TeleriFerchNyfain

Oh no I'm NOT way off topic about the theme of this drama! There's an EXCELLENT essay on that very topic over at one of the KDrama blogs.
The 'problem' of how Kang Chul will exist in the 'real' world is NOT being discussed all over the internet, by the way - only a very few people are having any kind of hard time understanding how he might forge a new 'false' identity. There are multiple questions about the ending of W but not so much about this one point.

This drama could have had either ending & still been very effective. Although I fail to understand why people keep saying (here & on other boards) that he couldn't live in the 'real' world. Why not? His parallel world was almost identical, he's got the computer skills to create a false Identity, plus the money (from his doctor GF/wife who also happens to be rich webtoon writer's heir). So of course he can live with her. Bottom line, the real theme of this drama is the nature of reality vs fantasy, as well as free will vs predestination. I found it compelling.

If you want to make a problem where none exists, be my guest. But yes, it is totally implied that he's a genius w/computers, which means he'd be able to create an identity for himself given that there's money available.
Moan all you want about how there's no way a 'person from a webtoon' could ever lead a 'normal' life - that happens to be one of the big points of this drama. It studies the nature of existence, and the part creativity plays in shaping reality. This character, Kang Chul, created by a teenager, and taken over by her dad, became so real to so many people (all those who READ the manhwa) as well as so vital to the two who initially created him, that he managed to forge a real existence out of that.
Also this drama deals with parallel worlds, a common SF theme I'm familiar with. An interface happened with the creation of the manhwa - and it is never fully explained. However, there is discussion of how that world exists separate from the 'real' world - it is only certain characters that fade in and out. We see how Kang Chul saves the original heroine/love interest, which gives a big clue to how the rest of the 'cast' continues on.
The writers/producers here are going for THIS ending. It's not open-ended. Very clear - Kang Chul forged an identity separate from his creator(s), & became a real person with free will. He came to the 'real' world because his creator WANTED that to happen, & because the 'happy' ending won out over the sad one.
I'm sorry you feel cheated because every little thing didn't get spelled out for you. I personally like to analyze fiction, and all I ask for is a logical thread running thru-out the narrative. This has that. I can fill in the blanks.

Oh, child, I doubt you've the credentials to judge my writing skills. This forum is on the Internet - I take lots of short cuts, as does almost everyone, I tailor my writing style to the tone OF the forum, and try to be brief. Online caps ARE emphasis. I find it an extremely useful tool to make my comments more like conversation. There's really nothing at all correct about your analysis.
If you'd truly like me to write a thesis fit for the MLA Review of Literature I could comply, but I doubt others on the forum would be appreciative.
Now, as to your complaint - I was addressing a multitude of comments on this thread that mirror the idea (very prevalent in the last century and still going on) that a truly serious piece of work must have either a tragic ending or be one of those ironic, depressing works (some of which happen to be masterpieces) that Ibsen & Miller perfected. Of course at that time the literary world was just coming out of the Victorian age where everything had to be sweetness & roses, or else dramatically tragic.
If you don't hold this view, good for you!
As for this drama - it is one of a handful that stand out for me, from the 200+ KDramas I've watched. It holds up very well to a lot of American SF TV shows, in fact - with the added plus of ENDING well, rather than going on until jumping the shark.
The others I put in this category include my 2 favorites (Misaeng & Signal), 9:9 Time Travel, Healer (it's just drama crack), Gaksital, & 6 Flying Dragons. Some of those (the first two for sure) are in my top all-time TV show list. That might help with understanding my criteria of memorable drama.

As an English Lit major w/graduate degrees, I have been constantly subjected in CLASSES with this notion that in modern times sad endings are de rigueur. I'm seeing that repeated in this comment section. There are few masterpieces, I'll give you that - and guess what? Roughly half of them have HAPPY endings.

I think it wraps up much better than 9:9 Time Travel - although I truly love that drama as well. Totally satisfied (except I really really want to buy all 35 volumes of that manhwa!!!)

??? Kang Chul's abilities w/computers transcended both worlds - in fact it's remarked on when he does something in the REAL world.
I personally don't need every tiny little thing spelled out for me - I have an imagination and can figure out various ways he could manage to integrate into said real world - I gave them. NO he won't be a billionaire! Why is that important? In fact the ending talks about them being a NORMAL couple leading average lives!
No drama can completely answer every little question. I feel this one managed to conclude things a lot more comprehensively than either Signal or 9:9 x Time Travel - yet I loved both of those as well.

No that was a parallel world that the webtoon writer accidentally interfaced with when he made the webtoon. So when the story of the webtoon ended, that world continued on (which is what the last episode showed us).
Now I agree that the writers didn't explain all the nitty gritty details of how this worked.

Ha! Oh, honey, I'm sorry but those romcoms with the cliches are soooo unrealistic! Why in the WORLD do you insist that to be realistic a couple has to have a bunch of forced misunderstandings? THIS couple had some real hurdles to get over. And the two of them actually talked about the nature of their relationship! We got to see them working on getting to know one another, instead of all the angst and nonsense!
I love how you pick up on one word (I'm not really sure you understand what cliche means) and seem to think that's my only criteria to judge a piece of fiction. It is not at all. I do watch a lot of dramas, cliches and all. This one was fresh, unpredictable, used a lot of common memes but turned them on their heads, and examined the nature of creativity, reality and existence. Pretty heady stuff for a TV drama. The connection between these worlds ultimately came from the connection between our heroine and her hero - SHE created HIM. Did you miss that? He's not the perfect man, they aren't the perfect couple, by any means - she did create his character as a teen, but then he went on to forge his own path and mature into reality. Amazing concept and very well done. So sad that you've got this narrow view of what a 'romance' needs to include (oh, no piggy back rides! oops, he didn't think she had another guy! Can't be real!)
It is TIRESOME to constantly see the same situations over and over and over - we KNOW what will happen and it bores viewers! So a fresh look at things (which this drama certainly gave us) is completely welcome!
It forced viewers to THINK.

He could cross back because both his will and the webtoon creator's will were clear - for the 'happy ending' mandated cause the webtoon artist died, Kang Chul needed to go to the real world. In other words, SHE needed to be happy so he had to go.
And NO you are very wrong about that world - it was explained in a previous episode that the artist created a PORTAL between two parallel worlds and did create SOME characters & situations, but all those inhabitants of that parallel world that DIDN'T only have meaning thru Kang Chul would continue. We are shown definite proof of that when the world goes on AFTER THE WEBTOON ENDS (which it does with Kang Chul at the bus stop!)
Yes this was a very exceptional drama - it delved into the nature of reality and existence, and the power of creative expression. Viewers knew that the ending could go either way, and here's a thing - a sad or tragic ending does NOT automatically make a drama great, nor does a happy ending diminish it! That's a very foolish and immature notion rampant among so many people nowadays.
All the big questions about the characters in this drama got answers. ALL of them. We DID get to see Mad Dog's reaction to the end of the webtoon (priceless) and be assured the characters in the manhwa world would not disappear but live on in the parallel world. What else did you want? One of those little scrolls showing what everybody was doing in 10 years?
Signal left a lot more open to interpretation than did this drama BTW.

Yes, the drama SPECIFICALLY tells us he's a computer genius who can do anything with one. That's a hacker. He could make his OWN ids! This is not hard to figure out. And SHE is certainly a doctor. Doesn't have to be some genius doctor to make a decent living, you know. Most importantly, that WEBTOON made tons of money - and she's obviously her father's heir!!!!
I would love to have spent more time with Kang Chul and w/the webtoon world, but the story told in this drama certainly didn't demand it. We KNOW the parallel world that Dad made an interface with continues on - because we SEE that! The WEBTOON itself ended w/Kang Chul at the bus stop, but Kang Chul himself continues on - we see that!

He was exonerated from the murder charge! Sheesh.

This was SCIENCE FICTION much more than fantasy, and SK has TONS of fantasy dramas. And please rid yourself of the silly notion that a piece of fiction can only be truly good with a sad ending! Lee Jong Suk is not even 30 yet - I love his acting but I love the way the writers of this drama think a lot more LOL

This was an entirely logical ending - not forced at all. There were clues ALL throughout the drama
The 'webtoon' world was actually a PARALLEL world - what was 'created' was the PORTAL - which allowed the artist to make SOME characters that inhabited the parallel world. Guess you missed all that discussion about giving the WEBTOON characters (ie the created ones rather than the other ones inhabiting that world) a reason to exist OTHER than the webtoon! Plus, the webtoon world was seen continuing AFTER the final episode! THAT showed the viewers it didn't just disappear after the final episode! Which ended w/Kang Chul at the bus stop!!!!
Also clearly stated several episodes before the end - one of those two would disappear depending on whether the ending was happy or sad. DAD wanted his little girl happy - HE was the creator of the webtoon interface between these two worlds, so when he wrote to Kang Chul telling him to go to the 'real' world it gave Kang Chul the power to do so. AND the voice over (Kang Chul) clearly TOLD us that he waited, went to prison for those 2 years, to give closure to Kang Chul in that world - so as not to just 'disappear' & cause a ruckus again!
Absolutely not forced. Also very very far from dumb. This show examined the nature of reality in depth, just a fascinating idea!

Well how ridiculous - and guess what? It IS a masterpiece!

Sad endings do not automatically make a masterpiece, sorry. Tragedies are not automatically more profound than comedies. It is a total misapprehension of the nature of creative work that sooo many people think this!!!!

Not AS good as Signal (I don't know of ANY Kdrama - damn few DRAMAS as good as Signal!) but it's very very good.
I think that the father did partly will himself to disappear, for the reason you suggest - so his daughter could have her 'happy ending' w/Kang Chul! Which is part of why I found this ending so very satisfying - plus it was made clear that it was indeed a parallel world that the writer had somehow just 'tapped into' and that those few characters he'd created had been given a meaning (by Kang Chul ) so they would continue in that world.
The mechanics of how this all worked were only roughly hinted at unlike how a SF novel would have spelled it all out, but it still was a very intriguing notion - the theme of 'reality' and existence :D

Ok, he's a HACKER - and she's a DOCTOR who's daddy has just finished a monster hit of a webtoon & therefore has a ton of cash.

Love the look of this and watched the first 20 odd episodes, but I doubt I'll finish it. It's cheesy crack LOL

I totally disagree. By showing us that the alternate world continued after the end of the webtoon, a WHOLE bunch of answers should have come clear to you, for one thing. I agree that a sad ending could have been done that was just as logical, but WHY? Why do people continually think that sad endings are more 'real'? Are people's lives really THAT HORRIBLE? I personally don't find tragic endings realistic any more than FAIRYTALE ones (which this was not). Most people in fact live their lives w/only slight ups & slight downs, punctured by some very sad times and some very happy ones (like births & deaths, not manufactured horrors etc). This ending was satisfying by not being unambiguously happy, and by adhering more or less to the final compilation of the rules of the interface between the two worlds.
I do read and watch mostly SF & speculative fiction - so I really didn't have too much trouble following the logic here. But the twists & turns that revealed how that worked - also the premise itself - THAT was AMAZING! I loved this!