KDRAMALOVE KOREAN DRAMA REVIEWS



Mute
너의 마음은 음소거
JTBC (2020) 4 Short Episodes
Romantic Comedy, Grade: B
Korean Drama Review by Jill, USA

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Obviously aimed at the teenage to early twenties crowd, of which I am definitely not included, Mute (2020) did make me smile at times, so therefore I consider it not a total waste of my time. It helped that it wasn't too long, at only four short episodes equaling about an hour in total viewing time.

I really liked the male lead character, played by Won Hyung Hoon; he seemed quite sensitive, and this actor has a lot of potential. It was the rather clownish acting of the leading lady Bae Yun Gyeong that drove me a bit daft during this K-drama. She seemed to me to act more like a young teenager having her first giddy crush, rather than a professional woman in her mid-twenties out to prove her worth to her company and to the new man she suddenly becomes attracted to. For instance, she squealed WAY too many times and had hysterics over the simplest of things. Maybe a future, more mature role (and a better director) will give this actress a chance to win me over more.



Trailer
The Story:

A professional music concert organizer named Ha Na (Bae Yun Gyeong) is a fluttery type of person and always going off the deep end when the most ordinary things happen to her; for instance, losing her cell phone on the beach can make her run around the beach looking for it, appearing more like a crazy person than a stable company worker.

Ha Na DOES have a special ability though, one that she keeps to herself. Whenever she thinks she is in love with somebody she can suddenly read their thoughts (sort of like Lee Jong Suk's character did in I Hear Your Voice, except he could read anybody's thoughts when he looked into their eyes, not just people he thought himself in love with).



When she finds her cell phone she has a rather wild altercation with the man who happened to pick it up, named Je Won (Won Hyung Hoon). He naturally thinks she's a nut-case (and I didn't blame him!). When she sees he has a guitar on his back she assumes he's a musician and asks him if he can come with her to impress her boss at work. She will tell her boss she found a new singer - musician and hopefully get a new feather in her cap at her place of employment. He tells her "I can't sing" but then eventually takes pity on her and agrees to come and play the guitar for her co-workers. Once there he DOES show everyone that he CAN sing and play the guitar very well! So why did he lie to her at first, she wonders.



It turns out that Je Won has been afflicted with a hearing-related problem and has intermittent troubles performing (like Kim Soo Hyun's character sometimes did in Dream High). Whenever they are together Ha Na and Je Won realize they have regained their special abilities: Ha Na finds out that she can read his thoughts, and Je Won's hearing problems suddenly disappear! He can sing again, and very nicely too! The folks at Ha Na's company are impressed. With both of them. And the other ladies a wee bit jealous.

The two new lovers find out that "the miracle of love" can make both their lives better. As romance grows they both seem happy, for the first time in a long while; however, when they finally share a kiss Ha Na suddenly discovers she can no longer read Je Won's mind. Will this start to doom their relationship to failure, or will it in fact liberate them even more to be happier, more productive lovers / people?

Check Mute out if you are a young person -- or even if you are older but young at heart. It was sweet overall, and maybe someday when I see these actors in future roles I'll be able to say "I knew them back then when they were starting out." Enjoy.

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