Junghwan from Reply 1988
-A character synapsis, by yours truly.
a/n: all opinions in this prose are MINE and it consists of how I interpret his character so it will be nice if you have that in mind while reading! :)
also has spoilers!!
I completed this beautiful drama last August despite it being released some few years ago. The storyline was captivating, realistic and above everything; the characters were very memorable. And as I’ve mentioned, i will be writing about one of my favourite characters: Kim Junghwan, who is one of the five protagonists on the show.
Personally, I think Junghwan is a very caring person, though he might not present himself as an obvious one.
In terms of family matters:
When he noticed that his dad was sulking, he decided to take part in his shenanigans, which was obviously out of his comfort zone in order to bring back his mood.
He was the one who took notes on what his mother would like best for her birthday, proving how he is a good reader of others.
He never looked down on his brother despite the idea of how everyone around him did so differently.
As for his friends:
Keep in mind how he gave up his allowance, even upto the shoes he was currently wearing to his bully but when that same person took his friend’s necklace, he stood up for him without any hesitation.
Due to his ongoing image of being the cold and grumpy one among the group, he hardly ever show his emotions but i believe that it was obvious how observant he is of others around him and that he care for them very much.
And of course the tragic art of giving up his first love to a friend, which i will come to later.
Coming to his way of showing affection, i believe that his mother ,(or his parents' relationship rather), plays a significant role over this. We often see scenes of his mother bickering and shouting at the one she loves, i.e her husband and being exposed to such an environment, it is easy to make out that Junghwan probably grew up believing that that was the right way to behave to a loved one- to be cold and stern with them which in turn affected the outcome of his feelings towards Deoksun.
When he finally took a huge step by telling DS to cancel the blind date and taking her to a concert, i was tricked into believing that they were totally ending up together. But some night when Taek announced that he had the same feeling over DS, his nature of keeping others first unconsciously awakens, as how i perceived it.
He is one of the few people who knew of Taek and how he needed someone to look for him, i feel like he could not allow himself to hurt him by being a bother or a bump on his way.
I firmly believe, even though many people over the internet think differently, that his hesitation in taking leads has nothing to do with his cowardice nor pride. I do so because we often see him overcome them in the exact time when he has to (as provided in previous instances).
Also i’ve seen writings criticising him for backing out in the confession scene and i might be a tad bit biased (ha ha ha) but i will once again bring my own interpretation to the table. Here’s my humble take on that-
On the bar with Taek absent, whenever the bell chimes for the door, DS sprints to see if Taek has arrived. Junghwan saw this and finally come to realise the ugly truth of how he has lost his battle to Taek. I believe that that was the final and the last push which made him to decide to close the chapter in his life which he held on for so long, and that too in favor of a friend who was more in need, or as how he sees it.
I also believe that even though he concluded it as a joke, at least DS was aware that it was not the truth but she also knew well that he was a step too late, so she just played along.
As in everything that he does, I believe he must’ve put a lot of thoughts over the matter; especially because a very dear friend’s feelings was also on the line. For someone like him, it was easier to ignore and bury his own heart rather than to break another’s. In the end, he decides that friendship weigh more than romance ; letting himself lose in the battle that he held on for a long while. He is, and will always be a brave, selfless and warm character whom i cherish so much!
PSA. I just read arguments over how JH was only bickering and rude to DS so even if they did end up together they would always only fight and the spark of the whole thing wouldn't last long.
I do get the reason as to why this conclusion was settled on and agreed upon by many, but once again as thee self assigned JH protector, i couldn't just sit still! haha.
So here's a not so useful yet wild take and all opinions are once again, unsurprisingly, mine.
The whole narrative of aforementioned point just downright disregards JH's affection and actions as a whole character into this failure of a person who cannot woo his crush which also ultimately reduces him into this clichéd male "bully" lead who is just mean with no love to offer is something that i personally cannot let slide. At the same time it feels as if the numerous times and events that showcased his very own good points are now all minimized and pushed aside, all because he expresses himself and his feelings in a different manner than most.
Till date, i like to believe that no character deserved DS more than the other. And to me the whole idea that the story of a teen boy pursuing his crush would be messy and all sloppy in a way that a mature and full grown man would've not done is far more realistic because being a teen contains multitudes of mistakes and embarassing firsts. So even if the final outcome was different i find no reason why it would be any better or lesser by no means.
The very boy who bickered and played shenanigans with DS was the very same boy who would pretend to tie his shoes every single morning just so he could walk with her to school. Because this was his way of giving his heart to her, he would write each one of them in wrinkled pages he hid himself ,piling each one on top of the other, to give it all to her one day: how he gave away his own umbrella to save her from being drenched that one night, how he would stay up the remaining nights until he was sure she reached home safely, and also the countless times when he would firmly stand beside her in tight buses so that she would not trip over. He might also place a special bookmark on the day they went to a concert together while also tugging the picture they took so safely in both his wallet and his fragile heart. Maybe he wrote it in capitals how much he meant it when he asked her not to go to the blind date - all of these - and more - he had written them all, again and again in letters he found nice and in words that he hoped would translate his love. Unfortunately for him (and us), they were written in letters and words she couldn't understand, everything in a language she did not speak. But it's not her fault. And not his either. It's no one's fault, really.
At this point I'm not even sure if im defending a fictional character, whom i have a serious attachment with, or in reality, people like me who are often misjudged and unfairly perceived for having our own little ways of expressing our affections towards our loved ones. I don't know anymore but what i do know is how much i wanted the writers to have given JH a well deserved, proper ending without making it seem so rushed and brushed off hurriedly, so that those of us who act, think, feel and love like him would not feel that we are undeserving of a sappy, heart warming love story of our own.