Choi Gang-Hee and Kim Young-Kwang star in the new KBS2 series, “Hello, Me,” that aired its first two episodes this week. Choi Gang-Hee plays the role of Bahn Hanni, a 37-year-old single woman who works part time selling snacks at a grocery store in a bright orange squid costume. After an accident at work, her life begins to tumble out of control. She meets Han Yuhyeon (played by Kim Young-Kwang) during a memorable encounter and after a series of unfortunate events, her 17-year-old self (played by Lee Re) suddenly appears before her.
In the first two episodes alone, the viewer experienced a variety of emotions and witnessed many head-shaking moments. More than anything, though, we were given laugh out loud scenarios that make up this list. Here are 5 hilariously humiliating moments from episodes 1 & 2 of “Hello, Me!”
Note: Spoilers ahead!
1. Hanni Dressed as a Squid
Not only is our main character simply dressed as a squid in the premiere episode, she is bright orange and dancing in the middle of a grocery store. And she OWNS it. She’s singing the song, she’s dancing that choreography…trying to sell that squid snack. But then after an incident with a young boy’s taste test gone badly, she ends up leaving the store in the costume. And going to the police station in the costume. And going to a boutique in it, and walking down the street in it, and so on. Once she’s out of the grocery store, the reasons for wearing a costume like that go out the window, she gets a lot of whispers and stares, which are…understandable. It’s her time at the police station that stands out the most, though; she’s arrested on charges of slandering an actor named Anthony and waits in a cell as he comes to confront her. So she’s sitting there…yes, in her bright orange squid costume in a holding cell. Ha!
2. Yuhyeon’s Failed Bet
Han Yuheyon’s own hyung and his dad bet against him, wagering that he can’t earn a million won in one week. Despite having earned more than 80 different kinds of certifications, including ones for horse training and food carving, he has a difficult job finding a short term, high salary job. The result? We find him running down the street in nothing but his underwear and a coat. The police also find him that way and cart him off to the police station where he is chucked into the cell next to Bahn Hanni in her squid costume. What a pair! After Hanni is released, Yuhyeon asks to borrow her squid hat and she obliges. Despite giggling out loud, watching him sit in the corner of his cell with that hat covering his face, you could feel the shame radiating off both of these wronged characters.
3. The Blind Date
Hanni, bless her, ends her terrible day with a blind date set up by her sister. Hanni goes into it, hoping for a miracle and in positive spirits. The date includes insults, poetry, a spill, and another run-in with Yuhyeon. Needless to say, her bad luck was consistent through the end of her day! During their conversation, Hanni is left feeling less-than and insignificant as her date points out her flaws and lack of knowledge. He spins some other sweet words for her, but ends up leaving her there before their meal is over. There are few things that are more humiliating than being abandoned during a date! But her small slip-ups lightened the mood for the viewer as we had multiple moments we could say, “Mood,” to.
4. Chunsik’s Rejection
During a flashback to Hanni’s high school days, we see a younger Anthony, then just known as Yang Chunsik, as the leader of his little gang. Wanting to confess to his crush Hanni, he has his goons bring her to him with a blanket over her head. He suggests they date and waits for her response. When the girl is revealed to actually be Hanni’s friend, Oh Jieun, he insults her and Hanni arrives to her friend’s rescue. She kicks an unsuspecting Chunsik and threatens him if he ever messes with Jieun again. His goons cart him away and the viewer is left feeling embarrassed for him, but also feeling a bit like he got what he deserved. Hanni’s revenge continues later in the episode though, and Chunsik’s humiliation runs DEEP in a way you’ll have to see to fully understand.
5. Young Hanni’s Future Revealed
A final humiliating, but humorous, moment from the second episode is when Hanni has to tell her younger self that she grows up to be her sister’s housekeeper. Young Hanni had big dreams of being a KPop star, singing and dancing on some famous stage somewhere. But when she hears that the fancy house she sees in front of her isn’t her own, but her older sister’s, she loses it. In a flashback, we see her sister, Hayeong, picking up her loose hairs from the ground with a roll of tape after being called “Bald Eagle” by Hanni. Back in the present day, young Hanni yells, “Why did I grow up to be a loser?!” The evening continues with more insults, mysterious screaming, a kitchen fire, and a trip to the bath house after being evacuated from their smoke-filled home for the night. Not quite the dream future young Hanni had imagined during her popular days of high school!
So many mishaps in just two hours of this show so far! You can catch up with “Hello, Me!” on Netflix.
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