Possibilities for Jaeeon (23 June 21)


In the webtoon Jaeeon doesn’t really change, the emphasis is not on him changing, but on Nabi growing and leaving him. And, that’s true to life, not everybody changes or even necessarily has to. But rather, we need to make the healthiest choices for ourselves.



In the drama though, I do get a sense that they’ll have both NB and JE set in the direction of positive growth. The egg scene to me seems to be a scene that was framed in a positive light.



It shows that what makes JE so successful in luring girls, his attention to detail, is something that can be used both negatively or positively. This kind of consideration wasn’t something shown to NB by her ex, which is also something that draws her to him. 



And I also think this was framed in a positive moment because unlike other times when he does things and clearly waits for her reaction to gauge his next word or move, this time he asks for the egg, puts it down, and looks away.



This could be the show’s way of hinting that he is capable of positive growth. For me personally, I like how the webtoon ended, and I would rather the show not change it. However, if it does, then it will really boil down to how they handle JE.



I hope that they would not excuse him as someone "misunderstood" and that they would not excuse his actions. Rather, they’ll make him face the fact that his actions can be hurtful, and write character development that is both sincere and convincing. 



No matter what, I’m hesitant to make a direct and absolute comparison between JE and NB’s ex.  I do believe that it is intentional that there are some similarities, and there are even parallels to highlight that. 



NB herself is also able to spot red flags in JE, something she’s learnt from her relationship. He is NOT a good guy. However, we simply do not know enough about JE and there’s nothing that conclusively suggests in Ep 1 that he is as manipulative as the ex.



The ex actively sought to oppress NB, bending her to his will by twisting everything to be her fault. The ex framed all his actions as love, whereas it’s not even clear whether JE would promise her love or if he’ll be upfront about him not wanting commitment.



In general, I have a wait and see attitude with JE. There’s potential there to write in some satisfying character growth, without sacrificing the realism of the situation. I hope that it’ll be handled carefully.



doramaticbites

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