KBS Second Chance Drama Hello, It’s Me with Choi Kang Hee, Kim Young Kwang, and Lee Re Premieres to a Promising Start

I think this drama is either more or less than its ratings so I’ll focus on what’s good and lacking in the end product. Lost amongst the more high profile new K-dramas to premiere this week in mid-February 2021 is second chance what if story Hello, It’s Me. It’s the same concept as 18 Again, Knowing Wife, Go Back Couple, those dramas that challenge the life of the lead character in the middle age with either a do-over or a different perspective. I thought the drama was decent in the first two episodes, setting the stage effectively albeit with the requisite frustration. Choi Kang Hee‘s life is so down trodden and I can feel Lee Re‘s frustration as her younger self in seeing where the future went. I like both male leads equally and enjoy watching their harmless douchbaggery mined for laughs, whether it’s the chaebol heir with no ambition or to the too ambitious actor with inflated self-esteem. This feels like a drama suitable for a low key personal watch, let the viewer take away either as “I would never let my life get so bad” young confidence or an older/wiser person understanding that “some things are outside of my control but at least I never lost sight if my heart and soul.” I think this drama won’t mine my tear ducts as much as the other similar tales and it’s worth watching for Lee Re’s impeccable performance.


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KBS Second Chance Drama Hello, It’s Me with Choi Kang Hee, Kim Young Kwang, and Lee Re Premieres to a Promising Start — 17 Comments

  1. Pingback: KBS Second Chance Drama Hello, It’s Me with Choi Kang Hee, Kim Young Kwang, and Lee Re Premieres to a Promising Start - Kpopnchill - All About K-pop News

  2. EP1 was quite dull until Lee Re appeared. EP2 was better.

    Ban Hani vs. Cha Eun-sang. I’m not sure which candy frustrates me more. On second thought, it’s Ban Hani. Good lord, the way this 37-year old grown-ass woman grovels and lets everyone stomp all over her. Like damn, ma’am, where’s your self-worth and pride? Hopefully, her 17-year old self can help her find it. But it’ll be an excruciating watch until then.

    • I just finished the first episode and it made my blood boiled how people are taking advantage of FL and treating her like third rate human. I know the strength is in her somewhere, I know she’s a weak character at the moment but I feel like she will find her mojo overtime in the series. I am sympathetic to her case and I hope she can overcome and be the strong person that I think she could be. I wanted to shake the boy and his mother so badly. Her blind date was just horrid but at least he still paid for the meal although he ditched her. Right now FL biggest asset is her kindness but I hope in the future she can combine her kindness with strength and intelligence.

      I’m not quite sure if I like Lee Re or her character. Maybe it’s only episode one but I feel like she overacts and lacks nuance. Her character is too self-absorb, granted she’s a teenager but I’m not currently connecting with her. Right now it’s adult version > younger version but barely. Maybe episode 2 will alter my tune if I do decide to watch it. I’ll just continue to use my FF button.

      The ML is like a man child, I have mixed feelings although he is cute. This relationship dynamic reminds me of FL actress drama Protect the Boss. This feels like a sequel. I do love how supporting his family is overall although they are wealthy and not portrayed as stuck up. He’s a likable character but can get on the nerves at times. 2ML annoys me with his jumping into conclusion and destroying the film and her camera.

      • Yeah but in PTB, she was fierce. Not a pushover. Here she’s just… I don’t wanna say doormat but yeah. Ji Sung was enjoyable though plus he was that way because of trauma, if I’m remembering right. This guy here is just plain irritating and leeching off the hapless FL who has enough sh/t on her plate. I dislike both male leads, actually.

        I think Lee Re’s character is supposed to highlight the stark contrast between them. With all that youthful confidence, you’d expect her to become president but instead look at how she ended up. When we’re young, we’re filled with all these hopes and lofty dreams and the certainty that we’ll achieve them. Then fast-forward to how-many-years later and it’s not the case. It’s easy to get disillusioned and want to give up. I’m rooting for both of them.

      • You’re right, she’s a door mat… she’s a doormat for a doormat haha

        Tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if ML here also had trauma too because it was mentioned his mother died at a young age that’s why his father pampered him haha

        I didn’t watch episode 2 so I can’t comment on his actions there but I didn’t see it as him leeching her on ep 1 since he was stuck in a bind when he asked for her help and he wasn’t aware of her predicaments minus seeing her getting dumped hopefully he will have a glow up in personality in the future ?

        That’s a good, vivid description of her younger version. I agree with the contrast. I appreciate confidence but it seems to me she was too over-confident to the point that it seems prideful where I want to knock her down a few peg especially if @M perspective of her in episode 2 is the case. I personally would choose a kind-hearted person over a domineering, selfish, insensitive person anyway no matter how doormat they may be haha
        I’ll be the loud, aggressive person who protects the kind-hearted doormats of the world lol

        But yes, I hope adult her grows a backbone, like soon because it can get frustrating if she remains meek the entire show haha

        It is still early in the series, maybe most of the characters will develop well as the series progresses 🙂

      • He’s a total leech. If you watch EP2, you’ll see it. He might have trauma but he doesn’t have the Ji Sung charisma to make me care about him. I think it’s clear I don’t like the character. Lol.

        Oh yeah, she’s definitely overconfident. Arrogant. And it doesn’t help that everyone worships her like she’s the Queen of Sheba. Lol, if you dislike her in EP1, I think you’ll want to smack her upside the head when you see the silly and totally unnecessary childish tantrum she threw that resulted in her (spoiler alert!) dad’s demise. I think her becoming less cocky might be her character arc? We’ll have to watch and see.

      • Did you watch Vincenzo episode 1? Is something wrong with me, I didn’t like it 🙁 I love song joong ki in this role and was so excited for it but almost nothing else works.

      • I loved the drama when it took place in Italy but once we got to Korea, it felt like a huge tonal change. I don’t like the comedy and I don’t like the FL.

  3. I liked episode one probably because her 17 year old self did remind me of my highschool self. Full of confidence and energy. Lee Re shined in her scenes.

    Second episode was a downer because Lee Re turned so whiny after discovering her life turned out to be twenty years later.

    I’d like to recommend a different drama Beyond Evil aka Monster starring Shin Ha-Kyun. Just finished episode one and it reminded me of Signal without the mysterious walkie talkie.

    • Thank you for your spoiler, I can’t stand whinny, bratty characters. She’s suppose to be a shining, encouraging light to her older self but by being grumpy and not sympathetic early on, I’m not sure I like this set-up. Where’s the kindness? Older her is kind and sympathetic to those around her but young her sounds selfish. I hope they both can help each other work on their flaws haha

    • Lee Re’s character did annoy me in some scenes of EP2 but I understood her whininess about how her life actually turned out. She was so bright, so beloved, so full of potential and youthful exuberance. She was going to conquer the world. But instead the world conquered her and forced her to her knees. How depressing.

      I can’t imagine the pain she’ll feel when she finds out the tragedy caused by her childish tantrum and the ripple effect it caused that led to her current downtrodden self.

      • Oooh thank you for this insight and your explanation, maybe I’ll give episode 2 a try.

        Wow you are planning to watch so many dramas. How do you do it? Haha

    • I plan to continue watching for a few more episodes. Beyond Evil is out? I was looking forward to that drama. I’m gonna go watch it along with Penthouse and then wait for Vincenzo and Times later. What a dramalicious day this is!

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