Is Lovestruck in the City a happy ending?

Summary

Episode 17 is merely a bonus to sign-off a great series, but the audience will enjoy the sweet ending and the romance it brings.

This recap of Netflix K-Drama series Lovestruck in the City episode 17 — the ending/finale explained — contains significant spoilers.

We made it to the finale, and many viewers will be surprised that this feels like a bonus chapter — Lovestruck in the City episode 17 focuses on characters outside of the leading group, meaning the ending really happened in the previous chapter. For some audiences, this will be a sweet tale to end the series, and for others, it will feel little underwhelming.

Lee Eun-o and Jae-won are an official couple after they finally sorted their differences in the last episode. They are asked about their “firsts” at the start of the finale. Rin-i tells the viewers it reminds her of a “first love”, and then confirms that she is still broken up from Choi Kyeong-jun.  Meanwhile, Choi Kyeong-jun is extremely frustrated with the break-up and asks the camera crew to get out. Surprisingly, Lee Eun-o tells the camera her first love was Geon while at middle school. Luckily, Lee Eun-o was in another room.

Lee Eun-o saves an actress from an uncomfortable situation

At a production set, an actress named Ha-nae is told she needs to do a kissing scene, and a colleague, Cha Chi-hun, laughs at her because she hasn’t kissed before — he offers to kiss her first. Lee Eun-o watches it unfold. The actress doesn’t look comfortable and says she is “burnt out”. However, her colleague presses her about sex, so Lee Eun-o intervenes and asks for the director. While pitching to the director, Lee Eun-o learns that Ha-nae has disappeared.

When Lee Eun-o gets in her car, Ha-nae jumps in with her. She tells Lee Eun-o to drive and promises she will do her best for her marketing campaign.

It’s Oh Dong-sik’s birthday

And so the bonus story begins…

The police officer who has been introduced a few times in this series, Oh Dong-sik, forgets it is his birthday, and on his way home, he’s reminded. When he gets home, Ha-nae is waiting for him. She’s worried about the plaster on his face and checks out his cut. She tells him not to work as hard. Oh Dong-sik asks why she only eats at his. Ha-nae states she’s had protein shakes for a month, hinting how difficult it is to keep up with appearances in the acting industry.

Here’s the heart-throbbing moment when Lee Eun-o and Jae-won agree to start over:

Dong-sik doesn’t take the hint

When he makes her food, Ha-nae is worried about the number of calories in the food. Oh Dong-sik tells her to enjoy it. They enjoy each other’s company despite bickering. Meals turn into video gaming with each other. Eventually, Ha-nae hints that she wants to do more than gaming, but Dong-sik suggests watching a film. Ha-nae arranges a birthday cake delivery. She tells him he’s 30 soon and his mother tells her he doesn’t have a girlfriend yet. Ha-nae then sings happy birthday for him; she’s trying to make the night special.

They kiss

Oh Dong-sik thanks her for remembering his birthday as he forgot. He tells her not to come again, as it was a hassle. After the cake, Ha-nae asks for a toothbrush and then tells him she’s leaving. Oh Dong-sik gives her a coat and walks outside with her. He puts her hood up as it’s cold. Her manager is picking her up, but Ha-nae stops walking and asks Oh Dong-sik for one minute of his life. She kisses him, and he’s surprised by it, but eventually, he accepts it. The finale signs off with another couple getting together.

The ending

The next day, Ha-nae goes to the production set. She remembers the night before when she kissed Oh Dong-sik. As the episode ends, the characters thank the audience and each other for listening to their stories.

Lovestruck in the City episode 17 is merely a bonus to sign-off a great series, but the audience will enjoy the sweet ending and the romance it brings. I’ve really enjoyed this series — it’s one of the surprises of the year, and it would be awesome if they considered a season 2 with different characters and scenarios.