I just finished watching Hello, Me! on Netflix. This 18-episode K-drama took me 4 days. After too many heavy-duty blockbuster movies and drama series involving murder, kidnapping, killing, revenge and all, I needed a break. That’s why I was after light-hearted ones. After an hour of browsing what Netflix has to offer, I chose Hello, Me! I can vouch for this drama. If you’re looking for something that feels like a warm hug after a long day, Hello, Me! delivers exactly that.
The story revolves around Bahn Ha-ni, a struggling 37-year-old woman whose life hasn’t gone the way she once dreamed it would. She has a feeling that bad luck is following her wherever she goes. This all started after her father passed away because of an accident. From that moment on, she’s full of self-doubt and burdened by past failures. It took me a while to hang in there actually because this ice-breaking part is a little too long. I almost decided to stop watching it, delete it from my Continue Watching list and move on.
Yet, I continued. Not long after that, the narrative enters a new episode where I saw Bahn Ha-ni’s life take a surprising turn when her happy-go-lucky and energetic 17-year-old self magically shows up. This was where everything started—everything interesting I mean. From then on, I couldn’t stop.
It’s great to see how the present 37-year-old Ha-ni deals with her younger version. Almost all scenes are pretty much relatable to the situations we are all in. Obviously, the supporting cast strongly supports the entire drama. They add so much charm to the drama, making all scenes lively. The story succeeds in blending humour, happiness, sadness and struggles. One moment, I was laughing at an awkward encounter and the next, I was moved by a touching scene.
Now, what truly makes Hello, Me! special to me is that I can resonate it well on a personal level. I couldn’t help but reflect on my own life while watching. Like Ban Ha-ni, there are moments when I’ve felt defeated, down and lost. Thanks to Ha-ni, she showed me how to have faith again, stop feeling sorry for myself, get up, move on with life and continue the fight.
There are many scenes in there which are eye-openers. I remember two of them. Ha-ni helps people pay for food, medical bills and a taxi ride despite the limited money she has. That help proved to be one of the turning points of her life towards better. The other thing I remember is how she talked to a stranger sharing the same bench about how snacks help her to calm down from stress, not knowing that the person was the owner of the snack brand she likes. Ha-ni’s life was slowly changing from then on.
This drama indirectly pushes me to reconnect with that part of myself and to embrace where I am now. Healing is the word I can share with you if I had to describe Hello, Me! in one word. Watch it. It’ll be worth your time.
Image—kdramaandramen
