Kes

Another swooning chapter in Kim Go Eun’s romantic saga

As they always say, ‘third’s time a charm’ so Kim Go Eun and her cell village return for a heart-fluttering third and final season in the search for love.

After dating a nerd and a romantic and getting her heart broken on both occasions, Yumi chose to remain single and focused on her career as a writer. When the familiar butterflies in her stomach suddenly come back to life, it is none other than because of her associate publisher, Shin Soon Rok who is extremely calm, level-headed, and most importantly, younger than Yumi. This pairing gives off “calm bf and hyper gf” meme. The stark contrast in their personalities is glaring even in their first meeting. Can this noona workplace romance be the key to Yumi’s happily ever after?

I am fairly impressed with Kim Jae Won’s portrayal of a man of few words and few expressions while at work. He totally nails the neutral face emoji (😐) since he is the epitome of an introverted personality (pro max version). You can instantly tell hanging out with people is not his favorite thing and just depletes his social battery. Nothing seems to boost his mood while he is socializing at work. Hence, it is only natural that some can misunderstand his personality and dismiss him as rude and party pooper. No one but Jae Won can perfectly pull off Soon Rok’s dual charm of inscrutable face at work and adorable puppy look at home. He is emotionless but his acting does not look stiff and I think that is a great sign Jae Won totally nailed his role.

Kim Go Eun has consistently brought to life the comical and tearjerker events in Yumi’s life. Her comedic timings are still spot-on. Go Eun’s hilariously funny and painfully relatable thoughts is one of the reasons viewers cheered in her quest of love and dreams. She never misses a beat, whether it’s getting flustered while caught up in an awkward situation, getting riled up over a coworker’s behavior, or suddenly realizing she has fallen head over heels again. In this last season, she has notably displayed maturity and sensibility. She clears the air as soon as possible to avoid further conflicts. She is no longer easily swayed and swept up by her emotions, but falling in love is clearly an exception. However, emotional numbness poses a threat both in her cell village and in her job as a writer. Thankfully, Soon Rok comes her way, wreaks havoc and revives Yumi’s deserted cell village.

It has been a while since I giggled, twirled my hair and kicked my feet in the air while watching a K-Drama. Yumi's Cells truly captures the feeling of diving blindly, headfirst into love. I missed this feeling of giddiness. K-Dramas nowadays feel too contrived, the chemistry feels forced and the outfits are overly flashy.

This season is the epitome of the phrase 'the more you hate, the more you love' because you can't hate someone without spending your precious time thinking and nitpicking everything about them. I love how Yumi's Cells continue to highlight that people have layers and a single encounter with someone doesn't define them. We all carry contradictions, passions and habits that can only truly be understood after spending some time with someone.

I love the enamored look at Soon Rok’s eyes whenever he or looks at Yumi. You can instantly tell he really cherishes Yumi and he’s got his eyes only for her. He is also unfazed when he learns Babi is Yumi’s ex. He didn’t get defensive nor did he probe Yumi about it. This is what everyone should aim for: a love that feels easy and secure.

A subtle parallelism between Yumi’s apathy and Soon Rok’s robotic personality is also highlighted in the show. The lack of emotions is far different from a lack of social energy. The former can unintentionally cause us to lose our spark in life while the latter is simply a way of conserving energy for the activities we truly enjoy. In the end, Yumi and Soon Rok found solace and rest in one another.

However, the question still remains: how can you choose the person you want to spend the rest of your life with when even your feelings are contradictory and unreliable? The answer is: when you know, you know.

My only issue is, just like everybody else is saying, this was way too short. Yumi and Soon Rok’s relationship timeline feels hastened. At one point, they were having an honest and open conversation and the two of them reached a mutual decision. But then parents suddenly barged in and everything they talked about felt like it disappeared into thin air just like that.

But then again, the length of dating does not really dictate the longevity or happiness of a marriage. Some couples date for less than a year, yet their marriage is still blissful. Meanwhile, others have even conquered the seven-year itch, only to learn they don’t work well living together. Indeed, love is a hit or miss. You are never going to know what you will get unless you take a chance and gamble your fragile little heart, putting it on the line. I was hoping for more of Yumi and Soon Rok’s relationship dynamics, but we already caught glimpses of that in later episodes which even revealed Soon Rok’s laidback, childlike charm at home which is unknown to many.

What I noticed in Season 2 is it perfectly balances the storyline of Yumi's dreams and love whereas Season 3 heavily focused on finding her endgame. It wouldn’t have hurt if we peeked a bit into how she balanced dating Soon Rok while still staying on top of her game. I also wondered whether Soon Rok got reassigned to a new writer. Maybe the director intended such conclusion up to the viewer’s interpretation. Open endings are built like that to keep us, viewers, from reeling long after watching.

I don't harbor any ill feelings toward Woong or Babi because they both shaped Yumi to who she is today. They both boosted her confidence and helped her pursue her dreams of being a writer. Woong gifted her a typewriter to reignite her passion for writing while Babi fully supported her in her decision to write full-time and join contests. Yumi will not be the successful writer that she is today without her past heartbreaks and betrayals. She transformed her sadness and gloom into art which is her romance books. Isn’t it fascinating how our darkest times can be a steppingstone and catapult as to our crowning moments?

I’m truly going to miss this show, especially Swear Cell and Naughty Cell haha. But then again, I’m the captain of my cell village and I can make each day as exciting and worthwhile as Yumi’s. I may not have men as handsome as Yumi’s exes ☹️, but I can allow myself to experience life in ways that shape me into the very best version of myself. After all, emotional turmoil is what makes us human. Feelings waver, lifelong principles are broken, people come and go, and that’s all part of the human experience. Amidst all this uncertainty, we can still choose how we react and decide which people and things we want to pour our energy, feelings, and time into.

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Park Bo Young delivers double the fun and the tears in this poignant slice of life

It is not uncommon for twins to live differently despite looking exactly the same. After all, they are not the exact photocopy of each other.

In Unwritten Seoul, we are introduced to the twins named Miji and Mirae. The former lives in the countryside working on the farm while the latter lives in the city working in a finance company. Everything about these two is the exact opposite. But when Mirae became despondent and is on the verge of giving up, Miji shows up and is willing to switch lives just like they usually do when they were kids.

To give you an idea of how polar opposites the twins are, Miji is a T while Mirae is an F in the MBTI. It is absolutely mind-blowing how Park Bo Young effortlessly switches between these two roles. She embodies Miji’s easygoing, laidback personality as well as Mirae’s mature and reserved demeanor. Even when the twins swapped lives and changed their hairstyles to commit to the part, the eyes, Chico, they never lie. It is amusing to watch how Miji tackles the bleak office work while holding back Mirae’s bullying colleagues. The same goes for Mirae. Miji may be impulsive in her actions but she is never clumsy with her contract jobs. Unfortunately, Mirae fumbles through the labor work. They both look out of place despite wearing each other’s work clothes. They are both so good at putting on a show that even their mother didn’t notice their naughty tricks. What the twins both have in common even as grown-up adults is that they both carry baggage they don’t talk about. From the get-go, you can already feel that it is only a matter of time until unspoken truths and suppressed emotions are spilled.

Lee Hosu (played by Park Jin Young) is the twin’s hometown neighbor and high school classmate. He is very empathetic and observant, the qualities you won’t expect from a lawyer. In true romcom fashion, Hosu gets tongue-tied and bashful whenever Miji is around. After all, their history goes a long way, especially when Miji hit Hosu’s bully with a ball so hard that it made their face bleed. Hence, it is very interesting to see if Hosu can catch the twin’s tricky setup early on. If he truly knows his crush inside out, her mannerisms and all, getting her busted should be a piece of cake. Can I also take a moment to admire Jin Young’s pretty face and the fact that he is also a pretty crier? When he finally cried, you could see me in the corner holding my shattered heart with tears pouring like a dam breaking.

Maybe it's just me but I feel like the writer disapproves of corporate jobs. She portrays it as something boring, fake and most of all takes advantage of people, that it's a breeding ground for greediness. Thankfully, she redeemed herself with Han Se Jin (played by Ryu Kyung Soo), proving that not everyone in white-collar jobs looks as bad as they seem to be. Sure, desk-based roles are not as profound and meaningful as manual labor, but it is still unfair to compare them when all of us have a rightful place in this world. The story mostly highlights the stark difference between office work and fieldwork, showing how the twins struggle to fit into their new, never-before-attempted jobs.

What I like the most about Unwritten Seoul is it goes beyond tackling siblings and romantic relationships. It celebrates every connection we have, even the fleeting ones. It emphasizes again and again that no man is an island. Even in the darkest times of our lives, there will always be hands reaching out to help us out. Even when you think you are alone in this world while holed up in your room, the whole village is actually patiently waiting for you on the other side of the door.

There are also lots of parallels narratives that viewers can connect the dots with. Like how faking identities can be an act of honor on behalf of someone (but be very careful because this is a serious offence and you might end up in jail haha). Like how we may through different life-altering moments, but the same consoling words can still reach us.

Overall, Our Unwritten Seoul is a much-needed watch for anyone experiencing quarter-life crisis. This is a nice reminder that our lives are not a book with an ending, but rather a notebook waiting to be filled. As the song goes, 'today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten'. Life has its ups and downs and fare share of tears and joy, just like in this K-drama. Just when you thought the episode was all sunshine and warmth, the unexpected rain poured in. This is a heartfelt slice-of-life story I will forever cherish and hold close to my heart, elevated by Park Bo Young’s acting prowess and her ability to double both the fun and the tears.

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