where it ranked first in its time slot for its entire run. Its Pohang filming locations became tourist destinations.
Facts
- Written by Shin Ha-eun and directed by Yoo Je-won, in 16 episodes.
- It's a remake of the 2004 Korean film "Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong".
- It was number one in its time slot for its entire run.
Ending (spoilers)
Show the ending
Spoiler: Du-sik finally faces the trauma of his past. Hye-jin decides to stay in Gongjin instead of going back to Seoul, and the two end up together and happy in the village. An ending as warm as the rest of the series, with the sea in the background.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha about?
A Seoul dentist arrives in the seaside village of Gongjin, opens a clinic on impulse and keeps running into Hong Du-sik, a man who does every odd job in the village.
How many episodes does Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha have?
It has 16 episodes. tvN aired it in 2021, written by Shin Ha-eun and directed by Yoo Je-won, and it was number one in its time slot for its entire run.
Where was Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha filmed?
The series' filming locations are in Pohang, and they became popular tourist spots. In the story, the seaside village where everything happens is called Gongjin.