Madeo

Simply speaking, 'Mother' is one of the best dramas out there!

This drama deep dives into sensitive topics such as physical abuse, motherhood and childhood trauma while never dragging any of these too long so as to lose interest. The plot instantly grabs your attention and first episode sets-up the story nicely. Not one minute is wasted with fillers or narrative that doesn't contribute to the plot. I was heavily invested in the lead characters and was crying my eyes out especially during final few episodes.

Testament to how good the story is: original Japanese drama has been remade in various languages such as Korean, Chinese and Thai.

I will remember:

• Top notch acting by the mother (Lee Bo Young) and the child (Heo Yool, this kid deservedly won the rookie award at Baeksang). Rest of the cast did great as well
• Evocative and engaging screenplay filled with heart-warming moments
• Beautiful portrayal of multifaceted mother-child relationship
• Satisfying ending

There is nothing to even nitpick, its an easy recommendation for anyone who is looking for an highly emotional drama with an engaging plot or people who are close to their mothers.

P.S. Keep a box of tissues with you if you decide to watch this :')

I was very curious to watch this KDrama because of the very high rating of 9.1 even higher than my favorites ...It is indeed watchable and therefore recommended....The story-telling was just right and it was not slow, dragging and boring..It has a unique plot again which is usual for a KDrama and the criminal who turns out to be the good samaritan is the winner at the end....something like the good prevails over evil....I actually expected this to be heavy drama with lots of crying...but I was surprised that I only became teary-eyed from episode 13 onwards...I cried even harder with CLOY and other fantasy comedy romance shows....As expected, there was not a humor sequence and the romance is only a bit of teaser.....still one of the best shows for me.

This is the second time I rate a TV series with 10 stars. I never thought I'd watch something this good. I think this is the best I have ever watched. It's as close to perfection as it can get.

There were times when I thought that something was wrong or weird, but it was explained later. No plotholes, no decline in quality as it progressed, some unexpected plot twists.

Not much else to write. The word "perfect" sums everything up.

* I guess the only problem with this drama is that it's hard to watch some scenes because of the tears in the eyes.

There are lots of kdramas with similar plots out there, but this one is almost unique. It's about the love of a woman for a child not her own, who is willing to put her life on the line to save the child, who is in mortal danger from her own mother. It's a heartbreaking, yet fulfilling story with great acting by Lee Bo Young and the child actor. It puts anything Hollywood does to shame, and is well worth watching.

"Mother" (aka "Call Me Mother") from 2018 is a 16-episode Korean Drama series which will very likely highly impact you on emotional levels you thought not possible in film.

There is so much packed into this drama/thriller series, and let me tell you, it's an absolute masterpiece. Now even if you're the type of person that doesn't care to read subtitles since it's a foreign show, you still must watch it. Reading subtitles gets easy very quickly, due to the content of the series being so moving.

I actually have a background in film, and as a filmmaker, I really never give anything a 10/10 on the scale. But this is the once exception I've made. I give this show a solid 10/10. It's perfection. The girl playing Hye-Na (Heo Yool) is without a doubt, the best child actress to walk this earth. AND guess what, this is her acting debut. During casting for this show, she was selected out of 400 other candidates. Yes, and she had never acted in any shows prior to this.

The level of emotional complexity that her character brings is literally chilling. Like, when I imagine her voice from the series at any given moment; I still get chills. She really is that good.

Rest of the cast works perfect together, couldn't ask for a better cast. There are may characters which the series shows when they were kids, and the kids they got to play these characters look strikingly similar. Props to whoever the casting director was on this series.

The story is so emotionally-pulling. It deals with the serious issue of child abuse/neglect. Personally, coming from a background of abuse; this story really accurately captures the horrors. The story leaves you on the edge of your seat and in ugly tears until the final episode. Even up until the last episode, I kept thinking...HOW IS THIS GOING TO END?

Finally, the music...The soundtrack for this film perfectly compliments the visuals. It's just so beautiful. I honestly can't say enough good things about this show.

I HIGHLY recommend this show. I've seen it all the way through twice, now. It's definitely my favorite show of all time. Nothing will ever beat it.