South Korean Film
Netflix Original
20th Century Girl (South Korean Film)
20th Century Girl poster
- Genre: Modern Girl, Modern Romance, Life
- Release Date: 21 October 2022
- Origin: South Korea, Netflix Original
- Film: 2 Hrs
Cast
- Kim Yoo Jung as Na Bo Ra
- Byeon Woo Seok as Pung Woon Ho
- Park Jung Woo as Baek Hyun Jin
- Roh Yoon Seo as Yeon Du
- Kim Sung Kyung – [Bo Ra’s mother]
- Jung Suk Yong – [Bo Ra’s father]
- Lee Chun Moo – [Bo Ra’s brother]
- Yoon Yi Reh as Madam
- Han Hyo Joo – [adult Bo Ra]
- Ryu Seung Ryong – [Woon Ho’s father]
- Gong Myung as Wang Woon Ho
- Ong Seong Wu – Woon Ho’s young brother
- Lee Bum Soo as Hak Joo
Snippets
- 1 September 2021: Cast was confirmed today.
I have to be honest, I cried a river over this film but I have to qualify this by saying that it was worth it because 2/3 of the film is sweetness and cuteness overload.
The young cast are gorgeous especially, of course, Kim Yoo Jung and the male lead Byeon Woo Seok.
This is a nostalgia for the 90s when mobile phones are still scarce. People read rather than be constantly on the computer.
It started cutely with Yeon Du telling her best friend Na Bo Ra that there was no use going to the state for a heart operation because she had actually lost her heart. She said that she saw a guy while minding their laundrromat. She noticed that he goes to Bo Ra’s school as he was wearing the school uniform. His name was Baek Hyun Jun.
The only way that Yeon Du would go abroad for treatment was when Bora promised her that she will find out everything about Baek Hyun Jun and e-mail Yeon Du everything to her.
So BoRa was on a mission. She stalked Baek Hyun Jun which was noticed by his best friend Pung Woon Ho.
He tackled her about it but she told him that she does not like Baek Hyun Jun but was just interested in him. There is a difference.
Over time and silly circumstances, Baek Hyun Jun confessed to a very shocked BoRa. She told him that it should not happen at all. She enumerated all her bad habits to him including partiality to farting in tune with nursery rhymes. 🤣 She did get embarrassed when she said it and hurriedly left him
She was followed by Woon Ho. BoRa was beginning to realise that she actually liked Woon Ho. She was able to accidentally confess to him that she likes when their class year went on an away day at the seaside to do their project.
The girls were able to smuggle alcohol into their dorm and drink themselves silly. Bora then found herself alone with Woon Ho and drunkenly confessed that she might like him. However, she promptly forgot about it the next day.
But then Woon Ho started pursuing her which made her giddy with excitement especially when he told her that he has a part-time job in the ice cream parlor opposite Bora’s family’s book/video shop which she looked after when not in school. They would often steal glances at one another and look away in excitement.
He confessed to her that he likes when they were sitting under a plum tree. He would have kissed her but a plum falling on her head killed the moment.
When he took her home, he stole a quick kiss from her. They are unofficially into each other.
Baek Hyun Jun became a friend as well and he took Bora for an ice cream where Woon Ho works.
Woon Ho and Baek Hyun Jun were competing for her attention but she suddenly saw someone from outside the parlor. It was her best friend who came back from the states.
BoRa introduced Yeon Du to the guys.
Later, Bora learned a bombshell from Yeon Du. The guy she liked was Woon Ho who she thought was called Baek Hyun Jun.
Bora decided to sacrifice her fledgling feelings for Woon Ho to Yeon Du.
Poor Woon Ho was confused especially when Bora told him that he misunderstood her. She does not really like him.
Poor Woon Ho was gutted. He was about to leave for New Zealand as well to be with his mother and young brother.
Not knowing this, Bora started throwing Woon Ho and Yeon Du together. But then Yeon Du found out from Baek Hyun Jun that Woon Ho and Bora like each other.
Yeon Du was so upset about it and told Bora that she cannot trust her anymore. She said that Bora let a boy come between them. So their friendship was on a break.
One day, Yeon Du pretended to faint. Bora was there beside her in flash and carried her on her back. Yeon Du then told Bora that she was ok. Her heart is as good as new after the operation. But she said that Woon Ho was leaving for New Zealand right that moment and Bora should see him.
Bora was taken by Baek Hyun Ju to the train statation.
Bora saw Woon Ho and finally told him that she likes him. They had a hug.
Woon Ho asked her to wait for him because he won’t be long. He will be coming back. They were both inconsolable as they parted. Both crying but I was crying the hardest.
They had a bittersweet LDR, contacting by email and the occasional phone calls. But then in 2001, Bora suddenly lost contact with Woon Ho. He was not answering or returning calls or answering emails.
So she decided to start going on blind dates because of peer pressure but her first blind date did not end well because the guy’s name was Wang Woon Ho which made Bora cry loudly and rather piteously. Poor Wang Woon Ho was at a loss and embarrassedly told everyone in the restaurant that he had not done anything to upset her.
Years passed Kim Yoo Jung had turned to Han Hyo Joo as an older Bora. The adult Bora was at her parent’s shop when she saw a package addressed to her. It was a ticket to an exhibition and also a VHS enclosed.
Bora went to the exhibition and saw familiar things. Then a guy introduced himself to her. He was the grown-up brother of Woon Ho. He told her that when his brother was alive, yes Woon Ho is dead, all he could talk about was Bora and how much he was looking forward to seeing her again.
Woon Ho died in 2001. His brother decided to do the exhibition because he thought Woon Ho would like Bora to have some closure. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Bora was resigned to it and made her remember all the good times with Woon Ho when she watched the VHS from an old video player.
I love it but it left me feeling hollow after crying so much. Kim Yoo Jung is too adorable for words.