We Are All Trying Here

A drama that cuts deep but heals at the same time

For a show that is characterized by the loud tantrums and bickering between each of its characters, I wonder how much of the creation of those characters was done in quiet contemplation followed by the echoes of the click-clacking of the writer's keyboard. Park Hae Young, the writer of this show , has undoubtedly outdone herself this time but it's no surprise once you realize she has also given us similarly spectacular works such as My Liberation Notes and My Mister.

Particularly, I found the 'emotion watch' to be an excellent narrative device that gave way to the complex portrayal of each of the characters insecurities, worries and hopes. It features performances and writing so strong, that at times it made me wonder whether the creators of the show could see me through my screen and were talking to me directly. If you are not depressed, watch this show. If you are depressed, you MUST watch this show. Despite being a (sort of) meta-commentary on the film industry from the perspective of the writer, the dialogue pulls no punches and is happy to deliver potent doses of a wide range of emotions again and again and again.

If I had a dollar for every time I was spellbound when watching this show, I would have about 10. Which is not a lot, but it's surprising that it can happen to me when I'm 200+ shows deep into Kdrama viewing. Aside from a rushed ending, I believe this show is excellent and deserves all the praise it is getting and more.

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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.

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"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 humane

Eun 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.

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What is your Purpose in Life

My headline stood out for me? there are many parts that stood out but that question never ceast to amaze me, especially the answers to them. Not the regular I want to be successful or famous but an answer that assure you, you do not need to be all that, simple but yet relieves you, only you know what the answer meant to you, sth you do not think about but want to be defined as, I want to be a little less embarassing, no one knows how embarrased you felt for you to want to be that, you don't need to make it like boom, I want to be a strong woman and mother, you must have had a past that makes you feel it would have been less hurtful if you have somebody like that in your life, I want to be somebody that is not ashamed of those closer, I want to be that guy with the humour, you never want to loose your spark and live life like it is not stressful, those answers are so humane, not the regular i dream to be an astronaut or doctor, you do not need to be impressive man, what is the kind of person you want to be. The answers to the question is screaming you do not need to fogure it all out, infact the movie is screaming we are all work in progress, all of us, nobody is perfect or made, this can be seen in Hwag do man's friend that has debuted but still trying to figure out life. Now makes me also think, what is my purpose in life, and I think I want to be who can make mistakes and take responsibilities.
I did not cry though my friend told me I will, infact I laughed right from the beginning and I spoke out loud many times, Hwang, you just crazy but is craziness is screaming out sth, I don't want to loose myself, I simply don't want to loose myself. Many suffers brunt of his actions which he realise later, and to some others, they deserve what he gave them,
If I scream out my name, all that it reaches belong to me, that I can hear my own makes me feel I am still fighting, I am still in the game, I don't want to fail, I don't want to dissepear like smoke in the air, I don't want it to seem like I never pass through what I pass through.
And oh my God, when Hwang do man named the unknown emotion, I was deeply touched, infact, if i think about it, i should have cried many times in the film but I was touched instead, I think about it deeply as it is but not attach it to someone, maybe if i had thought, oh, sb is there at this point in life, I definately would have bawled my eyes out. When he said Help me, I saw that little girl who made her gimbap herself sitting in that middle of the class while every other thing is goin on with blood oozing out from her nose, and I said help me, yea, that is what she is screaming, more than being abandoned, she is screaming help and no wnonder her step grand mother who took her in, means her world. Help me, help me, i have seen myself in that shoes many times, too bad there was no one around to ask, like Eun a, not that we cannot ask, but we never even knew what the emotions was, if only there was sb that could have figure that out and step up to help without ever asking, if only there was hwang do man that is deeply affected by sb else trouble for him to reflect and say, your emotion is asking for help, Help me
Be with sb in their hardest, oh my God, while I said so many parts are words that should touch, no, it would touch you at that point in you, If one had one during one's hardest period, it would never leave such a wound that is to painful to bear, the wound that deepens your heart that you will almost feel, oh, I am not breathing, and sorry to say, some ppl are just mean, not the regular thrash talks to make them on top or feel alight, they will bring one totally down with some mean harsh words to face their own reality and those words touch, those words hurt, be it the truth or some just careless talk.
People are masses of emotions, yea yea, we are, in as much as we cannot define one by one emotion biut we can define one by a type of emotion at a point in time, and I am trying to experiment it, if this peson was an emotion, what would the person be right now... so many.
if I could craete a type of weather right now, I wonder what I will create, I am wondering too, if that weather can be created forever, a very cool weather that does not give room for worries at all, why can't life be just easy
Okay, so I have been ramming on and on, you can watch it to know what my ram is all about, this movies makes me reflect, that kind of deep reflection when I watch you and everyting else. If you are not scare to navigate through emotions, you should heck this out. And yes, I must mention, the actors ate thier role, and to interprete their roles: Hwang is a bit self centered, and he does not even know when to stop, his chaos gives him luck at times, but it is totally wrong trolling people's hardwork right on their face, he is struggling, he does not want to loose himself, whatever all his excuse was, it was not right, cause other people were also trying to figure out their life, and even in their small wins, there were crumbs of doubt and a bit of, I am scared, I wan to figure out what next. Eun a, personally, I tell people don't define the extent of how people should showcase their pain when you cause them that pain but the pain she holds onto is breaking her, it hurts her, it tied her down, it depresses her, she hold onto that pain for so long that even when the pain want to heal, she still wants to hold on to it, the pain gave her survival but the pain should not be why she is breathing. But, yes, that is what make her the human, I don't know, I have no answer, and some of the conversations she had with Hwang do man, start making her reflect and slowly, she was healing so yea, I hope we all found that person that we both resonate. Jin man, Hwang's brother , ohh, He was so suicidal, I get he is tired of life and he did not want to die truly cause if he wants to, he will try suicide somewhere far away, not where he can easily be save. He was living before and he stopped living, he cannot bare himself living, happy when his daughter whereabout his unknown, that reason his so lame, the question is what did you do for your daughter. Seeing him, I thought, ohh, so lofe can be like that, you can just be tired of everything for a long time, but I am telling you all if ou ever find yourself in that situation, don't be like him that is not willing to accept help or wants to be healed like Do man and Eun a. No wonder Do Man predicted help me, so easily, in a way, he is also saying help me in his brother's place, I like it when I hear sth like I want to live, I want to be save, I do not want to die, in those gloomy state, at the worse of sb's life, if you want to live then absolutely nothing can end you, you will see the dawn of the day and perharps you will say, ohh, so the world is not only at night, darkness is not all there is, and if you live like living and not just life glacing through you but you glacing through life after all that, when you get to enjoy life, and show it is worth living, trying to figure it out all the time, those simple small moments, then you are a story to be told not that you want to be told but because of the countless lives you will save out there. What Eun a is trying to figue out, her mother figured it out, since her childhood was not rosy but she was ale to get out of there while still being in there. It is worth your time, watch it, if I go on and on, my writing will continue to be here and ther, I am sorry about that.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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'.

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