Like Flowers in Sand Episode 8 Review – Baek-do and Do-sik's love story finally takes a sweet turn with a life-changing truth

The eighth episode of ‘Like Flowers in Sand’ premiered on Netflix on 11 January and unveiled a deep secret that will shake everyone. Kim Jin-woo's directorial features a promising cast, with Jang Dong-yoon and Yoon Jong-seok leading the sports drama with the support of a stellar team, starring Kim Bo-ra, Lee Jae-joon, and others in pivotal roles.  

Like Flowers in Sand revolves around the lives of Ssireum townspeople and delves deeper into the traditional sports called Ssireum (Korean wrestling), where the wrestlers battle each other on the sand for the coveted championship game titles. The small community of Geosan gets shaken up after two mysterious deaths and dark secrets engulf the town.  

Also Read: Like Flowers in Sand Episode 7 Review – Baek Do is on a winning streak with Do-Sik inching closer to truth 

Like Flowers in Sand Story

Another flashback to begin the episode with a sweet twist. The story of Episode 8 reflects how Du-sik's life took a drastic turn when her father was wrongfully accused of murder. He was arrested and disgraced, which made the entire family move out and start afresh. In the present day, Baek-do is disheartened and has lost focus and determination after learning from his teammates that their manager (Du-sik) left the match midway because of some work emergency. He is defeated in the finals but still, his performance earns him praise and position in the town. 

Also Read: Like Flowers in Sand Episode 6 Review – Baek-do kicks off uncertainties with new sports spirit!

During a celebratory drinking session, Jin-su pours Baek-du a drink and despite his blackout reasons, he insists on drinking. The drunken Baek-do goes to Do-sik's place and starts shouting, which follows her to drag him to a secluded place where they talk one intense moment leads them to a romantic kiss which shocks Do-sik and he smacks him on his forward. The next day follows more chaos as Baek-do seems to experience another blackout and can’t remember what happened. However, Do-sik asked him to remember the night of Choi Chil-Seong's death. The episode wraps up when Baek-do remembers the night and it features Mi-ran, which shocks Baek-do and Do-sik.  

Like Flowers in Sand Review

The eighth episode is quite satisfying with the kdrama heading to a romantic twist as the childhood best friends are slowly inching to love confession and realization. Since Baek-do initiated the kiss in his drunken state, the repercussions of his recovered memory have only led to awkward encounters between the leads. 

Watch Kadak Singh, Chamak, Scam 2003, Duranga 2 and more on OTTplay, by subscribing to the Jhakaas monthly pack which provides access to 19 OTTs at just ₹49 for the first month.

Like Flowers in Sand is smartly layered with various themes unfolding their cards without overlapping each other. There is a separate love angle, and there is another murder mystery or the secret past but none of them seems rushed or overstuffed, which gives it a competitive edge over other dramas. The intense chemistry between the main protagonists gets butterflies in your stomach. I liked Jin-su's dialogue when he flashbacks to a childhood championship game when he envied Baek-do for his skills and child-prodigy skills. His smiling face when he says, “I hate you Bast***,” depicts the deep friendship bond they shared since childhood. His belief in his friend despite it being an estranged friendship is what makes their friendship even stronger. The murder mystery angle is finally turning towards a solid angle after cafe owner Mi-ran, who is also the daughter of Cheol-yong (the one who was disgraced and committed suicide), gets entangled as a key witness to the entire case.  

Like Flowers in Sand Verdict

The latest episode of Like Flowers in Sand brings a wave of excitement to hopeless romantics as it features the first kiss in the eight episodes so far! The cute romantic addition with a heart-pounding kiss scene piqued the interest of the viewers. The entire episode was a vibe to keep watching the series but unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for almost a week to unveil the secrets of Mi-ran and her hidden connection with the dead man Choi Chil-Seong. Stream this sports drama to get a taste of romance, sports, mystery, and community love all in one place.   

It premieres on Netflix every Wednesday and Thursday around 7 pm IST.