This review may contain spoilers
20th Century Girl was disappointing and surprising in a bad way...
If you've seen 20th century girl, this review will make sense. But if you haven't then read this after because it won't make much sense. I was very disappointed in this to say the least so you will see the bad is a lot longer than the good :)
One sentence description: A nostalgic story about a girl who becomes trapped by the memory of a crush, clinging to the past for over a decade.
The good
A good story line
The fact that he died in the end was excellent, I don’t think anyone watching this was expecting it. In fact, I’m sure we all believed that he would’ve returned years later with an explanation and it would’ve ended happily. Especially since she waited all that time for him. I also liked the scenes they had together, they were super cute and I enjoyed it. Bo Ra is definitely a real good friend for not only pushing down her feelings but also rejecting him even though she felt the same. The storyline was really good and all the characters were amazing- especially facially (**Byeon Woo-Seok**). I did feel bad for the best friend because it was clear that she never had a chance from the start but I did have a few opinions on her (which will be in the “bad” section). All-in-All, this film had a great plot and that’s why it got a 7/10 from me.
The Bad
Why It Got a 7/10
My biggest issue? Bo Ra and Woon Ho didn’t spend enough time together for her to be locked in for 15+ YEARS. Don’t get me wrong, their moments were cute, and I totally get why they liked each other. HOWEVER, in my opinion, it just wasn’t enough. She spent so much time avoiding him and her feelings that there weren’t enough moments to really justify calling it love.
Not only that, but from the way the movie played out, it seemed like they knew each other for less than a year — yet she stayed single for years waiting for him?? That’s wild. Maybe my opinion stems from the fact that I’ve never had a crush, but still — there were definitely not enough scenes that explained why she remained so loyal for 15 years. So while it was cute that she waited, imagine finding out you put your love life on hold for 15 years over a dead man. (And I say that with the utmost sincerity — R.I.P. Woon Ho.)
Yeon Du Was Kind of a Bad Friend
Bo Ra was such a good friend to Yeon Du, but was it really mutual? She knew Woon Ho had no feelings for her, yet refused to let her best friend — who clearly liked him — be with him out of jealousy? Like, please. If the roles were reversed, Bo Ra would’ve sucked it up and pretended to be fine. Yeon Du, on the other hand, waited until the last possible moment to get over herself, and by the time she did, Woon Ho was already leaving. On top of that, it’s not like he was sticking around — he was moving to the other side of the world. She should’ve just told herself “This isn’t going to last” and let them be happy for the time they had left. The friendship dynamic was so 30/70, and it was a shame.
Woon Ho’s Death…?
Okay, so can we talk about how his death was so vague? Like, we’re just told he died in 2000 in an accident and that’s it. What accident? I think it would’ve hit way harder if we had more context.
For example, imagine if he died on his way to the airport to see her. Maybe she was waiting for him with a sign, only for his plane to land…and he never gets off. Then later, she finds out he got into a car crash on the way. THAT would’ve been devastating. Instead, it just felt like a buildup that suddenly dropped. Like in baseball when you think it’s a home run, but then it just…gets caught.
What Happened to the Side Characters?
This is a general issue in many other K-dramas I’ve seen, but why do side characters just disappear? The ending always hyper-focuses on the main leads, and we never find out what happens to everyone else.
Like, did Bo Ra and Yeon Du stay friends? Do they still talk to Hyun-Jin? Or did the whole friend group just dissolve because Woon Ho was the glue holding them together? I need answers! Also, why didn’t she ask Hyun-Jin if he had heard from Woon Ho? Like, wouldn’t that have been the first thing you’d do if someone stopped responding to you? But I guess the story would’ve played out differently if she found out sooner that no one had heard from him.
Final Thoughts
Overall, 20th Century Girl had so much potential, and while it was still an enjoyable movie, some parts just didn’t land for me. The romance wasn’t developed enough, the friend was lowkey selfish, the side characters disappeared, and his death needed way more explanation. A solid 7/10 — but it could’ve been higher if they had given us just a little more.
One sentence description: A nostalgic story about a girl who becomes trapped by the memory of a crush, clinging to the past for over a decade.
The good
A good story line
The fact that he died in the end was excellent, I don’t think anyone watching this was expecting it. In fact, I’m sure we all believed that he would’ve returned years later with an explanation and it would’ve ended happily. Especially since she waited all that time for him. I also liked the scenes they had together, they were super cute and I enjoyed it. Bo Ra is definitely a real good friend for not only pushing down her feelings but also rejecting him even though she felt the same. The storyline was really good and all the characters were amazing- especially facially (**Byeon Woo-Seok**). I did feel bad for the best friend because it was clear that she never had a chance from the start but I did have a few opinions on her (which will be in the “bad” section). All-in-All, this film had a great plot and that’s why it got a 7/10 from me.
The Bad
Why It Got a 7/10
My biggest issue? Bo Ra and Woon Ho didn’t spend enough time together for her to be locked in for 15+ YEARS. Don’t get me wrong, their moments were cute, and I totally get why they liked each other. HOWEVER, in my opinion, it just wasn’t enough. She spent so much time avoiding him and her feelings that there weren’t enough moments to really justify calling it love.
Not only that, but from the way the movie played out, it seemed like they knew each other for less than a year — yet she stayed single for years waiting for him?? That’s wild. Maybe my opinion stems from the fact that I’ve never had a crush, but still — there were definitely not enough scenes that explained why she remained so loyal for 15 years. So while it was cute that she waited, imagine finding out you put your love life on hold for 15 years over a dead man. (And I say that with the utmost sincerity — R.I.P. Woon Ho.)
Yeon Du Was Kind of a Bad Friend
Bo Ra was such a good friend to Yeon Du, but was it really mutual? She knew Woon Ho had no feelings for her, yet refused to let her best friend — who clearly liked him — be with him out of jealousy? Like, please. If the roles were reversed, Bo Ra would’ve sucked it up and pretended to be fine. Yeon Du, on the other hand, waited until the last possible moment to get over herself, and by the time she did, Woon Ho was already leaving. On top of that, it’s not like he was sticking around — he was moving to the other side of the world. She should’ve just told herself “This isn’t going to last” and let them be happy for the time they had left. The friendship dynamic was so 30/70, and it was a shame.
Woon Ho’s Death…?
Okay, so can we talk about how his death was so vague? Like, we’re just told he died in 2000 in an accident and that’s it. What accident? I think it would’ve hit way harder if we had more context.
For example, imagine if he died on his way to the airport to see her. Maybe she was waiting for him with a sign, only for his plane to land…and he never gets off. Then later, she finds out he got into a car crash on the way. THAT would’ve been devastating. Instead, it just felt like a buildup that suddenly dropped. Like in baseball when you think it’s a home run, but then it just…gets caught.
What Happened to the Side Characters?
This is a general issue in many other K-dramas I’ve seen, but why do side characters just disappear? The ending always hyper-focuses on the main leads, and we never find out what happens to everyone else.
Like, did Bo Ra and Yeon Du stay friends? Do they still talk to Hyun-Jin? Or did the whole friend group just dissolve because Woon Ho was the glue holding them together? I need answers! Also, why didn’t she ask Hyun-Jin if he had heard from Woon Ho? Like, wouldn’t that have been the first thing you’d do if someone stopped responding to you? But I guess the story would’ve played out differently if she found out sooner that no one had heard from him.
Final Thoughts
Overall, 20th Century Girl had so much potential, and while it was still an enjoyable movie, some parts just didn’t land for me. The romance wasn’t developed enough, the friend was lowkey selfish, the side characters disappeared, and his death needed way more explanation. A solid 7/10 — but it could’ve been higher if they had given us just a little more.
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