[In-Depth Look] Navillera - Soar, Grandpa Over Flowers

Seon-Young Kim, Popular Culture Critic

tvN's real variety show Grandpas Over Flowers (2013) was a groundbreaking program for broadcasters in many ways. It sparked a boom in travel entertainment and successfully established the now-mainstream "observational entertainment" format. Its most meaningful achievement was its innovative perspective on the elderly generation. Unlike existing media that homogenized the elderly under the title "elderly" and isolated them in "priority seats for the elderly and weak," Grandpas Over Flowers portrayed the elderly as learners and challengers.

Several years after Grandpas Over Flowers, society's view of the elderly has changed significantly. The new term "active senior," which regards the elderly as active agents, has become popular, and "new senior" stars like creator Park Makrye and senior model Kim Pildu have emerged in fields once dominated by youth.

The broadcasting industry has also reflected this changing image of the elderly. Programs depicting various aspects of senior life have appeared, such as Na-i-ya-ga-ra (Chuncheon MBC), which tells stories of seniors giving back to society through talents acquired via missions; Amor Fati (tvN), focusing on single seniors; the variety show version of the film Chilgok Gashinadeul called Gashinadeul (MBC), about elderly women who write poetry; and the senior model audition program O-rae Salgo Bol Il (MBN).

However, changes in the drama sector have been slower. Revolutionary works where the elderly lead the story, such as Dear My Friends (JTBC) and When the Camellia Blooms (JTBC), have occasionally appeared. Yet, elderly characters in dramas mostly remain peripheral. This limitation is also supported by statistics. According to a report by the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media last year, the elderly are the most underrepresented age group in domestic dramas relative to their real population.

In this context, a drama version reminiscent of Grandpas Over Flowers has recently attracted attention. The current tvN Monday-Tuesday drama Navillera is just that. Based on a popular webtoon, it tells the story of Shim Deokchul (Park In-hwan), a retired postal worker. Having devoted his life to his family, Deokchul finally pursues a long-hidden dream after retirement. That dream is the desire to "fly" on stage even once as a dancer.

A 70-year-old aspiring ballerino... Reactions to Deokchul's dream are mostly cynical. Even his beloved family cannot hide their bewilderment at his words. It is a moment that confirms the entrenched prejudice against the elderly.

What is impressive about Navillera is that it portrays the dreams of the elderly as earnest and full-fledged challenges, no different from those of the young. In most dramas, twilight dreams are often depicted as hobbies for old age or "bucket lists" attempted before it's too late. Deokchul's dream is different. He has a clear goal of standing on stage. His ballet challenge follows the same process as a prospective dancer, only "a little late" compared to others.

This depiction is Navillera's most groundbreaking achievement. The elderly are not merely beings enjoying their "remaining years" but are living in the present, continuously growing. This obvious truth had long been obscured by prejudice. If Grandpas Over Flowers presented a new perspective on the elderly, Navillera is likely to be recorded as a work that broadens that scope.

Kim Sun-young, Popular Culture Critic