A poignant, thoughtful, bittersweet-yet-heartfelt little show that has way more meat on its bones than one might first imagine.
The writing and handling is deft and assured, the music is lovely and atmospheric, and our leads, Kim Min Ha and Gong Myung, are very good in this, both individually and together.
This one is lingering with me, long after the closing credits.
Very good, and very underrated.
As many of you know, because of my deep affection for Junho, I’ve been on a mission to check out his various projects.
I’d been meaning to watch this movie and write it a review (this was my third attempt – more on that in a bit), so what better time to do that, than the weekend that Junho wins Best Actor, at the Baeksang Awards?? Ahhh!!! 🤩
For the record, I’m so, SO happy for him, and so proud of him, and having him on my screen for an hour and 50 minutes this weekend, felt like a perfect way to celebrate his (well-deserved) win. 😍
Psst: Links to watch are at the end of the review! ❤️
Well, my friends. It looks like I’m pulling the plug on this one, despite my good intentions.
I sincerely wanted to like this one, which is why I watched 7 episodes of this, while waiting for it to really “get good.”
..But the unfortunate truth is, I don’t think it has, and 7 episodes in, I just can’t seem to muster enough interest or goodwill to keep on watching, unfortunately.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Be Melodramatic feels like a more grown-up version of Age Of Youth, in the best way.
Here are Show’s pros, in a nutshell. First of all, Show’s got a slice-of-life, quirky, imperfect feel, and possesses an off-the-wall sense of humor to go with.
Secondly, Show boasts an ensemble cast of characters where everyone feels real and three-dimensional in all of their flawed, idiosyncratic glory.
Third and best of all, the writing feels deft and insightful, as Show takes us on a journey with our characters, and at the same time, gives us a multi-lensed look at this unpredictable, tiring, messy yet hopeful thing that we call Life.
A refreshing, underrated gem of a show that’s funny and quirky, yet real and relatable, that often hits you with the feels when you least expect it.