A beautiful K-drama that respectfully explores mental health

This genuinely might be one of the best K-dramas I've seen in a while. The chemistry between all the actors is immense, and that's not to put into question the pure acting ability each of them possessed. Every character in the drama felt genuine and authentic, and not at all forced or downright disrespectful to those who do have such disorders in reality. The romance was beautifully developed, and the relationships between all the characters blossomed in a way that seemed realistic and not rushed. The plotlines were well thought out with little to no plotholes that come to mind; in a way, the story comes full circle and has a fitting ending. Definitely a recommended watch, and arguably the best K-drama of 2020.

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A flawless K-drama that sets the bar for future black comedies

- no plot holes; even minor plot arcs are formally tied up, and you don't feel like they're forgetting anything at all. this is probably thanks to the extended 20 episode length -- they got everything that they wanted to in

- satisfying ending for all characters, again even for the minor supporting characters. everyone got their fair share of justice, and likewise their ending is satisfying and you build an emotional bond even to characters that were so minor due to the memorable writing that were perfectly played out by their actors

- brilliant acting; the ability of the main actors to turn from mischievous, to playful, to remorseful, to every single emotion in the book is second to none. i was super surprised to see that ok taecyeon play the main antagonist role (especially after watching him in save me, another great drama) -- but he exceeded my expectations and managed to make me despise his character and everything he did, even with that beautiful face!

- brilliant screenwriting -- the writers KNOW this plot is absurd, so they go full in and embrace it. this is the right way to approach these sorts of dramas; even when something happens that seems completely ridiculous, they've built the foundation of the characters so well that you think it's completely plausible they might do something despicable and or so stupid. you feel like you're apart of the family of protagonists, which is such a rare trait for dramas to have and is another testament to the screenwriter(s)' flawless storytelling.

- great use of special effects; EXPLOSIONS GO BOOM!!!

- memorable soundtrack (shoutout john park)

- memorable moments and gags (shoutout inzaghi and his pals)

literally a flawless kdrama

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Stranger

My first review on this site was about my best friend who had passed last year from a drug overdose. How 'Hi Bye, Mama!' explored the permanent effects of a sudden loved one's death had on them, and how unfair life is that you can never give them a proper send-off, was something that resonated deeply with me - especially having watched it so soon after my friend's passing.

A year has gone by, and I came across Stranger one day and finally got around to watching it amidst a lacklustre summer of productivity (or lack thereof). While it was genuinely a solid drama backed by an intriguing plot and excellent acting (as expected when you have Bae Doo-na in the line-up), there was a scene in particular that brought back the same sorrow I experienced while watching HBM.

It was revealed that Yoon had murdered Park due to his involvement in a traffic accident that led to the death of Yoon's 6-year-old son, along with thirteen (fourteen?) other kindergarten kids, through a web of corruption and cover-ups. He had murdered Park as he lost all belief in the justice system, and how the people responsible for such an atrocity were walking around as free men and growing more and more powerful every passing second - while he had to deal with the pain of suddenly losing his son as a result of the people he worked under.

I was confused as to whether or not I should despise Yoon.

He mentioned that he had a wish. Before the coach carrying the children exploded into flames, it had flipped over. Yoon's wish was that he hoped his son died on the impact of the crash - rather than the slow painful sensation of burning to death, one rarely fit for anyone let alone a child. He refused to participate in his son's autopsy, as he didn't want to risk knowing that his child died from inhaling the flames that would soon turn his lifeless body into nothing but a slab of charcoal.

It dawned on me that I had expressed similar hope for my best friend when I heard about his death. While dying from a drug overdose is considerably different from dying through impact or fire, I had wished that, for someone who suffered through such a troubled upbringing, yet was so unimaginably filled with love, his final moments were that of such utter bliss that he had simply forgotten to breathe to the point that he peacefully left... rather than have the thoughts that had torn his life apart up to that point ultimately overtake him.

The idea that my best friend died in a state of nirvana was the only thing that kept me going at the time. And in a way, I empathised with Yoon with what he had done; not because I agreed with his self-righteous action of killing another human being, but because I could understand his pain of losing a loved one -- and the self-inflicted compromises that naturally come with the cycle of grief.

If my best friend did die in a euphoric state, I hope that stayed with him on his journey to Paradise.

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A perfect K-drama for those in the process of dealing with death

I began watching this K-drama about a month or so after my best friend passed away. Seeing the way the different characters dealt with the main character's death, and the lack of closure they got tearing them and their families apart, was something that hit home deeply to me. And as such, I couldn't help but cry my eyes out at many scenes of this K-drama - because all of the emotions that the actors flawlessly portrayed were the same ones I had only just recently experienced.

Watching "Hi Bye, Mama!" was like a rewind for me - but a needed one at that, as I definitely still had some tears that needed to come out. At it's best, HBM is a touching story about various families' journey into finally accepting the death of a loved one, and getting the closure they desire. It doesn't try to have a perfect, happy story. It has its ups and downs, and, despite not claiming so, has some of the funniest scenes I've seen in any K-drama all thanks to the vastly different personalities each character has, regardless of the genuinely great chemistry the actors have with each other.

A definite recommend for those who have dealt with death in the past, and those who want to understand what death of a loved one can do to those close to them.

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