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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "My Little Baby"

The joys and woes of raising a family are a very prominent topic in Korean drama. Family as a theme is present in almost every show, after all. Despite the prominence of characters who are parents in drama, the mundane routine of daily life when raising a young child has not been explored a lot. "My Little Baby" is not always very realistic and it does adhere to stereotypes, but it is a campy and endearingly sweet slice-of-life series.

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Cha Jeong-han (Oh Ji-ho) is a talented detective specializing in violent crimes. He has a prickly personality and a prejudice against working parents. When his sister and her husband die in an accident, he becomes the guardian of his niece, Eun-ae. His choice of residence leads to some awkward reunions and Jeong-han must adapt to his local community in order to provide for Eun-ae.

Jeong-han, Eun-ae and MinYoon-sook, Ji-yeong and Bo-mi

For those familiar with the Japanese drama industry, "My Little Baby" will remind you of similar dramas in certain aspects. For one, slice-of-life is a genre rarely done in a short, weekly format in Korea. Another feature is the general style of the drama. There is no shortage of slapstick comedy, outrageous, but not soapy situations and due to the late night time slot, even some witty adult humor. It is a crazy, but fun ride.

The drama also delivers some refreshing social commentary and some of its parenting-related topics are surprisingly honest. While it does not go deep into the exploration of its themes, there is a lot for audiences to relate to here. If other dramas are all about larger-than-life situations, "My Little Baby" is about the gravity of every day "drama" and this makes it a light, but engrossing series.

If one thing could have been better, it is the show's handling of its characters. Jo Ji-yeong (Jung Soo-young), a woman Jeong-han shares an embarrassing past with and her "gang" of mothers are stereotypes of fussy, overbearing and often petty "ajumma" characters for most of the series. Ji-yeong is essentially a neighborhood villain. While the series portrays the difficulties of raising a child in a demanding society, it places comedy above the need for more thorough characterization.

Jeong-han and Ye-seulJeong-han at the baby yoga place

The result of this is that a lot of its attempted social commentary and character connections feel superficial. This is not a huge problem for a series mainly aiming to be a light and relaxing show about babies and silly adults, but there is potential for more here which is not realized. Jeong-han's conflicts with the neighborhood mothers become repetitive, too.

"My Little Baby" is not exactly a show for demanding viewers. There is little to no point in the story aside from Jeong-han and Eun-ae adjusting to life with the people around them and life with each other. Not every story needs a grand statement, however. "My Little Baby" exists to provide entertainment and show a nod of understanding to parents. It achieves both quite well.

"My Little Baby" is directed by Han Cheol-soo and Lee Soon-ok, written Kim Yoon-heui and Lee Eun-yeong, and features Oh Ji-ho, Lee Soo-kyung, Kim Min-jae-I and Jung Soo-young.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

 

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