Kdrama 2018
My Ahjussi (My Mister) KDrama Review & Summary
TvN poster for (Na-ui ajeossi) My Mister
- Genre: Drama, Family, Romance; Life
- Date Released: March 2018
- Origin: South Korea
- Kdrama: 16 Episodes
Cast:
- IU as Lee Ji An
- Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-hoon (Middle Brother)
- Park Ho-san as Park Sang-hoon (Eldest Brother)Song
- Sae-byuk as Park Ki-hoon (Youngest Brother)
- Jang Ki-yong as Lee Kwang-il (Handsome 🙂 Loan Shark)
- Lee Ji Ah as Kang Hoon Hee (Park Dong-hoon’s wife)
Omigod!!!
I don’t think I could continue watching this drama. It is so depressing.
So far in the first half hour of the first episode, Lee Ji An, superb acting by IU, is temping as an admin in an architectural company. She is dirt poor as she shoulders the care of an ailing grandmother and paying off a loan shark.
Aside from her temporary job, she also works at night in a restaurant washing dishes. The leftovers from half-eaten food on dirty plates, which she surreptitiously put away, serve as her dinner when she gets home after her shift. She then drink coffee made from sachets she pilfered at her temporary job.
If this is not depressing enough, add three middle age brothers to the equation. The brothers are each undergoing a some sort of middle life crisis.
The eldest, Park Sang Hoon, has the saddest situation. He was made redundant due to company restructuring. He lost all his money in failed start-up businesses. His wife and daughter had left him. He cannot even afford to buy himself a suit for his daughter’s wedding. Thank goodness for middle brother.
Middle brother is the most prosperous amongst these three. Apparently he earns 1000 Won per minute, (I googled this princely sum and it is equivalent to 0.65pence or 0.92 US Dollar). The company he works for has his junior (someone younger than him from the same university) as his CEO.
The youngest brother is a film director but has not had a film to show for in a long time, a very long time.
Well writing the synopsis of this drama makes it sounds interesting so I might have to persevere.
I persevered and all I can say is that it is all so worth it. The drama is actually excellent. It is very down to earth.
I have forgotten how charismatic Lee Sun Kyun was. I remember now how much I love him in Pasta.
Anyway, Park Dong Hoon (lee Sun Kyun) has so much in his plate lately. Not only that his wife is sleeping with the CEO in his company but rather complicit in having him sacked so that she can divorce him and then get together with the CEO and minimise the gossip if he wasn’t there in the office anymore.
IU’s Ji An is rather scary. She can change the course of a person’s life with her machination. But how can she not changed her own life though?
Ji An is currently working for the enemy, the CEO, but lately she is developing some tenderness for Park Dong Hoon. But then again he was always all goodness to her and respectful of her despite her lowly position in the company.
The other two brothers’ fortunes are improving as well. They have started their own cleaning company and they work hard at it.
What happened to Jang Ki yong? He was so adorable as Nam Gil in Go Back Couple. But in his role as a loan shark in this drama, he is the opposite. He is a violent thug, still gorgeous though.
I say this drama is in my top two of Kdramas for 2018. The first, of course, was Misty.
The youngest brother, who used to be a wonder boy film director, had been saddled with ‘straightening’ out a young actress’ psyche. Apparently during the filming of his only commercial movie, the rising young actress was so traumatised by the director that she can’t do any dramas in front of the camera anymore.
The eldest brother is obsessed with his mother’s death (no she is not dead). He worries that not many will attend her funeral, if she dies. Time and again he would bring up this morbid fascination of his mother’s demise. 🙁
Park Dong is being touted as a new director for his company. Deep down, he doesn’t really want to become as a paper pusher- lunching executive. He wanted to be on hand with the project but everyone is pushing him towards the directorship.
He then found out that CEO , his junior, is sleeping with his wife.
He warned the CEO to stop what he was doing or hell will break loose.
Behind all this Lee Ji An is deeply entrenched with all the goings on. She put a listening device on Park Dong’s phone. She can hear everything. She can hear him walking. She can hear him talking. She can hear him walking. She can hear him breathing. She is beginning to know him as much as she knows herself.
Park Dong just found out more of Lee Jin An’s background. That she paid for her mother’s mountain of debts when she did not really have to. She has unknowingly footing the bill for her grandmother’s hospital bills when did not have too.
Everything is now out in the open. Park Dong’s wife knew that he knew that she had an affair with the CEO. She apologised to Park Dong but ultimately she intimated that it was his fault. He drove her into the CEO’s arms.
She felt that she was low down in Park Dong’s order of priorities. His mother and brothers always come first and then their son.
She tried to do something about it by asking him to move farther away from his family but he was having none of it.
The CEO, on the other hand, listened to her and cossetted her. She did hear a recording of the CEO saying that the best mistresses are the married ones as they won’t complain or cause scenes and you don’t have to marry them.
Ji An had planted a listening bug on Park Dong’s mobile phone. She listened to him constantly and his caring personality began to get to her.
She developed feelings for him.
Park Dong has also started caring for Ji An but it is more of a platonic older man to a younger subordinate. He just can’t let himself take advantage of her.
The finale is one and a half hours long.
It was so clever how the ending was filmed. Throughout the whole drama, the filming is like done with a the camera lens rubbed in a little vaseline to make it more atmospherically dark as how the drama was.
Towards the end, the characters are happy, they are having closures to their problems and concerns in life and therefore the whole ambience had visibly brighten.
The pub landlady who had waited for her fiance to come back, finally realised that he will never come back as he had really made his choice of becoming a Buddhist monk.
Ji An’s mute and deaf grandma passed away. It was very sad and IU’s acting was spot on. She showed such vulnerability. The funeral was good. Park Sang Hoon arranged that the funeral and everything goes well. Beautiful flower arrangements were everywhere, paid by him. He had always worried that if their mother dies, not much flowers will be on show.
BTW men wearing suit and tie, while playing football, are rather sexy! 🙂
Ji An’s and her friend surrendered to the police accompanied by Park Dong’s wife.
Lee Kwang Il came through for Ji An. He took all the recordings made by Ji An before the police/people under Do Joong Young’s pocket. He then posted the lot to Park Dong.
I am so glad Lee Kwang II was not an all out and out bad. Something in him was touched by the recordings especially when Ji An did say that he was not always bad. He used to look after her. But she killed his dad, though self defence.
Despite this she is like a family to him, he might beat her up once in a while but he somehow looks after her from afar.
Do Joon Young was now finished in the company and he will end up in prison.
The chairman was so touched with Ji An that he recommended her to work full time in Busan.
Before she left she asked Park dong if she can have a hug.
Finally she got her hug from Park Dong; that was a tender moment.
Park Dong’s wife left for abroad to visit their son as well as to find a school for her for further study.
Park Dong finally had his breakdown. He feels his wife’s adultery, he feels alone and lonely. His wife left, and young caring Ji An was gone as well.
The eldest brother reconciled with his wife.
At long last Park Ki-hon broke up with his flaky, nervy actress girlfriend. He has also started writing again.
Park Dong left Saman E&C and started his own company, which seems very successful. And it seems he is still with his wife.
They met again, Park Dong and Ji Ah. They were glad to see one another again.
Ji An said that she would like to buy him a delicious meal one day. He happily agreed. Lee Sun-kyun was just gorgeously masculine. Such a good actor.
Ji An’s grandma’s advice to her!
Repay people of their kindness by living a happy life!
Fin
Comments