Spoiler alert: It might surprise some viewers why the main lead is Nam Do San instead of Han Ji Pyung. After watching all the episodes carefully without skipping any scenes, I can understand why that is the case.
Nam Do San is more sensitive than Han Ji Pyung. Nam Do San watches and listens to Seo Dal Mi & her grandmother carefully to understand what's important to them then he acts on their need accordingly. You see that when he creates the App to help blind people, and their date on the beach. Nam Do San is an all around nice guy. Even when Han Ji Pyung repeatedly interferes in Do San's relationship with Seo Dal Mi, Do San still asks his dad to pack Ji Pyung's favorite dish to go. Do San is a thoughtful individual and he doesn't believe in retaliation and counterattacks. Do San's friends love him and would work with him not for money but simply to be with him. Han Ji Pyung is a loner and doesn't make friends easily. In general, Han Ji Pyung is insensitive and harsh in the way he treats people (except for the grandmom to whom he owes a debt). Han Ji Pyung would say harsh words to crush people's dreams without any concern for other people's feelings.
Even though the letters comforted Han Ji Pyung, it did not have a big enough impact on him to seek out Seo Dal Mi for 15 years. It was only when Han Ji Pyung sees Nam Do San with Seo Dal Mi that he starts to feel jealousy. With Nam Do San, he was smitten by Dal Mi right from the get-go, and once Nam Do San's feelings deepen, he cannot give up on Seo Dal Mi no matter what happens even if she doesn't return his feelings. Han Ji Pyung had 3 years to make a move on Seo Dal Mi while Nam Do San was away in San Francisco but Han Ji Pyung lacked the resoluteness to cement his relationship with Seo Dal Mi.
What Seo Dal Mi and Do San have in common is that they both have big dreams and are on their journey to achieve their dreams, whereas Han Ji Pyung is successful already and has already walked the path. Seo Dal Mi and Do San believe in achieving what seems to be impossible, whereas Han Ji Pyung is always a pragmatist, not to say there is anything bad about it just that it's different. Seo Dal Mi and Do San are comfortable in casual settings, where Ji Pyung is comfortable in designer clothes and posh apartments. Seo Dal Mi can act immature at times and would probably embarass Ji Pyung who cares about appearance and status more. Do San, on the other hand, will accept Seo Dal Mi even when she is acting goofy shouting out a bus window after over-drinking. You can tell that Do San doesn't mind her silliness and is not embarrassed by her.
Both Seo Dal Mi & Nam Do San come from families with modest income, and they are comfortable living in non-posh homes and eating at budget friendly restaurants. They are both no-nonsense and not status climbers. You can see that when Nam Do San starts stuffing his hoodie with the free candies and Seo Dal Mi comes to him and instead of being shocked, helps Nam Do San by stuffing more candies in his hoodie. Albeit inmature, that scene just shows their mindset is very similar whereas I couldn't imagine Han Ji Pyung doing the same since he is now a successful venture capitalist and propriety is important.
When Seo Dal Mi told Han Ji Pyung her dream to enter the contest, he just crushed her dream and told her straight out she will not succeed. In constrast to that, Nam Do San tells Seo Dal Mi he will support whatever decision she makes and even if things go south, it will have no ill effect on their relationship and partnership because he deeply cares about Seo Dal Mi's feelings and desires. Han Ji Pyung on the other hand is more controlling and wants Seo Dal Mi to do what he thinks is best. In the long run, if Ji Pyung and Seo Dal Mi were to get married, she won't be happy because her feelings and desires will frequently be dismissed by Ji Pyung because he thinks he always knows what's best for her. Seo Dal Mi would not be able to follow her dreams and will get talked out of taking risks.
If this drama ended with Seo Dal Mi choosing Han Ji Pyung, it wouldn't have been as interesting because it'd be more predictable. There are many movies like "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Roxanne" where the person that wrote the letters gets the gal. It's been done many times before. What makes this drama so interesting is that it's original and refreshing to see Nam Do San's character growing and maturing into someone that steals Seo Dal Mi's heart.
Nam Do San is more sensitive than Han Ji Pyung. Nam Do San watches and listens to Seo Dal Mi & her grandmother carefully to understand what's important to them then he acts on their need accordingly. You see that when he creates the App to help blind people, and their date on the beach. Nam Do San is an all around nice guy. Even when Han Ji Pyung repeatedly interferes in Do San's relationship with Seo Dal Mi, Do San still asks his dad to pack Ji Pyung's favorite dish to go. Do San is a thoughtful individual and he doesn't believe in retaliation and counterattacks. Do San's friends love him and would work with him not for money but simply to be with him. Han Ji Pyung is a loner and doesn't make friends easily. In general, Han Ji Pyung is insensitive and harsh in the way he treats people (except for the grandmom to whom he owes a debt). Han Ji Pyung would say harsh words to crush people's dreams without any concern for other people's feelings.
Even though the letters comforted Han Ji Pyung, it did not have a big enough impact on him to seek out Seo Dal Mi for 15 years. It was only when Han Ji Pyung sees Nam Do San with Seo Dal Mi that he starts to feel jealousy. With Nam Do San, he was smitten by Dal Mi right from the get-go, and once Nam Do San's feelings deepen, he cannot give up on Seo Dal Mi no matter what happens even if she doesn't return his feelings. Han Ji Pyung had 3 years to make a move on Seo Dal Mi while Nam Do San was away in San Francisco but Han Ji Pyung lacked the resoluteness to cement his relationship with Seo Dal Mi.
What Seo Dal Mi and Do San have in common is that they both have big dreams and are on their journey to achieve their dreams, whereas Han Ji Pyung is successful already and has already walked the path. Seo Dal Mi and Do San believe in achieving what seems to be impossible, whereas Han Ji Pyung is always a pragmatist, not to say there is anything bad about it just that it's different. Seo Dal Mi and Do San are comfortable in casual settings, where Ji Pyung is comfortable in designer clothes and posh apartments. Seo Dal Mi can act immature at times and would probably embarass Ji Pyung who cares about appearance and status more. Do San, on the other hand, will accept Seo Dal Mi even when she is acting goofy shouting out a bus window after over-drinking. You can tell that Do San doesn't mind her silliness and is not embarrassed by her.
Both Seo Dal Mi & Nam Do San come from families with modest income, and they are comfortable living in non-posh homes and eating at budget friendly restaurants. They are both no-nonsense and not status climbers. You can see that when Nam Do San starts stuffing his hoodie with the free candies and Seo Dal Mi comes to him and instead of being shocked, helps Nam Do San by stuffing more candies in his hoodie. Albeit inmature, that scene just shows their mindset is very similar whereas I couldn't imagine Han Ji Pyung doing the same since he is now a successful venture capitalist and propriety is important.
When Seo Dal Mi told Han Ji Pyung her dream to enter the contest, he just crushed her dream and told her straight out she will not succeed. In constrast to that, Nam Do San tells Seo Dal Mi he will support whatever decision she makes and even if things go south, it will have no ill effect on their relationship and partnership because he deeply cares about Seo Dal Mi's feelings and desires. Han Ji Pyung on the other hand is more controlling and wants Seo Dal Mi to do what he thinks is best. In the long run, if Ji Pyung and Seo Dal Mi were to get married, she won't be happy because her feelings and desires will frequently be dismissed by Ji Pyung because he thinks he always knows what's best for her. Seo Dal Mi would not be able to follow her dreams and will get talked out of taking risks.
If this drama ended with Seo Dal Mi choosing Han Ji Pyung, it wouldn't have been as interesting because it'd be more predictable. There are many movies like "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Roxanne" where the person that wrote the letters gets the gal. It's been done many times before. What makes this drama so interesting is that it's original and refreshing to see Nam Do San's character growing and maturing into someone that steals Seo Dal Mi's heart.
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