K-Drama Review: Our Blues - “A Relatable, Heart-Warming Masterpiece”

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Very rarely do we get to see a show that captures every human emotion so perfectly and uniquely but ‘Our Blues’ did that. With an amazing storyline, captivating characters, and a dazzling landscape of Jeju island, this series has successfully won the hearts of many. A great slice of life drama wherein everyone is a protagonist with their own stories of ups and downs.

Introduction

Series’ name - Our Blues

Directors’ name - Kim Kyu-Tae

Genre - Soundtrack,Slice-of-life

Language - Korean

Synopsis: Non-Spoiler Alert!

Our Blues is an omnibus-style drama which means that we get to see the story of different characters who are all in the same ways or interconnected to each other. It is a South-Korean television series that stars Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-Eun, Uhm Jung-Hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. Our Blues explore the daily life of the characters and even manage to capture the darker untalked subject.

The beauty of the drama lies in its simplicity, the struggles of the characters are shown without any exaggeration. This show earns the trust of the audience by depicting the character’s journey and keeps the audience hooked until the very end. Many stories are told in this show and since it is not possible to discuss all of them, I will just talk about the first episode where we are introduced to a middle-aged hard-working woman called Eun-Hui played by Lee Jung-Eun, and a bank manager called Han-su Cha Seung-won.

Eun-Hui is a diligent person who has saved enough money over the years to live a comfortable life and also owns several shops on Jeju island whereas Han-Su is struggling and needs money to fund his daughter’s ambition of becoming a golfer in the United States.

When Han-Su is transferred to the bank branch in Jeju islands he meets with Eun-Hui and recalls her childhood crush on him. He uses this to his advantage by manipulating her affections for him and lies to her about his marriage. This could have taken a darker turn but the show perfectly shows the conflict he deals with very maturely.

Even Eun-Hui confronts him multiple times and calls him out for his intentions but years of friendship soften the blow. She also wires him the money but he sends it backlink to her realizing what he did was after all wrong. This was just one of the many stories of ‘Our Blues’.

About the Director

Kim Kyu-Tae is a South Korean television director and producer. He directed the Korean dramas A Love to Kill (2005), Iris (2009), Padam Padam (2011), That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013), It's Okay, That's Love (2014), and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016).

Personal Verdict

Our Blues is an old-school kind of drama that we need more because very subtly deals with a lot of issues. There are teen pregnancy, financial struggle, parental pressure, physical and mental disabilities, and more that is shown in this series. The way people deal with difficult situations and the conflict they go through with their conscience is depicted very beautifully. Every actor did an amazing job at portraying the different roles and overall this show was an absolute delight to watch.

Quotes

“It’s okay for someone to hate you when they don’t know you very well. If someone who didn’t know me very well went around calling me names behind my back, I’d just laugh it off. But you know me better than anyone else in the world. That’s why it’s hard for me to laugh it off.”
Whenever life feels suffocating, look behind you. You’ll find a whole new world.
When there is a lot on your mind. Just keep yourself super busy. I stay busy every day otherwise, I think too much. Thinking too much is bad for everyone.
There is one thing we must remember in our lifetime. We weren’t born into this world to suffer or feel miserable. We were born to be happy we wish everyone happiness!

Bottom line

An honest, feel-good drama that you should watch without any hesitation.

I would rate this series 5 out of 5.

You can watch it on Netflix.

Written by - Aayushi Kumari Singh