Lee Eunoh receives a lot of criticism for her actions in the Netflix Original “Lovestruck in the City/City Couple’s Way of Love,” that is unwarranted. I don’t claim that she is perfect, or not at fault; but Park Jaewon is no victim. He feels victimized but that doesn’t make him a victim. He sees their relation as a perfect, sweet memory, and Yoon Seonah as an idealized version of who she is, instead of who she actually is.
Yoon Seonah in the flashbacks shares a lot of similarities with the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” trope; Which if you didn’t know, refers to an eccentric girl full of life who enters the life of a broody or detached man that she either brings a self revelation about, or teaches to embrace life before(, and often abruptly) leaving his life. That is exactly what we see in the flashbacks.
While the show itself is set in a “mockumentary” format, the show primarily tends to present flashbacks from the perspective of Park Jaewon. Neither Jaewon nor the audience get much insight into Eunoh’s perspective because she acts cagey when the documentarians interview her, unlike Jaewon who is very forthcoming about his feelings and memories. Most people wouldn’t see their own flaws when they look back at a relationship, which is why we are made to sympathize with Park Jaewon. The one definitive scene we see completely from Lee Eunoh’s side of things was their reunion during the past winter, arguably the most emotionally raw scene of the show.
The way I see it, Lee Eunoh needed a fresh start as Yoon Seonha where she wanted to live differently then she had been. It’s completely understandable that she feels like the version of herself he loves is a fantasy, and not for who she really is. I can understand that she was scared so she chose to run away instead of disappointing him. This reminds me of Amy from Gone Girl, who found herself living a lie during her relationship as a “cool girl,” that turned into 4 years of marriage and a homicide investigation. Lee Eunoh didn’t want to tarnish his memory of who she was too him, with who she really is, to the extent of going the lengths she does. I do believe that she truly loved him, and that’s why she felt so insecure around him because she isn’t as successful or put together as he is, and not entirely the girl he knew. After she returns to Seoul, she becomes Lee Eunoh 2.0, which is a combination of who she was before the trip and who she became during the trip.
There are a lot blanks that still need to be filled because Lee Eunoh never really gives straight answers, although her actions show that she isn’t proud of them, or as cold as she pretends to be, which might be because it’s reminiscent of her past weak self.
I have more to say about Park Jaewon, feminism and the “Nice Guy,” that will be in a second part. Even if this doesn’t change your feelings towards Lee Eun Oh, I hope it at least challenges the way you see her. This turned out way longer than expected but thanks for reading this far if you have.
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