Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
My Mister tells the story about Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sung Kyun) and Lee Ji Ahn (IU), who are living a hard life, meet to heal each other’s scars. Even two years after the drama ended, drama communities still call it a masterpiece and pour out rave reviews. Let’s examine four reasons why these people refer My Mister as the “Best Drama of My Lifetime.”
A Drama that Calmed the Controversy with Its Exceptional Quality
In the beginning, My Mister was embroiled in various controversies. Many showed discomfort in the setting of “meeting” between a man in his 40s and a girl in her 20s. Oh Dal Su, who was cast to play the role of Park Sang Hoon, was enmeshed with the “Me Too” movement, and left the project. Also, in the first episode, the scene where Lee Kwang Il, a loan sharker, assaulted Lee Ji Ahn was so sadistic that it made viewers frown.
Fortunately, as the story progressed, the early controversy faded away. The subject of concern drew sympathy with the meticulous directing, and Park Ho San, who substituted Oh Dal Su, melted into the drama without any awkwardness. The number of violent scenes reduced, and the episodes where Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji Ahn received comforts from each other doubled, gradually gaining the love and support.
Discovery of Actor IU
One of the reasons why My Mister is left as a work of the lifetime is IU’s presence. IU played the role of Lee Ji Ahn, who endured the cold reality by herself. At first, she even considered declining the offer as she was worried that the controversy over her music might cause a burden on the work. But when producer Kim Won Seok said, “I’m sure there will be a lot left after you finished the drama,” she decided to star in the drama.
IU showed her concentration and delicately depicted the process of Ji Ahn, who used to be dark and gloomy, opening her heart after meeting Dong Hoon. She completely dismissed all the controversies surrounding her, and performed her role so flawlessly to the point where it’s impossible to picture Lee Ji Ahn as other actors. After watching My Mister, many praised IU saying that they have become the fan on actor IU.
The Perfect Chemistry of the Three Brothers Who Delivered Laughter and Bitterness
Even in My Mister, which showed an overall gloomy tone, laughter blossomed as Park Ho San, Lee Sun Kyun, and Song Sae Byuk, who appeared as three brothers in the play, presented ideal chemistry. From the eldest Park Sang Hoon and youngest Park Gi Hoon, who became jobless, to Park Dong Hoon, who is just around the corner of getting fired in the workplace and also realizes his wife’s affair, the three brothers face the cruel reality. Nevertheless, they meet at the local bar without being getting cold feet and squabble to relieve the burden of their minds. Then, when one of them gets in trouble, the rest will stop at nothing to help him out, showing off their strong brotherly love.
The three actors’ realistic acting played a big part in laughter and emotions delivered by the three brothers. Park Ho San joined the drama at the last minute, and Song Sae Byuk was under a lot of pressure as he challenged his first TV drama, but they were responsible for the drama’s laughter and emotions with their seasoned performances, successfully conveying the healing messages of My Mister as well as the importance of family.
Not Love, But Human
Producer Kim Won Seok said in a press conference that My Mister is “not a story of love, but human.” He was wary of slipping into unfolding a series of “common love story,” and blocked himself from trying to draw sympathy by portraying the main characters’ situations pitifully. What he expressed might not be more special than an excess of emotion, but he led the story with human scent.
The drama doesn’t make the main characters, who are on the verge of getting fired or in the mountain of debts, shout out their soulless fighting spirits. Instead, it delivered a heartfelt message through words like “It’s okay” or “Thank you,” said over a bottle. This was possible since the drama calmly depicts Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji Ahn’s harsh realities and carefully portrayed the characters’ emotions from the first episode. In the end, unpleasant romance that people worried about at the beginning has disappeared, and My Mister got to be remembered as a drama that realized the importance of people.
