Nevertheless 2021 Drama Review

『Unspoken Feelings Blossoming Between Friendship and Love』

🎥 Drama Overview

🎬 Title: Nevertheless (2021) (Original Korean Title: 알고있지만)
🌍 Country: 🇰🇷 South Korea
🎞️ Genre: Realistic Romance / Coming-of-age Melo
🗓️ Production & Broadcast: JTBC
📢 Director: Kim Ga-ram
🖋️ Screenwriter: Jung Hyun-jung
📖 Original Work: Nevertheless (Webtoon, 2018)

👩‍💼 Cast: Lee Ho-jung – Yoon Sol, Yoon Seo-ah – Seo Ji-wan

🧩 In-depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

💚 The Purest and Strongest Romance

In the 2021 Korean drama 《Nevertheless》, the relationship between Yoon Sol and Seo Ji-wan stands in stark contrast to the unstable and complicated main couple Yoo Na-bi and Park Jae-eon. Their bond left a deep impression on viewers as the purest and warmest romance of the series. Known affectionately among fans as 'SolJiwan', their relationship carries significant weight because it depicts the transition from long-time friends to lovers in a delicate and realistic way.

🪞 Feelings Beyond 'Just Friends'

Sol and Ji-wan have been longtime best friends since middle school. Their connection goes beyond simple friendship, carrying an underlying sense of “more than friends” throughout the story.

• Yoon Sol’s Hidden Love and Devotion: Sol has secretly harbored feelings for Ji-wan for a long time. While she may appear aloof and chic on the surface, she consistently shows deep care and devotion toward Ji-wan. She quietly responds to Ji-wan’s complaints, recognizes Ji-wan’s worries before anyone else, and longs to remain Ji-wan’s most important person. Even when given the opportunity to study abroad, she hesitates to tell Ji-wan, revealing her deep-seated fear of losing her.

• Seo Ji-wan’s Unawareness and Fear: Ji-wan often appears oblivious or deliberately avoids acknowledging Sol’s feelings. She takes Sol’s presence for granted, sometimes behaving in ways that make Sol jealous, such as going on dates with other men. Yet, when Sol seems distant or shows interest in someone else, Ji-wan experiences extreme anxiety and jealousy. This reflects her fear of losing their friendship and her inability to confront her true feelings.

📍 Growing Jealousy and the Need for Honesty

Their relationship reaches turning points mainly through external people or events. When Ji-wan goes on a blind date, when another student (Ahn Kyung-jun) shows interest in Sol, or when Sol decides to study abroad, their hidden emotions surface.

• A Drunken Confession and Confusion: The most pivotal moment comes when Ji-wan, drunk, confesses: “I like you.” This shocks Sol, but she suppresses her emotions again, uncertain whether Ji-wan’s words were sincere or just drunken rambling. The confession confirms that Ji-wan already carried strong feelings for Sol deep inside.

• The Study Abroad Secret and Betrayal: Ji-wan is deeply hurt when she learns about Sol’s study abroad plans from friends rather than Sol herself. This reveals Ji-wan’s possessiveness toward Sol as well as her anger over their lack of honest communication. This moment forces them to realize they can no longer continue as they were—neither just friends nor lovers hiding their feelings.

✨ From Friendship to Love

The climax comes when Sol decides to study abroad and says goodbye to Ji-wan. Prepared for separation, Sol finally expresses her true feelings.

• Ji-wan’s Hesitation vs. Sol’s Certainty: Ji-wan remains afraid of “breaking their friendship”, but Sol reassures her with certainty: “My feelings will never change.” This moment clarifies that the biggest obstacle was not questions of sexual identity but rather their fear of disrupting the stability of their long-time friendship.

• The Kiss and Happy Ending: Finally, Ji-wan accepts Sol’s love, and they share a kiss on the swings, officially becoming a couple. In contrast to the unstable ending of the main couple, the 'SolJiwan' couple is given a rare happy ending—one built on trust and genuine love.

💡 The Significance and Evaluation of the SolJiwan Relationship

The relationship between Sol and Ji-wan holds important significance in how queer narratives were depicted in Korean dramas.

A Natural Development of Their Relationship: Their romance is portrayed not through struggles of identity or social conflict, but through the universal theme of “friends becoming lovers.” By focusing on the authenticity of feelings and the importance of communication, the drama normalizes their love as a natural part of life, earning positive recognition.

Outshining the Main Narrative: While the main couple’s story centered on the frustrating tropes of being attracted to a “bad boy” and “romance no matter what,” the SolJiwan relationship won viewers’ hearts through subtle emotional depth, healthier communication (eventually), and certainty. They provided the drama’s most romantic and beautiful storyline, elevating the entire series.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★★