Doona!

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Synopsis

Lee Doo Na used to be the main vocalist of an idol girl group, but announced her retirement prematurely. Since then, she’s been living in a shared house and isolating herself. One day, Lee Won Joon moves into the house. He has a warm heart that gradually comforts Doo Na. They start falling for each other.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Doona! is an interesting drama that I wouldn’t qualify as a romance per se. The story is that of 2 completely different people who meet at the right time at the right place. They both heal and help each other somehow, showing that life is made up of a variety of encounters that can influence its course, no matter what comes after. The chemistry between the leads is really credible and I also really liked the side characters. For me the plot showcases a mature relationship that brings something to each party when they both need it the most. Needless to say, you should not watch this drama if you expect a silly rom-com.

Analysis

• Characters
  Lee Doo Na
  Lee Won Joon
  Side characters
• The romance
• The ending
  The ending of the love story
  The ending of other characters
• Relationships
  Toxic relationship
  Unexpected relationship
• The world of idols
• OSTs

Characters: Let’s start by diving right into the characters’ personality traits and behaviors.

Lee Doo Na: At the beginning of the drama, Lee Doo Na (Bae Suzy) is a former idol living in solitude and reclusion in her big gloomy apartment. She doesn’t seem to be affected by anything anymore: The cold, people, etc… She seems to have lost the will to live after hitting rock bottom at the peak of her career. Indeed, Doo Na exploded due to the pressure she felt as a successful lead in a girl band. She received jealousy and hatred from her co-members, while she was being used and rejected by those she needed the most aka her mother and her manager. Her mother is money-thirsty and has always used Doo Na as a way to make a living. She shows no love or affection, and abandons her when she feels that Doo Na can’t sustain her anymore. As for Doo Na’s manager, Park In Wook (Lee Jin Uk), he’s also trying to put some distance between them when he realizes Doo Na has become obsessive and clingy. Though Doo Na is going through probably the roughest path of her life, she remains the same. She’s got no filter, does and says what she wants, whenever she wants. She can burst anytime if pushed to her limit. She is two sides of the same coin: Dark at first, but bright when she opens up and starts getting better.

Lee Won Joon: Lee Won Joon’s (Yang Se Jong) life principle has always been to be safe. Early on he had to support his mother and sick little sister, which forced him to assume great responsibilities at a young age. He’s the pillar of his family. Hence his reluctance to do anything reckless or be with anyone unstable. He’s quiet, calm, reserved and stays in his comfort zone. But he doesn’t seem to enjoy life that much for a 21-year-old man. Indeed, he either spends his time at school studying or working part-time jobs. Due to his family situation, Won Joon has rarely gotten the occasion to freely express his feelings such as anger, frustration… He keeps everything buried. Meeting Lee Doo Na is a life changer for him, as she completely turns his life upside down.

Side characters: The side characters consist of the other guesthouse’s roommates. Kim Jin Joo (Ha Young) is Won Joon’s crush since high school. He’s already confessed, but she never replied positively. So, he gave up on a relationship with her and they remained friends. They grew apart after high school because of Jin Joo’s complicated household. Though it’s not revealed at first, she’s part of a very conservative family. Her father is extremely strict and doesn’t allow her to go out, date, have the normal life of a woman in her 20s. On top of that, he uses money and threats to make her and her sister obey his orders. To me he resembles a tyrant who needs to control women, especially his daughters. As a teenager, Kim Jin Joo is a prisoner of this bully. Fortunately, she manages to take her distance and become independent despite the lack of money and support from the rest of her family. This complex relationship with her parents is the main reason why she refused Won Joon’s feelings in the first place. Later on she realizes she’s made a mistake and deeply regrets not having told him anything, as she lost her chance to be happy with him. Nevertheless, Jin Joo doesn’t bear any resentment towards Doo Na or Won Joon. She doesn’t become the pushy second lead and accepts her defeat gracefully.

Choi I Ra (Park Se Wan) is Won Joon’s childhood friend who moved to Brazil. She’s eccentric, explosive and a bit crazy. As a child, she used to bully Won Joon and constantly asserted they would get married. Thankfully, she’s changed her mind since then. However, she still a free-spirited woman with a loose screw. Thanks to her unexpected re-encounter with Won Joon, she manages to find a room in the guesthouse after having lost her spot at the dormitory and broken up with her cheating Brazilian boyfriend. Though she’s completely crazy, I Ra is an excellent friend and good support. She knows when to be serious and how to comfort others.

Koo Jung Hoon (Kim Do Wan) is the discreet roommate who absolutely doesn’t believe in love and is convinced he’ll never be in a relationship. Seo Yun Taek (Kim Min Ho) is his exact opposite. He’s a Don Juan who falls head over heels instantly. He’s a true believer in love and relationships, though most of his are shallow and ephemeral.

The romance: Lee Doo Na and Lee Won Joon met when they were at a crossroad in their respective lives. They simply met at the right place, at the right time. Lee Doo Na was at her worst, lost, depressed, hating and despising herself so much, while Won Joon was hanging on by a thread to survive without being alive. Both brought comfort, love and support to the other, which allowed them to heal. Won Joon pulled Doo Na up from the ground and helped her shine bright again. His affection and presence enabled her to slowly re-build her life, love herself and free herself from her past (events, people and feelings). Won Joon made her feel protected, safe, stable and cared for. He made her understand what love means that is, giving without expecting anything in return unlike what Doo Na learned with people around her. For once, she was not being deceived, used like an object, manipulated, but rather treated like a proper person and listened to. Hence her attachment to Won Joon even when her career starts over again; a comeback that was only possible because of Won Joon’s cheering and encouragement. In Won Joon’s case, Lee Doo Na blew a wind of chaos in his life. For a man who was so used not to say anything, he started expressing his feelings more. She showed him how to enjoy even the most little things in life. He, who was so risk-averse before, endangered himself by dating Doo Na. He grew more mature and stronger thanks to her. Though it seems like Doo Na got more from this relationship, I believe that she also brought a lot to the table for Won Joon. Although it was more subtle and less straightforward.

The ending: The ending of the drama is rather vague in a sense that we don’t really know what happens to Won Joon and Doo Na’s relationship. Still, each of us can choose to see the bright side or the less bright one. Anyway, there are 2 main possibilities.

The ending of the love story: When Doo Na’s career takes off again, her agency takes her phone away and basically splits her from Won Joon. They naturally grow distant, though Doo Na refuses to let go. Nevertheless, Won Joon makes the decision to break up after a rather long period of not knowing the status of his relationship. By doing so, he gives her the chance to shine bright again on stage and start anew without fearing a possible love scandal. Won Joon and Doo Na reunite 4 years later. He’s found an office job, while she’s become a top star again. Their last conversation is proof that they bear no resentment against each other. On the contrary, they’re both aware of the benefits this relationship had on both of them. They matured and grew wiser, though Won Joon admits he regrets not holding onto her, not fighting for her and being like the other men who abandoned her. From this moment on, the ending becomes unclear. Won Joon and Doo Na seem to reconcile and hug, as if they had found their way back to each other. However, the last scene of the drama shows Won Joon and Doo Na cross paths in a club in Japan. Won Joon passes by the celebrity, but Doo Na insistently looks at him before moving on with her hectic schedule. That being said, there are 2 possibilities. The bittersweet ending would be that the leads broke up indeed. After encouraging her to start again, Won Joon has witnessed Doo Na rising to the top, while slowly exiting his ordinary world. Out of respect and love, they would rather stay apart than start again. They’d rather cherish their memories together. That’s why, Doo Na doesn’t insist and cries alone in her big apartment. To get her success back, she had to sacrifice her love.

The brighter ending would be that Won Joon and Doo Na have actually reignited the flame after their deep conversation. Won Joon’s apology and deep regret were a way to confess his love to Doo Na and how much he wants her back. Considering that Doo Na never wanted to leave him, and waited 4 years for him, it’s only natural to suppose that she’s all in once again. However, they decide to remain a secret from the public eye in order to protect their relationship. That’s why, they both end up in Japan at the same time and same place. There are also many allusions to Japan in the opening/ending credits of the episodes which suggest that something else is going on in that country. And we can only hope it’s love again. That would explain Doo Na’s long look towards Won Joon in the club.

The ending of other characters: Even if the leads’ ending is unclear, others’ seem more straightforward. After starting an unexpected romance, I Ra and Jung Hoon are now a 4-year-long couple who’s moved in together. They are the adorable office workers, enjoying their happy bubble together. Jin Joo has also changed, as she’s finally freed herself from her tyrannic father. She’s traveled to Brazil, met many people, experienced a lot, and seems even more radiant. As for Yoon Taek, he’s decided to use his knowledge in dating to become a relationship/dating coach/counselor. And he’s pretty successful as we can see. The best part is that all of them have stayed friends and see each other regularly. Even Doo Na and Jin Joo are still in contact, as we discover they’ve met in Brazil while Doo Na was on a tour there.

Relationships: The drama displays in great details some types of relationships really worth exploring here.

Toxic relationship: Park In Wook discovered Lee Doo Na when she was still a young teenager aspiring to become a superstar. He took her under his wings, shielded her from her unstable mother, and trained her to be the best idol possible. As she met her manager at a young age, Doo Na has always trusted him and leaned on him. Little by little, he turned into her go-to person she would contact whenever she felt unwell or in a crisis. On the other hand, Park In Wook also cared for Doo Na and cleaned her mess several times, though her actions sometimes greatly impacted the band and/or the agency. Doo Na’s relationship with her manager is somewhat of a dependency. Her fear of being abandoned pushed her to hold on tight to this man, while blindly listening to him. The relationship comes to a point of no-return when its toxicity becomes clear to both protagonists. Indeed, In Wook uses Doo Na to bring money to the agency and make himself successful, while Doo Na uses In Wook as her joker who would bring her affection, attention and a helpful hand. But this status rapidly asphyxiates them because neither can live up to expectations. In Wook can’t make Doo Na happy; and Doo Na can’t be the best idol all the time constantly earning money, smiling to fans, and faking happiness. Hence the breakdown of their relationship. Both need some time to take a breath and put some distance with the other’s ‘toxic’ feelings. That’s why In Wook doesn’t answer Doo Na’s phone calls and acts as if she did not exist in order to punish her for retiring. When Doo Na finds her balance with Won Joon, that’s when she’s more open to let go of In Wook. She learns to stand on her own feet putting an end to her dependency. In the meantime, In Wook is conscious that Doo Na has talent and can still bring a lot to the agency. But he also needs to give her space and freedom. He can’t control her life all the time. This new dynamic brings about changes in their relationship to the point that Doo Na manages to rise up to the top again with In Wook as her manager. However, they have learned their lesson.

Unexpected relationship: Choi I Ra and Koo Jung Hoon were not meant to be at first. I Ra is an eccentric, crazy and loud girl who’s not afraid to give her all in a relationship even if she gets hurt in the end. On the contrary, Jung Hoon is a more reserved type of guy. He doesn’t believe in love and relationship, and thinks he’ll remain single forever. Against all odds, these two find their way to each other. I Ra falls first for Jung Hoon’s protective and comfortable aura. Thereafter, Jung Hoon gets drawn to I Ra’s bubbly and bright personality. As the saying goes: ‘Opposites attract.’ And that’s exactly what happens to these lovebirds. As unexpected as they were, they made my heart melt.

The world of idols: Though the main focus of the drama is the romance between Doo Na and Won Joon, we still get a lot of insights on the world of idols. Unsurprisingly, Doo Na has suffered a lot at the hands of the entertainment machine. She was used, deceived, manipulated and treated like an object. She lacked freedom and had to survive in a fierce and ruthless environment to get to (and remain at) the top. Naturally, the jealousy, the lack of sleep, the overwork, and fear of losing everything had a strong impact on her mental health. When we get to see her at the beginning, she seems to be on the verge of collapse, completely burnt out and exhausted. On top of that, she suffers from low self-esteem and a myriad of other negative feelings she kept hidden until they finally exploded in her face. Obviously, this depiction of how idols are treated are not a shock, as I believe they are rather relatable. Artists suffer a lot to make a name for themselves, knowing that they can lose everything in a blink of an eye. It’s a cruel, cold and harsh world in which many fall.

OSTs: I am in love with the OST ‘Daylight’ by Big Naughty to be perfectly honest. Music in that drama is so beautiful and is perfectly adapted to the story. Combined with the plot and the direction, the drama delivers pretty well.