Dear My Friends (2016)

What a breath of fresh air from the usual Asian dramas that seem popular on Netflix and Viki. I am growing increasingly tired of silly romances between 20 somethings and wanted to watch something more heartfelt among older actors. Dear My Friends fit the bill with wonderfully talented veteran actors that kept you laughing and crying at every episode.

Park Wan is a young woman with a tragic past that just wants to live a happy life as best she can. Unfortunately, her mother and her mother's friends take up much of her time. Although she sees them as an inconvenience, she soon realizes how indispensable they are to her own well being and that, despite their advanced ages, they all have rich stories to tell and impart loving wisdom with a deep sincerity.

This drama is so beautifully written that you grow to care for all the characters--strong women who have withstood all kinds of obstacles to get where they are today. Despite the lack of patience Wan has for her Aunties, she cares and respects them very much, each treating her as beloved daughter and seeking her assistance with mishaps much to her dismay.

The mother/daughter relationship is explored between young adult daughter to middle aged mom, and middle aged daughter to octogenarian mom; each relationship bringing its own painful past and hopeful future. Each woman has her own story to tell and Park Wan lovingly writes each story into her book when she at last realizes that her Aunties are the best subjects to explore her creativity.

I found myself needing a hanky with almost each episode. They made me wish these aunties were a part of my life, celebrating the beautifully strong women they are and wondering what kind of old woman I will one day become. The OST is beautiful and well put together for the situations in the drama.

I highly recommend this outstanding drama.

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Wisdom personified

This masterpiece by writer Noh Hee Kung is a heart wrenching and hopeful look at moments of multilayered joy, tragedy, love, regret, and life through the eyes of a young woman as she captures the experiences of a group of elderly friends.

Don't be fooled by the cutesy poster for this drama. It is not roses and nostalgia. You cannot watch this to fawn over "cute old people" as objects that are used to bring a smile. Instead, you will be absorbed into a cascade of real life struggles, emotions, and deep relationships spanning decades and generations. I strongly believe this show should actually come with a trigger warning. The hardships depicted include family violence, suicide, emotional abuse, intergenerational trauma, and plenty of tragedy. It looks at how the past connects to the present and the future, and shapes the way we move in the world. When life gets heavy, you draw upon your personal experiences, and try to overcome obstacles any way you can. And you help your friends because you understand them the way no one else does. The show captures layered lifetimes of memories, relationships, and moments, as the cast bring their characters to life expertly. The actors deliver quality like no ensemble I have ever seen. When you reflect on the superb performances, it becomes clear that hundreds of years of life experience (not to mention acting talent) comes together to leave you breathless and in awe.

The script is phenomenal. The direction by Hong Jong Chan is confident and classy. The actors are incredible, nuanced, and detailed. Everything in this show exudes experience as it tells a both tragic and beautiful story.

The cast is the obvious highlight, including: Kim Hye Ja as the dazed Hee Ja, Na Moon Hee as the determined and kind Jung Ah, Youn Yuh Jung as the always-learning spinster Choong Nam, Park Won Sook as the kind-all-over Young Won, Go Doo Shim as the sassy business woman Nan Hee, and Kim Young Ok as Nan Hee's mother who understands so much more than she lets on. These women embody resilience and sisterhood in the most wise and willing ways. They accept and understand each other with the subtlety and depth that only decades-long relationships can foster. Then there are the men: Shin Goo as Suk Gyun, Jung Ah's ignorant husband, and Joo Hyun as Sung Jae, the learned retired lawyer. The men are smaller players in the story, supporting the women as they shine.

The supporting cast is just as amazing. I think their performances are a reflection of the show's writing and direction. My favorites include Yeom Hye Ran as Jung Ah's adopted daughter, Lee Kwang Soo as Hee Ja's son, and Jang Hyun Sung as the handsome guitar man. They occupy only a little screen time and yet they have dimension and help to show us so much about the main group of women.

Finally, Go Hyun Jung as Park Won, the young woman who tells the story, is just fantastic. She exudes naïve passion, love, and longing as she observes and participates as both a part of the group and an outsider. Her character experiences rich moments of understanding as she plays her part on the borrowed wisdom of her elders.

I only have two small complaints. First, the younger people in the story needed more dimension. They get a big chance to reflect on their relationships with their parents when Park Won invites them to talk about it for her book but they don't use it. Secondly, the very last bit of the show lost some steam. Maybe it's because it's impossible to sum up the loose ends in 9 interconnected lifetimes.

If you are looking for something with depth that just keeps digging deeper, and an appreciation for what life experience and wisdom can teach us, this is the show for you. It is anything but boring and cutesy. It is everything you want to watch when you need a break from unbelievable teenage love triangles and fantasy. You don't swoon over this one; you grow.

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So sweet. I wanted to watch this since I knew it was about older people. I'm not "old" but sometimes I get weary of watching actors who are at least 15 years younger than me have all the fun. :D Many folks find this one a little sad. At times, it can be, because it's about life and sometimes life is a little sad. But the sweet moments of friendship make this drama shine. I really loved the soundtrack (which is fantastic) and felt it brought a lightness to the show in addition to the comedic moments. This drama is worthwhile for old and young alike though it can be hard to find online. It really makes me appreciate my "old" friends and those friendships that have endured through my own life's challenges. It also gives hope that those friendships will only mean more as time marches on.

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The worst thing you did was not realizing your true value.

I just watched this drama out of boredom, i wanted a slice of life recommendation and this came out. If a book has good reads, this one is a good find kdrama! It does exceed my expectations. I cried every episode, really. This kdrama will make you realize what is long lasting friendship is all about, an unconditional love, an emotional support, a character development of a sexist, and a journey of a squad through their ups and downs. Also, the struggle of their children.

It is kinda like Reply 1988 (old squad version) but I like it more because I literally cried a bucket every episode.
thank you for the healing #DearMyFriends
one of the many things I learned is how selfish we are (children) for not knowing our parents' heartaches and stories. This series also reminds us that we are busy growing up (children), not knowing our parents are one step closer to their deaths.

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Another Beautiful Story from Writer Noh

'Dear My Friends' is another slice of life story from the celebrated screenwriter Noh Hee Kyung. Watching this reminds me of what I felt when I watched 'My Mister' - so beautiful that I don't want to miss a single episode. It's a story that features people who are in their twilight years, one that is rarely featured in today's Korean dramas. Props to Writer Noh for not making the story complicated, and for the wonderful ensemble of veteran actors. Surprisingly, the soundtrack is also worth listening to.

It's a refreshing drama with a heartwarming take on friendship, love, and living your life until your final years.

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I didn't think I would enjoy this drama as much as I did. I thought it would be a boring drama about the sad lives of elderly but I couldn't be more wrong. The more I watched, the more connected I felt to the characters and loved the character growth, friendships, the relationships, and the characters.

I loved Kwang soo's and Go Hyun Jung's roles in this drama especially. I liked how much Kwang soo cared for his mother in this drama, when her other sons neglected her. Go Hyun Jung's love hate relationship with her mother is something I could relate to very well, and her romantic relationship with Jo In Sung was awesome as well. I laughed, cried and learnt a lot of life lessons along the way.

I also envied the strong bonds between the elderly friends even after so many years had passed. I've lost contact with a lot of my friends from the past and wish that I wouldn't be lonely in the future and would also have friends like them by my side.

The only thing I would want them to change is the number of episodes. I think I wouldn't mind watching 20-32 ep of this drama.

This is easily a 10/10 for me! Would love a season 2 with different characters but similar vibes. If anyone is thinking whether to watch this or not, well like I always say, give the first 1-2 eps a try. If you don't like it, just drop it, no one is forcing you to continue watching anyway. If you like it, then great, I'm sure you would love the rest of the episodes as well. Have fun watching!

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This gold is too real &pure with no fantasy.

At times we think that our life our circumstances are the toughest. But little do we know everyone has the same misery. There is this blessing ,a wild card which makes it easier to face them -the blessing of having true friends.

Story- For me it is a story of old people , a group of friends while trying to deal with their oldage problems show us to enjoy all the little things and have a good laugh whether it is a photoshoot for your funeral photos or just watching tv and planning trips.
I seriously was going to drop this drama after the 4th ep as it was too heavy and real but the story became too interesting after 6th ep . I’m glad I didn’t drop it.

2 things I want to take from this drama-
1) Have a cup of tea or coffee with my friends atleast twice a week even when i grow old.
2) Do a casual photoshoot for my parents and their friends or siblings once in my lifetime.
Grab a box of tissue and get ready to learn some life lessons from our dear friends.

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Beautiful Life Drama - MUST WATCH

۰ A very heartwarming, slice-of-life drama that made me cry so much. This drama included many life lessons & has a different approach to the lives of the older generation. The stories of each character felt so raw and real. This added to the overall quality of the drama.

I felt so affected by the stories because it did make me think and relate it to my own life. If a drama can do that, then I know it's a good one!

۰ Top-tier cast
The cast did an absolute wonderful job in portraying their characters. Each cast member and their character fit so well to the overall drama.

I highly recommend this drama!

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I want friends like them!!!!

I loved this drama!
I loved Jeong a's and hui ja's friendship. I mean their friendship was the sweetest. they were always there for each other. Their friendship was so cute that it was heart-fluttering than most romance dramas that I've watched.
I liked wan's personality and she is really relateable
It is really funny and heart-warming. (Okay this might not make sense but..)It increased my confidence.
This drama (mostly the last dialogue) inspired me to live my life to the fullest and to live in the moment.
I cried a lot but I liked it.
You will not regret watching this drama.

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Big feels

This is a very moving story, funny one minute, infuriating the next.
It shows an older generation, warts and all. The sexism toward women and changing culture toward older people is obvious and plays a pivotal part of the story.
Aging is different for everyone and the many facets of it are wrapped up, sometimes messily, here.
The saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, goes out the window in this story, especially for one quite awful character who gets a big wake up call. He redeems himself, but I could never like nor forgive him his past behaviour.
Lasting friendships through thick and thin, good and bad times, highs and lows, are heart warming. Misunderstandings, selfishness, only seeing ones own problems, all have consequences that are eloquently played out.
Seeing one's own grown up child treated so badly it causes anguish and anger, is a lesson that should be taught to everyone who's ever bullied or abused (whether mentally or physically) a partner themselves.... most people are someone's beloved child.
A poignant drama so worth watching. The cast were amazing. I loved it in a very strange way, as there were times I got really angry, but that's what a wonderfully acted drama draws out of me.

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Beautiful

It's a beautiful and heartwarming drama which delves into the lives of a group of elderly people.
What's interesting is to see the way each of them chose to live the remainder of their life as they know death can come knocking at their door anytime.

Each of the characters are portrayed with their flaws and quality which makes the drama all the more realistic.

We not only see them in their day to day life but we also get to see some of the moments that defined them in their youth -to help us understand the person we deal with presently.

I liked that each of the characters had their own identity without being cliché.

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