Yumi's Cells 2

Yumi’s Cells 2

6/10

Yumi's Cells 2

Genre:                                      Episodes: 14                          Year: 2022

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Yumi starts a new relationship with her coworker, Yoo Bobby.

Cast:

Kim Go Eun (Kim Yumi)

Jinyoung (Yoo Bobby)

Ahn Bo Hyun (Goo Woong)

Lee Yoo Bi (Ruby)

P.O (Control Z)

Joon Suk Ho (Ahn Dae Young)

General Thoughts:

This was a bit of an interesting show for me. I liked it, but I don’t love it. And yet I feel like it delivered exactly what it promised to deliver- exactly what it gave you in the first Season of ‘Yumi’s Cells’.

More of the same- take that as you will

Honestly, there’s not a lot of difference- it almost felt like a bit of a copy paste job. That’s not to say it was a bad move- it stuck to the recipe that worked out so well in the first season. The show didn’t take any risks that might upset people who loved Season 1, and just kept going with what people were enjoying. Which is great in it’s own way. Kim Go Eun is fabulous as the slightly awkward but ever endearing Yumi and brought a real sense of relatableness to the character.

Kim Go Eun does a great job with this character

 It’s sort of one of those iconic roles where I think I will now always associate Kim Go Eun with the character of Yumi. She does such a brilliant job at bringing the slightly awkward but easily loveable character to life, and it was fun to watch her reprise her role here. Jinyoung got much more screen time than he did in season one, even though his character didn’t have all that much to do- his role was basically smile cutely, be kind, and act supportive. All of which he did brilliantly. Yoo Bobby was a very swoon worthy character and a great male lead to have, and Jinyoung was appropriately swoon-worthy and charming in his delivery of the character. Jinyoung and Kim Go Eun had okay chemistry (certainly nothing outstanding) and they didn’t seem to have as much energy between them as Kim Go Eun and Ann Bo Hyun had last season. Though I do wonder if that was slightly intentional? Perhaps Bobby was supposed to be the man that looks great on paper and ticks all the boxes, but is just missing that certain spark that someone like Woong had with Yumi. Maybe a part of this lack of chemistry was also due to the fact that this season focused a lot more on Yumi’s work and her chasing her dream of becoming a writer. Her love life was still a prominent part of the story, but while last season felt like the story of Yumi and Woong, this season felt like the story of Yumi and Bobby was kind of a supporting role. At first I didn’t really like the direction the show was going in when Yumi quit her job to pursue writing.

Anyone who quits their job with no new job or backup plan is just...not thinking things through

It felt quite out of character and very risky- she had no income and was just eating through her savings! But putting that aspect of it aside, I did appreciate how it allowed Yumi space to grow. Her confidence and her independence started to increase the more successful her writing became. In a story so focused on one character alone it was totally necessary for Yumi to change and grow as a character and I think this was a great catalyst for the transformation Yumi went through this season.

Stop thinking and just be happy

The pacing of the show was pretty consistent from start to finish- there weren’t really any high stakes conflicts, and yet the story didn’t really feel like it was dragging that much. Some episodes felt slower than others, and I do feel like occasionally the lack of any real issues made it feel a bit like Yumi was going out of her way to create problems for herself- particularly in regards to her relationship with Bobby. This kind of made Yumi a bit of a frustrating character at points as she became a little hard to relate to when she was constantly getting too much inside her own head (even though of course a whole portion of the show takes place in her head) and making issues out of seemingly nothing. Overall the show was enjoyable to watch as it did a lot of things right- it did just sort of feel like all the things the show was doing right were things it had already done before last season. And so the irritating or frustrating parts of the show (which were not done last season) felt a little more prominent than all the other things the drama had going for it.

What Was Great:

Uniqueness of Cells:

Similarly to the first season, what made ‘Yumi’s Cells 2’ so unique was it’s inclusion of the CGI cells that represented Yumi’s thought processes. While these cells are certainly the draw of both seasons and a primary part of how the show functions, I will admit that I found them to be utilised a little too much in Season One. This time around I felt that we hit a far better balance on what was going on in the real world and what was going on inside Yumi’s head.

Was low-key glad when Love got booted out of Prime Cell position

It made the scenes where the cells did appear feel much funnier as they weren’t used in every second scene. We also explored a few more cells and functions than we did in Season One which was fun too. The scene of the cells landing on another planet (ie- Bobby’s butt) is a fabulous example of the well balanced humour the show was able to hit when incorporating the cells.

10/10- Peak comedy

Unlike last season, this time we didn’t get as much insight into the inner workings of the main love interest. We were given a little look at Bobby’s cells, but not in nearly as much detail as when we saw Woong’s. Perhaps a part of this was meant to reflect that Yumi didn’t feel as though she knew Bobby in as much depth? Honestly, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you what Bobby’s primary cell was! But the scenes we got with Bobby’s cells were still able to bring a new dimension to the show. Unlike Yumi’s cells that were predominantly used for comedic effect, Bobby’s cells came into play during the more serious moments of Yumi and Bobby’s relationship- such as showing Bobby’s hesitation when talking about his junior at work with a crush on him. It was a great way to show the difference between Bobby and Yumi’s approach to relationships and problem solving. While talking about the cells, I must of course also make sure to note the cells of Editor Ahn Dae Young. Were they essential to the story? Absolutely not. Where they a fun time? Yes, yes they were.

What Wasn’t:

What’s The Point?:

I think my main frustrations at this drama is that I’m not really sure what to point of it all was. Why is the writer telling this story? What is this story actually about? It felt sort of like a story about Yumi’s growth, but then also a story about a love triangle but also a story about a doomed relationship. It’s like the drama tried so hard to make the show all about Yumi, but then at every turn it defined Yumi by her relationship with Woong or her relationship with Bobby. Even at the end the hint of Yumi’s happiness was tied to a new potential suitor rather than Yumi’s growth or success.

I mean, how many dang seasons of this are they trying to squeeze out?

Season 1 of ‘Yumi’s Cells’ worked really well because Yumi was the heart and soul of the show. Woong was an important part of it, but the whole show centred around how Yumi perceived and reacted to situations. And I just feel like that was missing in the second season. Perhaps if I had been more on board with the love triangle situation I would have enjoyed the show a little more, but after Season 1 so perfectly showed why Yumi and Woong weren’t right for each other, it was hard to even view him as a viable contester for Yumi’s heart. Particularly when Yumi’s main reservation about dating Bobby long-term was that they had already broken up. Like, hello? She has broken up with Woong also? Just because it happened last season doesn’t mean I forgot.

Like, not to be rude to Woong, but I know which one I'd pick

I weirdly kind of liked where the show ended, with Yumi on her own reflecting back on how much she has grown and how much of that growth was due to the love and support she received from Bobby and Woong. I just didn’t like how we got there. It felt so drawn out at the start and then far too rushed at the end with time skips that felt unnecessary. The story just didn’t feel cohesive and it feels a little like the story was sacrificed a bit to leave a hope of a third season. Which I probably wouldn’t watch. 

Bobby As A Plot Device:

Doing some more comparisons to Season 1 here. Woong was a great character in the first season (I honestly quite liked him as a character in this season too but that’s not the point). He was fleshed out and had a detailed history and had both charms and flaws. Then we have Bobby who is just…perfect. And I’m not complaining- I really like Bobby! He’s attractive (duh) and swoony and it’s so easy to root for his relationship with Yumi to work out. 

So sweet, so cute, somewhat bland

And then it doesn’t. For reasons. All of season 1 was Yumi trying to work things through with Woong, find compromises and communicate and work together towards building a strong relationship. With Bobby it just felt like she wasn’t trying. Bobby was depicted as being the perfect boyfriend. His one fault that was expressed in the show was that he felt a little something for Da Hye. Which isn’t ideal, but he recognised what was happening and took steps to make sure he was protecting his relationship with Yumi, put hard boundaries in place with Da Hye, and never cheated on Yumi emotionally or otherwise. But this was just unacceptable for Yumi? It was frustrating because there was no communication on Yumi’s end. Just ‘I’m hurt, you hurt me, we’re over’. It felt like a thousand steps backwards from where she should have been. Then she gets back together with him for a while before dumping him AGAIN. Then in the last episodes Yumi is looking back on her relationships and acknowledging how she couldn’t have gotten to where she is without the support and encouragement of Bobby. Which is a sweet sentiment and I do like the idea, but the execution was just off. Bobby should have been given some real flaws and there should have been some actual conflict and difficulties in his relationship with Yumi. As it stands it just feels like the only reason he was in the show at all was to encourage Yumi to become a writer.

We hardly got any of Bobby's cells doing anything

It didn’t really feel like he had any identity or purpose outside of that- he was just a means to an ends. Which is a really disappointing end for a character that had so much potential and was so well liked. 

Recommend?

Nah, not really. I don’t think I’d really recommend even the first season so it’s hard to recommend the second one. I feel like most people who watched Season 1 will probably watch this season anyway, and I suppose I wouldn’t go out of my way to tell people not to watch it.

The real question is, if a Season 3 comes out will I watch it?