Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha () is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho and Lee Sang-yi. It is a remake of the 2004 South Korean film Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong. It aired on tvN from August 28 to October 17, 2021, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Netflix.
The series became one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history, and ranked first place in its timeslot for its entire run with the last episode achieving a 12.665% nationwide rating. It also became one of Netflix's most-watched non-English television shows.
Premise Yoon Hye-jin, an accomplished dentist from Seoul, goes to the idyllic seaside village of Gongjin on her late mother's birthday after her life goes awry. She spontaneously decides to open up a dental clinic, and gets to know jack-of-all-trades Hong Du-sik, also known as Chief Hong. The romantic drama depicts the growing romance between the two, as well as the lives of other residents of Gongjin.
Cast Main Shin Min-a as Yoon Hye-jin, a perfectionist and pragmatic dentist who ends up moving from Seoul to Gongjin after her life goes awry. Shim Hye-yeon as child Yoon Hye-jin Oh Ye-ju as teenage Yoon Hye-jin Kim Seon-ho as Hong Du-sik, Gongjin's handyman who is known as Chief Hong around the village. He is officially unemployed, but is always busy giving a helping hand to everyone. He is good at everything and appears to assist with whatever random tasks his neighbors need help with. Song Min-jae as child Hong Du-sik An Seong-won as a young teenage Hong Du-sik Moon Seong-hyun as teenage Hong Du-sik Lee Sang-yi as Ji Seong-hyun, a star variety show production director who is a workaholic and has a bright personality.
Supporting People around Hye-jin Gong Min-jeung as Pyo Mi-seon, Hye-jin's best friend who is a dental hygienist. Seo Sang-won as Yoon Tae-hwa, Hye-jin's father. Woo Mi-hwa as Lee Myung-shin, Hye-jin's stepmother.
People around Seong-hyun Park Ye-young as Wang Ji-won, a veteran writer who has been working with Seong-hyun for seven years. Lee Suk-hyeong as Kim Do-ha, an assistant director who struggles to find a work-life balance in his busy filming schedule because of his workaholic senior, Seong-hyun. Seong Tae as June, main rapper of idol group DOS. Baek Seung as In-woo, sub-vocalist of DOS.
People in Gongjin Kim Young-ok as Kim Gam-ri, leader of the grandmothers in Gongjin. Lee Yong-yi as Lee Mat-yi, the second of the three grandmothers. Shin Shin-ae as Park Sook-ja, the youngest of the three grandmothers. Jo Han-chul as Oh Cheon-jae, the owner of Gongjin's live cafe and pub. He is a former singer with stage name Oh Yoon, who disappeared after releasing a hit song in the 1990s. Lee Bong-ryun as Yeo Hwa-jung, Young-guk's ex-wife, who was born and raised in Gongjin. She is the building owner of Hye-jin's dental clinic and house. In Gyo-jin as Jang Young-guk, Hwa-jung's ex-husband. He is the youngest district head who used to be a seventh-grade civil servant. Hong Ji-hee as Yoo Cho-hui, a teacher at Cheongjin Elementary School who returns to the coastal town after fifteen years. At that time, she had been a tenant in Hwa-jung's house, and they had become friends until Cho-hui needed to suddenly move away. Cha Chung-hwa as Jo Nam-sook, president of Prosperous Gongjin Department Store and owner of a Chinese restaurant near Hye-jin's dental clinic. Yoon Seok-hyun as Choi Geum-chul, Eun-chul's brother and Du-sik's friend, who is the owner of a hardware store. Kim Ju-yeon as Ham Yun-kyung, Geum-chul's wife, who owns a convenience store. Kang Hyung-suk as Choi Eun-chul, Geum-chul's brother and a police officer who is a sincere person and works hard on everything he does. Kim Sung-bum as Ban Yong-hun, Gongjin's community center manager. Kim Min-seo as Oh Ju-ri, Cheon-jae's daughter. Ki Eun-yoo as Jang Yi-jun, Young-guk and Hwa-jung's son. Go Do-yeon as Choi Bo-ra, Geum-chul and Yun-kyung's daughter.
Special appearances Lee Jung-eun as Hye-jin's patient Bae Hae-sun as the head doctor at Hye-jin's former dental clinic Lee Jin-hee as Hye-jin's mother Lee Ho-jae as Du-sik's grandfather as Myung-hak, a patient at Hye-jin's dental clinic. as Lee Kang-wook, Hye-jin's ex-boyfriend and Seong-hyeon's high school classmate (Episode 5th and 9th). Kim Dae-gon as a rottiserie chicken seller. Kim Ji-hyun as Seon-ah, Seong-hyun's cousin and Jung-woo's wife. Oh Eui-shik as Park Jung-woo, Du-sik's friend whom he met during college days. Lee Do-yeop as Gam-ri's son as a customer at Nam-sook's restaurant. Jo Young-seo as main dancer of DOS. Kim Do-kyun as lead dancer of DOS.
Episodes Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha's episode titles were written in the official wallpaper of each episode on the drama's official website.Episode Titles (published by Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Official Website) 1: 2: 3: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8:
Production
Development On December 21, 2020, screenwriter Shin Ha-eun was announced to helm a tvN drama, marking her return after co-writing the 2019 series The Crowned Clown. The project, initially titled Hong Banjang (홍반장), is a remake of the 2004 film Mr. Handy, Mr. Hong starring Kim Joo-hyuk and Uhm Jung-hwa, with a screenplay by Kang Seok-beom and Shin Jung-goo. On April 2, 2021, Yoo Je-won was officially confirmed as director. Coproduced by Studio Dragon and its subsidiary Gtist, the drama title was subsequently changed to . On June 23, 2021, Netflix officially announced the series as part of their 2021 lineup and revealed the English title as Hometown Cha‑Cha‑Cha.
In her interview, Shin Ha-eun mentioned that when she was approached to write the 2021 television remake, she initially hesitated because she preferred to write an original script and regarded the character Hong Banjang as iconic. She worried a remake might tarnish the original film's reputation or the legacy of Kim Joo-hyuk. Shin also had a personal connection with Kim, who had starred in her first miniseries, Argon. Her decision to proceed came while re-watching the original film; she became intrigued by the creative "what-if" scenario of placing a character like Hong Banjang in 2021. Noting that the original film had relatively few supporting characters, Shin expanded the story by creating an ensemble of 16 residents of the fictional village of Gongjin, each with a name and backstory. Combined with a modernized characterization of Hong Banjang, this approach allowed the remake to establish its own identity while retaining the spirit of the original work.
Casting Casting announcements began on December 21, 2020, when Kim Seon‑ho and Shin Min‑a were reported to have been offered the lead roles. On April 2, 2021, Kim and Shin were officially confirmed as the leads; Lee Sang‑yi was also reported to have been offered a role. The drama marked director Yoo Je‑won's second collaboration with Shin Min‑a, following Tomorrow with You (2017). On June 23, 2021, Netflix released script‑reading photos.
Filming The first script reading took place on April 21, 2021. Filming was scheduled to begin on May 8 and was primarily conducted in Pohang. According to the production team, the "Lighthouse Song Festival" sequence in episode six was particularly challenging to film because of the large number of participants, unpredictable rainy‑season weather, and strict COVID‑19 quarantine measures. Production was scheduled to wrap on October 6, 2021.
Music The series features several on-screen song covers performed by the characters. Music director Lim Ha-young selected all the songs, with additional input from writer Shin Ha-eun, director Yoo Je-won, and the cast and crew. Similar to the character Hong Du-sik in the original film, Kim Seon-ho sang and played guitar in the drama. In the series, Du-sik covered "Old Love" from Lee Moon-sae, different song from the original film. Other characters also performed at the "Lighthouse Song Festival" in Gongjin Village. The festival's opening stage featured Gongjin's resident celebrity, Oh Yeon, performing his only hit song, "Exercising in the Moonlight." To create a realistic atmosphere, Jo Han-chul performed the song live while playing the guitar. Composed by Lim in the 1990s, the song was specifically chosen to achieve an authentic nineties sound and was a fitting choice for Oh Yeon's character, as it was ranked second in the 1993 K-pop Top 10 Gayo.
+ Songs performed in the series by the series' charactersEpisodeTitleOriginal singerPerformed byAlbumNote English Korean Ep. 4Old LoveLee Moon-saeHong Du-sikCafe performance Ep. 6 Exercise at the Moonlit Night Oh Yoon Oh Yoon (Oh Chun-jae) Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha OST AlbumPerformance at Lighthouse Song Festivals Don't Give Up Choi Geum-chul TearsSoo Chan-hweeJo Nam-sookLet's live with a smileShin Shin-aeLee Mat-yi and Park Sook-jaMy Starry LoveLim Young-woongKim Gam-riI will hug you tightJang Yu-na and Lee Eu-nuChoi Bo-ra Just a Feeling DOS Oh Ju-ri DOS Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha OST Album Ep. 14Love is forgotten by loveJi Seong-hyunGongjin party to celebrate Ji Seong-hyun PD Variety Show.
Choreography The drama features a fictional idol group named DOS, known for their hit song "Just a Feeling." The song's choreography was created by Jo Young-seo and Kim Do-gyun, choreographers from the group Dance of Soul (DOS). Jo and Kim were already known for their choreography on the television show Mr. Trot. According to Jo, the idol group was originally named "Choice," but writer Shin Ha-eun changed it to DOS. Jo and Kim's on-screen appearance as members of the group was a spontaneous decision that came about after they created the choreography. To perfectly portray the group, Seong Tae, Baek Seung, Jo Young-seo, Kim Do-gyun, and another member of their dance team practiced for a month. The dance was performed at the "Lighthouse Song Festival." In the scene, Hye-jin and Du-sik are initially seen as backup dancers for Oh Ju-ri before the idol group DOS makes a surprise appearance.
Media Original soundtrack The Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha soundtrack album, written by music director Lim Ha-young, comprises 11 songs (including singles) and 32 score pieces from the series. The album features vocal performances from artists such as Car, the Garden, Kassy, Cheeze, Choi Yu-ree, Kim Jae-hwan, Sandeul, Seungmin (Stray Kids), and Lee Sang-yi. In total, the compilation includes 43 tracks. In addition to the 8 previously released OST songs, the album includes "Just a Feeling" by the fictional idol group 'DOS' in the drama, which was highly requested by viewers. It also features two songs by "Oh Yoon," performed by actor Jo Han-chul as the superstar of 'Gongjin' in the drama, titled "Exercise at the Moonlit Night" and "End and Beginning." The album aims to fully capture the emotions of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and evoke the lingering feelings from the drama.
On July 18, 2022, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha soundtrack album also released in LP version. It was ranked 9 in the Circle Chart Retail Album Chart on July 19, 2022, with 891 copies sold.
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Part 8
Chart performance Title Year RemarksKORPeak chart positions on Gaon Digital Chart: 1: 2: 3: 5: 6: 4, 7: 8: "Romantic Sunday" 2021 97 Part 1 "One Sunny Day" 107 Part 2 "My Romance" 154 Part 3 "Wish" 97 Part 4 "Be the Light" 91 Part 5 "The Image of You (Remains in My Memory)" 45 Part 6 "Here Always" 125 Part 7 "I Hope You're Happy" 112 Part 8
Tie-in publishing The series' original script was published in two volumes, each covering eight episodes, released officially on November 8, 2021. The scheduled publication of the Hometown Cha‑Cha‑Cha photo essay was canceled on November 30, 2021. On October 17, 2022, officials confirmed the photo essay would proceed, and it was eventually released in February 2023 as a two‑book package, each volume covering eight episodes.