Hi Bye, Mama!

Hi Bye, Mama! (Korean: 하이바이, 마마!) is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Kim Tae-hee, Lee Kyu-hyung, and Go Bo-gyeol. It aired on tvN from February 22 to April 19, 2020.^[1][2]

Hi Bye, Mama!
Promotional poster
Hangul	하이바이, 마마!
RR	Haibai, mama!
MR	Haibai, mama!
Genre	Tragicomedy Fantasy Melodrama
Created by	Studio Dragon
Written by	Kwon Hye-joo
Directed by	Yoo Je-won
Starring	Kim Tae-hee Lee Kyu-hyung Go Bo-gyeol
Music by	Lim Ha-young
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	16
Production
Executive producer	Kim Kyun-hong
Producers	Lee Seung-hee Park Ji-hyun Yoo Sung-min
Running time	62–86 minutes
Production company	MI Inc.
Original release
Network	tvN
Release	February 22 (2020-02-22) – April 19, 2020 (2020-04-19)

Synopsis

Cha Yu-ri (Kim Tae-hee) has been a ghost since she died in a tragic accident five years ago. Through a reincarnation project, she is given the possibility to become human again if she succeeds in going back to her place within 49 days. However, her husband, Cho Gang-hwa (Lee Kyu-hyung), is now remarried. She has to choose between her own or her husband's happiness.^[3]

Cast

Main

• Kim Tae-hee as Cha Yu-ri^[4][5]

She becomes a lingering ghost after getting hit by a car while 9 months pregnant. After being taken to the hospital where her husband works, her daughter is able to be saved, however Yu-ri is unable to survive. Four years later, Yu-ri becomes human again after having an emotional outburst towards God for the tragedy that befell her, and is granted 49 days to regain her place as Gang-hwa's wife and her daughter's mother in order to be able to stay permanently. If she is unable to do so, she must willfully go to heaven and reincarnate.

• Lee Kyu-hyung as Cho Gang-hwa^[6]

A well off doctor and former surgeon. After his wife's death, he begins to distance himself from reality, becoming depressed. He develops a trauma of surgery after losing his pregnant wife because he was unreachable and locked up in an operating room.

• Go Bo-gyeol as Oh Min-jung

Gang-hwa's new wife, who later discovers Gang-hwa's true feelings and about Yu-ri's resurrection. Current mother figure of Yu-Ri's daughter Seo-Woo.

Supporting

Yu-ri's family and entourage

• Seo Woo-jin as Cho Seo-woo, Gang-Hwa and Yu-ri's daughter.^[7]
  • Park Jung-yeon as teenager Cho Seo-woo (Ep. 16)
• Kim Mi-kyung as Jeon Eun-sook, Yu-ri's mother.
• Park Soo-young as Cha Moo-poong, Yu-ri's father.
• Kim Mi-soo as Cha Yeon-ji, Yu-ri's little sister.
• Shin Dong-mi as Go Hyun-jung, Yu-ri's best friend.
• Yoon Sa-bong as Mi Dong-daek, a shaman.
• Lee Si-woo as Jang Pil-seung, an airline pilot.

People around Gang-hwa

• Oh Eui-shik as Gye Geun-sang, Gang-hwa's best friend.
• Ahn Nae-sang as Professor Jang, Gang-hwa's chief.

Ghosts at the ossuary

• Ban Hyo-jung as Jung Gwi-sun, died 7 years ago.
• Bae Hae-sun as Sung Mi-ja, Man-seok's wife died 55 years ago.
• Choi Dae-sung as Kwon Man-seok, Mi-ja's husband, died 56 years ago.
• Park Eun-hye as Seo Bong-yeon, Pil-seung's mother who died 22 years ago.
• Kim Dae-gon as Jang Dae-choon, Pil-seung's father who died 22 years ago.
• Shin Soo-yeon as Jang Young-shim, Pil-seung's sister who died 22 years ago.
• Lee Jae-woo as Kang Sang-bong, former baseball player who was murdered.
• Shim Wan-joon as Shim Geum-jae, died 6 years ago.
• Bae Yoon-kyung as Park Hye-jin, died 4 years ago.
• Shin Cheol-jin as Mr.Choe

Special appearances

• Lee Ji-ha as Park Hye-jin's mother
• Yoo Yeon as Mi-so's mother
• Lee Joong-ok as apartment ghost (Ep. 1 & 10)
• Lee Jung-eun as shaman (Ep. 4 & 10)^[8][a]
• Lee Dae-yeon as Kim Pan-seok (Ep. 7 & 9)
• Lee Byung-joon as Baek Sam-dong (Ep. 7 & 9)
• Kim Seul-gi as Shin Soon-ae (Ep. 10)^[a]
• Yang Kyung-won as an exorcist (Ep. 10–15)

Production

Early working title of the series is Goodbye Mom (Korean: 안녕 엄마).^[9]

Kim Tae-hee and Bae Hae-seon have worked together in the SBS Drama Yong-pal in 2015.

Original soundtrack

Hi Bye, Mama! OST
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	2020
Genre	Soundtrack
Language	Korean English
Label	Stone Music Entertainment

Part 1

Released on March 1, 2020 (2020-03-01)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Time, Like a Shining Star" (별처럼 빛나는 시간)	Son Go-eun (MonoTree)	Son Go-eun (MonoTree)	Park Ji-min	3:18
2.	"Time, Like a Shining Star" (Inst.)		Son Go-eun (MonoTree)		3:18
Total length:					6:36

Part 2

Released on March 8, 2020 (2020-03-08)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Touch"	Park Geun-chul Dani Jung Su-min	Park Geun-chul Jung Su-min	Kim Young-geun	4:49
2.	"Touch" (Inst.)		Park Geun-chul Jung Su-min		4:49
Total length:					9:38

Part 3

Released on March 15, 2020 (2020-03-15)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"To You" (너에게)	Hen	Hen	Hen	3:44
2.	"To You" (Inst.)		Hen		3:44
Total length:					7:28

Part 4

Released on March 22, 2020 (2020-03-22)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Hopefully Sky" (하늘바라기)	Duble Sidekick Jung Eun-ji Long Candy	Duble Sidekick Jung Eun-ji Long Candy	Sohyang	4:30
2.	"Hopefully Sky" (Inst.)		Duble Sidekick Jung Eun-ji Long Candy		4:30
Total length:					9:00

Part 5

Released on April 12, 2020 (2020-04-12)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"In The Night"	Jayins Han Jae-wan	Jayins Han Jae-wan	Parc Jae-jung	4:20
2.	"In The Night" (Inst.)		Jayins Han Jae-wan		4:20
Total length:					8:40

Viewership

Hi Bye, Mama! : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)

Season		Episode number																Average
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
	1	1.614	1.658	1.583	1.915	1.693	1.702	1.860	1.550	1.568	1.678	1.492	1.577	1.240	1.273	1.232	1.512	1.572

Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.^[10]

Average TV viewership ratings

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Title	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[11]
			Nationwide	Seoul
1	February 22, 2020	Life is Full of Unpredictable Surprises (인생은 예측 불가능의 연속이다)	5.895%	6.209%
2	February 23, 2020	Forgotten Season (잊혀진 계절)	6.111%	6.220%
3	February 29, 2020	Realizing the Beauty of Life is Only Possible After Death (죽어보니, 알 수 있는 것들 '美生')	5.373%	5.384%
4	March 1, 2020	There is Nothing That Won't Happen to Me (나에게 일어나지 않을 일은 없다)	6.519%	6.793%
5	March 7, 2020	Every Moment When Chance Turns Into Fate (우연이 운명으로 변하는 모든 순간들)	5.663%	5.971%
6	March 8, 2020	Even in the Face of Death, Family is Still My Number One (죽음 앞에서도 나만 생각하지 않게 하는 것 '가족')	5.769%	5.745%
7	March 14, 2020	Where Flower Blooms and Falls (꽃이 피고 진 자리)	6.101%	5.958%
8	March 15, 2020	People Who Can't Say Goodbye (이별에 서툰 사람들)	5.428%	5.550%
9	March 21, 2020	Goodbye and Hello to Your Light (안녕, 당신의 빛)	5.859%	6.122%
10	March 22, 2020	Your Place Where I Cannot Reach (내가 닿을 수 없는 당신의 자리')	5.431%	5.930%
11	March 28, 2020	The Share of Life Given to Me (내게 주어진 '내 몫의 인생')	5.324%	6.025%
12	March 29, 2020	The Days I Was Forgotten (내가 가려진 날들)	5.227%	5.517%
13	April 11, 2020	A Story I Could Not See (나는 볼 수 없었던 이야기)	4.707%	5.086%
14	April 12, 2020	It's Not Your Fault (당신 탓이 아니다)	4.226%	4.460%
15	April 18, 2020	My Life's Tomorrow (내 인생의 '내일')	4.795%	5.178%
16	April 19, 2020	Petals Fall, But the Flower Endures (꽃잎이 떨어져도 꽃은 지지 않네)	5.133%	5.737%
Average			5.473%	5.743%
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS). On March 29, 2020, it was reported that the drama would take a week-long break from broadcasts on April 4 and 5 due to inevitable changes in the schedule and to ensure a more stable production process. Special broadcasts were aired instead.[12]

Notes

1. Lee Jung-eun and Kim Seul-gi reprised their roles from the 2015 television series Oh My Ghost which was helmed by the same director as Hi Bye, Mama!