There are Korean dramas that you like very much and those that you totally enjoy. These latter ones leave you haunted by them long after you have finished the drama. Tell Me That You Love Me is the second type. I really got into the headspace of the main characters and felt their pain deeply in this impactful drama. Amidst the heavy hitter Korean dramas of 2023, this drama is a perfect sleeper gem of a Korean drama some might have missed.

The story is about a woman trying to find her way in life and a man who is deaf trying to navigate through a hearing world. She has to learn to communicate with him with her hands, and he has to learn how to communicate with her with his heart. Tell Me That You Love Me has a well thought out, well executed, and unusual storyline. The story is written so well, from a deaf person’s point of view. This Korean Drama is the type of artsy drama which people who appreciate the finer nuances of good filmmaking would love.

I love it when actors use body language to convey thoughts without words. When you are playing the part of a deaf person who can not speak, you have no other way to convey the emotions of the character other than with body language.

The male lead playing the deaf character is seasoned veteran and Baeksang Arts Award top honor Daesang winning Actor, a Director, a Producer, and a Model Jung Woo-sung. He nailed this performance of a deaf person who is totally confident in his skin, but who is seared by the challenges of hearing people. The female lead is actress Shin Hyun-been. She plays a woman starting a new career as an actress. She has a soft demur acting delivery which was so appropriate for her role in Tell Me That You Love Me. The performance which both gave is called the art of acting.

Quote: “I always thought I was the one who should make an effort to live in harmony with others. Because in this world there are a lot more people who can hear than those who can’t. But out of those people, someone came to me and said hi first.” Deaf Artist expressing his feelings about someone who took the effort to communicate.

Quote: “I read sounds (voices) with my eyes. It means that every time I blink, for a brief moment, I get disconnected from the world”. Deaf Male Lead.

Quote: “Since I can’t hear people’s footsteps approaching me, I must always keep a safe distance from them.” Deaf Male Lead.

When the deaf lead was with hearing people, his demeanor was unsure and not assertive. Teaching his deaf students he was very assure and assertive. This seemed so realistic to me. I love the acting choices of the male lead. I love the way the male lead brings you into his world and verbally shows you what it is like for a deaf person to live in a hearing world. Love that at times the drama goes completely silent when two persons are signing. This was a dramatic choice I loved.

I enjoyed Tell Me That You Love Me. The OST is so poignant, featuring star singers like Seungkwan from Seventeen who wrote and sang Still You from Doctor Romantic 3 and Seori who sings Sound of Your Heart. The OST music is so encapsulating of the action that at times the music can leave you crying. There are two great second leads, a guy and girl character.

Tell Me That You Love Me meets industry stands of excellence in acting, cinematography, sound, lighting, and music OST. It falters with film editing, taking breaks of action in the weirdest places.