Nevertheless Writings

  A not so mainstream drama with a bittersweet storyline. A story that is more aligned to what happens in real life. It was interesting to watch how characters succumbed to their desires even though they knew it might be wrong. I have read so many negative reviews for this one but I actually don't understand why people find it not interesting. The main leads are beautiful together; their chemistry and the sexual tension throughout keeps you on edge. Even the side characters have a good story. Song Kang as Park Jae Eon played a bad boy which is not so common. We need to understand that not everything is white or black. People exist even in the grey belt. He never once disrespected or harmed Nabi. He never promised any commitment to her. It's all expectations. Maybe if they showed more of his past; we would've understood why he was afraid of commitment. He never received love; his mom left when he was 10. The lack of his past made him seem more toxic. He was wounded and could...

There’s no denying that Nabi choosing Jaeeon caused a storm throughout the audience of Nevertheless - but why is that? I’d like to delve into Dohyeok’s character to ponder why this happened, and explain why I believe Nabi’s choice wasn’t the big deal most people thought it was. I first will explore a trope used in Nevertheless, to try to understand why audiences particularly loved Dohyeok. Childhood romance is a common trope used in dramas, and it certainly is loved. Though I’m not so big a fan, I do understand the appeal! We learn of a potential past romance between DH,and NB. DH still clearly hung up on his first love, his feelings for NB only grow when they reunite, making audiences root for their rekindling. If they were in different circumstances, I’m sure I would've fallen for them too… I do however believe that the plot of the drama had no space for a childhood romance, due to the more mature themes, and complexity of the story. It wasn’t a drama fit for somewhat unrealistic...

  I feel like I’ve asked this before but what’s the most painful episode of Nevertheless lol — Ep 9 certainly, but also this scene in Ep 7. I think what was so heartbreaking is that it demonstrated both the depth of their feelings for each other and also the depth of their communication challenges. You see some saw JE as asking for consent, but NB already consented to kissing him - and she was approaching him for more. He wasn't asking "Is it ok to continue kissing?" but "Is it ok for me to continue to pursue this thing between us because I'm all in.” And this is very consistent with his headspace after he faces his feelings in Ep 6. He wants to be with NB so he tries to convey it to her. He's bad at it, he's so bad at it. The boy is awful at spoken communication, but goddammit does he try! And at the same time he is trying to figure out how NB feels - he senses that she likes him, but he can't make sure without her actually saying it. But what she th...

This shot. Nabi, Jaeeon, two sculptures and shattered glass. The focus starts on NB then to the mirror, capturing the reflections. One sculpture is crouching mirroring NB who tries to bury her feelings. Another one is standing, hugging itself mirroring JE who is holding his feelings for NB. And shattered glass, reflecting their relationship that is growing and torn apart. This happens fast, I missed it on my first watch but it truly showed me again that Nevertheless is detailed and so thoughtful. midnight_oat

Nabi-Dohyeok ending was satisfying in a way that that was the best choice webtoon Nabi made for herself, while Jaebi ending was the ultimate thing I wanted for her — them healing together & Jaeeon learning to love her back sincerely.  The latter is less likely to come true in real life,, but it’s realistic too. As much as people don’t change, people CAN change. In this case, drama JE, who was always sick of himself made the steps to love himself & Nabi, & I’m so proud of him for that.  While webtoon JE never had that trajectory; it was heartbreaking seeing him choose to stay miserable. He did take a step to change, but his dynamic with NB became too toxic that he bounced back to his old ways. Webtoon JE wanted to be with her to screw her, drama JE wanted to get out of her sight so she can be happy. Webtoon JE never learnt how to love because he was never really in love with Nabi nor anyone else. He didn’t try harder to get better. Drama JE gave us the character gro...

People who have followed my tweets on Nevertheless from the first time I started writing about it would know how much I identified with Nabi, and people who are close to me here would attest to how eerily similar my relationships were to the story. Maybe that was why it was easy for me to empathize with Nabi and JE, and eventually make sense of Nabi’s character arc — because as I watched Nabi and JE’s characters grow and love unfold, I had a deeper understanding of what I went through years back. Nevertheless is as real as it can get. So real and raw that some scenes felt like scratching off a scab from a wound that has been healing. And I guess this was why you could love or hate it, depending on where you are in life when you watched it. For those who are stuck with the ideals of relationships, Nevertheless could be a difficult pill to swallow. For those who are experiencing the ups and downs of dating with uncertainty, it could be a lesson on prejudice, boundaries, and the importanc...

  Jae eon - a product of his environment? ( A thread ) Many people believe we’re influenced by whomever, or whatever we surround ourselves with. Arguably, this ideology is the foundation of Jae eon’s character. He acts as someone who can teach the audience that they are able to break free from this mindset, and flourish. We know little about his family affairs, yet it is quite evident how he grew up, just from the small details dropped throughout the drama. There’s an undeniable distance between him and his family, (most notably his mother) which appears to shape quite a lot of his nature.  He doesn’t have a strong grip on the basics of intimacy, care, and what it means to be loyal to someone. For Jae eon, intimacy is studying, eating, and simply spending time with a partner - things he does often with Nabi.  For Nabi, intimacy is total focus on a partner - both emotionally, and sexually, causing the collision between the pair. Their viewpoints don’t align ; Nabi sees thi...