Nevertheless, (Korean: 알고있지만,) is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Han So-hee and Song Kang. Based on a popular webtoon of the same name which was first published on Naver Webtoon, it tells the story of two people who are attracted to each other but are skeptical about love, owing to their past relationships. It aired on JTBC from June 19 to August 21, 2021, every Saturday at 23:00 (KST). Each episode was released on Netflix in South Korea and internationally after its television broadcast.
A Japanese remake titled Nevertheless: The Shapes of Love starring Ryusei Yokohama and Sara Minami aired on Netflix on 9 December 2024.
Contents
Synopsis
An uncertain romance begins between Yoo Na-bi, a heartbroken woman who no longer believes in love, and Park Jae-eon, a flirtatious man who does not want to commit to a relationship, but gradually starts to fall in love with Na-Bi.
Cast
Main
Han So-hee as Yoo Na-bi, a student at Hongseo University's Sculpture Department who has given up on love but still wants to go out on dates. Due to a cruel experience with her ex-boyfriend, she no longer believes in destiny and has vowed never to fall in love again.
Song Kang as Park Jae-eon, a student at Hongseo University's Sculpture Department who thinks relationships are a bother but likes to flirt. He is kind and friendly to everyone but is actually uninterested in other people. He is an expert in playing hard to get and does not show his true feelings.
Chae Jong-hyeop as Yang Do-hyeok, Na-bi's childhood friend whose first love is her. He runs a popular cooking show on YouTube.
Lee Yul-eum as Yoon Seol-ah, Jae-eon's middle school classmate and ex-girlfriend.
Yang Hye-ji as Oh Bit-na, Na-bi's best friend.
Supporting
Kim Min-gwi as Nam Gyu-hyun, Bit-na's best friend.
Lee Ho-jung as Yoon Sol, Ji-wan's best friend.
Yoon Seo-ah as Seo Ji-wan, Sol's best friend.
Jung Jae-kwang as Ahn Kyung-joon, Jae-eon and Na-bi's senior.
Extended
Han Eu-ddeum as Jo Min-young, a teaching assistant of the Sculpture Department.
Yoon Sa-bong as Jung Sook-eun, Na-bi's aunt who raised her as a daughter.
Seo Hye-won as Jang Se-young, Na-bi's department junior.
Lee Seung-hyub as Joo Hyuk
Kim Mu-jun as Yoo Se-hoon
Yoo Ji-hyun as Yoon-ji
Son Bo-seung as Min-sang, a senior member of the social group of art students.
Seo Bum-june as Hwang Jin-soo
Lee Jung-ha as Kim Eun-han
Jin Ho-eun as Seo Ji-wan's friend
Special appearances
Choi Sung-jae as Yoo Hyeon-woo, Na-bi's ex-boyfriend.
Ha Do-kwon as the older brother of Jae-eon's ex-girlfriend.
Go Won-hee as a woman at the bar
Seo Jeong-yeon as Jae-eon's mother
Production
The first script reading of the cast was held on March 5, 2021, and filming began the same month. Filming continued for about four months and wrapped up on July 6 in Seoul.
On June 3, 2021, it was revealed that some episodes of the series were in discussion to air under rated 19.
In July 2021, actor Kim Min-gwi was embroiled in a controversy when an article about his personal life was posted on an online community. Because of this, JTBC announced on the 28th that his appearance on Nevertheless would be edited out as much as possible from episode 8.
Original soundtrack
Difference between webtoon and drama of “Nevertheless"
First meeting is different
In the webtoon, the first meeting is at their university. They naturally encounter each other on campus as senior and junior students. After that they meet at a social gathering with fellow students.
In the drama, Yoo Na-bi first meets Park Jae-eon at a bar shortly after being hurt by her ex-boyfriend. Through their conversation, they gradually become closer.
Story about Jae-eon’s Family Background
In the webtoon, Park Jae-eon openly talks about his personal life. He mentions that both of his parents are teachers and he is unable to live on his own.
In the drama, Park Jae-eon hides details about his personal life. Also his mother’s job is different from that in the webtoon.(musician)
Differences in the Later Storyline and Ending
In the webtoon, In the later part of the webtoon, Na-bi realizes that her relationship with Park Jae-eon is causing her emotional pain and decides to leave him. Rather than being portrayed as someone who loves Na-bi in a healthy way, he remains a character who makes her feel anxious and hurt. In the end, Na-bi and Jae-eon break up. The story suggests the possibility of a future relationship between Na-bi and Do-hyeok, but the ending remains open to interpretation.
In the drama, Na-bi and Jae-eon confirm their feelings for each other. The story concludes with the two characters ending up together.
More Detailed Portrayal of Supporting Characters’ Relationships in the Drama
In the original webtoon does not siginificantly explore the relationship between Yoon Sol and Seo Jiwan, the drama adaptation expands their storyline and portrays them as a romantic same-sex couple.
Reasons for the Differences between the webtoon and the Korean drama“Nevertheless”
Characteristics of the Medium
In the webtoon, the protagonist’s thoughts and emotions can be portrayed in greater detail through both text and illustrations. As a result, psychological descriptions—such as why Yoo Na-bi feels anxious and why she is drawn to Park Jae-eon—play a very important role in the story.
In a drama, however, viewers cannot constantly read a character’s inner thoughts. Therefore, emotions must be conveyed primarily through actions, dialogue, and events. For this reason, the drama emphasizes conflicts more strongly than the original webtoon and presents relationships between characters in a more dramatic way.
When a webtoon is adapted into a drama, the drama can develop the story while effectively establishing the world-building and character settings, allowing for many points of synergy with the webtoon's narrative structure.At the same time, dramas are adapted in a way that emphasizes conflict more than webtoons and portrays the relationships between characters more dramatically.
For example, in the webtoon, a significant amount of time is devoted to Na-bi’s internal struggles and her gradual realization about love. In contrast, the drama expresses her emotions through external events, such as her conflicts with Jae-eon and the appearance of Yoon Seol-a, allowing viewers to understand her feelings through direct inner narration.
Changes to Park Jae-eon’s character
In the webtoon, Park Jae-eon is portrayed as someone whom Yoo Na-bi likes but should not be involved with romantically. He represents a relationship that is attractive yet emotionally unhealthy.
In the drama, however, Jae-eon serves as the male lead, meaning viewers need a reason to support and sympathize with him. As a result, some aspects of his relationships with Yoon Seol-a. The drama also places greater emphasis on his genuine feelings for Na-bi.
The Japanese remake drama, "Nevertheless": The Shape of Love
The Japanese remake of the drama Nevertheless, which originally starred actors Song Kang and Han So-hee, features Yokohama Ryusei and Minami Sara in the lead roles, and is directed by Ryutaro Nakagawa.
The Korean drama Nevertheless aired on JTBC from June 19, 2021, to August 21, 2021. The Japanese drama "The Shapes of Love" was released worldwide on December 9, 2024, through Netflix and the Japanese online video service (OTT) ABEMA.
The Korean drama Nevertheless consists of 10 episodes with an average running time of about one hour, while the Japanese drama "The Shapes of Love" consists of 8 episodes with an average running time of about 30 minutes.
Specific geographic locations
The Japanese drama is set in Kamakura, Japan. Miu and several other characters either graduated from or work as teaching assistants at an art university located in Kamakura. Ren Kosaka, the male protagonist, is also portrayed as a native of Kamakura. This setting provides a narrative explanation for his return to the university as a temporary instructor despite his success as a professional artist.