“Be Melodramatic” (aka “Melo is My Nature”) is a 2019 Korean drama, 16 episodes, categorized as Slice of Life, Romance, and Comedy (Rom-Com), and streaming on Netflix, Viki, and various other streaming platforms. After airing on television, this series was adapted to a manhwa/webtoon.
- Memorable Quote: “We’re only 30. Let’s not be so sentimental looking back upon the past. … And I don’t have to worry about the future. Let us just focus on the immediate crisis. … Like me wanting to eat noodles.”
SUMMARY: Three women in their early thirties — a rookie screenwriter, a grieving filmmaker, and a single mother — navigate the ups and downs of adulthood while supporting each other through love, loss, and ambition.
♦ “Adulting is a Joke.”
“Be Melodramatic” follows three women in their early thirties, Lim Jin-Joo, Lee Eun-Jung, and Hwang Han-Joo, best friends navigating the chaos of adulthood with humor, heartbreak, and resilience.
- Lim Jin-Joo, a rookie screenwriter, finally lands her big break: writing a 16-episode drama. As she works alongside director Son Beom-Soo, their professional collaboration evolves into a complicated romance. Both must confront insecurities and blurred boundaries between career and personal life, discovering what they truly want.
- Lee Eun-Jung, a documentary filmmaker, struggles with unresolved grief after losing her fiancé to cancer. Her pain surfaces in imagined conversations with him, a poignant reminder of her inability to let go. While filming a documentary about a struggling actress, she begins to process her loss, finding strength in her art and glimpses of healing.
- Hwang Han-Joo, a single mother and marketing team leader, juggles the demands of parenting with the pressures of her job. When her company becomes involved in Lim Jin-Joo’s drama, she is pulled deeper into the entertainment world. Alongside new colleague Choo Jae-Hoon, she faces challenges of ambition, stability, and the possibility of love, all while asserting herself as both a parent and a professional.
Each woman grows in her own imperfect way. Messy yet deeply human, Be Melodramatic reminds us that adulthood isn’t about having it all figured out, it’s about learning to lean on yourself and the people who matter most.
Main Characters:
- Lim Jin-Joo (played by Chun Woo-Hee, “Delightfully Deceitful”, “My Youth”, “Unlocked”, “Anchor”, “Love, Lies”, “The Atypical Family”, “Vertigo”, “The 8 Show”)
- Lee Eun-Jung (played by Jeon Yeo-Bin, “Ms. Incognito”, “Dark Nuns”, “Our Movie”, “Harbin”, “Night in Paradise”, “A Time Called You”, “Glitch”, “Secret Zoo”, “Vincenzo”)
- Jeon Dong-Min (played by Jin Young, “The Dude in Me”, “Police University”, “Love in the Moonlight”, “Miss Granny”, “Sweet Home 2 and 3”)
- Hwang Han-Joo (played by Han Ji-Eun, “Study Group”, “When the Stars Gossip”, “Bad and Crazy”)
- Choo Jae-Hoon (played by Gong Myung, “Love Untangled”, “Mercy For None”, “Second Shot At Love“, “Way Back Love”, “Citizen of a Kind”, “Lovers of the Red Sky”, “Extreme Job”, “The Bride of Habaek”, “Noryang: Deadly Sea”, “Hansan: Rising Dragon”)
- Son Beom-Soo (played by Ahn Jae-Hong, “Rebound”, “Secret Zoo”, “Chicken Nugget”, “Time to Hunt”, “The King’s Case Note”)
Where to Watch: Viki, KOCOWA+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime (Free with ads on Tubi TV, and The Roku Channel)
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is the same as IMDb.
“Adulting is a joke.” This quote sums up “Be Melodramatic”.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Be Melodramatic Shows Rare Acceptance of Individuality in Dramaland | Seoulbeats
Review: Be Melodramatic [Melo Suits Me] | The Fangirl Verdict
Be Melodramatic – Thoughts | Dramadelight
Be Melodramatic (Melo Is My Nature) ~ Drama Review | Once Upon a Drama
TRAILER/TEASER:
Chit Chat. (2019, August 10). Be Melodramatic Trailer Korean Drama (2019) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffim2enRoGI.
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