STORY
PCBM's story is completely unique and one of a kind. It centers two men who die wrongfully but are sent back to life in different bodies to conclude any unfinished business they might have. Help their loved ones with their problems, give them closure and help them move on, but most importantly they are sent back to get to know theirselves better, understand their mistakes, and try to right them. This is exactly the show's main premise. We need to look at our lives in a not one-dimensional way. Life isn't about just working, no matter how pure our intentions are, people might get hurt because of our ignorance. Life isn't about being in the background because we believe our loved ones don't deserve us. We are perfect the way we are. PCBM gives several messages about life decisions, family, friendship, work place attidute and problems, marriage and more.
This drama was literally a gem, not because of its uncommon story, not because it blends several genres together in the best way possible, but because superficially is the funniest show ever, but if someone decides to scratch the surface and dig deeper the show assesses life itself and sends tons of messages and meanings that were all truly wonderful and heartwarming. Beware that this is not your average romcom -thank god-, this is deep, it is serious, it is emotional, it is heartbreaking but still it is safe to say that the comedy is executed perfectly.
Furthrermore, another thing that deserves mentioning is the fact that this drama broke the 16-episode drama usual plan. You know how everything is amazing in the beginning, and slowly everything falls into place around episode 10 and the last 4-5 episodes are just filler ones, pulling and dragging the story around. PCBM, not only broke this stupid rule, not only it was the only 'comedy' that had actual plot twists but it managed to never be boring, always have a purpose and be interesting until the very last minute.
ACTING
It was widely argued that the acting here was bad, either i missed something, or .... 'people' missed something, or were just dead set on hating. The acting here was impeccable, coming from an amazing ensemble cast. I have learned from my stay in kdramaland that it is unrealistic to ask the actors to have great chemistry when the dramas are so small in lenght. They don't have the time to develop a chemistry and when it is there (rarely) i am thankful and grateful. The actors here not only managed to have great chemistry in their possible romantic connections, but literally EVERYONE had excellent chemistry with everyone in their respective relationships. This is possibly the most unique thing about this drama. The cast clicked so perfectly together, it was completely unrealistic!
I'll start with my favourite, Oh Yeon Seo. Her character was difficult to pull off, and very fundemental for the show to make sense. She needed to act manly, tough, and still stay femine, not look stupid, look badass and emotional. The woman was IMPECCABLE, a standing ovation from me, she was shivering in everything she did. No words are enough. In many ways she was the show.
And when i thought she was going to overshadow everyone, Rain came to the picture. His quixotic talent to slip through different emotions in a matter of seconds shocked me. He could go from crying to laughing in a split second without ever looking fake or his emotions forced. First actor in kdramaland that pulled that off, and he was completely up there with OYS for what -if i may- could call THE BEST DUO EVER in kdramaland.
Lee Min Jung, Lee Ha Nui, Lee Tae Hwan, literally everyone was exquisite in their role, no words are enough to describe this awesomeness, that nobody should overlook.
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Overall, this show might not be for everyone, since it is completely different from your usual kdrama. The humor is different, the romance is present but not the way people want it, the plot is completely innovative and might not be accepted by everyone. In my book innovation=win, but from what i've gathered from my stay in kdramaland, kdrama fans like their chiche stories. So, if you are ready for something completely different than what you are used to, ready to laugh and cry at the same time (i'm not exaggerating), you should definately give this a chance. This is a marvelous show not to be missed. Definately rewatch-worthy, first show ever that triggered so many emotions simultaneously.
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That said, I have also felt that the actors were so commited to their roles that they left an deep impression on me and I would not be lying if I say that this drama conveyed to me how importand the actors are in order for you to feel the situation.
The music played also an essential part in creating an interesting vibe and the choices vary much. I would say that the reason for that is the stroy. The show is partly a comedy and melodrama but both genres are fitting and it doesn't seem out of place (for the most part).
Hope I got you motivated to give it a try :) haha. Thx for reading
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One issue is that I think there are too many main characters to focus on, making the story initially confusing, and it took way too long to set up all the relationships. It didn't help that I didn't find the characters lives very interesting until much later, and I think the cast is partially to blame.
I had a lot of problems with the overacting, and almost every cast member is guilty of it. Kim In Kwon and Kim Soo Ro are both charming in their roles, and I love their bromance, but they barely have screen time compared to the rest of the cast even though it's their story. Instead we have to rely on Rain and Oh Yeon Seo, who also have good chemistry, and are super cute eye candy, but their overacting multiplies by a million when they are together.
The only person I recognized in the main cast (and that was barely) is Rain. Rain looks so physically different that I didn't realize it was him, and I can't forgive his hairstylist for it. I loved Rain's cuteness in Full House, so I thought that would be a good sign. He has a lot of charming and adorable moments, but his dramatic moments were pretty bad. On the other hand, I did not remember Lee Min Jung being in Big, because I tried to block that show from my brain forever. She is equally unimpressive in this. She does share a few cute moments with Rain (very tame romance), and the cast playing her family (which I loved), but her dramatic moments were mostly a bore. Little Lee Re was the opposite, and made me cry several times. She was a much stronger actress than most of the adults. She should probably give her drama mom some lessons.
Oh Yeon Seo was hands down my favorite cast member, and I think she stood out as the only one able to handle the comedic and emotional scenes. Lee Ha Nui on the other hand was my least favorite. She is gorgeous, but her acting is comedically bad. I often laughed while she cried, making it hard to sympathize with her. Her character was also annoyingly arrogant, which doesn't help. Together they had a little bit of chemistry, but since it was so obvious that the show would stay far away from anything that came close to resembling a lesbian relationship, they never seemed like two people who actually loved each other. Then there's Choi Won Young as the one note bad guy, and the perfect bad acting match for Lee Ha Nui. I think I mentally skipped all of their scenes together. I would rather watch Lee Tae Hwan stand there... that would've been much more captivating
The other problem is that the story is super ambitious... unfinished business and revenge, 2 love triangles, gangster rivalries, family drama, family secrets, celebrity scandal, a chaebol war, oh and the whole afterlife thing... and it takes a long time to get it all straight. The writers do a good job of making all the pieces fit together eventually, but It wasn't until the halfway point that the story started getting interesting to me. There were a few moments when the writers managed to get me in the feels too, in spite of my not being that into the story, and I did tear up more than once. The fact that this drama did get more interesting as it progressed, instead of getting worse, is impressive though, and having a pretty good ending made me not regret watching it till the end. I also think it might even be better to watch it again after knowing all the characters, and the plot twists.
My favorite part of the show may actually be the soundtrack, which had a lot of tracks that I really liked on it. The Moonlight track in particular, which grew on me like the show did.
Overall, "Please Come Back, Mister" was not bad, but it's not good enough for me to recommend either. I don't think those who dropped it like I did are missing anything. I also understand why those who like the beginning episodes, and kept watching, gave it such high ratings. If you do decide to watch it, and you love the first 4 episodes, you will probably really love it by the end. Otherwise, I recommend lowering any expectations of greatness. I'd say don't take the story too seriously, trust that everything will eventually make sense, ignore minor plot holes, and give in to the bad acting moments.
For me it was the perfect filler drama to watch while waiting on episodes from more intense on air dramas - Oh, and Rain is often shirtless, so that's a definite BONUS. At the heart of this drama is a lighthearted look at how we live our lives, and how we effect those we leave behind when we go. Sometimes we may need to yell at the screen about what a stupid way to die that was, then relax and watch a drama like this, in order to remind ourselves what is truly important.
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Oh Yeon Seo redeemed herself to the people that said she had too much plastic surgery and couldn't act in Shine or Go Crazy. She payed Han Hong Nan in a very believable way. Lee Ha Nui who was also in SOGC. I didn't enjoy her acting in that, but I think she was much better as Song Yi Yeon. She is really pretty and I like the tone of her voice. The other actors are good too. Rain did a great job mimicking Kim In Kwon's mannerisms. Oh Dae Hwan was scary as Na Suk Chul. Overall everyone did a good job.
There was some good music.
I will never rewatch this.
If you like romantic comedy with a supernatural fun, then this is the drama for you. And for those of you like me who mostly avoid this kind of drama, I think this is one you should try. :-)
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Come Back, Mister is a brilliantly acted, laugh out loud funny, and deeply heartfelt drama. I cannot say enough good things about it. It's difficult to pull off unique and original these days because there are SO many dramas that everything has just about been done at least once. Yet somehow Come Back, Mister succeeds in doing just that.
Rain has some of the best acting skills out there bar none (and he looks better than ever!). Oh Yeon-seo? O-M-G-! Spectacular performance! The chemistry between her character and Honey Lee's, was really something to behold especially in k-drama land! If this woman does not get recognized come award season, something is seriously amiss.
While I am anxiously awaiting for Yoon Shi Yoon's return in Mirror of the Witch, Come Back, Mister is the best drama of the year hands down for me thus far. : ) Highly recommend!
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The main leads acted well, OST was great in the drama, and I got a feeling perhaps they will make a season 2 based on the ending too. The plot of the story dealing with life and death was tastefully done, and it was a very different drama plot from what usually is made. That is why these series should be watched by all :)
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But that's just me. I still think this is a must-watch, wether you like it or not in the end.
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A Fun and Emotional but also Boring and Frustrating Experience
My opinion of this drama came and went like waves on the shore. One moment I'm invested, interested, and laughing at the jokes, the next I'm barely paying attention due to how little I care. It'll be difficult to explain this without spoilers, but I'll try anyway. Of course, I will discuss both the good and the bad for a fair analysis.The strongest part of this drama, in my opinion, is the relationship between the two main characters. Although not necessarily established in the strongest way, and perhaps built up too quickly, their intense friendship is intoxicating, and it brings a smile to my face whenever the two are on screen together. They help each other and support each other, and their personalities collide to create energetic conversations and playful bickering. It's simply fantastic, and shows why the drama is good enough to be worth watching.
Now, while I'm not a huge fan of the overarching plot of the show, I can say I loved most of the parts with the second lead and his circle of friends and loved ones. A small bit of this is due to my obsession with the gender-bender reincarnation trope, but a majority is due to the well written conflicts and characters and the lead's own amazing personality, carried by strong acting. The second lead, Han Gi Tak, is strong-minded, passionate, and determined, and just a great character over all. If the show was just about him, I probably would have rated it much higher.
Another great thing about this show is the acting. It's done very well, with intense and complicated emotions being effectively expressed without the need for extensive dialogue. Not only does it make believable the supernatural part of the show, it gives the show emotional weight and the feeling of true relationships (most of the time). And on that note, I must express my more negative feelings about the drama.
I did not care about the main lead or his troubles. When we are introduced to Kim Young Soo, he is a work-aholic, obsessed with his job and neglectful of his wife. Not doing a great job of establishing empathy for the character. He has a good relationship with his daughter, and does love his family, but other than that his personality is pretty weak. This is a bit of a spoiler, but once he's reincarnated, his overworking nature effectively disappears as well, and he's left with pretty much no personality whatsoever. Besides the occasional quirkiness played off as comedy, he's an entirely bland and unrealistically perfect person that I just can't get invested in.
Another thing to dislike about Kim Young Soo's story line is his romance arc. It's just too confusing! I don't know what to root for! I won't say too much and spoil anything, but let's just say that his love interest's feelings are forever uncertain and endlessly being called into question. There are mountains of contradictions, further complicated by a repeating cycle of reveals and misunderstandings. Besides the occasional flashes of easy conversation that we might expect, there's basically no chemistry between the romantic leads, and their interactions feel awkward and cautious. Even our favorite Han Gi Tak is not always enough to save a scene with the two of them.
It follows naturally that a disinterest in the characters will cause a disinterest in the story, and that's exactly what happened with Kim Young Soo's plot. No matter what threat or conflict occurred, I just couldn't bring myself to care. Perhaps the most I ever cared was when something went down with the daughter, because that was the strongest relationship shown before Kim Young Soo's death and the emotion of children can be a very powerful thing. Besides that, I just couldn't connect with the characters, and therefor couldn't connect with the plot line either. Except when Han Gi Tak is involved. We like Han Gi Tak. I think you're starting to see a pattern here.
While the emotions in this drama were present, and I almost shed some tears here and there, SO much more could have been done. Of course, a lot was riding on my investment in the characters, which was a problem for Kim Young Soo, but even in Han Gi Tak's case the grief just wasn't really explored. If you look at the drama "Hi Bye, Mama!" which has a very similar premise, I cried more in that show than all movies I've watched since, combined! Parental sadness, loved-one sadness, children sadness, all things that done well could have torn me apart inside and it just didn't happen.
One last thing I'll say: If you're looking for a fun gender-bender, go watch "Mr. Queen." While the trope is there, and is used for comedy on occasion, it's not a focal point of the series nor has exceptionally profound impacts on the story. The hope of this is what brought me to the show and in some cases motivated me to finish it, and so I'm a little disappointed in that regard. That said, Han Gi Tak is still a fantastic character, gender-bender or no, and so I'm glad to have watched it if only to experience his rowdy affection.
That was a very long and complicated review, but I'll try to conclude anyway: Sometimes it's pretty good, and sometimes it's kinda boring. I don't know how to put it any other way. In it's best moments it's fun and interesting but won't change your life, and in it's worst moments it's bit boring and dull but won't have you sending death threats to the screenwriters. It dips above and below the line of "worth watching" again and again and it's difficult for me to decide whether to recommend it. I suppose I'll say this:
Try it out, maybe an episode or two, but if you don't like the way things are going don't expect it to get better. It doesn't. Sometimes it gets worse. Also I'm not going to rewatch this, not in a million years. So there's that.
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Especially The cast were totally Awesome and Funniest Ever, especially Mr. Rain and And the beauty Ms. Oh So Yeon... i really love this drama!!!! Deabak!!!!
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Was it worth it: At times
What I liked the most: The supernatural element. Any sort of impossible or magical note in the drama is a plus in my book
What I disliked the most: Some of the behavior from Rain’s character. It was erratic and ridiculous at times.
Moment Meter: 3/10 – There were some good moments, but the content in between them watered the moments down a bit.
Other thoughts: This drama started strong, stayed good for a while, became too ridiculous to take seriously, and then picked it back up at the end. There were two separate story lines, and I definitely liked one over the other (hint: not Rain’s story line) but collectively they weren’t horrible. The “Han Gi Tak” story line was strong enough to be a drama all on its own, whereas the “Kim Yeong Soo” storyline started strong, but then really sucked in the middle. I don’t dislike Rain, but he’s not a favorite either so he wasn’t enough to save it for me. They could have done a lot more with it. Or at least made it make sense.
Conclusion: It seems like they had too much time to fill, and they struggled to fill all of that time with quality content. The times when they got their act together were good, though.
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