There are so many K-dramas to watch, but so little time! One of the best ways for me to catch up is to watch the shorter ones first! Lucky for me, the latest K-drama on Netflix only has nine episodes! It's the perfect way to restart my K-drama binge habits! Now that I'm done with it, I am so excited to share my review of the show with everyone! Let me know if this post will influence you to see Doona!
Plot
Doona! is the title of one of the new K-dramas on Netflix. Starring Bae Suzy and Ya Se Jong, this streaming series is a drama with a common trope done differently. It's a celebrity and ordinary person meeting by chance and falling in love. Did it lead to a happy ending? I don't know, to be honest, your guess is as good as mine!
The story starts with college student Won Jun moving into a new apartment in the city. While moving in, he encounters Doona, who lives on the first floor. He tries to be friendly but she snubs him. Later, Won Jun realizes she is his best friend's favorite idol Lee Doona from the girl group Dream Sweet. What's worse, he asked her if he knew her while wearing a Dream Sweet jacket. He did not know it at the time because he was not that familiar with the group. The jacket was also something his best friend had only lent him that day.
As the show goes on, the two start encountering each other and develop a friendship. At first, Doona is helping Won Jun with how to approach his childhood friend who he has a crush on. It's a first love that never worked out and he wants another shot at it.
Later, Doona realizes that she has fallen for him and ends up pursuing him instead. The two then start a relationship that gets complicated when her manager urges her to make a comeback.
In the end, the two split up and live separate lives despite how they feel for each other. They both blossom in their separate careers. By the end of the series, they even cross each other's path without knowing it, showing how much they have grown apart.
My Review
I was not sure if I would like the show. It had a bit of a slow start. Plus, it's one of those shows that did not have that much going on compared to other K-dramas. I remember reading that some people call shows or movies like this quiet drama (or quiet cinema). That's how it felt for me. The thing is, it's also the kind of show that creeps up on you. It was only in the end that I realized how much I felt for the characters in the show.
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| Image credit: Netflix |
Seeing that ending scene where they do not even notice each other felt bittersweet. I watched them fall in love and seeing them like strangers was so sad for me as a viewer. I found myself wondering how people who were in love could become like that. At the same time, I was also happy for both characters, because they did not fall apart after the breakup. They even thrived. It's like a reminder for me that love is a bonus, but it is not the only thing to live for.
The show also reminded me that saying that people are in our lives either for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Doona and Wonjun were there for each other when they needed each other. Her during her time of depression and him during his time when he needed to come out of his shell. When they both regained confidence in themselves that they found in each other. it became time for them to let each other go.
I don't know about everyone else who has watched this series, but for me, their story was open-ended. While the ending did show them apart if you pay attention to the start of each episode. you see the two of them encountering each other. At first, I thought those were only parts of the introduction for the episode, but there's a what-if in it for me. At the start it seems like it's the Doona and Wonjun who were already apart, seeing each other again. It makes me wonder if every episode is as if they had seen each other again. That makes the episodes become the memories that were coming back for them. It's such a tease if you noticed it. I doubt if they would put that there for no reason. I would like to believe that is the actual ending for them, that it was a happy ending that we will not see off-cam.
The ending could be either way for me. They grew apart but it was for the better or they are coming back together again. Both endings are good. Both carry a bit of sadness, but they still have hope in them too.
As with any other K-drama, there is a group of background characters in the show that surround the two leads. I liked that they had their own stories and we got to learn about them a bit. I love that their stories did not overpower the main plot but supplemented the stories of the leads. They weren't scene fillers, but they weren't distractions from the main plot either.
The part about Doona's mental health was a bit heavy for me. They showed the anxiety and the stress she was going through in her life as an idol and it was a lot! It didn't help that she felt that pressure from her mother and manager too. Speaking of that manager, he met her when she was a kid, and it's hinted they had a relationship. That felt like he groomed her and dumped her when she was older, but it wasn't clear from the series. I'd love to know the take of other people who've seen the show on this! He is such an intriguing character because of the relationship he has with Doona. It's like there was a lot that was unsaid that could be a different show altogether!
This show is such a sad show to watch, but I found myself drawn to it and wanting to see it through until the head. I loved that they did not drag it on too long, the length of it was enough for the story. It was a very realistic story and I have no complaints. I was happy with how things played out and how viewers could interpret the end the way they wanted. Not sure if I would watch it again because it's a sad story for me, but it was worth the watch.
Where are they now
Bae Suzy (Lee Doona)
It was exciting to discover that she has a movie coming out with Park Bo Gum (who I loved in Encounter). It's called Wonderland and also stars another favorite, Cho Woo Shik. She also has a TV show called Everything Shall Come True coming up in 2024.
Yang Se Jong (Lee Won Jun)
Unfortunately, I can't find anything new that he is working on as of this posting date. He does have an account on Instagram though, so check that out for updates!
Shin Ha Young (Kim Jin Joo, Won Jun's first love)
She has a new series coming up called The Trauma Code: Heroes On Cal. No release date yet.
Kim Do Wan (Goo Jeong Hoon)
No new projects are listed as of this post. He has been on several shows before Doona! You can check him out on shows like Start-Up and My Roommate is a Gumiho.
Park Se Wan (Choi I Ra)
Her next project is a movie called Victory. No release date announced yet.
Kim Min Ho (Seo Yun Taek)
I cannot find any information on his future projects. But he is on Instagram!
Kim Sun Young (Doona's mother)
I've seen her in so many dramas before and I love that she's different in every single one! Her next project is a movie called Portrait of a Family.
Lee Jin Wook (Park In Wook)
His next project is the second season of the hit show Squid Game.
Go Ah Sung (Im Ha Yeon, Dream Sweet)
She only has a cameo role in this show but it was significant. Her other project this year has been on a film called Because I Hate Korea.
Rian (Member of Dream Sweet)
She is actually a choreographer and member of the dance group La Chica. There are dance videos of the group online, including her Instagram account.
Kim Hyun Mok (Stalker)
He only had a cameo role in the show but he has been on other K-dramas before. In 2023 alone he has been in Doctor Cha, My Perfect Stranger, and Man and Woman.
Has anyone else watched the show? What did you think of it? What was the ending like for you? Let me know in the comments! If you have a take on the relationship with the manager, let me know as well! I'd love another POV on this!
To those who haven't seen it, I recommend this show! If you're tired of too many unrealistic happy-ever-after, too-good-to-be-true stories, watch this! Catch it while it's on Netflix!
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