Genius profiler Lee Hyun, returns home to Korea after something from a case he’s been sent triggers a memory he thought he’d lost forever. Unbeknownst to him, one of his team members, Detective Cha Ji-an, has been investigating him for some time. She is aware that his father was murdered and his brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances involving a criminal named Lee Joon Young — whom they both want found and incarcerated. Each seeks to unravel the other, unaware that they’ve been drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse by a master player and that both truth and evil are closer and far more twisted than they think
mydramalist
- Starring: Seo In Guk | Jang Na Ra | Park Bo Gum | Choi Won Young
- Episodes: 16 (1 Hr. 10 Min.)
- Aired: June 22 – August 11, 2015
- Network: KBS2
- Where to Watch: Viki
So I’m not one of those people who are obsessed with true crime documentaries or serial killers. However, I enjoy a good thriller or Law and Order marathon as much as the next person. At the same time, I’m a cynical romantic. Hello Monster ticked both of those boxes off for me. As well as having a few of my crushes in the cast. But lets get into it.
At the core Hello Monster or I Remember You is a tale of two brothers, a serial killer, a police officer seeking closure and a look into nature and nurture. As the synopsis points out, Seo In Guk’s Lee Hyun witnessed his father’s murder by the escaped serial killer Lee Joon Young when he was a child. But because of an accident, a few of his memories have been lost. The rest of the show is a series of flash backs of Lee Hyun’s youth and how he struggled with his father thinking he was a monster. On top of that, there is a procedural aspect that feels like an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, with Lee Hyun playing the role of Vincent D’Onofrio. And of course the little sprinkle of romance thrown in with Cha Ji-An. They even tried to give some weird love triangles in there but to me, the strongest relationship was between Lee Hyun and his brother. (and medical examiner Lee Jun Ho 😉)
Now for me, I loved the parts that leaned into the nature verses nurture of the Lee brothers. And the question of if people are born evil or is it a learned behavior. I didn’t really care for the flashbacks on a whole but seeing Do Kyungsoo play a smart serial killer was really intriguing. Another intriguing part was Park Bo Gum as lawyer Jung Sun Ho. This wasn’t what I expected from the boy next door. He was a little charming and a lot of villainy but when things start to be unveiled, he does like a whole 180 in character portrayal. He’s like a little murder puppy.
Overall, I really liked the pace of this show. I wish there was a little more romance just because they claimed this was a rom-com. I don’t want to say Seo In Guk and Jang Na Ra didn’t have chemistry because they kind of did, but it really felt like a one sided love even till the end. At one point, I just wondered if everyone were siblings cause that would explain A LOT. But in the end, I’m a sucker for a Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum vehicle.
Acting : 8/10
Story : 8/10
Music : 5/10
Overall : 7.5/10
Recommended For : People who love true crime shows but also a romantic. 
Fave Song : ‘Remember‘ by Dear Cloud
Unbothered Unnies 