I just want to start out by saying that I have never seen the Japanese version. Hence I can't make connections between the two. However, I know one thing that's for sure. This is objectively the best korean-drama that I have probably watched out of the 200+ dramas that I've watched in my lifetime. This drama deserves a perfect score for its story, acting/cast, and its rewatch value. This drama is so much more than what is mentioned in the synopsis on this page. Some main topics from the drama include: kidnapping, child abuse, attempted murder/murder, family, police chase, adoption, and most importantly what it means to be a mom. This drama takes the term mother/mom or "eomma" to a whole new level. The term is not always brought up lightly, like when we refer to the person who gave birth to us. It has so much more meaning in this drama. You'll have to watch this drama to see what I mean. I think this is a must watch drama for everyone out there, because it has something in common that we can all relate to. We all have mothers that gave birth to us, whether she's alive or dead, whether we like her or not.

Story: [10/10] I most often give 10s to dramas in this category when the show has a very complex plot, or when it tells a very good story about a particular topic. I.e. the best romance will get a 10, or the the best melodrama that I've ever seen will get a 10. I admit that originally the idea of a mom kidnapping a child did not sound too appealing to me. However, I saw that the MDL community gave this show a 9.2. It made me curious enough to watch the show. Now I understand why the show received the score that it did. I mean this show honestly threw so many different k-drama show topics into the show as well. It had a little bit of medicine, news reporting, courtroom drama, crime, and a rich family all thrown into one show. The end result was a show with a delicate and complex story about how a woman kidnaps a girl and their journey through the kidnapping as well as what happens afterwords. The story honestly had a great beginning, middle, and end. My favorite part was probably the last third of the story. I think I cried like 4 times in the last two episodes for multiple reasons.

Acting/Cast: [11/10] Oh my goodness. I simply loved the character/family in this drama!!! So much that I give them an extra bonus point in this area! I generally watch shows with famous actors/actresses that I really like. I originally was not too interested in the cast. However, as the show went on, I begin to fall in love with all the characters. I'm not sure if it's the acting, or if it's the great plot... However it seemed that each character had their own motive. They were not evil because they were simply born evil. Rather almost each of the main characters had their own pasts (whether it be told in detail or not) that helped dictate and show us why they acted the way they did in the drama. We also see a decent amount of character development in the drama as well, although I definitely missed out on some of it because the drama ended up being so detailed. In a way, I almost wish some of these characters with their character traits, could be part of my family as well. I loved the character Kang Soo Jin for her love of her daughter, as well as for the sacrifices she made for her family. I loved Kim Hye Na/Yoon Bok because she was so dang cute and because she has a lot of street smarts for a 9-year old. I loved Hyun Jin who always strives to seek the truth, who's somewhat of a stoic. I love the Yi Jin character because she was a little snobby, but in the end she cared for her family. I loved the Yeong Shin character for her great charisma in the drama, as well as what she did for her three daughters. Heck I even took pity on the villains because I understood why they acted in such a way. All in all, it seemed like each character had their own specific role or archetype in drama. They weren't just cookie-cutter characters that all had similar motives. Each character was complex, very realistic, and generally very easy to relate with. I have a new found respect for some of these actors/actresses and I plan to watch them in future dramas.

Music: [8/10] Honestly this is the generic score that I give to each drama for it's music score. The drama usually gets a 9 or a 10 if it had great OSTs or amazing instrumental. This was honestly the only area that I could find to deduct points. Honestly though, I don't watch dramas for the music (unless it's a music-themed drama). If I was MDL, I'd probably take music out of the reviews. Then it would allow me to give this drama all 10s!!!

Rewatch Value: [10/10] I am often very reluctant to give a high rewatch value score to dramas. Most shows are a one and done thing for me because of their length. The only other shows that I can remember rewatching was Code Geass and Angel Beats which are two of my most favorite animes of all time. I personally plan to add Mother to my list of favorite k-dramas of all time. The 10/10 cast and plot leaves me wanting to rewatch the show. There was so much in this show, that I want to rewatch in order to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Okay, so overall this averages out to be about 9.75. I'm going to round up and give this show a 10 based on the fact that this is probably one of the best k-dramas out there up to date. I would recommend everyone on MDL to watch this drama. This would probably be the first show I'd recommend to anyone who wants to get into K-dramas. I was reluctant to watch this show at first, but it's now my all time favorite. Mother is #1!