Early Access: Hi, Bye Mama! E1 (Patreon)

E1. Woah. Show's got my heart, and right away, too.

I felt my heart get sucked in within Show's first 5 minutes, with the flashbacks to Yu Ri's budding romance with Kang Hwa, to the highs, lows and bickering cute of their relationship, to the proposal, to the wedding. It's such adorable feel-good stuff, and I love them as a couple right away.

And then, without warning, we cut to the present, when Yu Ri is a ghost watching over her family, and in particular, her daughter Seo Woo. I love that Yu Ri is such a cheerful, happy ghost so much of the time. All she really wants, is to be able to see her daughter, and nothing else seems to matter to her. It doesn't even seem to bother her that Kang Hwa has remarried, after her death.

At the same time, Show wastes no time in showing us the angst of being a ghost. Yu Ri's constant presence around Seo Woo has made Seo Woo able to see ghosts and become more susceptible to danger, and Yu Ri's torment at her dilemma is palpable: she wants to protect Seo Woo, which means she needs to leave, but she also can't bear to leave, because she doesn't want to say goodbye to Seo Woo.

It's been quite a few years since I've seen Kim Tae Hee on my screen, and I must say that she's gained additional depth and range to her acting. I think it's likely due to the life experiences she's gained - marriage and motherhood - since her last drama. When Yu Ri cries about her situation, particularly in the scene where she rages against the heavens for her plight, I believe her fury, and I feel her pain. So far, a very strong outing by Kim Tae Hee, who is so winsome and delightful when Yu Ri is cheerful, and yet, who brings such an acute sense of poignance to Yu Ri, through her heartache.

Everyone else in the cast is also bringing their A-game, allowing their characters' pain to show in varying degrees.

Kim Mi Kyung is wonderful as Mom, gruff and stoic on the surface, but such a throbbing, open wound, when she weeps for her daughter, alone in the women's bathroom.

Lee Kyu Hyung is doing so well, letting Kang Hwa's hidden pain peek through the untroubled mask that he wears. Sometimes, it looks like tears are burgeoning in his eyes, just enough to be visible, and it's via those moments, that I can guess how much he's still hurting from losing Yu Ri.

The only thing I didn't enjoy so much this episode, is the scene of the ghosts and the shaman at the columbarium. I get that the idea is to show that every ghost has a story, and every ghost has their own regrets and difficulties leaving the human realm, but I found the scene unnecessarily loud and shouty. I didn't like that so much.

It's such a heart-tugging thing, to realize that Yu Ri died before she ever got to hold Seo Woo. She's never been able to touch her daughter, and has held on all this time, just yearning to see her a little more. Augh. I'm already firmly on Yu Ri's side, rooting for her to make the most of this sudden chance to live as a human, at least for a while.