Like Flowers in Sand[8] (Korean: 모래에도 꽃이 핀다) is a 2023–2024 South Korean television series starring Jang Dong-yoon, Lee Ju-myoung, Yoon Jong-seok, Kim Bo-ra, Lee Jae-joon, and Lee Joo-seung. It follows the story of young people who are struggling to bloom in their lives against the backdrop of ssireum city of Geosan.[9] It aired on ENA from December 20, 2023 to January 31, 2024, every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:00 (KST).[10] It is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.[11]
| Like Flowers in Sand | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | Sand Flower[1] |
| Hangul | 모래에도 꽃이 핀다 |
| Literal meaning | Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand |
| Revised Romanization | Moraeedo kkoch-i pinda |
| McCune–Reischauer | Moraeedo kkoch'i p'inda |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Won Yoo-jung[4] |
| Directed by | Kim Jin-woo[4] |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Choi Cheol-ho[5] |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Kwak Hyun-jeong[5] |
| Producers | |
| Running time | 60 minutes[6] |
| Production company | AStory[7] |
| Original release | |
| Network | ENA |
| Release | December 20, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
Synopsis
editKim Baek-doo (Jang Dong-yoon) is a ssireum player considering to retire from the sport. However, his life takes a turn when he reunites with his childhood friend Oh Yoo-kyung (Lee Ju-myoung), who becomes the management team leader for his ssireum team. The team is on the verge of disbanding, but with the help of people like Min Hyun-wook (Yoon Jong-seok) and Joo Mi-ran (Kim Bo-ra), as well as the new coach Kwak Jin-soo (Lee Jae-joon) and Baek-doo's best friend Jo Seok-hee (Lee Joo-seung), they work together to save the team.[9][12]
Cast
editMain
edit- Jang Dong-yoon as Kim Baek-doo: a Taebaek-class player of the Geosan County Office Ssireum Team, which is on the verge of disbandment, who was called a prodigy because of his outstanding skills.[9]
- Lee Ju-myoung as Oh Yoo-kyung / Oh Doo-sik : Baek-doo's first love who becomes the management team leader of the Geosan County Office Ssireum Team.[7][13]
- Yoon Jong-seok as Min Hyun-wook: a young man who has lived his whole life with plenty of everything.[9]
- Kim Bo-ra as Joo Mi-ran: a mysterious café owner.[4]
- Lee Jae-joon as Kwak Jin-soo: Baek-doo's long-time rival and a former ssireum wrestler.[12]
- Lee Joo-seung as Jo Seok-hee: Baek-doo's best friend and a police officer working at the Geosan Police Station.[12]
Supporting
edit- Choi Moo-sung as Kim Tae-baek: Baek-doo's father who is a legendary ssireum star.[14]
- Jang Young-nam as Ma Jin-sook: Tae-baek's wife and Baek-doo's mother.[14]
- Woo Hyun as Park Pil-doo: an elder in the world of ssireum who runs a local sarangbang.[14]
- Hwang Seok-jeong as Lim Hyun-ja: Jin-soo's mother.[14]
- Jang Hee-jung as Ahn Hyun-jin: Kyung-moon's wife who runs a mill with him in Geosan Market.[15]
- Ahn Chang-hwan as Lee Kyung-moon: one of the few non-ssireum people in Geosan who is a quiet person.[15]
- Seo Jeong-yeon as Chu Mi-sook: Yoo-kyung's role model who is a detective.[14]
- Yang Ki-won as Kim Geum-gang: Baek-doo's eldest brother.[16]
- Lee Yu-joon as Kim Han-ra: Baek-doo's second brother and a YouTuber who runs a personal channel for ssireum contents.[17]
- Park Bo-kyung as Seo Sook-hee: a flower shop owner.[18]
- Lee Ho-chul as Jung Gil-soo: Sook-hee's husband.[18]
- Jo Sin-nae as Kang Jong-mi: a snack bar owner.[18]
- Hyun Jong-woo as Song Young-wook: Jong-mi's husband who is a fitness trainer.[18]
- Hwang Jae-yeol as Park Dong-chan: coach of the Geosan County Office Ssireum Team.[19]
- Kim Min-seok as Kim Beom-soo: the youngest member of the Geosan County Office Ssireum Team.[20]
- Park Kyung-seo as the youngest police officer at Geosan Police Station.[21]
- Yoon Don-seon as the team leader at Geosan Police Station.[22]
- Seo Jin-won as Ahn Ji-yong: a senior policeman at metropolitan investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.[23]
- Kim Beop-rae as Hong Man-sik: the governor of Geosan County.[24]
Production and release
editFilming began soon after the script reading of the cast, which was held in May 2023.[2]
In June 2023, production company AStory announced that it had signed a license supply contract with Netflix for the overseas broadcasting rights of the series.[25]
Viewership
editLike Flowers in Sand : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[26]
| Season | Episode number | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 449 | 484 | 488 | 584 | 521 | 559 | 611 | 625 | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[26][27] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | December 20, 2023 | 1.483% (5th) | N/A |
| 2 | December 21, 2023 | 1.413% (9th) | |
| 3 | December 27, 2023 | 1.473% (7th) | |
| 4 | December 28, 2023 | 1.428% (5th) | |
| 5 | January 3, 2024 | 1.855% (3rd) | 1.673% (4th) |
| 6 | January 4, 2024 | 2.148% (2nd) | 1.752% (2nd) |
| 7 | January 10, 2024 | 2.023% (3rd) | 1.824% (3rd) |
| 8 | January 11, 2024 | 2.396% (2nd) | 2.356% (2nd) |
| 9 | January 17, 2024 | 2.358% (3rd) | 2.242% (3rd) |
| 10 | January 18, 2024 | 2.778% (2nd) | 2.690% (2nd) |
| 11 | January 24, 2024 | 2.758% (2nd) | 2.804% (2nd) |
| 12 | January 31, 2024l | 2.835% (4th) | 2.728% (6th) |
| Average | 2.079% | —[a] | |
| |||
Notes
edit- ^ Due to multiple unpublished ratings, the exact average rating is unknown.
References
edit- ^ "Sand Flower [Title in the URL]". Naver TV (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c Kim Ga-young (May 9, 2023). '우영우' 제작사 에이스토리, 라인업 발표...글로벌 활약 예고 ['Woo Young-woo' production company AStory announces lineup...Global Announcement]. E Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Makuochi Echebiri (December 11, 2023). "Jang Dong-Yoon Wrestles With Self-Doubt in 'Like Flowers In Sand' Trailer". Collider. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c Hong Se-young (April 21, 2023). '옥수역 귀신' 김보라, '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 합류...장동윤과 호흡 [공식] ['Oksu Station Ghost' Kim Bo-ra Joins 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand'...Jang Dong-yoon and Breathing [Official]]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ a b c d e "좋아하는거 아니라며? 너무 적극적인 백두 친구 이상 연인 미만! 백두X유경 간질간질 썸 모먼트" [Are you saying you don't like it? Baekdu is too active More than a friend, less than a lover! Baekdu]. youtube (in Korean). 에이스토리 ASTORY. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ 모래에도 꽃이 핀다 [Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand]. Studio Genie (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Han Hae-seon (April 20, 2023). 이주명 '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 여주인공 확정 [Lee Ju-myoung 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Female Protagonist Confirmed]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ "Like Flowers in Sand". AStory. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Jang Dong-yoon and Lee Joo-myung in "The Sand Flower"". HanCinema. Newsis. April 25, 2023. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Kim Ji-hye (November 15, 2023). '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 장동윤, 씨름선수 파격 변신..청춘 성장 로맨스 ['Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Jang Dong-yoon, amazing transformation into a wrestler..Youth Growing Up Romance]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Laura Zornosa (November 30, 2023). "Here's Everything New on Netflix in December 2023". Time. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c Kim Myung-mi (April 20, 2023). '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 장동윤 이주명→윤종석 김보라 캐스팅[공식] ['Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Jang Dong-yoon, Lee Ju-myoung→Yoon Jong-seok, Kim Bo-ra Casting[Official]]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Lee Kyung-ho (December 29, 2023). "'모래꽃' 이주명, 청춘 케미+서스펜스 다잡은 연기". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ a b c d e Ha Su-jeong (November 8, 2023). 씨름 신동 장동윤 ENA 살리나..'모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 12월 20일 첫방 [Wrestling prodigy Jang Dong-yoon ENA Salina..'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' December 20th premiere]. OSEN (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ a b "Ahn Chang-hwan and Jang Hee-jung to Act in "The Sand Flower"". HanCinema. News 1. May 1, 2023. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Lee Chang-gyu (December 8, 2023). 장동윤→최무성·장영남, 씨름 장사 패밀리 변신..."시너지 기대" (모래에도 꽃이 핀다) [Jang Dong-yoon→Choi Moo-sung, Jang Young-nam, wrestling business family transformation..."Synergy expectation" (Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand)]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Hwang So-young (December 18, 2023). 이유준 ENA '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 출연..장동윤과 호흡 [Lee Yu-joon ENA 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Starring Jang Dong-yoon and Breathing]. JTBC News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ a b c d Hyun Hye-seon (December 19, 2023). '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 장동윤·이주명, 청춘들의 유쾌한 질주...제작진 관전 포인트 ['Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Jang Dong-yoon and Lee Ju-myoung, the joyful run of youth...Producer Viewing Points]. SE Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Choi Hee-jae (December 14, 2023). '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 장동윤, 취중 은퇴 선언...씨름 인생 걸었다 ['Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Jang Dong-yoon announces his retirement from drunkenness...Wrestling life was on the line]. E Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim Seo-yoon (December 13, 2023). 김민석, 장동윤·이주명 '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 출연...덩치와 반대되는 여린 캐릭터 [Kim Min-seok, Jang Dong-yoon, Lee Ju-myoung 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' starring...A delicate character who is the opposite of a big man]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Jang Ah-reum (December 14, 2023). 신예 박경서 '모래에도 꽃이 핀다'로 드라마 데뷔...막내 순경 활약 [Newcomer Park Kyung-seo makes his drama debut with 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand'...The youngest policeman in action]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Jang Soo-jeong (December 19, 2023). 윤돈선, '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 출연...이주승과 호흡 [Yoon Don-seon, 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand' Appearance...Lee Joo-seung and Breathing]. Dailian (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Jang Soo-jeong (December 19, 2023). 서진원, '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 출연...서울경찰청 광수대 경장 변신 [Seo Jin-won, 'Flowers Bloom Even in the Sand'...Transformation into a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit Senior Policeman]. Dailian (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Park So-young (December 22, 2023). "요즘 핫한 '이재 곧' '모래꽃'에 다 있는 이 배우..김법래 존재감 만렘". OSEN (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ Jun Young-gi (June 27, 2023). "에이스토리, 넷플릭스와 '모래에도 꽃이 핀다' 해외 방영권 계약[주목 e공시]". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver News.
- ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
- "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea. January 3, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea. January 10, 2024. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- "Ep. 8". Nielsen Korea. January 11, 2024. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- "Ep. 9". Nielsen Korea. January 17, 2024. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- "Ep. 10". Nielsen Korea. January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- "Ep. 11". Nielsen Korea. January 24, 2024. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- "Ep. 12". Nielsen Korea. January 31, 2024. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "모래에도 꽃이 핀다 시청률" [Like Flowers in Sand ratings] (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Daum.
External links
edit- Official website
(in Korean) - Production website (in Korean and English)
- Like Flowers in Sand at IMDb
- Like Flowers in Sand at HanCinema