Unintentional Love Story – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

Wonyoung

Wonyoung made a lousy first impression on me. Although his financial issues are sympathetic, I hated Wonyoung's subservience to a company that fired him unfairly. Dude, where's your backbone? I also didn't like his willingness to invade a stranger's privacy to get back his crappy job. Taejoon took drastic measures to go into hiding and didn't want to be found. Yet, Wonyoung ruined the safety that Taejoon had established in his new home. His actions didn't sit right with me.

On top of his dubious ethics, I find Wonyoung obnoxious in the first few episodes. He acts like a stalker, following Taejoon everywhere. Given his inappropriate behaviour, I understand why Taejoon is rude and standoffish toward Wonyoung. With that said, I softened my stance starting in Episode 3. Wonyoung encounters so much misfortune, including joblessness, homelessness, and a bad case of herpes. The poor guy can't seem to catch a break. My initial irritation was gradually replaced with pity. I cut Wonyoung some slack and accept his neuroticism as annoyingly charming.

Wonyoung's confusion over his attraction to Taejoon adds nuance to his characterization. Wonyoung doesn't just fall in love straightforwardly. Instead, he experiences self-doubt and eventually overcomes it. I like his introspective journey as he understands his feelings. Unfortunately, Wonyoung started annoying me again in the last few episodes. After Wonyoung returned to being an office worker, he became mopey and sullen. My pity was replaced by irritation once more. While I don't hate Wonyoung, he's my least favourite main character in Unintentional Love Story.

Taejoon

I have a soft spot for Taejoon's archetype in fictional works. The best protagonists are these sophisticated older gay men coping with their broken hearts. Beneath their stoic demeanour, we discover they are an emotional mess on the inside. The armchair psychoanalyst in me loves peeling away the characters' barriers and examining their psychological trauma. *lol* Taejoon fits this profile with his ex-boyfriend drama, daddy issues, and subtle reservations about his sexuality.

I love Taejoon's eccentricities. Everything about his background feels very peculiar. He's the wealthy son of a famous artist, adopts a secret identity to live in a coastal town, and spends his days running a fancy pottery shop. You don't meet many Taejoons in fiction or real life. Also, can we talk about where he lives? Most ordinary rich people reside in giant mansions, but Taejoon goes the unconventional route and renovates his modern hanok-style house. The luxurious custom home fits his character. I can imagine a pretentious artist like Taejoon living like this.

Initially, Taejoon seemed aloof and grumpy. Wonyoung's warmth defrosts this ice king over time. I enjoy Taejoon the most when he comes out of his shell and opens up around his love interest. There are casual moments where I really like Taejoon, such as when he hides a coy smile while putting cream on Wonyoung's back. Sometimes, I don't like Taejoon as much when he acts moody or jealous. He has an artist's temperament. Toward the end, I also find his grudge against Wonyoung unpleasant. The feud soured my opinion of him, but I still like his character.

Donghee

Does anyone else think Taejoon and Donghee slept together in the past? Although never explicitly mentioned, that's the ~vibe~ I get from them. They talk to each other like war buddies, as if there's history between them. Also, I keep speculating how these two characters with very different personalities become confidantes. My intuition tells me it started with a hookup. Maybe they matched on a dating app. Their relationship didn't work out, but they decided to keep being platonic friends.

Okay, I don't know why I wrote this random Taejoon x Donghee BL fanfiction based on nothing. Let's disregard the unintentional love story I created between them. *lol* Anyway, I like Donghee a lot. He brings much liveliness to the series and shares a comfortable rapport with every other main character. I enjoy Donghee and Taejoon's scenes together because their chats feel very relaxed. They banter like two close acquaintances. Similarly, Donghee acts like a funny boss to Wonyoung and a sassy childhood friend to Hotae. He has well-defined relationships with everyone.

We learn about Donghee's backstory in Episode 9. He came from an abusive and homophobic family. Hotae's mother cared for the runaway teen, so Donghee felt indebted to her. His gratitude makes him hesitant to date Hotae since he doesn't want Hotae's mom to have a gay son. Donghee feels a mix of guilt, doubt, and self-loathing. His storyline is intriguing, but I wish it was expanded with more depth. Episode 9 is too late to introduce an integral part of his characterization. The series could've cut out other subplots and focused on Donghee's development earlier.

Hotae

Hotae represents a case of don't judge a book by its cover. Based on his introduction scenes, you may have formed an early impression of him. This big burly guy with tattoos talks roughly and has a spat with Donghee. He also has an ugly breakup with his ex-girlfriend, causing a public spectacle. Hotae's reputation doesn't seem the best initially. He comes across as a troublemaking delinquent. However, Hotae is actually a softie beneath his tough exterior.

Donghee doesn't judge Hotae based on his public persona. He knows his childhood friend well enough to understand his true personality. However, he misjudges his friend's feelings for him. When Hotae confesses his love, Donghee won't believe him. Hotae tries to ask him out, but Donghee gives a snarky response. "Okay, I guess you've hit puberty. Apparently, puberty tends to hit two to three times." He makes light of the situation despite his friend's heartfelt confession. Donghee has this preconceived notion of Hotae, perceiving him as a straight guy who dates girls exclusively.

Donghee and Hotae's exchanges in Episode 5 are emotionally charged, making me curious how their romance will progress. However, their relationship hardly advances for the next few episodes. Hotae keeps reiterating his sincerity while Donghee continues to reject him. Their scenes start to feel repetitive, not covering anything new. I wanted the series to go deeper into the characters' perspectives. Give us more flashbacks or heart-to-heart conversations. Instead, they remain a secondary couple who only gets a fraction of the screen time as the leads. 

Romance

Wonyoung and Taejoon

Wonyoung approached Taejoon with a hidden agenda. Initially, he schmoozed the pottery shop owner for business reasons. Wonyoung stalked Taejoon, showered him with attention, and pretended to be interested in pottery. Every friendly interaction contained a deliberate intent. Although Wonyoung was supposed to spy on Taejoon, he developed a crush on his target instead. These feelings were not part of the original plan. Falling in love was unintentional.

Taejoon didn't know about Wonyoung's motives. However, he was suspicious of this stranger and kept his distance when they met. Taejoon's previous relationship made him distrustful of everyone. His ex-boyfriend, Inho, was a greedy scumbag who accepted money to break off their relationship. The betrayal traumatized Taejoon, who ran away from his old life and hid under an anonymous identity for years. Despite his cynicism, Taejoon warmed to Wonyoung's earnest persona. "I'm still considering if I could like them," he said at the end of Episode 4, alluding to his intimacy issues.

Taejoon allowed himself to move on from the past, opening his heart to a new love. Yet, history has a cruel way of repeating itself. Taejoon uncovers Wonyoung's original intentions, realizing his new boyfriend is like Inho and exploits his wealthy background. The trust between them is broken. Wonyoung tries to explain the tricky situation. Although he approached Taejoon deliberately, his romantic feelings were unintentional. Wonyoung didn't plan on seducing Taejoon or falling in love with him. Unlike the calculating ex, Wonyoung is sincere about pursuing a relationship. 

Donghee and Hotae

Donghee & Hotae are high school friends who have harboured secret crushes for each other since adolescence. Weighed by confusion and insecurities, both teens repressed their feelings for each other. Donghee, whose father beat him for being gay, hesitated to pursue a relationship with his straight-presenting friend. Meanwhile, Hotae wrestled with his attraction. "I'm dating these girls not because I like them," Hotae once said in the Episode 4 flashback. The unspoken sentiment was that he wanted to bury his love for Donghee.

Torn by their unresolved sexual tension, Donghee and Hotae drifted apart in their adulthood. The story subtly highlights their relationship dynamic. In Episode 2, Hotae was injured by an ex-girlfriend. Donghee treats the wounds on his body, but Hotae evades him. "I told you not to touch me," he snaps. Donghee, a gay man, sees his straight friend react offensively to their physical contact. Donghee assumed the worst-case scenario and attributed it to Hotae's homophobic discomfort. It angered and anguished him that his secret crush responded this way to the slightest intimacy between them.

The Episode 4 flashback contained intriguing parallels. Once again, Hotae was injured by an ex-girlfriend. Yet, notice he didn't dodge when Donghee caressed the injuries on his face. In contrast, he was sensitive to Donghee touching him in the present timeline. The story hints Hotae's reaction didn't stem from homophobic panic. Instead, it was a self-conscious response because Hotae had a physically intimate moment with the guy he liked. Donghee thought he was the only one tormented about his secret crush. Little did he know Hotae struggled with the same feelings.

Failed confession

Donghee keeps a photo and an old gift from Hotae, like they are his cherished possessions. After discovering these mementoes, Hotae figures out his friend's secret crush. He offers to work part-time at the cafe, hoping to spend more time together. Finally, Hotae finds the courage to confess his feelings at the start of Episode 5. He wants them to become boyfriends. Yet, Donghee slaps him and storms off angrily. From his perspective, Donghee thinks he's being ridiculed.

Later, Hotae confesses his feelings again. He faces another rejection. Donghee becomes aggressive and shoves his friend to the ground. This love confession suddenly turns into a UFC mixed martial arts match! Donghee reacts poorly because he thinks Hotae is toying with him. His friend never showed any past inclination toward same-sex attraction. Hotae's proposition came out of nowhere, like a cruel joke targeting Donghee's sexuality. He doesn't believe Hotae's feelings toward him are genuine. Ha ha, lemme fool around with a guy for a palate cleanser until I find a new chick to bang!

"Do you think I'll like anyone as long as it's a guy!?" Donghee yells at his friend. Unfortunately, Hotae is a poor wordsmith and doesn't articulate his feelings well. Hotae can't adequately describe the secret crush on his friend. He also feels frustrated because Donghee keeps downplaying his feelings. It took Hotae much courage to confess, yet Donghee dismissed him and invalidated his attraction. In this high-pressure situation, Hotae believes the best way to express his love is through a spontaneous kiss. Donghee misinterprets his affection and responds violently. 

Mutual attraction

After their intense confrontation in Episode 5, Hotae remains in good spirits and doesn't give up. He continues courting his friend, who keeps rejecting him each time. Hotae persists anyway. Eventually, his sincerity reaches through. Donghee can't deny that his friend is serious about dating. Deep down, Donghee wants this relationship too. His high school crush actually reciprocates his feelings. In theory, he should have been elated.

Yet, Donghee faces another mental barrier. He's reluctant to start a relationship due to Hotae's mom. During his adolescence, Donghee's homophobic family punished him for his sexuality. Hotae's kind-hearted mother provided comfort, understanding, and parental warmth to this lonely teen. "To me, it doesn't matter whether you like men or women. I'll always root for your happiness till the day I die." Moved by her compassion, Donghee feels emotionally indebted to Auntie. Although the story doesn't emphasize their bond too much, she is like a surrogate parent to him.

Donghee doesn't want Hotae's mom to feel heartbroken about her son dating another man. Despite her reassuring words, Donghee believes having a gay child is an emotional burden for any parent. His unhealthy thoughts come from growing up with a homophobic family. The self-loathing has seeped into him, affecting how he perceives his sexuality even in adulthood. Donghee only overcomes his barriers after a heartfelt chat with Hotae in Episode 9. As Hotae opens up about his vulnerabilities, Donghee realizes the depth of his friend's love for him.

Wonyoung's intentions

Unintentional Love Story has a happy ending where Wonyoung and Taejoon reconcile after their prolonged conflict. Taejoon learns not to let past trauma tarnish his current relationship. Yes, his ex-boyfriend Inho was a manipulative jerk who betrayed him for personal gain. But no, it isn't fair to compare Inho and Wonyoung as if they're cut from the same cloth. Haunted by what happened in the past, Taejoon assumes the worst of Wonyoung's intentions. My boyfriend only pretended to love me for my status!

Taejoon's friend helps him shift his perspective. Stop thinking every guy is as rotten as Inho. Instead, evaluate the circumstances objectively. Despite his dubious starting point, Wonyoung's feelings for his boyfriend are authentic. His numerous apologies are also sincere. He wanted to resign from his job to continue their relationship. Wonyoung's willingness to do so reveals his true priorities, showing he genuinely cares about Taejoon. Thankfully, Taejoon overcomes his doubts. He reconciles with Wonyoung, trusting his boyfriend's intentions.

The story reiterates its themes during a playful conversation between the couple. Wonyoung jokes having a rich boyfriend means he doesn't need to work hard. Taeyoung agrees with him and states, "I'm prepared to be used by you." However, Wonyoung clarifies this arrangement isn't what he wants. "I'm not going to use you. I'm going to love you instead." This line highlights Wonyoung's pure intentions. He doesn't covet his wealthy boyfriend for his utility. Wonyoung cherishes this relationship and values Taejoon for who he is, rather than what he can provide.

Hotae's intentions

Unintentional Love Story also offers a happy ending for the secondary couple. After much rejection in the past few episodes, Donghee finally makes a breakthrough and changes his stance. When Hotae propositions him in Spanish, Donghee doesn't decline the advances like usual. He accepts Hotae's embrace, no longer pushing his friend away. Although their relationship isn't explicitly confirmed, at least Donghee is open to the idea of them dating. That is a promising sign.

Donghee arrives at two conclusions in the finale. Firstly, he accepts that Hotae's intentions toward him are genuine. One of Donghee's concerns was that his friend wouldn't take their relationship seriously. This notorious playboy had a terrible reputation for breaking his ex-girlfriends' hearts. The track record made Donghee question Hotae's sincerity, wondering if he was just messing around. However, Hotae clarifies his feelings are authentic. His attraction doesn't come from a spur-of-the-moment impulse. He has harboured a crush for years and finally comes to terms with it.

Secondly, Donghee learns to accept himself. Like Taejoon, Donghee lets go of his past trauma and won't allow it to ruin his romantic prospects. Haunted by his homophobic family, Donghee used to scare himself into thinking Hotae's mom didn't want their relationship. He assumed she'd be upset about having a gay son. Yet, Donghee realizes he has projected his insecurities onto Auntie. Stop denying yourself a boyfriend who wants you. Trust that Hotae's mother is sincere when she says, "I'll always root for your happiness." Allow yourself to love Hotae without fear.