20th Century Girl, directed by Bang Woo-ri, has to be one of my favorite coming-of-age movies EVER! Although it quite literally left me staring at the wall and clutching my chest, the film offered various insights that shifted my perspective on life.
Spoiler Alert!!!
To give a brief synopsis, the story takes place in the year 1999 and centers around a 17-year-old girl, Na Bo-ra, tasked by her friend, Kim Yeon-Du, to find a boy named Baek Hyunjin, whom she had fallen in love with before leaving for heart surgery in the United States. Bo-ra ends up befriending Hyujin by joining the Broadcasting Club on campus. In the midst of this, she unexpectedly grows close to Hyunjin’s friend, Poong Woon-ho. The friendly banter between Bo-ra and Woon-ho quickly blossoms into a heartfelt romance. However, a misunderstanding arises when Yeon-Du returns to South Korea: she had mistaken Woon-ho for Hyunjin. This miscommunication emerged due to Woon-ho wearing a school uniform with Hyunjin’s name on it. To preserve their friendship, Bo-ra hides her feelings for Woon-ho. However, Yeon-Du eventually finds out the truth about Bo-ra’s feelings and her fear of ruining the friendship. Despite the many tears that were shed, Yeon-Du was understanding and gave her blessing for Bo-ra to spend time with Woon-ho.
Bo-ra and Woon-ho were able to spend a brief amount of time together before Woon-ho had to return to New Zealand, where his family lives. One of the most memorable scenes was at the train station, where Bo-ra confesses her feelings to Woon-ho. Heartbroken, she had no choice but to say goodbye while holding on to a promise they made — to reunite again at a prestigious Korean University. Both Woon-ho and Bo-ra remained in contact for some time until Woon-ho suddenly stopped responding. Bo-ra had finally gotten into the prestigious Korean University and continued to search for him all over campus, holding on to the hope that they would meet again. She even goes on blind dates in hopes of getting over Woon-ho, but later realizes that she cannot forget him.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Bo-ra received an invitation to an exhibition from an artist named Joseph, who turned out to be Woon-ho’s little brother. At the exhibition, Bo-ra discovered that Woon-ho had passed away from an accident years ago. Joseph thanks Bo-ra for remembering Woon-ho throughout all these years, and shared that Woon-ho’s happiest moments were spent with her. He proceeds to play a video Woon-ho made for Bo-ra, filled with memories they had shared. As Bo-ra watched, she realized that their love had been preserved in those fleeting moments — forever etched in time.
- Our Lives are Unpredictable, chase what you wish to pursue.
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The film emphasizes how time can be unpredictable and abruptly cut short. Despite Bo-ra and Woon-ho having a limited amount of time together, they ended up creating beautiful memories, which Bo-ra will forever cherish now that she is aware of his passing. As an audience, the film emphasizes that we should embrace the present, soak up all the memories, sit and feel our emotions, and slow time’s inevitable escape. With that said, go compliment your friend-crush, or maybe go to that restaurant that you wanted to try by yourself! Don’t let fear negate your opportunities; rather, let fear guide you, and you’ll see the opportunities flourish in front of your eyes!
- Nostalgia is both a comfort and a burden.
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When adult Bo-ra is watching Woon-ho’s film for her, she is transported back to her past and overcome with a wave of nostalgia, keeping her memories alive. The warmth she feels while reliving their time together offers comfort, as she is reminded that love once existed between them. Simultaneously, these nostalgic memories weigh heavily on Bo-ra as she acknowledges Woon-ho’s absence and the fact that she will never see him again. Nostalgia also serves as a coping mechanism for Bo-ra by allowing her to mourn Woon-ho’s absence and cherish her memories of him. In other words, while nostalgia can let us relive the memories we cherish, it could trap us into yearning for something that will never return. Hence, people may hold on to the past while forgetting to embrace the present. Therefore, we must use nostalgia, not solely to relive the past, but to carry the lessons from the past into the present.
- Sometimes, you have to be the closure.
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Bo-ra was left confused and heartbroken when she realized that Woon-ho was not responding to her. After this realization, she decides to cherish the memories they had together and continue moving forward with her life, as evident from the scenes of her setting out on blind dates in hopes of forgetting Woon-ho.
In the end, although she continues to remember Woon-ho, she has to make her own decision to accept his absence and be okay with that. Yet, even after learning about Woon-ho’s passing, Bo-ra was unable to get the proper goodbye that she deserved, but through the short video Woon-ho made, she was able to gain a sense of nostalgia for their precious time together while processing her grief. This was her version of closure. Thus, the film illuminates the idea that closure is not always about getting the answer from someone else, but rather it’s the decision you make to accept the situation and continue moving forward.
- We are a mosaic of everyone we have ever loved.
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I’m sure you’ve heard this saying at some point, and honestly, it’s one of my favorites. It speaks to the idea that we are shaped by the people we adore, leaving behind pieces of ourselves in the way we think, feel, and remember. Every person we encounter, whether romantically, platonically, or from brief interactions, leaves an imprint on our emotional and psychological growth. For Bo-ra, that was Woon-ho and Yeon-du. Although Woon-ho is gone, he remains a part of Bo-ra through the memories they shared – fragments of love that will continue to shape Bo-ra’s character and the world around her.
On the other hand, Yeon-du plays a role in helping Bo-ra discover who she truly is, reminding us that love is not limited to romance. Friendships, too, are an integral part of shaping who we are. So, whether we hold on to a friendship or experience the pain of loss, we continue to carry specific fragments throughout our lives, each contribution to the ongoing formation of our identity.
- Friendships can be as profound as love!
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In today’s world, I feel we are predominantly focused on love in the form of romantic relationships, often disregarding how love comes in any form. Examples include the love for your pet, the love for a specific flower that blooms brightly in the garden, or most importantly, the love you have for your friends! In my eyes, the film does an excellent job of illuminating the beauty of friendships and how profound they can be. Especially when Bo-ra was anxious to tell Yeon-du that she had a crush on Woon-ho as well, yet she disregarded her feelings so Yeon-du and Woon-ho could spend time together. Bo-ra’s desire to preserve her friendship and allow Yeon-du to be happy portrays her expression of love to maintain a friendship. Additionally, when Yeon-du found out about Bo-ra’s deception, she was more upset about how Bo-ra was dishonest instead of Bo-ra having feelings for Woon-ho, because, in her eyes, she values their friendship more than a boy. Hence, while romantic relationships can be transient, friendships tend to shape who we are, as our friends are the ones who witness and embrace various versions of ourselves. So… cherish those friendships!!!
Overall, 20th-Century Girl has a special place in my heart, and I learned a lot about myself as I found myself deeply resonating with Na Bo-ra. Through her experiences, we learn how love comes in any form and shapes who we are, while also learning to embrace the present, cherish our friendships, and carry lessons of the past into the present. The film also serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of life, the weight of nostalgia, and the significance of creating our own closure. Simultaneously, we learn about how love comes in any form and ultimately shapes who we are. Although people will inevitably come and go, the love and memories we share with them will continue to shape us, and ultimately, we become a mosaic of everyone we have ever loved.