Melo Movie

Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Melo Movie '' is a drama about young people chasing their dreams despite their traumas.

The drama is quite slow-paced, with impressive cinematography and a nice soundtrack.

It also has some strong performances by all the actors and actresses of the cast, but, especially, the main leads, who also had strong chemistry to boot.

However, and despite the slice of life vibes that were spot on, and the strong family drama, the series had a scattered plot, which it didn't handle quite well, as to produce the right emotional impact when it was needed.

So, overall six out of ten.

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More than just a Melo

I had high expectations for this drama and they were exceeded!!!
So first of all, the term “Melo” seems to have a totally different meaning in Korean than it does in English. In English it refers to a subgenre of drama usually based on the plot of romance or family problems, involving exaggerated expression of emotions and characters. In Korean however it seems to just refer to classical romance movies. So before watching this drama, this should be made clear.

It’s just as Mubee says at the end: her life with him felt like a movie - sometimes a family drama, an action comedy or a melo (aka romance). And thats exactly how I would describe it too (minus the action).

Basically this drama shows people and their dark sides, how they grow together, their relationships with each other - whether family, friends or lovers. It’s about love, sadness, death, grief, self-doubt, loneliness, pursuit of love, and most importantly the love for movies and how movies can bring people together in life.

I loved this drama so much it is hard to decide where to start and end. I cried AND laughed a lot. Choi Woo-Sik is such an amazing actor! I loved all his roles so far! And then the actor who plays his brother!!!! OMG!!!! While I was watching I felt like he seemed familiar… and it is the “Japanese” guy from Coffee Prince!!!!! Aka my favorite part of that annoying drama 😅 And then he had yet another amazing role!!! omgggg his scenes with Gyeom made me cry the hardest!!! He was such an amazing character and I was DEVASTATED when he dieddddd 😭😭😭
Then with Mubee I liked her first, then I didn’t know how to feel about her, but in the end of the drama I liked how she turned out. I just mostly couldn’t relate to her (which is often my problem with most female leads in kdrama that i cannot relate to most of them).
My favorite female character however was Ju-A 😍 I loved her and even tho her relationship with her ex seemed toxic at times, I was curios about them and how they would end up. Definitely a unique and unexpected twist that they decided to go seperate ways. I felt really sad for the ex too as he cried so much and felt hopeless and like a failure… I am glad he got a good ending.

Other than the topics of romance and comedy, I was actually surprised to see a lot of themes revolving around the topic of death. First it came with Mubee’s father’s death. Then we heard director Ma talk about it. And then very unexpectedly Jun’s suicide attempt!!! At the beginning I didnt quite understand whether it was suicide attempt or some illness that caused the accident. But there should definitely be a trigger warning before the drama starts.
Then we also hear Mubee and Gyeom talk about their secrets. That was one of my favorite scenes. I think it showed human vulnerability and the hardships of life very well!

All in all I totally recommend this drama! Loved the soundtrack too!

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A ten hour movie disguised as a K-Drama

A really long, satisfying cinematic ten hour movie where one episode might break your heart and the next episode gets you choking and laughing.

Unlike other audiences who may have watched the same piece, I came in foolishly thinking it was an actual movie and expected the first episode to be the last. When the episode ended, I thought: “what the heck? This is how it ends?”

With this unique yet foolish expectation, I felt a deep sense of gratitude and desire to finish this “movie.” The high quality production was worth my continued pursuit. I was extremely grateful for the beautiful breathtaking visuals of the scenes, backgrounds: a movie within a movie but in a drama. The audience coming into this show expecting it to be a normal Korean Drama will be absolutely disappointed. This is a masterpiece 10 hour movie is what it is! Please don’t treat this as a Korean drama—it is a masterpiece artsy movie for melo lovers.

I see a lot of reviews on here talking about “realisticness” of the plots and character tendencies. As someone who has experienced many of these plots in real life, I can tell you that these types of situations and timelines do exist. People stubbornly live their life thinking they are right and believe they make the right decisions for themselves and for others. We can easily be objective when analyzing other people’s lives, but we are always going to be biased towards our own perspectives.

Ko Gyeom: My top favorite scene has to be his optimism on set. Gyeom acting very poorly yet still touching people’s hearts with his relentless passion for movies. I definitely felt cringe when I saw him, as Mubee saw him. He was good at being annoying and nerdy about movies, but it all makes sense when you hear about his trauma and upbringing with his brother. He did the best with what he had available to him. He actually excelled - ended up making a living as a critic. Also, the child actor deserves an award.

Kim Mubee: She’s very cynical and had a cloud looming over her head the entire beginning of the drama. It was honestly so annoying to watch Bo Young in this character because she’s usually so cheerful or comedic in her other dramas even if she was portraying a tragic character. Boyoung did exceptionally well in this one because I felt so sad watching her, so much that it felt like she didn’t have the will to live and was only existing to take revenge on her father by being a “smart” and detached director. Gyeom likely sensed the darkness in her, and wanted to support her but realized he was limited by his own darkness. One could tell that Mubee was naturally so kind and hardworking, but was coping by drowning herself in work and avoiding intimacy with others. The child actress was amazing!!

Mubee’s Mother: I loved that her mother encouraged her to pursue this love and also opened up about their grief and love for each other—this was such a realistic and exceptionally well written scene. How many of us struggle to be intimate with our parents, especially after losing one of our core family members? No one wants to trigger the other person’s grief so no one says anything. We just try to keep each other safe and somewhat okay. Rarely in Asian culture do we acknowledge that deep grief. I would say this might be my top 1 mother daughter scene in a movie/show.

Son Ju A: I sat with myself for a long time reflecting on her character. I couldn’t understand her hesitation with the relationship. I think the writer could have included more of a backstory for her to help viewers understand better, but I get the feeling the director may be trying to convey that “Right time, wrong person.” This lady is extremely determined and ambitious. She chose her high school based on the boy she had a crush on. This means she amazing guts or is truly foolish. Based on this, you can safely assume that she’s a dreamer who is living to pursue her greatest desires, which she later on she discovered is not this boy, but rather her love for the arts (which is why she was such a fangirl). Maybe she wanted to be like her boyfriend and support him but was he the boyfriend she needed? A relationship is more than just passion.

Hong Si Jun: I think his character was the most cliche and boring, but it served a great purpose for the other characters. Dude had a rich family but didn’t want to pursue that rich people route and instead arrogantly pursued his interest while his parents reluctantly paid for his studio. His treatment of people around him makes sense since he was treated with zero respect and intimacy by his own family. He needs a lot of emotional growth.

Ko Jun: His character wasn’t anything new in the drama world, but it did remind viewers that not everyone gets the privilege to live a selfish life. He could have chosen to neglect his brother, but it could be that he was dealing with untreated PTSD and Depression since his parents died and his way of coping with it was avoiding. His character development was realizing that him not healing from his mental illness (I.e. being a little selfish) ended up hurting his little brother. His character also teaches viewers that if people choose to hide who they are, that’s their choice and circumstance. The people who are left behind do not need to blame themselves if their loved one chose to live selflessly or to hide their own desires.

Bartender Ajussi: “Love itself is complete.” This is going to be my quote for life!! I love it so much. This script was GOLD and I’m going to say it 10x more.

Director Ajussi: I feel like he deserves to be like godfather for all these kids. He inspired so many people by not only not giving up but also not taking things so seriously at times. He was a great role model for all these characters!

…And so many more amazing supporting characters

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A Cinematic Love Letter

* Review Update *

As the name suggests, this is a melodrama—expect heartbreak, abandonment, conflict, imperfect romance, and disappointment. This isn’t a sweet romcom with an idealized love story; instead, it delves into the flawed nature of people—their selfishness, their questionable choices, and the messy realities of relationships. The beauty of this drama lies in its rawness, in showing that people are imperfect beings who hurt and get hurt, sometimes without justification. It’s about learning to forgive, to move on, or to simply live with the scars. If you're looking for a story where a perfect, handsome hero swoops in to save a damsel in distress, this isn’t it.

At the center of the story is Gyeom (played by Choi Woo Sik), a young man who grew up in a movie rental store with his older brother. His life has always revolved around films, and he dreams of becoming an actor. However, reality takes him on a different path. Enter Mubee (Park Bo Young), an aspiring director with a painful past. Their fates intertwine on a movie set, leading them on an emotional journey of self-discovery.

The drama is not just about romance, it explores the struggles of youth, ambition, and past regrets. Second leads, Gyeom’s friends, played by Lee Jun Young and Jeon So Nee, add depth to the story with their own personal challenges. The second lead couple’s story is equally compelling. Si Jun and Ju A, once in love, meet again years later. Si Jun, struggling with low self-esteem, is torn between his career and the possibility of rekindling their love. The drama does an excellent job of portraying how second chances don’t always come easy, and not everyone is lucky enough to have their first love work out.

Visually, Melo Movie is stunning. The cinematography captures moments of longing and introspection beautifully, while the mellow soundtrack enhances the emotional weight of the story. Each episode is narrated from a different character’s perspective, adding a unique touch. The dynamic between the characters—such as Gyeom and Woo JoengHui (Cha WooMin), Gyeom and Director Ma, and Mubee and Ju A, is engaging and fun to watch.

A special mention goes to Episode 7, which focuses on Gyeom and his older brother, Ko Jun. The episode is filled with tear-jerking moments as the brothers confront years of bottled-up emotions, showing how even adults can be shaped by their younger, more vulnerable selves.

To balance the heavy emotions, each episode ends with adorable epilogues that leave a lasting impact. Just when you think the story has settled, the drama throws unexpected twists, keeping viewers hooked.

Melo Movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves heartfelt storytelling, layered characters, and emotional depth.

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Love is all around, and it's not just about romantic love

When watching this series, I had a similar feeling when I was watching my favorite Japanese series Life's Punchline. I feel these two series have quite a similar vibe. I love it.

This series has a different vibe from a lot of Kdramas. The story, the music, and cinematography is just so perfect. Just like the title, I felt like watching a movie, not a series.

This is a beautiful realistic slice of life series, with romance being a part of it. It's a mix of love, family, friendship, human relationships, dreams, passions, trauma, life and death. It touches different aspects of life. I was surprised that it was able to cover all those aspects in just a 10 episode series. Of course it cannot be too deep, but it’s enough. I was left fulfilled after finishing this series.

Love is all around in this series. Everything in it is connected to love, and it's not just about romantic love. First, it’s the love between our leads, Mubi and Gyeom. Their love isn’t just romantic, but it’s a deep connection and understanding. It’s so special. They love each other and are each other’s home. My heart feels warm and calm everytime they hug each other. It’s just so beautiful.

Second, it’s the love among the family members. We have Gyeom and his older brother, and Mubi and her parents as the two major focuses throughout this series. Gyeom and his brother truly love and care for each other dearly. Gyeom is the light in his brother’s life, while his brother is like a big tree for Gyeom. Gyeom always behaves like a kid around his brother. They rely on each other. However, Gyeom has developed a fear of being abandoned by his brother since he was a kid.

In Mubi’s situation, that her father is an absent father leads to her daddy issues. Her lack of fatherly love also leads to a fear of being abandoned and makes her always crave for love. It’s a kind of trauma that both our leads share. That’s why Mubi’s mom told Gyeom that he and Mubi are exactly like each other. And “Melo Movie” is their healing love story.

Other forms of love are friendship and human compassion, the love for one’s passion and dream, and the love for life. Each form is beautifully portrayed in this series.

Like Gyeom, my dream used to be watching every film ever made, and also reading every book ever written. However, the older I get, I understand that it’s impossible, because we have a limited time in this life while there are too many things to explore, including books and films. I can see myself in Gyeom’s development throughout the series. Oh, there was a scene where Gyeom went to the cinema with a girl who probably had a crush on him, but he didn’t care and just focused on the movie. I laughed at that scene and wondered if such a situation ever happened to me. I only go to the cinema to enjoy a movie on screen, so I don’t like talking with others when I am watching and I don’t pay attention to the person either. A lot of people may think that’s a place for dating, but it’s definitely not the case for me. I go to the cinema alone a lot. As an Asian, it’s not a common thing to do and people think I’m weird. I’m glad I’m not alone in this. :)

Like Mubi, I also love romance films and one of my favorite movies is “Love Actually” as well. I don’t understand why people don’t seem to take romance movies seriously. Maybe because I also have father issues like Mubi?

Other things I love about this series is the ending for the second leads. I’m glad they didn’t get back together at the end because it’s not realistic. In the first half of the series, I didn’t enjoy watching these two exes’ interactions and I didn’t like Ju A. But as the series goes, I think their relationship is realistic and relatable among young people. They are so young, passionate about each other and make mistakes. They once had each other in a period of their life and had a beautiful love story. I think Ju A owed Shi Jun an explanation why she broke up with him at the time, not just left him without any explanation. I think that’s the reason why Shi Jun was still stuck in the past when she was able to move on. I’m glad they met again so that Shi Jun could finally move on. Although I still don’t like Ju A, her character does exist in real life and it’s understandable.

After watching this series, I have the urge to rewatch some of my favorite romance movies and series. :)

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Lovely drama

This may be a simple story but it gives you the feels. The acting, the visuals and ost all blend into a dream of a drama.

Amazing how the writer can incorporate the love for movies into the story of life. Each character is given the right amount of exposure and they all played their roles very convincingly. I have loved Choi Woo Sik since Our Beloved Summer. He is such a great actor! His grief in this drama, while not shown through any loud crying or whatever, is so palpable. So well suited for his role.


Park Bo Young, as always, she delivers. Her tone of voice, her expressions.... such a talented actress.

Would recommend this drama to anyone who just wants to watch a drama and feel real good.......

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WOW, the genre truly is in the title.

Listen, this story really took me on a ride. I wasn't sure how well it was keeping my attention in the beginning, I enjoyed it at first, however, that switch at ep. 7 and after took a show that had me mentally rating it a solid 8 to bumping it up to a solid 9!!!

*Ep. 7 was beautifully eyeball sucker punching.

Being a cinephile, I truly did appreciate a story that was based around that, as well as interweaving movie genres into the actual different character's stories and POV styles. I also clocked, and enjoyed all the movie nods laced throughout the drama as well.

Melo Movie, tells you what it's about in the title. I should have taken it at face value because my eyes hurt, but the love is heartfelt. I was also really happy to see my fave Kim-Jae wook with his lush hair and fine face card, his storyline is tied to ep. 7. *chef's kiss*

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A good example of what Korean drama does best

I have read comments that criticise the Korean content on Netflix for being “too western”, as though pure Korean drama has been corrupted and led astray. I really don’t see it like that. Rather I think that Korean writers, directors and actors have been given a less restricting space to work in. Where the target audience is broader than the domestic weekly TV watchers, the train tracks of trope, cliché and accepted practice are still under construction, and the censors (real and ideological) don’t cast so long a shadow.

This drama feels very much like that. It retains all the hallmarks of what Korean drama does best: slow pacing; subtlety and character exploration, which are, in my opinion, so often sadly under-developed in US drama. But it allows an added edge of imperfection that is, for me, the missing ingredient in many home-based Korean productions. As though the perfect idol make up has been removed to reveal a natural imperfect beauty. The characters are still well within the social bounds of respectable, but they have an underbelly beneath the shiny exterior that gets exposed. They are being permitted to fail in terms of perfection and be acceptable, and accepted, as ordinary. The SML, Si Jun, is even allowed to be morose and negative for almost the whole drama without it dragging the whole thing down.

The dominant theme of the drama is hiding and its relationship to honesty, both with ourselves and others. The masks we put on, not just to hide ourselves from the world but also to hide ourselves from ourselves. The oblivious hiding, where we do it so well that we can’t even see what we are hiding. And the hiding of the truth about others, wanting to believe what someone is presenting to you, rather than diving with them into the murky depths of their world. Hiding our own fears and insecurities under the pretext of something else, such as not wanting to invade someone’s privacy. The drama addresses all these types of hiding. The plot explores what it takes to reach those moments of honesty that realign the characters with the world around them and free them from the shackles of the past allowing them to accept the broader truth.

The narrative flow was a little lumpy, especially in the latter part. With the result that it was as though they needed to explain, rather than everything already being in place for the viewer to understand. A more integrated approach to the backstory earlier on, for the second couple, would have made this less clumsy and allowed for a better lead into the final episode.

The cinematography was clean and square. Presenting pictures in which the action unfolded, rather than wondering through the set: static rather than fluid. There was a crispiness to the overall mood, with the use of sharp contrasts and pure colours.

For a drama where the soundtrack was featured, it didn’t really impress me. Using well worn melodic styles, heavy with the sort of filler piano runs that trickle along like relaxing background noise in a respectable bar. And the songs, although pleasant were not groundbreaking or striking in any way. I think an opportunity was missed there.

Overall I really enjoyed this drama. The production was solid rather than remarkable. Its main strength was to offer good characterisations and explore the depth of them well.

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THE perfect kdrama!!!

Melo is one of those rare K-dramas that feels perfect. The plot, the music, the scenes—everything comes together beautifully. But what truly stood out to me was the direction. The colors, the cinematography, the unique angles—every shot felt intentional and visually stunning.

I know this might sound crazy, but if you watch it, you’ll understand. It feels like the director’s only goal was to make you happy. Even when problems arise, they’re presented in a way that doesn’t make you sad but helps you understand them with warmth.

There’s so much to admire that any flaws don’t even matter. If you’re looking for a drama that delivers pure happiness, Melo is a must-watch.

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One for the books

I will unashamedly glaze this show. As I was watching it, I knew it would be an all-time favorite. I cried constantly throughout the show but ESPECIALLY in the last episode, during the talk with the mom, during the break-up/offical good-bye, and as soon as Jun showed up I was bawling, I mean I was a goner, but I cried because it was so good! It's insane that a show can make you feel so strongly in ONLY 10 episodes! I have seen a lot about dramas getting shorter and shorter, but I have to say I really liked the 10-episode length because it's what fit the storyline best. There are no unnecessary plot-filling storylines that are somewhat pointless and poorly written. I have also read some points that it wasn't particularly romantic, but I think that's for the best. I enjoyed watching a storyline about how love can persevere through life's difficulties rather than unrealistically be the center of every conversation and scene, with large grand gestures, which are very fun to each in the certain dramas, but the fact is, this isn't that kinda of drama. The ending didn't have to be grand like an engagement or wedding because the show ultimately wasn't about grandeur. So many dramas are either too similar or try so hard to be different that they mess up the ending, but this one just was a perfect sign-off, very happy with the ending.
I could go on and on about the attention to detail that is just so admirable; it totally makes a difference. To start, all of the side characters are incredibly well written and fleshed out, they always add to the storyline. The dialogue is just so well written, it has a perfect balance of comedy and drama, and it handles the very difficult topics of grief and loneliness in a very realistic way. The cinematography makes all the difference, I saw a lot of more artistic shots compared to other dramas, and not only were they stunning and added to a scene's emotion, but they also played very nicely with the overall theme of cinema. The color grading was also very lovely, it matched the scenes very nicely, playing with warm and cool tones and the lighting choices i mean again the attention to detail really shows through. THE EPISODE TITLES I mean, the fact that each title is a quote from a famous film AND it relates to the episode's overarching theme is just perfection. Finally, the performances from all the actors and actresses is undeniably what makes this really emotionally impactful. Once again, the portrayal the complex feelings of grief, loneliness, and love all in one drama is just done so well, and that's not just talking about the lead actor and actress but every single actor and actress who played side characters just killed it, I mean smashed it out of the park. I don't rewatch dramas much, especially not so quickly after I've just watched it, but I am very excited to revisit this one. Even still, I don't think this review covers my love for the show and how impressed I was with it.

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Too small slices of life

This drama has great promise with an amazing cast and not to mention the director and writer who have delivered some of my personal favourite dramas.

The acting, dynamics, music, direction, cinematography and stotylines are all pretty decent, fine they just had to add one of my personal pet peeves showing dialog with ghosts and inner younger selves, but tother than that the delivery was really good. The characters are all fun to watch, given they are recognisable from previous characters played yet with a slight twist that shows the actors range. I guess or something like that.

However there where just a few to many stories and to few episodes to fully be able to deliver the emotional roller coster I was hoping for. As they prioritised shots of pretty scenery and pauses before dialog and digging deep in to the minds of our characters. Leaving just a little bit to much unsaid.

Leaving me with a sense of neither feel good nor feel mad, or sad just oh, ok I guess that is life. And to be honest a part of me thinks that was what they where going for. So if you are in it for the feels this may not be the right place to find it but if you want the reals and under-explored this is a good place to find it.

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