20th Century Girl Review: A Charming Premise, But Ultimately Disappointing

When Your First Crush Becomes Your Lifelong Obsession – a story about love, loss, and holding on way too long.

Korean Movie Name: 20세기 소녀 (20th Century Girl)

Where to watch: Netflix ← *click for direct link*

Average Rating: 8.6/10 (MyDramaList)

My Rating: 7.5/10

One-sentence description: A nostalgic story about a girl who becomes trapped by the memory of a crush, clinging to the past for over a decade.

Trailer:

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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Simple Description

20th Century Girl is essentially about a girl who can’t get over a crush. Now, of course, there’s more to the story than that, but at the same time… that’s basically the plot.

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⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review

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The Review

The Good

A Good Storyline

The fact that he died in the end was excellent, I don’t think anyone watching this was expecting it. In fact, I’m sure we all believed that he would’ve returned years later with an explanation and it would’ve ended happily. Especially since she waited all that time for him. I also liked the scenes they had together, they were super cute. Bo Ra was definitely a real good friend for not only pushing down her feelings but also rejecting him for Yeon Du’s sake. The storyline was good and all the characters were amazing- especially facially (**Byeon Woo-Seok**). I did feel bad for the best friend because it was clear that she never had a chance from the start but I did have a few opinions on her (which will be in “The Bad” section). All-in-All, this film was great and that’s why it got a 7.5/10 from me.

The Bad

15 YEARS??

My biggest issue? Bo Ra and Woon Ho didn’t spend enough time together for her to be locked in for 15+ years. Don’t get me wrong, their moments were cute, and I totally get why they liked each other, but in my opinion, it just wasn’t enough. She spent so much time avoiding him and her feelings that there wasn’t enough time to really justify calling it love.

Not only that, but from the way the movie played out, it seemed like they knew each other for less than a year . And yet she stayed single for years waiting for him?? That’s crazy. Maybe my opinion stems from the fact that I’ve never had a crush, but still, there definitely weren’t enough scenes that explained why she remained so loyal for 15 years. I mean, if you thought a guy ghosted you, wouldn’t you assume he had a whole girlfriend by now? Maybe even married with kids? Yet she just sat there, waiting and hoping he’d come back.

After two years, I’d probably even forget what he looked like. So while it was cute that she waited, imagine finding out you put your love life on hold for 15 years over a dead man. (And I say that with the utmost sincerity, R.I.P. Woon Ho.)

Yeon Du Was Kind of a Bad Friend

Bo Ra was such a good friend to Yeon Du, but was it really mutual? She knew Woon Ho had no feelings for her and yet refused to let her best friend, who clearly liked him, be with him out of jealousy? Please. If the roles were reversed, Bo Ra would’ve sucked it up and pretended to be fine. Yeon Du on the other hand waited until the last possible moment to get over herself— and by the time she did, Woon Ho was already leaving.

So, basically, Bo Ra and Woon Ho could’ve spent more time together before he left, but Yeon Du wanted to be petty. Girl bye. On top of that, it’s not like he was sticking around ,  he was moving to the other side of the world. She should’ve just told herself “This isn’t going to last” and let them be happy for the time they had left. Their friendship was so 30/70 and it was a shame.

Woon Ho’s Death…?

Okay, so can we talk about how his death was so vague? Like, we’re just told he died in 2000 in an accident and that’s it. What accident? I think it would’ve hit way harder if we had more context.

For example, imagine if he died on his way to the airport to see her. Maybe she was waiting for him with a sign, only for his plane to land…and he never gets off. Then later, she finds out he got into a car crash on the way. THAT would’ve been devastating. Instead, it just felt like a buildup that suddenly dropped. Like in baseball when you think it’s a home run, but then it just gets caught.

What Happened to the Side Characters?

This is a general issue in many other K-dramas I’ve seen, but why do side characters just disappear? The ending always hyper-focuses on the main leads, and we never find out what happens to everyone else.

Like, did Bo Ra and Yeon Du stay friends? Do they still talk to Hyun-Jin? Did the whole friend group just dissolve because Woon Ho was the glue holding them together? I need answers.

The Pacing Felt Rushed

This kind of ties back to my first point, but everything happened way too fast. One minute, they’re falling for each other. Then she’s pushing him away. Then she’s running after him. Then he leaves. Then he dies.

By the time I was waiting for the sad part to hit, the credits were already rolling. I think I was saving my tears for some final moment, like a letter he wrote to her or a flashback to how he died , but nothing. How Disappointing.

Also, why didn’t she ask Hyun-Jin if he had heard from Woon Ho? Like, wouldn’t that have been the first thing you’d do if someone stopped responding to you? But I guess the story would’ve played out differently if she found out sooner that no one had heard from him.

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What I Would do

Like I said earlier, the story was good, but there are a few things I would’ve done differently to make it even more impactful.

Fix The Timeline

I would’ve had either (a) Bo-ra confess to Yeon-du WAY earlier, with Yeon-du initially mad but eventually coming to terms with it, or (b) Yeon-du pretends to be over him so Bo-ra could be with him. Once that happens, I would add more relationship-building scenes between Bo-ra and Woon-ho. If she’s going to be hung up on him for over a decade, it needs to feel earned; like we truly understand why she can’t let him go. They should’ve known each other for at least a year, with cute, meaningful moments scattered throughout their time together.

Let’s Make His Death HURT

Most importantly, I’d focus on his death and really strive to make the audience cry. Like I said above, his cause of death would’ve been known, and it would’ve been heartbreaking. Here’s how I would’ve done it:

Woon Ho tells Bo Ra that he’s finally going back to Korea, and she’s so excited. She marks the date on her calendar, counting down the days. Days (or weeks) go by and it’s the night before his arrival, they both write each other letters, their excitement building with each word they write. We’d see both their perspectives : Bo-ra grinning at her desk, Woon-ho smiling as he packs his bags and seals the letter, maybe even holding a little souvenir he bought just for her. (The souvenir would tie back to something she mentioned earlier . Like if she once said she always wanted to try American hotdogs, he would get her a hotdog keychain or something. It’s cheesy, but it works.)

The next day, we get a dual POV montage of them going about their day. Bo-ra is running around, picking out snacks and getting everything ready for his arrival. Meanwhile, Woon-ho is in a taxi, clutching the souvenir and daydreaming about seeing her again. The tension builds as we cut back and forth between them, the audience also excited.

Then, at the same time, in two different places, a crash happens- only one surviving. It’s like a simultaneous moment of chaos in both their worlds. Bo Ra is running across the street, so focused on his arrival that she nearly gets hit by a car. Woon-ho’s taxi is involved in a collision. For Bo Ra, the car stops just in time, and she laughs it off and keeps going. We the audience believe that everythings okay for the both of them. But right after, in another part of the world, Woon Ho isn’t so lucky.

From here, two things could happen:

He Dies in The Car

We see a crash. His car is totaled, and he’s covered in blood, barely conscious, reaching for the souvenir. As he struggles to grab it, he gets flashes of Bo Ra, and we realise he’s holding on because, even in his last moments, all he cares about is making sure he doesn’t lose the one thing he wanted to give her. But just as his fingers graze it, he dies.

He Dies in The Hospital

In this version, we see him being rushed down the hall to surgery while still clutching the souvenir. Everything is in slow motion, and while he’s struggling to stay conscious, he keeps thinking something like, “Not yet. I can’t die yet. I have to see her again.” Meanwhile, Bo Ra is at the airport, all smiles, waiting for him. His final thoughts are of her, and maybe he even says something meaningful that ties into a moment they shared before — like when they picked fruit together. He imagines her smiling one last time, then his hand goes limp, the souvenir drops, and he dies, with a single tear rolling down his face.

Cut back to Bo-ra, blissfully unaware, waiting at the airport. The plane lands, and she scans the crowd, her smile slowly fading as the last passenger steps off. He’s not there. The confusion starts but the realisation that he’s not on the flight hits her like a punch to the gut. The audience feels it too because we know what she doesn’t: he’s never coming back.

15 Years Later Could Stay Or Be Swapped

If the writer still wants her to stay in the dark for 15 years, fine, we can keep that. She finds out at the art exhibition, and everything plays out the same. Except now, when she goes home, she opens the package that Woon Hoo’s brother gives her. Not realizing there’s more, she only takes out the tape and watches it. Coincidentally, the package is on the edge of the table, and at the perfect moment it falls and the hotdog keychain falls out with the letter he wrote to her that night. It would be about his excitement and how much he liked and missed her. He even makes a joke about the hotdog keychain that she wanted. Then, as she remembers the conversation about hot dogs (or whatever item he picked), she really breaks down.

Or, if they don’t want her to wait 15 years to find out, we switch things up. She learns about his death right away, spends years struggling to move on, and then at the exhibition, she talks with Woon Ho’s brother. He shows her some old photos and encourages her to live her life the way Woon-ho would’ve wanted. She goes home, opens the package he gave her, and the scene plays out as described above. It could either end there or we could have a final scene where Bo-ra meets up with Yeon-du and Hyun-jin, symbolising her decision to finally heal and move forward.

That’s how I would’ve ended it. Because now it hurts even more . Wwe know he didn’t just randomly die— he died on his way to her, thinking about her until his last breath.

This way, everything ties together more smoothly, and the emotional impact is much stronger. We don’t just feel sad because he died, we feel devastated because he was so close to seeing her again. It makes their love story even more tragic and unforgettable.

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Final Thoughts

When looking at the bad, it does seem like I didn’t like it at all (lol) but like I said, I did enjoy it. The storyline was good and the romance parts were cute. I especially liked when she was drunk and he was with her in that closet. On the other hand, I do believe that 20th Century Girl had so much potential. While it was still an enjoyable movie, some parts just didn’t land for me. The romance wasn’t developed enough, the friend was lowkey selfish, the side characters disappeared, and his death needed way more explanation. A solid 7.5/10 — but it could’ve been higher if they had given us just a little more.

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What are your thoughts? If you don’t agree with me, explain why! I’d love to have that conversation.

See you next time!💕

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