By far this has been my drama of the year. It is such a huge shame that it fell under the radar of the Korean audience. Be Melodramatic is equally funny as it is mature; the show continued to be a breath of fresh air right until it's last episode. As someone who's seen countless shows, it encapsulated exactly what I want out of a kdrama in 2019. Experienced kdrama viewers will love it's fourth wall breaking humour and unique scenarios. Although not without some flaws, it's meta humour and moments of true sincerity make this drama so charming that you can't help but love it's characters by the time you hit credits at episode 16.


Story:

Be Melodramatic deals with some big intrapersonal topics in the course of it's run and handles them so well that you truly feel the confusion and frustrations of each of the three main leads. It portrays the life of people on their late 20's in 2019 so perfectly. Admittedly the first couple of episodes are shaky and feel a bit too slice of life. Yet the show pays off its careful setup in spades as it progresses. Following it week by week felt like a old friend that you checked up on, listening to their ups and downs. The meta jokes invite you to laugh at the tropes of kdrama romcoms; it felt like someone on the inside giving you a nod of acknowledgement. Veterans of viewing kdramas will truly belly laugh at the references the show throws at you.

Within the show's sadder topics, it never felt contrived or manufactured. A problem I have with a lot of dramas is that it creates unbelievable scenarios just to create a sense of conflict within the show. Be Melodramatic never tries to fool you or insult the viewers intelligence. It laughs with you at the ridiculous moments and supports you when things get real. The progression of the show is a testament to the careful patience of the writers and directors.


Acting/Cast:

This show is cast pretty perfectly in my eyes. The three main leads are not giant names that instantly catch your attention but each of them portrayed their own stories so well. All three of the leads made you feel for their situations and gave each of the characters a true sense of reality.
Jeon Yeo Bin as Eun Jung especially shone in her role. Her's was the most tragic and seeped in emotion; but it never felt artificial or forced.

The supporting cast of the show is quite large all things considering. But each of them is given ample screen-time and development. I never found myself skipping their parts and was always happy to watch their own personal developments. All of the supporting cast played with the humour of the show well and gave the tongue in cheek comedy of the show life.


Music:

The OST fits into the puzzle of the show pretty damn well. Some contemporary and classic OST songs wiggle their way in at points in the show that give experienced kdrama watchers a nod and smile. The drama does lean on one song pretty heavily but it never felt unwelcome or repetitive for me. Although I didn't mind the repetition of that song, I do understand that it might feel a bit much for more OST-minded viewers. Though it does attempt to alleviate that by having different versions of the song.


Rewatch Value:

I know I'll be coming back to this show before 2019 ends and right now is my favourite release of the year. The writing and story-line are done with so much consideration, I felt like I lived with the characters throughout its run. I cannot recommend Be Melodramatic enough.