important to me
This review is highly personal, but to the effect of how personal My Mister was to its two leads, and to the characters surrounding them, I can only extend the same.There are so many things I want to say about 나의 아저씨. I want to say thank you to the writers for believing in the resilience to find what makes one happy and not walk along streets without sighing every few steps what makes us wake up each morning to get into our clothes. What makes us smile and say thank you and think we are good.
When I was in my freshman year of college, my first semester, I was in the lowest place. What got me out wasn't people. It wasn't my family, the few real friends I had, or even the faint dream I had been conjuring, which is now my foremost motivator. It was anime. It was the illusory friendships and the strength of "nakama" found in a silly adventure starting from a barrel. But what it really was, and what I've realized steadily with the kinds of shows and stories I draw to, is a semblance of the real, human closeness that to this day I hesitate to extend to my siblings, much less my friends. I realized that first year that I couldn't open up to others which remains key to my identity, which in the past few years I expressed more in writing or other artistic works I would share with others.
In this sense I related most strongly with Park Dong-hoon, although I am not well into any career nor married, I don't really talk to people when I have problems. I hold it in, and try to resolve it on my own. Occasional stories empower me such as this one, and the most significant preceding, Lucifer. Stories tell relationships and conversations between old friends. 나의 아저씨 is a "Korean drama" then in the truest sense of the word. I have not seen a work on the screen, while still young to it, as close to common and familial Korean manners of interaction, from the many Koreans I interacted with during my childhood and through today. 나의 아저씨 is not your standard "K-drama" although it is intensely emotional, incredibly emotional, one of the most emotionally powerful works of television I have seen ever since I started watching these pretenses. I don't think I've seen my eyes as red as they were, looking at myself in the mirror, after the last episode. That of course is a personal sharing and many K-dramas are emotional, that is what they are known to be. But this is different. How do these three people act as if they've known each other for over forty years as brothers? It's not too easy to describe their mannerisms well but as a Korean who grew up with a Korean brother, while these three were in their forties, I saw it. I saw it when their mother, a halmoni, reprimanded them and made their box lunches; my mother did the same for my education all until college. The screenplay more broadly was, especially for the drama, impactful, realistic in the manner of Korean speech, heartfelt, memorable, and grounded. There were many moments throughout where, sensitized as I have been to the tropes of storytelling, I had certain expectations, and they were simply ignored for a more realistic or compelling to-character decision and event. I am almost surprised that the land of Korean drama has works such as these, from my limited exposure, and particularly for why I even watched this one in the first place - IU, or her real name, Lee Ji-eun, my favorite artist.
I sampled some of the first episode of Hotel Del Luna and didn't much like what I saw of IU's character there. I started 나의 아저씨 and pretty quickly saw that Lee Ji-eun is, well, a pretty good actress, way better than I expected, perhaps I bent too much into her singing voice than her acting voice. While of course this was not watching a part of Lee Ji-eun's life, but a character she portrayed, some aspects are shared, such as her childhood being raised by her grandmother. I thus felt not only watching the character of Lee Ji-an, but also a part of Lee Ji-eun, whom I only knew as IU; I feel like she put a great part of herself into her performance. Having listened to her discography in release order prior to 나의 아저씨 and reading about her career, I saw some of what she put of herself in her music, in 나의 아저씨. An artist-to-person experience that I feel honored to have watched. One could say that this entire series is about waiting for IU to smile; and while certainly that is the case, there are many other things. Lee Ji-an is closed off to others for parts of her past, and doesn't trust others; doesn't think she's necessarily a "good person." Park Dong-hoon isn't happy as a general manager at a large corporation, and doesn't tell his family and friends what he's feeling. It is when these two meet, amidst the political machinations of the corporation, that spring a subtle, particular, special, under-explored relationship. The word "ajeossi" (아저씨) is not quite "mister" as it's used in America; it's not even the way the girl sees the older man in Goblin, which plays for a potential romance between the two, which is not the case here; or the anime After the Rain. While as with the Goblin who plays a "guardian" role, here the two grow to simply need each other in their lives. Do I have someone in my life that keeps me strong? and when I couldn't really think of anybody, I cried. Another way to put 나의 아저씨 is that of two depressed, miserable people who comfort each other in their shared pity. More broadly, "My Mister" is about being happy; and about how you can learn how, from those who keep you strong, those who tell you, "fighting," those who know you, really know you, so that no matter what you do, they don't care. The extent to which you see the characters on 나의 아저씨 be unhappy about their lives is significant; pretty much everyone hates themselves. But they keep living. A group of friends from a town who live together for forty years, is still living there, and they're OK.
행복하자. Let's be happy. It's not an easy thing to do but I hope you find someone who can encourage you to get there. I hope I do.
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A Masterpiece
Originally, I had put this on my watch list because of IU. I had no idea what it would really be about as the description I read didn't sell it as something great. The poster for the drama is also quite deceiving as well. I also had really no expectations of the acting as generally most people who are singers are not great actors. I can see why people say this was IU's best performance. Though her character doesn't speak a ton of lines, but when she does, it's blunt, cold, and of few words, but you can feel every emotion portrayed by her words and actions. I never cry when I watch dramas, in fact, the last time I cried in real life was at a funeral, but there were so many scenes towards the end that made me well up in tears.I finished it over the course of two days and I can say it's by far the greatest drama I've seen ever. It'll be very hard for anything to top this for me. The plot is not cliche like many other dramas out there and while it might not be for everyone's tastes, I'd say it's a shame if you didn't watch this if you're a fan of dramas as a whole. The music is also great and really enhances the emotions behind some of the scenes.
This is a drama that depicts two people at rock bottom in their lives who find comfort and healing after meeting each other. A story of everyone on the verge of having nothing to redemption in their own way. It shows you what empathy means.
Rather than focusing on the relationships between the leads as most people normally like to do, we should look at the overarching message this drama is trying to send...to find happiness. We have Park Dong Hoon on one side where he seemingly has a pretty decent life with a stable job, money, and family and in contrast we have Lee Ji An who has no stable job, no money, and no immediate family other than her grandmother. When you have money, it's not a problem you worry about, but when you have no money, it's all of your problems. There are many people in this world who can relate to both these characters, if not maybe some of the supporting characters, and their situations they portray in the drama.
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I started this show because the director is behind two of my favourite dramas of all time, Misaeng and Signal. I loved those dramas because of the realistic way in which they depicted human relationships, and My Mister is no exception.
This drama features a lot of stories around loss, as well as the aftermath and how different characters cope with loss. All of the characters felt relatable in the ways that they dealt with loss. As I mentioned earlier, this isn't one of those dramas filled with thrilling moments of action. Certainly the corporate drama has some tense moments, but at no point did the drama fall into the trap of using overdramatic cliches to drive the story along, despite having some familiar elements (the ones you may expect in a typical corporate drama, where characters are vying for higher positions). The ending was appropriate and realistic.
In terms of the main characters, I have to commend Lee Sun Gyun and IU for playing their roles well. Their relationship is likely my favourite platonic relationship in all of drama land, in that it really highlights how each character grows with the relationship. It is certainly not one without imperfections and power imbalances, but I was never disappointed in the direction the drama went with these characters.
The family and friends are a really lovable crew when it comes to supporting one another, and they make the drama a heartwarming one to watch. Like any family relationship, the brothers have their ups and downs, and they have their likeable and unlikeable moments as well. By the end of the drama, I was left with an appreciation for the different character dynamics and how they came to be who they are now in the current timeframe, in which we get a glimpse into the lives of their small community. My only complaint is that the workers at the company are more two-dimensional. (But then again, if you're looking for a really good drama focused on company workers, there's Misaeng.)
Music choice was also well done.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this drama if you're a fan of this director's previous works and are looking for a drama that really does a good job in depicting the nature of human relationships. It was at times very serious, but also heartwarming.
If you're looking for something lighthearted, a romance drama, or something filled with exciting action, I would give this one a pass.
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I didn't knew that platonic love would give me so much pleasure and this one was so memorable and heart wrenching that no other drama could give. Watched over a hundred dramas and still nothing could come close to this beauty. IU is ❤️. She is a baby faced assassin. Her performance one of the best by a female lead actor I have seen in kdrama.
Whenever a scene is played along with the OST 'There is a Rainbow', I goes deep into my heart . Sondia is beautiful as well but my favourite is the former. I have been hearing this OST over an year and it still doesn't bore me.
Every charater has their own identity and the actors portrayed it in the best way they could.
This is a must watch drama as I think this is one of the best if not the best .
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So much to learn from this drama.
Just finished watching My Mister. What a beautiful and breathtaking drama! The -not always expressed- love between the three brothers, the friendship that goes beyond friendship of the people of the neighborhood is so beautiful. The ML (Lee Sun Kyun) played a wonderful role of being compassionated for a human being, even if they had done ‘bad’ things. I wish everybody had someone like him in his / her life. The FL (IU) played her part so well I hated her in the beginning for the things she did and became to love her more and more while the story developed.I really like it was about real life and real life issues like being jobless, being depressed, rivalry, adultery and such. Be aware you’ll cry a lot watching this. But it brought me so much, it made me believe more in goodness, kindness, acceptance and being able to comfort someone.
The OST is beyond beautiful also, listening to it gives me goosebumps.
Very highly recommended!!
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Full of emotion story worth watching
Base of story-story trully aint very important its something which could very well happen in real life if little toned down.
Young girl with financial problems and many works X Older married man working at firm as engineer.
They meet at worst time of their lives and helps yeach other maybe cause of their pitty of each other.
This drama surelly got romance, BUT its realistic romance.
From young woman its romance of young peoples fast, straightforward, intense. Based on nothing but feelings.
From older guy its damn old love. - Care and support. Old love which focuses on nurturing and caring for one another.
Dont wanna spoiler. But its not drama for everybody. Actors did great job in passing emotions. Whoever writed its story did great job too.
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A beautiful story that will break, mend and break again your heart
There are only a handful of shows on here that I've rated as 9, and only one that I've rated above that. My Mister easily stands as one of the best shows I've watched, and not simply in the Kdrama genre.This is a show that combines beautiful storytelling with terrific acting from IU and Lee Sun Gyun. My Mister is a powerful tale that is essentially about family, both when caught in its trappings, and when it acts as a safety net. The two main characters embody this: one who is burdened with a big family that provides him with a constant presence of comfort and love, yet masks its own fractures and pains. The other is a young woman burdened by the absence of one, abandoned by her mother, forced to look after her deaf and ailing grandmother by herself. The rarity of human warmth and kindness makes it devastating to watch when she tries to process Lee Sun Gyun's character displaying kindness without an ulterior motive. To say that these two have chemistry feels insufficient to explain how they decorate the show like a painter crafting on a canvass. They paint the show with a deep myriad of emotions that ranges from heartbreaking sadness, laughter and an underlying longing for something more. My Mister is a story that subliminally speaks of the importance of human connections, and the little yet utterly transformative imprints it can invariably leave on someone.
The show is rich with a tangible and tragic sense of quiet despair undercutting our lead characters. Both are grappling with the overwhelming realisation that this is life and it is not enough for them, but rather dysfunctional to the point of slowly disintegrating them where they exist in the company of others but only really come alive when with each other. They fear the possibility of hope for a better future but desperately crave it. The sense of oppressive depression that emanates particularly from IU's Lee Ji-An is palpable. This is a woman who is, figuratively speaking, dying slowly, day by day.
IU's acting is peerless and she delivers a breathtaking quality to her character, a morally ambiguous young woman whose actions are reactive, born from the need to survive and protect her grandmother. There are these small little moments that the show litters throughout that illustrate just how abandoned she has been, how badly she has needed a helping hand during her life, and never had it until she met Park Dong-Hoon. And from telling him early on that she isn't at all curious about his life, her days and evenings slowly revolve around being close to him in his intimate moments, however unethically. She finds something in this that goes beyond a job. This was beautifully written and wonderfully acted.
Lee Sun Gyun is also terrific in his role. I thought his character was sometimes too much of a martyr but his desire to keep peace and pretend everything is all right is a realistic portrayal of people who cannot confront their problems and admit things that are too difficult because of how it will unravel their lives. The show depicts this very well. Park Dong-Hoon prefers peace over conflict but often at the expense of his own sanity.
If I had any issues with the show, it would probably have been around the side characters. Park Dong-Hoon's family, especially his brothers, take up an awful lot of screentime and whilst they are likeable characters, they're not nearly as interesting as IU's character. Sometimes I found myself just waiting for their scenes to end just so we could get to moments with Lee Ji-An and or Park Dong-Hoon.
I would absolutely recommend this show, but be prepared for its emotional heaviness. There aren't many shows that are remotely comparable to My Mister.
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I have nothing against the tried and tested formula of a romantic tale of love set against a backdrop of serial killers, hospital politics, school life, royal life in the Joseon dynasty, chaebols, vampires, gumihos, aliens, witches or time travel - but how refreshing it is to see a relationship based on purely caring about another human being.
The plot lines were all interesting enough to carry the characters through without relying on big dramatic moments, not that there wasn't any intense moments, but the series as a whole seemed to have an energy that reflected the reality of life. The relationships all felt authentic and for the most part, the backstories were believable.
One of the reasons I enjoy Korean dramas so much is the portrayal of emotion. Anger and grief can often come across as forced or over acted but the more sensitive moments reel you in completely and I often find myself thinking that if this same acting and emotion was in an American show, it would be an Emmy Award winner.
If you're looking for another love story with hopes for the gorgeous couple to walk down an isle together, there are plenty out there I'm sure you'll find what you need, however if you're interested in a tale of forgiving others, of forgiving yourself, of loyalty in love, of strength of moral fibre and perseverance against the tests of life, then I challenge you to be disappointed in this. I only wish I could watch it for the first time again.
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Watch it for heartwarming experience
I am really speechless at the time of writing this review.I can give 100 percent guarantee that this drama wont disappoint you a bit if you watch it. I am writing this review just after completing the last episode.I want a friend with me at this time to share this drama experience. But dont have anyone with me now .so sharing this to u guys.
This drama is a MASTERPIECE.It wont make you happy when ur down.But it will surely give the strength to endure anything in life and move on.
Normally every drama have 2 or 3 beautiful moments. But this drama has countless heartwarming moments.I was awestruck while watching many scenes.
i dont want this drama to finish. I am sad its completed.But i am really happy that i found this drama
It will be there in my downloaded drama list to watch and cherish throughout my life whenever i am down. LOVE YOU Lee Sun-kyun. what an acting!!!!!!Hats off.He is expressing everything just through his face without a single word from his mouth.He is soo beautiful when he is smiling.Sadly this drama dont have more scenes like he is happy.
But really felt happy when he smiled in climax. Pleeeasee watch it.U will cherish it.
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CHARACTERS: Deep characters which took me a while to become acquainted to - since it's not often you have such seemingly ordinary and almost plain (and due to that realistic!) protagonists in a drama - but soon I had them feels for almost all of them (even for the ones I didn't expect). And the acting is outstanding!
SCENERY: Dark and soothing and a bit repetitive. Paired with the nostalgic music, it gives you good old-school vibes.
Would recommend to someone who: is interested in ethical topics and wants to watch a drama to take something away for herself/himself. When you watch and listen closely, this story teaches you a lot!
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Good drama..worth watch
One of the best korean drama I watched recently....It starts slow phase and slow scenes..I thought to drop after 2 episodes but once you get into the characters you will definitely start loving it mainly "Lee Jin An (IU)" character she killed her acting mainly when she runs to restaurant and to the bridge both scenes were my favorite.Even after the end of the episodes still thinking about her character... and in final episode when park dong hoon cried I almost cried and it's painful to watch him crying.. finally it's definitely worth watching drama don't miss this...Was this review helpful to you?
I think the last drama that made me cry this much was uncontrollably fond. The storyline of the drama is extremely hard to pull of and only a few set of people could tell this story. This cast did an amazing job and I can see why it won a lot of awards and had a lot of recognition. I always look foward to the performances and the screenplay the official soundtrack and the directing. But I got lost in the relationships portrayed in this drama. It gave so much comfort to see not just a family but a neighborhood be so warm and welcoming, not only between the two main characters but with the people surrounding them. A lot of dramas tend to shift from the importance of connection between the leads and their supporting roles and tend to dwell on the things happening around them forgetting the real story of their relationships, but this performance was so deeply connected and given to the audience in such a raw way. Presented in reality, this drama showed the issues that go on in people’s lives and it felt so real, their pain felt so real. They tried their best to pour out the deepest of their emotions and allow the audience to be drowned in it. Everything about this drama is wonderful. A big hand to the actors for their surreal performance I think it’s one of the best melodramas yet. This drama focuses on healing real healing and I loved the fact that the relationship between the two leads was on that line of romantic and yet platonic it’s so hard to find dramas that not only focuses on the chemistry but in the friendship built with love .I could say so much more but that might take away time from you starting this drama! just watch it and appreciate these performances. The first 3 episodes might not appeal to a general crowd but the real essence and treasure is in the latter. Enjoy.
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