[Drama 2018] Mother, 마더

[ihyuni]

I came to say that the first five minutes of episode 16 absolutely destroyed me. I cried from start to the pause for the commercial ad. This is truly one of the most beautiful and touching dramas, and I'm glad I didn't miss out. I want them to win all the awards for breaking my heart. CYS will too hold a special place in my heart. Her death was beautifully done and literally so heartbreaking for me, because they depth of love and self-ness that was literally out of this world special. I wish I could reset my mind so that I could watch this drama all over again. It'd be worth the time. It truly does take a village to raise a child. I just-- this kdrama gives me all the maternal feels and hurts my feels too, lol. 

 

As for the everyone in our little thread, bye,  I hope to see you guys on another drama. 

[frozentundra]

Agree that the OST was so, so beautiful.

 

I was so glad that they did the ending they did. After 16 episodes with lovely Heo Yool, it would have destroyed the flow of the entire story to cut to a totally different actress for a meeting 10 years later. I loved that they found a way to work it out so that we were left with her wise child words. 

 

I love that both of Soo Jin's mothers were needed. I love that her actress mother took her in and raised her--and then when that mother was gone, her birth mother moved in to mother all of the actress's daughters. That however unexpected, they all became part of the same family. 

 

I think the doors are open for Soo Jin to pursue something with the doctor if she wants to. But that's beyond the bounds of this story. This is about Soo Jin and Yoon Bok finding haengbok (happiness).

 

I can't stop thinking about this drama. May it win every award possible. 

[jfritz09]

Well, I finally have some time to write a review. Work has been so hectic…

Where to begin? Ok, to be completely honest, I came to this drama partly because I had heard that the original Japanese version was highly acclaimed, but mainly because I’m a huge Lee Bo Young fan

I’ll watch anything that LBY is in… However, this drama exceeded all my expectations in terms of the acting, directing, music, everything… So I find myself becoming totally invested in the journey of these fictitious characters, and looking forward to a couple of new episodes every week, not simply because I’m an LBY fan, but because I’ve become a “Mother” fan.

So I’ll attempt to first give a review of this gem of a drama, and at the end, I’ll put on my fanboy hat and give some props to the Queen herself.

 

The acting, by everyone involved, was fantastic. Kudos to the actors/actresses of course, but some credit must go to the director, Kim Cheol Kyu, who got the best out of all the cast members. I had seen his work in the drama Hwang Jin Yi with Ha Ji Won, and was impressed then, but I think that he has outdone himself in Mother.

 

The editing in this drama was also top-notch, and really served to heighten the tension in some scenes. In particular, in the scene in Episode 1 where the Uncle was choking Hye Na and putting lipstick on her, the cutting between what was happening to Hye Na and images of things that she liked (which she conjured up in her mind as a way to escape her tragic reality) was particularly effective. It is one of the best shot, best edited scenes that I’ve seen.

 

Heo Yool was incredible, especially since this was her debut performance. She is such a natural… The stand-out moments in her performance, to me, were when Yoon Bok and Soo Jin were separated by the police, and when Yoon Bok pleaded with Soo Jin over the phone to kidnap her one more time. Heo Yool’s acting in those moments was so heart-breaking, it moved me to tears no matter how many times I watched those scenes. I think we have just witnessed the birth of a STAR, and I really hope that her agency (which is the same agency that handles LBY) will provide the support and guidance necessary to make her career blossom, because it would be a tragedy if her natural talents are somehow wasted.

 

The actresses playing Soo Jin’s bio and adoptive mothers both gave stellar performances. I was equally impressed and moved by their portrayals of their characters until the last couple of episodes, where Lee Hye Young’s portrayal of the actress mom, especially the dying scene that she imbued with so much quiet dignity, ended up leaving more of a mark in my memory.

 

Of course, no matter how talented the actresses and actors are, they can’t really shine unless they’re given a script that has enough depth of characterization to allow them to fully showcase their abilities. Therefore, much praise must go to Jeong Seo Kyeong for delivering a world-class script featuring a tightly-woven plot, rich and realistic characters, and wonderful dialogue. I believe that she is, in real life, a mother of 3 children, and maybe she was able to draw from her experience as a mother to create all the memorable mother characters in the show. It was a smashing debut for her in drama land, and I really look forward to more beautiful drama screenplays from her.

 

Now, let me put my fanboy hat on…

Ok, what can I say about LBY? First of all, she was the reason I got into watching Kdramas. A few years ago, I was bored with the stuff that was being shown on US TV, and was looking around at international fares for an alternate source of entertainment. I stumbled upon a series called God’s Gift: 14 Days. It was an eye-opening experience. The premise was refreshingly creative and different from the run-of-the-mill premises US shows were giving me. The tension, the action, cinematography, acting in each episode were comparable or, in many instances, better than what I saw in US series. But the key ingredient that made this series so memorable for me was its heroine, a beautiful, desperate mother doing everything she could to save her child. I couldn’t believe the emotional and physical challenges that LBY must have faced playing that character. I even learned from an interview that she did that LBY had a stunt double, but felt sorry for her double who was having a hard time with all the exhausting action scenes. So LBY volunteered to do some of the scenes herself, where she had to fall to the ground repeatedly, and get kicked and stomped on by “thugs” twice her size. I mean, seriously, what other A-list actress does that? Needless to say, I became a fan after that series, and sought out more works of hers to watch. She was great in My Daughter Seo Young and I Hear Your Voice as well. She possesses a rare combination of elegance, beauty, charms and acting skills. When I tried to picture who else might have that, I could only think of a Jennifer Connelly in her prime, but with the acting skills of a Meryl Streep. When I ran out of LBY series to watch, I started watching other Kdramas, and my love affair with Kdramas in general developed...

 

The work that LBY did in Mother was nothing short of phenomenal. It was, most of the time, understated because she was playing a character who has built up a wall around herself as a survival mechanism due to the abuse and abandonment that she suffered as a child. However, when parts of the wall fell down and her emotions spilled out, their power was so strong that it was sometimes almost painful to watch (like when Soo Jin was arrested and taken away from Hye Na). That’s the power of LBY’s acting.

 

Sometimes, I feel like LBY is not getting enough recognition and enough roles that she deserves because she is working in the youth-obsessed K-entertainment industry. However, recent dramas like Mother and Misty have given me hope that there are good roles being created for more mature actresses. Hopefully, I will get many more opportunities to watch her artistry on my screen in the future.

 

[partyon]

@lclarakl  Thank you so much for the drama recommendations! It's great to meet you here in a drama thread again after such a long time.  

 

17 hours ago, jfritz09 said:

The dying scene of the actress Mom is very beautifully done, and Lee Hye Young impressed me so much with her acting in this drama.

@jfritz09 Totally agree! Lee Hye-young gave a stellar performance in this drama! She has so much charisma and elegance. She truly shines on screen. In the beginning of the drama, I was fearing that she had gotten typecast to the typical cold mother role, she so often portrays (Boys Over Flowers anyone? lol ). I was glad to see that she portrayed a warm and loving mother this time.

Don't know if you saw the news, but Lee Hye-young is going to star in a new drama with Choi Min-soo! I am so glad to see that Korean dramas are casting more veteran actors as leads in dramas.

http://netizendrama.blogspot.fi/2018/03/lee-hye-young-and-choi-min-soo.html

 

Regarding Mother, I was very satisfied with the ending. I was glad that we had a happy ending after the emotional toll episode 15 gave me. I truly hope that this drama will get all the awards and recognition it deserves. All the actors gave such an amazing performance. Little Heo Yool is so talented, and she will have a bright future as an actress ahead of her (if she wishes to pursue acting in the future). 

 

I guess the only small criticism I have (and it is VERY small ), is that I felt the show sometimes sugarcoated a bit the effects of Hye-na's trauma from the horrible abuse that Hye-na had endured. Hye-na's birth mother tried to kill her. Normally a child who is abused and abandoned at such a young age, will suffer from psychological trauma. This was touched upon during the series, but a bit too lightly in my opinion. I wish that the show would have depicted her seeing a therapist, getting more help to express her emotions and dealing with her trauma. From a psychological point of view, I felt that the show depicting her not being Hye-na anymore but turning into Yoon-bok was compartmentalizing her trauma. "Hye-na endured horrible abuse, so by becoming another person I will not have to deal with the effects from that abuse." I just felt that maybe the show trivialized this whole setup a bit. That's just my opinion of course.

 

This was a tough ride, but I was happy to take it despite the tears. This is a drama that will stay with me for a long time

[frozentundra]

@jfritz09 Fantastic review, I agree with every word. This was a lifetime performance for LBY. And Heo Yool is on my radar forever. I didn't realize this was the scriptwriter's debut. Wow. 

[bedifferent]

I found the time to finish this drama. 

I came into watching this drama with high hope, on the fact that this is helmed by PD Kim Cheol-Kyu and is a Lee Bo Young's project.  It's my fourth time watching their works (the third one in a row from the PD). I wasn't disappointed.  Amazing drama, one to remember.

 

This drama was about how love is found the from choices that we make.  A child has the right to choose love, to start over if her love was not reciprocated.  All of us can't choose our mom or family but we can choose to be kind to each other, to respect and to love each other.  Those are conscious choices that we can make because we are family and we love each over.  So relationships, in this drama (mother and child), are not bounded and continued on a mere sake of DNA.  They are beyond genetic.  The bond between a mom and her child is hard fought, bargained, sacrificed, and earned.  Mother was an ode to all the women who have raised us, taught us, guided us, openly chose to be our mothers.

 

I have to come back another time to write more...

[lclarakl]

@msmy, @bedifferent, @frozentundra, @partyon, @jfritz09, @ihyuni, @Latte_Anyday, @Sharine Phinisia, @0ly40, @Yippeun_eonnie, @Tango27, @mxxella, @Chellsee, @not1but3, @Lunkera, @Pam_Van Fossen, @chickfactor, @irilight, @nat_phoenix88, @IBELIS, @UnniSarah, @jadecloud, @AnhH, @rosierosie, @Dhakra, @Katrina Abdul Talib, @auroredawn, @angelkhaterine1211, @Siufey71, @justamom, @titania1000, @tigro, @Berou, @Laurs, @tompark, @dothininhtrang

 

All, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreicated reading our posts. This thread was small, but the comments were thoughtful and heartfelt. I personally expected there to be crazy plot twists when I first started watching this drama; I thought these "mothers" had an ulterior motive. However, it didn't take long to learn that the writer was sharing a message of love--showing that just because you gave birth to a child, doesn't make you a mother. Just because you didn't give birth to a child, doesn't mean you can't be a mother.

 

There is a case currently in the news of a mother, along with her boyfriend, who killed her 4 year old daughter. Hearing the biological father in court screaming out his anguish at the death of his child, a child he was trying desperately to gain custody of, was heart wrenching. Child protective custody had performed 3 investigation with one underway.  After watching "Mother", I can understand even more why Soo Jin saved (kidnapped) Hye Na.

 

This drama is timely, well written and the acting is top notch. An added bonus was hanging out with you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you!

 

 

 

[jfritz09]

11 hours ago, frozentundra said:

@jfritz09 Fantastic review, I agree with every word. This was a lifetime performance for LBY. And Heo Yool is on my radar forever. I didn't realize this was the scriptwriter's debut. Wow. 

This was her first time writing a drama screenplay. She had written scripts for several well-known movies like The Handmaiden (which I’ve been meaning to watch but haven’t had the chance to) or Thirst, a quirky vampire movie.

[Guest]

Mother was really an experience. At one point I couldn't watch other dramas because after every episode I felt so exhausted. It kept me busy for a whole week. I wasn't able to watch or focus on other dramas. The plot wasn't necessarily tense, but each episode was so heart-breaking, emotional and sad. 

It made you think about everything, especially about your own mother of course. Guys, like me, always have a special connection towards their mothers. So I thought about my own mom a lot.

 

This drama was exceptional of creating a story and telling it. Although containing a very uncomfortable topic, the drama always felt calm. It never tried to impress or create a special story, it just took its time to tell you a story without being crazy. I never had the feeling to see something that I could not believe.

 

That's what impressed me the most I guess, the drama never lost it's initial track. It delivered a lot of feeling, precious words & moments without actually telling them. It just had a natural flow, where every moment had a moment so naturally shine.

 

Mother really is a gem and a drama I won't forget so easily. 

[kugap]

1 hour ago, jfritz09 said:

This was her first time writing a drama screenplay. She had written scripts for several well-known movies like The Handmaiden (which I’ve been meaning to watch but haven’t had the chance to) or Thirst, a quirky vampire movie.

Mother is Chung Seo-kyung's first drama but she was co-writer of all Park Chan Wook's movies since Lady Vengeance (except Stoker), I'm a cyborg, Thirst and recently The Handmaiden (which is probably my favorite movie of ALL TIME) who just won BAFTA for best foreign language film. These scripts are wriiten by four hands (she and PCW together) but you can see her influence through the strong independant female figures who started to rise in PCW's filmography.

 

As a male movie fan and an occasional kdrama viewer (I'm more kmovie fan than drama but I really loved Goblin or Because this is my first life), I hesitated to express my opinion because I'm not supposed to be the main audience addressed but anyway ... 

 

I was intrigued by this project because of the writer, synopsis, LBY and themes and I've been mesmerized and very moved from the 1st to last episode. I felt like I was watching a 16h movie (didn't mean not to look down on drama format) because I was so impressed by the mise en scene (clever choice to use 2:35 beautifully used instead of usual 1:85 tv format) , the music, the editing (severals unforgettable sequences throughout the drama), and the acting: all the actors are extraordinary, 2 moms, monster couple, the great LBY and of course Heo Yool.

Last time I saw the kid actor as brillant and phenomenal as she was Haley Joel Osment in 6th sense ( some part of Dafne Keen in Logan). She can express so much emotions with such a natural acting , to show her fragility, strength, sadness, happiness , sometimes all at the same time.. with such a natural and easiness that it is very troubling. I bet that in 8-10 years time, she will become an great actress (if she hasn't already been one) like the future Jeon do yeon or Kim Go Eun.

 

The script is formidably written with storyline tightly constructed with almost no fillers ( I sense it a little in ep 15)

and never forgetting the character developpement for each and every character even the smallest ones (young cop for exemple).

Mother is a perfect title for this story because we see many types of mother ( Soo Jin, Young Shin, Hong Hee, Ja young) and the writer gives life to all of them perfectly. We witness all of their journey through their beliefs and doubts, weakness and stength. The writer's never afraid of the main thematic : child abuse; other writers will try to avoid or diminish to please all audience but no ! Chung's got more cojones than everyone; she sticks to the main themes, never stray from them, never try to avoid the violence to please the crowd and looks staight into it. It is of course terrifying but the most terrifying is that these cases aren't even fiction and they happen in real life in front of our eyes ! Sometimes we try to ignore it when seeing it on news but that's the inevitable and horrible truth. Child abuse exists and we need to look straight into it to understand and make people aware of the causes and consequences.

There are so many memorable moments (sadness, suspense or cliffhangers)  in every single episode which is very impressive and rare for a drama. I'm not the person who get his eyes tear up easily (even though it happens more and more nowadays) but I think every episode made my eyes teared up more or less and so moved by the characters (especially Soo Jin and Yoon Book which are all reliable, even the monstrous ones (I can sort of understand how they became like this even if i can't forgive what they did) . There are moments where I was so heartbroken  (flashbacks of granny finger, end of episode 1,13 and 14) like i've never felt before a  drama which shows the accomplishment of the writer's job

 

I can easily say that this is my favorite drama so far. I smiled, I cried, i was moved, feared, mad. I was lucky and glad to follow the adventure and love story of these 2 beautiful souls. I was moved to see that bond of heart are as strong as (if not stronger at this case) bond of blood, one who just gave birth to a child isn't enough to call herself a mother and what it takes to become one,. I will cherish this drama with all my heart .

 

[Pam_Van Fossen]

Outstanding drama in all aspects.  One of my favorites so far.  Thank you all for enjoying and sharing your thoughts on "Mother"  with me.  

 

[Yippeun_eonnie]

5 hours ago, lclarakl said:

@msmy, @bedifferent, @frozentundra, @partyon, @jfritz09, @ihyuni, @Latte_Anyday, @Sharine Phinisia, @0ly40, @Yippeun_eonnie, @Tango27, @mxxella, @Chellsee, @not1but3, @Lunkera, @Pam_Van Fossen, @chickfactor, @irilight, @nat_phoenix88, @IBELIS, @UnniSarah, @jadecloud, @AnhH, @rosierosie, @Dhakra, @Katrina Abdul Talib, @auroredawn, @angelkhaterine1211, @Siufey71, @justamom, @titania1000, @tigro, @Berou, @Laurs, @tompark, @dothininhtrang

 

All, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreicated reading our posts. This thread was small, but the comments were thoughtful and heartfelt. I personally expected there to be crazy plot twists when I first started watching this drama; I thought these "mothers" had an ulterior motive. However, it didn't take long to learn that the writer was sharing a message of love--showing that just because you gave birth to a child, doesn't make you a mother. Just because you didn't give birth to a child, doesn't mean you can't be a mother.

 

There is a case currently in the news of a mother, along with her boyfriend, who killed her 4 year old daughter. Hearing the biological father in court screaming out his anguish at the death of his child, a child he was trying desperately to gain custody of, was heart wrenching. Child protective custody had performed 3 investigation with one underway.  After watching "Mother", I can understand even more why Soo Jin saved (kidnapped) Hye Na.

 

This drama is timely, well written and the acting is top notch. An added bonus was hanging out with you ladies and gentlemen. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

thanks for your thoughts too... i enjoy reading everything served in here...

At first I was hesitate to follow this drama, since previous Lee Bo Young drama with Lee Sang Yoon didn't wow me so much. And also the story line including little girl whose abused by a man makes me think few times to continue this... My heart was beating so fast when I met the Hye Na mom's boyfriend for the first time, when Hye Na just got home she was walking carefully because that man was playing games and she accidentally drop something and I just feel something worst will come.

 

When I saw scenes where Hye Na wandering alone late at night I can feel something is not right with her, but the drama keep attract me to watch for more. 

 

And of course Gu Jun Pyo eomma is one of my biggest reason to watch this drama. After a very long time not seeing her in drama it was happy to meet her again and yes I still adore her. The one that fit perfectly to play that kind of mom roles... rich, queen lookalike, high manner, difficult to handle, seem to be cod outside but a loving mom inside. Yes I love her and her farewell in this drama is unforgettable.

 

I love how Lee Bo Young continue challenge herself to pick dramas that left out romance, I can see how she portrait he self as a wife and mom in real life, she is very considerate person. 

 

See all of you in another thread... and Lee Bo Young shi.. see you again in your next project and congratulation to all the casts and PD team for making it success to the Cannes.... Congratulations for your hard work 

[abnoch]

This drama to me is a tribute, and also reminder, to all woman that choose to give their full carings and love for raising those small and fragile human that needs so much guide to be grown up, woman like that is someone to be cherished.

 

I've been thinking about my mother and my childhood a lot especially with this drama. Miss her so much. You can say I'm one of the victim of abused child far ago. From age 3-6 years old, my biological father was the perpetrator. My mom married wrong person, I can remember how she struggled so much. How lucky I am, she choosed to love me and never stop searched way with her healthy minds in a really difficult situation, 'till finally us could be free, even my mother is in really big lose (they divorced, all the money things, etc) and I found someone who truly I called father. She said "even when I lose, I'm winning". Because of that, if you know, John Legend - All of Me is one of a song that reminds me of them. I'm grateful that I can found the meanings of parent truly even they are not in this world anymore, their deep carings and love make me able to stand like this. I don't know if I'm not guided by them, I will become who. At age 4 and 5 I started to duplicate my perpetrator. So, yeah I'm terribly agree how important to give kindness and love, especially to children. 

 

I just like how the drama really raise the topic of humanity, children, of course.. Mother kindness, that bond despite biological things, it's pure conscience. Didn't quite experienced with Korean dramas as my post in drama section can be counted with own fingers, so hard to watch for, but this one is what I'm thankful about. 

 

Thank you, mother.

[lclarakl]

@abnoch, Thank you for sharing your personal story. I can say that I was never abused as a child. I was disciplined, received spankings, but never abused. However, I remember there was a boy in my kindergarten class who was being abused--he would be black and blue from his father beating him. I remember in class one day the teacher touched his shoulder and he yelp in pain. The teacher lifted his shirt and I will never forget the look of horror on her face. Being so young, I really didn't know what it meant until my parents explained it to me. His father was an abusive drunk.  I remember my classmate was always hunger and would eat out of the garbage where kids dumped their food trays. The school reported him to family and children services and they moved away. To this day, I wonder what happened to him. Did he become like his father, or did he become a protector of children.

 

I'm so happy that your mother found a good man to love and one that showed you what it means to have a real "father". Thanks again for sharing.

 

8 hours ago, Yippeun_eonnie said:

At first I was hesitate to follow this drama, since previous Lee Bo Young drama with Lee Sang Yoon didn't wow me so much. And also the story line including little girl whose abused by a man makes me think few times to continue this... My heart was beating so fast when I met the Hye Na mom's boyfriend for the first time, when Hye Na just got home she was walking carefully because that man was playing games and she accidentally drop something and I just feel something worst will come.

 

@Yippeun_eonnie, this paragraph captured exactly how I felt about this drama. My heart was beating too when Hye Na came home and the mother's boyfriend was there. I think for me, that's why I love this drama--it made me feel something with each episode. It invited us into Hye Na's journey of abuse and the woman, Soo Jin, who was determined to help her. Not just Soo Jin, but so many people were willing to help and put their job and reputation on the line.  This drama sucked me in.

 

 

11 hours ago, kugap said:

The script is formidably written with storyline tightly constructed with almost no fillers ( I sense it a little in ep 15)

and never forgetting the character developpement for each and every character even the smallest ones (young cop for exemple).

 

@kugap, loved reading your post. You mentioned another thing that I loved about this drama, it was truly a storyline that was "tightly constructed with almost no fillers". Each episodes passed by so quickly, I was surprised I had reached the end.  I know what you mean by episode 15, but I saw it as showing how life was moving on and passing of time; while still longing and not forgetting each other....coping.

 

 

11 hours ago, Dhakra said:

This drama was exceptional of creating a story and telling it. Although containing a very uncomfortable topic, the drama always felt calm. It never tried to impress or create a special story, it just took its time to tell you a story without being crazy. I never had the feeling to see something that I could not believe.

 

That's what impressed me the most I guess, the drama never lost it's initial track. It delivered a lot of feeling, precious words & moments without actually telling them. It just had a natural flow, where every moment had a moment so naturally shine.

 

Mother really is a gem and a drama I won't forget so easily.

 

@Dhakra, you captured my feelings exactly! This drama truly never got sidetracked, it stayed focused on its central theme. I love how it showed Hye Na's biological mother was distracted by an awful man, and we have Soo Jin who wasn't distracted by a good man.  It's my hope, the romantic in me, that the doctor and Soo Jin will find love in the future.

 

[abnoch]

@lclarakl at that time, I was the one who beated up physically, kinda like hostage, that damage my mother mentally. And my area tradition was strict.. I'm thankful for these kinds of dramas, deliver the importance to pay attention to kids, to surround you. Not just woman that has role of a mother but as a man too, how it impacts are great. Awareness to become protector, that's all. Thank you for being human, like, real human

[lclarakl]

4 hours ago, abnoch said:

@lclarakl at that time, I was the one who beated up physically, kinda like hostage, that damage my mother mentally. And my area tradition was strict.. I'm thankful for these kinds of dramas, deliver the importance to pay attention to kids, to surround you. Not just woman that has role of a mother but as a man too, how it impacts are great. Awareness to become protector, that's all. Thank you for being human, like, real human

 

@abnoch, hearing your story makes me so sad for the child who had to go through this, but I'm also so happy for the person you are now. You have an awareness that some of us don't.  I'm so happy that you and your mother found happiness.

[frozentundra]

@abnoch Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am so sorry that you (and your mother) had to go through this, and so glad that you were able to finally have a "real" father. 

 

I feel like it's so important for stories like this to seep into every bit of the planet and open up important conversations on this topic. Every person has worth and deserves love, especially vulnerable children. Sharing a drama this says, abuse like this isn't right, let's stop this and find a better way. Let's clear the air and open up discussions and find solutions. 

 

As for the drama, ep 15, I think the issue was simply that you had to let that period of probation pass, or it wouldn't be realistic. (There was a 10 year gap before a reunion in the original--thank you, Korean writer for not doing that to us.) So you had to fill in that space with something. But yes, it had beautiful plot and pacing, besides the outstanding performance of all actors.

[Katrina Abdul Talib]

Very2 touching indeed.. we get to peep into whts going in in the minds of adopted kids, esp those being abandoned.

 

We have few being adopted in our family.. usually this subject is taboo and not discussed in the open, most often secret is never revealed to them at least until they reach adulthood.

 

But for those who knew (like SJ here) including me, I often wondered how they must have felt not knowing their own roots.. 

[Chellsee]

"Mother - Drama" Nominated for 1st Cannes International Series Festival

 

 

In some surprising and exciting news, "Mother - Drama" has been selected as a competitor for the first ever CANNESERIES, Cannes International Series Festival. My cynicism over awards and dislike for the support Cannes has shown for problematic figures aside, this is a great opportunity for Korean content abroad.

 

Cannes representative Alvin Lewi has stated that only 10 series from 9 countries were selected, and that he is personally glad to see "Mother - Drama" on board. The series festival will be the main event of the MIPTV 2018 (Marché International des Programmes de Télévision or The Global TV and Digital Content Market). "Mother - Drama" has accomplished no small achievement, as the series made it in against 130 contenders.

 

 

The 10 selected will have their first episodes screened at the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, with "Mother - Drama" specifically screening on April 9th, at 12:00 PM CET. The ceremony will be held on April 11th, and the red carpet event will be attended by director Kim Cheol-gyoo, writer Jeong Seo-kyeong and leading actresses Lee Bo-young and Heo Yool-I. Writer Jeong Seo-kyeong previously attended for her film "The Handmaiden", and now she brings the first ever Korean drama to Cannes.

 

Meanwhile, Studio Dragon director Park Jee-young has stated "We are glad that "Mother - Drama" has been received as a quality drama. Currently, the reality of child abuse in society is much more painful than in the drama. "Mother - Drama" is about motherhood and family. We think that the drama is very timely. I'd like to thank the brilliant actors of "Mother - Drama", as well as director Kim Cheol-gyoo and writer Jeong Seo-kyeong for their outstanding work".

 

My personal joy over this nomination does not only come from the possibility of Korean drama content becoming more known to the world, but from what this could mean about its creators being more daring with the quality of their shows. In an ideal world, the work's great local and global reception will be a case for solid writing, good acting and strong characters.

 

Of course, cynical me is just waiting for the barrage of sensationalist, tear-jerker parent-child stories trying to replicate this. Unfortunately, big industries are run by persons who largely care about the monetary aspect of things, leading them to chase after the non-existent recipe for success, rather than good content, or the value of entertainment as art, and as a society- and person-changing medium.

 

Will "Mother - Drama" be another stepping stone into giving creators that ever-elusive freedom to reach for quality over popularity, will copycats appear, or will this simply be another ceremony and another day in Dramaland? I don't have the answer to that, but I do know that "Mother - Drama" deserves every praise, and every recognition it has been and will be given.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

https://www.hancinema.net/orion-s-daily-ramblings-mother--drama-nominated-for-1st-cannes-international-series-festival-116635.html

[Tango27]

 

 

one of the differences of the show from the original is that madam cho is the one who takes center stage while in the original its the birth mother who apparently have sacrificed herself while SJ have killed the abusing man as a child , though it was never explained 

the change of focus as well as giving the show a korean flavor ( the PD SAID THE JAP ORIGINAL WAS TOO DRY ) IT might also to stress the effect of the sub adoptive mother to put her and SJ in the same woven thread 

Spoiler

 

 

Goodbye, world.

 

credits @jkdramaniac