KBS Wed-Thurs Hello? It’s Me! with Choi Kang Hee, Lee Re, and Kim Young Kwang is the First Emotionally Satisfying Drama of 2021 So Far

I know disappointing K-dramas abound more than actually good ones, it’s a law of averages as well as how hard it is to make a great series from beginning to end with so many unknowns including acting, chemistry, writing, and directing. I haven’t written much about KBS Wed-Thurs series Hello? It’s Me! but it’s been my comfort blanket for the last 8 weeks. This is the drama that hit me as strongly as 18 Again did last year, the feeling of regret, hope, and catharsis delivered with such poignancy and satisfaction. It’s a do-over (maybe?) drama where Choi Kang Hee plays a 37-year old Ha Ni living a life in stasis after her dad died in a car accident when she was 17 and then meeting her own 17-year old self played by Lee Re with none of the hesitation or guilt. It’s a great what if that moves all the characters in the drama forward, and creates really touching parent-child breakthroughs not just for the female lead but also for Kim Young Kwang‘s manchild male lead. The supporting characters are nicely utilized and given their own arcs, and with a lovely OST and deft directing this drama was just so warm to watch with a positive message. It’s not without its faults but taken as a 16-episode series I think it’s hard not to love especially after getting through the narrative setting first few episodes where the adult Ha Ni is so downtrodden and the teenage Ha Ni so self-absorbed. The drama is about acceptance, moving on, and above all else the courage to face your mistakes, accept the consequences, and find a path forward. I highly recommend this sweet gem which make me tear up so many times especially in the last 6 episodes. It’s the palate cleanser drama we all need when there is so much darker fare around us to consume as entertainment.