Thank You (DVD) (End) (English Subtitled) (MBC TV Drama) (US Version) DVD Region 1

The story begins with Ki Seo (Jang Hyuk), a distraught, self-loathing doctor who wanders into a tiny rural community where tough, spirited single mother Young Shin (Kong Hyo Jin) lives with her HIV-positive young daughter Bom (Seo Shin Ae) and Alzheimer's-stricken grandfather Mr. Lee (Shin Goo). Young Shin does everything to ensure that Bom is allowed to live as normal a life as possible. But when Bom's secret is revealed, Young Shin and her family quickly become the target of abuse. Despite facing impossible odds and heartbreaking frustrations, Young Shin, with Ki Seo at her side, charges forward with uncompromising love and fierce determination.

An eye opener for bringing to light the struggles of those affected by AIDS, Thank You conveys the prejudice inherent in our fears and ignorance in dealing with the disease and the insecurities we sometimes feel when we have traits different from others. The drama does not preach about AIDS; it simply touches on various misconceptions which are cleverly blended into the plot non-invasively. One of the most magical moments in Thank You is the bath scene with Bom and her "wicked" grandmother. After years of denying Bom as her granddaughter and mistreating her for having AIDS, the grandmother pours her heart out to Bom asking for forgiveness - a miraculous moment that celebrates the triumph of human spirit and goodness.

It is important to note that had it not been for the amazing ensemble of cast members, Thank You would have been just another low-budget drama that showed some potential. Kong Hyo Jin gives a stellar performance as the stubborn, grief-stricken single mother. Strong, sacrificing maternal love exudes from Kong's subtle expressions, entwining one's heartstrings with tender touch. Her immaculate performance is well displayed particularly in the scene where Young Shin, after finding Bom and her schoolmate trapped in a ditch below the ground, faces a split second of dilemma as Bom cries out to her mother to rescue her friend first. Kong nails her character with such precision and realism, conveying the complexity of emotions that only a parent could fully understand in that type of situation.

Then there's Thank You's most prized treasure, Seo Sin Ae. Her portrayal of Bom, an angelic, precocious little girl who occasionally blurts out adult-like remarks, is simply exquisite. Then there is the most unexpected surprise of all: Thank You's leading man, Jang Hyuk. The clear improvement in his speech helped to drive out one of my worst pet peeves about the actor. In his acting performance, there now exists an uncharted depth of human emotions. The sincerity, which only surfaces out through the eyes of those who have hit rock bottom, sets him apart from the old Jang Hyuk. Perhaps all the mental suffering the actor endured from his military service scandal propelled his acting to a newfound level of maturity. Last but not least, veteran actors Shin Goo as Mr. Lee and Kang Boo Ja as Bom's grandmother round off a uniformly first-rate cast.

A tearjerker in the truest sense of the word, Thank You features a delicately balanced emotional storyline that leads to a great deal of introspection. The main appeal of the drama lies in its simple yet imaginative touch. It is the unpretentious imagination and the energy of the characters behind the story that make the drama so special. A touching fairy tale for jaded souls, Thank You proves that miracles do happen within our souls and awakens the long forgotten innocence in all of us.