The K-drama ‘Mother’ had been on my radar for a while. If you’ve been following our reviews for a while, you know I lean towards darker, criminal dramas way more.
‘Mother’ is no exception to this rule. The 2018 TvN production is an interesting exploration of motherhood and the trauma that can sometimes carry with it.
The series was nominated for the first International Series Festival in Cannes. It won the Best Drama for the 2018 Baeksang Art Awards.
It was written by Jung Seo-kyung who co-wrote ‘The Handmaiden’ and ‘I’m a cyborg but that’s okay’ and directed by Kim Cheol-Kyu who directed ‘Flower of Evil’ and ‘Chicago Typewriter’.
Trigger Warning for Child Abuse, though none of it is sexual in nature.
The Plot
Hye-Na, played excellently by Heo Yool is a young girl that doesn’t have the best home situation. She’s neglected and abused by both her mother and her step father.
Soo-Jin (Lee Boo-Young) is a temp teacher and an ornithologist (someone who studies birds) and is sent to Hye-Na’s class to fill in. She notices Hye-Na is walking around the town late at night multiple times and at one point finds her in a trash bag outside of her house in the middle of winter. Soo-Jin decides to kidnap/rescue her.
Most of the plot is them trying to leave the country. The other parts are about Soo-Jin’s past. Soo-Jin was left at an orphanage as a child, something she struggles with even as an adult. She was adopted by a successful actress, Young-Sin (Lee Hye-Young) who tried her best to be a mom.
Ja-Young, Hye-Na’s mom portrayed by Ko Sung-Hee was quite the interesting character. She both abhorred being a moma and at times could be very sweet towards her daughter. Ja-Young was a very complex character and I did enjoy watching her, though I would never wish anyone to be her child.
Motherhood
This sixteen episode drama was quite the emotional watch. It was an interesting exploration in what it means to be a mom and a daughter. This Korean remake of the 2010 Japanese drama was perhaps an episode or two too long. Though at the same time I enjoyed the way ‘Mother’ took its time with the set-up and the character building.
If you like slow-paced dramas about such a sensitive topic, then definitely watch the K-drama ‘Mother’. I thoroughly enjoyed it at least. I’m still planning on watching the Japanese version, because the story is riveting and layered.
Also, please listen to the OST, because it has amazing singers like Kim Yuna, Sunwoo Jung Ah, and the classical score is haunting. Here’s a playlist I found on Spotify.
Here’s the trailer.
