Tell Me That You Love Me | Series Review

[This review contains spoilers]

Tell Me That You Love Me redefines the language of love with its heartwarming story and inspiring main characters.

Based on a Japanese hit 90s series Aishiteiru to Itte Kure, this Jung Woo-sung and Shin Hyun-been starrer tells the love story between an elusive deaf painter and an aspiring actor. Because it’s an adaptation, there were a lot of pre-production tidbits that were shared online like how the adaptation rights had been in Jung Woo-sung’s possession for years or how the original series had a great run except for its last two episodes. Those information piqued my curiosity and set my some level of expectations for the series. Honestly, I was wary at first because of the questionable tropes the original series used for its ending. All those doubts, however, were instantaneously pacified as soon as the drama premiered.

Cha Jin-woo (Jung Woo-sung) and Jung Mo-eun (Shin Hyun-been) are older and more mature than their original counterparts. Both are sensible in dealing with conflicts in their relationship, even those that come from their personal hang-ups (except for the cause of their third arc break-up but I’ll deal with that later). Jin-woo and Mo-eun also have interesting individual character arcs which makes me appreciate their relationship dynamics more. Jin-woo needed someone to pull him out of his “cave” and open his heart again for love while Mo-eun needed an anchor she could depend on whenever her journey as an actress became too tough to handle.

The start of their relationship is simple yet beautiful – a fateful encounter on a scenic island. Their love story bloomed very naturally. The pacing might be slow for some drama watchers especially compared to other fast-paced romances out there but I couldn’t consider this as a slow-burn romance. It’s low-stake with a melancholic undertone but its pacing matches the normal three-arc plot structure.

Screenplay writer Kim Min-jung actually used tried-and-tested romance formulas that worked well with this adaptation. Some plot progression might seem cliché though. Don’t get me wrong, clichés aren’t that bad but they also don’t bring anything new. The returning first love conflict, the third arc misunderstanding, and noble idiocy have been used in the past. But two things make these formulas work well with Tell Me That You Love Me’s plot: (1) the interaction between the main characters and (2) the way it shows the nuances of communication in relationships.

The interaction between Jin-woo and Mo-eun is the series’ strength. They dealt with Jin-woo’s condition with the right sensibility it needed. All actors, who had to use sign language in their scenes, expertly showed their characters’ feelings. The way Jin-woo and Mo-eun understood each other despite the different language they use is sweet and tender. One could tell the characters’ feelings just by looking at the actors’ eyes. Woo-sung and Hyun-been abetted the movements of their hands with their expressive faces. Jin-woo is a character worth waiting for Jung Woo-sung’s fans. He knows this is a character he could play expertly. I wouldn’t be surprised if he bagged some nominations for his portrayal in this series. Mo-eun, on the other hand, is a character that proves Shin Hyun-been’s critics wrong. She is a female-lead-worthy actress who can transform into different types of characters. She shines the most with good material and good production execution. Their portrayal of Jin-woo and Mo-eun as moving even during the messy episode 15 break–up becomes heart-wrenching for me because of their acting even if I don’t agree with the conflict’s timing.

I had predicted from the middle episodes that the writer was going with a break-up scene as the final conflict for the main couple. It was seen in the second act how the silence that started as something so refreshing for Mo-eun ended up suffocating her. What I didn’t expect though is how they drag it until the last two episodes of the series. In my opinion, the break-up could have been more impactful if they had done it at the end of the 14th episode or the start of the 15th episode. In this way, the characters would have had more air time to show how they think things through and work things out between them. Actually, the break-up scene would have had more gravitas too if Mo-eun initiated it instead because she’s the one getting frustrated with the “silence”. But I guess, just like what the actors said in their post-drama interviews, the characters love each other so much they are willing to let each other go (or in trope lingo – noble idiocy; or in Taylor Swift’s lyrics – “I broke my own heart cause you were too polite to do it”). Then again, this is my personal preference with such tropes and the rest of the series is still a good romantic watch.

The other characters are also interesting to watch. Song Seo-kyung (Kim Ji-hyun), in particular, brought more flavor to the story. She is the kind of antagonist you couldn’t fully hate, especially with the history she has with Jin-woo. Sure, her narcissistic streak is annoying, especially on how she seemed to assume Jin-woo isn’t capable of moving on from her but at the end of the day, Seo-kyung is just another woman in love like Mo-eun. Seo-kyung experienced first the frustration Mo-eun dealt with in the latter episodes. Their difference though is that Seo-kyung can let Jin-woo go. Mo-eun didn’t, even in the last moment, even when she couldn’t smile anymore like she used to, she held onto Jin-woo. Her stubbornness to stay on the relationship should have been appreciated by Jin-woo but I do understand the latter’s reason for letting her go instead.

What I also appreciate about romance stories is a good support group for the main characters. In this series, Jin-woo has his very wise childhood friend Hong Ki-hyun (Heo Joon-seok), who has been giving him commonsensical relationship advice since day 1. Mo-eun has her housemate Oh Ji-yu (Park Jin-joo), who is supportive of her happiness no matter what. She and her side story with Mo-eun’s brother Jung Mo-dam (Shin Jae-hwi) provided some light comedic relief especially on episodes when the main characters’ relationship was going through a rough patch. Mo-eun also has Yoon Jo-han (Lee Jae-kyoon), who is the series’ second lead. At first, though, I didn’t really see the need for another third party on Mo-eun’s side but I eventually appreciated his character. I was afraid Jo-han would take advantage of Mo-eun’s vulnerability when she and Jin-woo are overcoming some misunderstandings but instead, he remained a good friend to Mo-eun (which is one of the good changes from the original material).

Another main selling point for Tell Me That You Love Me is its stunning cinematography. Director Kim Yoon-jin is a visual storyteller. It showed in Our Beloved Summer and he brought the same style for this melo-romance as well. He is deliberate with how he composed each frame for his projects. The wide-shot scenes look like paintings and he also knows when and what to focus on to show his actors’ strengths. I wouldn’t complain if he works again with my favorites in his next project.

Overall, Tell Me That You Love Me is a charming tale of two people navigating the complexities of communication in love. It showed that understanding another person isn’t just about verbal words; it’s also about the genuine desire and patience to listen to things that aren’t expressed out loud.

• Jung Woo-sung, Shin Hyun-Been confirmed to star in remake of a Japanese drama