My Mister

It is hard to describe my thoughts about My Mister. If you are in any way unsure, believe the hype and go watch this show. Yes, My Mister is deeply melancholic and heart-breaking. Yes, the loss of Lee Sun Kyun is never less than devastating. However, this beautiful slice of life drama offers so much more than endless sadness – it is warm, funny and life affirming.

 

Written by Park Hae Young (My Liberation Notes) and directed by Kim Won Suk (Signal, When Life Gives You Tangerines) and Kim Sang Woo (Extraordinary You), My Mister follows Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sun Kuyn). Burdened by loneliness, responsibility and disappointment, he goes through the motions of life.

 

An incident at work brings him into contact with temporary office worker, Lee Ji An (IU). Traumatised by her past, Ji An is barely surviving - living a precarious life in poverty. Dong Hoon and Ji An recognise each other’s loneliness and hopelessness and gradually (this is a slow, slow burn story) form an empathetic connection that transforms into something both healing and hopeful. 

 

Both Lee Sun Kyun and IU give superb performances in My Mister. Emotional, restrained, powerful. In fact, the entire ensemble cast is incredible. They all give complex, nuanced portrayals. Don’t even tell me that these aren’t real people. I won’t, can’t believe you.

 

I particularly loved Dong Hoon’s two brothers, Park Sang Hoon (Park Ho San) and Park Ki Hoon (Song Sae Byeok). They are so endearingly hilarious. Honestly, I laughed out loud more times in My Mister than in many kdrama “comedies”. However, they also bring heart and humanity to a show that wants to remind us that, no matter how tough life feels, there is always a reason to keep going.

 

My Mister also features a compelling tale of infidelity and shady office politics. Enter Do Joon Young (Kim Young Min) - perhaps the most infuriating little weasel in all of kdrama. If ever a character needed a slap, it’s this guy.  I will say no more…

 

The tone of My Mister is established via its writing, direction and performances but also by its cinematography and sound. The show’s muted colour palate is a perfect representation of its character’s outwardly mundane lives. As a result, the occasional moments of warmth feel all the more beautiful and resonant. 

 

Meanwhile, My Mister’s soundscape is pivotal to its story and is so effectively created. Seriously, the sound of footsteps will never feel more heartbreaking. 

 

Often when I love a show I begin to worry about its ending. Of course, we should enjoy the drama journey and not just obsess about the “destination”, but an unsatisfying conclusion can still leave a bad taste.

 

I did not worry about My Mister’s final episode. I felt in safe hands throughout the show. My trust was richly rewarded by an ending that, while understated, felt emotional, powerful and beautiful. Did I cry? Yes. Did the show earn my tears and a place on my top five list of kdramas? Yes. One thousand times, yes.