Sin Embargo (2021)

Compact, intense, well-rounded

I was so hooked on this show, I watched almost all the episodes immediately as they became available.

To start off with, I must mention that this show is simply focused on the development of romantic relationships between several art school students. And it manages to do this without any distracting side plots, extra drama or absurd complications.

I can get why some viewers feel this was slow-paced, but given that it has only 10 episodes, for me it had an almost perfect combination of pacing and intensity. I feel that most k-dramas tend to drag on in the second half, but here the development was evenly paced, both for the main characters and the side ones.

Probably the most remarkable features of the show are the music and the beautiful visuals - not just the sculptures created at the art school, but also the interior and exterior shots are exquisitely staged. That aside, what probably sets it apart from other shows is that it's not as prudish as most k-dramas (although it's not in any way vulgar or overly revealing) and it also explores the topic of same-sex couples. Moreso, the storyline for the side characters is just as good as that for the main ones.

About the lead actors, I didn't feel any of the two managed to transmit emotion well, *but* their chemistry still worked somehow and their interactions with each other and with the side characters never became frustrating. Some of the actors in supporting roles where quite likeable and kept me interested in their own story. I specifically remember particularly enjoying the last 10 minutes of each episode, when usually some important development occured.

All in all, I think this show was a successful experiment, managing to deliver a more compact k-drama, beautifully shot and with some new storyline ideas.

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Kept passing this one by...finally gave in. Loved!

Series sexier than majority of kdramas. No sex,no touching, strange kissing charmed me when i first started watching kdramas, I can understand different strokes for different cultures. Having watched kdramas for many years now, I'm annoyed at the lack of any kind of passion, at very least meet at lips then camera can slowly drift away, but not even this, and don't get me started at wide open eyes! Acting has mostly triumphed so i am a big fan now. 'Nevertheless' has very sexy scenes (not vulgar), tension between main leads, i wont say miscommunication because he clearly loved her by some actions, and she was cautious. Side stories in this series takes risks too, bravo! 2nd season would be welcome!! These ML's have serious chemistry!

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A different take on Will they/Won't they

Before I dive into the story, I just want to say even if you don't watch this, please listen to the OST. This is probably the only time I heard songs in a drama and was interested enough to look them up to listen to them after. 10/10

As for the story: the tagline states realistic. Now, what is a realistic portrayal of love? For me, it can really be anything because everybody has a different view of love and every relationship is different. The love story here is definitely different from normal romance kdramas. Does it mean it's good? Depends on your taste.

Nabi has recently come out of a relationship where she was belittled. She encounters Park Jae-eon while she is still recovering from it and trying to find herself. Park Jae-eon himself is probably not the best candidate for a rebound with the state she is in. She knows this and we as the viewers know this. Yet throughout the series, she is indecisive about what to do about it. And that probably best describes Nabi: indecisive.

As we get to know more about her, she tells us that she feels mediocre at best, both in her life and in her art. She struggles with continuing/giving up a lot of things. Her desire for going abroad, her motivation in her artwork, her relationship with Park Jae-eon. We as the viewers are banging our heads thinking let go of Park Jae-eon and focus on your work! But I think this makes her more realistic to us. Not everyone is headstrong and has a direction in life. Nabi shows us that there are other people in life who might feel aimless and lost as we do sometimes.

If you approach this drama thinking that there is a plot, I would advise you from expecting progress in anything, especially between our main leads. This drama is really about thinking introspectively. It is similar to a slice of life, but here the focus is on a single relationship that can't really be defined. We see a lot of push and pull between Nabi and Park Jae-eon. We see a lot of bad decisions and repetitive behavior. Our leads are far from perfect. They keep making the same mistakes over and over. There are times where Nabi makes decisions that I would have made (such as distancing herself from Park Jae-eon), which I applaud, only for her to go 180 again in the next episode.

For some, this might look like bad writing or terrible pacing. For me, it just shows an unhealthy relationship which this drama captures perfectly. This drama is not about making good decisions. This drama is not about a healthy relationship. This drama tries to show the other side of "love" that we don't often see in other media. Sometimes, a story doesn't need a plot. Sometimes, a story can just be about a character and their view of the world (watch the french movie Girlhood and you'll feel the same vibe). And I think, Nevertheless does this beautifully by portraying Nabi as a flawed character who makes bad decisions even though she knows they are bad.

As for the character Park Jae-eon, while I do agree he has red flags and is not the best character, he is similar to a lot of guys in real life. I didn't really know what to expect for the ending. I would have been fine either way: showing that Park Jae-eon doesn't change and just moves on with Nabi being heartbroken or him trying to change for Nabi and attempting to start a decent relationship with her. For the first, it would show that hey not everyone is changeable, which is realistic and part of the webtoon. For the second, I definitely think a 180 change would have definitely not suited him, but I think the trying he does counts. I am happy with how it ended.

Apart from our main leads, who eat up most of our time, I really loved our second couple. Yes, they are lesbians! They also had a similar push and pull but with a much healthier ending. I was really rooting for them throughout. Probably the most enjoyable parts of the drama. I also liked the similar push and pull found in other couples like Bitna and Gyuhyun as well as portraying a much friendlier relationship with the sunbaes and their friends to contrast.

What about our second male lead? I really do feel bad for him, but considering he entered the drama mid-way through with Nabi and Park Jae-eon already establishing a lot of their situationship, it really didn't feel like he had a chance. Obviously, I did root for him being the most realistic choice, but I did agree with Nabi when she said it herself that she doesn't Dohyeok. She would just be stringing him along when she actually likes Park Jae-eon which wouldn't be that cool. In a perfect world, maybe if Nabi recovered from her first heartbreak and was in a better mind space, I would see him as a viable contender.

Overall, I will keep listening to the OST and think about this drama a lot. Han Sohee and Song Kang did a great job along with the rest of the cast. I really did look forward to every Saturday morning. I know according to other people I shouldn't like it, nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot.

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Nevertheless, I was enthralled.

This was a story about a toxic relationship. One with both right and dark moments. Our main character, Na-bi, who just came away fro a bad relationship, sees the signs immediately that she shouldn't indulge in this situation, but there was something intoxicating about Jae-eon. There was so much raw sexual energy between them that you can see the pros of pursuing it. The show was immaculate in creating situations where you find yourself cheering for them; the interactions at Na-Bi’s home and at the club were instant YES’s for Jae-eon and Na-Bi. Jae-eon is basically a playboy (a f*ck boi would be appropriate for a mature drama such as this), so he knows exactly what to do and when to do it until he, himself, gets trapped into a situation where he starts to truly like Na-Bi but can't seem to stop his ways (meeting other girls, aggressive flirting). And when Na-Bi starts to drift away from him, his actions turn more vindictive and desperate. Those mesmerising eyes turn into awkward stares of that of a stalker. The scene on the ferris-wheel is when the wheels fall off, ironically. Na-Bi no longer felt comfortable with Jae-eon, preferring the lovely and adorable Do Hyuk. The descent from seductive to obsessive was a slow, thrilling one that had me along for the ride every step of the way. The main story isn't perfect however. We don't really know much about Jae-eon and his history. We only see glimpses of absent parents, odd relationships with ex-girlfriends. All done on purpose, obviously. But as Jae-eon’s character development is the main aspect of the story, we could've done with a fuller picture. The side plots were just as good. The relationship arcs of Bit-Na and Kyu-Hyun was arguably just as engrossing, with Bit-Na being similar to Jae-eon but more willing to change for her love. Likewise for Kyu-Hyun, who was Na-Bi except he was willing to say his thoughts and end the relationship when he felt tired. The LGBT elements with Yoon sol and Ji Wan were done nicely. At times, they can be forced and done to give the characters obstacles (Looking at Record of Youth), but it was done right. The writers did the plot proud.

I think this is a drama that goes against the usual K-Drama roads, so people will tend to criticise Jae-eon getting worse as a character, confusing it for bad storytelling when that's not the case. It's done differently and deliberately. Na-Bi doesn't really change as a character. You could criticise the writers for not making her go on some profound journey, and I guess I won't argue against that. We don't see enough of Yang Do Hyuk. And that's a shame because he was a great character, but I believe that was due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. And the ending. I haven't read the webtoon but apparently it stays true to it, so there is that. Is it the right choice? I don't really like saying yes or no because people feel how they feel. Gun to my head? I'll say that it wasn't. Nevertheless,

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nice movie, worth watching

Wow, I need to write fast because I'm impressed by the few reviews I've read.
A very beautiful film, delightful how the creators were able to "get close" to dilemmas, stresses, joys, young people at the stage of searching for love, searching for themselves, learning each other in relationships.

Na-Bi
What do we know about her ?: You can't see dad in her life at all,.Her mom used to hang out with a lot of hopeless guys. Na Bi, looking at her mother's love failures, she decides:
"When I was little. I promised myself I would never date while my mom". Of course, you can make a lot of decisions, but if you do not have a model of a happy relationship in your parents (guardians) as a child, you do not know what to do. Already in the first episode we see that Na Bi chose a guy in the style of her mom's guys. I don't blame her for that, I know it is, there is an automaton that is stronger than the resolutions. If in childhood, in the family home, love is mixed with violence, when we are looking for a partner, then the emotional matrix embedded in childhood pushes us into the arms of the torturer. Unfortunately, Na Bi's mum is still in the same place when dealing with guys, and farther and farther away from Na-bi. They see each other very rarely and their meetings are sad - there is no love for Na Bi.

Na Bi has a loving, warm, wise aunt, (great, great role, I'm delighted with this actress in this role).
When Na Bi is angry with herself, behind having sex with Jae Eon and she says, "There was nothing between us. I don't know why I did that."
S1: 06 24:57 My aunt said, "Hey, there is always something between people
Butterflies don't always eat honey. Insects and poop are all nutrients for them too.
Everything you're going through in your life right now, are your nutrients. So what's there to fear? "
Aunt is attentive and also sees clearly that Na Bi's relationship with Jae Eon is big. Na Bi, he listens to Auntie in conversations, but it seems that he hears nothing .

Jae Eon
What do we know about him? You don't see dad in his life at all. He has also lived without his mother since the age of 10, and it seems he rarely sees her. They meet at the hotel (sad) because mum has such a job, she is a dancer.
There are no relationship patterns, and like Na Bi, he has patterns of his own making. What he thinks about relationships we learn from his conversation with Kyu Hyun.
Kyu Hyun says what he expects in a relationship: "Certainly about the relationship and sincerity toward me".
Jae Eon said, "That's unrealistic. As soon as you have certainty, that relationship becomes weak".
He is in an open relationship with Seol Ah (they both know they have other partners too - such a deal) He is dating a lot of girls.
Oh, one more thing, his apartment is black, cold, sad, gloomy, dark, and it's not a minimalist, artistic style at all, and certainly not for lack of money.
Actually, we meet Jae Eon when he meets his mother.
When Jae Eon told her mom about Na-Be: "Just someone bothersome".
Of course, Mom knows her baby and says to Jae-Eon:
"You known what I regret the most? Not knowing my own feelings. No, pretending not to know. Who would love someone, who doesn't even take care of themselves?" (and all clear)

Two emotional cripples come together who have created invented rules of relationships in relationships.
It is obvious to everyone from the outside that it sparkles that they are made for each other, only they, each of them individually, cannot name their feelings and talk about them ..
Jae Eon in a relationship with Na Bii.
Cordial, attentive to needs, helpful in difficult and very difficult and embarrassing situations (S1: O2 35:21). They are not a couple yet, but they are handcrafted by a sun-butterfly catcher for Na Bi (he could have bought something because with money, no problem).
When he thought that Na Bi was so sick that she needed help and the door was closed, he called the police and an ambulance, he was terrified that he would not be able to help. He looks after Na Bi, at night he goes to the store, buys food and medication, she sleeps sitting with the patient all night holding her hand.

Sex and eroticism: Jae-eon signals her needs but never pressures, withdraws when Na Bi makes it clear that she doesn't want to. He always makes sure Na Bi wants what he wants.
When Jae Eon came with a book to study anatomy, he was honestly surprised to find alcohol on the table, but it seems Na Bi was thinking about sex.
In sex, he is sensitive, gentle, attentive and takes his time to satisfy his needs .. I think that there is a scene where he washes dishes and says that he will also do laundry, it's like this place on earth at Na Bi becomes his home and takes care of it.

Na Bi in relation to Jae Eon.
Already at the first kiss (she kisses him) she gives a signal that she does not mind Jae Eon's relationship with other women. First, she rubs another girl's lipstick from his lips and kisses him in a moment.
Constantly and still does not know how to name his feelings, love does not exist - such a slogan, is not sure what to do, blames himself for the feelings he finds in himself, blames himself for sex, sets himself up as a victim and stays in this role until the end, distrustful, suspicious. He does not talk about his fears, doubts with him, but with himself. He makes a deal with Jae-Eon, but constantly criticizes Jae Eon and looks for flaws in him. She becomes a torturer for herself.
When I look at her role in this relationship, she takes, she takes, but I don't see what she gives. Similarly in relationships with other guys, he takes, he takes, I don't see what he gives.

Just as she doesn't hear what Auntie is saying to her, she doesn't see Jae Eon changing koro for her step by step.
When Na Bi in S1 O7 53:43 says, "I, m the one who made a mistake", I was hoping she was starting to go her own way too, but you have to watch the end to find out.

Throughout the series, we have the opportunity to observe this couple and participate in changes in the relationship. For me, what is fascinating and I recommend it.

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I stayed up all night and woke up early anticipating the final release of the last episode, only to find that Netflix didn’t put it on right away. I probably wait till like midafternoon before I can finish it. I still have lingering thoughts of the what-ifs. There were a lot of sexual tensions to begin with but I enjoyed watching the cliché ending.

The Good:
I think this series did a pretty good job of portraying friends of benefits and the thin line of falling in love with them. I am probably one of the very few that was rooting for the bad-boy-falls-in-love-with-good-girl-leading-couple. Yes, I understand it was a toxic relationship with Jae Eon. He made our heart race, his intimate touches, he kept drawing the line but “nevertheless” Na Bi was still attracted to him. I have many theories as to why Jae Eon loves Na Bi, one being she called butterfly. We know where his obsession lies with it but as the series goes on you can’t help but think “cliché but oh dear, he is really falling for her”. Again, wondering theories and debates for another time.

I love this intimacy between them and I’m not talking about what they did every night. Their lingering looks and this burning passion they couldn’t hide were shown through a lot of non-gesture and both actor and actress brought it out very well. There was a lot of heart racing and exciting push-and-pull.

I also like how the writers incorporate Na Bi’s art as a reflection of what she felt during the emotional roller coaster ride. She did well on her projects when she got along with Jae Eon. But when her sculpture was smashed into pieces, it was like her world also shattered as she tried to end her feelings for him.

The cast, I didn’t know what to think with the innocent-looking Song Kang to begin with. I kept wondering how he was going to pull this “bad boy” character but he did it! It is different from what I usually am used to, but I like it! I also look forward to seeing more projects from Yang Hye Ji, Lee Ho Jung and Kim Min Gwi!

One of my favorite things to watch is character development. In this series, there were a lot of character developments between the leading couple and the side characters. I like how Na Bi narrated most of the series in the beginning and towards the end, Jae Eon started voicing his thoughts.

The Bad:
I had to skip some parts of the side characters, I felt like some of them were cliché and a lot of parts were cut out from Bit Na and Kyu Hyun. I didn’t realize the scandal with this until my sister told me. I was rooting and hoping to see more character development with Bit Na and Kyu Hyun. I think they were an adorable couple.

Personally, I was very bothered by that fake butterfly tattoo that looks like a stick on.

There were parts in the series where I had questions that were unanswered and probably will never be. Like who was that guy that randomly showed up and punch Jae Eon? And who was that girl he met at the café the following day? What about the story between him and his ex? I just found out this is based on a webtoon, maybe answers might be found there.

My rating: 8/10 Without watching this carefully I think there are a lot of symbolic things that could have been missed and I think that is what makes this series captivating to me. Even though it did have a typical storyline, each character was enjoyable to watch.

Re watch value: 4/10 – there were many things I love about this series, but I don’t know if I would be re-watching soon.

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Nevertheless

THIS IS A MOVIE. It is probably just me that like my movies to portray things that would rarely happen in real life. If you want something that is closer to reality, go watch documentaries or movies based on real events and stay away from fiction, please. So people in the reviews that are bashing it for being unrealistic, read tags or synopsis first and stop spoiling it for the rest of us.

That said, I'm not denying the toxicity of the relationship between the main leads. It is toxic but what most of us failed to notice (judging from the reviews) is how happy they both were when they were with each other, and isn't that what we all look for in a relationship? Happiness.

Maybe it will not be all roses down the road with their relationship and maybe they'll break up, but what touched me the most is the feeling of loving each other despite knowing the realities, the flaws that the other person has, especially Nabi loving Jaeon even when she knows Jaeon is wrong for her. This kind of love is my favourite kind of love to read or watch.

My favorite line from the movie, "LOVE IS NOT ABOUT FINDING THE NICEST PERSON, IT'S ABOUT FINDING THAT ONE SPECIAL PERSON TO YOU". This actually sums up the movie for me. <3<3<3

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Is love worth the risk?

Nevertheless (2021)

Likes:
1. I'm probably one of the minority who liked this drama and the ending. Give these kids a break. They are in college so they are still immature. And not everyone wants to be in a relationship, the same way that not everyone wants to keep dating. To each his own. What's important is the couple has to communicate and be honest with each other with what they want. Had Jae Eon and Nabi done that in the first place, we wouldn't have a story. Maybe they break up within the year. Or maybe they'll last a few years.
2. Love is a gamble. Who ever you choose , you just need to face the consequences or get out. I was fine whoever Nabi chose to be with, whether it's Do Hyeok or Jae Eon. Just like what the professor said. And as long as you're not hurting anyone.
3. A person can be super sweet in public but abusive in private. A bad person can also change with the right person. Let's not make judgements based on rumors or what other people say. Interesting to me that Jae Eon is made to be a bad guy bit why do Bitna, Sol, jiwan encourage Nabi to go out with him? Either they know the real Jae Eon is nice or they are lousy friends.
3. We as viewers plus all of Nabi's friends are commenting too much on their relationship, just like how we do with our own friends. I realized we should all mind our own business coz we don't know what's happening between them.
4. Best character for me is Kyu Hyun.
5. I also liked the OST.

Dislikes
1. Too much references on butterfly.
2. The second half dragged and were repetitive. 10 episodes could have been shorten to 8.
3. Wished we had more scenes with Jae Eon's pov so we actually get to know what and how he really feels.
4. Wished there were more scenes about their artworks.
5. I didn't like Jiwan and Bitna. Felt bad that Sol and Kyuhyun got stuck with them. I thought they deserved someone better but like i said, it's none of our damn business 😁

Rating: 8/10

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Painful and Beautiful

This drama absolutely killed me from the moment it started. The cinematography mixed with the music and plot, really gets in your feels. I know there are many people who didn't enjoy this show or just thought of it as average but for me, it left a gaping hole in my heart. I think what this drama does so painfully well, is present love in a modern and emotional way. It's not about the rich-guy-poor-girl dinamic that so many dramas tend to follow, it's about two people who have had painful pasts and don't know how to love others and to be loved anymore. Yu Na-Bi seems so defeated by life all the time but the unique relationship she forms with Park Jae-Eon makes her feel and hope again. She doesn't want the 'good guy' because she's experience that the 'good guy' could just as easily end up as the bad guy. Jae-Eon is himself from the beginning and doesn't promise to only commit to her but then cheat on her. He may seem like the bad guy but at least she knows what to expect. They need each other equally to grow, even if it is in their own f***ed up way.

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it's so boring!

honestly at this point, where I have watched like... millions of dramas but I've never seen such pathetic characters ever! I mean what the hell is wrong with Na-Bi?! Jae-Eon is clearly a walking, talking red flag but she can't see that? is love blind in such a pathetic amount??!! Just get a personality sweetheart! this is so annoying and painfully repetitive! at this point I wanna drop watching kdramas altogether! why can't they make more interesting dramas like Goblin or Memorist?! Also, even that dyed haired woman! she was a total b***h (pardon my language)!! both Bit-Na and Na-Bi were pathetic bitches. Song Kang's Sweet Home was way freaking better!

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I don’t like where it’s going

I feel like I should mention right off the bat that I do tend to have a bias against dramas based on webtoons, because they follow a very similar pattern that I don’t actually enjoy watching, but the premise of this one intrigued me and there are only a couple episodes available so far so I thought why not?

I don’t mind the first episode, it caught my attention at the start and managed to maintain it throughout from what I can remember. I was also very impressed with the female lead’s character and how she managed the break up (although completely giving up on love because of it felt a tiny bit extreme but I can at least understand her feelings), especially with how confident she was able to break it off and remain with herself afterwards. The male lead also seemed interesting, even though it was so obvious from the start to me what his character was going to be and how he was going to act later on. I was really happy when she left him and hoped that she wasn’t just going to let him do whatever he wants with her cause he’s charming, but unfortunately that seems to be exactly what happens in the second episode. I appreciate the different reaction of the main girl who knows she likes the main guy and even inadvertently shows it, instead of the typical female lead (not necessarily in kdramas) who hates them for no reason when they meet and the lead falls for them immediately because they’re “not like anyone else they’ve met before” cause their act doesn’t work on them. But it’s gotten to be so annoying how, because of her interest, she’s letting him get away with everything, and it doesn’t cause her to pull back from the situation at all - she says she’s going to after recognising one of the many, many signs that they’re not emotionally compatible and aren’t looking for the same things in a relationship, but then proceeds to talk and stare at each other long enough that they make out (or try to most of the time) and I can tell it’s only going to get worse from here.

I just realised there’s kind of a clue in the name “Nevertheless,” in that every bad sign she sees is met with defiance and the want to be with him no matter the obvious regret and pain that’s going to happen later. E.g “I’m not the only one. Nevertheless,” - title of Episode 2. So I guess if this was technically the inherent theme of the drama, I can’t judge it that badly, it’s just not for me.

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Realistic that it annoys me lmfao

Tissue Rate (aka how much I cried); I didn’t really cry, I was more frustrated then emotional for this drama

- I think this drama is really good at portraying how it feels to be in a relationship with someone who you deeply are connected with but it just doesn’t work. I think the acting was perfect, it made me feel anxious, annoyed but also mesmerize by how well the chemistry between Song Kang and Han So Hee.

- I LOVE LOVE LOVE this drama for including a bit of the LGBT+ community with Sol and Jiwan! I love those two so much! I think it was wonderful how their feelings came together in understanding that they actually like each other more than friends!

- The music is SO SO SO good!! Like I love the OST more than the actual drama lmfao!!

- Recommend if you want a realistic feel of a drama!

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