This review may contain spoilers
People are masses of emotion
We Are All Trying Here is my favorite K-drama in a few years. It’s from the same writer as My Mister and My Liberation Notes. Park Hae-young may be my favorite writer. As an introvert, I always relate to the characters she writes. It feels like looking at my own reflection. They are always so deeply expressive but take you on a story that makes you feel.This drama is really what the title is saying: we are all trying. We may find someone annoying, angry, rude, jealous, or any other emotion you can think of, but really they are battling their own thoughts every day and are trying their best.
Hwang Dong-man is the type of character you just want to have soju with and talk for hours about emotions that bring sadness, but also joy and dreams. I wanted to hug this character throughout the entire drama. I think it was in the first few episodes, but there was a scene where Dong-man talked about how surprised and happy he was that Eun-ah spoke to him at the train tracks. He said that he talks too much because sometimes all he hears is his own voice, and it makes him feel less lonely.
I felt connected to him because I also sometimes feel misunderstood. I tell stories and put on a mask to fit in. No one wants to be the melancholy melody in the room. He has some of the best sayings and quotes in this drama. One of my favorites is:
“I’m going to pull up the shiny truth from the very depths of my worthlessness. Look forward to my shiny story.”
What I like most about Dong-man is that he never gives up on being a screenwriter. Even in his 40s, he continues pursuing his dream and eventually succeeds. I feel that in this generation, if you fail or quit at something by 30, people often write you off. This story was really inspiring. It was even more inspiring that he stayed positive while dealing with the trauma of finding his brother attempting to take his own life twice.
I can’t decide who my favorite character was because I was also so attached to Byeon Eun-ah. She embodies so many of my emotions. There was a sadness to her that I felt completely synchronized with while watching every scene she was in.
She was desperately lonely. She only had her step grandmother and no one who truly listened to her or understood her. Everyone made assumptions because she didn’t talk much. They saw her as self-centered and rude, but really she was just trying to survive her trauma. When she was a little girl, her mother left her and her father passed away not long afterward. The feeling that no one was coming home to her, combined with that abandonment, left her with severe emotional wounds.
She would get nosebleeds whenever she felt attacked, afraid, or angry. Those moments felt like cries for help. Throughout the story, Eun-ah and Dong-man try to understand their emotions. They receive watches from a doctor that monitor their emotional states, helping them work through their trauma and uncover the roots of their pain.
They needed each other. They saved each other.
One thing I really enjoyed was that you could clearly feel the love they had for each other, but there were no kiss scenes. Somehow that made the relationship feel even more intimate.
Park Gyeong-se and Ko Hye-jin were two other characters I really enjoyed. At the beginning, I thought they were being too harsh on Dong-man, but eventually I realized they were struggling with their own problems.
Gyeong-se is constantly competing with Dong-man and feels worthless because he believes his dramas and creativity will never match Dong-man’s. They had a great friendship when they were younger because they were on equal in success. His first successful film was actually inspired by a dream Dong-man once shared, which left Gyeong-se feeling like it wasn’t truly his own story. But in reality, we need other people because they often inspire our ideas and creativity.
Hye-jin is Gyeong-se’s wife. I found their story very touching. She quit her job as a reporter because she wanted to be involved in the film industry. She read one of Gyeong-se’s scripts and fell in love with both the story and the man who wrote it. Together they rose through the industry as Hye-jin kept believing and supporting Gyeong-se.
As the drama progresses, however, their relationship begins to fall apart. Hye-jin fell in love with Gyeong-se’s creativity and imagination, but he falls into a creative slump. Later, he starts enjoying writing again while working with his female assistant writer. Hye-jin notices that spark returning and believes he may be developing feelings for the assistant in the same way he once developed feelings for her. She ultimately asks for a divorce, telling him that if writing makes him feel alive again, he should do whatever it takes to succeed.
Hwang Jin-man—how I cried for this man.
From what I understood, his daughter went missing. He used to be a poet, but now he spends his days drinking, attempting to take his own life, and working as a welder. Every word that comes out of his mouth hits you deeply.
His brother, Eun-ah, and Jang Mi-ran eventually help find his daughter through a social media post. It felt like he could finally release the trauma that had trapped him for so many years. His daughter was his whole heart.
Jang Mi-ran was another character I really enjoyed. She is the stepdaughter of Eun-ah’s mother. I loved seeing how two daughters could have completely different relationships with the same woman.
I also appreciated how both respected each other’s feelings toward their mother. Eun-ah chose to keep her distance while still working through years of abandonment issues, while Mi-ran viewed her stepmother as her hero and wanted to care for her no matter what.
I loved the relationship between Mi-ran and Eun-ah. They understood each other and truly listened. Sometimes just spending a night sharing a drink and listening to someone’s pain can make them feel less alone. Both women were lonely for different reasons, but they found comfort and light in each other.
There were many great characters in this drama, but the ones above were my favorites.
At the end, everyone watches Dong-man’s drama and breaks down in tears because they genuinely feel the story. The series concludes with everyone drinking together, dancing, laughing, and reconnecting. Friends happy for each other.
When we’re failing, it’s easy to become jealous of what other people have. But those same people may also be barely surviving themselves. We look at everything like a door and not a window.
Each character carried their own trauma and loneliness, but somehow this drama made me feel less burdened by both of those things.
Remember, we are all trying here. Check on the people you love, but also listen to those who hear nothing but their own echoes. Sometimes being heard can make all the difference.
Was this review helpful to you?
"You’re a human, but you’re not humane. Isn’t that peak incompetence?”
Even though dongman is quite annoying at first but he respon what the other deserve. Being a kind only apply to those who deserve it, that dongman. He do the mirroring action and this refreshing to see that ML is not perfect but not fake. It feel more humaneEun ha looked tough and sometimes fragile but she really strong.
They complement each other in a good ways.
This what that they saying, when your time comes it yours. If not, go through the life and be contented with what you have.
Dongman is just dongman he good but the other treat him like useless lead to he keep talking trash about others and Eunha the only one really hear everything he said without complain anything. She know what kind of dong man in person .
This writer is Soo good, I really like the script and the headline is my most favourite one.
Was this review helpful to you?
A story that heal you
I am watching this story in going and start because GYJ. But through out the storyline, I do hate the main character and all of the other characters at the beginning then we start to understand everyone has a flaws. Everyone is trying their best despite whatever background, whatever trauma, whatever environment they're in, all of them is trying their best. This story is a heartwrecking one if you delve too much and if you don't delve at all then it's going to be boring. For me, this is one of a story art that is slowburn and piece of life which not everyone are going fancy it. Will I recommend this to everyone? Absolutely not. Will I rewatch? Absolutely not. But was it a really good drama? Yes, so much yes. I didn't even skip any part of this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
- Hwang Jin-man
I love this side of Korean movies or drama's where they deconstructs and explores the complexity of human psychology. This drama is a one kind .Not everyone gonna watch it or they will love it. But if you just give it a watch it will make you realize so many things. Not in same situation but you could understand each character (Eun-ah, Dong-man and even Park Gyeong Se)
All the casts did a great job as they are all great artists. Hope to see them again in this type of genre.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Most Phenomenal Screenwriting and Acting of 2026
I would say the drama 'We Are All Trying Here' is the best K-drama of 2026 so far.I have never rewatched a TV series while it was still ongoing, but this is the first drama where I’ve wanted to understand every word and scene in detail to truly get all the characters. The script is phenomenal. It really reflects our everyday crises while also healing our own dramas—whether they stem from hardships, trauma, work politics, or even small anxieties in daily life.
'Dong-man,' the male protagonist, represents someone who never gave up on his dreams or his faith in making them happen, despite many failures throughout the decades. That’s so rare to see this type of people nowadays, but he reminds us that we aren't alone in trying to live our lives.
Highly recommend this to anyone who likes deep, inspiring, and bittersweet dramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
we are all trying and that's okay !
"We are all trying here" is one of the most painfully human dramas I have watched in a long time. It’s not a story built around grand events or shocking twists, but around something much quieter and far more universal: the fear of being left behind, the exhaustion of trying to prove your worth, and the loneliness that comes from believing everyone else has figured life out except you.What makes this drama so special is how relatable it feels. Every character stands at a different point in their life, career, art, and emotional journey. Some are still dreaming, some are burnt out, some are desperately holding onto what remains of themselves. Yet all of them are trying in their own ways, just like we all are in real life. That is what gives the story so much emotional weight.
I could deeply relate to the main characters as someone who constantly overthinks, struggles with anxiety, and relies mostly on myself. Watching this drama sometimes felt like fresh air, but also like staring into a mirror for too long. There were moments where I had to pause because certain dialogues or silences hit far too close to home. The writing understands emotional vulnerability in a way that feels honest rather than performative.
One of the things I admired most is that the drama never treats one life path as more valuable than another. There is no “correct” timing for success, no superior person, no magical solution to feeling lost. The series quietly reminds us that being human is already enough. That message felt incredibly comforting to me.
The storytelling itself is beautifully restrained. The pacing is slow and introspective, but intentionally so. Instead of forcing dramatic moments, the drama allows emotions to breathe naturally through conversations, monologues, lingering silences, and subtle actions. Every scene feels purposeful, as if the story trusts the audience enough to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it.
The performances are genuinely outstanding across the board. Every actor brings an exhausting kind of realism to their character, the kind where you forget you are watching actors and start feeling like you are witnessing real people unravel in front of you. The casting was honestly perfect because each actor embodied their role with so much nuance and vulnerability. No character felt exaggerated or artificial.
Hwang Dong Man especially stood out to me because of how quietly heartbreaking he was. His fear of worthlessness, his awkward perseverance, and his desperate need to keep going despite repeated failure made him feel painfully real. Byeon Eun A’s emotional restraint was equally incredible, hiding years of anger and fear beneath cold professionalism. Even secondary characters carried emotional depth that many dramas fail to give their leads.
The OST deserves praise as well because it never overpowers the story. Instead, it gently accompanies the emotions like a lingering thought at night. The music feels melancholic, intimate, and healing all at once, perfectly matching the atmosphere of the drama. Some tracks almost felt like they were breathing alongside the characters.
Visually, the drama is simple but incredibly effective. There is no unnecessary glamour or aestheticization of suffering. Everything feels grounded and intimate, which makes the emotional moments hit even harder. It’s rare to find a drama that portrays struggling people without romanticizing pain, ambition, or burnout.
What stayed with me the most after finishing it is this simple realization: maybe life is not about becoming extraordinary. Maybe it is enough to continue living despite everything, to remain soft in a world that constantly pressures us to prove our value.
This drama soothed my heart in a way I did not expect. It made me feel understood through every dialogue, monologue, silence, and small gesture. It reminded me that it’s okay to still be trying. We do not always need to succeed. Sometimes we simply need to live fully and honestly until the end of our own story.
To anyone watching this while struggling with life, loneliness, anxiety, failure, or simply feeling lost:
please be gentle with yourself.
You are also trying.
And that is enough.
Was this review helpful to you?
We Are All Just Trying completely surprised me!
I went into it expecting a simple, surface-level romantic K-drama about a film writer, but it turned out to be one of the most emotionally layered and character-driven dramas I’ve watched in a long time.The plot itself isn’t overly dramatic or complex, but the characters are what make the series so compelling. Every character feels human, flawed, layered, and emotionally real. Their emotional highs and lows drive the story more than the actual events, which made every interaction feel meaningful.
Hwang Dong-man was such a fascinating protagonist. He’s unpredictable, loud, extroverted, cringey, pitiful, funny, and somehow still incredibly lovable all at once. Meanwhile, Eun Na is much quieter and more introverted, but there’s so much happening beneath the surface. Watching the two of them connect and understand each other so naturally was one of the best parts of the show.
This drama balances comedy and emotional pain so well. It can make you laugh and cry within the same episode without either feeling forced. Every character brought something interesting to the story, and by the end, it felt less like watching fictional people and more like watching real lives unfold.
100/10. Easily one of my favorite K-dramas of 2026 and absolutely a drama I would rewatch.
Was this review helpful to you?
We're all trying here!!
A more apt title I'm yet to see.A story with no protagonists and antagonists except life, it makes one think perhaps there's really no winning against life, just winning against moments rather.
It had an incredible cast, seemingly effortless acting that moved us to smiles and tears at the same time.
A story that makes on question the brevity and seriousness of life, honestly, why do we live so hard as if we'd never disappear?
A friendship like no other, not conventional but real brotherhood.
To all of us Hwang dong mans, may wel learn to just be human 'beings' and not human 'doings'.
Was this review helpful to you?
Life in all circumstances
The drama is life itself. Being in circles of friends, colleagues, families, siblings and the world, whereby you want to prove yourself but it's not working out. I laughed, cried, and learned alot from it. The script is in a different level of the usual because it is the reality of life. To everyone who contributed in the making of this drama 고마워. To everyone trying to work things out for yourself, do not give up!!! The sky is enough for many birds to fly. It's not a boring series at all.Was this review helpful to you?
Laughs Amid Hidden Wounds A Series That Portrays the Real Pain of Human Loneliness
This drama did an incredible job of portraying people’s social struggles and that hollow, empty feeling inside them.The way people treated each other, the emotional distance between them, and the loneliness the characters carried all felt painfully real. What made it even better was how, right in the middle of all that pain, there were funny moments and little bits of humor that let you forget everything for a second, only for that heavy feeling to hit even harder afterward. That contrast between sadness and comedy was honestly one of the strongest parts of the series.
The acting from the main cast was amazing too, easily one of the show’s biggest strengths. They delivered the emotions so naturally that connecting with the characters felt effortless.
Overall, this wasn’t just some simple story. It beautifully captured loneliness, pain, and the struggle people go through just to keep living.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
We Are All Trying Here Felt Too Real......
I honestly don’t even know how to explain what this drama did to me emotionally.We Are All Trying Here is probably one of the most realistic and emotionally heavy kdramas I’ve watched in a long time. It’s not dramatic in the usual “crazy plot twist every episode” type of way. Instead, it’s quiet, slow, painfully honest, and somehow that makes it hit even harder.
The drama follows people in the film industry who are all struggling with failure, insecurity, burnout, jealousy, loneliness, and feeling like they’re not good enough. And what makes it so special is that none of the characters feel fake. They all feel like actual people.
Nobody is completely good or bad. Everyone is messy. Everyone is tired. Everyone is trying to survive in their own way.
The title alone already says everything:
"We Are All Trying Here."
Or the Korean title:
> “Everyone is fighting against their own worthlessness.”
And honestly? That line completely describes the entire drama.
This drama felt less like watching actors and more like watching real human beings quietly fall apart while pretending they’re okay. There were so many scenes where almost nothing was happening, yet I still felt emotional because the acting and writing were THAT good.
Koo Kyo-hwan was genuinely incredible in this. The way he portrayed exhaustion, insecurity, and silent frustration felt way too real sometimes. And Go Youn-jung was amazing too because her character wasn’t written as some perfect “strong female lead.” She felt human. Vulnerable. Confused. Lonely. Real.
One thing I loved about this drama is that it understands emotional exhaustion in a way most dramas don’t. It doesn’t romanticize pain, but it also doesn’t magically solve everything after one conversation. The characters keep making mistakes. They push people away. They say the wrong things. They stay stuck sometimes.
And that’s exactly why it works.
And honestly the finale ruined me emotionally.
It didn’t try to force a perfect happy ending. It stayed realistic, bittersweet, and hopeful at the same time. The drama understood that healing isn’t about suddenly becoming happy. Sometimes healing is literally just continuing to live even when life still hurts.
The cinematography was also beautiful in such a quiet way. The rainy streets, dim apartments, late-night convenience stores, empty sets, awkward silences — everything felt lonely but comforting at the same time.
And the OST??? Actually insane.
Every song felt like it was made specifically to hurt you emotionally at the exact right moment. I already know hearing those songs again is going to make people cry for years.
This definitely isn’t a drama for people who only want fast pacing or nonstop romance. It’s slow and character-focused. But if you love emotional dramas that actually understand loneliness, failure, and being emotionally tired all the time, this drama is genuinely unforgettable.
What hurts most is how relatable it is.
Because deep down, almost everyone understands the feeling of not feeling good enough.
And maybe that’s why so many people connected to this drama so deeply.
It made people feel seen.
By the final episode, it didn’t even feel like I was saying goodbye to fictional characters anymore. It felt like saying goodbye to people who understood parts of me I never really talk about.
This drama didn’t just tell a story.
It understood people.
Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliant & Fantastic
I never watched a series where I has such a turn around toward the main protagonist. In the beginning I found Dong Man to be so annoying and obnoxious to watch ... from his attitude, right down to the way of his eating, but believe me, you will come to love him as the series continues on. Kyo Hwan & Youn Jung are just magic together. She's always great at anything she does, but this is a character she makes shine. And speaking of shining, Jung Se is brilliant. He's been in so many good shows in the past, but this role of Gyeong Se is his best by far. It's also a cast, whether leading or supporting, is so good. The deeper you get into this series, is goes from good to great. ... just so entertaining!!!Besides the main story about this elite eight of friends, all writing/directing in the entertainment industry, there are several great sub plots, that eventually all connect in the end. It's a slow motion train wreck that we watching happening, episode 10 being the pinnacle hour of the drama.
It's a series that not only shows us how important other people are in our lives, but how our past is so relevant to our present and future.
There were several players you come to despise early on, but by the end of the series, you're pretty much cheering for everyone. Somehow the writers make all of them likable in the end.
There's a line used mid way through that really applies to the entire series .... "no one comes into your life by mistake"
That is definitely proven in several way by episode 12.
Truly a great story to enjoy, giving you every emotion your brain can come up with.
Was this review helpful to you?
