Official Trailer
Rating: 8.7/10 | Genre: Drama | Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 12 | Status: Ended
Starring: Koo Kyo-hwan, Go Youn-jung, Oh Jung-se, Kang Mal-geum, Park Hae-joon
I finished “We Are All Trying Here” in two days and I’m still thinking about it. Not in that obsessive “I need to rewatch it immediately” way, but in that quiet way where a show just sits with you after it ends. It’s a 12-episode Korean drama that could have easily been a mess, but instead it’s genuinely one of the better things I’ve watched this year.
The show is about this guy Hwang Dong-man who has spent the last 20 years trying to make his first film. Twenty years. He’s failed auditions, burned bridges, disappointed everyone around him. By the time the show starts, he’s basically hit every wall possible. Then he meets Ko Hye-jin, a producer who’s dealing with her own mountain of problems, and somehow these two broken people start helping each other get back up.
That premise could sound melodramatic or like it’s trying too hard to be inspirational. But the show never goes there. It stays grounded the whole time.
Season 1
The first few episodes are a little slow, not gonna lie. We’re watching Dong-man’s life fall apart, and while it’s necessary for the story, it takes a minute to really hook you. But by episode three or four, something clicks. The writing starts feeling less like it’s checking boxes and more like it’s actually exploring what it means to keep trying at something when everything tells you to quit.
Koo Kyo-hwan plays Dong-man, and he’s the heart of the show. The guy has this quality where he can look completely defeated one second and then have this flash of hope the next, and it all feels real. He doesn’t overact it. Go Youn-jung as Hye-jin is equally good. She’s not the typical supportive love interest. She’s got her own stuff going on, her own failures, and watching them prop each other up instead of one person saving the other is actually refreshing.
The middle section of the season is probably the strongest. We’re past the setup, we’re invested in these characters, and the show is doing what it does best: showing small moments of connection and understanding between people who thought they were alone in their struggles. There’s a scene around episode six where Dong-man and Hye-jin just talk for like ten minutes, and it’s more interesting than most shows manage in a whole episode.
Oh Jung-se shows up as Park Gyeong-su, and he brings this intensity that shakes things up nicely. His character is supposed to be the antagonist I guess, but the show is smart enough to not make him a villain. He’s just a person with different priorities, and the conflict between him and Dong-man actually means something because you understand where both sides are coming from.
The later episodes stumble a little bit. There’s a plot point in the second half that feels a bit forced, and a couple of character decisions that don’t land as well as they should. Nothing terrible, but you can feel the seams a little more in episodes nine and ten. But the show pulls it together for the finale. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a bow or give you some huge triumphant moment. It just ends the way the show always felt like it was going to end: with these people figuring out how to move forward, not getting everything they wanted, but getting something real.
Park Hae-joon and Kang Mal-geum are solid in supporting roles too. They don’t get as much to do as the main cast, but they add depth to the world and they both have moments where they shine.
The rating on TMDB is 8.7, which feels about right. It’s not perfect. There are parts that could be tighter, and some of the subplots don’t go anywhere interesting. But it’s thoughtful and honest about what it means to fail, to keep going anyway, and to find people who get it. It treats its characters with kindness without being saccharine about it.
If you like character driven stuff with real dialogue and minimal melodrama, this is worth your time. It’s only 12 episodes so it’s not a huge commitment either. Did you watch this one? What did you think about how it ended?
Episode Guide
Season 1 (12 Episodes)
Episode 1: Episode 1 (9.5/10)
After 20 years trying to make his debut film, Hwang Dong-man flails through life, irritating his director friends — until one day he meets Byeon Eun-a.
Episode 2: Episode 2 (10/10)
While Dong-man deals with rock bottom, Ko Hye-jin delivers devastating news. Meanwhile, Eun-a seeks counseling as she struggles at work.
Episode 3: Episode 3 (10/10)
Dong-man slowly grows closer to Eun-a. Later, he makes an enemy of Park Gyeong-se — whose film opens to negative critical reception.
Episode 4: Episode 4 (10/10)
Gyeong-se sets his revenge against Dong-man in motion — playing dirty. Meanwhile, Eun-a faces mounting hostility and pressure at work.
Episode 5: Episode 5 (10/10)
Tired of enduring contempt from his peers, Dong-man confronts Gyeong-se. He later chastises Ma Jae-yeong over his relationship with Eun-a.
Episode 6: Episode 6 (10/10)
Dong-man rushes to share a meal with Eun-a — but is met with a surprise. Later, Eun-a receives a phone call that stops her in her tracks.
Episode 7: Episode 7 (10/10)
As Dong-man and Eun-a's bond deepens, they both make decisions about their scripts. Eun-a and Oh Jeong-hui finally come face-to-face in a tense moment.
Episode 8: Episode 8 (10/10)
When Dong-man learns that Jae-yeong is about to begin filming, he becomes consumed by envy. Meanwhile, Eun-a decides to confront Jeong-hui directly.
Episode 9: Episode 9 (10/10)
Just as Dong-man is about to debut, his fears haunt him — but Eun-a offers her brand of support. Meanwhile, Eun-a's secret script garners interest.
Episode 10: Episode 10 (10/10)
Desperate to cast Noh Kang-sik, Dong-man takes matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Eun-a grows uneasy as Jeong-hui involves herself in her project.
Episode 11: Episode 11 (10/10)
An envious man seeks inner peace while feeling isolated in a world where others seem to always succeed.
Episode 12: Episode 12 (10/10)
Eun-a takes a bold step forward in resilience. As Dong-man grows increasingly impatient with production timing, will he finally release his film?
Where to Watch
Stream on: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads