‘Little Women’: In-joo and Do-il’s Relationship Wasn’t Written With the Intention of Romance
Netflix’s Little Women has risen to be one of the year’s top K-dramas adapted from the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. While fans were immersed in the riveting story of a deadly conspiracy among the elite, the back-and-forth non-existent romance between Oh In-joo (Kim Go-eun) and Choi Do-il (Wi Ha-joon) caused frustration. But, according to actor Kang Hoon, In-joo and Do-il were not created to have a happily ever after in Little Women.
[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers regarding Little Women.]
Do-il becomes In-joo’s confidant and protector in ‘Little Women’
The K-drama story begins with an ordinary office worker named In-joo, who has lived her entire life in poverty and supporting her two sisters. Everything changes when her friend at work dies by suicide, leaving her a backpack full of money. In-joo gets entangled in a dark conspiracy regarding an elite and political family.
But by In-joo’s side is Do-il, a mysterious man who is an expert on bank transfers for politician Park Jae-sang (Um Ki-joon) and his family. He holds an air of mystery as he helps In-joo navigate what to do with the money, as he appears to have his own motives. As Little Women progressed, Do-il often explained to In-ju that his main priority was money and nothing more.
Fans thought otherwise, as he often found ways to protect her and keeps her safe as she fell deeper into danger. When having her believe he left Korea, he returns to testify in her defense as she is on trial for stealing the money. Fans were giddy over every small example of Do-il possibly falling in love with In-joo but refused to admit it.
In the finale of the K-drama, Do-il leaves Korea for a while. He asks In-joo to accompany him to Greece, but she refuses. While deciding to go off the grid, he promises to see her again and smiles. Fans also learn he has secretly kept In-joo’s younger sister and her friend safe from harm. Do-il also protected the money and helped divide it equally among all of them. Little Women fooled fans out of their hope of In-joo and Do-il confessing their feelings.
Kang Hoon asked the ‘Little Women’ director if the two characters have a relationship
Little Women had multiple characters that fans fell in love with, and one of them was Kang Hoon’s Ha Jong-ho. His character is the childhood friend of Oh In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun), who helps her investigate the elite family and their mystery. In a Naver article, Kang explains he loves his character but is “greedy” for a complex role like Do-il.
But the actor reveals a tidbit about how Do-il and In-joo’s relationship was created for Little Women. Just like fans, Kang was curious to know if the two characters were in love or something more.
“I kept asking the director, ‘Are the two of you (Kim Go-eun and Wi Ha-jun) having a relationship?’ The director said, ‘I don’t know,'” explained Kang. The director also had no idea where the two characters were headed while filming. But it does confirm that In-joo and Do-il were never meant to explore a complete love story. Instead, it served as a learning curve. Do-il learns to care for more than just money.
Fans can also agree that the ending story for In-joo had no room for a relationship. Ultimately, her younger sister gives her a bigger portion of the money. She does so, hoping that her sister can live for herself. In-joo no longer has to worry about providing like she has done her whole life.
‘Little Women’ fans fell for Do-il’s mysterious appeal – but agree he got what he wanted
On Reddit, fans were dismayed at the ending story between In-joo and Do-il in Little Women. But many agree that they feel for Do-il’s complex character. “He basically confessed that he loves injoo which i totally believe. man was worried about her and went to save and protect her younger sisters. get me a man like doil but make sure he actually gives me a hug and/or kiss goodbye. thanks,” said a fan.
But another fan realized that Do-il’s finale served a bigger purpose that fit the character. “Choi Do Il won’t be mysteriously sexy if he kissed or hugged her at the airport. I love this duo. Well, Choi Do Il didn’t do it for free. He got $10m, which made the character consistent throughout. He loves money but did not lose his soul completely,” explained the fan. Many fans agree that Do-il still protected his interests.
