STORY:
I feel like it had great potential where it could keep one guessing. However it fell short due to an inconsistent plot and pacing. I felt like they didn't have any script editor to look over nor did it feel like the same person wrote the entire thing. There were too many loopholes, too many unexplained things, things that got brushed under the carpet and were never acknowledged. I felt the point of the story was about the characters and not so much about the fantasy aspect of it. I feel like we shouldn't have spent too much time on unnecessary plotlines and some character interactions would have been good enough to drive the story. Nothing about Cha Yu Ri coming to life made sense nor the ways the ghosts and shamans acted. The ending was touching, because the characters were lovely but it was limited by the lackluster writing of the scriptwriter. Of course I was never promised a happy ending but only the probability of it. In the end it's bittersweet but stayed consistent with Yu Ri's wishes. I feel like during the flashbacks and the flashforward, we only see that life goes on no matter what. I would like to take a moment to criticize the screentime given to the flashbacks. It didn't serve much purpose for me and I found myself skipping through a few.
ACTING / CHARACTERS:
The actors were good and Seo Woo Jin is the most adorable kid ever. His smile made smile like a fool the entire time he ever appeared on screen. I wasn't too pleased with the male leads as it ended up being a female-centered drama. The gals were great together and I loved their friendship. Yu Ri's family also had great chemistry with each other. I like that it stayed on course with human interactions and never went towards unnecessary romantic plots.
WHAT WORKED BEST:
I would like to give a special mention to Yuri's mother and her despair were absolutely heartbreaking. Her father's way of grieving was also really touching. Somehow I didn't connect with Gang hwa from the flashbacks. It just seemed out of character for me and his character made the least sense in all aspects of his life. Yuri's back and forth was quite fun with the shaman (who again was amazing). Yuri's friend/sis-in-law was also one of the highlights. Of course, Min Jeong was also wonderful and once we get to know her character, it was wonderful. I felt like some actors gave it their best but the writing fell flat. The ghost family were annoying and funny at the same time. I couldn't give a crap about the other ghosts at all. I did however like the direction and editing. The filters they used to create a mood and ambience stayed consistent throughout which really helped in case of this drama. I might look up the video director / cinematographer.
WHAT SUCKED:
Inconsistencies, how characters acted and the fantasy aspect were a hot mess. It should have been revised and then approved for filming. I feel like the writer had no clue on how to do the world building and handle the ending. They just did whatever fit best and gave us a cop out ending.
THE ENDING:
Oh ma gosh. It was beautiful, heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. Some things happened too easily and some didn't happen at all. I feel like I missed closures with few of the characters. At the same time how they acted made zero sense. The life lessons and all were something I had to look hard for but it still fares worse than say, '49 Days' in my books. At the least the closing line was thoughtful. But I didn't buy the flashforward. At ALL.
OVERALL:
It was a mixed ride for me. At times I wanted to quit this show. But somehow the ending had me so curious that I couldn't back out. I liked watching Kim Tae Hee in an age-appropriate role. She seems to have improved and still looks hella fine after having 2 kids!
Watch it, don't watch it. It's a sob story by the end but started cool and funny in the beginning. Take your pick according to what you wish to sign up for (includes al the mentioned). I really didn't want the way they ended, but hey - I wasn't surprised either.
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1
3NUNCA VI UM DORAMA QUE FALASSE TANTO SOBRE AMOR (PAIS/FILHOS/AMIGOS/IRMÃOS)
Essa é uma história de AMOR sem "amor". Não espere um romance! Diferente dos doramas românticos, esse dorama é para te fazer refletir. Logo no início percebi que não teria como o final ser completamente feliz, não importa para quem eu torcesse eu ia sofrer no final. Explico:A Yu-ri tem uma história linda de amor com o protagonista, infelizmente ela morreu no parto da sua filha deixando seu marido, familiares e amigos em uma tristeza profunda. Após 5 anos seu viúvo resolveu com muita dificuldade seguir em frete e casar novamente com a Min-Jung, porém sua esposa falecida, o amor da sua vida volta a viver do nada.
Agora sua filha tem 2 mães e você telespectador, fica dividido entre qual das mães deve ter o final feliz com a filha e o marido, mas vai muito além disso. "Mas as duas não podem ser felizes separadamente?" então, aí que está o problema. A Yu-ri pode ficar apenas 45 dias na terra como humana, ela só poderá permanecer como humana e ter uma segunda chance de viver se ela voltar a ser casada com seu marido, e assumir o papel de mãe da sua filha.
Ou seja, para a Yu-ri viver ela PRECISA ser feliz com o marido e a filha, e para a Min-Jung ser feliz com o marido e a filha, a Yu-ri terá que voltar para o céu e sumir para sempre!
A Min-Jung (madrasta) é uma pessoa boa, embora seja séria e meio calada, então você quer que ela seja feliz, Porém a Yu-ri (biológica) é incrível, engraçada, divertida e você quer ser amigo dela de tão top que ela é. Aí como faz para decidir? Uma é um labrador e a outra um gato siamês, são muito diferentes mas são boas pessoas.
Há de fato um casal principal e um triângulo amoroso na série, mas você se esquece disso no meio da trama. Porque? Por que é ruim? Não, por que na vida não é só seu parceiro romântico que importa, tem seus filhos, pais, irmãos e amigos. A "história de amor" dessa dorama é realmente entre as duas mães e sua filha. Tem tanto amor nessa história, de pais e filhos, irmãos, amigos, essas coisas tomam uma proporção tão grande na história que você esquece do casal, não de uma forma ruim por que o roteirista errou, mas por que a gente fica tão divido tentando achar uma forma de todos serem felizes, que se esquece do casal principal.
Não tem vilões nessa história. É simplesmente o retrato da vida, de pessoas que morrem, que vivem, de decisões que tomamos que influenciam e mudam a vida das outras pessoas ao nosso redor. O dorama fala muito sobre perdas, arrependimentos e reflexões sobre a vida.
Por que 9,00 então? Simplesmente por que faltou um pouco mais de alívio cômico, acredito que em uma séria completa deve ter tanto o humor como a tristeza, que você precisa rir e chorar. Como não houve muito alívio cômico e essa história fala muito sobre perda, luto e morte, a gente fica meio pesado e senti falta desse "alívio" que a comédia traz. Não que não teve alívio cômico, teve! Mas como a série é muito pesada no sentido de morte, seria necessário uma dose mais pesada de alívio cômico também entende? Para balancear.
Assistam e chorem comigo, por que essa é uma história linda de "AMOR" em todos os sentidos e relacionamentos.
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Waste of a good premise
There was so much potential here in the form of a dead mother who comes back to look after her family and friends, and the meaning she finds and helps to bring back to the lives of the living. However, the story just went nowhere and some of the characters who could have helped it along were either forgotten after their intro, or just spent the show wandering around without purpose.Kim Tae Hee as our main lead Cha Yu Ri does a great job portraying a grieving mom who gets the chance to return to the land of the living. She is energetic and lovely in this role. The cute little Seo Woo Jin who plays her daughter Seo Woo is just the most adorable little thing too. And Shin Dong Mi is brilliant as Yu Ri's best gal friend Hyun Jung, who supports her through it all. She was actually the best part of the show. Her support and longing for her friend was so palpable.
The show could have been fantastic had the side stories of the ghosts been fleshed out. A few of them ask Yu Ri to help them with unfinished business. These opportunities could have pushed the show to new levels. Instead, their stories are introduced and then promptly forgotten. I was also hoping the fun and spirited shaman played by Yoon Sa Bong would have a real part of the story as well. Unfortunately her potential was lost too. Furthermore, important living characters just kind of wander around. Yu Ri's husband played by Lee Kyu Hyung, doesn't do much to actually show his depression or thoughts. It's a missed opportunity. And his new wife played by the gorgeous Go Bo Gyeol also doesn't do much, but has some time to express herself later in the show.
With the mess of a story and frustrating lack of follow through, you'd think the show would have little impact on the viewer. Fortunately, it's still able to tug some heartstrings, mostly through monologues and flashbacks about Yu Ri's life and family so it's a decent cry if you're looking for one (if you can get over the other frustrations).
Unfortunately, this show just isn't worth the time.
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as a mom, as a daughter, as a sister, as a wife and as a friend. what will you do when your position is taken? how will the people react to that?
well, it didn't need 16eps, and they knew it that's why they added the side ghosts. and at the end of the day they served no purpose but to drag the eps.
sure they gave them a little sentimental value, but if they took them out, this could've been done in 4eps max.
I didn't have any problems with seo woo being played by a boy, but woojinie felt a little too mischievous and smart for a quite girl that was "behind" other kids. woojinie was too adorable and playful ;)
I think my favorite part was the unexpected sismance between Yu Ri, Min Jung and Hyun Jun. tbh if that didn't exist, my rating would've been lower.
also, they had a couple of sweet heartbreaking moments between the main dynamics, so that was nice as well
the ost was nice enough, and I never rewatch stuff ;)
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- It can be a bit fuzzy, and has moments of being just absolutely unnecessary. There are also pockets of random stories of characters woven inside the drama, which may be considered good for the depth of characters. However. they just break up the already choppy continuation of the plot line of this drama, so I was kinda annoyed by this fact.
- Moving on, I found the crying scenes in this drama to be a bit excessive. It drowned out quite some time, and while it was sad at first. They kept pushing it, which I thought was a bit excessive.
- Finally, the timing and flow of events were spaced out in quite an uneven way. It just seemed to be very strangely spaced out, as I really didn't get why some events didn't come quicker, which is because of unnecessary filler moments that eat up the time. The ending was also predictable, which I get was kinda obvious. They should have at least outlined the last episode in a better manner, like with a more conclusive and satisfying epilogue.
- Overall, the acting of this cast was great. They gave solid performances, and I have no complaints. If anything, the crying scenes are a bit much, but that's all the qualms I have.
- The music, it was atmospheric and incredible. I loved it as the music blended with the scenes it was woven into. It was great, and I enjoy listening to it.
- All in all, Hi Bye Mama! is a show that I found to be good, but not great. It had plenty of flaws, but overall, it was still a fine show that I didn't regret watching. I wouldn't exactly say that I would personally re-watch this show, but I know that many would consider that a possibility. Hi Bye Mama! had an incredible cast, and the music was fine as well. I would say that for anyone who likes the genre of unresolved problems, returning from the dead, and revisiting friends and loved ones would love this show! I recommend this show to anyone interested, and wish you all to be safe!
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SHIT ???
The bigest shit I've ever watched. That "daddy" is the worst character I've ever seen, he's a complete dump. He comes to work, sits under his desk and pretends to do something, but when he gets home he's so tired and he's not going to do anything. And THAT CHILD must have been some kind of special needs child, because she didn't understand anything that was going on around her and she was doing some kind of shit. and when she hid in the freezer, I was defeated. She always does the most stupid things and lives in her own starnge world. The mother is also a bit out of it, just going on and on about her child and how she's not the greatest. I won't even comment on the ghosts, because they were horrible and made my blood boil. All in all I wasted 8 hours of my life watching this stupid family :)¿Te ha parecido útil esta reseña?
Overly sentimental
This was way too melodramatic and gushy for me.Started off not bad at all, with Mama of the title and the ghosts she hangs out with, at the columbarium her ashes reside in, providing some light hearted and touching moments.
They are kept in line (with difficulty) by a no nonsense Shaman, Ms Mi Dong. There are no real vengeful inhabitants, most stay to watch over family, or because they have unfinished issues.
I found these characters and their stories the best part of the drama.
Once Cha Yu Ri inexplicably comes back to life, the story started to quickly nosedive.
It's a while since I've found a lead character as selfish and hopeless as her.
She's belligerent towards many other spirits, even though she's now in a position where she could help them.
She had been fixated on her daughter from the moment she passed and when she returns to the living, it transpires that being around her all that time came at a price.
She inserts herself into the toddler's life, with no care about her husband or his current wife, let alone the little girl. At this point, she has no idea how she came back, or whether it's permanent.
Instead of being extremely careful, she is eventually found out. On learning that she has 49 days on earth, after which she will leave again if she cannot resume her pre-death place on earth, she still carries on regardless and keeps it from everyone.
The emotional scars her death left on her widowed husband are deeper than the ocean, but she still spends most of the time concentrating on herself, whilst what I felt was using her daughter as an excuse.
The expectations she raises in her parental family, husband and best friend, cause so much more hurt and pain, it's infuriating.
Characters take ages delivering slow and overly paused dialogue, not answering questions, not saying what they should, and there is a LOT of wailing and beating of chests.
This story could have been so much more. The main character could, on being discovered, have come clean and used her time on earth well, instead of achieving very little until the last couple of episodes.
Instead of feeling sad for her, I was relieved when it was all over.
Definitely not one I would watch again, as I struggled to finish it first time around. So disappointing. If you like mushy, sentimental, melodramatic shows, however, you'll love it! (Not judging; each to their own.)
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In my opinion, everything was perfect plot-wise, the last few episodes were real tearjerkers. My only concern was the utilization of the other side characters. The ghosts were there because they have unresolved stories and couldn't leave their loved ones behind, but then suddenly in the middle of the show their stories were suddenly cut off, rushed, and messily written. The plot from then on became solely focused on Yuri, her hiding the truth and Ganghwa finding it out. Aslo what happened to Jang Pil Seung's interest toward Yuri that was first shown on the character chart?
Acting-wise, Lee Kyu Hyung only proved to us once again how versatile of an actor he is! The way he portrayed pain, loss, longing, and suffering was on point. I am glad the casting directors chose him for this role because I dont think anyone could pull it off as well as him. Also his chemistry with Lee Tae Hee was amazing! I think this was also by far Lee Tae Hee's best work, maybe because she already has children of her own, but she was able to depict the role of a mother who loved her child dearly well.
Overall, this drama may have its own minor flaws, but despite that, it really made a deep impression in me. I cried a lot because it made realize my actions. Me being a mean daughter to my parents who I know loves me despite the way I am, I wonder if I was able to show them how much I love them, despite not being able to express it well?
Hi Bye, Mama is a true wake up call for us who are busy with our daily lives, we run and worry towards the future so much that we sometimes forget to thank and appreciate all those we love. It reminded me to treasure each moment with our loved ones before its too late, to appreciate life and living as a gift, and to not do anything we would regret.
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This review may contain spoilers
Plothole on plothole.
As someone said in another review "Unfortunately, in retrospect, the drama overexploited the main story and, in the end, it felt like nothing really happened, just the main plot and nothing else". The main plot being "Yu Ri is back to life."There's SO many plotholes and fillers.
- Having side ghost story is not uncommun but it's the first time I found them rushed and just there for the sake of being there. I found Kang Bin's story incomplete, same for Mi Dong who could have been an amazing side story imo ?
- I don't understand why they insisted on the whole ghost's favors thing for AGES when it was forgotten just after ?
- Guk Bong ...was there. But for what ? Nothing, he added nothing and he disappeared as fast as he appeared
- Min Jeong's character was so..empty ? It was so weird. She became emotionally capable in the last four episodes. + What is she doing all day ? She has a maid, a pick up helper, yet doesn't work nor go out. She's super "busy" for someone who has nothing to do except maybe go at the lawyer's office in the first episodes ? SeoWoo was ALWAYS alone. How come it took three nosy mothers for her to understand that SeoWoo wasn't talking ?
- The 4 last eps were crying. "I'm sorry" "No don't be" "There's nothing to do" on repeat.
I never saw a drama with SO much potential getting ruined like this. It's really like they focused on YuRi back to life and like nothing else mattered anymore. They tried adding bonus plot point but forgot about them seconds after.
I was really disappointed tbh. The actors are really a gem, but it's so so poorly written. (+ I don't even remember any of the OST)
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama died with plenty of regrets
This drama definitely had potential (my beloved Lee Kyu-hyung plays the sad dad!) which ended up being squandered in its entirety. And the score I gave is reflective of the enormous disappointment I suffered.I can be petty like that.
Also, I would not recommend this drama to anyone except for Lee Kyu-hyung fans (who will get the chance to see his dimples in every episode).
The story is a quirky one and starts in medias res. I was truly invested because I love discovering things little by little and, above all, I love wacky supernatural plots.
The dead coming back to the living world after time and life went on beyond them is entirely fascinating to explore as a concept (one of my favorite shows is the French drama Les Revenants). I think it is one of those what-ifs we have entertained collectively since the beginning of human experience and a fantasy that confronts us with deep reflections on death, relationships and society. Therefore, I always have great expectations when a story takes up such themes.
Despite this promising start, I feel like the writer never really committed to any of the concepts they introduced.
The trauma, grief and the bereavement we are invited to delve into seem underdeveloped, left unresolved (in my opinion May I Help You does a better job on the subject). One might argue that for most of us the loss of a loved one, in particular a traumatic and sudden loss, stays an unresolved matter for life.
Still, I watch drama to escape the harsh reality and lose myself in impossibility and parallel universes of perfectly finite stories! And I would have loved to see the characters really explore the implications of the absurdity they are facing and grow their relationships beyond the state we find them in. Instead we are constantly bombarded with new arcs, fillers and one too many emotional scenes.
That is why I felt that the pacing was off and I was bored the majority of the episodes.
I am deeply supportive of mixed tones (I am a fan of dramedy and cry laughing all the time), but there were too many failed funny-cute moments in this and, at times, it was a bit awkward.
The ghost characters in the columbarium are funny and Kim Tae-hee is brilliant in her role and gives her character a natural charm that will win everyone over. Lee Kyu-Hyung is equally strong in his portrayal and I especially liked the adorable kid dressed as a girl (genius actor Seo Woo-jin that made me his eternal admirer with Young Lady and Gentleman).
All the characters cry very convincingly throughout, yet the writing was too weak to really amount to anything of depth and value.
Female Empowerment Score 3/5 Oh Min-Jung is a really sad character in the beginning with her tepid marriage and pseudo-motherhood but the last episode implies that it gets better and she won't be striving to fit in someone else's life. Plus points for the comradery between mothers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Romanticization of tragedy
As an artist and creator, I understand just how life can already be filled with enough sadness. We lose loved ones, we age, and face a multitude of other misfortunes. Therefore, I believe it's our responsibility as creators to craft stories that make life more interesting. I would not romanticize the premature end of a life, dramatizing it to an unbearable extent for over 17 hours, for those who dedicated their time to engage with my work.Having said that, the show has many aspects to be appreciated. The actors' performances were flawless, and they are the reason behind my positive review.
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Interesting premise and strong start marred by uneven finish.
For the first 10 episodes this drama had me completely enamored. It wasn’t at all what I expected. The trailer features mostly Kim Tae Hee in the most comical elements of the show and barely hints at the melodrama and heartache that makes up the lion’s share of the story. Unlike most shows I choose to watch, I went into this one cold. I didn’t read any of the reviews beforehand. I’ve been on a Kim Tae Hee kick recently, and I wanted to see her in her first role since taking time off to start her family. For 10 to 12 episodes I was all in, then what had been a strong start fell apart nearly completely.The premise is an interesting one. A young, first-time mother dies suddenly, then remains on earth as a ghost that inhabits the lives of the family and friends she left behind, helplessly watching them struggle with life without her. At first, her ghostly interaction with the world is played for comedic effect but as the story unfolds, we see how heartbreaking it is for her to watch the unbearable grief her sudden death caused for those she left behind, and the mood shifts from comedy to melodrama. In one of the more poignant moments, we learn that instead of being jealous of the woman who took her place, Yu Ri (Kim Tae Hee) is actually grateful that her husband and daughter now have someone as kind as Min Jung to take care of them.
This is fertile ground for exploring life, love, loss, gratitude, and regret, and the best parts of the story take full advantage of it. But somewhere around episode 11 or 12, things begin to feel repetitive. Plot lines that seemed full of promise—like Yu Ri’s promise to do one favor for each ghost—get abandoned, while others, like the character Guk Bong get introduced and dropped for no apparent reason. And there are tears. Lots and lots of tears and “I’m sorry” and more tears from nearly every character. (In hindsight I wonder how the script read on paper because in scene after scene, each character’s line seemed to consist of “I’m sorry [then cry].”) It wasn’t enough to save this drama, but the ship gets righted during the final episode, and the story comes to a more or less satisfying conclusion.
The cast is mostly terrific and the chemistry between them good as well. The exception was Lee Kyu Hyung as the widow Jo Gang Hwa. I didn’t think he had much chemistry with anyone other than Kim Tae Hee. Granted, the script called for him to mostly grieve and cry and 70% of his lines were “I’m sorry”, so I’m not sure how much of the problem was his or the script’s. Nevertheless, it was hard to buy into the love story between Gang Hwa and his second wife Min Jung. The only thing we had to go on was Yu Ri telling us repeatedly that even though no one else could tell that he loved her, she could.
This isn’t a bad drama, and it is worth a watch—especially for fans of Kim Tae Hee like I am. It is simply an OK drama that could have been much better. What started out so full of promise and could have been a very good 10- or 12-episode drama was stretched past the breaking point, ruining an interesting idea and mostly stellar performances by a very good cast.
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