# When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

> A single mother defies the social stigma around her as a new romance enters her life.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/78775

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 40
- Episode runtime: 35 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama, romance
- Created by: Im Sang-choon
- Network: KBS2
- Cast: Gong Hyo-jin, Kang Ha-neul, Kim Ji-seok, Son Dam-bi, Oh Jung-se, Yeom Hye-ran, Ji Suyeon, Goh Doo-shim
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10826064/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: warm, wry, comforting, tender, hopeful

## What critics say

Audiences rated the series positively, praising its warm mix of romance, comedy and social commentary around a single mother.

## Synopsis

When the Camellia Blooms (2019) is a South Korean slice of life romantic comedy created by Im Sang-choon for KBS2, a forty-episode single-season run. Gong Hyo-jin plays Dongbaek, a single mother who finds her life unexpectedly opening up when a new romance arrives, and Kang Ha-neul plays Hwang Yong-sik, the man who enters her world. Kim Ji-seok, Son Dam-bi and Oh Jung-se fill out the principal ensemble around her. Rather than building toward a single crisis, the series is made up of everyday episodes in which Dongbaek works to keep her household steady while pushing back against the judgments of a close-knit neighborhood that has opinions about her family. Small moments of community gossip, friendship, and quiet courage give each episode its shape. The register is warm and wry, with comic lightness balanced by tender family scenes and a grounded sense of how ordinary people survive social pressure. Set in a contemporary Korean small town, it is a Korean television tradition built on family-centered romance. Fans of Crash Landing on You and Reply 1988 will find resonance in its warmth, humor and attention to neighborhood life.

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