Given the maelstrom that was May when six new dramas joined the fray and caused many a kdrama addict to flail in “so many dramas, so little time” despair, I need another crack drama like Shrek the Sheep (RIP) needs more wool on his shaggy seven-years-evading-the-shears self.
Yet in the last three days I’ve watched twenty episodes of an April drama. And become hopelessly addicted, egads. If the remaining yet-to-air ten episodes of Can You Hear My Heart? retain (or even surpass) the quality of the first twenty, then it will likely be my drama of the year.
At first it was the sheer happiness of watching two favorite veteran actors together on the screen. Playing a mother-son pairing, too. But then it became more than that. A warmth crept out of seemingly nowhere and enveloped me. It carried me along the lanes of that little town in Pocheon and onto the fields. A man sang with off-beat gusto a song that his mother loved, the two of them beaming as their bicycle sped through the town. A boy and a girl ran hand in hand, she clad in a dress several sizes too large. Barely an hour into their first meeting, she had given him her prized hacky sack. He in turn had announced, to this nine-year-old girl with the impish smile, “You’re cute.”
Just like that I was smitten. I’ve never felt this much love for a drama this soon. Literally within minutes I knew I was watching something special. It was a feeling that would grow exponentially by the time I finished Episode 20.
What sets CYHMH apart from the dramas I’ve seen this year is the gentleness imbuing it, from the characterizations to the relationships to the story arcs. Perhaps because the heart of the drama is a middle-aged man with the gentlest of souls. You can’t watch this man and not feel whatever ill disposition you might possess soften somehow.
Jung Bo-seok is Bong Young-gyu, a man with the intellectual capability of a child but whose heart is golden and giant-sized. Young-gyu may sing only one song and that one song repeatedly. He may not know how to read or write or crunch numbers. But he knows that you can turn your face toward the stars and make a wish. You can talk to the flowers, name them one by one, and watch them return your affection wordlessly, their blooms a joyous celebration of life. Bong-gyu doesn’t get upset if a child accidentally snips off two inches of his hair. But he will get upset, very upset, if someone hurts the most important people in his life. To the very end he will protect them, because they matter more to him than anything else in the world.
I can’t write about Young-gyu and not feel the tears welling up.
The dramas that stay with me, that crawl under my skin and burrow into a corner of my heart, are not the ones with the cleverest of writing, the most impressive of production values, or the most commanding of acting prowess. The dramas that linger, cling even, long after the ending credits have rolled, are the ones that simultaneously hurt and heal me. Yes, the ones that make me cry. And then make me smile, sometimes before the tears have dried.
Just several episodes into CYHMH and Young-gyu is faced with two losses that will take an ordinary man years (and perhaps even a lifetime) to overcome. But Young-gyu tucks away the pain in the innermost recesses of his being, picks himself up, and continues to live each day with a clarity of purpose that’s extraordinary for a man whose mind is unmistakably childlike. Because Young-gyu never forgets that he is both a son and a father.
Playing Young-gyu’s mom is Yoon Yeo-jung, in a performance so searing she makes CYHMH a must-watch for anyone who has long admired this amazing thespian (26 years in the business; 40 dramas; 9 movies). Hwang Soon-geum has two children: a daughter she birthed and a son she adopted. Her daughter Shin-ae gets pregnant out of wedlock, dumps her child on her mom, and then disappears. Soon-geum passes off the baby as Young-gyu’s; the child, Ma-roo, grows up resenting his father for being slow-witted and poor. When he’s fourteen years old, an opportunity presents itself and Ma-roo is finally rid of the family that he despises. His grandma and father will spend the next sixteen years waiting and searching for him, without avail.
In one of the drama’s most powerful scenes, Soon-geum and Ma-roo face each other on a deserted and dimly-lit street. The grandson lashes out at the old woman, blaming her for messing up his life. The words fall like blows, hard and relentless. She sobs like one bereaved, overcome by her guilt and sorrow and pain. Her beloved Ma-roo. So eagerly awaited by the father who daily sets aside a warm bowl of rice for him, who sits by the front door each night hoping to hear his footsteps. She’s found him… and also lost him, again.
If Young-gyu is the gentle heart of the drama, then his mother Soon-geum is its open arms, warm and welcoming. Little is known about Young-gyu’s past; we are told early on that he isn’t his mother’s flesh and blood. Later, when dementia flits in and out of the house, she calls him her “Young Master,” suggesting that perhaps she was once upon a time a servant in his household and that somehow the young Young-gyu became hers to raise, on her own. But, as we are reminded again and again in CYHMH, family isn’t formed by blood lines. The one who loves you the most may not be related to you; the one who is in fact related to you may discard you without a moment’s notice.
“Even if she no longer knows me, that’s all right because I will always know her. Even if she forgets me, I will always remember her.”
See how tenderly Young-gyu loves his mom. See how she loves him back.
Now watch, unmoved if it’s at all possible, as Soon-geum’s heart breaks into many pieces, shattered by Ma-roo’s fury.
Ma-roo. Bastard Ma-roo. Disowning the grandmother and father who raised him. Disappearing without a trace for a dozen years and counting. Now come back like some wraith. With a new identity and some fancy title to boot. Who gave you the right to hurt everyone so badly, Bong Ma-roo?
Nam Goong-min is Ma-roo aka Dr. Jang Joon-ha. Remember this actor well. Because here is acting so nuanced and controlled I’m kicking myself for not discovering him sooner. Of all the characters in this gripping and tightly-plotted drama, Mar-roo’s is the most riveting to watch because it is the most complex and unpredictable. He is aloof but also needy, avenger but also guardian angel. His eyes burn with rage when confronted with the truth about his past and parentage, yet those same eyes are soft and gentle when gazing upon the woman that he now calls “Mom” and upon the woman’s son.
Ma-roo’s relationship with Cha Dong-joo is one of the many reasons why CYHMH owns me completely now (and why I get tearful just thinking about it). Their backgrounds so disparate (Dong-joo’s the heir of a chaebol family), they have lived as brothers for the last sixteen years. They share the same bed, roughhouse like puppies, and genuinely care for each other. Although it’s not shown, I believe Dong-joo’s ability to lip-read so well is due to Ma-roo’s personal coaching. Given their mother’s domineering ways and impatience, and given the young Dong-joo’s own frustration at losing his hearing, his rehabilitation would never have been successful if Ma-roo hadn’t been by his side all those sixteen years.
With ten episodes to go, and with events rapidly escalating as more and more people discover that Jang Joon-ha is in fact Bong Ma-roo, my fervent hope is that even if Ma-roo tips over into that abyss of hatred and revenge (directed at the birth parents who abandoned him), he and Dong-joo will continue to trust and look out for each other.
I have reason to hope because no matter how dramatic the setups (this is a drama after all) and how anguished the outbursts (and it’s a 30-episode drama, too; pent-up emotions need an outlet or we would otherwise fall asleep just watching the characters grin at each other all day), that palpable sense of joy and warmth that I felt in the opening minutes hasn’t gone away. The writing remains coherent and cohesive, the directing assured. The characters have not begun acting in ways that defy logic and common sense (as is sometimes the case when a drama is too long or tries to be too clever). The ones that I loved at the start I have grown to love even more twenty episodes in.
Remember the nine-year-old girl who gave her hacky sack to Dong-joo in Episode 1? Yes, the one who taught him that if he covered his ears and listened to his heart, he could see anyone that he wanted to see, even if that person was miles away. That girl that he thought so cute because of the way she kicked her red shoe into the air. That girl knocked my socks off with her stupendous acting.
As Little Mi-suk, and later as the young Bong Woo-ri, Kim Sae-ron reminds me of Shim Eun-kyung, one of Korea’s best young talents. In fact, the former’s crackling chemistry with Jung Bo-seok mirrors the one in the four-episode dark comedy, Gyeongsuk, Gyeongsuk’s Father, where Shim Eun-kyung also plays Jung Bo-seok’s daughter. Unlike that 2009 drama, though, the father-daughter relationship in CYHMH is marked by mutual affection and affirmation. Before they became father and daughter, Young-gyu and Woo-ri were pals first. He was more than four times her age, but mentally he was even younger than she was. They laughed and played like best friends.
Kim Sae-ron may steal the show in the first five episodes of CYHMH, but I found Kang Chan-hee’s acting to be just as strong and mesmerizing. Playing the young Dong-joo in what I believe is his first drama (someone correct me if I’m wrong), he’s a natural. The concern that Dong-joo displays for Little Mi-suk feels real and almost adult-like; all their scenes together are just a delight. Together they form one of my most favorite young pairings in a kdrama.
But Kang Chan-hee’s best scenes aren’t with Kim Sae-ron, they are with Lee Hye-young, who plays his mom, Tae Yeon-suk. In a scene that gave me the chills, mother and son wrestle on the edge of a cliff, the two of them going berserk because they can’t accept his sudden deafness. Years later, as a grown man with nary a hint of his disability (because he has learned to mask it so well in order to please her, public appearances of control and normality being all-important to Madam Tae), they will continue to fight on and off like that day on the cliff. Only this time he refuses to yield and even finds her tirades rather amusing.
Well, some of the tirades, not all. Wait till possessive Madam Tae learns that she isn’t the only woman in her son’s life.
This is my first Kim Jae-won drama. Yes, I know he’s been around, but I’ve never felt the urge to watch anything that he’s in (due mostly to the stubborn notion that he resembled an actor that I was allergic to). I confess I wasn’t looking forward to his adult Dong-joo since I loved the young version so much (and just all the young actors in CYHMH generally) and didn’t want him to leave, not for another ten episodes at least.
But you’ve got to hand it to the writer and PD for the absolutely lovely way in which young Dong-joo morphed into his adult self (a well-used and much-treasured hacky sack being the instrument of transition). I could not believe how alike they looked. Or how instantly I liked Kim Jae-won’s smile.
I can’t say I’m blown away by Kim Jae-won’s acting (Nam Goong-min impresses me more, but then again his role is more demanding and also emotionally more draining). But I like his portrayal of Dong-joo a lot. Fresh from his two-year army stint, Kim Jae-won seems to have slipped into his character without skipping a beat, acting as naturally as the veteran actors in the drama. I love that his Dong-joo is sweet and playful, astute and ruminative, strong and determined. I especially love how gentle he is with the members of the Bong family.
Thank you, dear writer, for creating that warm and endearing friendship between Dong-joo and Young-gyu. For making me giggle at how cute and funny they are together. For giving the two men a shared appreciation for nature (flowers and fishes). For letting them share secrets and life’s lessons.
Have I mentioned yet how much I like Kim Jae-won’s smile? And also his voice?
If one has several dozen reasons for loving a drama, adding two more (trite though they may seem) should not be an issue, right?
I knew you wouldn’t mind.
I guess it’s also time that I let you in on a secret. Or a confession, if you like.
Some years back, when a certain drama was all the rage on Soompi, an unpleasant war of words broke out between two groups of Soompiers. On one side were fans who were so enamored of the lead couple they began posting (with gleeful abandon) about how much they wanted this couple to be a couple in real life. Never mind that the male lead was happily married, thank you very much. On the other side were fans who were aghast at the first group’s “wishful thinking” and wanted to reclaim the thread for discussions of the drama itself, not for flights of fancy that were frankly distasteful. As a silent member of the second group (thundie is a coward who hates confrontations of any kind and prefers to stew in private, thus giving herself hives and heartburn), I vowed at that time that I would never ever engage in “I want this couple to fall in love for real!” musings. It was a vow I had no problem keeping because in all these years of watching kdramas I’ve not liked an onscreen couple to the extent that I want them to hook up offscreen and make babies.
Until now. The hooking up bit, I mean.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, seriously. And I can’t even pinpoint exactly when it started.
Now in every Dong-joo and Woo-ri scene, especially the ones where there’s skinship or some intense eyeballing, I watch and rewatch, scrutinizing their expressions and gestures for the “Aha, I knew it. They like each other for real!” telltale signs.
Because they’re so sweet together I just want to eat them up.
(I have no idea where this review is going at this point, but at least we got some of my favorite screencaps in.)
Okay, now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself by being silly and contradictory (so much for “I’m never ever…”), ask me about my favorite kdrama kiss. Yes, please ask.
For years I’ve had favorites upon favorites when it comes to kdrama kisses, but since this week I can’t recall a single one of them. Just vaguely I think the one in City Hall was sizzling but don’t ask me to describe it to you.
Because the only kiss that’s daebak now is the one that recently transpired in CYHMH. Where she kissed him first, to his surprise. And then he reciprocated as any gentleman would. Gently. Lovingly. So gently, ahhhh!
What really got to me was how he kissed her once, then gently pulled back to look at her, as if he was etching that whole magical moment on his brain forever, then leaned back in to kiss her again…
How many times have I used the words “gentle” and “gently” in this review? Bear with me because I’m not done, not yet.
As a child, Woo-ri was the girl who could outrun anyone, except when wearing her mother’s dress which reached all the way to the ground. She was feisty as could be, and fairly cheeky, too. Sixteen years later, Woo-ri has become decidedly more subdued, although she hasn’t lost any of her spunk. But what strikes me the most about her now is…
You guessed right. It’s her gentleness. With her father Young-gyu. With her grandmother Soon-geum. With her Mar-roo Oppa (right from when she begins to suspect that Joon-ha is Ma-roo), and with Dong-joo, the boy who promised to teach her to play the piano sixteen years ago. The four most important persons in Woo-ri’s world.
This is my second time watching Hwang Jung-eum and it tickles me that she’s playing Jung Bo-seok’s adoptive daughter. Because when I first watched her in last year’s epic gem, Giant, she was the prospective daughter-in-law that Jung Bo-seok’s villain of a character wanted to banish to some godforsaken cave in some godforsaken mountain, figuratively speaking.
I love how this time she’s his rock in CYHMH. The child who daily reminds him of the woman who continues to reside in his heart.
“Together. We’ll always be together.”
The last time I cried this much watching a drama was during Comrades, my pick for third best drama of 2010. Yet CYHMH isn’t intrinsically a sorrowful drama; neither is it at all depressing. I’ve laughed as much as I’ve cried.
Yes, there are birth secrets (just one, thankfully) and meddlesome parents and villains (two, shoot). There’s bad blood. A lot has happened. A lot has yet to happen. We have ten more episodes.
For now I will cherish Can You Hear My Heart? for its ability to move me, more deeply than any drama this year. For being one of the finest in the family drama genre. For the amazing, amazing acting. And, above all, for making me feel so happy.
Like this:
After ep22 I came here to read this again and remind myself how much I love this drama cuz tonight I forgot – it was all so dark and depressing – I don’t know if I should continue- I used to love this show and looked forward to it every week but now I am dreading it cuz it just gets darker and darker cuz of M, S, and choi. It’s so awful to hear all these terrible things they are saying to each other and I hate frowning as I am translating which I’ve been doing ever since M went on the war path. I thought ep21 was depressing, but it’s nothing compared to tonight’s. Totally bummed.
I fell the same, so much warmth from all the previous episodes and then so much arm. I’m aiming for a clearer sky and heart warming episodes. Keep translating, jebal and thank you. My thoughts are with you. 8 episodes to go, it’s gonna be hard, I’m quite sure we’re not out for tears. I hope we won’t get two heart-breaking episodes like these ones.
Fab review, thundie.
Glad I’m not the only one who drew up similarities between this and Gyeongsuk’s Father in terms of the Kim Sae-ron-Jung Bo-seok scenes, she kinda reminds me a lot of Shim Eun-kyung.
However, sorry to be a naysayer but here’s where I raaaage against Moon Hee-jung. Rar!
I dropped this show a while back, it just became unbearable, it’s unashamed makjang and apparently the twists have only gotten more insane since I stopped watching. I don’t get Moon Hee-jung’s deal, man! I LOVED Smile, You to bits and found her writing to be a lot more fluid and competent there (see: Baek Geum-ja the gangster ahjumma was consistently golden and then there were Sang-hoon’s and Seo Jung-gil’s snide digs at one another which were just nuggets of goldenness).
So like, what happened? Heart boasted a better supporting cast, yet the writing is so erratic and dare I say; stupid. Not only are Yoon Yeo-jung and Jung Bo-seok being totally wasted here, there’s also the perennially underrated Lee Sung-min (who was legendary in the greatest film evah (according to me and about 2 others in the entire universe); 비단구두 -Silk Shoes). Guh! It’s too painful to see him underutilised like that.
PS. It’s a strange spelling but… it’s spelt Namgoong Min, yep, strange.
Ooh, thanks, supah, for letting me know how to spell Mr. Hottie’s name the right way!
Hmm, I must disagree that JBS and YYJ are totally wasted in the drama. I don’t even think of them as supporting roles because they are so important to the plot and have a lot of key onscreen time. Lee Sung-min have have less but I don’t think he’s underutilized. He’s such a good pal of Young-gyu and I LOVE that the two families live and eat together. They’re neighbors yet they belong together like members of the same family.
And I swear I totally found that out about the name spelling just before Blue posted about it on her blog. Haha!
Geez, Supah, way to rain on everybody’s parade!
I haven’t given up the show but I do see where Supah is coming from on it being makjang, I actually tried to vent to Supah about all the What-the-fuckery going on lately in this drama a few weeks ago before finding out she wasn’t watching anymore! LOL
Your analysis of this drama is right on.
This drama is probably going to go down as one of the best K dramas of 2011.
I swear all the seasoned and good writers write the weekend dramas.
Waw, liked your impression of the show. I like DJ and WR, so much cuteness could be a crime, seriously, and the guy does have a killer smile.
But I’ve been won by Nam Goong-min, WTH, he is an amazing actor, and his role his not an easy one, he’s so nuanced, and he makes us realized all the complexity of Ma-roo, his guilt with no regrets, his love for his family but believe that he had to go away, for keeping loving them and not hating them, this incredible awkward love for DJ’mom, and this amazing relationship between the two brothers, the better on screen and most believable I’ve ever seen. 8 episodes to go.
Thanks for your words…now I’ll give this one a chance. Didn’t have much interest when I read synopsis but now with your very well-written glowing review, I plan on seeing it.
Oh damn. you mande me want to watch the drama now. What to do? I don’t have much time nowadays :’(
can I say how I love the Granny Soon Geum header for the site!
Oh D, I made that one!
All the gorgeous headers you see are created by Migs (muahhh!!), but the obviously-cobbled-together-by-someone-without-a-SINGLE-artistic-bone ones are by thundie, keke! *falls off chair laughing* Did you also see the DJ-WR header? Keep clicking the headers and eventually it’ll pop up.
heh…I love how it’s different from all the pretty men/women headers..also loved that lone moment of whimsy in the drama….didn’t see the DJ-WR header yet..*runs off to click away*
What a beautiful post Thundie. Thank you for writing it. I love CYHMH. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do, but it’s turned out to be the reason I watch dramas – to find gems like this show…
I feel for Ma roo. I hope he can find redemption at the end instead of just succumbing to all the bad things in and around him. Dong joo hasn’t lost complete faith in his hyung so I won’t either. (>.< crossing fingers) I feel bad for Ma roo and empathize with him despite the wrong things he's done because he is a person who has been without an identity his whole life. (His confusion and identity issues are so apparent in Ep 20.) I think that is why he struggles so much and he doesn't really show anyone he's struggling except Woo ri and sometimes Dong joo… It's so tragic and very sad, but extremely compelling. When I see him as grown up Joon ha, I think he is still that confused and angry 14yr old child, Ma roo. I can't believe I really do feel so much for this fictional character…that's how good this drama is!
Ma roo/Joon ha's relationship with his new mom (Dong joo's mom) is so complex and twisted. I have major problems with her, but I still can't tell to what extent she really love's or doesn't love (and is just using) Ma roo/Joon ha for revenge. I could go on and on. So many great characters and wonderful, complex, layered relationships…
CYHMH is one of the few dramas that deserves to be as long as it is. Really great drama that I recommend to anyone who isn't already watching it. It's great to watch weekly so you can really enjoy and digest the plot and characters as opposed to in marathon blur.
Hi InLove (with CYHMH
),
I LOVE what you wrote about Ma-roo. Like you, I feel for him. I deliberately kept the details scanty in my review because I didn’t want to spoil the drama for people who have yet to watch it or who are behind in the episodes, but my heart just bleeds for Ma-roo and everything that he’s going through. I took many screencaps of his expressions because he has so many different ones, being the conflicted and tortured guy that he is. In the last few episodes he’s moved to center stage and I’m glad to see him there, and even glad (in a perverse way) that he’s going through such hell because it allows NGM to show us the full range of his amazing acting. I have confidence that he will come back (from that hell) and finally experience the happiness that he deserves.
i just LOVE how you wrote this post. the love you felt for it completely transpired and was felt by anyone reading this post. nam goong min is a wonderful actor and i’ve loved him since one fine day(even tho that drama was horrible and i refused to finish it with just one episode to go). but kim jae won! his smile makes your day brighter and how can one not smile while watching him smile. i admit that i love his chemistry with HJE so much that i wish their love was real even tho i know she’s in already in a relationship
Thank you, everyone, for all your comments. I didn’t expect to get this many comments because dear Softy told me that very few people were watching CYHMH!
When I started writing the review, I had no idea how I should proceed and what voice I should use. In the end I decided to just write about how I feel. I had just finished ep 20 the night before and the last scene there kept replaying itself in my mind. So naturally I talked about Young-gyu first and just like that my tears began to fall. When I finished the review I actually felt light-headed (giddy) because I wrote the whole thing in that emotional state of mind.
Thank you for reading!
Would like to hear your view on the abrupt (but nicely played) turn of events in Ep 21 and 22! One of my favourite few eps in this drama!
I second that request! karened- you must be a glutton for punishment. The last 2 eps were torture for me to watch. No matter how upset and angry Jun Ha/Ma Ru is over the betrayal, I have trouble believing he’d forget 16 years of mutual love & support shared with his One True Love. Bring back the bromance!!
I’m watching ep 22. Loved ep 21 and so far am loving ep 22 as well. So much cruelty but also compassion in these two episodes. NGM’s acting is just so amazing; I’m transfixed by him. I was expecting the change in him; I think it’s inevitable because of his whole wretched parentage, being abandoned and then himself abandoning, being betrayed and now betraying in turn… But can I say how much I love Dong-joo, too? When he told Grandma Soon-geum with tears in his eyes that he was sorry and that he would do better… Ah, he made me cry.
I love this drama so much!
I just don’t feel any sympathy for Ma-roo! I’m sorry but you kinda did this to yourself, dude. Obviously, the fact that Dong-joo’s mom was just using him is harsh and I can sympathize with him feeling upset about that but to me it is just karma for the way he abandoned his own family! How could he just walk away from Young-gyu’s pleading like that. UGH. Plus, his treatment of Dong-joo is totally unfair.
I’m assuming subs for ep 22 are out now. Cannot wait to watch that and ep 13 of Best Love tonight!
Yes, subs for ep 22 are out. I just finished watching minutes ago and boy, am furious with Ma-roo for what he did and said to Dong-joo at the end of the episode. It’s just sickening. I totally understand him (and kudos to NGM for that FABULOUS acting; his eyes, his eyes!!) and feel what he’s going through is necessary for his personal redemption (he has too many inner demons to slay). But I just hate that he’s hurting DJ of all people.
I had read some of the recap for 22 at rebel souls so I saw most of what M said to DJ, which is why I am totally pissed at him right now. I was already pissed about how he treated his halmoni a few eps ago but DJ too!
I’m going to need lots of cute Woo-ri and Dong-joo moments to balance out all the drama that’s a comin!
NGM is doing a good job at displaying Ma-roo’s rage and turmoil but please can somebody give the guy a sandwich! His face looks almost skeletal. It is so distracting to me at times. He would be so much hotter with a little meat on those bones. Just sayin…
BTW, how are you feeling about Gisaeng lately, thundie? I’m kinda annoyed with what is going on in the past few eps and have no clue where the show is going at this point but I guess I will stay aboard the crazy train all the way to its final destination. And can they please just reveal Saran’s birth secret already?! SHEESH
Oh Kristal, I have a lot to say about New Gisaeng Story! Planning a review/recap of episodes 25-42 (yes, I’m finally all caught up, LOL). Post should be done in 2-3 days.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on NTOG – it sure has taken some crazy turns. This is one show I’m not sure I would like as much if I was marathoning it, but I’m quite enamored with the characters. BTW, I almost feel like the writer is atoning for the ending of Assorted Gems and may be giving Kyle a second chance at love, although it was much more believable in AG! He seems like such an afterthought in this drama so I don’t see his appeal here.
Farcical turn of events warrants a farcical recap. Stay tuned!
Looking forward to that one!
Exquisitely written, Thundie! I believe I actually felt the gentleness you described so tenderly. You convinced me to find time to watch this one.
I could not stay away from reading your review and am now more anxious to start CYHMH. Your writing is so inspiring that visiting your blog is a an enjoyable activity in and of inself – even if I don’t have time to watch the dramas you talk about. Thanks, Thundie, and I hope everything is going well with you and yours!
I’m dying to know what the relationship between Young-gyu and Granny was before she adopted him as she now keeps calling him young master! I hope they explain that one fairly soon but they will probably keep that secret until the last couple of episodes.
Epic review! I read every single word. My favorite part about this drama is Woo Ri and Dong Joo’s relationship! They are so adorable together!
Thundieeeeeeeee! I’ve been reading praises for CYHMH here and there but because the main cast and overall synopsis don’t strike my fancy and also, you know, that whole attack of the May dramas thing, I wasn’t gonna check this out. But now, you’re endorsing it, professing that it got you emotional the same way the Jejoongwon did, and I regard your opinion highly, otoke?
this is the best drama for me. Like you, i love the entire casts, even the Mi-sook, the one who died and the current one. played by Kim Yeo Jin. She’s one of the best actress i’ve known in kdrama land. I first saw here being an adversary in Yi-San and then portraying a totally different character in the world they live in.
Anyway, i just totally love this drama. thanks so much for the write up about it.
this is the best drama for me. Like you, i love the entire casts, even the Mi-sook, the one who died and the current one. played by Kim Yeo Jin. She’s one of the best actress i’ve known in kdrama land. I first saw here being an adversary in Yi-San and then portraying a totally different character in the world they live in.
Anyway, i just totally love this drama. thanks so much for the write up about it. i just wish somebody would be able to “imbed” the theme songs so that we can download it. I love all the songs being played in the drama.
I read your review on thursday, i dowload and watched 20 eps in two night and love it.if it wasnt for youi would’ve miss out on this lovely gem so thank you so much
Hi helen, I’m so glad to be a bad influence!
CYHMH is such a gem, isn’t it?
I don’t think Can you hear my heart is as little watched as everyone claims…I watched it as well with BL and BFB. It’s a different kind of genre from all the April-May’s offers (mostly rom-coms) and I agree it was gripping right from the start…and heart-warming. And I especially admire NGM for his portrayal as MR/JJH. The veterans and the kids…all of them putting in awesome performance. Only the business bit was boring…so thankfully there wasn’t a lot of that…if they could’ve improved on that bit, it would have been perfect. But in the end this feels like a touching family drama and thus far I think they’ve done good. I love this show too. Was promoting this to my friends also…LOL. Just like Softy’s done to you…
I think I have a thing for complicated characters, that’s why I like MR’s character. I feel for him too and am glad I’m not the only one…when I posted this on other threads, I was surprised by the many viewers who hated him. Then after I waded through 62 epi of Queen SeonDuk and find myself bewitched by KNG’s bidam…I know now it’s a me thing…LOL. I simply cannot resist complicated characters, esp those who loves.
LOL swui, Bidam was also my favorite character in Queen
SnoredeokSeondeok!The business bits in CYHMH also tended to sail over my head. It’s the main reason I’m really reluctant to start on Midas even though I like Lee Min-jung. Math and thundie never did get along.
Is Queen Seondeok worth watching? It has some actors I really like and I hear so many people talking about it but the Snoredok moniker doesn’t really make it sound that appealing…
Yes, Queen Seondeok is worth watching !
Hi Kristal,
First four episodes of QSD were great:
http://thundie.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/falling-under-queen-seondeoks-spell/
Subsequent ones not so:
http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/12/the-good-the-bad-the-middling-year-in-review-part-2/
Many people love the drama, though, including the last person to comment on the DB review, hehe!
Thundie,
). Mishil and Bidam must have hypnotized me, because that’s the two characters I loved the most….lol…and what doo you know, they’re both the villains.
I read your review before at the time you posted it I’m afraid, but it didn’t stick to my mind because I hadn’t seen it and wasn’t planning too…but now that I re-read it, I agree with you on most stuffs….esp the 11 kinds of expressions to a statement LOL. Well Kristal, to be fair, the flaws were many as pointed out by Thundie, but I’m generally rather forgiving as long as the characters and story were interesting (at least to me
Thanks for the responses Thundie and everyone else! If I ever find time I will definitely check out as much of it as I can before I get bored. I have a soft spot for Lee Yo-won, not sure why but I just like her even if her acting is sometimes lacking. Also UTW is in it and he is one of my faves, though I do hear he was rather wooden in it. There are tons of others in it too that I wouldn’t mind watching. Plus, I want to see just how evil yet entertaining this Mi-shil character is since you see tons of parodies of her in other dramas.
Kristal,
I really cannot judge for you for my taste are really not the very general kind I find…LOL. I erm …watch every single minute of QSD and found it good…I love political conspiracies and stuffs when done right (Also business dealings too when done right…). But if I must pick out the lull, for me it would be around 52-55, after mishil died…but of course Bidam was there so I hung on. Conclusion is I loved it, and through it I fell hopelessly in love with KNG and admire GohyunJoon and YooSeongHoo. I initially watched it for LeeYoWon though (after 49days)…she was good but not great…but her chemistry with KNG was undeniable.
I have but to thank you cuz I am also so much in love with this drama. This is the only drama I’m watching these days. I’ve tried to stay away from dramas for some time after my serious addiction to SKKS last year. I don’t know why this drama is not much talked about online and among my friends. I have been searching for good reviews like this,
i am also a follower of CYHMH and i’m loving it but could i request that you could also give recaps of another underrated may drama, MY love by your side? that drama has also a good story line and interesting for me…please..thank you.
Oh rence, I didn’t know there was such a drama, sorry! Will check if there are subs…
thank you…
actually, the subs are slow in coming..last ep aired was 14 but available sub is only ep 8..
i consider this drama one of those under rated perhaps because the actors are not popular but i find the script interesting…its a story of a girl who got pregnant by her best friend in high school so she has to drop out of school..the sad part is the guy who got her pregnant didnt know that she continued with the pregnancy and had the child…its worth watching….
hay la foto la penultima tambien me hace llorar por que se muere la mama de woo ri hay
First of all, thank you, dear thundie, for opening my eyes to the wonders of Can You Hear My Heart! I never would have picked up this drama if it wasn’t for your eloquent and loving review. It sounded depressing and melo-ish from the synopsis, and after an aborted attempt at watching My Love Pattzi I was not impressed with Kim Jae Won’s acting or looks, and thus not interested in watching him as a lead. But the last two months have been so hellish, and I was in serious need of some comfort and joy in drama form — and your description of CYHMH as full of gentleness convinced me this was it. And you were so right! I haven’t loved an ensemble cast this much for a long time. I’m only on episode 11, but I’m amazed by the writing, the acting, the heart in this drama. Considering the subject matter, it could easily be depressing, but as you said, instead it is so uplifting. Every episode brings the good kind of tears to my eyes. And I love, love, love Bong Young Gyu. (Bong Woori is a close second. When have I loved a female lead this much in recent memory?) Actually if I start listing characters I love I’ll take up about a page of text….
Your review captures the essence of this show – it is indeed gentle. It’s beauty is in the quiet moments, when Woori is walking with her dad, telling him to open his eyes while he insists adorably that he can make it home without looking. It’s Grandma telling her son he can go to work tomorrow when he’s been fired, because tomorrow won’t come, just like the tomorrow when Ma Roo will come home. It’s the way Dong Joo watches Woori from around corners and through blinds, smiling at her antics, the way he teaches Young Gyu his letters almost involuntarily. I love the relationship between Dong Joo and Young Gyu.
Also, I’ve noticed this before but I haven’t mentioned it: I absolutely love the way you describe characters. It’s as though you’re introducing dear friends of yours, and you’re convinced we’ll love them just as much as you do. At the end of the review I’m left with the feeling that I can’t wait to meet them! (And here I am at episode 11, having fallen in love with these lovely people just as you told me I would.)
I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “love” so much in one comment before. I’m either really ill and out of it and can’t think of any other adjectives, or it’s just that good. Definitely one of the best of 2011.
Miss you lots <3
Hi Laica!
You have no idea how extremely happy I am that you’ve discovered CYHMH and are loving it. This is the reason why we watch kdramas, to find gems like this one. I’ve finished episodes 23-24 and have no words for how much I love this drama (and how I adore our sweet and gentle OTP). All the scenes where Young-gyu sees Ma-roo… Ahh, so heartbreaking and powerful. I bow before the greatness that is Jung Bo-seok and Namgoong Min’s acting.
To lift your spirits (and to tell you that you’re always in my thoughts), here’s a gift just for you:
For anyone who wishes to download the above video (based on the first few episodes):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XPEM6T2G
I have more CYHMH posts planned, but will wait till Best Love is over this week.
Thank you for the gift! Downloading it.
Young-gyu and his family are all just so beautiful… it’s like they emit light. Especially contrasted with the corrupt, twisted, dysfunctional and unhappy Wookyung folks. I’m of course including Dong-joo in the Bong family.
I just finished episode 14 (omg! kiss!) so I’m far behind… I can’t wait until Maru meets Young-gyu. Every scene where they almost meet and Maru hides with that indescribable expression on his face – it kills me. Both actors are breathtaking. It’s my first time seeing the actor who plays Young-gyu, but I noticed Nam Goong Min in that mess of a drama One Fine Day. I loved him there, he was the sad second lead. Very innocuous and different from Maru.
Off to get my fix… and see how Woo-ri reacts to that kiss on the stairs(!).
Hi Thundie,
I was visiting your site when the first few words of your “Ode to CYHMH” caught my eye and then (as the story goes) I just couldn’t stop reading….
Thundie you are such a beautiful writer – you not only make images but also “the emotions” behind come alive through your words….
I could feel the warmth & gentleness oozing from the canvas…
While I was only reading your review and had no prior intention of seeing this drama – the fact that I had to watch the first episode the moment I got home – in itself speaks volumes….
Looking forward to watching this drama
Hi sangriaspain,
Thank you so much for your sweet words. Made my day!
I hope you’ll find CYHMH to be a meaningful watch. My heart feels so full after every episode.
thank you for your post! I enjoyed reading your post! I hope you’ll write some more when this drama is finished. As of now, its two episodes to the end and i”m very excited for the last two episodes! I agree with you about the kiss! i soooo love it… same with city hall.. he heh he. Thank you for the post!!! God Bless!!!
I finally could not help myself and decided to write in this response box… simply how BEAUTIFULLY you captured the essence of why we all love CYHMH so so so much =]
I highly anticipate your ending review on this piece of art and tbh have been checking ur blog everyday to see =P… and then i see the comment you made yesterday about how you’re in denial about its end and refusing to watch 29 and 30 in eng subs as of yet and I understood ^^;;; hugs* this withdrawal is so hard~~ T-T
anywhoo~~ no pressure and I await other beautiful writing pieces on your blog! =D
Hi hartofseeker, as of now I’m not planning another CHYMH post, sorry! If I write a year-end review, I will certainly include CHYMH.
What can I say about the ending? Perfect in every way. Perfect drama, perfect ending. I love it so much!
And oh, I still have not watched ep 30 with subs. I did watch it raw in order to take screencaps for Softy, but I want to wait for a day when I can just immerse myself in it. I expect to bawl like crazy when I finally bid farewell to the drama.
just reading this makes me cry a little… thanks for this review, sadly i’m behind and haven’t watched this drama… but i’ll start as soon as i can (got to marathon the one i’m watching now)
I love this drama. Even though it is 30 episodes long, every one is important. The acting is amazing. If they, especially Jung Bo-Seok, do not get awards, then those shows are rigged.
That being said, there all some flaws. Besides the creepiness inherent in the Jun Ha/ Hyun-Seok relationship, they can be summed up as Maru/ Jun Ha needs more hugs.
*Spoilers*
If your going to break up with the love of your life to comfort your brother, then actually comfort him. Such, go hug him as he stares forlornly at his fish.
Why on earth did his family not stay in the hospital with him? Or at least take turns? Why did he have to wake up with only Hyun-Seok there? And then it seems like they forget about him until it he can go home. I never understood that.
Otherwise, completely amazing. You want the main couple together. The side characters are amazing and well developed. One even steals the show. Overall, it is incredible.
Thanks for the wonderful review. New to Korean Drama since September and have become quickly addicted. I saw this as a recommendation on Hulu and it became one of my marathon watching dramas! I could not turn away. The love bromance between Dong-Joo and Maru was out of this world and I have not seen a better depiction of a relationship between two men since. The child actors were amazing! The young man who played Dong-Joo at 14 blew me away. I cried buckets during the hospital scenes when he realized he could not hear; the interaction between him and his adopted mother in Saipan and finally the cliff scene that took me over the top. I am re-watching again for the 2nd time. If an opportunity present itself to buy, it is on my top ten to purchase. I can watch this over and over again; always discovering some gem of knowledge that missed before.
Miss CYHMH so much, so i came back to read your post thundie! <3 <3 <3 You bring justice to this perfect drama!