Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Youn-jung’s starring series is much more than a typical Korean drama about damaged individuals attempting to navigate their lives. The one thing that makes the show unique is its extremely humanistic writing. Thanks to characters such as Hwang Dong-man, Byeon Eun-a, Hwang Jin-man, and other individuals, this drama touches upon issues like loneliness, ambition, disappointment, love, and confidence through dialogue in a way that is very personal. The reason why these dialogues leave a strong impression on the viewer is not that they sound dramatic but because they are extremely raw and truthful. This is why the following best quotes from We Are All Trying Here resonate with me.
What I personally enjoyed most about the quotes in 모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다 is that they all relate to the feelings of the characters during their current phase of life. From Dong-man laughing away his pain, Eun-a living her entire life with all the baggage inside herself, and finally Jin-man talking about writing with his heart out; these characters always provided me with powerful quotes from the drama. There were some lines that comforted me, others broke my heart, and a few that made me question everything in my life. Here are some of my favourite quotes from We Are All Trying Here K-drama.
Best Quotes From We Are All Trying Here
“How can you tell if the world has ended or not? It comes down to the weather. As long as there are clouds in the sky, wind in the air, and leaves stirring in the breeze, as long as weather exists, the world hasn’t ended.”
This statement really sums up the emotions that define Weather Maker and the philosophy of life that Dong-man embodies. It is interesting how, even though people have been mentally devastated by something, the world does not stop turning. The weather can be taken as a sign that no matter what happens in life, things will still carry on.
“Being in love made everything easy. But when it ended, I realised that things I’d forgotten, and thought were gone, were still there. It never left, this crippling lethargy.”
This line is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking quotes from the drama for me personally. Eun-a says how love may act like an anaesthesia for emotional pain for some time, but as soon as the happiness fades, all the pain is there again. This is one of the best ways to depict depression and emotional fatigue.
“You’re a human, but you’re not humane. Isn’t that peak incompetence?”
Eun-a, always being one of the most sarcastic people in the show, her comment was definitely unique. What I really enjoyed about this statement is the way she uses sarcasm to get right to the point of criticising hypocrisy. Her quote attacks people who might seem to be doing well in life, either intellectually or financially, but are unable to empathise with other people.
“People crave power. Every single person. That’s why they want a protagonist who can survive any situation, never gets exhausted, pushes through challenges confidently, and comes out on top like it’s the most natural thing. They want to experience that epic, explosive moment.”
I found this dialogue to be very meta, considering that it not only refers to fictional heroes but also to the actual human beings. Every person would like to have this feeling of power, strength, and invincibility because life itself tends to make us weak and helpless. I believe that through this quotation, the drama tries to justify the importance of literature for humans.
“What’s life? It’s one long story. When the story ends, so does life. So don’t stop me from making jokes. It’s the same thing as killing me. Even if the world ends tomorrow, I’ll keep cracking jokes because it’s the only proof of my existence!”
This statement captures Dong-man’s personality more than anything else throughout the show. Everyone perceives him as noisy, immature, and ridiculous; however, beneath all the joking around lies a scared man who doesn’t want to be neglected or worthless. Joking is just his coping method. The saddest part about this statement is recognising that Dong-man tells so many jokes because he is scared of facing his loneliness when he remains quiet.
“You’re all desperate to make it big, but you have this pathetic idea that accepting help makes you weak and ruins your perfect image.”
Hye-jin had some of the toughest statements throughout the series, and that was a statement which completely reveals the pride that all characters feel within themselves. All want to be successful, but no one wants to accept failure or needs any help. In my opinion, this statement beautifully relates to one of the most important themes of this drama series.
“You can’t write a diary unless you can imagine someone reading it someday. It’s the hope of being read. All writing begins with the hope of being read. That disgusting hope to be seen.”
I believe this is one of my favourites of all time. Writing is described so vulnerably by Jin-man because, in reality, writing is just a desire for someone to understand who you are as a person. When writing is referred to as a “disgusting hope,” it becomes even more depressing because it’s apparent how ashamed people are of being wanted by other people.
“A caged lion isn’t intimidating. I can make fun of its whiskers or call it odd or whatever. Until now, I’ve treated movies like a caged lion. But now, it’s time to face the lion. I either have to run for my life or face it head-on.”
This is an excerpt that I have always cherished because it denotes the point in time when Dong-man finally sheds his facade of criticism and fear. For a long time, he had been criticising the industry and even filmmakers because of fear of facing his innermost fears. But once he finally got the opportunity to direct ‘Weather Maker’, he knew he could not just sit back any longer.
“It’s ambition when you’re capable. It’s greed when you’re not. If I’m clearly capable, why should I crush my ambitions and hold myself back?”
Although Jeong-hui was very frustrating during this whole drama, I can honestly say that this was one line that was absolutely unforgettable for me. She describes the attitude she has brilliantly in this quote, which is what justifies almost every selfless action she takes. It is very unique how the author combines two concepts here — ambition and greed.
“You know what? When someone comes at us hard, our hearts sink, and we think, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ We blame ourselves too easily. Self-reflection is the language of the weak. Have you ever seen bad people reflect on their actions? Don’t reflect on this.”
I was deeply moved by this quote as it brings to light how people can internalise self-blame despite being on the receiving end of cruelty. The words of Eun-a are the result of years of emotional torture and blackmail. Although this quote sounds cruel, I know it is completely true: kind people often blame themselves more than their oppressors do.
“What is ingan in English? Human Being. It’s B-E-I-N-G, not Human Doing. It’s human being, so just be still and exist.”
This particular line was very soothing within the context of characters in a drama who struggle to prove themselves on the basis of their success or achievements. Jin-Man teaches everybody that just being alive is sufficient for someone. One does not need to do something exceptional or special in order to deserve to exist on this earth.
“Life is nothing without stories. Stories make us live; without them, we are all dead.”
This quote aptly captures what the whole drama is all about. The lives of all characters in this drama depend on the stories that they hear or tell – movies, poems, scripts, anecdotes, jokes, or personal experiences. In essence, storytelling acts as that which ties isolated people together. I believe the whole play is an attempt to show that stories not only entertain but also prove that people lived and endured.
It is their ability to move beyond sounding poetic that makes the above lines remarkable. They come from the heart because there is a whole lot of pain, hope, insecurity, and longing behind each of them. Even after the end of the drama, viewers can remember these dialogues, for they have the same intensity as if they were the result of a character’s inability to express themselves. To be honest, this is what made We Are All Trying Here kdrama so unique for me.
