#jung somin

[nunafilms]

[zerobaseone]

ELLE Korea || Jung Somin & Jung Haein

[seoinquk]

Jung So Min as Bae Seok Ryu LOVE NEXT DOOR 엄마친구아들 (2024) EP. 01

[alderaans]

You said you wanted to eat the clouds like cotton candy and crunch on the stars like they were candies.

Love Next Door (2024)

[kimgoeun]

Love Next Door (Ep.2)

[kdramarot]

I can't believe no one caught onto the fact that Hae In in the interview above mentions that he considers it as flirting when someone remembers little details about him and recalls that, by saying "you said this before/you've mentioned this before" because it shows attention to detail—and proceeds to do the exact same thing to So Min in their Elle interview.

He remembers what she likes to put in her food even when So Min asks the interviewers behind if she could give him a hint since it's a hard question. Not only does he remember it correctly, he adds that "she's mentioned it before."

HELLO??????

[fridayvelvet]

[i-got-the-feels]

A day without you drags on. It's boring.

- Love Next Door, 2024

[army-in-the-stars]

[sheandmalibu]

LOVE NEXT DOOR | ELLE KOREA 📷

[jsvausvqbd]

Bae Seok Ryu and Song Hyeon Jun

Truthfully, the circumstances just weren’t in their favor, regardless of how much they loved each other and dreamed of a future together. They were faced with a huge obstacle in the form of stomach cancer, for which Hyeon Jun fully committed to being Seok ryu's caretaker, taking a sick leave from work and even putting his whole life on hold for Seok Ryu, because he loved her and wanted to be there by her side. However, Seok ryu's decision to not tell her family and close friends meant leaving Hyeon Jun- who respected her decision and even after they broke up, kept her illness hidden from her family- as her sole caretaker and support system, which was bound to take a toll on him as well sooner or later.

After her treatment ended, they were yet faced with another huge blow in the form of depression -none of which are Seok ryu's fault by the way. But once again Hyeon Jun was left as her sole source of support. Now, I'm not saying that one's partner isn't supposed to be there (I mean, "in sickness and in health", right?), but it's clear that it was too much for him at this point. This reminded me of a cancer research conference I attended years ago, where one of the discussed topics was caretaker burnout and the importance of respite for them, both the sick person and those around them are greatly affected both physically and mentally, and that's what we saw in the episode; Two exhausted people who, despite loving each other, just couldn't bear with how exhausted they were and Hyeon Jun ended up snapping. Does this mean he's a shitty person? No, we saw him be by Seok ryu's side through thick and thin, but at last he was tired and snapped in a moment of desperation. This sadly just means they just weren't what the other needed at the moment anymore, and this is a very realistic portrayal of relationships where there isn't respite nor a proper support system.

I do think he loves her and feels guilty for being so burnt out, but sadly she's ready to move on and that's all that's left for him to do now. Move on.

This sets up a huge challenge for Seung hyo tho, how do you get through her walls when she’s seen first hand what can happen to a relationship when faced with adversities? She said it herself, she’ll be constantly on the lookout for her cancer possibly coming back or even spreading. How can he convince her that he won’t burn out? How can you convince someone who knows firsthand that sometimes love is not enough? Good luck Charlie!

[nunafilms]

LOVE NEXT DOOR 엄마 친구 아들 (2024)

[zerobaseone]

Jung Haein & Jung Somin's ELLE Chemistry Workshop 💕

[kimsuyeon]

엄마친구아들: Love Next Door (S1E3)

[sunset-sprinkles]

The theme of dual perspectives in modern k-dramas :

The idea of presenting stories from the point of views of both the male and the female protagonist sounds refreshing it also adds a layer of depth to understanding the dynamics of their relationships.

"Memories are unstable because some memories are only remembered by one person" - Serendipity's Embrace (2024)

This means that hidden feelings always make way for difference in povs. One might assume what the other feels , but in reality the povs always add a flavour to it. It brilliantly highlights the fact that one situation cannot be judged from the third person's perspective unless we hear both the sides of the same story.

The famous episode 2 of Lovely runner that presents with the pov of Sun-jae that he had always and always been in love with Sol just changes the way we see their love story. And the fact that writers have been continuously coming up with this theme screams that it's indeed the best when it comes to creating a tapestry of emotions and memories.

"Memories don't disappear, they're all smeared into one's soul" - Lovely Runner (2024)

The fact that all these four dramas have been not just plainly romcoms but also presents a source of "interest" in the characters who have known each other for a long time. Cause true feelings just grow and don't dissapear after some moments of staying away from each other.

“Everyone has unforgettable memories from a certain year of their life. They cherish those memories so much that it lasts a lifetime.” - Our Beloved Summer (2022)

All these stories have used "memory" as a tool for story telling. The use of memory as a narrative tool emphasizes the impact of time on relationships. The past isn’t just something that happened; it’s something that continues to live within the characters, influencing their decisions and emotions in the present.

The episode 4 ending of Love next door (2024) symbolizes this same idea when they show the transition from "past perfect -> present perfect continuous"

"Your memories don't mean anything. They are all in the past" - Love Next Door (2024)

By intertwining their perspectives with memories, the writer crafts a narrative that resonates with viewers on a personal level, reminding us of our own cherished or even painful memories and how they’ve shaped our lives. It’s a testament to the idea that we are all, in some way, a product of our past, and that understanding another person often means understanding their history as well.

Here , "First love" also eventually becomes a plot device for exploration. It becomes not just a memory but a recurring theme that influences the characters' actions and decisions. The beauty of exploring first love through two different perspectives is that it allows the audience to see how the same moments can be cherished, misinterpreted, or even forgotten by the two individuals involved. What might have been a fleeting moment for one character could be a defining memory for the other.

"I know all of seunghyo’s firsts: the first day he drank banana milk, the first day he started swimming, the first day he surpassed my height. the only thing I didn’t know was his first love” - Seukryu in Love next door (2024)

[We all know who his first love is though haha]

Therefore,first love, in these dramas, often serves as a touchstone for the characters' development. It’s something they return to, either consciously or subconsciously, as they navigate their current relationships.

[kimgoeun]

Love Next Door (2024)