Back in 1995, romance series Aishiteiru to Itte Kure took Japanese television by storm, becoming the top-rated drama in the country that year. Now almost two decades later, the delicate love story is getting a wholesome K-drama remake from Genie TV. Entitled Tell Me That You Love Me, this Korean adaptation revolves around Cha Jin-woo (Jung Woo-sung), a deaf painter who lost his sense of hearing at a young age. Although he is shunned due to his disability and leads a lonely life, Jin-woo is content expressing himself through his drawings, and fulfilled by his day job as an art teacher to hearing impaired kids. However, his solitude is broken when he meets a struggling actress during a trip to Jeju.
Enter Jung Mo-eun (Shin Hyun-been), an aspiring thespian who arrives on the idyllic island to play a minor role on a film shoot. Unfortunately, her first day on set is a disaster and Mo-Eun is promptly fired. But since her accommodations have already been paid for, the disheartened young woman decides to stick around and sightsee for a couple days. As our two leads trek around town, they initially have a couple of brief yet awkward passing interactions, as Mo-Eun is puzzled by Jin-woo’s refusal to engage in small talk. Later on, a more perilous meeting brings them closer, when a kitchen accident causes the restaurant they both happen to be dining at to be engulfed in flames.
Due to his impairment, Jin-woo is unaware of the commotion happening behind him as he gazes at Jeju’s scenery. Even as the panicked crowd sprints for the exit, Mo-Eun is the only good samaritan who rushes back in to rescue Jin-woo. Thankful for her kindness and bravery, Jin-woo invites her for a late-night dinner at his camper by the beach. This is the first time the two get to know each other, and sparks fly as Mo-Eun patiently tries to understand him (going so far as to learn basic sign language on YouTube), while Jin-woo’s calm demeanour turns livelier in her company. Despite this lovely evening, the pair’s connection is halted when they both return to Seoul the following day. Once in the big city, we follow them as their lives and paths nearly cross several times – until another fateful encounter reunites the two lovebirds.
Undoubtedly, the sweet and quiet interplay between Jin-woo and Mo-eun is the show’s biggest attribute, with stars Jung Woo-sung and Shin Hyun-been exuding palpable chemistry from the jump. In particular, Woo-sung’s wordless performance is an understated marvel, conveying what could have been pages and pages of dialogue or inner monologue through facial expressions and body language alone. Writer Kim Min-jung’s take on the material must also be commended for its sensitivity to its subject matter, and its serene slice-of-life storytelling – which allows the viewer to gradually invest in these characters and their situations. This tranquil and unhurried pace is greatly aided by director Kim Yoon-jin’s soft and picturesque visual palette, which gives the series a gorgeous aesthetic that comforts just as much as it immerses.
That said, Tell Me That You Love Me’s charm does wear off when the primary couple aren’t the focus. When they’re together, the show is a beautifully mellow drama – but when they’re apart (or not on screen at all), the show transforms into a grating melodrama. Jin-woo and Mo-eun’s personal and professional lives are at least intriguing, yet the series’ supporting characters and unrelated sub-plots are simultaneously thinly drawn and bloated with cliches. Nevertheless, Tell Me That You Love Me’s tender navigation through the verbal and nonverbal semantics of love will warm your heart. Even when both parties are able to hear and speak, communication in a relationship can be a minefield. So watching Jon-woo and Mo-eun bond – not over passion or affection – but over their sincere desire to understand one another, is inspiring.
Tell Me That You Love Me is available to stream on Disney+