Life Lessons in a Korean Drama

My Mister on Netflix

All The Things

There’s something about Korean dramas. There are a broad range of genres — from historical to fantasy to love to the angst of modern life. But, the good ones seem to have this in common — they suck you in with compelling characters, they keep you interested as the characters go through some kind of journey, they usually end in satisfying ways, and the best ones linger in your thoughts for a while. If the lingering thoughts offer lessons on how to live a good life, and not in a trite way, even better.

This one, My Mister, was unexpectedly good. Having heard the term “Ajusshi” (Mister) in other Korean dramas, I knew there was more significance to the title than a simple term to call an older man. I found this blog that describes the Korean cultural context of the term. It is interesting how the “my” in the title implies a closeness, but attached to mister (ajusshi) — a formal, cold term — creates a tension. How can you be close to someone in a whole different class, age, level, than you? And there’s the story.

Lesson One: Change, Evolve, Transform

I love transformations. Tell me if there’s any other way to understand narratives. Both the main characters transform. They go on a journey. They change. They become…