S1 Stellar! Team KGE
Absolutely and unconditionally love it! Hats off to Kim GoEun. Honestly, I started watching show because of her and she did not let us down at all. She is so mesmerizing I felt her all her emotions be it frustration, struggles, happiness, despair. The animation, omg kudos to the entire animation studio. Such a phenomenal job! And especially voice actors! My fav cells Reason, love, foodie and lust. I laughed and cried with all of them. Its super realistic and if anyone says otherwise lives in fantasy world. Congratulations KGE for the award, well deserved and more!!!Was this review helpful to you?
Story with relatable dating relationship
I was hesitant to watch this at first because of the animation; but I am glad I did give in to the urge to do so.This was uniquely different in that it combined animation with real people. The way the writer weaved the story to incorporate the various cells was engaging. You cannot help but wish that you can hear your own cells discussing among themselves.
Since this is a webtoon, you can basically see it in most IG posts about how this season would end.
Ahn Bo Hyun was such a revelation! I didn't like his character in Itaewon Class (though he was really good there); but as Woong, I totally fell for him. In fact, for me, between Yumi and Woong, I would love to see more of Woong.
I don't know the ending of the webtoon (heard there was a season 3), but I am hoping that it would be Yumi and Woong
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A funny and relatable show
Well this one its really difficult to talk about because I don't think its perfect and actually I got a little bored in some episodes but at the same time, the narrative is so interesting and some episodes were pretty good and funny to me.First, I think the main idea of the drama is really amazing and Yumi`s cell are SO SO captivating that its impossible to not like them. But, at the same time, the cells are SO GOOD that they stole the whole show too much and I was looking foward to see them more than the characters itself. The cells were cute, funny and their animations were amazing. For me, without the cells the show wouldn't be that interesting but it's YUMIS CELL after all so I guess it makes sense that the cells is the best thing in the drama. Besides that, some scenes of Yumi was pretty relatable and I found interesting that it's a drama focused on the dramas of a girl and we see all her problems and her glow up until the end. The idea of Yumi becoming a #1 priority for herself was pretty cool too and I think we are going to see a even more matured Yumi in the future (are you seeing this Neverthless?).
Talking now about the other characters, most of them were annoying for me in some parts but I liked their chemistry. Yumi and Woong were pretty good together and even when I was annoyed with them I still liked them as a couple. The ending was a bit sad because Yumi clearly didn't overcome her love for Woong but yeah, we know she will because now she is growing up.
PS: I don't know if I`m excited for season 2 because I didn't liked Bobby but I will watch for sure because I want to see more about Yumi`s grow.
So yeah, for me it was a funny and relatable show to watch. I`m happy that I gave a chance and decided to watch. If you are looking for something different and a show for spend some time I definitely recommend this.
Was this review helpful to you?
Slice of life at its finest
The main message of Yumi's cells is that as you navigate through the ups and downs of life, meeting and parting ways with various people that impact you in various ways, at the end of the day, it's your own self that matters most in your story.Yumi's Cells has been a fun watch. I really love the way they presented the message of self love into such a lighthearted yet warm storyline. The animated cells, whose cute and funny reactions, as well as their interactions with each other were the biggest highlight in the drama for me, give out the feeling that your own self, your own body, is always rooting for your wellbeing and happiness, so you should always strive to take care of yourself. They also managed to portray feelings and thought processes that almost everyone can relate to on a day to day basis.
I would like to specially applaud the animation team for this drama. It's obvious that they spent a lot of budget and time for the cells, and it was well worth it in the end. The writing, directing and acting were great as well, especially Kim Go Eun. She did a fabulous job at making Yumi's indirect interactions with her cells come to life.
See you at season 2 !
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
When romcom met slice of life...
For lovers of both romcom and slice of life genres, this is something for you. This show mixes the two genres perfectly and masterfully with the help of the irresistibly charming cells. I think it would not be a stretch to say that this is challenging the standard Kdrama romcom format and would probably alter or influence the romcom game in the long run.First off, I have read the Webtoon and I loved it completely. Now, having read the original also means having a billion of expectations and worries about the drama adaptation. I loved the original enough to worry if they would be giving this brilliant work of author Lee Donggeon the justice it truly deserves. Well, I think there were enough reasons why do one needed to worry about Kdrama adaptions of webtoon originals given the track record of the Kdrama adaptations so far. But this one is definitely not a disappointment. Yumi's cells drama version certainly delivered what the original was able to provide its readers --- the fun, warm, and sometimes painful feeling of joining Yumi's journey, and growing and learning along with her in the process. It was like a warm hug or a cozy blanket -- it has that kind of comforting feeling.
The story is simple and yet very endearing. In fact, it uses some basic and well-worn narratives of romcom and yet it felt so new and different. I'm crediting the bulk of this creative story to Lee Donggeon as it should be, but it is also very impressive how the screenwriters weaved through and navigated this story with ease and so much respect to the original. They stayed true to the original, most of the time, with only some little addition of few things here and there that I found questionable at first but quite reasonable upon realizing the bigger picture they were trying to paint. This story might look simple but I know full well that in the hands of less capable screenwriters and director this creative and brilliant world that Lee Donggeon had created would easily crumble into an unsalvageable mess. Thankfully, this one delivered excellently in execution.
The characters are ordinary. They're far from the usual larger-than-life characters of romcom Kdramas ---no chaebols, no CEOs, no heroes trying to save whatever or whoever needs the saving, and etc. Its strength lies in the mundane and ordinariness of its characters. They all felt like ordinary people that you could encounter in your daily commute, could be a neighbor, even an old friend. They're all flawed and that what makes them feel so real and relatable. You won't love the characters all the time. You'd be irritated, annoyed, or even mad at them sometimes but at the end of the day you'd realize you actually care about them.
Kim Go Eun is simply Kim Yumi! She ate and digested this role completely. I think she didn't just bring Yumi to life, she made Yumi her own by giving her own exquisite touches to her own Yumi. You see in adaptations it is so easy for actors to just match and copy the appearance and habits of the characters they're playing, but to make the character your very own and making your audience think that no one else could play the character better than you is a true mark of being an exceptional actor. KGE deserves all the recognition she could get from this. Ahn Bo Hyun, too, is a revelation here. Actually, the cast here were all brilliant in their own roles. And who would have thought that KGE and ABH pairing would be this explosive on- and off-screen? These two together were simply amazing and definitely a tough act to follow (looking at you both Babi and Soonrok).
Overall, what I am really thankful about this drama adaptation is how it was able to preserve that fun and heartwarming feeling of the original. It was really impressive how they have managed to bring out from me the same emotional investment I have felt while reading the original. Reading how other people have related and felt comfort from this is also how I know that this drama had successfully brought Yumi's Cells to life.
Hats off to all the people involved in this drama. You've all done an exceptional job at this. See you all again in season 2. To Kim Yumi, I'm riding this journey again with you and thank you for letting me tagged along with you on this first chapter.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Heart warming. Fun and Realistic
Just love the cells. I thought it would be similar to INSIDE OUT but it was nothing like that. It was way joyful than I expected laughed a lot as well. All the animation part was so fun to watch even have a biased cell, the chore cell haha. The story is simple but charm of all actors make viewers crave more.Kim Go-eun acting seems perfect for the role but most surprising was Ahn Bo-hyun as main leading actor. His character from
Itaewon class and this is totally different and both looks promising. At the end, the cameo roles of Jinyoung and Choi min ho were icing on cake totally worthed.
I think the chemistry stands out the most and the fact that everyone' s thinking towards the same situation is different as individuals way of foreseeing things are varied. But ending seemed abrupt and things ended quickly for their relationship without showing more of reasons for breakup so that cannot be unseen but definitely every kdrama lover should watch this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama + Animation = YES
Yumi's cell in the land of animation is like Disney's Inside Outs' older sister. In the sense that the content is not exactly for kids, naughty cell I mean you. Though it was so clever how there were just so many cells and they could be so specific like fashion cell and cleaning cell ( my personal favorites) all the way down to stomach and brain working cells. I really enjoyed both views and was not expecting to which really made this drama special in that way. Other clever options I enjoyed were the use of "cards" shown in the cell's land and also in real life as a metaphor. Once again very clever once you get that point in the story. It really made this drama go from a 7 to a 10 for me because of the back and forth between animation and yumi's real life. I enjoyed the whole journey and am currently withdrawing only a few days because the next time a drama with feature this sort of combination will probably not be anytime soon. Hopefully, dramas will go with the flow and start creating more animation/tv shows like this one. And can I please get these cells in plush versions,thanksWas this review helpful to you?
Cool Concept, Cool Cells
This drama gives us a front seat on the inside battle that transpires in all of us every time we are facing the important moments in our lives. I often laugh silently when the cells are on screen coz their dialogues are SOOOO RELATABLE!! They represent all the monologues I have had inside my head. To animate the inner struggles we all experience as humans is a brilliant idea. Kudos to the writers for coming up with such witty and fun cell characters. I especially love Hungry and Lust cells with no underpants, lol.The love story and the human characters are very realistic as well. Yumi's Cell is not another love story in Kdrama land. You should give it a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
It Triggers Most And Emphasizes Emotions
The only reason why I signed up for this drama was because of Jin Young. I went into it with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised.The story was told wonderfully, in my opinion. There were bits here and there that I thought were extreme stretches and bits of fluff. I think it really captivated the evolution of most relationships, especially when it's a couple that aren't exactly compatible, but want to settle for fear of being alone or yearning for attention. I appreciate that there isn't a heavy focus on a love triangle and the story weighing heavily on who the female lead will choose.
I enjoyed the acting for what it was. I have not seen any other dramas with Bo Hyun, but for his character predominantly standing there looking confused, he played great. Go Eun seems like the perfect fit for her character, despite the lackluster nature of the Yumi.
No complaints with the soundtrack. They had a catchy song for each pivotal moment and it worked great.
Honestly, I'd watch this again. I enjoyed it upon the first watch and I wouldn't mind seeing it again to see if that opinion would change now that the awe factor has passed.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama. I think, in contrast to what a lot of the reviews touch upon, Yumi is an insecure human when it comes to relationships, and this drama justifies every aspect of that. I do agree, there was zero growth of her as a character. She doesn't acknowledge her insecurity, and expects Woong to apologize and change every little thing, but they are more common traits than most lead onto. It touches on some pretty real relationship issues with a light-hearted touch of the animated cells.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Very, very well played drama
I'm usually not someone who writes a review unless it leaves an indelible imprint and "Yumi's Cells" did just that. This will be reviewed in three parts: the beginning of the relationship, the middle and sadly, the end.The beginning: Yumi is suffering after a betrayal of a long term relationship and meets Woong through a blind date. After a somewhat rocky start, the attraction builds between and they finally become a couple. What is so fascinating and believable is the total organic and awkward movements of their first dates. Woong is instantly smitten and Yumi is trying to understand how to emotionally move forward. Everything is perfect in these first four episodes in its portrayal. Also, I'll never get past Woong's lustful dinosaur taking over. I never loved an animated creature so much in my life.
The middle: Woong and Yumi have an established relationship that is constantly tested by Woong's employee, Sae Yi. She's enjoyed Woong's adoration for a while and he was her fallback soother when her outside relationships crashed. This was an absolutely realistic portrayal of the third ghost in the party of two. Woong is reluctant to take her actions serious and the constant possession of Sae Yi towards Woong grates on Yumi's nerves and rightfully so. There comes a breaking point of the three when Yumi, in a mature manner, tells Woong in front of Sae Yi, that she's used him for years and he allows it. As she walks away, she tells him that's he a good person and should be surrounded by good people. I loved the dialogue between the two leads because every emotion is subtly played in every word they spoke. Thankfully, Woong chooses Yumi and I think I cheered in my tv room when that happened.
The end: Woong reluctantly moves in with Yumi after his business experiences financial hardship. What starts off as a rocky cohabitation ends up being something both enjoy. Their easy companionship moves Yumi to blurt out the words "would you like to get married?" Instead of Woong being upfront and honest about where he is in his life and what he is coping with at work, he shuts down emotionally and moves out. When he places her key on the kitchen table, the chasm between the two starts to grow and seeing Woong having lunch with Sae Yi (without Yumi's knowledge) , almost shouted his positional thoughts in the relationship. At the end, he states he's not in the same relationship place as Yumi and walks away. There's no music, no words of thought spoken to the viewer, just the deafening quiet sound of water from a fountain as Yumi watches him leave.
This is the most well written, best acted and most accurate portrayal of a relationship, of the give and take emotions every couple has, the very realistic reasons that it doesn't work out. I'm not a crier but seeing Yumi's reaction during their separation had me in tears. When a storyline draws you in to the point of feeling the characters, it's in a master class of storytelling. "Yumi's Cells" did just that and the characters are going to resonate in my memory for some time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Inside out" with a kdrama twist
I thought this was a refreshing kdrama. It reminds me a lot of the Disney/Pixar film, Inside out, where the inside of a character's mind is depicted by animated characters.Casting:
Great acting. I really, really enjoyed watching the leads act. They conveyed their emotions perfectly. All the sadness, indecisiveness, the joy is conveyed well on the screen. Kim Go Eun was a real star in this, but so was Ahn Bo Hyun. I think this might be the first drama that I've seen Ahn Bo Hyun - and he really was great. Park Jin Young - if anyone that didn't look as handsome and sincere was cast as Yu Ba Bi I'd have really hated him. lol.
Plot (SPOILERS)
This drama is also different because it takes a different view on relationships. I haven't watched kdramas for years, but the one thing that bothered me is that they practically force the leads to be a couple at the end. And Yumi's Cell does not do this, which makes it very different.
It goes through the whole cycle of a relationship - the highs, the lows, the beginning and the end.
There are really two sets of worlds in this, and at first I thought the "cells" was a gimmick but I think it really enhanced the story telling and conveys how one feels internally.
I think the greatest character growth happened to Wung. He's really not good at conveying his emotions and really is bad at confrontation. Ironically with the last episode, I felt he finally grew. He knows what he wants and finally makes decisions. Before, I think he'd just go with the flow and would not confront the truth.
Yumi - I think she has shown her heart throughout (well probably because we are watching from her perspective) and I'm not sure what else she could have done "better". She has way more patience than I would have.
"Marriage" is one of those things that I think is important that a partner be on the exact same page. So I think it was the best decision.
Sae Yi - oh gosh she was annoying and felt like a virus lol. I was really glad when Yumi spoke up, and was so mad at Wung when he didn't say anything. He knows what's going on but yet lets it slide... for who knows what reasons.
Yu Ba Bi - gah - i wanted him to back off. lol. but he's played by Jinyoung, who just has enough handsomeness and sincerity to make me feel conflicted. I thought his ex was cool - how she ended it, but it sounded like their relationship was dead for a long time and they were dragging their feet
Anyways, I felt the ending was a good ending for this drama.
Production:
The cells were so cool. I really liked how they were integrated to enhance the story telling, and wasn't just a gimmick.
Personally - I sympathized a lot with these characters and I liked how the relationship was depicted. It let me reflect how I felt about my own personal relationship/break up.
Was this review helpful to you?


