Come Back, Ajusshi

Come Back, Ajusshi

7.5/10

Come Back, Ajusshi

Genre:                             Episodes: 16                                 Year: 2016

Comedy

Supernatural

Melodrama

Synopsis:

On the same day, Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak die and find themselves in purgatory together. The company responsible for Young Soo’s death is claiming it as a suicide, and Young Soo’s wife, young daughter, and elderly father are suffering. The woman Gi Tak died to protect is in serious trouble as her ex-husband is doing everything he can to make her life miserable. Believing that they still have things they must accomplish, the two men are allowed to return back to earth, but they cannot reveal their true identities. Young Soo returns as an attractive, wealthy young man, while Gi Tak returns with the body of a beautiful young woman.

Cast:

Rain (Lee Hae Joon/Kim Young Soo)

Oh Yeon Seo (Han Hong Nan/Han Gi Tak)

Kim In Kwon (Kim Young Soo)

Kim Soo Ro (Han Gi Tak)

Lee Min Jung (Shin Da Hye)

Lee Ha Nui (Song Yi Yeon)

Choi Won Young (Cha Jae Guk)

Oh Dae Hwan (Na Suk Chul)

Lee Tae Hwan (Choi Seung Jae)

General Thoughts:

The characters and cast are what really hold the show together. While the plot kind of dances around, not quite knowing where to go, this fact is almost completely hidden by the wonderful construction of characters and the actors that played them. Rain is just made for comedy. He’s hilarious in every sense of the word.

Handsomely hilarious 

While he was certainly able to deliver the emotions in heavier scenes, it was his beautiful fit into the comedic aspects of the role where he really dazzled. Oh Yeon Seo was spectacular as a man with a woman’s body.

Behold the perfect comedy duo

She was able to perfectly channel not only the character Han Gi Tak, but also Kim Soo Ro’s interpretation of the character. The two were 100% believable as the two ajusshis, and I imagine that wasn’t an easy feat. The two ajusshi reincarnations and the two ajusshis themselves were what really made the show. As they were dead from episode 1, it was pretty clear that there was going to be some heart-tugging moments along the way- and there were. Young’s Soo’s family and their grief just slayed me. It was gutting and totally believable- especially Young Soo’s daughter. Unlike Young Soo, Gi Tak’s relationships were handled with an air of comedy- what with him being in a female body, his minions finding him hot, and beloved Seung Jae nursing a monster crush. But even those relationships were able to occasionally bypass the laughs for a moment of honesty and sincerity. Tonally, the drama wasn’t always perfect- there were some funny scenes that probably should have been serious, and some serious scenes that might have bettered from a bit of humour, but for the most part the writers were able to nicely interweave humour and heart through the whole story. Thankfully the emotions and the characters were able to mostly distract us from the more unpolished aspects of the drama. Like our central plot.

Just enjoy all the relationships and ignore everything else

It wasn’t the most horrendous drama I’ve ever clapped eyes on, but you definitely don’t want to concentrate on the details too hard lest you see the flaws. And gapping plot holes. However, despite the confusion in the plot line, the drama manages to chug along at an intriguing little pace, with enough events occurring to occupy our array of delightfully magnificent characters.

What Was Great:

Ajusshi Bromance:

Bromances are always fab- always. Even the sh*ttiest of bromances have their upsides. And this bromance is all kinds of awesome. The bromance adds in a wonderful punch of comedy as one of our bros now resides in the body of a stunningly gorgeous woman.

Top stuff

But Young Soo doesn’t see him as a woman, and neither do we- which opens the door for a whole heap of misunderstandings and gender-bender shenanigans. Not only are Kim Soo Ro and Kim In Kwon absolutely adorable in their bromantic moments, but the bromance is actually one of the strongest plot points.

Taking on the afterlife together

While it’s wonderful watching these two men bond due to their similar circumstances and complete desire to protect their loved ones that they left behind, the reveal of their connection from when they were alive added an extra punch to the series. Birth secrets are nothing new in K-Drama (or any drama), but the writers cleverly made the reveal more about our two ajusshis than about Da Hye herself. While it was sad that Da Hye only found her brother after he had died, it was still satisfying for our ajusshis. All along Gi Tak had seen how much Young Soo loved and treasured his wife, so even though both men were gone, Gi Tak was able to know that his little sister had been completely loved by a wonderful man that Gi Tak himself had come to care for deeply. Speaking of birth secrets, Young Soo’s daughter not actually being his daughter was probably one I could have lived without. I could roll with it because that scene in the ferris wheel was unspeakably sad and added new layers to their father-daughter relationship, but the drama kind of killed it right at the end. Is it wrong that I don’t want Han Na to have sort of relationship with Ji Hoon? I don’t care if it is, because Ji Hoon is an ass who covered up Young Soo’s death and was macking on his widow. 

Convincing Characters:

All the characters were brilliant, right down to our side characters. The drama has a wonderful ensemble, and though the writers may not have created the most fluid plot, they absolutely nailed the character relationships and dynamics.

You can't not love these characters

There’s not much else to say. The characters were awesome, as were the actors. Especially Lee Tae Hwan. His misguided crush on his hyung was adorable and hilarious.

Basically how I feel when a 'comedy' drama is actually funny

It’s Funny:

With so many comedy dramas out there it seems strange to praise a series for being funny. But it just was so wonderfully humorous. Many dramas tend to have the comedy fall away towards the end of the series to make a more emotional ending, but ‘Come Back, Ajusshi’ managed to keep a fair amount of humour right to the end. And it was good humour too- it wasn’t just slapstick comedy or pure ridiculousness, but well thought through and well executed comedy.

What Wasn’t:

Where’s Our Main Plot?:

Yeah, it’s kind of all over the place. For a long stretch there the series focuses on Young Soo revealing the truth behind his death and his battle with the department store. Which isn’t the most interesting thing out. His changing dynamics with his wife are what make this portion so entertaining, and his confused relationship with Gi Tak/Hong Nan definitely helped bring the funny. There was a brief point in the middle there where Young Soo was trying to save the department store and Ji Hoon was our villain.

I'm totally on board with that guy being our villain cuz he just plain sucks

Maybe? I don’t know, I’m confused too.Then the drama shifts towards who killed Gi Tak and what they want now. Which definitely raised the stakes.

Lee Tae Hwan- you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention

Having Young Soo’s wife being Gi Tak’s younger sister gave them a common enemy in Na Suk Chul and a common goal- don’t let Suk Chul kill Da Hye. It was all over some funds that were never properly explained and didn’t seem to ever make an appearance. Throughout all the different plot points there was always Hong Nan/Gi Tak’s relationship with Yi Yeon. Which didn’t add much to the drama plot-wise, but was great for character development. Because I won’t lie, Yi Yeon’s plot line of becoming a great actress again was pretty yawn-worthy. But if it gave us more time with Seung Jae I suppose I can live with it.

Gi Tak’s ‘Death’:

I so didn’t appreciate this aspect of the ending at all. While I guess it does sort of make sense- if Gi Tak never existed then Da Hye would never be in danger, but it did feel like a major cop-out. It was almost as though the writers realised too late how complicated they had made this section of the drama and couldn’t think of a satisfactory way to wrap everything up, so they just altered the fabric of reality by removing Gi Tak’s existence. It wasn’t awful, but I’m sure there could have been a better way to close the conflict than erasing Gi Tak. Not to mention that it opens up all kinds of plot-holes. All kinds.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this

The only part I found passable and acceptable about erasing Gi Tak from the world was that final epilogue of young Young Soo in the car while young Da Hye’s picture was taken. It was like the whole point of the series was revealed in the last 2 minutes. Da Hye had been loved all along by her brother and by her husband, and now the two ajusshi’s know that. Goodbye, The End.

Re-watch?

Unlikely. Beautiful as the characters and their relationships were, there’s not a lot going on in the drama at all. Rain and Oh Yeon Seo were fabulous, but the plot was a bit desperate.

It wasn't phenomenal, but it was enjoyable and got the job done