As we come to the end of Hello, Me's a journey; I am filled with a bit of sadness. I hadn't realized how much I had to come to appreciate this gem of a drama.
And all the credit goes to Choi Kang Hee in her role as Ban Hani, a 37-year old struggling to come to terms with her guilt in the death of her father 20 years ago; Kim Young Kwang as Han Yoo Hyun as spoilt rich 20-something who seemed to always be in search for something to fill the emptiness from losing his mother at a very young age; Lee Re as younger Ban Hani who by some miracle is travel into the future to come face to face with her older self only to find a shell of herself 20 years in the future; Eum Moon Suk as Anthony/Yang Choon Shik a one-time famous actor struggling to accept himself as he started to age; Kim Yoo Mi as Oh Ji Eun Ba Hani's teenage friend and last but not least Ji Seung Hyun as Yang Do Yoon Han Yoo Hyun cousin and Oh J Eun's husband. With many others worthy of mention, each character played an integral part in making this drama a gem.
I loved, loved the journey the drama took us on, the storytelling, the acting, the directing, and everything else in between, but most of all, I loved the message — loving oneself. The best part is how it made it a point to emphasize that people-pleasing is a losing battle, that when one focuses on self-love and self-compassion rather than trying to get others to love them, they build their self-esteem and break codependent patterns so they can form healthier, happier relationships—with their self and others.
I liked that all the characters tied into each other one way or another, and even though they may have belittled one or the other at some point in their lives, they owned up to their mistakes, apologized, and did their best to uplift those around them. Be it older or younger, Hani with each other and others around them, especially Anthony. Yoo Hyun with Do Yoon, his aunt, and his father and coming to terms with himself and understanding the true meaning of love as a family. Same with Do Yoon and Oh J Eun as husband and wife.
Hello, Me! touched on all forms of relationships, from romance to family to work relations to friendships. For any of these relationships to last forever or at least a long time, one must learn to love themselves as much as one is willing to love others. It doesn't mean you are selfish. On the contrary, self-love is a blueprint that shows others how to love you. I love this drama, and I am glad I decided to watch it. Choi Kang Hee has never disappointed. Watch Episodes 15 & 16 here.