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Review | K-drama review: Navillera – Netflix ballet drama is undemanding yet rewarding, and soars like a butterfly in the end
- Deok-chool’s Alzheimer’s condition was hinted at pretty early on and it was clearly going to feature prominently as the show approached its endgame
- Although there are a few moments where the melodrama is overdone, for the most part Navillera manages to steer clear of cheap sentimentality
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This article contains spoilers.
3.5/5 stars
The big question about Navillera has been clear since the first episode: will the septuagenarian retired postman Sim Deok-chool (Park In-hwan) realise his dream of performing Swan Lake on stage? Though a simple enough goal, he has had to face several challenges along the way.
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The first obstacle was whether an instructor would take him seriously and give him a chance, the second was if his family would allow him to continue his hobby, and the last and most formidable one was whether he could achieve his goal before his Alzheimer’s would advance to the point where he would no longer be able to do so.
Deok-chool’s Alzheimer’s condition was hinted at pretty early on and it was clearly going to feature prominently as the show approached its endgame. Given Navillera’s themes of family, old age and not giving up on your dreams, the risk of schmaltz and histrionics tipping the scales of this pleasant show was ever present.
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