This review may contain spoilers
I started watching this drama knowing that it will be a sad one. However, I never thought I'd fall in love with all the characters. This drama made me think and feel emotions that are not part of the drama. It made me pause and look back on my own life. Am I happy? Did I ever make anyone around me happy? If I die will people I consider family and friends act like how Yuri's family and friends did? It made me value more the meaning of life. Thus, I believe, this drama exceeded what it was suppose to do which is to share a story. Through every episodes of the drama, it tried to impart with us a lesson we can take in life.
I'm happy that the writer did not choose to give us an ending which is absurd. It stayed true to its title. I know somewhere along the way, we somehow wished that Yuri will stay and live but we started this drama knowing that she will die again eventually, heck, the title of drama gave it away. It literally is "Hi, Bye Mama!"
This is me being greedy but I wished they had a longer epilogue for everyone. I would've loved to see how Yuri's family is coping with losing her again and of course her best friend Go Hyun Jung.
PS: I was really hoping that Lee Si Woo's character (Jang Pil-Seung ) would've gotten more screen time. But will just wish to see him more in his next project.
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I honestly admire the idea of the show and how well it was executed. With this type of story, things can easily go wrong. But ''Hi Bye, Mama'' never took this wrong step and it remained good till the end. Writer Kwon Hye Joo for sure knows how to write such heart-warming stories.
However, the reason why I'm not giving a better overall rating is because I think there were a bit too many side stories and characters. Somewhere around the middle, the story kind of dragged too much, then later on became better again. It's not the biggest flaw a show could have, but the fact that I got bored for around 4-5 episodes affected my rating.
The characters were overall very good and the relationship between them were excellently developed. Cha Yu Ri definitely grew on me a lot, the same goes for Gang Hwa and Min Jeong. The sismance between Yu Ri and Min Jeong was great too, I loved how they didn't make them hate each other or something. It just made the drama sweeter.
The acting was amazing! Lee Kyu Hyung with a main role, freaking YES! I've loved him since I saw him in Prison Playbook and I'm so glad that he finally had a main role. Kim Tae Hee, gosh, this woman! I swear to god, when I saw her in Yong Pal, I was so put off by her weak performance that I thought she's one of the worst actresses and I was even sad when I saw she was cast for this drama. But thank you, Tae Hee, for proving me wrong! She was brilliant as Cha Yu Ri, I was so impressed.
So overall, I liked ''Hi Bye, Mama'' and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. I'm just trying to be more honest with my ratings, you know. But yeah, it's a very addicting show and I'm glad that I stayed with it till the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
First off, if you want to watch something that will make you cry once in a while, watch this... But do it sparingly! Literally, EVERY episode has a tear-jerking moment where, if you don't space it out enough, you'll end up wanting to shake these characters for dear life. By the last few episodes, I just kind of held off on crying at the start of an episode because I knew there would probably be another scene like it later and, lo and behold, I was right.When you first watch this, you'll have the notion that the storyline is going to be good. Birth mom is dead, but actually, she's a ghost! And even better yet, she's watching over her family and friends, who have not moved on over the last 5 years since she parted. Her husband re-married, but he seems so listless, and the new wife kind of just... exists. The daughter would be the reason as to why the female lead works so hard to stick around. And after a certain event, the ghost mom is now brought to life!
So, with these arcs being introduced, you'd think they'd have a good story to tell, right? They even added other ghosts with storylines in the mix and they find out the ghost mom is brought to life. There's even a potential love interest with a ghost family's son! But, what happens? Nothing. In fact, you get introduced to these new storylines and the plots fizzle out within an episode, making you wonder why you watched it in the first place.
And let's not even start with the last 5-6 episodes when they introduced the exorcist and that stupid "wish." So, we spent 10 episodes of "story-building" just to get everything on the table scrapped for new arcs?! Mix that with some crying and you're given this drama.
I won't say the drama didn't have its moments, but they were far and few in between. You end up hoping that the next episode will continue the arcs that were mentioned in past episodes, but instead they have the audacity to have flashbacks on moments that you literally watched less than an hour ago! Then you wonder, "With what little time you have left, why are you spending so much of it on crying, flashbacks, and reflection?! Do something about it!" Which doesn't even hit these characters until the very last episode! Ugh... I wasted so much time on this, and you can tell the writers were scrambling for a suitable ending to this drama while everything else was just filler, crying, filler, crying, and maybe some story progression.
I will say that the acting was good, for what it's worth. Given what script and plot they had, I'm sure the actors did what they could with it. I really felt for these characters and their stories in the beginning and stayed because I wanted to see it thru the end with them. The background music was good and I never felt it was out of place.
Would I re-watch this? Absolutely not. If I had known what I was in for, I'd probably not put this anywhere close to the top of my "to-watch" list. If I had the time and didn't plan on being too invested into a drama, I'd put this as background noise with the occasional interest.
Do I encourage you to watch this? Only if you have absolutely nothing else to watch.
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It's going to be a no for me dawg
This drama has a great concept, a woman coming back to life and facing the true reality that after 5 years her place is no longer held within her family. However, it drug for me.... I am not sure if it was the casting, or how the character was written.... But Oh Min-Jung comes off extremely cold. Her presence on screen even when laughing (to the bitter end) was sad, but not because her overall character was likable, and she has something to lose. On the contrary you feel pity for her because she is so darn flat.Our main protagonist is loved both in life and after life, and she is the best part of the show. For her alone I would recommend the story. The side stories are boring, drawn out, and takes too much time. Our main male lead's relationship with his new wife seems forced at times (most of the time honestly) when it should not be. There was no connection, even before the protagonist showed up. The ending was harsh, but in my opinion it would have been justified if there was some kind of redemption to be had.
Our main leads carry the story. The show became worth watching when they were on screen. However when they weren't, the drama's weak points peaked through like a red bra under a white blouse. It was bitter for me because I saw no growth in any of the characters besides our leads and the mother. There are well over a half dozen side stories, so there is a lot of filler. Overall I wouldn't rewatch or recommend it.
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Sweet, But Ultimately Boring...
Hi Bye, Mama!" did honestly showcase all the correct attributes of being a brilliant drama with a varied cast ( in particular the talents of Kim Tae-Hee, Kim Mi-Kyung and Lee Kyu-Hyung), intriguing characters and a unique storyline centralising upon the lesser-tackled subject in K-dramas of maternal love in addition to themes of bereavement and grief . However, as the story progressed, the second half of “ Hi Bye, Mama!” slowly began to degrade the storyline, characterisation and the pacing of the show into a dragging and painful experience for viewers trying to hold-on for another eight episodes .
Of course, this fault can’t entirely be imposed upon our main cast. Kim Tae-Hee was fairly brilliant as our female lead Cha Yu-Ri. Although she did arguably have some questionable acting moments when the show attempted to offer more “ comedy”, she still played the role of her character as both a mother who adores her child, and an individual with a heart of gold as well. Similar to Kim Tae-Hee, Lee Kyu-Hyung did also have to questionable line deliverances at times, but, he did add a level of emotional and multi-faceted complexity to his role as a re-married widow and surgeon who painfully feels guilt and grief over not being able to save Yu Ri’s life after the accident.
As a character, Cha Yu Ri is intrinsically a grief-stricken mother who is unable to do anything , but watch the events unfold around her daughter’s early milestones ( such as taking her first step and talking) which she is constantly remind of not being a part of. This is what defined Yu Ri as a character. She is a woman who will do anything to protect and watch-over her daughter . Then, in an attempt to heighten angst rather than actual logic, “ Hi, Bye Mama!” decided to resurrect Yu-Ri; arguably the distinct climatic point in the drama when the storyline and characters began to fall down.
Despite the ridiculousness of the story-arc, it isn’t necessarily the concept itself where the show failed but rather, the wasted potential of character progression. Being resurrected, Yu Ri seems to have left her brains behind on the other side at times within the show, making ridiculous and rash decisions as well as hiding important truths from her shocked former-husband which by default could have had a destructive psychological impact upon his own relationship with Min-Jung, one of the few maternal figures for her daughter, and of course his already estranged relationship with Seo-Woo.
Similarly, Cho Gang-Hwa started off as an interesting character; a man blaming himself for something he could not have foreseen, remarried for convenience rather than love and shying away from his daughter in fear of being reminded of Yu Ri. Yet even early on the drama, one of the most prominent issues which stuck out like a saw thumb for Gang-Hwa’s character, had to be how on earth he was still being paid and working in a hospital as a “ surgeon” if he had not performed a proper operation in years. Whilst the show attempts to offer a lacklustre explanation behind this, even if Gang-Hwa was kept on due to his talents, it is hard to understand why his colleagues and associates did not try putting him forward or suggesting to him therapy or grief-counselling at least once in the show.
In addition to this, for a character defined by his traumas and grief, Gang-Hwa’s reaction towards Yu-Ri entertains his life again felt both underwhelming and lacklustre; he was not defined by his previous emotions, or even attempted to sit down with Yu-Ri, but a fairly comical reaction in the grand scheme of things. Gang-Hwa’s relationship with Yu-Ri is ultimately complex, yet against all odds, the worst-written element of the show had to be Gang Hwa’s lacking progressive relationship with his ‘ new’ wife Oh Min-Jung and of course his daughter, Seo-Woo over the course of the series. It is understanding that perhaps Gang Hwa did marry Min-Jung out of convenience in an attempt to pass over grief and to raise Seo-Woo with a mother, but it seemed equally unfair towards how impassive he could be towards Min-Jung, not once attempting to develop a bond or even a friendship through marriage with her at all over the course of the series. Equally, his relationship with own daughter, Seo-Woo , was estranged for a major proportion of the series, seemingly “progressive” after the arrival of Yu Ri, yet a great jump in development from beginning to end.
Overall, “ Hi, Bye Mama” certainly had a unique storyline with themes of maternal love, family, death, bereavement and grief at the heart of the drama, which delivered certainly a bittersweet ending for viewers.
. However, as the story progressed, the second half was just disappointing; the characters became impassive at times within their own storyline, the cliches began to take over in favour of angst rather than development and the show soon became disappointingly dragging. This is certainly not a bad drama to watch if you have little else on the go, but certainly there a better shows out there which tackle these themes with more depth and pacing.
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Oversaturated plot with underdeveloped relationships.
I’m quite conflicted about how I feel right now. Honestly speaking, the things that made me curious were not explored enough or did not happen at all. The few elements I loved were just a part of the overall messy plot that tried to include too many side characters and stories.What I enjoyed? Exploration of motherhood presented through Yu Ri, Min Jung and Eun Sook. What does it mean to be a mother? How much is a mother willing to sacrifice for her child? What makes a mother - giving birth to a child or having a bond with them? The show presented in a beautiful way the connection that moms have with their kids. That was the true heart of the show.
Going against the stereotypical depictions - in this case: stepmothers. I’m a sucker for fresh takes on the overused themes. We have seen enough evil stepmothers in the media, it’s amazing to see good examples once in a while.
The few scenes of sismance and female friendship and Oh Min Jung’s character. Min Jung was simply the best and most interesting part of the whole show, with real stakes and proper conflicts - both internal and external. Somehow, her journey was more heartbreaking, but also motivating and uplifting than anything the female lead presented.
Lee Kyu Hyung - he is an acting monster. What a performance he delivered. I rewatched quite a few of his scenes. He aced both the subtle and the exaggerated. I am even tempted to say, this was his strongest performance I have ever seen.
What I disliked or was disappointed about? My biggest issue was the dynamic between Yu Ri, Kang Hwa and Min Jung - or rather the fact they kept telling me what these characters feel for each other, but it was never really presented so I did not believe a word they said. You can tell me even a hundred times how much Kang Hwa loves Min Jung, but if you don’t actually show it, I see it as a big, fat lie. For me, the emotional connections were poorly presented and explained. I might understand what the writer and director wanted to depict, but it was not actually there in the final product.
Cha Yu Ri - both with how the character was written and portrayed. Is it me, or is Kim Tae Hee getting worse in acting with each new project? I did not buy the majority of her scenes. There was something really… fake about her delivery. The character itself also offered little to nothing. It’s the first time when I felt like the main character is nothing more, but a plot device…
Too many useless characters - wasted screen time. Did we need so many ghosts and their stories? No. At the end of the day, they were there to present the regret and the longing for life. Not to mention the new exorcist by the end that served exactly zero purpose. The same plot could have been told with the use of the already established characters.
The production was good. Your typical mainstream kdrama. They tried to solve a lot of storytelling problems with flashbacks and compilations of scenes, and while they looked nice, they also made the plot feel more empty, as nothing was truly established.
Overall, a decent watch, but not something I would recommend.
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This drama makes me feel all the things and I have the emotional capacity of a teaspoon
This is my first review on MDL, but this drama is so good I was driven to write one. Melodramas are typically not my thing. I've been watching KDramas going on 8 years now, and I've always stuck to the RomCom side of things. But as I've gotten older, these dramas have started speaking to me more and more, and they really do have some superb acting.I've only watched Lee Kyu Hyung in more comical roles, but I must say his performance in this drama is exemplary. I really hope to see more roles like this from him in the future. I've never watched on of Kim Tae Hee's dramas before, but now I'm inclined to, as her performance feels so real and relatable and supercharged. Every character is well cast and the side-stories do not feel disconnected or out of place.
Every episode of this drama has made me cry, but in a cathartic way. 10/10 would recommend this drama to anyone looking to get into melodramas, have a good laugh, and or have a good cry. The only reason I'm rating it low for rewatch is because I don't think I could handle going though the emotional rollercoaster all over again.
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This is a beautifully sad story, in which we see very human characters, feeling love, and the sadness of loss and looking for a way to continue life. Very different characters, with different lives, but with the same feelings of love, of commitment, of hope.
This is a story about life, about how "my life is not just mine", there are people who love you and will suffer a lot for your departure.
The entire cast was inscribed in expressing the necessary feelings in each scene, especially in the sad moments, where we could see the pain in their eyes.
The ending was bittersweet, happy for some, sad for others, but that's how life is. "The petals fall, but the flower lingers. The perfume has remained in the world and has permeated our memory deeply."
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ACTING/CAST-Rating 10- I was blown away by the acting skills of this cast. This drama had a lot of intense scenes that required a high level of acting but this cast pulled it off. I was never a big fan of Kim Tae Hee but she really impressed me with this drama. Lee Kyu Hyung was outstanding and so was Go Bo Gyeol, this whole cast was amazing.
MUSIC- 8.0 Rating -. My personal favorites were To You by Hen and In the Night by Parc Jae Jung. The music really fits with the themes of sadness.
REWATCH- Rating 7.0- It just to sad for me to want to watch again. It a beautiful story that's worth the first watch but one time is good enough for me.
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Hi Bye, Mama! is in no way a light watch. This drama, although a heartwarming story about the warmth of family/close ones, is also about the loss of somebody precious. And they go hard with that plot. It's one of those dramas that make you reflect upon your own life. (Side note: I ended up writing a note to my mom because of it. Just in case...) Every episode reminds you to treasure the everyday moments.
There isn't much fantasy to it except Cha Yuri coming back to life. It's mostly about the relationship between the characters, which by the way is admirable. The way Cho Ganghwa grieves is heart-rendering and pretty much realistic. However, if there's anything this drama taught me is that life goes on. It doesn't stop for anybody and as sad as it is, the remaining need to move on with it.
They do a good job at blending the past and present. This way we can understand what losing Cha Yuri meant to others. We can slightly realize their pain.
Acting wise, the entire cast did a superb job. The chemistry between characters is one of the best I've seen. You won't be able to hate any character. Everybody's amazing! However, I would like to point out that Lee Kyu Hyung and Kim Mi Kyung were exceptionally applaudable. They made us feel each emotion. Apart from these two, Go Bo Gyeol's Oh Min Jung is probably my most favourite character. I have so much respect for her. She not only loves Seo Woo like her own daughter but she also fights with Ganghwa for not treating her like a real mother.
Overall, I'd recommend it. It might seem like a sob story but trust me it's one of those with an important message in each episode. The writer doesn't try to be too creative with it. They don't take any risks so it's pretty smooth and consistent. The ending was bittersweet but it remained true to the plot. As for the music, there's one song that stands out: In The Night - Parc Jae Jung
P.S. Seo Woo Jin (playing Seo Woo). This kid is adorable! I loved him! Also, Lee Kyu Hyung really showed versatility as an actor with this one. I saw him in Prison Playbook and fell in love. His character is VERY VERY different in it.
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This is a story of life, of loss, of coping and of goodbyes. Each person, at some point in their lifetime, has to encounter these emotions and this story is a refreshing lesson in what daily life truly is: a gift. I am a single mother, a daughter, a family member, a friend and age has revealed the truth that each gifted moment should never be wasted. This drama exemplifies that and carries it to the next level.
So, there are truly funny and poignant moments throughout all 16 episodes. The story unfolds gently along each character backstory and the last episodes are unbelievably good. All the cast members get an A+ for their acting ability but Lee Kyu Hyung, as the husband, is riveting on the screen. His ability to engage and let me feel every emotion that he was going through was almost otherworldly. I am definitely a super fan.
Please watch this and enjoy.
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Another thing that the drama did right was the ending. Towards the middle, it was a bit overwhelming to imagine the inevitable, but the writers concluded everything beautifully, and gave closure not only to the characters, but the audience as well. Unfortunately, in retrospect, the drama overexploited the main story and, in the end, it felt like nothing really happened, just the main plot and nothing else. Still, the drama was entertaining till the very end. For a side note, it would have been nice if they have shown how the main couple patched things up. Finally, the performances were great from everyone in the cast.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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