I love happy ending dramas with a romance line, but sometimes a drama comes along that doesn't put a ring on it and walk it down the aisle, and leaves the relationship open-ended, and if that's done well, I love that, too! Here are some examples of what I'm talking about and what I'm not talking about, spoiler tagged to avoid major spoilers. I'm looking for endings like Big, The Untamed, The Devil Judge, A Korean Odyssey, Crash Landing On You and Guardian:
Most of these ambiguous endings are because there's something forbidden about the relationship, but that element isn't a requirement for me. I love action romance in particular.
This is what I'm looking for:
Big: Romance between a male lead who is too young (in my opinion) and a teacher. Then there's body switching, so the male lead ends up in an adult man's body. All the romance building happens between the body switched male lead and the teacher. Then at the end (body switch having been revealed and resolved), the female lead looks up into the ML's face with an expression on her face that is... new? wondering? attracted?
The Untamed: That last shot of Wei Wuxian's face, full of delight, can be interpreted as meaning that the two leads have met again and will accompany each other for the rest of their adventurous lives. But the previous scene has them parting ways, and while Wei Wuxian is happy, you don't see the person he is smiling at. I'm not too worried, though, because I know they're only making it ambiguous because of censorship.
The Devil Judge: The drama depicts a gay relationship using a dual role performance, a megaton of innuendo, and by depicting the second male lead's heterosexual relationship as passionless and vulnerable in the context of the dangerous world of the "Devil Judge." The last shot is a direct visual quote of The Untamed, with Kim Ga On's face full of delight as he presumably looks at Kang Yo Han.
A Korean Odyssey: The FL has been sent to the underworld. But this ending is upbeat, because the ML is Sun Wu Kong aka the Monkey King aka the baddest supernatural baddass in the history of supernatural badassery. It is not head canon to believe that the underworld will soon undergo an unscheduled demolition.
Guardian: This is either a tragic or a bittersweet or an ambiguous ending, depending on your point of view. The couple-coded MLs are dead, and they have a pact to meet again. But there is more than a glimmer of hope. Given the supernatural elements, it's reasonable to believe that they will reunite. After all, Shen Wei has previously waited 10,000 years to get back together with Zhao Yunlan. And readers of the novel know that it has a happy ending. And virtually everyone knows that the only reason the drama ends with the MLs deceased is to get around the censors.
Crash Landing On You: They're together, they're happy, they're in Switzerland! No idea if it's a stolen weekend once a year or a permanent residence! And that's cool, because the drama's going all North-South symbolism here. It works for me, anyway.
This is NOT what I'm looking for:
Search: WWW: Happy for now. The leads have a huge unresolved issue, which is that he yearns to start a family, and she is absolutely determined to focus 100% on her career and on living fiercely. They're back together because of passion, but the clock is ticking.
Secret Love Affair: Tragic. The female lead has bargained away her chance to avoid a long prison sentence in order to save the male lead from a scandal that would end his budding career as a concert pianist. I could make up head canon about her getting a reduced sentence, as the ML is still very much in love with her. And she has reclaimed her soul from the chaebols, which is a big plus for their relationship. But that would be head canon, and doesn't sync with the drama's message.
The Double: Tragic, despite some ambiguity from it being poetically filmed. The bonus episode showing the couple happily married is unconvincing and was only added because of audience pressure.
Vagabond: Cliffhanger that teases a second season - which never materialized. I haven't seen Vagabond, but I'm aware of viewer complaints about the ending, and an internet search reveals that the main leads are not together at the end, and some plot threads are left dangling.
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol: Unconvincing happy ending. I dropped this drama because the beginning seemed too melodramatic for me, and the Fl too pathetic. It's one thing if the FL is initially beleaguered by bad people, but the fact that she and her father seemed too innocent for this world made too many alarms go off. I stayed away because I saw a lot of unhappy audience reactions to the ending.
Maybeeeee;
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Tokyo Vice - So this one has 2 seasons and the second season does end with what you are looking for.
Goblin
Lou:
Maybeeeee;
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Tokyo Vice - So this one has 2 seasons and the second season does end with what you are looking for.
Goblin
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I do like the Goblin ending, because I really get the sense of him as an immortal with all the time in the world, his long years of waiting, and that contrasting with her, a being with brief mortal lives. In many ways, it's a happy ending, but it's way more imaginative than the tired old device of the immortal giving up their immortality to be with a mortal. (Although I kinda wish she'd taken the time to change out of the school uniform.) I'm a melodrama wuss, so Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo has always scared me. I have to spoil melodrama for myself as part of the process of talking myself into watching it, so I did search out some details about the ending, and it sounds like what I'm seeking, although tragic. But I do love IU really a lot, so maybe someday I'll get my courage up to sail forth on the ocean of tears. Now, Tokyo Vice looks a tad dark and decidedly unromantic. But good! I watched the trailers for both seasons, and I see it's quality! And the promise of an interesting ending for season 2 does make it look pretty interesting, romance or no. Thanks very much for your thoughtful and perceptive recommendations!
Hahaha I fully agree with Goblin. It was probably a sort of way to connect the first episode to the last but indeed it would have been better if they'd decided on a different outfit to make that connection.
Moon Lovers, while it is tragic, it has a sort of good ending in my opinion. So although there will be tears, it will bring a smile forth and the big conclusion is ending with an ambiguous situation where you do wonder if maybe it is not tragic at all.
Tokyo Vice is not per say dark. it is a more complex drama but it is also based on a true story. I'd even say it is politically as complex as Moon Lovers. And the couple that I am refering to is actually not the one you would assume from the trailers. Because it sure surprised me myself when I watched it and it even more surprised me how much I was enjoying their storyline. Tbh I was hoping for a 3rd season just to know what has happened to them and how their story continues.....but no third season sadly
Lou:
Hahaha I fully agree with Goblin. It was probably a sort of way to connect the first episode to the last but indeed it would have been better if they'd decided on a different outfit to make that connection.
Moon Lovers, while it is tragic, it has a sort of good ending in my opinion. So although there will be tears, it will bring a smile forth and the big conclusion is ending with an ambiguous situation where you do wonder if maybe it is not tragic at all.
Tokyo Vice is not per say dark. it is a more complex drama but it is also based on a true story. I'd even say it is politically as complex as Moon Lovers. And the couple that I am refering to is actually not the one you would assume from the trailers. Because it sure surprised me myself when I watched it and it even more surprised me how much I was enjoying their storyline. Tbh I was hoping for a 3rd season just to know what has happened to them and how their story continues.....but no third season sadly
I researched Moon Lovers further, and I see what you're saying. It looks like a primo ambiguous added ending. Haha, the question is if I can make myself watch the level of sadness required for people to love the original ending and say it makes sense. I have a few times tried to watch truly heart-wrenching melodrama and simply lost the will to continue. I think I finished Mother because I love Lee Bo Young that much, and because the thriller elements gave me some relief from the trauma.
Even more excited about Tokyo Vice now! I do love a minor character implied romance. Spoilers (for a random digression to) Pinocchio: Just thinking about Cap and Yoon Yoo Rae makes me smile with utter satisfaction. They are the perfect unrealized yet thoroughly foreshadowed couple, since the drama has already provided their template via the fabulous couple of Im Jae Hwan and Jang Hyun Gyu!
I feel you. I have not seen Mother for that specific reason. there are quite a couple of movies with a similar concept and those are very hard situations where you are in an inner conflict about justice and law.
Indeed Pinocchio is so well done here. Generally I really think it is one drama that just did everything right.
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