The Different Faces Of Motherhood In "Hi Bye, Mama!"
With Mother's Day only a few days away, we revisit the recently-concluded K-Drama "Hi Bye, Mama!" and look back at how it pays tribute to moms
Those who have seen Hi Bye, Mama! would most definitely agree that it is one of the most heartbreaking K-Dramas ever. After all, it tackles death and after-life. But what many viewers appreciated about it more is how in between the expected sobfest that ensues with each episode, there are many underlying stories that also leave a smile on the face. (Spoilers ahead!)
This rollercoaster of emotions kept people hooked on the recently-concluded series. Hi Bye, Mama! focuses on the journey of Cha Yu-ri (Kim Tae-hee)—from life and death to after-life. This female lead character is due to give birth when she passes away in a tragic accident. Despite fighting for her life, she successfully gives birth to her daughter but dies shortly after. For five years, she is able to watch her child grow up as she remains on Earth as a ghost. In a twist of fate, she is reborn and given an opportunity to live again if and when she manages to get her position back in her family as a mother to Cho Seo-woo (Seo Woo-jin) and a wife to Cho Gang-hwa (Lee Kyu-hyung) within 49 days. It sounds all too easy, but Cha Yu-ri's husband has remarried, and her daughter has grown up knowing Oh Min-jung (Go Bo-gyeol) as her mom.
It would've been easy for Cha Yu-ri to reclaim what is hers if Oh Min-jung is the evil type of second wife and stepmom, but she isn't, and that makes things more complicated.
Hi Bye, Mama! is all about a mother's selfless, unconditional love for her child, and it's a core message that is reflected through the different characters in the show. It highlights a mother's sacrifices and resilience, and shares lessons on moving on and letting go. All these make the series heart-wrenching yet heartwarming at the same time. The characters are relatable, and it's easy to laugh and cry with them. The script is peppered with so many good realizations about life and living. And the dramatic scenes are balanced with lighthearted, funny moments.
And now, as Mother's Day is only a few days away, we revisit Hi Bye, Mama! and look at how it celebrates motherhood and pays tribute to mothers in the most beautiful, albeit bittersweet, ways.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the different faces of motherhood in Hi Bye, Mama!
The Mothers in "Hi Bye, Mama!"
The Mothers in "Hi Bye, Mama!"
Kim Tae-hee as Cha Yu-ri
In the face of a life-changing opportunity, it's easy to be selfish, but not in the case of Cha Yu-ri. Despite being given the chance to live again, she considered herself as the least of her priorities and thought of her daughter's welfare first and foremost. She gave up everything, even her life, just for the sake of her child. She did whatever it takes to make sure her child will live a happy, healthy life.
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Tae-hee as Cha Yu-ri
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Tae-hee as Cha Yu-ri
Photo Credit: tvN
Go Bo-gyeol as Oh Min-jung
Oh Min-jung deserves to be recognized for taking on the role of a mom; she's a model step mother. She raised Seo-woo like her own child, took good care of her, and loved her very much. She doesn't have a bad bone in her body. She gave up her career to be a hands-on housewife and a mom but didn't regret it.
Photo Credit: tvN
Go Bo-gyeol as Oh Min-jung
Photo Credit: tvN
Go Bo-gyeol as Oh Min-jung
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Mi-kyung as Jeon Eun-sook, Cha Yu-ri's mother
Indeed, there is no love greater than a mother's love. In the case of Cha Yu-ri, it was the power of her mother's love and prayers that brought her back to life. It was her mom's wish to see her one more time. She felt so sorry to her daughter that she wasn't there beside her during her final moments.
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Mi-kyung as Jeon Eun-sook, Cha Yu-ri's mother
Photo Credit: tvN
Kim Mi-kyung as Jeon Eun-sook, Cha Yu-ri's mother
Photo Credit: tvN
Shin Dong-mi as Go Hyun-jung, Cha Yu-ri's best friend
Go Hyun-jung is the definition of one cool mom. She's strong, confident, hardworking, and deeply caring. To Cha Yu-ri, she's like an older sister.
Photo Credit: tvN
Shin Dong-mi as Go Hyun-jung, Cha Yu-ri's best friend
Photo Credit: tvN
Park Eun-hye as Seo Bong-yeon, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Seo Bong-yeon passed away 22 years ago with her husband and her daughter in a car accident, leaving her son all by himself. Throughout the years, she watched her son Jang Pil-seung (Lee Shi-woo) grow up to become an airline pilot. They couldn't go up to heaven right away because they wanted to see Pil-seung get married first and make sure he'll be happy for the rest of his life.
Photo Credit: tvN
Park Eun-hye as Seo Bong-yeon, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Photo Credit: Dramabeans
Ban Hyo-jung as Jung Gwi-sun, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Jang Gwi-sun died in pain from an illness. Later, her daughter got sick as well, so she couldn't leave yet because she wanted to be with her as she went through this painful experience.
Photo Credit: tvN
Ban Hyo-jung as Jung Gwi-sun, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Photo Credit: Dramabeans
Bae Hae-sun as Sung Mi-ja, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Sung Mi-ja passed away 55 years ago, and yet she couldn't go up to heaven yet because she wanted to see her son succeed. Later, her son (who was then much older than her when she died) visited her in the colombarium. Her fellow ghosts who saw this tender moment said that it's at that age when people really tend to truly miss their mom.
Photo Credit: tvN
Bae Hae-sun as Sung Mi-ja, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost
Photo Credit: Dramabeans
Kang Sang-bong's (Lee Jae-woo) mom
Kang Sang-bong is Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost. He's a baseball player who people thought committed suicide but was later revealed to have been murdered. Sang-bong came out gay to his family and moved out of their house, thinking his family hated him. He decided to reunite with them but he was murdered. His mom blamed herself for his death, regretting that she didn't get to resolve things properly with her dear son.
Photo Credit: tvN
Kang Sang-bong's (Lee Jae-woo) mom
Photo Credit: Dramabeans
Park Hye-jin's (Bae Yoon-kyung) mom
Park Hye-jin, Cha Yu-ri's fellow ghost, committed suicide because she was bullied in the workplace. She regret what she did, especially after seeing her mom protesting outside of her office.
Photo Credit: Dramabeans
Photos from @tvndrama.official | Background image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Top Stories
Metro Beauty Picks Of The Week
BEAUTYMar 14, 2023