Synopsis

“Nevertheless” is about a college senior art major, Yu Na Bi (Han So Hee), who is finishing up her senior art project in hopes of continuing in an art career.  Na Bi begins the series in a toxic relationship with her longtime boyfriend, but breaks up with him when he humiliates her with an erotic art piece made without her permission, and she learns that he is cheating.  One evening, Na Bi meets Park Jae Eon (Song Kang), a junior art student at her university.  Jae Eon is handsome and mysterious, and Na Bi is inexplicably drawn to him.  Jae Eon has a reputation as a playboy who does not like to date seriously, and Na Bi is hesitant to get involved with him.  Jae Eon has an obsession with butterflies, and Na Bi, whose name means “butterfly,” intrigues him.  Despite her objections, Na Bi enters into a relationship with Jae Eon.  The relationship is rocky, however, as Na Bi doubts Jae Eon’s sincerity, and the couple separates.  Both undergo journeys of transformation throughout the series, and when they are apart, they realize the extent of their feelings for one another. With Jae Eon’s help, Na Bi completes her sculpture for her senior exhibition, and in the process, rediscovers her passion for her art. In the end, they decide to give their love a chance, in spite of the pain that love may bring.      

Sensual, but Sweet

One of the elements I love about K-dramas is the way that love is portrayed.  Explicit scenes are not required to convey that the characters yearn for each other.  “Nevertheless” achieved some notoriety for its steamy and sensual scenes between Na Bi and Jae Eon. But while the scenes certainly sizzle, they are done in a very tasteful way, respecting both the actors and the audience.  Song Kang and Han So Hee have a great, almost predator/prey chemistry onscreen, and you cannot help but be caught up in the push and pull that Na Bi feels whenever she is with Jae Eon.  For Na Bi, the sexual tension rises whenever Jae Eon enters a room, and she cannot take her eyes off of him.  The kisses that they share are intense and look great on screen, with at least one - if not two! - making my Top 10 list.  Their first actual kiss (and I am not even talking about their preceding racy dream kiss) is so intensely swoon-worthy that Na Bi comments in a voiceover that “the gates of hell have opened.”  Their desire for one another is almost all-consuming.    

Jae Eon admits that there has never been anyone that he has ever wanted more than he wants Na Bi, but in addition to the physical intimacy that he and Na Bi share, Jae Eon also pays attention to, and protects and cares for Na Bi, in ways that go beyond the sensual.  When their group of art school friends are all drinking together and someone eats the last bite of the food, Jae Eon quietly asks for more, replacing it for Na Bi; when they are walking back from getting ice cream, Jae Eon quietly moves Na Bi out of the way of a group of approaching men; when Na Bi is looking at drink options, Jae Eon suggests a lime drink, remembering that she once mentioned to him that she likes lime; when Na Bi falls after posing upside down for a fellow artist’s inspiration photo, Jae Eon rushes over to make sure that she is okay; when Na Bi complains about her shoulder hurting after a long day in the studio, Jae Eon tries to help her stretch it out; when their call is suddenly disconnected, Jae Eon calls 119 (Korean version of 911) because Na Bi is unwell and lives alone; when Na Bi has a fever, he stays by her side all night nursing her back to health; when she cuts her arm on glass, Jae Eon is the only one who notices; and when she embarrassingly starts her period during lecture, he wraps his sweater around her waist, hiding it from others - these are just some of the examples of Jae Eon sweetly protecting and caring for Na Bi in a way that is uncharacteristic of his playboy reputation.

But perhaps the best example of Jae Eon taking care of Na Bi is when, despite her telling him that she never wants to see him again, he helps her rebuild her senior sculpture when it is crushed by a falling ceiling fan shortly before the exhibition.  Na Bi is devastated by the destruction of a semester’s worth of work and is not sure where to begin, or if the effort is even worth it.  Jae Eon finds her crying on the floor, bends down beside her, and simply says, “Let’s fix this.”  It is Jae Eon’s positivity and support that give Na Bi the strength to get up and start again.  It is through this rebuilding process, working side by side, that Jae Eon earns Na Bi’s trust and Na Bi regains her love for her art. The moment when the sculpture is complete is also heartbreaking, however. With tears in his eyes and a choking voice, Jae Eon wishes Na Bi good luck and keeps his word to leave and never see her again.  It is in that moment that Jae Eon’s transformation is complete and he is worthy of Na Bi’s love. 

Impact of Toxic Relationships

But while Jae Eon makes Na Bi feel excited, he also makes her anxious as she struggles with the trauma from her past toxic relationship and learns to trust again.  When Jae Eon says she is pretty and that he is her biggest fan, she tells him to quit playing with her.  Jae Eon does not like to date, but seems like he is dating multiple girls in the art department, as they all text him and know his habits.  Jae Eon tells Na Bi that she sometimes suddenly acts cold to him, as he notices that she puts up walls or creates distance.  Na Bi second guesses every step she takes with Jae Eon, wondering if it is a mistake, if it is a sign that he does not care for her, or if he is just teasing her.  This is all a direct result of her past relationship, which stripped her of her self-esteem, making her feel pathetic.  Na Bi does not want to be a fool and is worried what everyone else thinks and feels about her relationship – too much so.  She says the world seems to want her to end things with Jae Eon, even when things are going well and she is happy. 

Only one friend, Yun Sol (Lee Ho Jung), is consistently supportive of her relationship with Jae Eon, whom she feels is significantly better for Na Bi than her ex-boyfriend.  It is Yun Sol who calls Jae Eon when Na Bi’s senior sculpture is crushed by a falling fan.  Yun Sol calls Jae Eon because he is one of Na Bi’s junior assistants, but she also knows that he is the one person who can help Na Bi get back on her feet and motivate her to accomplish the daunting task of rebuilding her sculpture in time for the exhibition.  When questioned by others why she thinks that Jae Eon is good for Na Bi, Yun Sol can only shrug her shoulders and say that she just feels it.  A true artist and empath, Yun Sol is inarguably the most mature of Na Bi’s friends and the most well-rounded character in the series. 

For Jae Eon, he fights against his own toxicity.  When Na Bi finds out that Jae Eon has continued with his playboy ways while seeing her, she is hurt and angrily breaks off their relationship.  At that point, however, they have become a large part of each other’s daily happiness and the loss of Na Bi is more than Jae Eon ever anticipated.  He changes his hair and his phone number and when Yoon Seoul-A (Lee Yeol Eum), a childhood friend and one of his many girlfriends, asks him why, he answers cryptically, “I got sick of things.”  When she presses him further, he answers only, “I am sick of myself.”  He tries to fill the void with another woman, but it only brings him back to Na Bi’s workspace, symbolic of how important she has become in his life.

The Butterfly

The butterfly is referenced many times throughout the series.  The two most obvious representations of the butterfly are Na Bi’s name, which means “butterfly,” and Jae Eon’s butterfly tattoo on the back of his neck.  In the bar when they first meet, Na Bi quotes Nathaniel Hawthorne, saying that “Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”  (Author’s note: The author of this quote has come into question over the years. According to Fact Checker's Brad Sylvester, the author is likely not Hawthorne, but social worker, author, and speaker, J. Richard Lessor. Nevertheless, it is the sentiment of the quote and the symbolism of the butterfly that is important to this K-drama.) 

Butterflies represent patience, transformation, and freedom.  Like a butterfly, Na Bi’s story arc in “Nevertheless” is one of transformation, from a meek woman, involved in a toxic relationship, lacking in self-esteem, and unhappy with her life, to a strong woman who knows what she wants, loves the person she wants to love, and finds happiness in her talent and life. 

It is Na Bi’s mother wish that Na Bi’s life be as sweet as honey. But Na Bi finds out from her aunt (Yoon Sa Bong) that butterflies do not eat just honey, but also insects and poop, to get their nutrients.  (Author’s note: according to my entomologist husband, this is also incorrect. Again, it is the overall message that is important to the K-drama.)  “Everything you’re going through in your life right now are your nutrients. So what’s there to fear?”  This moment is important for Na Bi as she begins to open up to the possibility that life is not just about happy moments, but about all of the moments in between.  This is Na Bi’s transformation in the series – overcoming her anxiety and fear and allowing herself to experience all that life has to offer, including falling in love and being with Jae Eon.     

Jae Eon also undergoes a transformation. When asked by a stranger what a butterfly tattoo represents, Jae Eon answers “the ugliness and pain of happiness and lack of freedom,” but adds, “I just did it because I like butterflies.”  Despite his response, Jae Eon loves butterflies because of their delicate beauty and their ability to transform themselves and take flight, free to go wherever they want at will.  Ironically, Jae Eon raises butterflies in captivity for his own selfish pleasure, and a parallel can be drawn to Jae Eon’s desire to have Na Bi as a lover, without losing his freedom by committing himself to her.  He feels guilt over keeping his butterflies locked up saying “they are supposed to be free, but they’re locked up because of me.”  After hearing this, Seol-A comments in surprise, “you’ve grown up.”  But when she learns about Na Bi, she takes it back, saying that he has not grown up, but merely “found another butterfly.” And yet, in spite of himself and his habits, Jae Eon yearns for Na Bi, seeking her out even when she rejects his offer to have a causal sexual relationship.  Like his butterflies, he delights in her delicate and beautiful innocence and is drawn to her inexplicably.  And when he finally sets his butterflies free, he is symbolically letting go of Na Bi, unable to stay by her side in a vague relationship. 

Love Triangle

A K-drama trope that can be found in “Nevertheless” is a love triangle.  Yang Do Hyeok (Chae Dong Hyeop) is a friend from Na Bi’s childhood who she bumps into on the bus one day.  She learns that he is working at a noodle shop in Seoul with the intention of running his grandfather’s shop in their hometown.  We learn that Na Bi and Do Hyeok were best friends before Na Bi moved to Seoul and that Do Hyeok has always had feelings for Na Bi, but that the timing was always wrong.  Do Hyeok is a really good friend to Na Bi, affirming her talent and charm. But Do Hyeok wants more than friendship with Na Bi, and because Na Bi cannot be honest with herself about her feelings for Jae Eon, she is not honest with Do Hyeok.  She treasures Do Hyeok and wants him to think of her as a good person.  She does not want to disappoint him.  Unlike Jae Eon, who feels that certainty weakens a relationship, Do Hyeok’s actions are always certain, and Na Bi never doubts his sincerity.  She encourages his attentions, falsely leading him on, though I would argue that she is unaware that her feelings for him are limited to friendship.   

But Jae Eon, almost in spite of himself, does show Na Bi moments of sincerity, as the guy who needs no one, begins to need her.  When Na Bi disappears from school after a confrontation with Seol-A, Jae Eon confronts her at Do Hyeok’s guesthouse in Yeoul, telling her that he missed her on his birthday.  Na Bi insists that he had many people to wish him a happy birthday, but he tells her that he wanted to hear her say it.  Na Bi vows not to waver again, and Jae Eon admits that she is upsetting him, even if he is unsure in the moment of the reason.  When he questions her about Do Hyeok, Na Bi tells him that whether she is dating Do Hyeok or not is none of his business, and he tells her that her words hurt.  And while Na Bi may be too close to see the changes in Jae Eon, their friends are not, teasing Jae Eon for the changes they see and wondering at the cause of such a transformation.  The transformation in Jae Eon is new ground for him, as he uneasily admits that he is not used to how he is around Na Bi.  Self-realization, particularly of a transformation, can be a very scary thing for some.     

Fate

Another K-drama trope found in “Nevertheless” is fate.  Fate comes up many times during the series.  The most important discussion of it is when we learn that Jae Eon actually first sees Na Bi the night of her ex-boyfriend’s art exhibit.  Jae Eon admits that it was love at first sight.  He then sees her again by chance (first at the bar and then again at their school).  Na Bi does not realize during the conversation that Jae Eon is talking about her, but Jae Eon reveals that if he believed in fate, he would have felt that their encounter “was it.” It is only later, when Na Bi sees Jae Eon’s drawing depicting that day, that she realizes that she is the woman with whom Jae Eon fell in love with at first sight.

Na Bi and Jae Eon next meet on the day that Na Bi breaks up with her toxic boyfriend for good.  There is an instant connection for both.  Na Bi says that when she meets Jae Eon, everything about her ex-boyfriend that had been weighing her down “melted away like snow.”  Jae Eon’s butterfly tattoo on the back of his neck also seems like fate, as Na Bi’s name means “butterfly.”  When Na Bi learns that Jae Eon is a junior at her art school, she notes “I don’t believe in fate or love anymore, but this situation is unrealistic.”  And when Seol-A learns that Jae Eon is interested in a woman named “Na Bi,” she cannot help but insist that it must be fate. 

The last time fate is mentioned is when Na Bi returns to the gallery after her senior exhibition and finds Jae Eon standing in front of her piece.  She thinks to herself once again that the moment “is too unrealistic.”  Jae Eon apologizes to Na Bi, but at first, she is angry with him. Jae Eon notices that she is wearing the butterfly pendant bracelet he made for her and asks if he still has a chance with her.  He admits that he can not bear seeing her while knowing that she hates him.  Na Bi angrily replies that yes, she does hate him.  But after a pause, her voice softens and she admits that she feels better now that he is with her.  She bridges the gap between them and initiates contact by grabbing his wrist – a rarity in their relationship - vulnerably asking him to stay by her side.  He asks if she will regret it, to which she responds, “of course I will.”  In a voiceover, Na Bi says “Love…I know it will continue to cause me pain again…nevertheless…”  A very poetic ending to a couple fated to be together.

Art

The artwork in “Nevertheless” parallels the Lead Couple and their journeys.  Jae Eon loves butterflies and he is constantly gifting them in some form of art to Na Bi.  From the butterfly he draws on Na Bi’s arm with a water-based marker when they first speak at the bar, to the suncatcher made of glass he hangs in her apartment when they are seeing each other, to the jeweled butterfly pendant bracelet he makes for her to wear for good luck at her senior exhibition, Jae Eon’s affection for Na Bi is represented in his art.  Each reiteration of the butterfly is more permanent and more valuable than its predecessor, and signifies his growing love and commitment to her and the value he places on her place in his life. 

The evolution of Na Bi’s senior sculpture represents Na Bi transformation during the series.  It is a woman, but in the beginning of the series, it is incomplete and its sole purpose is to make it to the senior exhibition so that Na Bi can move on.  Na Bi has dreams of going to Paris as an exchange student, but her grades are subpar, making it a difficult, if not impossible, task.  Like her sculpture, Na Bi begins the series uninspired, having lost much of the joy in her artwork she once possessed.  This is clearly represented by her sculpture, which her professor criticizes as emotionless.  Through her experience with Jae Eon, Na Bi begins to engage again in the life around her, and she names her piece, “Yeoji,” meaning “a possibility or hope of something happening.”  At the end of the series, with the help of Jae Eon’s passion and skill at metal welding, Na Bi’s sculpture is complete.  Full of passion and purpose, both “Yeoji” and Na Bi rise from the rubble beneath them and spread their wings, transformed into stronger versions of themselves.  It is through her relationship with Jae Eon that Na Bi rediscovers who she is, both as an individual and as an artist, and that transformation is represented by her sculpture.   

Final verdict: WATCH  

Despite some erroneous facts sprinkled throughout the K-drama, “Nevertheless” is a great story that takes a look at toxic relationships and how they affect us.  Though only the Lead Couple is discussed in my review, “Nevertheless” looks at several couples dealing with past traumas and the struggles that they must overcome to be together in a modern and everchanging society.  Their professor tells the art students that “love is what can make even the roughest person become as soft as sand on a beach,” and that sentiment plays out for the Lead Couple as they begin the series guarded individuals.  Using the parallels of various works of art and the symbolism of the butterfly, this K-drama does an excellent job of demonstrating how both characters soften as they fall in love and step out of their comfort zones in their relationship, admit their feelings, opening up – to themselves and to each other - learning to trust one another, despite the risk of being hurt.  The character arcs are well-written, and though the series ends rather abruptly (am I the only one who thinks this series needs a second season?), it is still satisfying and definitely worth a watch.

So there it is, our review of “Nevertheless.”  What did you think?!  Thank you for joining us on this journey.  Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!!  We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

Up next, “Falling Into Your Smile”