Adulting lessons we learnt from Korean drama Crash Landing On You

It's been a month since the last episode of Korean drama Crash Landing On You was aired, and everyone is still talking about it. And we don't blame them - the drama was a breath of fresh air compared to the usual romance shows. We thought we'd be sitting through a cheesy love story but the plot twists were worthy of a makjang.

But then again, that seems to be the formula that K-dramas tend have: They add a fresh twist to any romance-led plots - just look at Goblin, Hotel del Luna and Her Private Life.

But apart from the ups and downs that will have you on the edge of your seat every episode, the K-dramas are also peppered with life lessons.

While watching Goblin, we learnt that karma hits you fast and hard. While watching Hotel del Luna, we understood the importance of filial piety and familial relationships. Her Private Life taught us that nothing was impossible.

So what did Crash Landing On You, which is showing on Netflix, taught us? Well, eight life lessons.

1. MONEY IS THE ROOT OF EVIL

From the first episode till the last, you’d realise that all the schemes revolved around money.

Yes, not all of us are children of chaebols (a large family-owned company) and we probably might not experience anything as dramatic as Seri did, but if the drama has taught us anything, it's that anyone - including your family members - is capable of doing the worst things because of money, whether they are rich or poor.

2. DON'T BE AN A-HOLE

Seri was a slave driver, and wasn't the most well-liked person but when she disappeared, her insurance agent and her personal assistant continued to look for her. Which probably means she wasn't that big of an a-hole.

Imagine being such an a-hole that even your personal assistant doesn’t want to look for you. Don’t be that a-hole.

3. SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES

Remember how Seri used her dating scandal to promote her earrings and bags? And how she used her comeback as a marketing move to give a once-in-a-lifetime discounts for her products? Take a leaf out of her book and turn negatives into positives by seizing every opportunity.

4. YOU CAN ONLY RELY ON YOURSELF

Seri was a chaebol's daughter, but she built her company from ground-up to turn it into the successful business it was. Instead of relying on her father like her brothers did, she chose to leave the house and strike it out on her own. We stan an independent woman!

5. YOU DON'T NEED LOVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL

One thing we love about this drama is that it shows that women can be successful on their own - even without a man to support her. Long before Seri met and fell in love with Ri Jeong Hyuk, she was the CEO of a top fashion company.

And can we talk about how Seo Dan chose to pursue success over marriage after the death of Gu Seung Joon? You do you, sister!

6. YOU CAN'T FORCE LOVE

We gotta admit, we were pretty annoyed by Seo Dan's insistence of being with Jeong Hyuk at first, but after a while, we felt nothing but pity for her. She's proof that forcing someone to love you will only hurt you. So, women, let's stop pining for men who don't deserve us.

7. A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED

You probably didn't need us to remind you about this saying, but this drama demonstrated this point. When Seri was down and out, she relied not only on Jeong Hyuk but also his comrades to keep her safe.

OK, they initially did that for selfish reasons, but after spending time together, the gang was willing to put their necks on the line for her even without knowing that she's made of money.

8. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

This was highlighted a few times in the drama when the villains got their just desserts. If you don't believe in karma, you might have a different viewpoint after watching this show. Just look at what happened to Seri's brother, sister-in-law, those gangster, that military dude who threatened Jeong Hyuk's father… the list goes on.

9. YOUR FAMILY MATTERS

We don’t mean this in a filial piety way (though that is important), but what we mean is, if your family is well-connected, chances are, you’re half-set for life.

Jeong Hyuk was able to get away with many things thanks to his father’s influence - and he acknowledged this too - and one of the reasons Seri was able to not get into trouble for almost causing a war between the two Koreas was because, look at who her father is.

Yes, we did say to work your way to the top. But we didn’t say having a connection wouldn’t help. That is, after all, how life works.

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.