Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

Ban Han Ni is a single 37 years old who is fired from her job as a temporary worker.  Feeling defeated and ready to give up, her life is turned upside down when her 17 year old self suddenly appears next to her.  Confronted with old memories of the bright and confident girl she had once been, Han Ni is forced to reexamine her life choices.  But can she go back to the carefree girl she was after all she has suffered since?  And how can she send her past self back to where she belongs without anyone finding out the truth of who she really is.  Luckily, she finds an unlikely ally in a handsome new friend.

Kim Young Kwang as  Han Yoo Hyun

Han Yoo Hyun is the son of Han Ji Man, the CEO of Joa Confectionary.  Much to his father’s displeasure, he has no interest in being involved in the company, choosing to pursue trade certificates in a whole range of skills instead.  When his father gets sick of him drifting aimlessly, he kicks him out to fend for himself.  Out of desperation, Yoo Hyun applies to work in the cafeteria of his father’s company without revealing his relationship to the CEO.  But when he finds out his father’s eyes are failing and his aunt intends to take over the company and kick them out, he puts aside his own feelings to help his father save the company.  

Han Yoo Hyun has lived the spoiled life of a chaebol.  He is self-centered and arrogant.  But once he is thrown out on his own, he begins to reveal a more charming personality that is gentle and caring.  He wins over his fellow cafeteria staff and stays by Han Ni’s side when she needs him.  I love Kim Young Kwang as an actor, but I didn’t feel like this role gave him a lot to work with.  The character had some interesting potential but the storyline showed very little of that development and the romantic chemistry felt flat.

Eum Moon Suk as Anthony

Anthony is a famous actor who was in love with Han Ni when she was in high school, and he has never gotten over his first love.  Due to excessive plastic surgery and a recreated past  to hide his real identity, no one knows who he really is.  His last several acting projects have been flops, so he is hoping for a role that will revive his career.  

♥ Addressing Bullying

Past bullying charges against idols and actors is increasingly common in Korea these days.  It’s a sensitive topic, and I respect the fact that this drama touched on it.  While I am not necessarily condoning the solution for Anthony’s behavior, it’s noteworthy that they took on the storyline at all.  Real life cases are often not as clear-cut as this fictional one, but I felt like they were careful to portray the character as remorseful and sincere in dealing with it.

♥Yang Do Yoon

One of the things I really enjoyed about this drama was the heartwarming interaction between Yoo Hyun, his father, and his cousin.  They weren’t competitive and it painted a nice family picture.  So I was very disappointed when it seemed like Do Yoon had joined his mother’s efforts to oust the other men.  I breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear that it was all just an act to stop his mother from destroying the company.  I’m thankful that Do Yoon was still on the good side and that the men can continue to be a loving family.

Anthony’s Milk Problem

Bathroom humor is never my favorite, so this is almost a given at this point.  But seriously, this schtick wasn’t funny the first time, and it definitely wasn’t funny the third or fourth time!  How many times should we have to see him somehow get milk in his food?  In this case, it was way overdone.  

Plot Holes

Really the whole time travel premise of this drama is one big plot hole.  In the end, neither the grandma nor the shaman had anything to do with how the younger Han Ni got to the present or how to send her back.   And nothing she learned in the present was enough to save her dad’s life.  It’s true that the younger Han Ni’s presence taught the present Han Ni how to love herself again, which is the most important message from “Hello, Me!”,  but the methods and explanations for her time travel were messy and full of holes.  

If we can overlook the plot holes, “Hello, Me!” ends on it’s strongest point, focusing back on the idea of self-love and forgiveness.  Anthony goes back to being Choon Shik, and pursues a love of cooking by opening a food cart, while also acting as a guardian to any kids that are being bullied in the neigborhood.  Anthony’s manager steps up to fill his shoes by becoming an actor himself, and Jung Man takes over as his representative.  Yoo Hyun’s aunt ends up in prison for her crimes and Do Yoon takes over running the company. Yoo Hyun gets promoted from cafeteria duty and goes to work in Han Ni’s department at Joa Confectionary.  Han Ni the younger figures out how to get back home after her father comes to her in a dream.  After an emotional goodbye, the two Han Ni’s walk together through a magic tunnel until the younger disappears.  The two go back to living their indivdual lives, although their experience has definitely left a positive mark, especially on the present day Han Ni.  She has finally forgiven herself for everything that happened 20 years ago and is ready to start embracing her life again.  The drama ends with Yoo Hyun giving Han Ni flowers and her returning the gift with a kiss, so their romance appears to be in full bloom in this happy ending.