Feels like a warm hug
I was so invested in this drama that I stayed up binging the last couple episodes before immediately deciding to rewatch them so I could properly savour the story. I usually avoid these types of emotionally-focused dramas as I am not a crier and tend to get bored easily, but I found that this drama was anything but boring! I don't think I've ever watched a show that captures life and what it means to be human so perfectly. It doesn't shy away from the dark and gritty yet still carries enough hope and humour to keep it from being too depressing. The characters are all complex and layered with varying dynamics. My favorites are definitely the two brothers. They're so silly yet profound at times. In a way, they're some of the unluckiest characters in the entire drama, but they still manage to find joy in the mundane. I also appreciate how the writer didn't villainize some of the "bad" characters (except maybe Do Jun Young and his underling). The ending also wasn't unrealistically too good to be true, yet somehow still perfectly satisfying.The focus is definitely on the relationship between Lee Sun Kyun and IU, but I felt more invested in the various other dynamics and storylines, which is a testament to how good the writing is! I also can't go without mentioning the OST, which feels like its own character, and contributes greatly to the mood and warmth of the drama. My favorites were "Grown Ups" by Sondia and "Rainbow" by Vincent Blue. Of course, the acting performances were nothing short of stellar, especially IU, who expertly portrayed the complex emotions of a girl hardened by the world experiencing genuine kindness and love. This drama isn't for everyone, but I'd recommend it to anyone willing to experience a masterfully written and painfully human story about people trying to make it through life.
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Mixed Emotions
I'm conflicted about the ending. Mostly, I enjoyed it because the actors sold the drama, but the writers put too many characters into the storyline, and the "unequivocal love" was a waste at the end. **SPOILER** The two main characters have a complicated emotional relationship. After enduring and embracing each other's hardships together, they have a lot in common despite their age difference. In the end, he and his wife are still together: yet, she and their son are living in the US now while he stays in Seoul. He seems to keep his promise and is living a happy life as a CEO, and she has found peace in her new life. Both have grown together and separately with great admiration for one another. It was an okay ending, but they may have well never seen each other again and just kept tabs on each other through mutual friends. Although you see a possible rekindle deep emotions through a small hand gesture and eye contact, it's just left up to your imagination.Was this review helpful to you?
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Felled like 16 episode long therapy session
Many different genres can be applied to this drama, including psychological, life, corporate politics, family, friendship and even spy drama. But the most appropriate is probably "Healing Drama", not just for characters but also for viewers.And you don't even need to relate to the main characters' struggles to feel that healing and almost therapeutic aspect of this show. Characters here are not without flaws, but that is what makes them so real. No matter how complicated their situations are, you are able to understand what they are going through and feel those same emotions. That is a joint effort of writers and incredible actors, particularly Lee Sun-Kyun (rest in peace) and Lee Ji-Eun, IU. Their healing journey and character growth throughout the show were very inspiring and heartwarming. It offered viewers an opportunity to go through this therapy session that was long and emotional but also impactful. And unlike many similar psychological life dramas you want to rewatch this show many times.
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, I couldn't help but notice how YH constantly accused DH of faults she was far guiltier of herself.DH would come home after work to handle house chores and tidy the apartment before she returned, often after grocery shopping. YH was rarely home, and when she was, she would retreat to her studio, leaving him afraid to even watch TV in case it disturbed her. So, because he didn’t want to stay in an empty house, DH met up with his brothers and friends. This dynamic was something YH herself acknowledged, claiming this was a vicious cycle that led them to see each other less and less, though notably this admission came only after she unilaterally gaslighted DH, despite both knowing of her affair, and he pointed out that it’s not as if she was around much either.
YH was often absent as well, I would maybe even say just as much, if not more, than DH. I got the impression that sometimes it was for days, and even involved her coming back after he was asleep. You didn’t see him complaining and gaslighting her about this, the way she did to him. Even when she was at home, she was cooped up in her office. She even missed her own niece's wedding to spend time with her lover, yet DH defended her against his brother's (unfortunately correct) suspicions, insisting he trusted her implicitly. He was clearly hurt that she didn’t even bother to call, which stands in contrast to his routine of calling home after work to check what she needed.
YH's dismissal of her niece as family and skipping the wedding to meet her lover felt shocking, especially considering how the girl's mother supported YH and treated her son like family. Similarly, DH's mother helped raise their child so YH could focus on her career, yet YH was convinced DH should not view his own mother as part of his family. Imagine telling JA that her grandmother was not family. JA's bond with her grandmother mirrored DH's with his mother, both rooted in shared survival after parental loss.
Now, I must admit that I think that the main issue here was DH and YH wanting different things. Notably, he never tried to hide his values, she pretended to go along with it while planning to get into DH’s good graces so that he would distance himself from family and friends, which in my mind seems kind of a love-bombing situation (idealization/devaluation/discard cycle, transactional view of favors, etc. with the expectation that your partner would allow you to manipulate them into changing their core values in return… compare that with DH’s brother paying for JA’s grandma’s funeral without asking or expecting anything in return).
Bottom line, DH accepted YH for how she was, knew that her career was important to her and accepted her absences, which he had to justify them in front of his family, in a way that YH simply didn’t reciprocate when it came to DH’s actions and what was important to him, i.e. his family. I mean, given how she viewed this all as a competition, one could just imagine the abuse she would have put him through had he dared to miss an important family event, due to his job (“do you care about your career more than me?”, etc.).
More than wanting to spend time with DH, YH seemed primarily concerned with preventing him from spending time with others he cared about, driven by jealousy. While these aren’t mutually exclusive, I think that it’s pretty easy to see from her actions where the emphasis lie. She had no problem ignoring DH when she came home and retreating to her office, not to mention her frequent absences (especially toward the end, when she was meeting up with her lover). Even then, she continued to gaslight DH and question his commitment, showcasing a staggering double standard.
If this was not the case, I would say that we would see different behavior from her. While DH admitted to feeling abandoned, he accepted what mattered to YH (her career) and wanted to support her without treating their relationship as a competition. YH, on the other hand, did not reciprocate. Her actions reflected not the desire to spend time together but a determination to control DH and isolate him from others he cared about.
As another example, when DH, despite them both knowing of her betrayal, offered a compromise, YH rejected it without suggesting an alternative, and in general not once did she express a desire to adjust her own schedule to spend more time together (nor did DH ask her to when he suggested meeting her half way, only talking about his own schedule). She showed no empathy for DH’s need for space, even when they both knew of her betrayal, at a time when he had to physically turn away from their apartment when he saw her car outside. All along, her only “solution” involved DH’s complete surrender: cutting himself off from his family and friends, including his elderly mother, whom they had moved closer to support.
DH, feeling lonely in an empty house, sought solace in the company of family and friends. YH, however, seemed to prefer that he remain alone, even in her absence, if it meant he wasn’t with those he loved. She was indifferent to his suffering so long as it prevented him from connecting with others. Her behavior revealed a possessive and controlling view of love, treating it as a competition rather than a partnership.
YH refused to accept what mattered to DH (his family) the way he supported what mattered to her (her career). She saw love as a competition, rather than acknowledging that there are different types, from friendship to familial to romantic love: it’s not as if her love for their child diminished her love for her husband, for example. Her possessiveness was shown also in her behavior with her lover in the first episode, where she attacked him for not constantly calling her, even at the risk of exposing their affair, questioning his commitment in a controlling pattern eerily similar to her dynamic with DH, suggesting to me that her new relationship was likely to end as her marriage did, and probably much earlier (not that he would have married her, anyway, as it turned out).
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Perfection exists
Even today, after so many years, I remember My Mister as the most extraordinary work of art humankind has ever created. It's the most beautiful love story ever depicted. It's both a humanist treatise and an essay in moral philosophy. If you haven't seen My Mister yet, you're in luck, because one of the most extraordinary experiences life has to offer awaits you.Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece. One of classic iconic kdramas
This kdrama is creepy and sad for a very long timeand then it takes a U-turn bc the ML is such a good person.
Truely you get a feeling that a major disaster is avoided bc he created majorly good karma
FL is creepy. She is greasy unshowered scared scared street rat.... and yet she reacts to the HONESTY of her target victim, the ML.
She was going to ruin him and then she stops, bc he is good to her and good in general .
THIS DRAMA IS PRAISE TO ALL "SMALL INVISIBLE PEOPLE" who are good people doing good things and whom we take for granted.
The endign is 100% appropriate and realistic .
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If you liked this drama, then you'll absolutely love My Liberation Notes since it was also written by the same amazing brilliant writer Park Hae-young.
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Character analysis based on traditional Iranian medicine!!
First of all, I have to say that I haven't been saddened by the death of any actor, whether Iranian or foreign, but the only actor whose death made me sad and every time I think of him, my heart aches is Lee Soon-kyun. I don't know why?! I was even more upset about his death than that of my acquaintances, perhaps because I had watched this series shortly before his passing or because he tragically committed suicide due to the accusations of others; I don't know... It's still strange to me, and the pain is fresh...I want to analyze the characters based on Iranian traditional medicine! Because I see strange similarities between the people in the series and temperament analysis, although I know that Korean traditional medicine is different from Iran, and it's almost impossible for the writer to know much about it.
Of course, in traditional medicine, we have a basic temperament, a dominant temperament, and what I write may be either a basic temperament or a dominant one, which would be a more specialized discussion and not the place for it here, so I will just write my observations.
The writer of this series is the same as that of "My Liberation Notes," and the characteristics of the characters there are almost the same as here.
1_Park Dong-hoon (Ajusshi): Cold and dry temperament, earth element, black bile humor, extremely introverted and quiet, keeps everything inside, organized and precise as expected from a melancholic person, not seeking excitement and enjoys his routine life or at least isn't looking for change, not ambitious, in fact, his closeness to Ji-an is due to the events that happened, his wife's betrayal, and the accusations made against him at work, that's why he was looking for someone to ease his pain, and who better than another melancholic person named Ji-an?! Although his temperament is warmer than Ji-an's, despite the favorable background and mutual interest, and his wife's betrayal, he was not the type to cheat and was chivalrous, adhering to ethics; melancholic individuals are not prone to divorce, they rarely start something, but when they do, they see it through to the end and do not give up.
2_Li Ji'an: Cold and dry temperament, colder than Dong Hong, very cold! Colder and drier than ice, like stone, he is not satisfied with his condition even if he endures it, hopeless for a remedy and empathy, pessimistic about everyone. It seems his base temperament is cold and moist or phlegmatic, or cold and dry but to a lesser degree because every temperament has its gradation, and due to the problems and misfortunes that have arisen, his temperament has become colder and drier and has developed a strong melancholic disposition. He is not seeking excessive warmth because someone who gives him a little warmth will get him hooked! He showed a green light to Ajooshi a few times, but since he didn't get a response, he let it go; otherwise, if his temperament were warmer or had more moisture, he wouldn't have let it go, and this would have been a separate story!
3_Park Sang-hoon: Cold and wet temperament, phlegmatic and the element of water, despite being a man, he is extremely emotional and sensitive, his tears are like a musk! His temperament is colder than his wife's, which is why their relationship was close to divorce or they had already divorced (I don't remember exactly because I saw it a long time ago). In marriage, the man's temperament should be warmer than the woman's, even if both are phlegmatic or melancholic. Here, his wife's temperament is either warm and dry or warm and wet, in pursuit of love and passion, even though he doesn't think he deserves to seek excitement in his old age ! But he enjoyed seeing Ji-an's affection towards Dong-hoon!, and it occupied his mind as if he was the one being shown affection! He couldn't make a proper decision, which is why he didn't have a stable job; he endured his wife's mistreatment and bitter words because phlegmatic temperaments have high tolerance.
4_Park Ji Hoon, the youngest brother: hot and dry temperament, choleric and fiery element, irritable! Someone who jumps up and down like a firecracker, makes decisions quickly and changes his mind just as fast, separates easily and connects quickly, gets angry quickly and regrets it just as fast, foul-mouthed and abusive! Honest, even if it’s against himself! From one branch to another, from one job to another, he has no patience; otherwise, he wouldn’t lose his directing job. He talks a lot and constantly complains about his circumstances, prone to fights and brawls, but when he sees he can’t win, he retreats, but not in his mind. He is not one to show feelings directly, like saying “I love you” or crying, because it would be beneath his dignity! Instead, he shows it through anger, for example, by defending or yelling, even if he loves someone.
5_Kang Yun Hee, the ajumma: cold and wet temperament (lower degree compared to the older brother), seeking warmth, love, and passion, but not too much, which is why she cheats because the warmth from the ajusshi hasn’t been enough for her (the ajusshi’s temperament is unfortunately colder than hers!). Ashamed of her actions, but since she has developed an addiction to warmth and love, she doesn’t let go as much as she can.
6_Lee Gwang Il, Ji An's stalker: warm and wet temperament (most likely) or warm and dry, wandering between love and hate, which is why he annoys his love to get her attention.
7_Do Joon Yun, the traitor with Yun Hee: likely has a warm and wet temperament due to his ambition, flexibility towards those in power, and variety-seeking nature in women, the element is air.
8_Yura's love for Ji Hon: cold and moist temperament, patient but resentful, both resents and loves Ji Hon because Ji Hon's temperament is warmer and drier than hers, and what could be better than fire for water?!! They could have been a suitable couple, but Ji Hon easily separates from her due to his irritability and insecurity.
9. Jung Jung Hee, the bartender: warm and moist temperament, compassionate, kind, a lover who still hasn't been able to let go, and who is it? A monk! Still hopeful for a reunion! However, I predict that if they met, they would likely separate or have disagreements because the monk's temperament is cold and dry.
10. The monk: cold and dry temperament, generally, individuals who become monks or priests tend to have a colder and drier temperament and are calmer; otherwise, their environment would become unbearable for them.
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Some shows get you, which makes me happy
I could write a lengthy essay on My Mister, but let's try to boil down to the basics.First, if you are reading this and you haven't watched My Mister (My Ajusshi) yet, then go watch it. The script and the acting are dazzling and the production is first-rate.
Second, if you are reading this and you have watched My Mister, then go watch it again. It's that good, and the show is loaded with so much context, symbolism, coded language, callbacks, double-meanings, etc. that you probably missed a whole lot of stuff the first time around that will yield a very different viewing experience the second time. Maybe spend a little time on social media to prime your next viewing.
The premise is that Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sun Kyun), the ML, is a 43 year-old structural engineer experiencing a mid-life crisis as his marriage, his job, and his brothers' lives are all showing cracks. Lee Ji An (IU) is the FL, a 19 year-old temp worker at the same company as Dong Hoon. While Dong Hoon's life is filled with angst, Ji An's life is simply miserable from crushing poverty and a sadistic loan shark.
You need to know that the series at the outset is grim, but that gloomy environment becomes fuel for the bond that forms between Dong Hoon and Ji An. One important detail of the dreary start is that the central relationship of the series kicks into gear when Ji An steals some money from Dong Hoon. Ji An is a criminal, not just an angel with a dirty face, but downright cold. The writing walks a fine line, not exactly endorsing her actions, but making it clear there's a kind of innocent motivation. Ji An is portrayed as a feral animal, preying on humans for her survival. Again, this is bleak, but from the bleakness emerges something to behold.
The key aspect of My Mister is the ineffable relationship between Dong Hoon and Ji An. It is worth mentioning that the second time through changed how I viewed their connection. The narrative includes so many events depicting Ji An's importance to Dong Hoon, that she almost literally gives him the ability to breathe. OTOH Dong Hoon teaches Ji An what it means to be human. Make no mistake, this is a love story even though there is virtually zero physical intimacy between the two, on screen or off. This develops into a platonic-but-romantic relationship. The romance is not the main focus, as these two are soul mates, who connect in spite of their vast differences, at a time when both desperately needed this connection.
The writing and acting masterfully creates an intense but ambiguous relationship. There is a great reliance on "show not tell." The CEO -- who is unambiguously a weasel -- is used occasionally to state the obvious, but otherwise there are all kinds of clever narrative tricks on display. One such technique is to build other relationships to put mirrors on the main relationship. The most obvious mirror was the pairing between Ki Hoon (Dong Hoon's volatile younger brother) and Ju Ra (an actress who had worked on an unsuccessful movie Ki Hoon directed), where Ju Ra is shown to be playing a character uncannily similar to Ji An. Ju Ra is quirky, and sometimes bubbly, and while I assume this is a joke about the public's perception of IU, Ju Ra's talk about love (and other matters) indirectly shows Ji An's true feelings but does so without impact on the main character's aura.
It is a complex show that works on the most basic level, but maintains its appeal when you dig deeper into the presentation. The craftsmanship in all aspects -- the writing, the acting, the editing, the OST -- is consistently outstanding. This is brilliant television. Again, go watch it.
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Overrated but only to a certain group of people
I can definitely see and understand why this drama is considered a masterpiece as it moves the hearts and shifts the minds. However, I personally haven't experienced much misery in my life, fortunately, and watching this simply didn't resonate with me as much as I would have liked. Overall, it is still great and a good change of pace if you're watching the usual over-the-top dramas. What this drama does do well is the friendly neighbourhood vibe greatly reminiscent of the reply series and whenever those scenes were shown, it truly comforted me. Mashallah, 8.5/10Was this review helpful to you?
