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Time Magazine
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Heartfelt Ending of 'Our Unwritten Seoul'
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the ending of Our Unwritten Seoul. For a K-drama series that begins with a somewhat outlandish twin-swap conceit, Our Unwritten Seoul remains surprisingly grounded throughout its 12-episode run. The clues were there from the beginning, of course. Underachieving 30-something Mi-ji (Melo Movie's Park Bo-young) offers to switch places with her identical twin sister, burnt out office worker Mi-rae (also Park), because Mi-rae is distressed enough to injure herself by jumping out of a third-story window to avoid returning to her toxic workplace. Hijinks, these are not. In writer Lee Kang's slice-of-life script, the melodrama-like set-up is merely an excuse to jumpstart the exploration of some heavy, complex, and relatable themes, including learning to live with disability, workplace harassment, and moving past the kind of grief that gets its claws into you. The Netflix series released its final episode on June 29, bringing to a close one of the most quietly affecting Korean dramas of 2025. Let's break down Our Unwritten Seoul's heartfelt ending… Mi-ji finally leaves her room When Mi-ji was a teen, she dreamed of using her athleticism to carve a life path for herself—and, in the process, to finally get the kind of attention from her mother, Kim Ok-hui (Love Next Door's Jang Young-nam), that Ok-hui always seemed to reserve only for Mi-rae. However, when an ankle injury abruptly ends Mi-ji's track career, she falls into a deep depression, only graduating from high school because Mi-rae attends classes for her. Mi-ji develops a severe agoraphobia, and spends three years in her room. It's not until her grandmother falls and injures herself in their family home that Mi-ji forces herself to leave, walking miles to get her halmoni help. Years later, when Our Unwritten Seoul begins, Mi-ji still feels stuck in that room. She may go out and about, visiting her grandmother at the nursing home, working odd jobs around town, and hanging out with neighborhood friends, but she's still afraid to take a chance. She stays in her rural hometown because it feels safe. Because, in many ways, she's still afraid to leave her room. Her decision to swap places with Mi-rae is driven by sisterly concern, but it also pushes Mi-ji out of her comfort zone for the first time in years. Heading into the final few episodes of Our Unwritten Seoul, Mi-ji and Mi-rae have already switched back. But Mi-ji is still in Seoul, and is starting to ask herself what she truly wants to do with her life. It helps that she has someone there to support her… Mi-ji and Ho-su choose to stay by each other's side Mi-ji and Lee Ho-su have loved one another since high school. Their classmates and parents always assumed it was bookworms Mi-rae and Ho-su that clicked, but it was actually polar opposites Mi-ji and Ho-su. Mi-ji brought Ho-su out of his shell when he was the intense new kid in school who, unbeknownst to his classmates, was learning how to live with the disabilities he developed after the car accident that killed his father. Mi-ji and Ho-su meant a great deal to one another, but through a series of miscommunications, they never realized their love was requited. Ho-su left for Seoul to go to school and become an elite lawyer, and Mi-ji stayed in their hometown. When Mi-ji comes to Seoul years later, Ho-su is one of the first people who realizes that Mi-ji has swapped places with Mi-rae. Even before that knowledge is revealed, Ho-su becomes Mi-ji's closest confidante. Mi-ji eventually admits who she is, and the two confess their feelings to one another. For a while, everything is great. However, when Ho-su realizes his hearing loss is accelerating, he breaks up with Mi-ji, convinced that he will become a burden to her. Ho-su's issues with relying on loved ones didn't start with Mi-ji. After Ho-su's parents died, he was raised by his stepmother, Yeom Bun-hong (Crash Landing On You's Kim Sun-young), and he never truly dealt with his survivor's guilt. That guilt is compounded by the fact that the car accident that killed Ho-su's father left Ho-su with disabilities that require accommodations. When Bun-hong finds out about Ho-su's additional hearing loss from his doctor, she confronts her son for not telling her. When he confesses he has always assumed Bun-hong resented having to take care of him, Bun-hong sets him straight. After her husband's death, Ho-su is what kept her going. She loves Ho-su, and love means staying by someone's side through the wins and the losses. The conversation helps Ho-su realize that he wants Mi-ji by his side, if she wants to be there. Meanwhile, Ho-su's initial decision to push Mi-ji away has Mi-ji reflecting on how it must have felt for her loved ones when she isolated herself during her depression. The two reunite, and commit to one another. They want to be together, through it all. Mi-rae brings her company to justice Like Mi-ji, Mi-rae has been struggling in adulthood. She has always felt a pressure to be the smart, successful twin, and has prioritized living up to those expectations above all else. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't come easily to her; she works hard for every success. After failing to pass the civil service exam several times, Mi-rae gives up and finds a solid job working at a state-owned financial management company called KFMC. Mi-rae may not love her life, but she is surviving. Then, a married manager makes an unwelcome advance one night. She tries to move on without fanfare, but rumors about her promiscuity are encouraged by the manager, leading to further workplace bullying. Inspired by her supportive colleague Kim Su-yeon (Park Ye-young), who has also faced workplace bullying, Mi-ji files an official complaint. Then, Su-yeon leaves, and Mi-rae begins to feel truly alone. Mi-ji's offer to temporarily swap places with Mi-rae, like they did when they were young, gives Mi-rae a much-needed break. She starts a seasonal job Mi-ji has lined up: as a worker on a strawberry farm owned by successful investment entrepreneur Han Se-jin (Ryu Kyung-soo). Se-jin has taken over the farm from his late grandfather, but has no idea what he is doing. With Mi-rae's help, the two get the farm running, and heal some of their unresolved trauma in the meantime. With Se-jin's support, Mi-rae feels able to return to Seoul and face the toxic management she left behind. Not only does Mi-rae file the harassment claim again, but she uses evidence gathered by Tae-i (Hong Sung-won) to expose KFMC's corrupt deal with a construction company. Tae-i is the younger brother of Mi-rae's former colleague, Su-yeon. He began working at the company to find a way to get justice for his sister, who has sequestered herself in her room after being bullied out of KFMC. While the plot's conclusion feels a bit rushed, especially knowing how much Mi-rae suffered at her office, Mi-rae gets her justice. The manager who sexually harassed loses his job and gets a suspended sentence in court. The department head who prioritized his corrupt, money-making scheme over a safe office for his workers is transferred to the regional office no one wants to work at. And Su-yeon leaves her room, much to her brother's relief. Kim Ro-sa and Sang-wol's love story One of the major subplots in Our Unwritten Seoul concerns Kim Ro-sa (Won Mi-kyung), an older woman who runs a restaurant in the block KFMC wants to develop. When Mi-ji first replaces Mi-rae at the company, she is tasked with convincing Kim Ro-sa to sell her restaurant for the development deal. Ro-sa, who has been running the restaurant for 35 years, refuses. However, Kim Ro-sa has been hiding a major secret. As we learn in Episode 10, Kim Ro-sa's real name is Sang-wol. She and the real Kim Ro-sa grew up together in an orphanage and it is implied that they were in love. Temporarily torn apart by life's circumstances, Sang-wol finds Ro-sa again when Ro-sa is married with a baby. Her husband has abused her, leading to her son being born with developmental disabilities. Sang-wol takes Ro-sa and her son and they build a life together. When Ro-sa's husband catches back up with them, Ro-sa and Sang-wol kill him in self-defense. Because of the baby, Sang-wol takes the fall. When they are reunited again after Sang-wol's release, Sang-wol struggles to find work because of her label as a murderer. Ro-sa convinces Sang-wol to use her name. They share it, really, until Ro-sa's death from cancer. Before she dies, Ro-sa admits her son to a facility, and asks Sang-wol to keep using her name. Officially, Sang-wol dies and Kim Ro-sa lives on. Sang-wol, who is illiterate due to her dyslexia and poor upbringing, plans to bring this secret to her grave. But, when the KFMC lawyer tasked with getting Kim Ro-sa to sell her restaurant uncovers the truth, he frames Sang-wol as a killer and an identity thief. It doesn't help that Sang-wol has not only been using Ro-sa's name to run the restaurant, but also taking credit for Ro-sa's poetry, which has gained recognition after the real Ro-sa's death. With Mi-ji and Ho-su's help, Sang-wol is finally able to tell the true story of her life with Ro-sa. Sang-wol has been using the money garnered from Ro-sa's poetry book sales to fund a college scholarship. Over the years, dozens of kids, including Lee Ho-su, have benefitted from the fund. Mi-ji and Ho-su read the documents Ro-sa left for Sang-wol. They include an official letter making it clear that everything Ro-sa had belongs to Sang-wol. Later, Mi-ji and Ho-su encourage Sang-wol to learn how to read. By series' end, she is able to read Ro-sa's poetry, some of which is about Ro-sa's love for her Sang-wol. Mi-ji and Mi-rae's grandmother dies To Mi-ji, Kang Wol-sun (The Potato Lab's Cha Mi-kyung) isn't just her grandmother. She is the person who helped raise Mi-ji and Mi-rae after the death of their dad. She is the person who saw an act of survival in Mi-ji's three-year isolation. She is the person who understood Mi-ji when no one else seemed to be able to. So, when Wol-sun has a serious heart attack in the final episode, Mi-ji is devastated. At first, she refuses to accept that her grandmother is dying, but Wol-sun's request that Ok-hui, Mi-ji, and Mi-rae bring her home is granted. When Wol-sun dies, Mi-ji is sleeping next to her. She dreams of her grandmother saying goodbye. In the dream, Wol-sun is able-bodied and clear of mind in a way that she hasn't been in the years since her fall. She speaks excitedly to Mi-ji of the adventures she is planning to go on, but tells Mi-ji that she will hold on longer, if Mi-ji needs her to. Mi-ji lets her go. Mi-ji finds her way forward Sang-wol offers to pass on her restaurant to Mi-ji when she retires, but Mi-ji decides she wants to take on a different career path. She goes to college to become a therapist, perhaps inspired by her own struggles with agoraphobia and depression. Meanwhile, both Ho-su and Mi-ji are learning Korean sign language. Ho-su uses the language ability to serve clients with hearing loss. Do Mi-ji and Ho-su end up together? Yes. Following a one-year time jump in the series finale, we learn that Ho-su has bought an engagement ring for Mi-ji. However, when Mi-ji accidentally finds it, the two discuss not getting married until after Mi-ji finishes her graduate degree and gets her first paycheck. In the meantime, however, they play on moving in together. But don't tell their mothers. Do Mi-rae and Se-jin end up together? The relationship status of Mi-rae and Se-jin is less conclusive at the end of Our Unwritten Seoul. They remain 'business partners,' with Mi-rae running Se-jin's grandfather's strawberry farm and acting as an investor in Mi-rae's financial investment advice blog. In the final episode, Se-jin returns from his time in America and immediately goes to find Mi-rae in Seoul. Mi-rae blows off her plans with Mi-ji and Ho-su to travel back to the strawberry farm with Se-jin. It is implied the two will start a romantic relationship, but never confirmed. The viewer can choose for herself. Does Our Unwritten Seoul have a happy ending? Yes, Our Unwritten Seoul has a happy ending—and a pretty realistic one, too. The characters face their share of hardship in the final episode, most notably the death of Wol-sun, and the story recognizes that there will be more reasons to grieve in the future. However, the series main character, Mi-ji, has been able to move past the depression that kept her from chasing her ambitions for years. She has plans to start grad school to become a therapist. She is in a happy and healthy relationship with boyfriend Ho-su. She is loved by her family and friends, including her mother, sister, and Sang-wol. She is no longer afraid of what's next.
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Unwritten bonds, unspoken pain
A slow-burn drama about identity and emotional healing, Our Unwritten Seoul, directed by Kim Yun-joo, proves not all stories need fireworks to make an impact. The 2025 tvN series, also available on Netflix, is a deeply introspective piece powered by subtle performances and a quietly poignant script. Dual lives of twin sisters At the centre of this tender narrative are Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae, twin sisters who could not be more different, both played with extraordinary precision by Park Bo-young. Mi-ji is a reclusive writer battling panic attacks and professional burnout, while Mi-rae is an energetic drama script coordinator masking her emotional fatigue with forced optimism. A surprise reunion leads the estranged sisters to impulsively swap lives. What begins as escapism turns into a revealing emotional journey, as each sister is forced to confront not only the life the other lives but also the emotional burdens they have tried to ignore for years. This is not a dramatic identity switch in the conventional sense, but more a study of empathy and long-suppressed pain. The writing leans into psychological realism, gently pulling viewers into the emotional lives of its characters with patience and care. Cast and characters Bo-young is unquestionably the heart of the series. Known for her expressive eyes and emotionally resonant performances, she steps into two completely distinct roles and she disappears into both. As Mi-ji, she captures the heavy stillness of someone suffocating under her own thoughts while as Mi-rae, she reveals the fatigue of a woman trying too hard to hold herself together. The transition between these characters is seamless, never once feeling like a performance trick. Supporting her is Park Jin-young, who plays Ji-won, Mi-rae's co-worker and a man who learns to see beyond surface identities. His portrayal is grounded and gentle, serving as a steady emotional counterbalance to the chaos the sisters navigate. Ryu Kyung-soo also shines as Han, someone with a restrained presence that slowly unravels as he bonds with Mi-rae. Their scenes are filled with quiet intensity. Every performance, no matter how minor, feels emotionally real, never exaggerated, never hollow. Even the fleeting characters that pass through the twins' lives are written with a purpose, adding to the show's emotional richness. Beautiful slow burn Visually, Our Unwritten Seoul is shot in warm tones and natural light, leaning into minimalist cinematography that reflects the characters' inner solitude. Scenes are often slow, filled with silence or subtle expressions rather than exposition-heavy dialogue. This, however, is also where the series may test viewers' patience. The pacing in the first few episodes is undeniably slow, and it takes time before the emotional momentum builds. But when it does, the payoff is moving and memorable. That said, the drama's core themes of healing and the messy love between siblings are delivered with sincerity and depth. Our Unwritten Seoul airs every Saturday and Sunday on tvN, with new episodes available to stream on Netflix at the same time. PLOT: 7 ACTING: 7
The Review Geek
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 5 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Our Unwritten Seoul Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-rae are identical twin sisters, but they are different in everything except for their appearance. Younger sister Yu Mi-ji ended her short heyday as a promising track and field athlete and she now lives a freewheeling life. Meanwhile, Older sister Mi-rae is a perfectionist. She has been on an elite path since her school days and currently works at a government owned company. For some reason, Mi-ji and Mi-rae begin to tell audacious lies about exchanging their lives and thus, they then go ahead and do just that. If you've been following this K-drama, you may be curious to find out when the next episode is releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about Our Unwritten Seoul episode 5, including its release date, time and where you can watch this. Where Can I Watch Our Unwritten Seoul? Our Unwritten Seoul will be available to watch on Netflix worldwide. For Koreans though, this is a tvN original and airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 9.20pm (KST) Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 5 Release Date Our Unwritten Seoul episode 5 will release on Saturday 7th June at approximately 3pm (GMT) / 10am (ET). The subtitle team over at Netflix are incredibly quick so expect English subs to be available immediately. Expect episode 5 to be roughly 1 hour and 13 minutes long, which is consistent with the time-frame for the rest of the show. How Many Episodes Will Our Unwritten Seoul Have? Like most K-dramas, Our Unwritten Seoul is scheduled to release with 12 episodes, and the usual array of two episodes releasing a week. With that in mind, we've got 7 more episodes to go after this one. Is There A Trailer For Our Unwritten Seoul? There is indeed! You can find a trailer for Our Unwritten Seoul below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favorite moment of Our Unwritten Seoul so far? Let us know in the comments below!
The Review Geek
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 3 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Our Unwritten Seoul Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-rae are identical twin sisters, but they are different in everything except for their appearance. Younger sister Yu Mi-ji ended her short heyday as a promising track and field athlete and she now lives a freewheeling life. Meanwhile, Older sister Mi-rae is a perfectionist. She has been on an elite path since her school days and currently works at a government owned company. For some reason, Mi-ji and Mi-rae begin to tell audacious lies about exchanging their lives and thus, they then go ahead and do just that. If you've been following this K-drama, you may be curious to find out when the next episode is releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about Our Unwritten Seoul episode 3, including its release date, time and where you can watch this. Where Can I Watch Our Unwritten Seoul? Our Unwritten Seoul will be available to watch on Netflix worldwide. For Koreans though, this is a tvN original and airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 9.20pm (KST) Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 3 Release Date Our Unwritten Seoul episode 3 will release on Saturday 31st May at approximately 3pm (GMT) / 10am (ET). The subtitle team over at Netflix are incredibly quick so expect English subs to be available immediately. Expect episode 3 to be roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes long, which is consistent with the time-frame for the rest of the show. How Many Episodes Will Our Unwritten Seoul Have? Like most K-dramas, Our Unwritten Seoul is scheduled to release with 12 episodes, and the usual array of two episodes releasing a week. With that in mind, we've got 9 more episodes to go after this one. Is There A Trailer For Our Unwritten Seoul? There is indeed! You can find a trailer for Our Unwritten Seoul below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favorite moment of Our Unwritten Seoul so far? Let us know in the comments below!
The Review Geek
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 4 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Our Unwritten Seoul Yu Mi-ji and Yu Mi-rae are identical twin sisters, but they are different in everything except for their appearance. Younger sister Yu Mi-ji ended her short heyday as a promising track and field athlete and she now lives a freewheeling life. Meanwhile, Older sister Mi-rae is a perfectionist. She has been on an elite path since her school days and currently works at a government owned company. For some reason, Mi-ji and Mi-rae begin to tell audacious lies about exchanging their lives and thus, they then go ahead and do just that. If you've been following this K-drama, you may be curious to find out when the next episode is releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about Our Unwritten Seoul episode 4, including its release date, time and where you can watch this. Where Can I Watch Our Unwritten Seoul? Our Unwritten Seoul will be available to watch on Netflix worldwide. For Koreans though, this is a tvN original and airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 9.20pm (KST) Our Unwritten Seoul Episode 4 Release Date Our Unwritten Seoul episode 4 will release on Sunday 1st June at approximately 3pm (GMT) / 10am (ET). The subtitle team over at Netflix are incredibly quick so expect English subs to be available immediately. Expect episode 4 to be roughly 1 hour and 16 minutes long, which is consistent with the time-frame for the rest of the show. How Many Episodes Will Our Unwritten Seoul Have? Like most K-dramas, Our Unwritten Seoul is scheduled to release with 12 episodes, and the usual array of two episodes releasing a week. With that in mind, we've got 8 more episodes to go after this one. Is There A Trailer For Our Unwritten Seoul? There is indeed! You can find a trailer for Our Unwritten Seoul below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favorite moment of Our Unwritten Seoul so far? Let us know in the comments below!
