You can watch “May I Help You” on various streaming platforms, depending on your region. It is available through subscription services or networks that offer access to international content, so check local listings or streaming providers for availability.
May I Help You Full Review: Exploring Life, Death, and Everything In Between
Before saying anything, I want to ask you, are you ready to cry? No, it’s not a sad ending but still, I bet you are going to cry a river if you start watching this drama. This drama is so close to my heart because of how beautifully this drama balances life and death and tells the unfinished story of the dead people I never imagined before watching it. Let me write May I Help You full review today and I hope you like it. This drama is obviously a fictional one but trust me it builds such a connection to human life which will heal your heart with warmth. So, allow me.
Plot Summary: Death’s Requests and Life’s Complications
Baek Dong Joo is a young woman who works in a funeral parlor as a funeral director. But her father never allowed her to do so and for that reason, she secretly does her work. However, she has a special ability to see and talk to the dead people. When she touches the dead body they start talking for a while. When for the first time she saw this happen she was terrified and left her job but later came back. Now she accepts the truth and talks to the dead people. They talk about life, about how they die and tell her if they have any last wish which she gladly fulfills.
One day she meets a man called Kim Tae Hee who lives with his uncle and does a weird service job under the name of A Dime A Job. Soon they become friends as they become neighbors. A Dime A Job does pretty much everything even the minorest thing like bearing weather bottles if they are being paid.
Anyways, for the special ability Dong Joo never had a good dating life and Kim Tae Hee also bears baggage from his past and cuts ties with everyone, both of them meet and help each other and being each other’s strongest supporter they fall in love with each other.
Cast and Performances: Bringing the Story to Life
The characters of the drama May I Help You is one of the most powerful pillars as they deliver an exceptional performance altogether and bridge the undeniable bond of fiction and reality. The central character Baek Dong Joo successfully made us see through her eyes and feel through her emotions. Not just the main character but each and every character successfully touched our hearts. And now let’s get to know some of them.
Baek Dong-Joo (Played by Lee Hye Ri)
Baek Dong Joo is the soul of the story who is mentally super strong and a kind-hearted woman. In Dong Joo’s family, there is only her father and uncle. Her father wanted her to study and do an honorable job but she chose to become a funeral director. So for that reason she hides her work from her father. When she found out her speciality for the first time she was afraid but then decided to listen to them. With her touch the dead people wake up temporarily and talk to her, for sure they do not believe at first that they are dead but Dong Joo brings them down and slowly makes them understand what happened to them. Sometimes they only talk to her and sometimes they ask her to relay a message to their families. Dong Joo happily does her work and day by day becomes more and more mature.
Lee Hyeri played the role of Baek Dong Joo, and with her performance, she brought out the balance of warmth, sadness as well as resilience so perfectly which makes her a relatable character and the viewers also love her dearly.
Kim Tae Hee (Played by Lee Jun Young)
Kim Tae Hee is a handsome young man who now works with his uncle who runs an errand service called A Dime A Job. He is a soft-hearted man and is very supportive to everyone. He is calm and polite and also friendly to everyone. But as his story unfolds we see him carrying an emotional wound with him that made him preserved. But when he meets Dong Joo things start to change in a good way. Both complemented each other’s life in their chaotic world.
Lee Jun Young shines in the role of Kim Tae Hee. He made his role so lively that you will feel his inner pain and will cry even when he is silent.
Supporting Characters
Along with the main characters the supporting characters did a great job of balancing the humor, emotional depth and fantasy altogether. Some of them are:
Butler Vincent (Played by Song Deok-Ho)
In the midst of heavy emotional scenes, sadness and crying Butler Vincent was someone we wanted. He served pure comic relief. His look, appearance, dialogue everything makes us laugh. He is the uncle of Tae Hee, he never succeeded in his work. Nobody takes him seriously but surprisingly he is the strength of Tae Hee before Dong Joo came to his life. Even though his character is funny he is a loyal and supportive person to anybody, especially Tae Hee.
Im Il-Seob (Played by Tae In Ho)
Im II-Seob is the senior of Dong Joo in her funeral parlor. He is kind and gentle and is the most supportive friend of Dong Joo. He serves the warmth of friendship in the drama.
Seo Hae An (Played by Song Duk Ho)
Seo Hae An is a complex character. He is a police officer and on first appearance he looks too timid and confused but later on, we also can call him the antagonist of the drama. His character evokes mystery in the minds of the viewers.
Baek Dal Sik (Played by Park Soo Young) & Priest Michael (Played by Oh Dae Hwan)
Both of them are the only family of Dong Joo. Baek Dal Sik, the father of Dong Joo works so hard to give her daughter a better life. He wants her to be educated and get a secure job. He is the best father that a daughter can ever have. On the other hand, Priest Michael never got married to take care of Dong Joo. He chose to be a priest to be by the side of the father and daughter. He also serves as comic relief in the heavy theme of life and death.
The Departed Souls
If Dong Joo is the soul of the drama then the unique aspects of the departed souls are the heart of the drama. Life is not easy but death is more unfair, when the departed souls awake for a moment with the touch of Dong Joo they can not believe they are dead. Everyone has a loving family whom they dearly love. Dong Joo consoles them and makes them understand the reality.
Trust me you will cry your eyes out when you listen to their story of love, life and regret.
Unique Storytelling: Supernatural Elements with Real Emotions
One of the most powerful and gripping elements of the drama May I Help You is the unique plot or story of it. In this drama we see a normal girl who lives a very normal life witness a supernatural power in her. With her touch people who are dead wake up for a brief moment. When she first experienced this she was terrified and ran away. Talking or seeing dead people can sound like a typical fantasy story but trust me it is something more than that. When you listen to the incomplete story of the deceased people you will feel an unknown pain in your heart and tears in your eyes.
In this whole world, every being loves their life because they have a story they lived. Life matters a lot even if you don’t accept the fact all the time. However, the deceased people ask Dong Joo a favor, and she willingly does it for them. She hears their story and gets them ready to go to the afterlife as they wish.
Each episode shows a new story of grief, sorrow and pain, love and regret. If we thoroughly try to understand the story then we will understand the hidden message the drama is giving us, it’s the message of the importance of love, forgiveness and second chances.
Themes: Compassion, Healing, and Closure
Though May I Help You goes in the genre of supernatural or fictional dramas it is surely more than that, a supernatural drama packed with emotions of real life. It tells a story of humans, their life, their hope, regret, forgiveness, their struggle and everything. It enriched itself with the theme of compassion, healing and closure. Let us thoroughly analyze them.
Compassion: Understanding the Living and the Departed
Do you believe that one can not live alone? Even if you are capable of doing everything all yourself you need someone to give you a shoulder to give you empathy. This drama is evidence of it. We see how Dong Joo empathizes with the deceased people, she listens to them, their incomplete story and their untold emotions and tries to console them in her own way and send them to the afterlife. But the people who are left behind also need to be comforted. In most of the cases, we see how painful it is to live without their loved ones. So here Dong Joo symbolizes empathy for the deceased and their loved ones.
On the other hand, Kim Tae Hee also represents empathy or compassion but in a different way. He does an errand service with his uncle where he solves other people’s problems. He helps people with their everyday struggles no matter how small or big it is.
And finally, Dong Joo and Tae Hee together complete each other emotionally. Both of them are left behind by their most loved ones and they become each other’s most trusted person who also understands each other very well even without saying.
Healing: Finding Peace Amidst Pain
Grief, pain and sorrow dwell in this drama but this drama is not all about sadness, rather it focuses on healing. Each soul Dong Joo helps to go to the afterlife owns a story of love, hope and every other feeling, listening to them she makes their after journey a little easier. She also grants their final wish and passes their family members their last wishes. And for sure their last message is the last possession for them with which they get fuel to live their lives happily.
Again, Tae Hee also goes through his own journey of healing with the help of Dong Joo. When he met Dong Joo for the first time he was carrying baggage from his past but with the help of her he learned to open up again and stop blaming himself.
Closure: Saying Goodbye and Moving Forward
How the drama portrays closure deserves a lot of praise. Sometimes closures do not mean the ending, they also mean a new start. The souls Dong Joo encounters share their regret at not being able to say goodbye to their family members and their special persons, some have so many dreams to fulfill. Dong Joo passes their last message and ends their unfinished tasks which are needed for the deceased as well as the living. As like this both the dead and their close people accept their fate and learn to move on for their betterment.
OST and soundtracks
This drama is not only rich with its unique storyline but also is packed with music that not only represents the emotions of the characters but also talks through them. It has a total of 33 tracks including vocal and instrumental scores, let me give you a full list of them.
Disc 1: Vocal Tracks
- Pray by Lee Won Suk of Daybreak
- You’re My Love Girl by Lee Jae Hwan (KEN)
- I Will Shine on You by Odett
- Reminiscence by Jung Joon Il
- Goodbye My Friend by JAMIE
- A Fine Day by Lee Jun Young
Disc 2: Instrumental Tracks
- Pray (Instrumental)
- Reminiscence (Instrumental)
- You’re My Love Girl (Instrumental)
- Goodbye My Friend (Instrumental)
- I Will Shine on You (Instrumental)
- A Fine Day (Instrumental)
- May I Help You Title
- The Wisher’s Hope
- Time I Want to Turn Back
- 21 People’s Last Wish
- Beautiful Farewell Greeting
- Strange Woman
- What’s Going On
- Fateful Relationship
- Person I Want to See
- Parents’ Heart
- Uncle Hyangbok
- A Good Feeling Day
- Stories of Ordinary People
- Tooth Extraction Operation
- Plausible Plan
- What Should I Do?
- Chaotic Funeral Hall
- Their Stories
- All the Shining Moments of Life
- For You Who Need Consolation
- How to Send
Honorable mention: Goodbye My friend (JAMIE)
Well, all the vocals and instrumentals are worth listening to but I can’t help but mention this one. Goodbye my friend is my personal favorite. Whenever I feel low or I need to cry I go to my playlist and play this one. Trust me, even if you don’t understand the language, the song still has the ability to make you cry. When I, for the first time, listened to this song I was crying like a fool and when it plays in the background of the emotional scene I am sorry but it can give you a heart ache and you will cry like a baby. And Jamie’s voice in the lyric was the chief’s kiss. So if you are reading it then spare me 4 minutes and listen to this song, I will urge you to do this. This song beautifully reflected the emotions of the characters including their grief, their longing, and their search for closure.
In conclusion, I want to say that this drama, May I Help You is not just a drama, it’s more an art, a beautiful craftwork that is painted with a unique blend of warmth, sorrows and finally hope. The gripping storyline, the relatable characters, the cinematography and also the heartfelt soundtracks are the specialty of the drama. It teaches us the importance of love, forgiveness, second chances and the beauty of letting go. It also includes some comic elements that were absolutely needed in the midst of heavy heart-felt themes of the drama.
Saying goodbye is hard but it’s a part of our lives and we have to accept it and this drama skillfully makes us realize this harsh truth of life. So overall, May I Help You is one of those dramas that you can not afford to miss. And one more time I am saying if you are looking for a drama that will make you both laugh and cry and will give you a reality check, then May I Help You is absolutely going to be your drama.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is "May I Help You'' about?
“May I Help You” is a series that delves into themes of life, death, and the human experience. The show follows a young woman who works in a funeral home, interacting with spirits, and learning about life’s deeper meaning. It offers a unique perspective on grief, loss, and the connections that transcend death.
2. Is "May I Help You" suitable for all audiences?
While the series is accessible to a broad audience, it contains mature themes like death and the afterlife, which may not be suitable for younger viewers. Parents should consider the content before allowing children to watch, especially as it deals with emotional and sometimes heavy subjects.
3. What makes "May I Help You" stand out from other shows?
The show stands out because it blends supernatural elements with emotional storytelling. It provides a fresh perspective on grief and loss by focusing on the relationship between the living and the dead, making it both touching and thought-provoking.
4. Are the characters in "May I Help You" well-developed?
Yes, the characters are thoughtfully developed, especially the protagonist, who grows emotionally as she helps others navigate life and death. The relationships between the characters are layered, giving the show a deeper emotional resonance and making it relatable for many viewers.
5. Is there a romantic storyline in "May I Help You"?
Yes, there is a subtle romantic subplot that develops alongside the main themes of life and death. The romance adds depth to the character’s emotional journey, offering a sense of hope and healing amidst the show’s more somber moments.
6. How does "May I Help You" portray death and the afterlife?
The show portrays death and the afterlife as natural parts of life, offering a compassionate and sometimes philosophical view. It explores the idea that the boundaries between life and death are not always clear-cut and that human connections can transcend these boundaries.
7. Is "May I Help You" based on a book or real events?
No, “May I Help You” is not based on a book or real events. It is an original work of fiction created to explore themes of mortality and the human experience. The show uses its fictional premise to address universal topics in a creative and meaningful way.