Nevertheless: Best Korean Drama Series Review 2025

Nevertheless (2021): An Intoxicating Exploration of Love and Relationships

Introduction

“Nevertheless,” a 2021 South Korean drama, draws viewers into the complex and intoxicating world of love and human connections. This adaptation of a popular webtoon brings to life the bittersweet and intimate tale of Na-bi and Jae-eon, unraveling the intricacies of a friends-with-benefits relationship and the emotional turmoil that ensues.

Charismatic Cast and Compelling Storylines

Starring Song Kang, Han So-hee, and Chae Jong-hyeop, “Nevertheless” offers a captivating portrayal of the complexities of modern romance. The narrative revolves around Na-bi, a reluctant love cynic, and the enigmatic Jae-eon, whose flirtatious charm lures her into a relationship that defies easy categorization. The compelling character dynamics and nuanced performances propel the storytelling, immersing the audience in the emotional journey of the protagonists.

Episode Breakdown and Emotional Arcs

The series unfolds over ten enthralling episodes, each delving deeper into the tumultuous relationship dynamics between Na-bi and Jae-eon. From heart-fluttering encounters to moments of jealousy and disillusionment, the narrative weaves a web of emotional turmoil, self-discovery, and inner conflict. The characters’ internal struggles and external interactions create a riveting emotional arc, drawing viewers into the characters’ poignant experiences and dilemmas.

Themes and Character Development

“Nevertheless” masterfully explores themes of self-realization, emotional vulnerability, and the blurred boundaries of intimacy in modern relationships. The multifaceted characters undergo profound personal growth, grappling with their own insecurities, desires, and evolving perceptions of love. The series presents a thought-provoking reflection on the complexities of human connections and the poignant nature of romantic entanglements in today’s society.

Visuals, Soundtrack, and Aesthetic Appeal

Beyond its compelling storyline, “Nevertheless” enthralls viewers with its visually stunning cinematography and a captivating soundtrack that complements the emotional depth of the narrative. The series’ aesthetic appeal enhances the immersive viewing experience, creating a mesmerizing backdrop for the characters’ emotional revelations and intimate moments.

Nevertheless, | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB]

Watch This on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCTxUuu3js

Like a butterfly hopelessly attracted to a flower, this art student can’t seem to resist the mysterious young man who captures her attention. But the more they get romantically involved, the sooner she will have to decide—will getting close be worth it, when he doesn’t believe in relationships?

Based on a popular webtoon, NEVERTHELESS, stars Han So-hee (THE WORLD OF THE MARRIED) and Song Kang (NAVILLERA).

Conclusion: A Compelling and Poignant Watch

In conclusion, “Nevertheless” stands as an intriguing and thought-provoking addition to the K-drama landscape. The series excels in its ability to evoke emotional resonance and introspective contemplation, offering a layered exploration of relationships, intimacy, and the unpredictability of love. Whether you’re drawn to nuanced character studies, captivating romance, or profound emotional storytelling, “Nevertheless” is a must-watch for anyone seeking a compelling and resonant K-drama experience.

Closing Note

Dive into the alluring world of “Nevertheless” and embark on a heartfelt journey that challenges perceptions, evokes empathy, and leaves a lasting impression. With its charismatic cast, emotionally charged storylines, and an aesthetic allure, this series is a gem within the realm of modern romantic dramas.

Review by People

1st half: So realistic, it makes you queasy — 2nd half: so clichéd, it makes you yawn (loudly)This series is definitely for a more mature audience, now I get the 19+ rating. It’s not your typical fluffy rom-com with a lighthearted tone, sweet more caricatural than real characters and heart fluttering moments.

Well, this series does make your heart flutter, but for other reasons, namely, a) the sexual tension between the leads and b) the anxiety and unease that comes along with it. It initially is a realistic depiction of what dating nowadays looks like, of trust issues, fear of commitment, the struggle to really open up and the stress when you can’t read your crushes’ mind and intentions.

When to call yourselves exclusive? Is there even such a thing? Nowadays, is there really the option of falling in love and staying in a monogamous relationship when there might always be ‘a better option’ out there? You might be one swipe away from an exciting rendezvous, the acknowledgement you lack from your partner, the distraction and escape you need (from yourself). The earlier episodes of the show really makes you ponder on all these things.

Also, you can really see that women are working on this show as they’ve captured the essence of what concerns and bothers women (in their twenties) so well.

Be it the excitement, obsession and fear of rejection when having a huge crush on someone, the dejection when you try hard at university or work and are still left-behind, the urge to fit in and still feel disconnected with everyone. Really well-done.
The cinematography, pace, dialogues and background score also enhance the emotions and mood to a great extent.

As for the romance, the main theme of the plot, I think a lot of people might actually drop this series, because the story seems so relatable and doomed to be painful, too relatable even, for those who have experienced something similar and just can’t cope with it anymore. And even if you might not agree with all of the female lead’s actions and at times find her annoying and irritatingly irrational,

she is still absolutely relatable, as you can literally grasp the train of thoughts that leads to these actions and decisions of hers. I further believe we’ve all either been in such a situation, were tempted enough or ‘have this one friend’ to/who despite seeing the red flags can’t help overlooking them, knowing this might eventually crush us/them. Cudos to the cast for making our anxieties come alive.

Sadly, the earlier episode are by far better than the latter ones. At some point the story starts to feel repetitive and drained; there is no real progress and the authenticity and originality up until then slowly but gradually devolves into a clichéd run-on-the-mill romance, —outdated even — in which the heroine is (seemingly) stuck b/w two boys;

although her final choice is blatantly obvious. Curious if there’ll be an unexpected turn in the end. Also, there were some personal issues with an actor, wherefore his screen time was reduced drastically; reasonable, but unfortunately it took a toll on the quality of the drama.

All in all, this show had great potential — until the makers felt obliged to follow the 101 k-drama formula. Watchable only for the chemistry of the leads and the side stories, even though the ending is unfit imo and Song Kang’s lack of emotions (blame the character) even make his pretty face boring.
And I urge you all to listen to the soundtrack, even if you don’t want to watch the show: so fresh and SO good!

*EDIT*
If you’ve already seen the show (or do not plan on watching it) and would like to know why I felt the ending wasn’t really fitting, see the comment section below this review. It’s marked as a spoiler.

Genuinely a really good drama, not what everyone is making it out to be

I’ve never written a review for anything, but I feel like this had to be my first. As I think people are making Nevertheless out to be worse than it is. Personally I really enjoyed this drama so much.

My favorite things:
1. The cast was truly amazing and their chemistry was so good that I always found myself smiling at the screen and repeating many scenes

2. THE ACTING!! The way they portrayed every single scene truly came down to the chemistry between them but just wow Song Kang and Han So Hee’s acting truly needs more credit than what they are given

3. Every single ost in this drama was beyond beautiful, I looked forward to every week adding a new song to my ost playlist to have all the tracks on constant loop

4. The story was very realistic for their situation and this is the biggest thing I think people are making out to be worse than it is

One main thing I think people are forgetting or pushing aside is this is supposed to be a friends with benefits relationship and it is very emphasized from the beginning that that’s all that’s wanted. The word “toxic relationship” keeps being thrown into correlation but I personally don’t see anything toxic about their relationship when everything was put out there about the friends with benefits narrative.

Yes, their relationship can be seen as flawed as the aspect of feelings are very evident but we also have a character who has never felt any of that and it’s an unfamiliar feeling that they don’t know what to do. In addition, communication between Na Bi and Jae Eon doesn’t really happen except for the times they explode in anger since they don’t address what they’re feeling.

Nevertheless (haha), I think everyone has mixed reviews depending on your stance on a friends with benefits relationship, but if you’re looking for a drama that’s more raw with sexual scenes and tension. A cast with amazing chemistry and a lot of fun scenes when they’re all together. In addition to people trying to understand their emotions and feelings when it comes to love this would be a great drama.

A waste of time

Nevertheless is a K-Drama adopted from a webtoon with the same name. Before watching the kdrama, I have already read and finished the webtoon.

*SPOILERS FROM THE WEBTOON*

In the webtoon, the story was straightforward because we know that PJE is just playing with Nabi. Nabi knew this NEVERTHELESS she still wants him. However, PJE continued being a player and Nabi ended up with Dohyuk, who had more depth in the webtoon.

Now that we have gotten the overall storyline from the webtoon, lets talk about the drama. I came into this knowing that the writers would definitely change up some parts because we know that kdramas doesn’t like to be faithful to its webtoon counterpart (True Beauty).

My expectations were not met at all. This drama is just 10 episodes of repetitiveness and back and forth from the main leads whereas the background stories were definitely more compelling. I will be analyzing the main leads only for this review since some of the characters weren’t in the webtoon.

1. Park Jae Eon: In the webtoon, he is your charming playboy who can’t commit to a single girl. He tried to but his efforts were diminished by Nabi when she told his gf a very off-putting comment which ruined his relationship with Nabi and his gf. This scene happened in the drama. HOWEVER, somehow, for some unknown reason, he forgives Nabi and is suddenly infatuated with her for no reason.

What makes her different? Well we don’t know. The writers completely took a different approach and painted Park Jae Eon as a victim with a sad background story and can’t convey his emotions blah blah blah. The story was supposed to be realistic but it turned out cringey and predictable. A typical “bad-boy-turned-soft-when-he-falls-in-love”. People who like PJE only sees him through Song Kang’s face. Prove me wrong

2. Nabi: In the webtoon, Nabi was more outspoken. In the drama, she’s more passive. There is nothing compelling about her. Nothing interesting. She is a very bland character who needs to find herself first before committing and jumping into relationships. One minute shes angry at PJE and the other shes not. Like, what make up your mind?!?!

3. Dohyuk: In the webtoon, he is cute but as we got to know him we found out that he did it with a girl who had a boyfriend. Hence thats why we see him saying that he always falls for girls who have boyfriends. In the webtoon, he ends up with Nabi. In the drama, Dohyuk is just too smitten with Nabi that he sees everything in rose-colored glasses.

Basically he’d do anything for Nabi. This kind of character could definitely bore some viewers so that’s why I think the writers should’ve added more dimension to his character. Well, they should’ve added dimension to all of the main characters.

All in all, I wouldn’t rewatch because the episodes are too long and the leads gets on my nerves. The OST is really good tho. The acting… well…. it could’ve been better. I think this drama would’ve been better if it was just a short webdrama instead of a long 10 episodes with 1 hour each drama.