Tell Me That You Love Me – Full Review
Tell Me You Love Me – Full Review
Welcome to Tell Me That You Love Me – Full Review. A deaf man meets an aspiring actress who is determined to heal his broken heart and pull him out of his self-imposed isolation. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Tell Me That You Love Me
♥ Aired: November 27, 2023 – January 16, 2024
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Hulu
♥Genre: Romantic Drama
♥Starring: Jung Woo Sung and Shin Hyun Been
The Story
A young man who can’t hear meets a beautiful stranger while relaxing on Jeju Island. Despite their differences and the difficulties presented by trying to communicate with each other, the pair share a meaningful conversation through writing and easy sign language. But at the end of the night, they go their separate ways with just their memories of each other. So he is shocked when they run into each other near his job at home. And he is even more surprised when she greets him with sign language. When she starts working part time at the art gallery where he teaches, the couple begin a careful friendship.
The Leads
Jung Woo Sung as Cha Jin Woo
Cha Jin Woo was raised in an orphanage and lost his hearing when he was a child, after suffering a high fever. When Jin Woo is in college, his girlfriend suddenly leaves him, breaking his heart. After spending some healing time alone, painting his feelings he finally moves home and decided to teach art to deaf students at a local gallery. But on a trip to Jeju, he meets a woman who touches his heart for the first time in years. And when he returns to Seoul, she turns up as a new employee at the gallery he is teaching at. The couple embark on a romantic journey, but they will need to overcome their differences if they are going build a future together, and that will become even more difficult when Jin Woo’s college girlfriend also shows up to work at the gallery.
Jin Woo has spent his whole life feeling like a lonely misfit. But when he meets Mo Eun, he feels that, despite their differences, she is a kindred soul. But past experiences have made him cautious, and he spends their time together just waiting for her to abandon him like everyone else in his life. Jung Woo Sung was really amazing in this role. The fact that he learned sign language to play this character shows his dedication to the drama, and made his portrayal mesmerizing. His ability to convey complex emotions through body language and facial expressions were what made this character so relatable.
Shin Hyun Been as Jung Mo Eun
Jung Mo Eun is an aspiring actress, who has told her family she is studying for the civil service exam. When she recieves a call for a small role being filmed on Jeju, she drops everything to go. But the director isn’t impressed with her performance, and fires her before she can finish filming her scene. And as she wanders the island aimlessly, she meets a deaf artist who peaks her interest in him as a person and drives her to study sign language. Returning home after her trip, she runs into the man at the art gallery her best friend works at. And when her friend recruits her to work at the gallery part-time, she jumps at the chance to get to know Jin Woo better. But for them to have any kind of long-term relationship, she will have to break through the emotional and communication walls that surround his heart.
Jung Mo Eun is shy and quiet, but her desire to act has helped her to gain confidence and courage. There is a part of her that is actually jealous that Jin Woo is able to live in a quiet, peaceful world, where hurtful words are completely blocked out. Maybe because of this, she becomes fascinated in learning sign language, and she is a quick study. Soon she is able to communicate with Jin Woo, at least on a simple level. But as their relationship deepens, she becomes frustrated with the limitations. I like Shin Hyun Been as an actress and I thought she played this part well. She is good in these kinds of quiet, introspective roles and I liked the development in her character.
Supporting Characters
Kim Ji Hyun as Song Seo Kyung
Song Seo Kyung grew up with a deaf father. She was appointed as an interpreter for Jin Woo in college, and the couple ended up dating. But after a traumatic accident, she runs away and leaves Jin Woo. Now, years later, she is back in Korea and she is hoping to pick up her relationship with Jin Woo where they left off. She is also hoping to promote Jin Woo’s art so that the world can admire it the same way she does.
Lee Jae Kyoon as Yoon Jo Han
Yoon Jo Han is one of Mo Eun’s best friends. When they were young, Jo Han would go to Mo Eun’s house when he had struggles with his own family. Now he is a successful music producer. He has always had romantic feelings for Mo Eun. But even when he confesses that he has someone he likes, Mo Eun does not guess that it is her. So he is less than happy when Jin Woo shows up on the scene. But he can easily tell that Mo Eun’s feelings for him are not the same as her feelings for Jin Woo.
Park Jin Joo as Oh Ji Yoo
Oh Ji Yoo is Mo Eun’s best friend and roommate. The pair have been friends for years. Ji Yoo works at an art gallery, where she meets Jin Woo. Much to her surprise, Ji Yoo ends up falling in love with Mo Eun’s younger brother. But both of them decide to keep their relationship a secret because they are unsure of how Mo Eun will handle the news.
Things I Liked
♥ Ki Hyun and So Hee
Ki Hyun and So Hee were such a cute couple and I enjoyed the scenes with them together. I think they are the perfect reminder that while it isn’t easy for a hearing person to marry a deaf person, it can be done. And that relationship can be strong and healthy with a little effort and a lot of love. I also loved Ki Hyun’s friendship with Jin Woo. His loyalty to his “brother” was such a gift to Jin Woo, and I think at times it was all that kept Jin Woo going.
♥ Art Students
I loved Jin Woo’s crazy class of young art students. I would have enjoyed more scenes with them, because they brought an unexpected ray of light to this story. Their interactions with Jin Woo and each other were heartwarming and funny. And the addition of Si Hoo, as the hearing high schooler who chose to join their class was a delightful surprise. I think this bunch gave Jin Woo something positive to focus on.
♥ Silence
So much of this drama is done with no verbal sound. It is oddly calming and I feel like it gives us an insight into the world Jin Woo lives in. The quiet stillness of fingers moving and pens scratching give just enough sound to create an intimate mood. And yet, many of those silent periods give us the most profound moments in communication and understanding. I have always loved the graceful movements of sign language, and I loved watching these characters as they navigated complex thoughts and emotions with only the movement of their hands and the expressions on their faces.
Things I Didn’t Like
Ji Yoo and Mo Dam
I thought Ji Yoo and Mo Dam were adorable together and it’s easy to see how they could have ended up falling for each other. But I really can’t see how Mo Eun didn’t manage to pick up on it. It’s true that she had a lot going on in her own life. But to live with Ji Yoo and spend time hanging out in the evenings with Ji Yoo and Mo Dam together, and never pick up on their chemistry just doesn’t seem very realistic. Maybe the wrong roommate was trying to become an actress?!
Birth Mother Story
I was glad that Jin Woo finally got some closure to his birth story, but I didn’t like the way the story unfolded. It felt very sporadic and then rushed. There is very little development between the point where the story is introduced and it’s “resolution” in the hospital at the end. And the feeling is that they are meeting for the first and last time, with none of the other family members showing any interest in getting to know their long lost sibling. I felt like Jin Woo deserved more.
Do Hoon
Do Hoon’s character was so weird to me. First of all, the idea that he kept hanging out at Ki Hyun’s restaurant like they were just old friends, after everything he did, seemed strange. They weren’t ever close to begin with. And in the end, we find out that Do Hoon didn’t start the fire, which makes him less of a creep. But he still stalked Seo Kyung, and that whistling thing was really manipulative and scary. I’m glad that there is some resolution in the end between him and the others, but I still think he is kind of a jerk. Are we, as the audience, just supposed to forgive him for all he put them both through?
The Ending
While I have seen some arguements to the contrary, most agree that “Tell Me That You Love Me” has a happy ending. First, Jin Woo meets his mom and gets some closure to that story. He also has a heart to heart with Seo Kyung where they both have a chance to share their true feelings. And Seo Kyung has finally realized that it wasn’t as much Jin Woo she has been chasing all this time, but a sense of who she was back then. She also forgives Do Hoon and, strangely enough, there seems to be some hint that Do Hoon may finally win her heart after all. Jin Woo and Mo Eun break up, although they are both brokenhearted to have come to this. But both of their careers take off and offer them some distraction. A year later, Jin Woo is finally back in Korea, after showing his art around the world. Ki Hyun and So Hee are expecting another baby, which everyone is thrilled about. Jin Woo’s old students are doing well and gift him a ticket to a play. Mo Eun is starring in the play and the lines are the opening segment from episode 1. And it’s clear that Mo Eun is speaking them directly at Jin Woo. When the play is over, Mo Eun rushes to talk to Jin Woo and has to chase him outside. Jin Woo walks slowly toward her and introduces himself, as if it’s the first time they met. The credits roll as we see the couple, back “on track” in the same place they had broken up. Now arm in arm and happy together. Some believe this last segment is just a bittersweet glimpse into what could have been. But I prefer to believe that they have finally found a way to embrace their differences and stay together.
Should I Watch
“Tell Me You Love Me” is a slow romantic drama that speaks through the silence of sign language, written notes, and emotional expressions. This one is slow-burn to the extreme, so if slow moving, dialgue driver dramas aren’t your thing, you definitely won’t enjoy this one. But the acting is amazing, the cinematography is quietly beautiful, and the well-written dialogue is honest and realistic. I give “Tell Me You Love Me” an 9 out of 10 ramen.
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