Sometimes there is a scene in a drama that just makes your heart pound and you feel a sense of longing that just can’t be described.    I found myself taking screenshots and sending them to my Kbesties.  No, I wasn’t sending them any shirtless pictures or angsty shower scenes; I was lusting after the idea of having someone come clean and organize my house.  So, I will warn you.  This new drama might leave you feeling dissatisfied with your current situation.  Why can’t we ALL have a house helper like this one? Your House Helper does have some other features to recommend it, so read on for my first impressions and unfiltered thoughts.

Your House Helper is based on a webtoon by Seung Jung Yun. In the drama Your House Helper, Kim Ji Woon (played by Ha Seok-Jin) is a house helper who assists others in organizing their homes and their lives. If you read a synopsis on most sites, I think they make the drama sound rather boring, so read on to see if it might be something that intrigues you.

Here are my unfiltered first impressions, pretty much phrased the way they came into my head as I watched:

OK. It’s another male maid show. Are handsome housekeepers the new trend to replace robots?

I admit that I kind of started watching this on a whim. There is another male housekeeper show coming soon that was a bit more intriguing to me, but once I started watching, I was really drawn in. Ha Seok-Jin is a bit of a gamble as an actor for me. Sometimes I love him (1% of Something) and sometimes I really don’t (looking at you Drinking Solo). He has the ability to play very cold and aloof characters without hinting at any potential warmth, so sometimes I do not connect with his characters and when the character finally thaws, I don’t always feel the sincerity. I am happy to say, though, I am finding him very believable and endearing in this role. So, despite wondering how many male house helper shows will be gracing my screen, I am definitely drawn into this one.

Yay! It’s a Sismance!

I was completely not expecting this to be a sismance show, but the three female roommates and their mutual friend are really adorable. I can see them all moving on in the future, living in the same neighborhood, and having a Reply 1988 kind of friendship. It takes some time for the story to unfold, but hang in there. Their friendship is part of the glue keeping me stuck to the screen. Although Bona is still an idol actress in my opinion (she is from the K-pop group Cosmic Girls), the role she is playing requires some naïveté and awkwardness, so I am not distracted by her “greenness.” I do feel, however, that Go Won Hee (Go Go Waikiki) draws my attention in almost every scene. She has really great comedic timing and is not afraid of looking ridiculous, but then she can also transform into someone stunningly beautiful and poised. She reminds me of Hwang Jung Eum, but without the screechiness. I am finding myself really enjoying the girl bonding on this show. It even inspired me to call up my old college friend and reconnect. Sismances are not always as common as bromances in dramas, so this is definitely a great feature of this drama!

Wait. I can laze about watching dramas and get real-life cleaning tips? I’m in!

Sure. This might seem like a lame reason to watch a drama, but I am actually finding myself picking up some life hacks just by watching. For example, if you have some items you are emotionally attached to, it can be helpful to take pictures to preserve the memories. I also learned how to get a red wine stain out of a fancy designer jacket and how to use leftover soju as a cleaning product. I am telling you, watching this show is educational! Of course, I am spending my time watching instead of cleaning, but in my defense, I might be more motivated to clean and organize if I had Ha Seok-Jin in an apron guiding me through the process. While I am waiting for him to show up, I think I might just hit the play button one more time.

Wow. This is surprisingly deep.

I am really appreciating the way Kim Ji Woon (Ha Seok-Jin’s character) is not just entering each home and organizing it his way. He learns about his clients and then cleans and organizes in a way that suits their needs and preferences. He also seems to understand the power of sentimental attachment, especially after a loss. He is surprisingly warm and thoughtful as in situation after situation he not only physically cleans a space, but helps bring healing to the people living there. Yes. I hear myself basically saying that this house helper is also providing some kind of therapy for his clients. It is true, though. Most of the homes he is helping to organize have reached a state of dishevelment because of a loss of some type: break-up, death of a loved one, or divorce. This house helper provides a literal clean start and new beginning.

I think I am going to be cheering for the side couples more than the main couple!

I really like Lee Ji Hoon playing the role of Kwon Jin Kook! He tries so hard to be chic and suave, but despite his status as a successful attorney, he is adorkably awkward and clumsy. I am really hoping he finds his way way to Yoon Sang-A (played by Go Won-Hee). There is another potential romance brewing between two other characters as well, but it seems like there will be some healing and working through issues before we can really talk about that as a possibility.

He looks FINE in that apron!

Come on. You didn’t expect my unfiltered thoughts to be all misty-eyed and deep, right? So, let us take a moment to appreciate how lovely it is to see a guy in an apron cleaning a house. True. I am tempted to say he can ditch the apron and just clean for me. Actually, I don’t really care what he is wearing if he would just clean my house. No, actually, I don’t even care if it is him cleaning my house. It could be a 78-year-old halmeoni cleaning up and I would be happy. I really just need someone to clean my house. Then, I could keep my thoughts properly focused on Ha Seok-Jin in this apron!

So, there you have it. My unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness, first impressions of Your House Helper. Are you watching? Let us know in the comments below!

From My Brain to the Page with No Filter,

Kdrama Jen

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi