Hello, Heart (2021)

A good, tight rom-com that wears its heart on its sleeve

The central plot of the show is the usual beautiful but feisty lady being drawn into a contract marriage with the handsome ML. No surprises that the CP fell in love and the tale as old as time gets another retelling. It helps that the chemistry between the leads is very good.

The ML is not a heartless ice god but a true gentleman. He tried his best to be respectful to the FL and did not play any demeaning tricks on her. How refreshing! On the other hand, the FL was just a ball of energy, and she is a sweet, kind soul that will go out of her way to help others even though she has little to give. Her heart is big and full of love. It is this love that the ML needed as he was brought up feeling abandoned. Everyone she touches is affected by her.

To be honest, it is just as well that this show has a lot of hearts because it is tropey and derivative, but you want to cut it some slack. It is sweet without being too artificial. You can't expect harsh reality in a show like this but It doesn't sugar coat everything. Life is tough but there is always hope if you have a big heart.

While the show started as a rom-com that was big on comedy. It did changed style as the show progressed (don't forget this show is only 8 x 45 mins long). It lean towards melodrama for a stretch and then romance became the focus. This means the pacing is quite fast and plots are deftly handled without the usual long strolls down garden paths. Some emotional subplots were dealt with firmly rather than left to fester as a result. This, in general, is a good thing but there are times when you wish some plots were explored a bit more. The same goes for the ending. there was no surprise there (hint, hint) but it felt underdone.

In terms of acting, the leads are good looking, solid actors. The support cast are fine, some are veteran actors and their experience showed. The younger set has room to improve but they played their roles with gusto. OST is nice, romantic and not overused. Rewatch is there as a quick filler while you wait for the next blockbuster. 8 episodes is an easy binge.

In the end, Hello, Heart is a good, solid show that will make you smile and feel a bit sentimental at times. It will warm the cockles of your heart. There are some angst, but nothing that will cause you to facepalm. Plots are logical (mostly), progress and resolutions are usually an episode away. It has the quality of a show twice as long. I can recommend this show to any romantic at heart.

P.S. I did it! I mentioned "heart" 8 times to match its score. :D

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