Come and Hug Me (2018)

This show literally reminded me why I love and watch kdramas. Come Hug Me was such an emotional rolercoaster in which in enjoyed every second of of it. There was not an episode in which dissapointed me and each episode was meaningful and had a purpose to the story. From the intricate characters to the story, nothing went wrong when i watched this show.

The first episode gripped me in in the first minute as we are introduced to our two main leads Na Mu and Nak Won. I loved how slow paced the relationship bewteen our leads were as they slowly came back into each others lives 12 years later after the incident. When watching that incident it broke my heart everytime seeing it and I know how much it affected them. When it finally introduced Na Mu as a detective and Nak Won as a successfull actress 3 years later, i wondered how they would cross paths into each others lives becasue they live such different lives but they did it in a way which seemed believable and heartfelt so it didn't seem wrong.

With the main male lead Na Mu, I really loved teh development of his character from the get go becasue as a child he was quiet and obedient to his father who was a monster but after meeting Nak Won he begun to want to change and change his life. He saw Nak Won as a paradise, a place in which he could confide in and feel at peace. Even after the event and when he was in police university, he would look at a poster of Nak Won everyday to feel comfort as he was having a hard time. The more the story unfolded he begun to show the side of him in which if anyone messed with Nak Won he wouldn't be afraid to kill and thats what everyone linked to him being a pyscho like his dad and thats what his father wanted him to be, a monster like him. Becasue of Nak Won, Na Mu was able to calm down and stop himself in times he was about to kill someone and especially his father in the last episode.

With Nak Won, I couldn't help but just feel sorry for her through out the whole show, even though the father of the son she loved, she still said it wasn't his fault her parents died and still stayed with him. When we saw her as a 16 year old in the first episodes I loved how upbeat she was around Na Mu and lovavble she was as character. Then when they met 12 years later she still accepted him even though Na Mu felt sorry to her everytime he saw her.

I loved the support character in Come and Hug Me as they all supported the story nicely and the actors did the script justice. With Hyeon Mu, I didn't like him as a teenager but as we saw him in the latter part of the story we saw how much he was suffering and how much he just wanted a normal family. So Jin which was No Mu's younger sister made me feel so bad for her at the start of the show cause she was a little child and idolised No Mu in which they had to split up with eachother but i'm so glad they met reunited again because she really deserved to live a good life. Lastly the reporter who ended up dying, i don't know what it is but the actor who played her really has a unlikable face and she always place characters I end up hating.

The OST truly made this drama whole as it added emotion to the story and when the OST intrumentals played at sad moments it really made me feel so sad. At the end of the show when it was all over the OST played and it made me think about what happened throughout the whole show and I couldn't stop crying because of how bad i felt for the main leads and how glad I was for the good ending we recieved

Overall if your looking for a melodrama to watch with a heartfelt romance I highly reccoemend this, it was a trully a masterpiece in my oppionion and would have anyone watch it.

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A hatchet job by the writer...

The concept of this drama was so promising, and maybe because it was too long (actually for me there was really only enough real substance for a movie) the longer plot must have over-extended the writer and ultimately the talk-and-hug-heavy- plot exposed his limited set of skills. The biggest snag? Once you hit the middle you keep getting a loop of the same conversations between our leads with the EXACT same words...over and over and over again...followed by regular hugs. Now I do love hugs & skinship in a drama, but these were long and awkward with drawn out camera shots. After ten of these identical "talks" though, even the earlier thrill of seeing them hug was gone. The thin plot is filled up with identical and gratuitous bloody and violent murders, a lack of police 'smarts' and the same trope that makes my blood boil every time: the girl stays alone or goes out on her own without backup when there's a killer out looking for her. The demented father was THE best feature, and I also loved the performance of the two young actors who started the drama, along with our hero's Mom and lost brother. Really sad and quite a surprise for me, was that Jang Ki-Yong's character was restricted in the range of emotion he was given, unless he was angry. The rest of the time he stared a lot in hurt or longing silence.. The romance was 'ok' but got a little boring because they kept repeating 'exactly' the same dialogue about the same topic. The plot had big gaps in common sense, especially when it came to the transparent and predictable events in the crimes. Too bad, what started out to be a gripping story that questioned whether we have to follow in our parents footsteps, turned into an endless blood-spattered kill-fest. Definitely a 'hatchet job' by the writer. It's a miss if you care for a well-developed drama.

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Not bad for a Romance genre, if you came here for the Crime/Melodrama you won't like it.

Story: Not bad, the main plot where a criminal son loves the victim's daughter seemed a bit unique, that's what got me to pick up the drama.
However, I was super disappointed how a guy with a hammer can wreck havoc everywhere like he's holding a rocket launcher instead of just a hammer. Also, there were so many instances where a police officer could have used a gun but "nah let's run after them". It's one of those dramas that make police officers seem useless and untrained.

Cast: I love them <3 both main casts and their young characters were amazing.

Music: Not bad, not amazing, I don't think I'll listen to any ost out of the drama but it felt correctly placed for the scenes so it's fine.

Rewatch: I don't think this is rewatchable, I think most criminal dramas are hard to rewatch because you already know who did what, but who knows if you COMPLETELY forget about the story then maybe.

Overall: Not bad, I was hoping it would make me cry more but it barely did, maybe I'm growing antibodies from watching too many melodrama. Also each scene was slow as heck, stare for hours, hug for hours, cry for hours, they didn't have to make this into 32 episodes in my opinion.

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TOTALLY CAPTIVATING

I was just finished watching this series and I was totally BUM (in a positive way) SO LOVE IT!
I will watch it again! I was HOOKED till the end.

The story itself is captivating . FL & ML shows how to survive in a real world. They are not weak but STRONG in a real sense. Lead actor and actress gave justice to the story as well as the other cast. LOVE the young lead actor and actress they cemented the story too well that when you watch them as adult you really identify them as them.

I can’t hardly get enough of it! I will watched it again. LOVE THE COUPLE!

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Wow! What a great drama!

Story:
Yoon Na Moon and Gil Nak Won meet as kids, become friends and even fall in love a little. But Na Moon's father is a threat for their young love and he ultimately kills Nak Won's parents. The drama tells the story of their lives in the present and how Na Moon and Nak Won are coping with the events from the past. They both changed their names and lost each other, but as destiny wants it, they meet again and also fall for each other again. They need each other to heal and the subtle and very quiet romance warms your heart. However, the threat in the form of Na Moon's father didn't disappear. Although he's in jail, he still haunts them in more ways than one.
In this drama you find a very well developed story line, with no unnecessary developments, and meaning in every little detail. The only thing that "annoyed" me after some time was that Nak Won always addressed Na Mon with his full name. She repeated it every. single. time. although she could have just continued her speech without his name. But that may also be just me and my strange quirks.

Acting/Cast:
The acting was great! Especially the young actors blew me away! They are all so talented and able to really deliver the emotions the character is feeling. But also the adult actors did an amazing job! Especially Jang Ki Yong showed that he is really able to play a deeply torn character. And then there is Heo Joon Ho, who plays the murderer. Oh my God, he is so creepy I really cringed every time he appeared on screen - goosebumps everywhere!

Music:
On point and never annoying.

Rewatch Value:
I'm not a rewatcher, but this one is really on the top spot for rewatching. Especially as I believe I will find more and more aspects that I like about this drama every time I watch it again.

Overall:
If you're expecting a crime drama filled with romance, then you better stay away. There is a little romance, but it is clearly not the main focus.
Still interested? Then watch it!

10 10 10 :)

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A truly beautiful drama

this is my first review and i will start it off by saying this: this drama is a work of art. i started it with high expectations: a detective atoning for his serial killer’s father’s sins and an aspiring actress whose dark past follows behind her. their love story transcends over a decade, fate bringing them apart. and i was not disappointed at all with this masterpiece.

yoon na mu has faced pain the entirety of his life, being seen only as the son of a serial killer by everyone. despite the darkness of his past he maintains a pure heart, wanting to live well and serving the community as a detective. his character was written well and the development was noticeable especially after he met nak won; he was willing to risk everything, even standing up to his psychopathic father, to protect nak won. i found it so moving that despite the years that had passed by, na mu’s heart stayed with nak won. it made me feel emotional seeing him long for her so fervently, especially when he was having a hard time.

jang ki yong’s acting truly took my breath away in this drama; the way he spoke sadness through his eyes and looked utterly broken by guilt every time he gazed at nak won was enough to make me cry and share his pain with him. i only recently became a fan of jang ki yong’s works and without a doubt, JKY is a remarkable actor and his acting was truly an incredible addition to the drama. he acts so naturally and you can feel the emotions he portrays, hence why i believe he’s one of the most gifted actors in the kdrama industry.

overall, the plot was interesting and i was always on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next, especially when nak won and na mu would encounter each other once again. the crime plot was a bit slow at times but still delivered a satisfying twist factor that was enough to continue on to the next episode. i loved seeing the love between the leads only blossom more beautifully as the story progressed, their love never dying out despite the world saying their love was strange and ugly. if you’re looking for a romance with hints of melo and no difficult obstacles restricting their relationship, this is the drama to watch. a wonderful performance by JKY and JKJ!

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A drama thats nearly perfect with a writer that plotted well the start and end and bring everything full circle. It had powerful messages of love and family in my opinion. There were heroes in unlikely places and unexpected people: a gruff stepmom who was so afraid and seemed cowardly in the beginning; a rough foul mouthed brother who had inferiority complex and an even more tender heart, an adopted protective brother with his own demons and guilt and misconceptions, a simple policeman who unintendedly turn father figure.

THE GOOD:
Plot was strong- One thats tightly woven the present and past selves of the otp and the event that bounds them.
The characters- Multiple characters that shine,who incite fear, incite warmth, incite hatred, incite admiration and a few that are truly memorable
Acting- Heo Joon Ho - cant get anyone who can be so effective in his role. A stare, a smirk, his silhoute screams his presence. He delivers a grippling performance. Kim Kyung Nam delivered arguably the most difficult role and personally i thought he was a scene stealer. He was just so good and his well written character almost made me yearn for him to be a maincast, more scenes, just more.. Seo Jung Yeon delivered in so many scenes, her portrayal moves me and was wonderfully cast.
The message: Belief, understanding and selflessness sows the seeds of love. They gave the environment for the best self to persevere through darkness and evil. And of course, sometimes all we need is someone standing at your corner and there to give a reassuring hug.
The sort of bromance: without spoiling too much lets just say some of my favorite scenes are between the hyungs.

THE WEAKNESS:
Unfortunate loopholes in the plot including useless policemen or lack of as a plot device just so that it set up a following scene or forced a tense situation.
Jang Ki Yong really expanded his repertoire with this drama. Unfortunately he's found lacking when potraying certain emotions. The difference in performance is especially stark when they put side by side young Na Moo and present Na Moo. Nam Da Reum (young Na moo) delivered more on point with soft gaze, sorrow, broken hearted, or touched. The plays of emotions are easily picked up on his face while i struggled sometimes to read Jang Ki Yong's. I also felt that although otp had good chemistry, they never reach a point of total abandonment and immersion of that kind of love (a supposingly deep soul-grippling childhood to adulthood over a decade span of love. )
If this was a jtbc or ocn drama it could have been 12 episodes (or 24 episodes of 30mins) and it would have elevated the drama without overdoing flasbacks, cut out needless dilly-dally scenes. It could have been a tight plot with no fillers at all.

For all these reasons its a 9.0 for me. Its a good thriller with a warm message. Please do give it a chance if you havnt watched it.

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Disappointed

finally got to watch this since it's been on my watchlist for ages.

your typical 'my father is a psychopath who killed your parents and i like you but i dont care what anyone says about us'

i sympathized with the young actors more than the leads and their acting was definitely better. or maybe im just biased since the incident happened when they were younger.

main leads failed to portray their roles and i couldn't see the connection with their younger selves no matter how hard i try. this is why i dont really like dramas where the main characters have a past experience together. cliche and overused.

i rooted more for the younger characters and i wanna see them actually get by. it's unfortunate that they're just leads' past selves. one more thing, their chemistry was so much better than the leads.

male lead did well, i guess, but he's still lacking. he comes off strong but it all boils down to his puppy face when something goes wrong. not bad though since this was his first major role. as for the female lead, i was cringing every time she shows up. the fact that she was an actress in her role is just ironic and i think the drama would've gained more recognition if she wasn't casted.

gotta admit, they did exactly what the title says. it's like their pushing their chemistry through hugs that ends up being too much. male lead also didn't deserve his step mom and step sister. he was literally wrapped under his girlfriend's finger and was being all lovey-dovey when his family was exposed to danger.

it ended how it began. brother and psychopath father went back to jail and that's it. i don't really see the point.

writer messed up during the latter episodes. dialogues were said over and over as well as the flashbacks. it was annoying. we didn't even get to see how the girl's parents were murdered and what her brother did. they stalled so much time for the brother's stabbing story and when we got it, it was so underwhelming. didn't see the point of that too.

policeman who had connections with the reporter didn't even get to pay for what he did. although it's small, he was part of why the psychopath escaped from jail. we also didn't get to see how that happened.

male lead's brother's redemption arc is too forced. they were trying so hard to have us sympathize with him but he's just garbage. same with the reporter, the way she changed for the good was just cringey and forced.

anyways, i had high expectations for this drama since many people were voicing out how underrated this is.

only good part is that they didn't break up, lol.

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Nem sei o que dizer desse drama, não foi nada do que eu esperava, já tinha um bom tempo que esse Kdrama estava na minha lista e sempre tive a impressão de que iria ser excelente a julgar pela capa e pela sinopse. Por isso, acredito que coloquei muitas expectativas sobre ele, mas quando finalmente comecei a ver não consegui gostar dos protagonistas, a história é bem sem graça, não teve um OST marcante e fui perdendo a vontade de continuar a cada novo episódio.


Além disso, o casal não conseguia me convencer, não consegui enxergar a tão esperada química entre eles, e nem mesmo os personagens secundários conseguiram me convencer.


Em certo ponto da historia até mesmo o sotaque do protagonista começou a me irritar ao ponto de me fazer pular alguns episódios para me ver livre desse drama logo, e olha que isso é muito raro de acontecer comigo, não tenho o costume de pular episódios ou passar cenas para frente enquanto estou assistindo algum drama, mas Come and Hug me, conseguiu me cansar tanto que foi inevitável.


Conclusão: não assistiria novamente, muito menos indicaria para alguém.

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More than a little overrated

The Good:
- The beautiful (though highly unrealistic) romance
- The "scandals" did not lead to predictable relationship problems.
- The strong child actors
- The lack of a love triangle (the step brother was not nearly as bad I thought he would be)

The Neutral:
- The leads could have had better chemistry.
- Took too long to get officially together.
- The villain dad
- The stepbrother

The Bad:
- The ridiculously incompetent police
- All the "scandals", reporters, victim shaming plots
- The crime related plot is sloppy & mostly uninteresting.
- The story and even the dialog is excruciatingly slow. (this should've been a 3 hour long movie)
- The random side villains serving no purpose, other than wasting screen time
- The emotional impact completely died after the half way point.
- The redemption ark for reporter 1

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I'm not a huge fan of Flower of Evil, but that is a much better drama than this. Compared to Just Between Lovers, or I can Hear Your Voice this one is pretty weak, 6.5/10.

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missed opportunities lost in prolonged eye contact and soapiness.

I liked both main actors but I had a hard time staying engaged in the story as it went on. I think the long lingering looks and the melodrama kind of took over when certain aspects of the show should have been given more room to breathe. I really wanted the scenes between father and (adult) son to be less anti-climatic, especially with the build-up. I wanted more out of that. Maybe more action? Less about the FL, and more about the son. So much of the series gave her trauma front and center attention with her anxiety and PTSD and I wanted to see his a bit more. I also overall loved that trauma took center stage for a large portion of the show, but the flashbacks took up unnecessary space after they'd been shown for the millionth time.

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