Hi, Bye Mama!

Presentation

For more…

Preview

Synopsis

​Cha Yu Ri and Jo Gang Hwa are a loving married couple with child. One day, 8-month pregnant Cha Yu Ri gets into an accident and ends up losing her life. She becomes a ghost. Her daughter is saved and taken care of by her devastated father. Five years later, Cha Yu Ri still wanders around her child, hoping to see her grow up. Meanwhile, Jo Gang Hwa has remarried Oh Min Jung. Gang Hwa and Min Jung are parents to Seo Woo, but their marriage is not going so well. After discovering that her daughter can see ghosts, Cha Yu Ri insults God and is therefore given a punishment: Either she gets her place back in 49 days and can be human or she goes straight to Hell. Human once again, Cha Yu Ri tries her best to lay low and at the same time, help her daughter not to see ghosts anymore. 

My Opinion (No Spoilers)

Amazing! What to say!? Yet another tvN drama that is so worth watching! Kim Tae Hee is back with this beautiful feel-good drama after a 5-year hiatus. The show will make you laugh and above all cry, as you discover a set of characters so empathetic, vulnerable and well-intended. Even though most episodes last more than one hour (you don’t see it pass by though), there is not a single boring moment in this drama! So don’t waste any more time and go binge-watch it!

Analysis

• Characters
  Cha Yu Ri, the ghost-mother
  Jo Gang Hwa, the grieving father
  Oh Min Jung, the melancholic step-mother
  Characters’ transformation
  Other characters
  The female trio
• Ambiance
• Themes tackled
  Death that unites and separates
  The weight of family

Characters: It is very tough to decide which character is the best, because all of them (either supporting or main roles) have their own story that is beautifully portrayed. 

Cha Yu Ri, the ghost-mother: Cha Yu Ri (Kim Tae Hee) is a mother, who lost her life and the chance to see her daughter grow up. Therefore, she uses her ghostly condition to make up for the lost opportunity. She is constantly thinking about what is best for her daughter throughout the entire drama, not considering her or others’ potential wounds. What matters to her is her daughter’s happiness and healthiness, even if it means disappearing, sacrificing herself and vanishing from her life. She is also very patient and understanding; not a single bit resentful toward her husband for remarrying. Her most pleasing trait of character is that she remains cheerful and prefers living in the present instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Her will to make life easier for everyone (her family, friends and parents) and to make sure they get better is very moving.  She knows the unfairness of her life – she left too soon and lost everything in a blink of an eye – but this doesn’t prevent her from wanting to live, to the fullest!

Jo Gang Hwa, the grieving father: Jo Gang Hwa (Lee Kyu Hyung), Cha Yu Ri’s husband, is, I would say, my favorite character. He is very sensible and learned to stand on his own two feet for his daughter. However, assuming his responsibilities as a baby’s father, while mourning his beloved wife left a deep wound in his heart. This wound is not visible at first, as we think that everything is going smoothly in his life. But it reveals itself the more we enter his family’s intimacy. Struggling with post-traumatic stress, unable to operate or even entering an OR, and above all incapable of communicating his pain and suffering, he has lived the past five years repressing his emotions, even towards his new wife Oh Min Jung (Go Bo Gyeol). Thus, we discover a character that is constantly in pain, but putting others’ first: Like Cha Yu Ri, his daughter (for not being with her real mom), Oh Min Jung (for not being able to be completely open with her) and even his parents-in-law (who refuse to see their grandchild). 

The entire drama unravels different mourning steps in Jo Gang Hwa’s life, as Yu Ri’s presence allows him to have a sort of closure and resolution to an incident he never accepted and also felt partially guilty for. His emotions are first bottled up and indirectly expressing themselves through physical and mental symptoms. Then, getting to see his previous wife again and knowing she is at peace, brings him peace as well. By the end of the drama, we uncover Jo Gang Hwa’s vulnerability and willingness to finally seek help in order to set things straight. 

Oh Min Jung, the melancholic step-mother: Oh Min Jung seems quite cold and melancholic. Her life can appear quite pitiful: Even though on the outside she has a beautiful daughter, a good husband and a good life, she is eaten away by Gang Hwa’s silence regarding his first wife. She walks on eggshells on that matter, but interestingly not for fear of seeing him mad but for fear of hurting his feelings. Living by his side, she has been able to see the damage left by Yu Ri’s death. However, Yu Ri’s presence and cheerful spirit cracks open Min Jung’s shell little by little. Hence, we discover a funny and joyful personality, that has been suppressed for too long. The way she manages to open up to Yu Ri and Ko Hyung Jung (Shin Dong Mi) is adorable. She reveals she can be a reliable, trustworthy and loyal friend to them. 

Characters’ transformation: Actually, there is a sort of pattern in the evolution of characters. Yu Ri’s death created a sort of wall for everyone, impossible to cross over. All characters translated her absence in different ways: Gang Hwa acted as if he was okay, Min Jung shut herself from others as she couldn’t communicate with her own husband (by the way she sometimes interprets it as a failure as a wife), Hyung Jung decided not to befriend anyone anymore and Yu Ri’s family went into social seclusion, cutting ties with their in-laws. So everyone in his pain and seems to have been frozen to the time of Yu Ri’s death, unable to overcome the mourning. Yet, her coming back opens an escape door for all of them in order to say farewell properly. 

Other characters: The rest of the characters are also very interesting to study. Kye Kun Sang (Oh Eui Sik), Hyung Jung’s husband is the funny character who alleviates the mood. Seo Woo is the discreet and solitary young girl, who senses that something is wrong in the adults’ world. But to me, she is actually the ray of sunshine that illuminates all characters. Many times, she is the bridge between mothers and father, that unites them in life and death until the end. She is living proof that anyone can overcome Yu Ri’s death, as she is the first one to have survived it when she was born. Even the ghost stories are incredible, so be sure to pay attention to them!

The female trio: Big up also to the chemistry of the three female characters! They are very different (personality, background, age even) but manage somehow to create a strong friendship and dynamic. Indeed, each of them has something to give to the other: Yu Ri is cheerful and honest, while secretive. She influences Min Jung’s character and brings her nostalgic memories back of when she herself was a joyful person. Hyung Jung is the forever loyal confident for Yu Ri. She is the rock she can rely on in the midst of her problems. Same for Min Jung who needs someone to lean on. Finally, Min Jung and Hyung Jung are the only people Yu Ri can entrust her daughter with. 

Ambiance: The mood is tearful and joyful at the same time! You will love to cry and laugh so hard, while seeing our female trio acting up and ganging up as mothers. What I notice most with that drama is the tenderness of it and the impossibility to hate a character. We understand very deeply where they all come from; we see their strengths and mostly their weaknesses. We encourage them as they confront their fears, their concerns and their insecurities. I teared up until the very end! Even though some might disagree with the ending, to me it is the most evident and rational one. 

Themes tackled: Without further suspense, to me two main themes are present: death and family. 

Death that unites and separates: The drama shows us how an unexpected and brutal death can completely destroy families and the presence (or the lack thereof) one’s leaves behind. Technically speaking, the drama is revolting because Yu Ri’s passing is unfair and violent. She was pregnant, leading a good life and one single bad choice turned everybody’s lives upside down. Though painful, it is also incredible to see how Yu Ri was loved and cared for even after she is gone. Her extended family’s reaction is a beautiful declaration of love to her. She is missed and openly accepted five years later when she comes back. The drama also illustrates how time has frozen because of death and how difficult it can be to move forward after losing someone special. Even the ghost stories are worthy of tears (suicide cases, car accident, …) and highlight how it impacts one’s life. 

Death is also rejected in another interesting form through the character of Mi Dong (Yoon Sa Bong) and Seo Woo (Seo Woo Jin). Indeed, Seo Woo might become a shaman if she keeps seeing ghosts and Mi Dong is technically her future – because that is her “job”. In both cases, families (Mi Dong’s son and Yu Ri) refuse this condition and fight it back. Seeing death in that case is associated with living a life of loneliness and solitude, helping those gone while secluding oneself from the livings. Hence, this describes what death does in the drama: It scatters and disunites families. 

The weight of family: The second main theme, probably the most important one, is parenthood and family ties. There is not one single story that is not linked with that theme. Yu Ri is a mother who came back for her daughter. Min Jung is Seo Woo’s adoptive mother and considers her as her own. Yu Ri’s mom longs for her after their parting and refuses to see her granddaughter out of fear it might confuse her regarding her real mother’s identity. Hyung Jung is also a mother, which can explain her blind support for Yu Ri’s cause. Mi Dong stays also away from her son, as it is her only way to protect him and his grandchildren. The ghost family, that died in a car accident, stays behind for their living son/brother; the grandmother and the historical woman didn’t ascend because of their children. The baseball player and the suicide girl are the reverse cases: They didn’t ascend because of their parents. But not only mothers, fathers are also at the heart of the story: Gang Hwa for instance, but also Yu Ri’s dad, Hyung Jung’s husband and many others. 

Hi, Bye Mama! is centered on family and family ties, the importance of treasuring loved ones and telling them how important they are. It is literally an ode to Mothers, Fathers and Family. Finally, Yu Ri’s coming back is, in my opinion, a gift for everyone rather than a punishment. Indeed, all characters close to her are then able to say farewell properly, a meaningful event that was brutally taken from them by destiny. 

In a nutshell, this is a very emotional and strong drama that will make you laugh, cry, and make you want to embrace your own loved ones. 

P.S: Check out the drama to discover why Yu Ri came back to life because that’s the biggest plot twist of the story!