The difference between "loneliness" and "being alone"
This was a wonderful drama. If you like slower-paced dramas that are more about contemplating problems than providing a constant string of entertainment, this one is for you.
At the core of the drama is the question "How can one learn to be comfortable with oneself?" What is the difference between "loneliness" and "being alone"? We have two points of view contemplating this problem.
First, the female lead had loneliness forced upon her - as said in the summary, she broke up with her long-term boyfriend, and now has to learn how to be comfortable being by herself. In the absence of constant companionship, who's left to accompany you except your own self? The first half of the drama is following her as she contemplates and discusses various situations with those around her : would you be willing to eat at a restaurant on your own? Visit the seaside by yourself? Move house by yourself? While these are simple problems, they are presented in such a way that examines to what extent we should rely on others, and to what extent we need to learn to rely on ourselves. Her story really reminds me of the journey of moving away from home and getting your first job in society - all these little problems arising that were simply taken care of before by others that you now have to learn how to deal with on your own, the insecurity of just going out there and doing things without someone to catch you if you falter.
Second, the male lead approaches the problem of loneliness from the opposite direction. His loneliness is self-afflicted. It is his choice to not get close to people, to not form close relationships. Due to some things that happened in his past, he believes self-isolation is the best way to deal with this world, that in general people are unreliable, so why even try to start a relationship (romantic or otherwise) with someone in the first place? ("We're born alone in this world, thus we should also expect to leave it alone.") While the female lead learns how to rely on herself more, the male lead needs to learn how to balance his need for solitude and peace with the universal human need for human connection.
Thus, the two leads weave in and out of each other's lives, finding comfort in communicating with each other via text rather than in-person, slowly reshaping their lives as their worldview expands. The supporting characters also add good commentary to the core question, and all of their viewpoints vary in some way from the two leads', giving the audience many insights into how to balance being bravely independence with the need to connect with another person.
A wonderfully shot drama with an excellent OST and meaningful message. Strongly recommended if you're interested!
At the core of the drama is the question "How can one learn to be comfortable with oneself?" What is the difference between "loneliness" and "being alone"? We have two points of view contemplating this problem.
First, the female lead had loneliness forced upon her - as said in the summary, she broke up with her long-term boyfriend, and now has to learn how to be comfortable being by herself. In the absence of constant companionship, who's left to accompany you except your own self? The first half of the drama is following her as she contemplates and discusses various situations with those around her : would you be willing to eat at a restaurant on your own? Visit the seaside by yourself? Move house by yourself? While these are simple problems, they are presented in such a way that examines to what extent we should rely on others, and to what extent we need to learn to rely on ourselves. Her story really reminds me of the journey of moving away from home and getting your first job in society - all these little problems arising that were simply taken care of before by others that you now have to learn how to deal with on your own, the insecurity of just going out there and doing things without someone to catch you if you falter.
Second, the male lead approaches the problem of loneliness from the opposite direction. His loneliness is self-afflicted. It is his choice to not get close to people, to not form close relationships. Due to some things that happened in his past, he believes self-isolation is the best way to deal with this world, that in general people are unreliable, so why even try to start a relationship (romantic or otherwise) with someone in the first place? ("We're born alone in this world, thus we should also expect to leave it alone.") While the female lead learns how to rely on herself more, the male lead needs to learn how to balance his need for solitude and peace with the universal human need for human connection.
Thus, the two leads weave in and out of each other's lives, finding comfort in communicating with each other via text rather than in-person, slowly reshaping their lives as their worldview expands. The supporting characters also add good commentary to the core question, and all of their viewpoints vary in some way from the two leads', giving the audience many insights into how to balance being bravely independence with the need to connect with another person.
A wonderfully shot drama with an excellent OST and meaningful message. Strongly recommended if you're interested!
Was this review helpful to you?