이리와 안아줘

• https://moreblminfo.carrd.co/ 
• https://getinformed.carrd.co/ This is an incredible carrd with information and resources about many of the issues the world is going through right now!
• I find Twitter an extremely useful tool in finding information about these injustices and ways to help. As well as Change.org for petitions!

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Come and Hug Me aired from May to July in 2018. 32 thirty minute episodes were aired in the Wednesday-Thursday weekly slots on MBC.

My review for Come and Hug Me will be a lot shorter than I would have planned. I went into this drama knowing absolutely nothing and while that somewhat sucked for my anxiety, it made the experience that much more wonderful! I will also be using Na Moo and Nak Won instead of Do Jin and Jae Yi – it’s easier for me to use their given names, not the ones they take (both are used throughout the drama).

Yoon Na Moo (Jang Ki Yong) is the son of a serial killer, while Gil Nak Won (Jin Ki Joo) is the daughter of two of his victims. Their lives collide when Nak Won’s actress mother (Park Joo Mi) decides to move her family to a rural area where Na Moo lives. The two become fast friends despite Na Moo’s fears for her safety. This fear is truly realised on “that night” when both Na Moo and Nak Won’s lives change forever.

They’re remembered as the killer’s son and the victim’s daughter. But to each other, they weren’t enemies. They were each other’s salvation. – Han Ji Ho

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There are two main conversations weaved throughout this story. The first is the love between the son of a serial killer and the daughter of a victim. There are many times that this relationship comes into question, which leads to the bigger question: Is Na Moo a monster because his father is? Is he a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

This conversation is not only played out in the plot by the characters around Na Moo, but within him as well. This question haunts him every time he looks in the mirror. Seeing Jang Ki Yong portray that was amazing to watch as there was sometimes a real question in my mind whether Na Moo would give in to the words/taunts of his father.

Overall, I did find Na Moo more interesting. I think we saw more emotion from him, while I was just frustrated with Nak Won for always being there for others and saying she was okay. I think we have too much in common in that aspect 😅 However, that isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy her tenacity and kindness.

And it certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t love their relationship! The romance was so beautiful. When they first looked at each other after we watched about 3 or 4 episodes of their childhood made me cry. And did it happen again when they just looked at each other? Yes. Their relationship was so profound and full of longing and I’m a huge crybaby. I think what also made it so special was that their was no love triangle. Both characters were always so sure of their feelings.

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“In time like this, come to me. When the pain is too much to handle. Come to me, Nam Moo. Whatever the situation and whatever happens I will like you for the rest of my life.” – Nak Won

And talking of the serial killer – Yoon Hui Jae (Heo Jun Ho) – this man was terrifying. Right from the start he creeped me out. I don’t want to say too much because his character was fascinating and to watch it play out on screen was something else. Heo Jun Ho was incredible and it’s no wonder he picked some awards up at the end of the year. I will say I wish Hui Jae’s downfall lasted a bit longer. I think we spent so much time building up to it that it felt abrupt.

This was a very character driven plot and that worked incredibly well for the melodrama setting. I wanted people to be safe and that made the intensity of watching rise incredibly high!

Hyun Moo (Kim Kyung Nam) was a character I found myself rooting for and cursing at every time he was a little shit. He is Na Moo’s older brother and his relationship with his father is just as interesting. While Hui Jae is obsessed with his perfect son, Hyun Moo is pushed to the back and is always fighting for his father’s acceptance. There is a lot of pain inside Hyun Moo and he has to go through so much, both internally and externally to truly unpack all of his trauma.

This is helped in part by his step mother. Chae Ok Hee (Seo Jung Yeon) was not only perfectly acted, but one of the most selfless and strong mothers I’ve seen in a drama. There was a small hiccup at the start, but her fear was palpable. And she does everything after the fact to protect her children (even Hyun Moo who doesn’t understand her affection for him) was beautiful to watch. I will say her satoori was startling at first. It was almost like she wasn’t speaking Korean (I’m far more used to the Seoul dialect in my dramas and in kpop in general 😂😅)! The same went with her daughter – SoJin (Choi Ri).

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Eliminating what makes me weak and pathetic… is not the way to become strong. It’s when you wish to protect something. That is when… you become strong as a human being. – Na Moo

There are so many other characters that I would love to talk about, but their involvement is best left unshared because they play such pivotal roles. I absolutely recommend going into this drama knowing as little as possible. Although I would just like to apologise to a fictional character – I didn’t really care about Gil Moo Won (Yoon Jong Hoon) for most of the drama, but he definitely grew on me and I would have loved more expansion on his character.

And the child actors were wonderful! I especially loved Nam Da Reum as young Na Moo, Ryoo Han Bi as young Nak Won and the precious Lee Ye Won as young So Jin! ♥

Overall, it’s the characters that really drive this plot. It’s the conversations about love and evil that compel you to keep watching and yearn for the happiness and safety of our main characters and those they love. And it’s also the vibe of the entire drama. The director and entire team who worked on this drama did such an amazing job of bringing this story to life. While, it did have it’s faults – the last episode was definitely a sudden switch in tone and Jang Ki Yong needs to blink more (sometimes I would get distracted from reading the subtitles just see if he would blink 😂) – but it was still great and will stay with me for a long time.

(also, can someone make me feel better in that they also ship Hyun Moo and So Jin? 😅)

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Ratings:

• Plot: 8
• Production: 8
• Acting: 9
• Enjoyment: 9

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

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Credits:

• Created by: Park Seong Eun for MBC
• Written by: Lee Ah Ram
• Directed by: Choi Joon Bae
• Running time: 35mins
• Release date: May 16th – July 19th, 2018
• Network: MBC

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Have you watched Come and Hug? What were your thoughts? Or do you plan on watching it soon?

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re having a lovely day & staying safe ♥