Can You Hear My Heart (2011)

'Can You Hear My Heart' has a lot of the same drama tropes that most, 30 + episode melodramas have: Revenge plot, evil parents, childhood trauma, childhood love. It had some of the same archetypes: The evil antagonist, the chaebol hero, the innocent, unassuming heroine. It could have been a standard melodrama lost in a sea of other melodramas. But it is not. I loved every one of the 30 episodes of Can You Hear My Heart. Two things that made me fall in love and stay there for this drama:

1) The Characters and primarily their core relationships made this story extraordinary. Cha Dong Ju and Bong Woo Ri and their love story; once it began there was no wavering. It was a solid loving relationship that had the perfect mix of sweetnes, spark and friendship. Bong Woo Ri and her father and grandmother; when you watch, you will realize why this family is so special. Cha Dong Ju and Bong Ma Ru; their brotherhood, their bromance and the way they loved and looked out for each other. There were countless ways in which these core relationships and the love that sustained them, helped them overcome the trials they went through. Now that this show is over I feel like the message at the core of this drama is sometimes, in spite of blood ties or the lack of, your family is made up of the people you choose and those who have chosen you. It is sacrifice, loyalty and never giving up on or hoping for, the person you love with all your heart.

2) The writing was very solid. It felt like there was a real story line trajectory rather than on the fly, off the cuff script writing that sometimes takes place to appease the masses/ratings. I got the feeling this story was planned from the start and stayed on course. There were beautiful words brought to life on screen by the actors. My above raving about the characters and friendships wouldn't exist without this writer's insight and story telling ability. The themes of family, loyalty and love rose above the necessary story/drama propulsion of revenge, hate and hardships.

There were other things to love as well. The cinematography was great. It was a pretty sweeping story as 30 episode dramas tend to be, so the sweeping views and pretty color palette fit the story and scope.

I loved the way they handled Cha Dong Ju's deafness. He was such a strong character all throughout the story. He had moments of fear and uncertainty but mostly he was brave and wonderful. The "writing" always treated the physically or mentally challenged characters with dignity...even if some of the characters within the story didn't always do the same. Does that make sense?

It is a testament to good story telling the 30 episodes went by pretty quick. The angst wasn't so constant and prolonged that you felt wrung dry emotionally. Lots of light moments in between! There was never I time I felt I wanted to drop this show or give up. Actually, I'm kind of sad it is over. It is a wonderful Drama! Give it a try if you are hesitating.

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i wish it kept going .. After watching this whole drama, i had to say this is my fav on air dramas out of all the ones i was watching... Maa Roo was very scary at times .. but splendid acting from all the characters.. i was a little annoyed by Dong Choo\''s mom at times but she had her reasons :P .. To me, it is such a heart warming drama. Story is different and written beautifully as it introduced disabilities in a very unique manner i.e deafness and mental disability. i really like how they introduced disability and how others react to it. They showed how people struggle from special needs parents or how accepting and understanding children were to special needs parents. it was really touching... i dont want to go into details and ruin all the fun... but its a great drama of betrayal,greed, love, friendship, relations, revenge and disability. The story started off when all the main actors were little and gradually they told the backgrounds of every character. Characters growth are really good and acting is superb. I really liked how every person had a reason to be who they were and what they did..Dong choo\''s smile is very killing... Her and bong Woori\''s chemistry , their love and romance was really light yet so0o adorable throught the drama .. i had to add few things in my review... I fell in love with the music...(first time:P) esp male ost who sung the main song.. though it didnt have a lot of background songs, i was satisfied with just one song that played again and again ..02.
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am glad they ended it so beautifully .. but am so sad that it all came to an end :( ... i want more of CYHMH ...

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OUTSTANDING.

A drama to remember, a drama to must see, a drama to cry for, a drama to watch with a loved one. (Watched this alone)


This certainly an exceptional drama. I have a confession; I must admit the reason as to why I watched this drama in the first place. A while ago, when I was looking for a drama/movie, I saw "100 Days With Mr Arrogant." Though the plot and writing wasn't of the best, I fell in love. Yes, I fell in love... The man who stole my heart was none other than Kim Jae Won. I fell head over heals for that man, something about his charisma, not the mention looks hooked me.

Almost a week later, I found CYHMH, I didn't know anything about it and I thought it looked boring, so at first I didn't bother watching it... After re-watching 100 days for the 3 time, I found out that Kim Jae Won acted in CYHMH as well. It was right there and then when I started watching CYHMH.

I can honestly say, this was the best choice of drama I made since "Jewel in the palace," and "You're beautiful."

The cast was vibrant and connectable with the audience.
Kim Sae Ron, one of my favourite child actresses did an exceptional job. It wasn't the same acting as in "The man from nowhere," but I can certainly say this girl was born to be on television. I am afraid I don't know the other two child actors, but I must say, they also did an exceptional job.

Starting out light and fluffy, this drama had the glance of another drama, but it turned out to be much more in the matter of four episodes. Brooding teen, foolish father, bright/cheery step-sister, handicap step-mother, alcoholic grandmother, scheming father, sweet mother willing to kill for her child, greedy mother who is will to sacrifice her child, sweet grandfather, and sweet teenage boy with a bright smile. Yep, what a plot and variation of cast. Oh my. Every character was brought to life in the first few episodes.

The fast forward to 16 years, oh boy. Young Master Dong Joo grew in to an exceptional young man, Bong Woo Ri a beautiful young woman, and Bong Ma Roo was a heart throb of a doctor.

The writing seemed well planed and well written which was properly showcased by the cast. The character I felt most at one with was Nam Goong Min. His role in the story made my heart throb more than anything. Every tear he shed cause me to break down into tears as well. He acted his role with such passion and pride. Kim Jae Won as well as Hwang Jung Eum did wonderful jobs also.

The entire cast was beautiful, but the characters that stood out for me the most were; Bong Ma Roo/Jang Joon Ha, Hwang Soon Geum, Bong Young Gyu and Tae Hyung Sook. They had the hardest roles to play and did wonderful jobs.


Overall, I don't regret finishing this drama, every hour, every minute, every day I spent watching it was all worth it.

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I usually have to watch at least 2 or 3 episodes of any drama to get into it. Same goes for my all time favorite Secret Garden. The show didn't capture me until the first three episodes. But CYHMH is the first drama that only took fifteen minutes to get me in. The plot is so simple yet so intricate. The characters are conflicted and the actors do a fabulous job in portraying them perfectly.
CYHMH has everything a melodrama should have. The love story, which is so cute, the family problems, revenge-that's a big one, sibling fights, humor, and loads of drama that'll just blow your mind! The show does get serious at some point and make you think of a simple situation in several ways. But that's the beauty of it. JunHa/Ma Roo did scare me at times, he looked so freaking mad, but I guess he has a good reason for it.
I love the Cha DongJu and Jang Junha pair. They are so adorable together! And I just can't get enough if Kim Jae Wons smile. As I mentioned before, the actors were amazing depicting the characters lives. I wouldn't say it's very realistic cause I'm pretty sure things like that don't really happen in the real world, but it accurately shows the struggles and pain people of different status go through, whether they're chaebols or middle class people.
This is definately a drama people should watch. You won't regret it. It's got a good message too.

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Hello everyone! This is my first time writing a review and I'll definitely do my best to write a good and helpful one. So let's begin:

WOW, just WOW. I'm so impressed with this drama! There's absolutely no words words to describe how good it is. Although I'm a guy, I was soooo
touched and neverthless made my laugh at the same time... This is a drama that made influence of what I do and choose in life. People might think that this just a drama to watch for fun, and yes I agree but at the same time it is touching and will leave a lesson for everyone. So, If you want to watch a drama where comedy, family, revenge, romance, bromance, happy moments and sad moments are involved, WATCH IT NOW!

Story: The story isn't just outsandting, it is an absolute masterpiece. The writting was amaizing. Credit to the writer, she/he did an amaizing job to keep the balance between the story. I just couldn't ask for more and was left speechless! I really loved how the writer managed to hold the comedy, romance, revenge at right moments. So the writer was never left out of ideas, she/he always came up with new ones and kept you entertained. EVERY SINGLE EPISODES KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SIT. Forgot to say that! It's just an amaizing story!

Acting/Cast: The director choosed right actors/actresses in this drama. Everyone did an incredible job. Noone can argue with that. I was very moved by the acting, espcially by Jong Bo-Seok and NAM GOONG MIN! Nam goong min should get the most credit for his acting in this drama. He didn't a thing wrong. Portrayed his character amaizingly without any sort of problem. His acting and character was really touching and good! But I can't really say that anyone failed to portray their own characters. Everyone did it SOOOOOOOOOO well.

Let's not forget the child actors/actresses, they were out of this world! Now, I'm someone who dosen't like to see child actors in dramas but I was so into them that barely noticed that they were just the child actors. Credit to them, can'´t take anything away from them. Carried the drama really good.

I was also impressed with the directing. The director, as everyone in this drama, did an amaizing job to get the best out of the cast!!

Music: I didn't really pay that much attention to the music but it had it's own parts when it carried the touching scenes! It was really good, I've got to say that!

Rewatch: I usually don't rewatch dramas but I just have to rewatch this one to not forget the lessons it gave me. And not only that, the comedy scenes were top notch. Unforgettable.

Overall: This is a must watch and I really mean it! If you haven't seen it yet, WATCH IT. Don't think twice, just watch it! You'll get to see everything you want to see, and all in one drama, what more could you ask for? This is what I call a real MASTERPIECE! 10/10!!

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I wasn't really looking forward to watching Can You Hear My Heart just because the summary made it sound like it was going to be really weird/boring. But I love Hwang Jung Eum & Nam Goong Min and read positive reviews for it so decided I would try the first episode out...

Story- the first few episodes told the child stories. Normally I’ll fast forward through these because I don’t have the patience but I found the story compelling already. By the time the time the adult characters come on you are already immersed into the story and wanting to see how these damaged characters grew up and how they come together. This drama made me laugh and cry. The ending was just perfect=)

Acting/Cast- The acting was perfect by everyone. I am a new fan of Kim Jae Won! He portrayed his deaf character so well. Really spectacular acting by NGM. His character had so many layers and he was able to portray his complex character so well that I was able to feel Maru’s pain.

Music- Lovely score.

Rewatch- I’d watch this again in 2 years. That will give me enough time to forget a lot that happened. I loved the cast so i would want to see this again sooner than later.

Overall for a drama that is 30 eps, it is worth the watch because it’s so well written and acted.

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My first drama over 24 episodes became one of the best dramas I'd ever seen for 2011! I've lost count how many times I've watched this since the first time watching it! The acting was superb by both the child actors as well as the adults! I became a fan for life to the principal actors, Nam Goong Min, Kim Jae Won, and Hwang Jung Eum; couldn't wait to watch other dramas/movies with them as characters. Everything about this drama is wonderful! You watch a romance that started as children continue to grow as adults with little conflict in relations to how they feel about each other. The stories about each of the characters is amazing. The supporting actors Lee Hye Young, Jung Bo Suk and Yoon Yeo Jeong is amazing! There are so many aspects of this drama which are very good. From the acting, cinematography and music; no stone was left unturned and the writers made sure that the story flowed! What else can I say without giving details except, this is a must-see!

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I was skeptical at first to watch this drama because of the MANY episodes it has. I easily get bored at most of the Korean dramas and I thought they're kinda draggy. There are only few dramas that I finished till end just because I was bored and no other choice but to watch it to fast my time. So this drama kinda belong to the rare dramas I actually finished but I really enjoy.

Adding up to my disinterest to watch this was the poor synopsis available on-line. "A deaf man who pretends he can hear and an intelligent girl who pretends to be dumb" How can anyone be interest in that kind of synopsis? So I actually REALLY have no intention to ever watch this until I came across to a certain reviewer who happened to have the same interest/kind w/ mine. So I decided to give it a try on one fine day when I was bored. And just the episode one. It totally won me over.

And the mere fact that I like a beautiful cinematography, I stayed for this drama. The scenes are beautiful and relaxing. This actually convinced me to visit Korea someday! Just by the sceneary, I can say that this is a masterpiece!

About the acting aspects... I'm not very familiar with most of the actors in here. I knew the two actors (Kim Jae Won and his mother) in faces but not w/ their names. So everyone is new to me. All of them delivers perfectly! I feel for them. The guy who act as a mentally handicap was such a good actor. He played it well. And the granny, she is so realistic! Cha Dong Joo's portrayal of a deaf man (though it was not 100% realistic since I was really waiting for him to fail w/ all the lip reading, it never happened)pretending he can hear is so brilliant! He acted it so well and beautifully! Bong Ma Ru, at first his appearance doesn't appeal to me coz he seems not charismatic but as I see him interact w/ his bro CDJ, I'm seeing him in a different light! He is a true talent! How can he do those almost tearing acting? So brilliant! Their mother, Taek Su, she's so effective! Though she is crazy I actually understand why she's doing all those. Then, Bong Woo Ri, I actually find her character loud and annoying at the beginning. I even wished that the main OTP should have been CDJ and BMR but eversince she appears w/ CDJ. I like her more and more. I think CDJ and BWR has the most chemistry I have seen onscreen. Their just too cute for words! Let's not forget the bromance coz this scenario rarely happen in kdramaworld! I just have to say, the two brothers have an endearing chemistry! At first, I was rooting for them to be together LOL. And it breaks my heart when BMR turned dark coz it means no more bromance!

The music.... kinda corny... But the song "GOOD PERSON" won me over. And can the song be any sweeter when it was sung by our CDJ?

On being re watchable.. I had watched it twice! And glad I did coz there are few scenes I missed. And it didn't hurt it all coz I trully love everything about this drama..

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This is gonna be my all-time-favorite Drama.

I enjoyed every episode. There were just 2 episode that were a little bit boring but the rest was absolutely awesome. The acting, OST, storyline, chemistry, everything was flawless.

The performances of the kids were great. It's hard to believe that this was Kang Chan Hee's debut (young Dong Joo). He was so natural in his acting.

I was surprised by Hwang Jung Eum. This actress would be a major reason to not watch this show. But I am glad that I decided to watch this. I really hated her in "Giant". Her acting was so annoying (facial expression, speech, everything). But that was not the case with "Can you hear my heart". She portrayed Bong Woo Ri well, so that I forgot that she is an actress I actually can't stand. She was so funny and adorable.



The bromance in this drama was funny. Kim Jae Won and Nam Goong Min sure have a great chemistry. I loved their relationship.

There are usually at least one character that I dislike in a Drama, because this character is annoying or whatever. But that's not the case here. Each character was well portrayed and you could see that each character was well developed.

This is indeed a masterpiece that I recommend to everyone who wants to watch a Drama which has a plot with a deep meaning.

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WHAT A BRILLIANT DRAMA!!! I love it I love it I LOVE IT!!! It's such a wonderful. I usually hate watching melodramas because they usually are so long but this was so worth it. I didn't really want to watch this drama at first because I really really hate sad dramas and I hate crying in them but I just couldn't stop myself from watching it. After every episode I finished, it just left me at the edge of my seat and I just couldn't stop. It is so good. The plot of the drama was just amazing. I really would like to just give the writers two thumbs up for making a brilliant drama! The characters were so very well played in the drama. When they cried, I cried; when they laughed, I laughed; when they got angry, I wanted to punch the computer! The drama is just brilliant. I think that is the only things I can really describe it as, BRILLIANT!!!!!!

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Brace yourself, its a long review. Please bear with me ^_^

Its just been few seconds since i finished this drama and I am coming here to rave about it. Let me tell you one thing and that is once you are finished with this drama you won't forget it. This is one of those sweeping dramas that are epic, heartbreaking and awesome at the same time.
The story is well written and driven and i never felt the show dragged even though my nerves did feel raw because of the heartbreak this show made me go through.

In Kim Jae Won I found an actor who is a rare gem and someone who needs to be more recognized for his acting abilities. He as Dong Joo nailed the role. I can't imagine anyone doing it better than him the role of a man who pretends to hear and when he makes a mistake just smooths it over with a smile. Jae Won is gifted with a smile that could move an iceberg. When he smiles you know you are smiling too.

What the drama did was made us realize that just because someone is handicapped doesnt mean they become less than human. The drama treated them with respect and dignity and i never felt that any of the characters were weak because of it. Dong Joo is a a guy who is strong and vulnerable at the same time. He isn't like normal kdrama heroes who are jerks but someone who loves and loves unconditionally. He loved his woman and was not a noble idiot like most heroes are. He had a warm heart that only needed some polishing by our beloved heroine.

The romance is pretty solid and Dong Joo and Woo Ri make an amazing pair and their is enough spark and cuteness in this two to make you fangirl over them like crazy. I am fangirling over them right now while writing this. They are just so cute and lovely together. Their courtship is given so much depth and intense emotion that now i am spoiled forever for any other guy but Dong Joo... :D

We have a heroine who is naive and may seem stupid but she is one of the strongest leads you will meet in dramaland. She has gone through stuff most of us would die than go through. She is gifted with a lot of heart and lot of love and she gives it unconditionally.

Bong Ma Roo is another character who i loved and hated at the same time. Dong Joo and Ma Roo can probably make a drama of their own bromance.I wish the director would give us another drama where it can be filled with these two's bromance.Their love for each other was sweet,profound and one for which they could die rather than give up upon.

Apart from strong acting and strong romance what this drama had and gave to me and taught me was that the saying "blood is thicker than water" is wrong. None of the characters in this play stay together because they have common blood between them but because they chose to love and live together and go through trials like its just another day. This drama taught that love aint ever easy but something that requires patience, sacrifice and a lot more for it to come to fruition and bring happiness.

Bong Woo Ri's family is a dream family where though they nag and swear all the time they are ready to lay lives in a second for their family. This drama teaches you so much that most people don't even take the time to look at in real life.

What this show taught me is that forgiving is not always easy but it is the first step towards healing oneself. It showed me that family is always their for your support and that is why it is a family. It showed me that loving my man is going to come with its own baggage but something that i can handle. It also taught me that every second person in this world is unhappier than me and is probably leading a more miserable life than me. What it taught me was to smile at life's folly and to take it in a stride and smile and endure and maybe after all the pain and heartbreak the sun will shine upon us and make this world a happier place.

I haven't loved characters in a long time as i have loved them in this drama. Apart from one character who is the only villain of the show i loved everyone in it. Each character grew and brought something to my 30+ hours of screen time.

The music was hauntingly beautiful and brought the emotions that the characters were feeling to the maximum. It complimented the mood of the show and with beautiful cinematography just made me sigh in happiness.

My low rewatch value is due to the fact that this is a gem better enjoyed once and not be repeated often or it will loose its essence.

I do not claim that this drama is without flaws but it is not overtly angsty and has quite a few light moments as well. I love it with its flaws and all. This drama is like a slow burning candle which gives warmth slowly but something that will last.

My 2 days that were spent in gawking/screaming/laughing at my laptop screen is evidence that this drama is not to be missed. It will fill your heart with happiness and your face with smiles.

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