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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Great watch
Honestly it was a great watch overall. It had some quite emotionally inducing scenes that make you really connect with the characters and their experiences.I would recommend this series if you’re looking for something that explores life, purpose, happiness, and connection.
The background music is also very nice and builds nicely upon the flow of events. Overall, the elements of this show come together to create a nice piece of work.
It’s true that the beginning is a little bit slow paced, but I felt like exploring the mundane day to day life and relations between the characters was essential to understanding the dynamic they have with eachother and the struggles they struggle to solve later on throughout the series. The show picks ip nicely between the fourth and fifth episodes.
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I admit that I had a hard time making it through the first two episodes because Lee Ji-An seemed like such a terrible, amoral character. But I kept watching because the reviews were good and I’m very glad that I did. It kept getting better and better. The drama is a heartrending but ultimately inspirational and moving story about a damaged, emotionally numb girl and an equally emotionally distant man. I thought that Lee Sun-Kyun and IU were fantastic but all of the actors were also great (including Kim Young-Min, who made me actually feel sympathy for the antagonist). Some of the story lines ended messily and unhappily, just like in real life, but somehow that was fine because they all showed that what matters more than money or prestige or even romance, is the connections we make with those around us. As I said, the drama gets better and better with every episode.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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Touching on so many levels
The way the relationship changed and grew between the ML and FL tugged at my heartstrings and so much was conveyed with just the way they looked at each other. Superb acting and brilliant writing!!Some of the side stories were interesting particularly the one with Jeong Hui and the one with the loan shark. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect much with the one involving the actress and found myself skipping those scenes. Without that side story, my rating would have been higher.
Cinematography and music suited the sentimental mood of this slice of life drama. I could understand the struggles of the ML and his wife and I am glad to see the story showed the wife’s view as well and how she tried to make amends with it. Realistically painful especially when they talked honestly with each other. I appreciated how the story refrained from going down the usual drama route of dragging on misunderstandings by lying or hiding the truth.
This was truly a case of melodrama done right.
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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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Why you should or shouldn't watch this drama
Before I begin my review I would like to say that all that I write here is my own opinion and what I felt like when I watched this drama. I love watching dramas and especially reviewing them in my own way. Whatever I write is what I may have felt when I watched this drama. Please don't get offended in any way if your views don't match mine.I have watched a fair share of drama mostly romance and also have explored other genres as it is good to expand your view range. This drama is totally different from any other drama I have watched so far, even though I have watched many. The lead actors Lee Sun Kyun, IU, Park Ho San, Song Sae Byuk and other supporting actors did a very good job at portraying their characters which makes this drama worth watching. You may wonder why I am writing this review after almost 4 years of its release that's actually I have skipped this drama when it was airing in 2018 because of its heavy topic. But oh! boy oh! boy, if you don't watch this drama you really are missing out.
You probably may have seen IU in Hotel Del Luna, Moon Lovers etc. which received a lot of love from her fans and others. In this drama, she has really played a very difficult character that looks easy on the surface but is definitely not. Her character is full of emotions like depression caused due to various reasons, which you will get to know if you watch this drama there are many other emotions and expressions that Lee Ji Ahn (character that IU is playing) portrays throughout this drama. She is selfish and self-centred a type of person usually people hate, but the way she is because of certain factors that the drama covers. Ji Ahn is unpredictable, in one scene you will feel like she is a good person in the very next scene you may hate her. She really showed commendable acting skills in this drama as Lee Ji Ahn.
Like I said in the beginning this drama is nothing like what you may have watched previously, this drama has a lot of heavy topics that it covers, the title doesn't reflect it that well though. though the title is quite three dimensional if you analyse it after you complete watching this drama. I personally am a binge-watcher but when it came to this drama I surely couldn't binge-watch this, I will definitely not recommend anyone to binge-watch this drama as you need time to analyse each and every single episode, there are very minute details that you need to follow to get along with how the plot will unveil itself. WARNING: You may feel depressed after watching this drama though.
The first few episodes are quite slow which can make one feel like giving up, but I can tell you one thing that is please don't give up the drama yet wait and see how beautifully the narrative arc is. You may think it is boring at first but the moment you reach the part of rising action you will not be able to leave it that is my guarantee to you as someone who has watched this drama. You need to carefully and minutely follow the story it is almost like a treasure hunt, this drama is more like a novel than a film I suppose in that case. This is a different yet well-written plot. Park Hae Young, the screenwriter did an amazing job. She was able to somehow thread the loose bits together very well. A quality of a great writer is someone who is not only a good storyteller but a good weaver as well.
(You need to figure out the rest by watching this drama)
Thank you for reading, I hope that you enjoy this drama.
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I feel bad for the grandma though, i like how she rolled out of the hospital, that's uncommon scene.
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WORST HIGH RATED KD EVER
OMG this was beyond my imagination of how a drama can be this badExtremely boring
Too long with no need
Very detailed
Very slow pace
Dark light during directing which made you depressed
And IU made it much worse for me
I could bear only 2 episodes and I was dying
I couldn't bear anymore
It was same as just between lovers
If you didn't like (just between lovers) like me,
so you definitely won't like this one
The catastrophe I jumped to last episode and I get about 70% of what happened during the hole drama
Which means it's really an awful drama
And it stamped with this sad stupid end
Horrible from all aspects 🤦🏻♀️
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"Realmente vivi a minha vida pela primeira vez porque te conheci, ahjussi." – Ji AnQue drama sensacional! "My Mister" é uma obra que me surpreendeu profundamente. Seu tom melancólico, sua abordagem sobre a dor e a resiliência humana, e a forma como constrói seus personagens são simplesmente impressionantes.
A trama apresenta Park Dong Hoon, um engenheiro de meia-idade que trabalha em uma firma de arquitetura. Sua vida é marcada por dificuldades: um casamento infeliz, irmãos que enfrentam o fracasso e uma rotina onde ele se mantém reservado, fiel aos seus princípios, mas emocionalmente aprisionado. No outro extremo, temos Lee Ji An, uma jovem que carrega um passado cruel. Perseguida por agiotas, endividada e cuidando sozinha de sua avó surda, Ji An se tornou uma pessoa endurecida pela vida. A relação entre os dois começa de forma inesperada: ela recebe a missão de espioná-lo a mando do diretor da empresa, mas, com o tempo, essa interação se transforma em um vínculo genuíno e curador.
A série constrói dois cenários centrais: um deles é a disputa de poder dentro da empresa onde Dong Hoon trabalha, cheia de traições e tensões corporativas; o outro é a dinâmica entre seus irmãos e amigos do bairro, um grupo que, apesar de todas as dificuldades, mantém laços profundos de amizade e cumplicidade. Esses dois mundos se entrelaçam à medida que a trama revela as feridas emocionais dos personagens.
A relação entre Ji An e Dong Hoon é o coração da história. Em um primeiro momento, ela o vê apenas como uma tarefa a ser concluída, mas logo percebe que ele é diferente de todas as figuras masculinas que cruzaram seu caminho. Dong Hoon, por sua vez, se vê refletido na dor silenciosa da jovem. Nenhum deles tenta "salvar" o outro de forma convencional, mas, através de pequenos gestos e interações cotidianas, ambos encontram um espaço seguro para existir. O sentimento que nasce entre eles não se encaixa nas definições usuais de romance, amizade ou paternidade – é algo mais sutil e poderoso, uma conexão entre duas almas solitárias que, por um breve momento, encontram refúgio uma na outra.
O passado de Ji An é de cortar o coração: abandonada pela mãe, sobrecarregada por dívidas desde a infância, espancada por agiotas e obrigada a matar para sobreviver, sua trajetória é marcada por uma dor crua e realista. Dong Hoon, por outro lado, lida com uma forma diferente de sofrimento – a traição de sua esposa com o homem que ele mais despreza. São dores distintas, mas que convergem na solidão compartilhada.
As interações no bar da Jung Hee são alguns dos momentos mais marcantes da série. Por trás das risadas e bebidas, há um peso emocional palpável. Aqueles amigos não estão apenas se divertindo; estão buscando, um no outro, um alívio para o peso da vida. A série mostra que, às vezes, o simples ato de compartilhar um espaço e um momento com alguém já é uma forma de resistência contra a dureza do mundo.
Tecnicamente, "My Mister" é quase impecável. A fotografia noturna, com sua iluminação delicada, traduz a atmosfera melancólica da história de forma sublime. A trilha sonora é um espetáculo à parte – cada música parece ecoar as emoções dos personagens, reforçando os momentos de dor, alívio e reflexão.
O desfecho do drama quase beira a perfeição dentro de sua proposta: não entrega uma solução mágica para os personagens, mas um fechamento que respeita sua jornada emocional. Ambos seguem caminhos separados, mas o que compartilharam os transformou. No fim, Ji An e Dong Hoon são finalmente capazes de sorrir de verdade, não porque a vida tenha se tornado perfeita, mas porque encontraram, um no outro, a força para continuar.
Embora seja um drama incrível, "My Mister" não é perfeito. Seu ritmo lento pode incomodar alguns que preferem histórias mais dinâmicas. Além disso, alguns personagens secundários, como os irmãos de Dong Hoon, poderiam ter um desenvolvimento maior. O vilão da trama, Do Joon Young, funciona bem como um antagonista corporativo, mas sua motivação acaba sendo um pouco rasa.
Outro ponto que poderia ter sido melhor trabalhado é a esposa de Dong Hoon, Yoon Hee. Sua traição é um dos maiores conflitos do drama, mas seu ponto de vista não recebe tanto aprofundamento, o que poderia ter enriquecido a narrativa. Além disso, a relação entre Ji An e Dong Hoon, apesar de belíssima, levanta questões sobre os limites desse vínculo. A série opta por manter a relação no campo platônico, mas alguns momentos deixam no ar uma química que poderia ter sido melhor explorada ou, ao menos, discutida de forma mais direta.
Por fim, o final é sutil e simbólico, um desfecho um pouco mais explícito sobre o destino dos personagens poderia ter sido mais satisfatório.
De forma geral, "My Mister" não é apenas um drama sobre dificuldades financeiras, problemas familiares ou relações interpessoais. Ele é um ensaio sobre o peso da existência, a necessidade de conexão e o impacto silencioso da bondade em um mundo brutal. É uma história sobre resistir, seguir em frente e encontrar, nos pequenos gestos de empatia, um motivo para continuar. Mais do que um drama, é uma experiência que nos lembra da profundidade do ser humano e da capacidade que temos de curar uns aos outros, mesmo que seja apenas por um instante.
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