Melo Movie (2025)

A Drama So Beautiful.. I Would Rewatch For The Visuals Alone..

Melo Movie might fall under the Rom-Com genre.. But its more than just a romantic story.. The depth it carries evokes strong emotions.. The drama had so many beautiful bonds and I loved how seamlessly they wrapped up the story in just 10 episodes.. Loved the main couple and their dynamic.. They each carried their own baggage and yet they gave each other the space to figure things out on their own.. Choi Woo Shik, Park Bo Young, and Kim Jae Wook all in one drama?? There was no shortage of memorable performances.. They were just too good.. Whenever a drama with Kim Jae Wook comes out I am always dumbfounded by how underappreciated he is.. With the talent he has, he should be far more sought after and have had way more dramas in his career.. He is nothing short of a brilliant actor and Melo Movie just proves that..

"Life seems to have a fixed amount of happiness..
In another sense, there is also a set amount of misfortunes.. "

"Its simple.. If someone suffers a string of hardships, they should believe that good things will come soon.. "

First kiss in the very first episode?? In the snow?? And then the male lead disappears right after?? What a way to end the first episode..

"Just like that the dark night passed.. And dawn arrived.. And Ko Gyeom disappeared just like that.. "

Without any context his disappearance was such an interesting plot twist.. But the car drowning scene hinted at a backstory.. One that obviously had to exist.. Otherwise there is no coming back for him from this..

" I know I sound crazy.. But that day Ko Gyeom looked like someone returning home from a long trip.. I thought I saw a sense of relief and inexplicable exhaustion in him.. "

I didnt like Son Ju A and I hated how she coincidentally met Mubee at a bar and they just became friends.. That was such a cliche.. I didnt like her character overall.. She was honestly annoying.. The way she treated Hong Si Jun after becoming successful was just not what I expected.. And cutting off even the ML who was her friend was just too heartless.. What I hated even more was how she had the audacity to barge back into his life after her success.. I felt sorry for Hong Si Jun.. He had a family who never even tried to understand him and a girlfriend who did everything in the name of love without ever truly opening up to him.. Only to leave him suffering in the end.. She never tried to change him.. Never tried to guide him.. Just kept praising him.. The moment she realized she would drown with him she just left.. He himself didn’t know how to navigate life or how to fulfill his passion.. He lacked a guide.. He lacked any real sense of meaning..

Episode 7 was hands down the best of the entire drama.. In that one single episode the whole story found its meaning..

"Are you busy right now?"
"I have never been busy in my life."

Choi Woo Shik and his comedy were on point.. He is easily one of the best in the Rom-Com genre..

Two of my favorite scenes in the drama were when they finally accepted their feelings for each other and kissed near the sunflower field.. And the hug scene at the park.. Perfectly synced with the scene playing on the screen in the background.. I loved the framing of the park scene so much that I rewatched it several times.. It was just that impressive..

"There’s no one at home.. No one’s home, Mubee."

They portrayed the grief of losing someone so realistically.. The way he tries to act okay.. Yet even the smallest things like returning to a house without his brother bring a wave of sadness.. And the fact that Mubee could resonate with his emotions made it even more heartbreaking.. Its true that Mubee finds Gyeom at his lowest points.. She truly was the luck that followed his misfortune..

'' Visit me in my dreams from time to time.. ''

Special shoutout to Ko Jun.. This has to be KJW’s most tragic character to date.. After losing their parents and becoming an orphan, he took on the role of the provider and guardian to his younger brother when he himself was still young.. Dedicated his entire life to him.. Only to pass away tragically just when he finally realized he wanted to live..

Overall Melo Movie was an emotional rollercoaster.. Heartwarming yet heartbreaking.. It reflects how life itself carries multiple genres.. Its never just suffering and misfortune.. Happiness finds its way too..

The cinematography in Melo Movie was beautiful.. I would rewatch the drama just to take in those visuals again..

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Melo Movie - A Tale of Two Couples: When Bad Romance Takes Center Stage

Some dramas promise one thing and deliver another, and Melo Movie is a textbook example of this. Marketed as a poignant romance, it instead became an accidental masterclass in how a secondary couple can completely outshine the main one. While Melo Movie had the ingredients for something great—a stellar cast, stunning cinematography, and an emotionally rich OST—its biggest flaw was the romance it wanted us to root for versus the one that actually mattered.

At the center of the drama is Ko Gyum (Choi Woo-sik) and Kim Mu-bee (Park Bo-young), navigating love and personal ambition in the film industry. In theory, this should have been a compelling pairing, but in execution, their romance felt like watching two puzzle pieces being forced together despite not quite fitting. Their dynamic lacked the natural tension and emotional weight that made the secondary couple shine, and the more the drama insisted on making them the focal point, the more it became obvious that they weren’t the heart of this story at all.

Because that honor goes to Hong Si-jun (Lee Jun-young) and Son Ju-a (Jeon So-nee), a former couple whose love story unfolded like a slow-burn tragedy. High school sweethearts who spent seven years together before an emotionally devastating breakup, their lingering heartbreak and unresolved feelings made every interaction between them achingly real. Five years after their split, fate throws them together again when Ju-a hires Si-jun to write a song for her film. Every glance between them carries the weight of unsaid words, every hesitation feels like a scar reopened. Their love wasn’t just a fleeting romance—it was something they built, lost, and never quite recovered from. And the moment they share their final kiss? It’s not a reunion. It’s a goodbye. A final, bittersweet acceptance that they were never meant to last.

That scene alone carries more emotional weight than anything the main couple managed to muster across the entire series. And it wasn’t just because of the acting—it was the power of silence. No soaring OST, no grand declarations. Just two people standing in the wreckage of what they once had, realizing that love isn’t always enough. It was heartbreak in its purest form, and the fact that this wasn’t the “main” romance is almost laughable.

But if Si-jun and Ju-a were the emotional core of the drama, then Kim Jae-wook as Ko Jun, Gyum’s older brother, was its quiet devastation. Unlike the younger characters entangled in their romantic dilemmas, Ko Jun represented a different kind of grief—the weight of silent sacrifices, unspoken love, and a lifetime of watching others move forward while he stayed behind. Episode 7, which unravels his past, is one of the most gut-wrenching moments of the entire drama, and in just 16 minutes, Kim Jae-wook delivers a performance so raw that it completely overshadows the love story Melo Movie was actually trying to tell.

And therein lies one of the drama’s greatest insults—relegating an actor of Kim Jae-wook’s caliber to nothing more than an emotional crutch for an unlikeable male lead. His storyline had all the makings of a compelling, standalone narrative, yet instead of fully exploring his sacrifices and unspoken regrets, the drama used his pain as a tool to make Gyum more sympathetic. It’s almost absurd how Melo Movie had an actor capable of delivering nuanced, deeply affecting performances and still chose to center its weakest character instead. Kim Jae-wook didn’t just act—he carried years of grief and quiet suffering in every glance, every hesitation, every line delivery. And yet, his purpose in the story was reduced to making Gyum seem less insufferable. A complete waste of potential.

Despite its emotional highs, Melo Movie struggled because it never quite understood what made it special. It marketed itself as a romance, but its true strength was in its exploration of love in all forms—romantic, familial, and self-healing. Some of its best moments weren’t even about romance at all—Mu-bee’s complicated relationship with her mother, Gyum’s dynamic with his brother, Si-jun’s fractured family ties. These were the moments that carried depth. But instead of leaning into them, the drama tried to convince us that Mu-bee and Gyum’s love story was worth investing in. And it just… wasn’t.

The reason? Gyum himself.

Whether it was the writing or the acting choices, Gyum was an incredibly frustrating male lead. His relentless pursuit of Mu-bee—played up as endearing—often felt intrusive and boundary-crossing. Moments that were likely intended to be charming instead came across as overbearing, and at times, outright uncomfortable. And then there’s his biggest red flag: his sudden disappearance from Mu-bee’s life five years prior, a crucial plot point that is glossed over instead of meaningfully addressed. Mu-bee simply fills in the blanks herself, never once demanding actual accountability from him. And that’s the problem—their romance wasn’t built on mutual growth or emotional depth. It was built on persistence, a recycled trope that doesn’t land when one half of the couple is as unlikable as Gyum.

Even the final episode, where Mu-bee and Gyum end up together, feels unearned. Did she choose him because she truly loved him? Or was it just easier to give in after his relentless pursuit? The drama doesn’t answer these questions, and instead, we’re left with a love story that feels more like a script obligation than an organic conclusion.

In contrast, Si-jun and Ju-a’s ending—though painful—felt right. It was earned, justified, and emotionally satisfying in a way that the main couple’s ending never was. Because at the heart of Melo Movie, the most compelling love story wasn’t about getting back together—it was about learning to let go.

Verdict: If the drama had leaned into its strengths—its exploration of unspoken grief, the way it captured love in fleeting moments, the power of silence in heavy emotional scenes—it could have been something truly unforgettable. But instead, it insisted on a main romance that dragged it down, a male lead who was more frustrating than charming, and a narrative that never fully embraced the depth it had in its secondary storylines.

What remains, then, is a drama split in two: one half frustratingly lackluster, the other profoundly moving.

Final Score: 5.5/10 for the main story, but a solid 9 for the secondary couple.

A drama that will stay with you—not for the love story it wanted to tell, but for the one that stole the show.

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Fun fact (In case you're curious about the episode titles):

Since the episode titles of Melo Movie seemed a bit too familiar to me, I decided to do some digging. Much like Our Beloved Summer's episodes consist of titles that are movies. After some sleuthing, I've figured the episode titles in Melo Movie are quotes from different movies.

Episode 1: "It Will Become Scenic When Dawn Comes" | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Episode 2: "Why So Serious" | The Dark Knight (2008)

Episode 3: "Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer" | The Godfather Part II (1974)

Episode 4: "It’s Not Your Fault" | Good Will Hunting (1997)

Episode 5: "No One Can Prepare You for the Love and the Fear" | About Time (2013)

Episode 6: "Happy Ending is Mine!" | The Princess Bride (1987)

Episode 7: "Thanks For the Adventure, Now Go Have a New One" | Up (2009)

Episode 8: "All You Need Is Love" | Love Actually (2003)

Episode 9: "We Were Like Strangers Who Knew Each Other Very Well" | Big Fish (2003)

Episode 10: "Life is a Beautiful, Magnificent Thing, Even to a Jellyfish" | Limelight (1952)

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7th Episode was by far my favorite in the Series!

Going in, I did not know that Kim Jae Wook would be starring in the drama, but seeing him was such a pleasant surprise. His character has such depth, it was easy to be drawn in by him compared to the rest of the story. Ko Jun's story was so emotionally charged, it felt that it was the backbone of the drama.

Without it, the entire script would have fell flat. While the story was pretty average, the pacing was quite good. The romance between the leads was pretty decent. Kim Mu Bi as a child was much more interesting to watch. Ko Gyeom was perhaps more relatable to me. As a couple, they did make me laugh at times.

Although I like the push and pull relationship between the second couple, it was frustrating to watch them rehashing the same thing again and again without understanding each other. Glad how it worked out for them.

Another thing that bothered me was the flashbacks that were more like recaps to bring us up to the speed. Too repetitive, especially since all the episodes dropped in a single day.

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Run-of-the-mill

Don’t let the title fool you — this drama doesn’t have a lot of melo, nor does it have a lot of movie, two things which I was hoping for.

I was hoping the show would have a quieter and slower touch, and that it would talk about movies more and have some references for film-lovers like me. It ended up being a little bit more high-level, a more general romance drama where the main characters just happen to like melos and movies. We don’t actually see much of the movie or the music our characters are working on. I think this would’ve been the perfect opportunity to reference a different song or movie in each episode.

And so, while I think this drama is enjoyable as a romance, it did end up feeling very run-of-the-mill. Two romances, both second-chance trope, with the characters vaguely in the same industry to facilitate their run-ins.

The romance of the leads was interesting at first but ended up feeling a little flat once the original issue of him leaving her was “resolved.” I don’t think I felt their relationship take the next step after that.

Unlike most people in here, I actually really liked the second couple. They gave the angst that I wanted, though I think it could’ve been paced a little better and I’m not sure it gives me complete closure.

I think another thing that was missing was the feeling of friendship. We have a tiny bit of it, but I was hoping we’d get more of the four leads together, but everyone always felt very fragmented, especially the main female lead. Especially since one of her backstories was that she didn’t have friends because she was hard to get along with, I think the show could’ve focused more on giving her friendships despite how prickly she is. The tidbits we got between her and the second female lead were very fun.

I am also not sure if it's just me, but I felt like this show had an abnormal amount of narration, and once I noticed I couldn’t un-notice it. Oh well, it’s small potatoes.

Overall, this was just fine. It’s a sweet watch but I don’t think I’ll remember much.

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Disappointing. A let down.

Melo Movie – One-Word Review: Disappointing.

It’s hard to recall such a poorly written project despite having top-notch production, a superb soundtrack, and solid direction. The biggest flaw lies in the script—it offers nothing substantial, making it a complete waste. If you remove episode 7, there’s absolutely nothing to watch or look forward to.

The movie boasts a cast of top actors, but their performances were underwhelming and felt forced. Despite having all the right elements—high production value, a superb soundtrack, and solid direction—the weak script drags everything down. The only saving grace was Kim Jae Wook, who truly delivered, while the rest of the cast failed to make an impact.

Overall, a huge disappointment.

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Good story but not really interesting

I think many will agree with me, but the story isn’t anything to write about. It’s just like a still water, there’s nothing wrong with it being still, meaning the story itself has no problematic element that I feel I can correct, yet that doesn’t make it interesting.

So I will review how interesting it is from the perspective of characters.
Number 1 would be Ko Jun. Out of all character he is the most well-written and compelling. Or maybe it’s because I have tendencies to love tragedy… anyway his story is the most interesting to watch, his struggle and all, even with the minimal screen time.

Number 2 would be tied between Kim Mubee and Hong Sijun.
Kim Mubee story is fairly interesting, especially all the backstory of her dad, and how she tried to ‘win’ over him. Hong Sijun relationship with his family, his background, struggle, and relationship with Son Jua is also fairly interesting. Though to note I said fairly, which means I don’t think their characters are executed to the fullest. Simply speaking it’s just there and there.

Okay lastly would be Ko Gyeom and Son Jua character. Son Jua needless to say, it’s because her story is mostly dependent on Hong Sijun and Kim Mubee. If you notice she doesn’t really have story that’s centered around her. While Ko Gyeom character is dependent on Ko Jun and Kim Mubee. Different from Son Jua, he actually have many independent story, but it’s not that interesting. If I may say, his best plot point was when he keep repeating the car motion in the rain to see whether it was really an accident.

All the actors here are fantastic, they truly deliver best of their roles, but back to the story point, their story isn’t executed well. Even for the best written character Ko Jun, his ending feels very rushed. I know the limit is 10 ep so you gotta hurry up but there was lot of scene I deemed unnecessary so I don’t understand this decision.

There is nothing wrong with the story itself, so I will give it 8. Cast is easy 10/10. Music is debatable, but I’ll give it 10 too. The rewatch value, well there’s nothing to rewatch for me so 7(?)

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A more realistic modern day melo romance

LIKES:
1) Writer Lee Na Eun - I like her style of writing realistic layered characters. Her characters are never one dimensional and have realistic insecurities and complicated emotions. The way she writes makes you reflect. Just like she did with Our Beloved Summer, I got goosebumps from some of the lines because it was like Writer Na Eun took a peek into my soul. Love that.

2) The balance of humor, sweetness, and sadness that feels so natural. Nothing feels over the top

3) Choi Woo shik - I love this guy. He's such an amazing actor. This role was made with Woo Shik in mind, and honestly, I can't think of anyone else who could have played this role with the same loveable humor, sincerity and complexity.

4) The brotherhood between Woo shik and Lee Jae Wook. The heartbreaking scenes made me cry like a baby!

5) Park Bo Young - Great as always and a great match for Woo Shik's humor. The banter and reactions are fun to watch

6) The mother/daughter relationship. I love how it was written that PBY takes after her mother's personality. I found that relationship so realistic.

DISLIKES:
1) Pace was too slow and honestly the latter episodes got a little boring in places.

2) I didn't care for the secondary couple or the side characters which led to more boredom when it was their scenes. I did like the movie director though because he was funny

3) The kisses - it felt too careful as if the leads didn't want to upset the people they were dating in real life. Personally I hate that because it takes me out of the story and honestly it almost feels like bad acting. Not sure if this was a directorial choice or an actor's choice, but it killed the romantic chemistry for me. So while I did feel like they had flirty chemistry, it felt more buddy like than romantic lovers.

4) Lee Jun Young's crying - this was a hard sell for me. Felt very forced. He was great in the funny scenes though

If you liked Our Beloved Summer or enjoy more realistic dramas, than I would suggest giving this drama a try. While I didn't like it as much as the former, I still enjoyed the writing and lead characters very much. I think the problem lies more with the directing and editing.

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nice for a shot of melo or to see a fave actor.

background eps:
awful romantic pursuit... it really feels quite icky even beyond the storytelling intent
character development doesn't end up transitioning well at all
overbearing background tracks

time skip:
- second couple dynamics are painful to watch despite good acting performances. Some sparks of character from the dude defending his feelings, but not worth the screen time as it develops. You hate seeing them and don't get the benefits of the contrasting relationship because there aren't substantial parallels to the main couple. slop that will make many people drop.

- OSTs/background tracks finally find their place, solid, connects the sadness well later on. hits highs instead of the lows I felt in the early eps. occasionally weird still tho lol. main leads' narration sets a nice tone throughout

- some cute main couple moments that make the whole film production background worthwhile. I don't really like how the flirting develops sometimes, but its serviceable to pleasantly fun (PBY <3) they're so much better here than those first couple eps where I don't see the chemistry to form the attachment the plot drops on them.

- brother plot gets a nice handoff from the decently established main couple to land those few episodes of good melo. 5,6,7 but this couple hasn't had the time together to handle the levity of that melo. the tears are real, but the romance isn't.

- individual goals for film production aren't realized well. I get that they all like movies, but do they like talking about movies or their involvement in them? some technical talk would have gave it some substance, but I get defaulting to something basic with how present the second couple is. movie critic and the director 1 on 1 were not enough for me though with how many stacks of vcr tapes we see throughout.

- wasn't interested in most of the side characters interactions with the main cast.

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cute little watch

it was a cute little story that i started on valentine’s day and finished in 24 hours. i loved the aesthetic, the filter made everything look so pretty and interesting. the actors were perfect, and i honestly liked every character. ko jun was my favorite and probably the best written. the story wasn’t problematic, and i enjoyed almost everything, but most of the characters (except sijun and ko jun) felt kinda underdeveloped. like, they didn’t go deep into their backgrounds or stories. also, the whole “he disappeared for 5 years and came back like nothing happened” thing was so unrealistic. no one even talked about it?? but other than that, it was a cute, short drama. ep 7 had me tearing up. solid 8/10.

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Decent Watch

So let me begin my review with the fact that I was pretty disappointed with the way it turned out, the premise had a whole lot more potential and the cast have shown so much more potential before and it felt quite forgettable. Regardless I gave this an 8 because when independently reviewing this drama for what it is (and pretending I was watching it objectively with no external influences like past dramas) I found that it was a decent watch. Not Excellent for sure but yeah.

So just like the summary on MDL, the story revolves around our 2 main characters Kim Mubee and Ko Gyeom and the Actual show is exactly like the summary except with the addition of Ko Gyeom's brother who I think should be mentioned there for sure because of how big an influence he is.

Now moving on to the pros and cons,
PROS:
1. The OSTs were nice
2. Loved the cinematography
3. Pretty good acting and I think the actors did exactly what they were told to do
4. Realistic approach to psychology
5. Pretty good interpretation of surviving a life threatening situation
6. Unique family dynamics

CONS:
1. The biggest con to me is the sheer waste of potential, Ko Gyeom's career as a film critic and Mu-bee's actual unfiltered journey to being a director was not aptly shown imo and it felt like a heap of wasted potential...You get a whole lot of time skips and at times the pacing feels too fast ( could be attributed to the fewer eps ) either way there were many uncharted and interesting ways to approach it that would have made it more unique.

2. The characters: so lets be honest here the characters in my opinion lacked depth. They were too boring and rather than peeling them apart layer by layer over the course of 10eps all we get is the fast spoonfeeding of their psychologies. I personally think that for these type of dramas it is imperative to take things slow and leave hints for the audience to figure out why they are the way they are.

3. Lack of comedy: Sure not every drama needs comedy but there was so many instances for comedy that just got misused in a way that made me cringe (especially the interviews) idk like you either have good comedy or you don't period.

4. Romance, didnt get into the chemistry for some reason, they felt more like friends or siblings and idk rather than what we saw i thought the chemistry should have been more intense but there were no electrifying gazes exchanged or any interactions that made me feel like they were more than just friends

5. It could have been a movie: personally there was no reason to make it a 10eps drama, a 2hr movie would have sufficed as long as the removed the secondary couple who were unnecessary either way imo

All in all if you haven't watched a whole of dramas or you don't get bothered by the feeling of deja vu you will definitely love this but as someone that does not come under either category, I found it to be boring but redeemable to some extent

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