And I’m feeling… Blue
Taking some real-life problems and highlighting them through the screen, “Our Blues” (or literally “Our Depression”) tells the story of the everyday life and struggles of a bunch of people that have one thing in common: the island of Jeju.“Our Blues” is a drama everyone can watch, because of its slice of life theme, but at the same time, is not for everyone. It contains a huge amount of depression thus, it’s not a drama someone can watch simply for fun or enjoyment. Also, its episodic structure is not everyone's cup of tea.
Production wise, “Our Blues” is another technically even drama. It has brilliant directing and its cinematography is beautiful, but not so artistic. In combination with the mainly chilling music, the drama has a melancholic tone which fits perfectly with its theme. Last by not least, the cherry on top of the production which gives the drama a high quality, is its stellar cast.
The story
“Our Blues” is a slice of life anthology consisting of 20 episodes and each story has a duration of 2-3 episodes. By using many different stories, “Our Blues” shows various real-life situations of people in various ages, social statuses. As the stories have small duration, we can say that it is fast paced drama but the overall pace is not synchronized with the fast pace of everyday life. On the other hand, I’d say that it is a slow paced and chill drama.
The coherence of the drama is almost excellent as the center-story of the drama changes very naturally and even though a story ends or hasn’t been told yet, is still developing through the drama. It has to be mentioned though, that I didn’t like all the stories the same, some felt weaker than others. The weakest story in my opinion was the first one and it was the biggest disadvantage of the drama, because it gave the drama a weak start. But as the episodes passed, I felt the drama only was getting better and better and without realizing it, I fell in love with it.
As far as the characters are concerned, they are all well written. They are multidimensional, imperfect and, as a result, “real”. Almost none of them is likable and they all have their scars, traumas and daily struggles which in the end, make them who they are.
Epilogue
Blue is the coolest color, it’s the color of depression. But blue also brings to mind feelings of calmness and serenity. In “Our Blues” this conflicted meaning of blue is used a lot. There were many depressing scenes accompanied with calm and chilling music or beautiful sceneries. And in the end, all these combined overwhelm you with a feeling of comfort, relief and rejoicing. They give you a strange feeling of purification. “Our Blues” manages to perfectly show that through sharing Our Blues with people we love, we can find a little spark of happiness and continue to live. This beautiful message is the reason “Our Blues” is a very unique and special slice of life drama.
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Our Blues - Masterpiece & best of the best drama
“Our Blues” , is masterpiece, one of the best drama all time for me . Top-notch acting skills , best script, directing , piece of life drama .The script is based on characters of casts , want to tell us that each everyone are main casts in their own life !!
Actors are best acting & so natural at the way they perform in their character.
Watching this drama - make me feel like listening blue music of normal people life .
Every single episodes are really heart-touching !!
Our Blues is Best directing and best script , the way they present the drama to audiences is unlike usual drama ,they want to tell “everyone is main character, leading role in their own life”.
#ourblues
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Chased My Blues Away
Wow, what can I say? Our Blues is one of the best dramas I’ve seen this year. I am laughing and crying at the same time. It brought me all sorts of emotions and flavors: romance, comedy, friendship, family. I believe that its current rating here on MDL doesn’t give justice to how each characters portrayed their roles. The screenwriting and cinematography are beautiful. Despite dealing with different storylines, it wasn’t confusing and the transition is smooth. I looked forward to every weekends because of this show and it saddens me to say bye to the Pureung Family of Jeju.I have no major issues or complaints. I absolutely enjoyed and loved each and every story presented. It was wrapped up warmly and perfectly. The soundtrack is also very good. My favorite is “With You” by Jimin and Ha Sung Woon. Not to mention “Quando, Quando”. Everytime I hear it, it will remind me of them.
I won’t have any second thought seeing this again in case I missed the gang or want to relieve their memories. This one is a classic that I will always remember. The powerhouse cast did not disappoint. All the actors did an excellent job. The ending was satisfying and heartwarming.
Why not a perfect 10 if I loved this show a lot? The 0.5 is for the show to leave an empty spot in my memory. This is one of the best slice of life genre in my Kdrama archives.
Congratulations to all the staff, crew and actors behind “Our Blues”. I wish you all happiness from this day on.
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A gem made out of the ordinary!!
Following the lives of habitants of jeju Island this show was all about relationships of all kinds, and I loved it! The severed ties with a mother, a 'can't get over' first love. The struggle of a special needs family member , ruined friendships and much more.This show was perfect to watch over the weekend after a stressful week. It made me feel all kind of emotions added with amazing acting by all the actors(which i was already expecting because of such an amazing cast) every relationship that was shown was beautiful and perfect. The carefree days of youth portrayed the beauty of high school, first love, first kiss and so much more and gave me the sense that even if I am getting older I still have those treasurable memories to hold on to.
Even though all of the stories were beautiful(which I won't spoil for you) but those that topped my list were 1. Young ok & young hee 2. Dong seok & seon ah 3. Jung hyeon & young joo.
The entire series was perfectly paced I did not feel the need to skip any part and enjoyed every episode altogether. Some of them made me teary alot because of the great acting and expressing those emotions.
Loved the songs and found some of it to be on my favorite list.
Would recommend the series to anyone who wants to go on an emotional Rollercoaster ride.
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This review may contain spoilers
A lot of drama, for me one that would be unnecessary
I thought the story and the actors were almost all great. For me, the story between Park Jung Joon and Lee Young-Ok was such a damper that I skipped their scenes and almost wanted to drop the whole series. It was just too bad and the storyline with her sister was already obvious beforehand. I despise this attitude towards people with Down's syndrome. I found all the other stories very sensitively interpreted. Lee Dong Seok's turmoil with his mother and the teenagers' desperation to become parents were the most remarkable stories for me.Was this review helpful to you?
The best drama ever seen
i've been watching kdramas for over 14 years and i watched over 300 dramas but this is literally a masterpiece .So in love with each character story , acting skills, osts, .. everything is perfect
It feels like it is very real drama with everyday situations, battles that many of us go through. It has all kinds of things: love, drama, family stuff, friendships, differences of people. I don't know if it's the right way to say it but it is very humane drama.
i would really recommend this drama for y'all
There were many times that I laughed, smiled form ear to ear, or laughed after crying my eyes out.
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The Best Slice of Life K-drama I have ever seen
This is the 1st time I write a review about a K-drama, this series is not my type of drama as I love Rom-Com types the most, but to be honest this is the deepest K-drama I have ever seen, the writer really did a great Job, this series involves all kind of relationships that you can imagine, and they are really deep, connected and sincere and the script and the dialogue can't be better than this, the director and the actors really did an amazing job as all the main characters whose are so many shined brightly and made me feel a unique feeling I didn't experienced before, so even so this is not my type of drama, I was really touched by the story and it's development until the final episode, I didn't feel that I wasted anytime, and I would never regret watching this drama, whatever your drama preference when you see this gem, you won't be disappointed, I forgot to say that I cried a lot while watching many scenes without spoiling any of them but these scenes really touched my soul and made me feel better, finally about the rewatch value I would never watch this series again as I believe it's a one-time watch for the lifetime from my humble opinionWas this review helpful to you?
Excellent Acting with different stories that can impact each of us.
Completed: 7/17/2022Subjective Rating - 8.25-8.5
Objective Rating - 8.5+
This is my first omnibus-style drama and it took me a while to get used to it. And as a binge watcher, this is not the pacing that I am comfortable with. It was difficult for me to want to press "next episode" each time. It took me a long time to finish this drama and I have to watch one story at a time. Of course, this is very subjective and others might find all stories so compelling that they couldn't stop watching. Because of this, I am only rating this drama at 8.5. Additionally, a couple stories are not as interesting to me.
"Our Blues" takes place on the beautiful Jeju Island, a place I've been wanting to visit. Taking us out of the big city and into the more rural village provided us the opportunity to appreciate nature and this drama has beautiful cinematography and an amazing and soothing OST. I really enjoy the small town feel and the village lifestyle and community. However, it does take me a couple episodes to get used to the personality of the islanders. They are nosy, loud and rude, and just can't stay out of other people's business. But they are also kind and soft-hearted, and each character is ready to jump in to help anyone in a split second. That's the beauty of all the stories here and it's heartwarming to see there are people out there who truly cares. It's the perfect place for healing, to take a break or to ask for help.
Looking at the cast list, it's without a doubt that you do not have to worry about the acting performance of anyone. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, is excellent. This drama evokes so many different emotions that it's amazing how everyone is so good. I do want to point out a few that stood out to me:
1. Lee Byung Hun - the last drama of his I watched was "Mr. Sunshine". And what a different role he has in "Our Blues". I applaud him for taking such a different role and doing such a great job. You can't see a shadow of Eugene Choi in his role as Lee Song Seok.
2. Lee Jung Eun - I've seen her in so many other dramas in a supporting role and her acting here is off the charts. She plays the caring, loud-mouthed, nosy Jung Eun Hee so well. The first few episodes are about her, and I was mesmerized by her acting.
3. Kim Woo Bin - My first of his drama and I'm glad he's back after taking care of himself. I avoided watching "Uncontrollably Fond", so I'm glad to see him here. Kim Woo Bin's eyes can convey so many different emotions. I stare at his eyes and I am in love, and adding the fact that his character is so lovable, I've added Park Jung Joon to my "Ideal Man" list. LOL
4. Jun Eun Hye - Not only do I appreciate the fact that we have an actress with Down Syndrome in this show, but that she is not portrayed as the sweet and innocent girl. She is sassy and has a great personality. She is tough, will argue with you and keep you on your toes. And yes, people with disabilities do drink and cuss, and they want to be pretty and have a boyfriend/girlfriend.
As mentioned earlier, not all the stories touched me or that I find super interesting. Here's a quick recap (I tried to keep it without spoiler but read as your own risks).
Han Soo + Eun Hui
A very impactful beginning of a drama. Here we reminisce the past/first love, money issues and family burdens. The powerful confrontation scene in the hotel room was a big "WOW" moment for me. It was so quiet the whole time, no music and just letting two veteran actors duke it out. This story makes you wonder how you treat your friends and who are your real friends.
Yeong Ok + Jung Joon
This is when I fall in love with Kim Woo Bin. He's so warm and accepting that he doesn't care about Yeong Ok's relationship history. He believes in her and loves her, despite her lies in the beginning.
Young Joo + Hyung
What happened when Romeo and Juliet got together and have a kid? This story explores teen decisions and family support. How do we get parental approval when life has been so hard?
Deong Seok + Seon Ah
Postpartum depression is a difficult topic and not portrayed enough in dramas. This story explores the darkness of depression and how it affects everyone in the family, especially the child. It's important to have someone who doesn't give up on you and stand by your side until you are better.
Mi Ran + Eun Hee
When two best friends perceive their friendship differently, the result is a big argument and brawl. Eu Hee is the one that I wish she has all the happiness in the world. She's been there for everyone, her BFF and neighbors, but was hurt by her first love and BFF.
Yeong Ok + Yeong Hui + Jung Hoon
I love this story esp. the realistic portrayal of someone with Down Syndrome. Yeong Hui works, makes money, and wants what we all want. I love that she is the main character in this story and not just resorted to a few lines here and there. I love the complicated sisterhood and the friendship between Yeong Hui and Jung Hoon. The last scene when Yeong Ok was in the van alone was very touching.
Choon Hee + Eung Gi
What an adorable little grand daughter and what a fun duo she makes with her grand mother. They have such an interesting dynamic when they slowly learn how to get along with each other. I LOVE the scene with 100 moons!!
Deong Sok + Ok Dong
We knew from the start that there will be a story about this mother/son relationship. The reason why mom remarried was not surprising, but it's still heartbreaking nonetheless. Reconciliation and the acceptance/preparation for death are explored in this story. In the last episode, I am glad that everyone finds closure and we get to see all the characters back in a super fun way.
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If you ignore the last 3 episodes then it's a solid 9.0 but otherwise 8.0
I won't write a proper review. I'll just say the things I liked and the things I didn't.First of all Ep 16 and 17 were the best! The whole cast was great but the little girl who played Eun-Gi stole the show! I cried for like 3 hr continuously! I wish we would have gotten more of her and her parents at the end. Eun-Gi and Beyol-I (the mute girl) were my favourite characters!
The emotions and struggles of the characters were captured very well. The relationships and dynamic between the characters were really good and pretty realistic. Felt like an actual village. All of their stories were relatable. Some you could even see happening to you in future. I am glad that the makers didn't just cast pretty people (like most other kdramas) and called it a day.
Jeju was beautiful as always. Cinematography was very good.
All over a great drama except for the last 3 episodes! Dong Seok and his mom's story could have been done in one episode. The interesting parts of Dong Seok's story were already shown in Ep 9. His mom's story was really boring and I had no interest in her character. Actually I really hated her character! They just kept going on trips without any story progression for 3 episodes.
The actual ending felt really rushed! They gave Dong-Seok's mom whole 3 episodes and kept only the last couple of minutes for the ending. The ending needed a whole seperate episode. I would have liked to see more of the old characters, the reunions and everyone interacting with eachother. I wanted to see more of Byol-I. They under utilised her. also Eun-Gi and her parents. They didn't even show her parents in the finale. Instead we got 3hrs of Dong-Seok's mom.
I guess I'll just keep pretending that the show ended on Ep 17. Great drama ruined by the ending!
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This review may contain spoilers
It tries to educate as if it were a TVING drama, otherwise it's quite good.
How do I even get started? Okay, so this drama has a so called omnibus style storytelling, which means that there are a bunch of very loosely connected storylines. It's almost like a family drama without all the family relations, but darker & at times far more serious and raw. The other reviewers have made a lot of great points. Our Blues is incredibly heartwarming, borderline magical at times, has a decent dose of romance, while bringing up topics that you typically don't see on Korean TV. The setting is great, the fish market of Jeju & those diving women were rather novel. The acting is absolutely top notch, probably the best you can ever expect in a kdrama.So why is it not 10/10?
Well, the problem is that some characters & storylines are just plain bad, there were quite a few episodes that had nothing I was interested in. Some of the controversial topics in the drama are presented in a very fake, inorganic way. I guess the educational intent is just too blatant.
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Often an omnibus-style dramas like this can feel episodic and mundane to a point, but the way it portrayed community spirit was authentic and that makes it very much worth-watching. It’s not a plot-driven drama, it’s a drama that leaves you pondering about the relationships you hold in your own life. Personally, some stories weren't as engaging as some others because I couldn't relate with them, but each story delivered profound messages. It is one of those intricate emotional series with hidden depth characters that show friendship, romance, community and reconciliation.
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Engaging from start to finish
I really appreciate this series that kept me interested from start to finish. He was able to draw into the lives of the individual characters, there was no shortage of tension as the plot will continue to develop, how the characters will deal with their problems, it offers many suggestions on how to cope with one's own life or understand the fate of others.Thanks to him, I was transported to the island of Jeju, and I enjoyed it very much. The series shows the hard life of the islanders, fishing, the market, business, life's troubles, their solutions, and happy endings.. there is no shortage of romance, emotions, beautiful scenery.. The star cast was reflected in the quality.. I definitely recommend it.
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