It surprises me that so many people were disappointed by this drama since it's been a while since a drama impacted me so much. I can agree it isn't perfect, but this drama gets so many things right. I went in without any expectations and couldn't stop tears from flowing by the end. If you've ever experienced a loss of a family matriarch or patriarch this drama may hit harder. This isn't truly a romance drama or a melodrama, it is more a sentimental story about a family facing a major loss and honoring the successes and regrets of a long life. This drama also leans on the familiar trope of a charismatic character who joins a family and transforms it for the better... think Mary Poppins... with a convincing North Korean accent. ; ) I'm a sucker for stories like this, and I was not disappointed.

The NK Mary Poppins and charm of this drama is Kang Ha Neul as Yoo Jae Hun. He truly shines in this role as a struggling actor dedicated to his craft who is persuaded to play the long-lost grandson of dying Matriarch Ja Geum Sun played by Go Doo Shim. The chemistry between these two is the heart of this drama. Ja Geum Sun's life may have been filled with amazing accomplishments but she also carries hurt from past losses that haunt her into old age. The goal of this reunion with her grandson is meant to give her peace and closure before death but it ends up being challenging and healing for the whole family. Yes, there is a romantic element with Ha Ji Won's character
Park Se Yun which I did think was cute, and they do play the past characters well (especially in the opening scene), but the chemistry that truly mattered in this story was between Grandma and her newly "found" Grandson.

I won't speak too much about specific characters since getting to know the family is a large part of the story, but the entire cast is so good. Their family dynamic is people living together but estranged until they are forced to deal with their ailing Matriarch. There are no over-the-top villains or cheesy fights for succession, instead, it's a fight over hotel ownership that isn't based on greed for once but instead based on emotions. I could sympathize which each grandchild's POV, and although this might not be exciting to some viewers to me it felt more real. I also liked that who would ordinarily be a female second lead was her own interesting character, and I loved the chemistry between the two hired actors. The actors are all stellar and all work well together. There are absolutely no weak links, not even in the staff. The least interesting character was the ex-"Bae" Dong Je, but I think that was just the way his role was written. I disagree with a lot of critics and think all the characters got an appropriate amount of screen time, including Steven Noh as Ri Moon Sung, who even while mostly silent gave a really powerful performance.

Would I watch this again? Yes! If you have any interest in acting it will be hard not to relate to what motivates Yoo Jae Hun to create and perform. And although there aren't many swoon-worthy romantic moments or epic fighting showdowns, watching Jae Hun vs the family dynamic was endearing enough for me to want to watch it all again. There are a few touching moments I wouldn't mind rewatching again as well.

The sentimental music is a bit over the top but appropriate. It definitely inspired tears to keep on flowing.

Overall, I applaud this drama for successfully finding the balance between the actors and the roles they are playing which is not easy to do well. The "plays within a play" parts were done perfectly. And I love that the title actually makes perfect sense, which is rare! lol!

Having lost two close grandparents I often reflect on the things they've seen and endured and survived, and it was hard not to think of them while watching. I also know the feeling of reuniting with a side of my family that I was not raised with and this also made me reevaluate the value of family. I think this drama is meant to relate to viewers in that way, and left me with an inspired outlook in spite of my many tears. I loved that everything felt resolved by the end (yes, everything) but still open to all the possibilities that life could throw one's way. I love that there were funny and silly moments to balance out the tougher moments. I love that there is space for hurt and regret and love in the writing. I easily overlooked some of the weaker parts of the plot because the stronger parts had a bigger impact.

"Curtain Call" is a drama well played. Lower viewer ratings aside, count me among the few that would give this drama a standing ovation!