What a treat to have a kdrama that's not the stereotypical pretty-young-girl-swooning-over-handsome-rich-heir type. This story focuses on a nearly 40 female protagonist whose dreary existence gets a shake up call from someone very familiar to her.

Although the synopsis mentions that BHN doesn't want to remain single her relationship status wasn't a focus in the show at all. Instead, BHN starts out by just wanting to survive life as best as she can and then, after meeting her younger self again, wants to live up to and regain her old vibe again. Lee Re's acting as the younger BHN is consistently effervescent. She projects a palpable power and presence that convincingly puts even the mature Anthony in his place. She is a joy to watch and acts so well with Choi Kang Hee as the mature BHN. The story really is less abt the romance than it is abt a self rediscovery or, more accurately, a journey of atonement and forgiveness. BHN's backstory is heavy on the tear ducts and tissues. Her relationship with her father is believable as both actors' acting comes across as authentic and not a cheesy, forced backsobstory plot device that does tend to happen in other kdramas. The present BHN's growth from her timid self is a slow and tentative progression at first that ultimately takes pace until the she comes into her own power at the presentation, which is apt for the storyline as the energy dynamic changes soon after when the young BHN discovers the truth of their father's fate. When that happens, it feels like the baton of effervescence is passed to the mature BHN as she steps in to be her younger self's rock, just as her younger self was for her at the beginning. Lee Re's more muted carriage from then on is great acting and effectively justifies the weight of guilt and shame that's haunted the mature BHN all these decades. The viewers know the backstory already and can fathom the depths of guilt and shame that made BHN such a servile person now but it was satisfying to see the younger BHN catch up with the discovery and no longer think that she was pathetic. Before I knew abt BHN's backstory I too tot she was a pathetic person and felt guilty abt having judged her when her backstory came to light. The younger BHN's apology for having judged her was as much mine.

The journey to her return in the end was a bit rushed, imho. I expected the shaman and rain would factor into it but then that was dumped after the accident so it felt weird. And the explanation abt their first photo trip felt a bit tagged on rather than an organic plot. I didn't take stars off from that coz the time travel aspect, to me, was a minor trait of the story rather than the main focus itself. Hello, Me! never positioned itself as sci-fi so it's not a big deal that they just seemed to have fudged that part of things. It is significant that they didn't try to give a happy ending and kept the father's fate on schedule. That was courageous plotting and made me respect the story immensely because the culmination of the show, for me, was when the younger returned to her father's side as he lay dying as at that point, the viewer realises that this isn't just about the younger saving the older—it's maybe really about the older saving the younger. As the younger had said, she didn't know how she's going to survive knowing what she will lose. The mature BHN, on the other hand, has lived through it all in its grueling depths. It's her reassurances that helps the younger to trust in herself to be able to find the strength within. And the peace amid the sorrow on her face as she holds her father in his last moments kinda capstones this whole journey. We know that she'll be fine and, in turn, so will the future/present BHN in an exponential way. It was beautiful.

Finally, this review can't miss mentioning Kim Young Kwan. This guy's portrayal of the male love interest was ADORABLE AF! Stuff the smooth, suave, well groomed, casanova-turned-tamed-lover corporate heir types and bring out the goofy, well intentioned, kid-at-heart, reliable-in-a-pinch guy friend. The slow pacing to their relationship was great to watch and made it feel realistic and mature. I was not a fan of how the writers diluted Choi Kang Hee's dialogues in the end to a constant "thank you, thank you so much, thank you" between them as they were making her sound like a parrot. I think it's perhaps the directors and writers feeling uncomfortable with showing a romance between a younger good-looking guy and an older, ordinary looking lady maybe, but no stars were deducted for that clunkiness because I really liked their pairing. I believe they have a greater chance of working out than most kdrama romcoms featuring the more societally acceptable combo of gorgeous slightly older guy and stunning younger gal.

I wholeheartedly recommend this show to anyone sick of the usual kdrama romcom formulae who wants something new AND with a strong female lead.