Viața E Complicată (2018)

IU

I know it won’t resonate with everyone, but for me it is a very rare 10/10.

An emotional rollercoaster that'll leave you feeling a whole range of things. It's one of those shows that slowly creeps up on you, quietly tugging at your heartstrings until you're a sobbing mess.

IU's performance as Ji-an is simply breathtaking. She completely embodies the character, bringing a raw, unfiltered emotion to the screen. You can feel her pain, her loneliness, and her resilience in every scene. Her transformation from a lost, troubled soul to a stronger, more hopeful person is both inspiring and heartbreaking. Every glance, every gesture, every tear – it's all so raw and real.

Lee Sun-Kyun, as always, delivers a stellar performance. His portrayal of Park Dong-hoon, a weary, middle-aged man, is both poignant and relatable. He captures the character's quiet desperation, his loneliness, and his gradual growth with such subtlety and nuance. You can see the weight of the world on his shoulders, and his slow, steady journey towards healing is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

The supporting cast is equally impressive. Each character, no matter how small, is a fully-realized individual with their own unique story. The show delves deep into their backstories, adding layers of complexity and depth to the narrative. From the quirky and lovable office workers to the troubled family members, each character brings something unique to the table.
My Mister is a slow-burn drama that rewards patience. It's a show that's not afraid to tackle tough issues like loneliness, grief, and the meaning of life. But it's also a show about the power of human connection, the importance of empathy, and the beauty of finding solace in unexpected places.

One of the things I love most about My Mister is the way it explores the complexities of human relationships. The bond between Ji-an and Park Dong-hoon is a unique and beautiful one. It's a testament to the power of human connection and the transformative nature of empathy. Watching their relationship develop, from initial distrust to deep friendship, is a truly heartwarming experience.

The cinematography is perfect. The soundtrack is perfect.

• The power of connecting with someone
• Amazing performances by IU and Lee Sun-Kyun.
• Loneliness, healing, and friendship.
• GOATed OST
• Great supporting cast

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Come back to reality of hell

Man! how to describe this one. You can see the every normal middle aged Asian man life which consists of up & down. It was relate to the core that I was watched this drama one sitting. IU and ML was like a ocean that taking everything throw it to them. ML was lonely and feel empty inside. He was tried so hard to keep the family. Please accept the fact that you can have 1000 reasons to hate and fight to your husband but it was not justified that you can start the affair. Cheating will lead to hell and kill the person that you most liked. ML wife was not aware of that ML loved her so much and stood her. Yet she asked why ML was stick together not because he didn't loved her. IU told her that if you know someone always asking you if you need anything when come to home means he was love you the most. It was bring you the roller-coaster feelings from your inside.

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A very moving story about two lost souls

I'm so emotional after the last episode 😭😭

What I liked:
- IU's performance. I love love love Ji An's story. It's basically similar to Ash from Banana Fish - someone good growing up in a horrible situation, having to do soul-crushing things to survive, becoming ground down and hardened, but coming to life when someone is kind and warm to them and seeing that life can have good things too and finally learning what it means to be alive and human. What a great analogy for childhood trauma. So many moving and scenes lines from Ji An/IU 😭😭 I really loved her arc
- Male lead, played by Lee Sun Kyun, was great too
- I love the theme of community and family, I loved the music, I loved the directing - very stylish - and I really liked all the side characters
- Lee Ji Ah's character is someone I didn't think I would like but her arc was really 😭
- refreshing that a life drama doesn't have romance as its center point

What I didn't like:
- pace was very slow for someone like me who is easily bored and imaptient. I had to put this show on fast forward and skip scenes sometimes. The last episode had so many emotional punches; I wish the writer had kind of paced them throughout the entire series, coz most of the series is REALLY slow
- some of the sideplots were kind of uninteresting, I didn't really care about them and their inclusion felt abrupt (especially the monk)
- there were some themes that I felt like the drama didn't portray so well, the biggest of which was Lee Ji Ah's character, Kang Yoon Hee. I did not like how marriage was portrayed, I did not like the way they treated her character when it came to the affair

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Slow and Gentle, that became Meandering.

At its best, show was heartwarming, emotional and a think piece on the impact of the consistent everyday kindness on even the most hopeless and that was when I loved it best. For the first 11-13 episodes, I enjoyed what I was given though sometimes I just wanted it to move. They started miserable and a bit pitiful and they ended better??

Spoilers below!!!
Honestly I don't think the end was satisfying.
What happened with PDH and his wife? Are they still together? Is there hope? Is it over??
What happened with eldest brother and his wife? Do we just assume he will pay the loan and it's all good??
Why is mom always apologizing and sorry to PDH's wife like she has it rough for being a working helping wife? Old school mindset?
Spoilers ended!!!

I don't think I liked any character in the show. Maybe just the youngest brother, he was straightforward and refreshing in a show I felt many had the same note.
At its worst, it stretched beyond what was needed, almost too much crying and I just wanted to see it end.
Maybe I watched it at the wrong moment because I really like the slice of life without romance genre very much. I'd saved it since 2021 after hearing amazing things about it and I think I can see how it's so beloved but at the time I watched it, by ep 13, I started working while it ran in the background and didn't care to see what I'd missed cos it just felt repetitive and dragged..

Sometimes I really liked it but I never loved it.

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WOAH JUST ...WOAH

today i finally finished my mister kdrama and i….i have so many things to say about this one. first of all i got this recommended by a tiktoker, the person first said ‘this kdrama changed the way i live’ that might’ve been a little exaggerated but honestly …i did not expect it to have this much of an impact on me. i don’t speak about kdramas like this often but you could’ve probably guessed by the ones i do post that i watch romantic based dramas mostly. and dramas like my mister which don’t contain romance at all aren’t usually up my taste because i don’t like serious stuff— especially when they leave an impact on me. what i mean by that is basically they leave me with a feeling i can’t explain. i feel this way when a movie or a tv show ends in a sort of happy way but im not satisfied with it but i can’t do anything about it…and that’s how it felt with this kdrama. i’ve cried so much watching it, and i don’t cry that much when i watch shows or movies. at first my perspective on the show was romanticised, which is something i despise about my brain. why do i always have to make everything romantic?…but watching it further and getting attached to characters and realising that the point in this story wasn’t romance but the connection you make with a person. whether it be platonic or not, which was the case in here. i wanted both of the main leads to end up together which is actually a really bad idea cus of the age gap😭 but when you grow further into the story i realised just how much of an impact a non romantic ship can have on me…which has never happened before. i’m not sure what to call the main leads’ dynamic. maybe father daughter duo? but that sounds kinda fucked because the girl liked him…so i’ll just stick with soulmates. because— AGGHH i can’t explain why, you just have to watch. they care for each other so deeply when no one else did, and though there was love which was one sided- the story wasn’t focused on that. it was focused on their support for one another and how even though there was something unreciprocated separating them, they couldn’t just let go of one another like that. idk…sorry for the rant- i just really love this kdrama..yup

i feel like at start i shipped donghoon and jian as well but they’re so much more better when they grew as close friends. there’s many people saying they would’ve appreciated a ‘kiss’ or a real hug but wouldn’t have that just ruined everything? i get that donghoons wife cheated on him which is a big part of why i ended up shipping him with jian in the first place (she treated him mmuuuuuch better) but from donghoons perspective that would just be out of character and just…wrong. he has a kid he needs to still raise, making him fall in love with a 20 year old just because she showed kindness to him at his worst stage would make his character very different in my opinion. donghoon knew jian liked him but he never let that ruin what they had, and i loved that. he drew a line between them and understood that this was just a pitiful soul just like him who seeked comfort and that happened to be him ..and he seeked comfort in jian as well. thats what made this story so compelling to watch. they loved each other so much, and i truly believe donghoon might even love jian more than his own wife (which is understandable). i feel like i could rant about this kdrama forever holy fuck😭😭😭

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Full immersion required, not for light viewing

I've been holding back from reviewing this show, my ultimate favorite drama. I feel like I'm not eloquent enough to convey the essence of the show as I would like to. But alas, I think it's time to give it a try. This show deserves at least this much love from me.

My Mister takes you on the familiar road of the mundane, daily worklife in the city; of struggling to make ends meet; of under achievement in life as you grow older (at least for me lol). It is a melancholic story of two unlikely friends, finding a kindred soul with each other.

Each episode may feel slow and heavy, so definitely not for a casual following or even binge watching. I had to stop myself everytime after watching 1 or 2 episodes, feeling drained from the emotions the story has stirred in me. If the first episode doesn't at least intrigue you on how the story will unfold, then it's better to find other, lighter or brighter shows. This show needs your full attention, or none at all. If you go in half hearted, you only set yourself up for disappointment.

As the story unfolds and we discover our main leads' motivations, we also become familiar with a wealth of supporting characters that you either love or hate, for what they each represent to the lives of our main leads. Many support cast get a bit of focus too, adding layers to the story as a whole. I could only peel some of these layers upon rewatching, appreciating alot of nuance I've missed the first time around.

One example (minor SPOILER) would be the twisted dynamic between the loanshark son and our female lead. Lee Ji An's friend asked why she let the son beat her like that, when she would normally not let anyone mess with her. The show won't tell you the answer, but it's one you would naturally arrive to after putting all the clues together. You'll have to watch the show to find out the answer lol. I love that the showrunners trust the viewers to get it, even though I missed it the first time because I'm dull.

Besides the wonderful cast and a richly layered story, the OST is on point in capturing the scenes' mood and emotions. This is such a poignant drama for me that I always tear up when I see people talk about it or even just hearing the theme song. I hope I was able to convey my love for this show despite being so vague in what I wrote. I wanted to set the right expectation before you dive in into this immersive but demanding experience. Cheers!

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Natural 10

My Mister... It's not easy to express how good this masterpiece is. Just WATCH IT.
It is, by far, the best k-drama I have ever watched.
Every character has its own consistent arc. And those arcs interact in such a beautiful way that, little by little, well, a magnificent show unfolds.
The actors, too, obviously know this is no ordinary drama : chemistry abounds. The soundtrack is almost too memorable. The photography is mesmerizing. Every frame is beautiful.
The direction is brilliantly ambitious. With slow, long, scenes. Close-ups. Banal humiliations. Every-day frustrations. All turned, by some kind of magic, into the most moving piece of work I can remember.

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A KDrama that stays with you

I've only watched kdramas for the last few months but most of them are entirely forgettable, even when very enjoyable. My Mister is the rare exception. Dark and achingly poignant, well-acted and respectful of the complexity of being human. It was so good I signed up for this site purely to leave a review.

I found many of the characters--particularly Dong Hoon's family--unbearable at the beginning, but as the show went on, it stopped feeling like caricature and began to feel like the way that family feels sometimes; alternately rewarding and infuriating. What I loved the most is that at the end of the show, they were still doing those obnoxious things, yet I found myself fond of them and willing to overlook their idiosyncrasies. That's a magical thing to convey in a TV show.

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the best drama ever

it's been a while since i saw this and by each passing day i get surer of the fact that no piece of media will ever come close to what my mister has achieved. human emotions are captured so raw in this, and so beautifully too that i could relate with evey single character and their story. deep within i am a monk who wants to give up on materialistic ways of life to stop the competition unfolding around me and i am a disappointed underachiever who is afraid of my potential, or lack of it. i am a lonely woman hung up on her true love and so am i the girl who grew up hating herself. and maybe I won't have a park donghoon to make me see that the world is nothing if I won't let it get to me, but this drama keeps giving me life lessons i want to hear from someone when i have a bad day

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Mixed Emotions

I'm conflicted about the ending. Mostly, I enjoyed it because the actors sold the drama, but the writers put too many characters into the storyline, and the "unequivocal love" was a waste at the end. **SPOILER** The two main characters have a complicated emotional relationship. After enduring and embracing each other's hardships together, they have a lot in common despite their age difference. In the end, he and his wife are still together: yet, she and their son are living in the US now while he stays in Seoul. He seems to keep his promise and is living a happy life as a CEO, and she has found peace in her new life. Both have grown together and separately with great admiration for one another. It was an okay ending, but they may have well never seen each other again and just kept tabs on each other through mutual friends. Although you see a possible rekindle deep emotions through a small hand gesture and eye contact, it's just left up to your imagination.

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A piece of art.

This is my favorite K-drama because it is perfect in all senses: acting, OST, story, characters..... I cried so many times watching this series. It is a hidden gemstone.
Main actors, IU and the amazing late actor Lee Sun Kyun (R.I.P), shone and showed they were perfect for their roles. Each one of the supporting actors made many positive contributions with their side stories to the growth and development of the drama and in the end, you fall in love with all of them, as a whole big family full of love and emotional support.
The OST made me dive into the story even deeper. It is so touching! And after LSK death, it all makes even more sense to me.

It is a masterpiece that everyone into emotional dramas should watch. You won't regret about it! 10/10

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