When high school sweethearts reunite after five years
Who would have thought I’d end up filming a documentary with someone I never want to see again after ten years?
With the casting of Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi, who showcased great chemistry in the movie “The Witch,” expectations were high, but you could somewhat predict the direction of the story. We’ve seen plenty of high school romance stories in various films and dramas already. However, this drama far exceeds typical youth rom-coms, and I can confidently say it’s the best in terms of fun, bittersweet moments, and sweetness. I was genuinely moved; I never expected it to be this entertaining.
Airing on Mondays and Tuesdays, it made me look forward to Mondays, marking the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 with the best romantic comedy!
Recommend for
– Those who love romantic comedies
– Those who have had romantic experiences with classmates in high school
– Those who have bittersweet memories of first love or unrequited love
Synopsis
Documentaries show that anyone, even an ordinary person, can be a protagonist.
Kook Yeon-soo, the top student in the entire school, and Choi Ung, who sleeps through class and is at the bottom, can both become the stars of a youth documentary if they want to. The issue is that these two never sought it out.
There are two individuals, a man and a woman, whose summer at the age of 18 was forcibly recorded. Their experiences were captured on film in such a way that they could not deny their differences, and they had to navigate their adolescence in front of the entire nation. From their environments to their values and goals, everything about them was opposite. The only commonality they shared was that, at that time, they reluctantly fell in love for the first time.
Now, ten years later, this story begins anew. The purity and liveliness of their youth have long been discarded, replaced by a fiercer and more malicious reality. The two meet again, and once more, time is recorded. This is what you might call a human youth reunion, a documentary of love and resentment, more immature and intense than before.
The daily lives of ordinary people can become stories when documented. Even when documentaries and dramas are vastly different, they ultimately tell the same story of our lives.
What kind of story will these two create in that year?
Story
In May 2011, high school senior Choi Ung (Choi Woo-shik) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim Da-mi) were in the middle of filming a documentary. The project involved observing and filming the top student and the bottom student in their school for a month. Yeon-soo, who came from a poor family, aimed to earn a fee for her participation, while Ung reluctantly agreed to take part to please his parents, who were thrilled at the idea of him being with the top student.
The two first met two years earlier during the high school entrance ceremony, where Yeon-soo, recognized for her top score, was awarded as the representative. Ung, captivated by her, was startled when Yeon-soo coldly asked, “Hey, what are you staring at?” As a model student who loved reading, Yeon-soo approached Ung, who was known as the “Reading King” posted in the library, to inquire about his grades, only to find out he was surprisingly the lowest in the school, which made her think he was odd.
With both harboring negative impressions of each other, their dislike grew as they filmed the documentary. Their personalities, hobbies, values, and behavior patterns were completely opposite, leading to frequent arguments in front of the camera. Eventually, their documentary was uploaded to YouTube, and over time, it gained immense popularity once again.
Ten years later, 29-year-old Kook Yeon-soo works as a team leader at a small public relations company. During a competition for a new mall opening, she was ignored by the client’s representative but successfully proposed a collaboration with a popular illustrator, securing the job. To reach out to the artist known as “Go-Oh,” Yeon-soo begins searching for information about him online.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Choi Ung, true to his reputation as the bottom student, spends most of his time napping and helps out at his parents’ restaurant, “Ung’s Diner,” while getting scolded by them. However, he is actually a highly sought-after illustrator who recently gained more attention when a popular female idol, NJ, bought one of his paintings. Operating under the mysterious name “Go-Oh,” he avoids the media. The next morning, Kook Yeon-soo visits his home.
Surprised to see Yeon-soo, Choi Ung, flustered for some reason, grabs a plant spray and squirts water on her face. This moment fulfilled Ung’s long-held desire for revenge, which he had practiced dozens of times in anticipation of one day reuniting with Yeon-soo.
Characters
Choi Ung
(Choi Woo-shik)
What do you dislike? —
“I dislike Kook-Yeon-Soo (smirking). Oh, I mean it’s Kook (Korean), Yeon (English), and Soo (Math).”What are your future hopes? —
“I don’t have any particular dreams. My goal is to spend every day leisurely and peacefully without doing much.”
A popular illustrator mainly drawing buildings and trees. He is a wealthy young man who owns many restaurants named after himself, such as Ung’s Diner, Ung and Anglerfish Hot Pot, and Ung and Chicken Feet Specialty Diner, all located in a central area of Seoul. Since he is well-known and envied by everyone in the neighborhood, he has been a laid-back and peace-loving boy since childhood. During work hours, he mostly sleeps or reads comic magazines. He loves drawing and reading, and despite his poor grades at school, he used to be chosen as the Reading King every month.
29-year-old Choi Ung has become a illustrator who hardly sleeps at night, spending all his time drawing. He is a highly successful illustrator whose works sell for about 1.5 million each, and he gained attention when a top idol bought one of his paintings. He dislikes change and paints buildings and trees only. His parents still do not realize he is famous artist. After breaking up with Kook Yeon-soo five years ago, he practiced how he would sprinkle water and salt on her when they meet again someday.
Kuk Yeon-soo
(Kim Da-mi)
What do you dislike? —
“I dislike pathetic people. All living beings that are pathetic.”What will your future self be like? —
“I will probably be a central figure leading society.”
Yeon-soo became a public relations expert leading a small company.
Having lost her parents in an accident when she was young, she lived a poor life with her grandmother. Although she consistently ranked first in her school, Yeon-soo couldn’t even afford to buy snacks with her friends and wore tattered shoes. Ignoring the stares of others, she pretended to have no interest in anything but studying to protect herself.
Since childhood, her only goal has been to succeed. For her, success has never been glamorous; it simply meant living a modest life without worrying about money, just the two of them with her grandmother. As a high school student, poverty weighed heavily on her. In her eyes, the lazy Choi Ung was a pathetic existence.
At 29, Yeon-soo continues to lead a busy life. She has finally paid off debts created by an uncle she had never heard of and has become a team leader in a stable workplace. Her work skills are recognized. Since childhood, Yeon-soo has still been fighting fiercely every day, just as she always has.
Kim Ji-ung
(Kim Sung-cheol)
“In this life, I am not the main character. I think my role is just to watch over others,” says a documentary producer from a broadcasting station. He is one of Choi Ung’s few close friends since childhood. He appears more privileged than Choi Ung, and in high school, he was the popular president of the student council. Choi Ung’s parents favor him more and rely on him now that he has become a producer.
Ji-ung, on the other hand, is quite lonely. His father left home when he was young, and his mother often left him alone. She still doesn’t remember that he has a peach allergy. Ji-ung feels a sense of inferiority and jealousy towards Choi Ung, who has such loving parents, making Ji-ung feel like family to him.
When Ji-ung fell in love at first sight with Kook Yeon-soo during high school, and Yeon-soo started dating Choi Ung, Ji-ung hid his feelings to honor his bond with Choi Ung, keeping a proper distance from Yeon-soo.
Now at 29, Ji-ung has become a documentary producer himself after joining the company that filmed a documentary about two of his classmates ten years ago. Suddenly, he is forced by a senior to take on a sequel to that documentary from a decade ago. Initially, he had no interest in it, but after watching all the unedited footage from back then, he decides to make the sequel.
Ung vs Yeon-soo
Despite being at the bottom of their class, the banter between the book-loving Ung and the naturally cynical Yeon-soo since high school is entertaining. Their conversations at 29 years old remain just as cute and funny.
What do you dislike?
Ung: “It’s Kook Yeon-soo. Oh, excuse me, I meant Kook (Korean) Yeong (English) Soo (Math).”
Yeon-soo: “I dislike pathetic people. I dislike all pathetic life forms.”
Ung: “Self-centered people. Those who think they know everything.”
Yeon-soo: “Annoying people. If they’re going to fail, they should fail alone instead of bothering others.”
Ung: “Saying reckless things. They just blurt it out without thinking. Their thoughts are shallow.”
Yeon-soo: “Who doesn’t think? It’s not that their thoughts are shallow; they have no thoughts at all.”
Ung: “Who are you calling ‘they’? Are you talking about me?”
Yeon-soo: “You’ve been spouting nonsense about me for a while now.”
Ung: “Spouting nonsense?? Have you said everything you wanted to?”
Yeon-soo: “No, you’re still talking.”
Ung: “Alright, but why did you want to film this?”
Yeon-soo: “Isn’t this a program where the top student rehabilitates the bottom student?”
Ung: “Is this an experiment to see how long you can tolerate being next to an antisocial person? Is it morally acceptable?”
Yeon-soo: “Which is more antisocial, the bottom student or the top student?”
Ung: “People around someone like this get exhausted when they enter society.”
Yeon-soo: “Well, you should have already lost and disappeared by now, right?”What’s your ideal woman like?
Ung: “I want someone very kind. Small, cute, round, who loves me a lot and can always be with me.”
Yeon-soo: “Why not just get a dog?”
Ung & Yeon-soo
When the two started dating, their affectionate moments were so cute that I found myself smiling the whole time while watching. There’s a scene where Ung picks up Yeon-soo in the morning and carries her bag, Yeon-soo shows Ung some exam questions that she didn’t share with their classmates, Ung brings lunch for Yeon-soo who is working part-time, and Yeon-soo carries a drunken Ung on her back. Every episode is sweet and incredibly adorable. The breakup between the two is also realistic and heartbreaking, thanks to the wonderful performances of the main characters.
The story of their reunion five years later is even better. They struggle to be honest with each other, but there are moments when their affection, especially through Choi Ung’s gestures, shines through beautifully. The introduction of characters who interrupt their relationship is fresh and well-received, as the writer cleverly avoids repeating existing clichés. When it seems likely they would have a fight, they surprisingly make up, and when you expect a scene to lead to misunderstandings, they end up confessing their feelings directly. This unpredictability is one of the secrets to its popularity, showcasing the writer’s great sense! The music and direction are also refined, enhancing the bittersweet and nostalgic atmosphere.
The casting director deserves an award. The chemistry between the two leads, with Kim Da-mi’s strong image and Choi Woo-shik’s puppy-like face, is a perfect match at 200%.
Choi Eun, played by Choi Woo-shik, is a role that fits him perfectly, especially after gaining worldwide attention from the movie “Parasite.” Choi Woo-shik embodies Choi Ung—his hair, face, clothing, voice, expressions, and manner of speaking are all adorable! In the latter half of the film, his natural acting talent shines as he tearfully reveals his secret.
Kim Da-mi, who faced some skepticism about why she became the lead in “Itaewon Class” despite not being a standout beauty and having an ordinary face, will leave no room for debate about her charm after watching this drama. She has primarily played intelligent and strong roles in both “Itaewon Class” and the movie “The Witch,” making her a perfect fit for the self-centered character Kook Yeon-soo, whom she portrays with affection and cuteness. Though Kim Da-mi has a cute, childlike face, she actually stands at 170 cm tall and has a model-like figure, which is also impressive.
In 2021, both actors happily received the Directors’ Award at the SBS Acting Awards.
This romantic comedy resonates deeply, evoking feelings of excitement and nostalgia as if reflecting on one’s own experiences, reminiscent of past loves. The first love of the characters, aged 18 to 23, is as immature yet vibrant as a green summer. Upon reuniting at 29, their hearts seem to have changed with personal growth and emotional scars, yet remain the same in many ways.
With a wonderful script, sensitive direction, sentimental music, and the outstanding acting skills of the two leads, this work surpasses the typical level of existing youth dramas and sets a new standard in the youth romance genre, making it a beautifully captivating piece. I would love to see Ung and Yeon-soo continue to show their playful arguments and affectionate moments for about a year. This is undoubtedly one of the best Korean dramas.
