A beautiful healing story of kindred souls
This is the first drama or movie, in any language, that I started watching for the second time as soon as I finished it.Normally I try to avoid dark, realistic, depressive story, especially ones with violence and infidelity. I started this months ago simply because of IU, who played Jang Man-Wol in Hotel del Luna. I couldn't get past half of the first episode, and switch to Crash Landing on You and It's OK to Not Be OK.
I continue My Mister and after the episode 4 I just couldn't stop. It made me cry, smile and laugh, both with compassion and happiness.
The production is great. PD really paid attention to every minute detail.
The Story is extraordinary, and like they said in the interview, it's not a love story, but a human story. It is anything but cliche.
All acting are excellent, from lead characters to all the supporting characters. The dynamic of three brothers, the similarity of lead characters and how they came to understood and healed each other as the story progress.
The visual effect is good, I like the makeups, costumes, and uses of traffic lights to indicate relationship status (not sure if that's intended).
OST are outstanding, particularly Adult (Grown Ups), Dear Moon, and An Ordinary Day. I don't understand Korean, so I have to get the translation and found the song "Dear Moon" so accurately describes Lee Ji-An's feeling for Park Dong Hoon.
The ending is very good. Yes it's an opening end which leaves the viewers to decide the real ending themselves.
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The story, the cast and the soundtrack are great. I know that IU acts well and convincingly, but she did extra great in her role in this drama.
I won't watch it again because this drama is too heart-breaking to watch again. I'm so surprised I surpassed those heavy drama scenes. I cried myself like a baby even on those little scenes.
Please do watch this drama. You won't regret it.
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Despite having really gloomy scenes and a dark theme in general, the show managed to catch viewers' attention through initial suspense involving Park Dong-hoon and the bribes. The drama then further moved into office politics without being boring at all. The theme of healing was strong throughout the drama as Ji-an and Dong-hoon quietly root for each other's happiness. And hey, there's no forced romance, which is totally awesome!!
Apart from the plot and famous lines, I really, really enjoyed Kim Won-seok's directing style here. This was shown in both Misaeng and Signal but here in My Mister it is more prominent, that certain scenes and emotions within are so subtle that it is impossible to understand it through merely words (through recaps), you really have to watch the actual scene. Kudos to the actors and actresses as well, who have played those tiny emotions so well.
Overall, brilliant drama!
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I will talk about the actors and I have to start with IU. As I said in the "first impressions", sometimes I have a little prejudice with idols that acts, but this woman makes my heart flutter with her performance and I think that was the best female acting that I saw in a drama until now. The personality, the devotion, the deep look on her eyes... Everything communicated about the character and makes us understand a little bit of Lee Ji Ahn and all her shadows. Lee Sun Kyun also did a great job as Park Dong Hoon! I could feel the kindness and peace in his expressions, but in the moments of anger, he just transformed himself. I the first blow-up of the character my mouth couldn't close, I was totally in chock. The chemistry between them both was amazing and made me sigh many times... Not in a romantic way, and I don't know how to explain, but I think that their relationship will communicate something different to each person that watches it.
I won't spoiler it, but I have to talk about the ending. Guys, I never cried like this since "Goblin". Don't take me wrong, this has nothing with "Goblin" and the reasons for my cry were pretty different here. Follow the development of each character and their relations made me cry realizing how life is full of changes and how one person can make your story totally different. I never realize this with so much strongness. The most powerful to me was the ending of Lee Kwang Il (Jang Ki Yong). I think that I never hated a character as I hated him. Every time that he shows on the screen, I was nauseated... But the conclusion... God! I cried like a baby realizing that I'm pretty fast to judge, but nobody does something without purpose or reason. We are products of the environment and, at the same time, we are totally responsible for our acts. As I said... This drama was a life lesson.
Just to say something that wasn't so amazing, I will talk about the relation between Choi Yoo Ra (Kwon Na Ra) and Park Gi Hoon (Song Sae Byuk). I just understand what was happening after the revelation on episode nine (I guess), but, after that, I just thought everything very weird with them. For me just didn't much sense. But after all explain, I started to love them.
So, this isn't a funny or soft drama, this is a drama for you who loves to immerse and to face heavy themes. I laughed, I cried a lot, and I think a lot about many things... For me, this is a chosen one for sure! (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★) Do a favor to yourself and watch this with an open mind and heart, thinking about your life and the value of the things and people to you. You won't regret it!
See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.
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I am in awe with how all the characters were created or personified; they were not flat and most importantly their personas and imperfections were not romanticized. They were all just outright human beings with interesting, but realistic back stories. Though, with the exception of Ji An's techie gamer friend, I wish that there was more background regarding his life.
Furthermore, what made this series even greater was that it's not meant to be emotionally happy neither unfortunately tragic (or perhaps that's just how I comprehended it). There was no sense of longing or nostalgia (I, personally, dislike regression, myself). This series was made for healing and closure and to remind all of us that there is nothing too tough for us, in our past nor in our present, to build a new beginning and a greater future. Everyone, let's keep moving forward.
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IU did a excellent job at her acting as usual, but I was positively surprised by Lee Sun Kyun, who did a thorough job as a sad, yet quiet person. The music was also of a very high level, so I would definitely recommend you all who did not watch it or are doubting to watch it, simply to watch it!
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Love in Its Purest Form
I just finished watching this drama and am now in a state of post-drama blues. This drama shattered me emotionally. I cried and cried while watching the last few episodes.It really does epitomise the most purest form of love. Love without definition. Love which is unconditional, where each party gives everything they have to keep one another safe, while expecting nothing in return. This kind of love isn't strictly romantic or platonic, but is a delicate balance of both. It's the kind of love that remains within social boundaries, and transcends it, all at the same time.
I place the relationship portrayed in this drama between Park Dong-hoon and Lee Ji-an among my favourite literary couples - Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, Margaret Hale and John Thornton, Mister Stevens and Miss Kenton, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. It saddens me that I cannot share my deep empathy for these characters with anyone I know in the real world, and it saddens me further than this kind of love is so rare in this day and age.
I hope these words find their way to someone who is considering watching this drama, and convinces them to take the leap. Highly, highly recommend. My favourite Kdrama yet!
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The characters are written with such sensitivity and care. They are complex and are neither good nor bad, just as in real life nothing and no one is good or bad. IU's character is such a memorable character. She is strong in a natural and realistic way but also soft at the same time, in the most natural way. Park Dong Hoon is also unforgettable. There aren't many characters I can forget from this drama, and it's been a year or so since I've watched it. Their relationship is something I hope I will one day experience. It is so so precious. It is what humanity is about. No bullshit, just understanding, empathy, honesty, and most importantly vulnerability. Such a beautiful relationship.
I honestly could go on but I'm deciding not to, because I'm scared that in describing it I will oversimplify its weight and complexity.
I find it incredibly hard to get back into kdrama now because I can't help but compare anything else I watch to this, and I know that's silly because not everything has the same genre and themes but I think the show has changed me and my relationship with and taste in kdrama so much that I find it hard to watch the kind of (sorry-- just imo,) shit that comes out these days. It kind of makes me sad because I've been watching since a young age and used to be able to enjoy the superficial stuff but this drama (and a couple other good ones mind you) has honestly changed the kdrama scene for me, and probably for others.
"It's difficult to be around a person you saw so vulnerable."
"Promise that you'll pretend you don't know if you find out about me . . . I'm scared.. I feel like you'll know without telling."
"It's easy for people who live well to be a good person."
[I see some commenting that the show is "too heavy" which, yes, it is definitely heavy, but what's interesting is that it does have this brutal honesty that I understand most will shy away from. Because entertainment predominantly exists for escapism and forgetting life's heaviness. Interesting though, because the sheer amount of those comments really says something about fiction vs reality, and how we turn to entertainment/fiction to seek "something else" in attempt to escape the mundanity and pain of life. (Margaret Atwood refers to this as wanting "something to happen" more than the "breakfast" of life in her speech, 'Spotty Handed Villainesses') Which is what this drama is shedding a light on. In my opinion, the best pieces of art hurts, confronts, shocks, shakes, and questions you and your beliefs.
“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for? So that it will make us happy, as you write? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves if we had to." (Franz Kafka)]
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A timeless masterpiece that I definitely recommend!
My Mister was truly a beautiful rendition of a time of melancholy, everyday life, and finding peace within ourselves as we go through life and cross paths and build relationships with those around us. I definitely recommend this drama regardless of what age you are. I'm currently 24 years old and the feeling of empathy and connections I made with this drama was truly healing and reflective. I know when I re-watch this drama again I will learn more and feel more. I hope that regardless of what obstacles we face and no matter how hard and hopeless life maybe let's cheer up and find the peace that will lead us to happiness. This drama was definitely a 10/10 the story, characters, fabulous cast/acting, and Slice of life of it all was truly genuine and poetic.Was this review helpful to you?
Simply put, this drama is a great work of art.
(Btw, it is highly recommended that you read discussions about this drama in forums like soompi so you will gain more info about minute details about this drama, that you may have just glossed over. You will be amazed by how much more interesting this drama is because of those imbedded details from one episode to another that ties everything up like chicken roast being prepared for Christmas. The tandem of this writer's piece and the director's vision and the actor's commitment to their roles seem to be a match made in heaven.)
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I am just so happy to have found a drama to love, It's been a while.
I would say don't let the reviews about it being depressing turn you off. There is this hope that you get as you watch letting you know everything will be okay.
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Comedy is on point, lead characters are perfectly fit in every role.
My Mister is the rare series that succeed on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
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