In recent years, K-pop idols have taken the world by storm with their charm, elegant appearance, catchy dancing and singing, and many other things. And along with that cultural wave,so has the K-drama— Korean shows have a larger following now more than ever. Combine these two world phenomena, and you getDoona!— Netflix’s original K-drama with an idol named Lee Doo-na (Bae Suzy) as its protagonist.
The show covers Doo-na’s life as a pop idol, and her experience after she leaves the spotlight and starts trying to live a normal, quiet life. The ex-idol meets a young man with many dreams of his own, named Won-jun (Yang Se-jong). His complicated life quickly involves Doo-na after he unknowingly changes the unusually cold-hearted Doo-na to her alive and flirty self thanks to a moment of kindness in the hospital.
For a while, life seems great — Doo-na finds the desire to live her life again, and Won-jun grinds to achieve his dreams in the big city of Seoul. But the good relationship gets complicated once a manipulative manager of Doo-na enters the picture and drags her back into the spotlight of being an idol. With priorities and desires shifting, will Doo-na and Won-jun survive the harsh waves of fame, jealousy, and power?
How Does Doo-na and Won-jun’s story end?
It’s a bittersweet but realistic ending for the couple. After breaking Doo-na’s heart, Won-jun continues living his life and studying hard, just like before (or at least he tries to). Doo-na, too, tries to go back to her life and focus on her rising career as a solo artist. It’s clear that the heartbreak isn’t easy for either one — Doo-na is angry that Won-jun gives up on them while she’s still willing to fight for their relationship, and Won-jun decides to break up mainly for her sake.
Four years go by. Doo-na’s solo career is rising higher than ever, while Won-jun is finishing his last moments in university. When the former roommates in the show meet again at their old house, they toast to the memories they made together, but everything feels empty without the flirty and unique idol. Soon, though, Doo-na and Won-jun meet again right there in the house, and they try to resolve lingering hard feelings.
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They both admit that they miss each other deeply, but there’s this implicit painful reality that hits them — they can’t get back together. For a successful idol dating a non-celebrity, the stakes are too high for both of them. And so, they leave it at that. At least we get their confessions that they still cherish their memories and their love for each other. In a way it’s a great ending, because even though it’s bittersweet, it’s realistic too.
What’s in Store For Both of Them?
However, there’s still a glimmer of hope for the fans. The ambiguous ending still gives hope that Doo-na and Won-jun are secretly dating. It’s a well-known fact that idols don’t date — if they do and they get caught, it means disaster. They receive unnecessary hatred, death threats, fans boycott — it’s a career killer.
Since we know that Doo-na is technically not allowed to date in Korea, there are Easter eggs throughout the season that Doo-na and Won-jun secretly date in Japan. In short scenes in episodes 7 and 8, we see Doo-na and Won-jun in Japan, staring at each other from a distance. If paired with the opening of episode 9, when Doo-na and Won-jun are reunited in a field, it’s clear that some time has passed and that, in fact, they might still be dating secretly.It’s a hopeful endingfor the couple, and it’s the best they’re going to get, considering their situation.
What About Jin-ju and Won-jun?
From the first episode, it’s hinted that Won-jun has unresolved feelings that result in extreme awkwardness aroundhis high school friend and crush, Jin-ju (Ha-Young). When they reunite again during Won-jun’s sophomore year of university, their dynamic is something that many question — there’s a thick layer of awkwardness between them, despite them being close friends in high school.
As the story progresses, it’s revealed that Won-jun had a crush on Jin-ju, and he even confessed his love to her. But her hesitant reaction at the time told him that she didn’t feel the same, so he backed off. While in reality, she liked him at first sight, but she couldn’t be with him due to her strained relationship with her parents, especially her father. After many years, Jin-ju has developed feelings for him, and decides to confess all this to him in hopes that he still feels the same way.
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But after many years and the relationship with Doo-na looming over Won-jun’s mind, his heart has changed — and he rejects her. She takes it like a champ, though, and sets her boundaries by moving out of the shared house. Later, Jin-ju becomes great friends with Doo-na, bonding over liking the same guy. What many love about this K-drama is that the story gives the second lead a full arcinstead of the usual unfinished story.
What Doona!’s Director Said
The Easter eggs, the reminiscing voiceover, the short subway scenes — it all leads to an ending that’s hopeful and real. The director Lee Jung-Hyo stated that he wanted the ending to be both a fantasy and a reality regarding a romantic relationship between an idol and a university student. As heshared in an interview, “Who knows how life will unfold, right? They might or might not cross paths again, but they’ll always remember each other.”
The bittersweet ending is also beautiful, considering the ups and downs both Doo-na and Won-jun have gone through. Whether they stay together or not, they always have shared memories to hold on to, at least as a beautiful phase in their lives. With the subway scenes set in the future, it adds hope that they will find a way to be together through the years. But either way, they’re still beautiful to each other in memory — whether as a couple or not.
