While the point of the drama stands, the Webtoon literally ended differently. That's why people aren't liking…
Aw yes I totally get that webtoon readers are disappointed by the changes, I'm actually planning to read it myself cause I'm curious to see where it goes differently :) My message was directed more to some viewers who said Jun Seo is the real sociopath of the story because he killed her out of obsessive jealousy, or that Jae Oh is the only hero because he fully supported Ah Jin until the very end. I think based on how the show was written, this ending doesn't feel out of character (except perhaps Jun Seo not using the camera recording of Jae Oh's death to punish the psycho husband), but I totally concede that the webtoon probably wraps up things in a better way!
I feel so many people have misunderstood the characters of this drama and the message behind the ending, and while the ending was indeed shocking and leaves you with bitterness, it was the perfect ending... First of all, Jae Oh did NOT embrace Ah Jin for who she really was. That's the beauty of his character and why his contrast to Jun Seo is so poetic and tragic. Jae Oh always saw Ah Jin as a victim, he never really got to see her sociopathic side in its entirety. If you remember, when he finds out about the accusations against Ah Jin for her father's death, he is very upset and asks Jun Seo if it's true or not. That's the most important moment for his character arc: the moment when he could find out about Ah Jin, but Jun Seo lies and allows him to keep the positive image of Ah Jin that Jae Oh has in his head, and that Jun Seo would love to have but can't, cause he knows the truth. I don't understand why so many people missed that point. EVERY MALE CHARACTER projected their own "idea of Ah Jin" on her, which she used to manipulate them all, and that's the beauty of this tv series. Jae Oh sees Ah Jin as this muse he needs to serve to feel useful in this world, coming from a traumatic childhood where his dad beat him up and told him he's a good for nothing and should basically just go and die. Ah Jin was the first person who told him he could be useful to someone, and he latched onto that. He has rose-tinted glasses on, and that's the whole point of his character, and whyyyy do so many people miss it lol. That's why he sacrifices himself, because he lives for this idealised Ah Jin that is NOT the real Ah Jin. And Jun Seo is also responsible for that manipulation, because he naively "spared" Jae Oh from discovering the truth about Ah Jin, a truth that would have shattered him and everything he believed about her -- and himself. Why does Jun Seo do it? Because the version of Ah Jin that Jae Oh sees is the version of her that Jun Seo desperately wishes one day will become true, that is a girl who was a victim but deep down is good, and does care about someone else rather than herself. But when Jae Oh dies and she doesn't bat an eyelid, Jun Seo realises his mistake. Jun Seo projected his guilt onto Ah Jin, that's why he desperately wants to save her, that's why he desperately wants to believe that she will care about someone and be happy one day, that she "can stop". The tragedy of his character is exactly that, and this obsessive hope (and guilt) makes it impossible for him to walk away... until he does, in the latest episodes, and everyone shits on him for it. I don't know how people can say he wants to control her, when he literally STOPS SEEING HER and steps away in the last 2 episodes. And Jae Oh even insults him for it, and Ah Jin guilt-trips him for it. Jun Seo understood Ah Jin could not be saved by him and walked away, until Jae Oh's death made him realise he couldn't save her, but he could stop from hurting someone else. He literally asks her THREE TIMES if she is going to stop, and she says no... What else do you want the poor guy to do at that point?? She literally texts him "come back when you're ready to help", meaning she will hurt other people in the process of climbing even higher, she will never be satisfied. The difference between Jun Seo's death and Jae Oh's is exactly this, and it's so poetic and moving. Jae Oh dies with a sacrifice, but the fake image of Ah Jin that he had is still intact. He dies with a smile on his face because until the very end, nothing has shattered the illusion he had about Ah Jin. He doesn't know her to the full extent, Jun Seo has made sure to keep the illusion up for him. That's why Jae Oh doesn't watch the cctv recording of grandma's fall from the stairs, but Jun Seo does. That's why Jae Oh immediately believes that Ah Jin is victim of her psycho husband, while Jun Seo asks him "are you sure this is not her manipulating the truth to convince you to step in?". Because Jun Seo knows that's what Ah Jin does, and Jae Oh still doesn't. Jun Seo's death is tragic because at that point, all his hopes of Ah Jin living a happy life one day (even with SOMEONE ELSE, like Jae Oh for example) is gone forever. And on his last breath, he witnesses the full extent of Ah Jin's sociopathy: she DOES NOT CARE about any of them. She walks away, just like she had with Jae Oh, but Jae Oh was spared of such a heart-breaking sight. This is why Jun Seo's and In Gang's deaths are similarly tragic, because they both saw through the illusion that Ah Jin created, while Jae Oh was spared. Guys, Ah Jin's character is really cool and she's an amazing actress, but she is a negative character, stop justifying her. She does hurt people, even innocent ones, and she does not care. That's the whole message of the tv series, and she says it beautifully to Jun Seo in the end inside the car: when he asks for the last time, "you won't change, will you?" she replies "It took you a long time to understand something so simple." And THAT is the message of this series, telling its viewers not to project their own illusions and ideas on Ah Jin, justifying her, hoping she actually cares, seeing her as a victim and an innocent girl. She is not. And her character is beautifully written like that.
My message was directed more to some viewers who said Jun Seo is the real sociopath of the story because he killed her out of obsessive jealousy, or that Jae Oh is the only hero because he fully supported Ah Jin until the very end. I think based on how the show was written, this ending doesn't feel out of character (except perhaps Jun Seo not using the camera recording of Jae Oh's death to punish the psycho husband), but I totally concede that the webtoon probably wraps up things in a better way!
Jae Oh sees Ah Jin as this muse he needs to serve to feel useful in this world, coming from a traumatic childhood where his dad beat him up and told him he's a good for nothing and should basically just go and die. Ah Jin was the first person who told him he could be useful to someone, and he latched onto that. He has rose-tinted glasses on, and that's the whole point of his character, and whyyyy do so many people miss it lol. That's why he sacrifices himself, because he lives for this idealised Ah Jin that is NOT the real Ah Jin. And Jun Seo is also responsible for that manipulation, because he naively "spared" Jae Oh from discovering the truth about Ah Jin, a truth that would have shattered him and everything he believed about her -- and himself. Why does Jun Seo do it? Because the version of Ah Jin that Jae Oh sees is the version of her that Jun Seo desperately wishes one day will become true, that is a girl who was a victim but deep down is good, and does care about someone else rather than herself. But when Jae Oh dies and she doesn't bat an eyelid, Jun Seo realises his mistake.
Jun Seo projected his guilt onto Ah Jin, that's why he desperately wants to save her, that's why he desperately wants to believe that she will care about someone and be happy one day, that she "can stop". The tragedy of his character is exactly that, and this obsessive hope (and guilt) makes it impossible for him to walk away... until he does, in the latest episodes, and everyone shits on him for it. I don't know how people can say he wants to control her, when he literally STOPS SEEING HER and steps away in the last 2 episodes. And Jae Oh even insults him for it, and Ah Jin guilt-trips him for it. Jun Seo understood Ah Jin could not be saved by him and walked away, until Jae Oh's death made him realise he couldn't save her, but he could stop from hurting someone else. He literally asks her THREE TIMES if she is going to stop, and she says no... What else do you want the poor guy to do at that point?? She literally texts him "come back when you're ready to help", meaning she will hurt other people in the process of climbing even higher, she will never be satisfied.
The difference between Jun Seo's death and Jae Oh's is exactly this, and it's so poetic and moving. Jae Oh dies with a sacrifice, but the fake image of Ah Jin that he had is still intact. He dies with a smile on his face because until the very end, nothing has shattered the illusion he had about Ah Jin. He doesn't know her to the full extent, Jun Seo has made sure to keep the illusion up for him. That's why Jae Oh doesn't watch the cctv recording of grandma's fall from the stairs, but Jun Seo does. That's why Jae Oh immediately believes that Ah Jin is victim of her psycho husband, while Jun Seo asks him "are you sure this is not her manipulating the truth to convince you to step in?". Because Jun Seo knows that's what Ah Jin does, and Jae Oh still doesn't. Jun Seo's death is tragic because at that point, all his hopes of Ah Jin living a happy life one day (even with SOMEONE ELSE, like Jae Oh for example) is gone forever. And on his last breath, he witnesses the full extent of Ah Jin's sociopathy: she DOES NOT CARE about any of them. She walks away, just like she had with Jae Oh, but Jae Oh was spared of such a heart-breaking sight. This is why Jun Seo's and In Gang's deaths are similarly tragic, because they both saw through the illusion that Ah Jin created, while Jae Oh was spared.
Guys, Ah Jin's character is really cool and she's an amazing actress, but she is a negative character, stop justifying her. She does hurt people, even innocent ones, and she does not care. That's the whole message of the tv series, and she says it beautifully to Jun Seo in the end inside the car: when he asks for the last time, "you won't change, will you?" she replies "It took you a long time to understand something so simple." And THAT is the message of this series, telling its viewers not to project their own illusions and ideas on Ah Jin, justifying her, hoping she actually cares, seeing her as a victim and an innocent girl. She is not. And her character is beautifully written like that.