Be Melodramatic

Pretending to be strong, and failing brilliantly

I laughed so hard in the first half, and cried mostly for the second. Three times. Four.

There are few dramas in which multiple to all of the characters are likeable. This is that one. This is for you, if you’re weird and like weird people.
And It is genuinely funny too, at least to me, makes me laugh for real. The comedic moments don’t feel forced, like they aren’t trying to make you laugh, but the things the characters do and say feel true to them as people. Love the overall vibe and the plot, soundtrack, the character dynamics.

I mean.. how are they able to make so many main
characters, even the supporting characters so real? Without too much information about someone I don’t really care about. Like; just enough. So that I actually kind of begin to care instead.
Maybe it is seeing them at home—even if just for a moment, when they’re alone, when they are with those they feel safe around, and those they don’t. The contrasts and different dynamics in which they are written true to their characters.
So simple, yet so impactful. While it is funny and quirky, there are moments that can feel excruciatingly real and relatable, like a punch to the gut when you least expect it.

It is far from the “best” drama I have watched, but it kind of sneaks up on you.


Favourite quotes:

Do you know why the city is lonely? Because the lights of the buildings take the place of the stars. And because the people of that galaxy don’t know I exist.

So what? Just hang on there. Whatever you do, just hang on and survive. Look at me, look at how amazing and wonderful I am at surviving all these years.

Well, I guess we don’t have much to say, but how about being curious about me from time to time?

You can still fix all the problems you are experiencing as you love someone. However, you cannot fix the other person, you must fix yourself. That is the only way it is possible. If it’s too late, you are only left with regret and the opportunity never returns. Learning this lesson as soon as possible is key.

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Could have been better

Drama had a Strange start, it was intresting but not entertaining(If that makes any Sense). But the show gradually grew on me. Lee eun jung character arc was one of the few time that made me feel something for a character in a korean drama personally after a long time.
Then why a rating of 6.5
For a drama that is trying to ground itself in reality it was too focussed on giving satisfying ending for every character.
Love story of the side characters especially the Screen writer lady was rather uninteresting. Of all the 4 main characters as in the poster 2 of the characters (Lee hyo Bong and hwang han joo) were under developed (especially Lee Hyo Bong) felt was just used to pad the run time more than anything else

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Unpopular opinion here but I prefer heart warming romance and happy endings over harsh reality

This is a 2019 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 60-73 minute episodes. Also known as Mellow is My Nature.

6/10 is my rating. First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

This is a story centered around three female friend who are roommates and one of their brothers.

Lim Jin joo (Chun Woo hee) is fresh out of a tumultuous seven year relationship when a script she is writing finally catches the attention of an up and coming director. Finding intrigue in his particular brand of sarcasm, Jin joo falls for the Director, Son Beom soo (Ahn Jae hong). Relatively fresh out of a failed 7 year relationship, her feelings for Beom soo ignite while reworking the script for a 16 episodes drama. Having met his match, Beom soo reciprocates her feelings. Since fate has a sense of humor, it turns out her ex boyfriend, Kim Hwan dong (Lee You jin), is the assistant director and she has to work with him in order to get her big break.

Lee Eun jung (Jeon Yeo been) is still grieving the sudden loss of her fiancé, Hong dae (Han joon woo) to cancer. Her grief is so severe that she suffers persistent complex grief disorder and sees and talks to her departed fiancé as if he were still there. Her younger brother, Lee Hyo bong (Yoon Ji on) has continued living with Eun jung after she attempted suicide and her two friends form part of the team that live together and watch over Eun jung. Hong dae invested in a documentary Eun jung directed and she achieved wealth and success as a result of that project.

Hwang Han joo (Han Ji eun) was the school beauty who was conned in love by a man who was not good at committing to anything. She married him after an unexpected pregnancy but they quickly divorced, Now her three close friends and roommates are helping her raise her young son, Hwang In-kook (Seol Woo Hyung). Her role with the marketing and production department is to ensure the production meets the product placement advertisements that were agreed to. She later is promoted to a producer position.

Review

Based on other reviews, some people really liked this or at least enjoyed it. For me it’s one where I’m trying to figure out what people might’ve liked about it. I guess if you really like pure dramas with very little comedy and you want it to be reality based, then you might enjoy this one. I watch dramas to escape reality so I don’t want or need things to happen exactly as they might in reality. Give me the well-developed happy endings that’s what I want. I was interested in the story throughout most of it although there was nothing super exciting or any huge plot twist or anything like that. The characters were interesting and it was a slice of film industry life. Where I really lost interest in it was towards the ending when it became obvious things were not going to end the way I hoped they would. Sort of a soft ending in that things were wrapped up just not completely or well. In my opinion I would not watch it again nor would I highly recommend somebody else watch it. However, if you particularly like any of the actors, they did very well and the script was written well for what it was

Spoilers

Lim Jin joo (Cho Woo hee) was not a very likable character. In the relationship with Kim Hwan dong (Lee You jin) I thought she was wrong in the arguments a majority of the time. It appeared she picked fights with him for no apparent reason. She really wasn’t different with Son Beom soo (Ahn Jae hong) but he didn’t fight back. He more joked her out of it. I think they were trying for her just being a unique personality who could not match well with just anyone. They tried to portray that some some of the roughervaspects of her personality were due to being that element that made her an edgy writer. This was supposed to lead tona determination that the only one that could handle her was another quirky person such as the somewhat edgy Director. I got where the writers were going with it but I just found her very abrasive and not very likable. I still rooted for the romance a little bit which was why the way they never really fully got together was annoying. They were dating, although still having frequent fights, but nothing much else like a solid long term commitment which was not a very satisfying ending.

Lee Eun jung (Jeon Yeo been) was just a sad case the entire time. I hoped the drama would take the turn that she found new love in Kim Ah-rang (Ryu Abell) a fellow director but that never fully happened. There were some hints they might meet up abroad but nothing definite. She was working on her complex grief but was still imagining Hong dae (Han joon woo) enough it was clear she had not fully let go. So there was no resolution to her grief and we did not get to see her happy in a new relationship.

Hwang Han joo (Han ji eun) says she is ready for a romance and there is all this build up between her and her subordinate, Chu Jae hoon (Gong Myung) and it seems headed for romance. But nope. Instead he seems to get back with his crazy ex, Ha yoon (Mi ram) who they portray as the victim in their very tumultuous relationship when everything I saw it looked like she was the aggressor. But that was an overall trend in this film that no matter how wrong the female appeared, she was in the right, and the man was the wrong one. Then, in the end, she is dating some guy she met at a club who we barely knew anything about. Why did I care she had some random romance? I wanted her with her cute assistant who seemed like her other half. Instead he is back with his personality disorder ex and she is with some rando.

Jung Hye-Jung (Baek Ji won), who was Jin joo’s former boss turned rival script writer has this whole flirtation going with Sung In-Jong (Jung Seung gil) and there is even a bit of a love triangle for awhile. So this leads you to expect she will quit being such a horror with her work and get with In jong who seems to mellow her sharp personality. But we do not know what happens as tge writers just drop that story and there is no outcome with all that build up.

There were a couple of side romances that got very little screen time that were cute but not central enough to carry the story. Eun jung’s younger brother, Lee Hyo bong (Yoon Ji on), marries his partner and moves out because his sister is finally well enough he no longer has to be on suicide watch. Probably the cutest romance of the show was between Lee So min (Lee joo bin) and her manager Lee Min joon (Kim Myung joon) as they had been friends and it was obvious he felt more for her. So them realizing their feelings and getting together was heart warming,good friendships can stand in for love,

Overall it felt like the writers wanted to convey a proposal is not necessary for a happy ending, good friendships can stand in for love, and strong independent women do not need a man. A disappointing surprise for me to find in a Korean drama.

#BeMelodramatic #MellowIsMyNature #HanJiEun #JeonYeoBeen #AhnJaeHong #ChunWooHee #HanJoonWoo #YoonJiOn #SeolWooHyung

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The true meaning of friendship

An undeniable masterpiece. The drama offers us a complex journey through basically every emotion known to humans. Sadness, love, joy, and horror. It is fascinating for its feminist approach to portraying the girls' experiences from the empathy and validation of emotions, understanding that each of them faces a personal process of overcoming, either with love expectations or with grief. I was impressed with Jeon Yeo Been's performance, what an actress. It's one of those series that make you cry when they end because you just don't want to say goodbye to the characters. I wish half the kdramas wrote female characters with such intelligence and compassion.

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The perfect slice-of-life drama for me, 10/10

There are no "big" events in this drama or scenes that would keep you on the edge of your seat. It is just a show about four characters and the people around them in their jobs and lives. This is just a simple drama, but why do I rate it a 10/10? The answer is the flow. The way they tell and show each character's story will connect you with them. Individually, they are all strong, independent adults in their 30s, but once they got home and were surrounded by their loved ones, you could see how vulnerable and gullible they were and how much they needed each other. This hits close to home.

As someone who is still young, I always imagine what will and could happen when I turn 30. And this drama answered those questions. A lot of things could happen; you will mature, grow, struggle, and meet a lot of people who could help you or ruin you, yet you will still find yourself like the old you. In short, there is no big difference between your 20s and your 30s; you just have to embrace change.

Definitely worth watching and recommendable.

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The story itself is a rom com, but it's definitely more com than rom -- and the com comes from poking fun at all the other romantic comedies out there.

First of all let's talk about the comedy. The plot develops in unexpected ways, and the character actions/expressions are so on point that make it extra funny. Even when they don't reference other dramas/tropes, the characters say the darnest things at the darnest times and kept me laughing throughout.

The romance itself is pretty realistically paced. The script doesn't rush unlikely relationships (coughcough The King), and focuses on letting character emotions develop instead. There are love lines, but they actively avoid typical kdrama tropes like "an ugly love triangle between girl, guy, and girl's ex-boyfriend" or "leads get happily married at the last episode, the end." In fact, they make fun of these tropes throughout the show, either through character dialogue or through a dream/imagination sequence. (you'll see. it's so great)

The main part of this drama is the meta-ness though. There are references to multiple other famous dramas, either through reenacting a famous scene or just having a scene that matches the energy. These references are complete with the appropriate insert song (like hearing Appearance during the Secret Garden reference or the Something in the Rain insert song...) You'll have to have a long history of watching kdramas to recognize all of them (I don't; but I recognized a few... and I googled the rest), but even if you don't recognize exactly where the scene is from, you'll appreciate the humor and the efforts of the production team. Look forward to how they approach the 4th wall and the actor/character relationship. Since the main characters are in the entertainment industry, they talk about dramas a lot, and you'll see some (hilarious) references to the actors themselves or their previous roles. The cameos are also really cool! I lost it when I heard Jung So Min call another character "So Min unni." I swear they did that on purpose. Also like, this is probably the only drama that will make fun of product placement in dramas *as it does product placement itself*.

Finally, just wanted to praise how they took care of the ending. The last episode was gold in terms of plot development, while maintaining the comedy factor. This show was funny and interesting til its very end.

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Great acting, story and sharp dialogues lifted this above the rest

This show has been a sleeper for me for some time. "Not another rom-com", methinks. I then saw some very positive reviews and took my chance.

How glad I am. It is truly amazing! The acting is great, but the writing is the real star. It is both tropey and original at the same time. There are so much content in this show that some of the subplots could have powered a standard 16 episode drama. All the stories move along in their own space and intersect when required with no problem.

This is an ensemble show from start to finish. You start with 4, 5 main characters and then more are introduced over time. They are not just throw away characters either. They are fleshed out with their own back stories, goals and motivations.

Pacing is spot on. When one plot takes a breather, the next one arrives right on cue and maintains the momentum. You just don't know when it will be funny or sad but you will never be bored.

The first episode is probably hardest to watch because so much happened but also explained so much of the show's dynamic relationships. At the end of that hour, you would have been shocked, laughed, cried, or in need of a hug. You are all in or you might as well cut your loses.

As this show is about the k-drama world, it can get very meta and almost fourth wall breaking. There are so many references to other popular drama series and in-jokes. It is like doing a pop quiz to test your drama knowledge. ;)

While the standard is uniformly high for all the eps, the last one is a gem. It really took the whole idea to town. In one scene the director and writer sat down to a script review and talked about how their show should end and what should happen to the characters. They are speculating on what their viewers want to see. Are they talking about us?!

Kudos to the writer-nim for keeping the storyline real. There are no magical happy ending(s) but there are positive developments. Some might led to a happy ending but we can't be sure.

Each key characters are highlighted so we have a sense of closure. It might not be the tropey happy endings we crave, but it is more realistic.

One final thought, as a non-Korean speaker, I have to pay close attention to the dialogues. A lot are elevated verbal jostling at full speed. I am running to catch up. This is NOT a dinner time drama, by any means. You have been warned. Peace.

P.S. Don't miss the episode about farting and in-jokes about PPL.

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A Drama That Doesn’t Perform, It Just Breathes

There’s something about Be Melodramatic that felt like catching my own reflection in a window I didn’t realize I was walking past. It didn’t try to win me over. No big hooks, no emotional grandstanding — just three women talking, fighting, failing, laughing, and carrying invisible weights like people I know, like people I’ve been.

The tone is dry — not emotionally distant, just honest in that unfiltered, sideways-glance kind of way. I found myself laughing not because the show was trying hard to be funny, but because it understood the absurdity of everyday life. Sadness sneaks up on you here. It’s not telegraphed with a score swell or a dramatic monologue — it lands in a casual comment, a pause that lingers a beat too long, a friend passing you a drink instead of an apology.

Chun Woo-hee, Jeon Yeo-been, and Han Ji-eun didn’t feel like characters crafted for television; they felt like they’d existed long before the first scene rolled. Their friendship isn’t flawless or performatively “ride or die.” It’s full of micro-resentments, awkward silences, emotional mismatches — and it still holds. That kind of bond? That’s real. That’s earned.

Sure, the show-within-the-show leans a little smug at times. The meta storytelling plays like it knows it’s clever — and to be fair, it often is — but occasionally it winks a little too hard. And yes, the pacing meanders. It doesn’t care about momentum so much as mood. But weirdly, that became part of why I loved it. It’s not trying to move fast. It’s trying to stay — in the moment, in the feeling, in the small stuff that other dramas skip past.

It didn’t change my life. But it did remind me what it feels like when a story just lets you exist beside it — no judgment, no manipulation, just quiet companionship.

Some dramas entertain. This one kept me company. And I’m really grateful for that.

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