My issue with Jun Seo is that: his 'devotion' is a sophisticated form of possessive curation.
We all saw how devastating Ah Jin's childhood was; brutal physical abuse from her father + threats of being sold, being fucking drowned by his mum, that sheer desperation forced her into questionable methods just to survive. She clawed her way up and became a successful actress, and is clearly still fighting for her final destination. Jun Seo was there for all of it, becoming her most trusted anchor. Amazing, love that he was there for her.
But here is where his savior narrative collapses and becomes toxic:
Jun Seo constantly uses his wealth and influence to pave her way, while simultaneously yearning for her to act within his limited, idealized vision of who a "survivor" should be. He wants a grateful, pure Ah Jin who fits neatly into his moral framework, not the complex, ruthless woman who actually survived. He flinches at her methods, not because they’re wrong for her goal, but because they make her less possessable by him.
Mind you, Jun Seo's hit novel is literally a concealed account of their shared trauma, which is, frankly, insane. He hasn't just protected her; he has monetized her pain and claimed ownership of her survival narrative for his own gain and public acclaim (whether or not the rest of the world knows this).
Her father’s cruelty was overt control, delivered through violence and financial threat: “You will act according to my will, or I will beat you bloody/sell you.”
Jun Seo’s control to me feels insidious and multi-layered and thus, I do not trust him at all.
Ah Jin is the embodiment of fierce, wounded ambition, but she’s constantly portrayed as the wicked witch—the secret manipulator behind the curtain—who has compromised her soul. Why? Because she is a woman being ruthless.
If Ah Jin were a man (yes I'm making this a gender thing), the audience wouldn't be this torn about his methods. Her ambition, willingness to crush rivals and discard anything useless would be framed as sexy, dominating, and brilliant.
This double standard is even more apparent with the new love interest arriving this week. He's rich, seemingly psycho (cause who else thinks he might have killed In-Gang?), and possessive, and y'all are already loving all of it. Ah Jin operates with the exact same ruthlessness, yet she's the one we're constantly scrutinizing for moral purity.
In conclusion, I'm excited to see someone finally stimulate and match Ah Jin, I definitely love Jae Oh, but we all know he's not enough and once again, I do not trust Jun Seo!
Thank goodness someone else is seeing that Jun Seo is ALSO toxic. I love the dynamics of this but it did feel like I was watching a completely different show from people who portray him as some kind of saint.
Agreed! When revealed about junseo writing his books based on her story, I was like wow major breach of trust and privacy much?? And also even when ahjin tells him he's released, he continues to come back. Even when ah jin is dating In Gang, he gets upset after the year even though he claims that he just wants her to be able to live a normal life (which is what she was doing at the time). So obviously he just wants to be the person who "saves" her and allows her to live that life and no one else.And when the grandma died, Ah jin needed someone to believe in her, the closest person to her but Jun seo didn't even when Jae Oh did (honestly I prefer his character). Also even ahjin wanting to crawl to the top is just a coping mechanism of wanting enough power to stop harm from coming to her (I feel the same way lmao).
