"For my first love" completed a healing drama that will be remembered for a long time.
tvN Monday-Tuesday drama "For my first love" (directed by Yoo Je-won, written by Seong Woo-jin) concluded its run with episode 12, which aired on the 9th, receiving praise. The final episode recorded an average rating of 4.2% and a peak of 5.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area households, and an average of 4.2% and a peak of 5.3% nationwide, holding the No. 1 spot in its time slot including cable and general programming and ended on a high note. (Nielsen Korea, paid platforms basis)
On that day Lee Hyori (playing Choi Yoon-ji) suffered postoperative complications. As feared, she developed a disorder in her language function, gradually spoke less and avoided meeting people. Lee Ji-an (Yum Jung-ah) stayed closest by her side with the resolve not to leave Lee Hyori standing alone in the dark, while Ryu Bo-hyun (Kim Min-gyu) instead waited a step back for her to return. Jung Moon-hee (Kim Mi-kyung), Kim Sun-young (Kim Sun-young), and the elders and friends of Cheonghae village all felt the same way.
A year later Lee Hyori regained an ordinary daily life and began preparing to return to medical school as a student. Jung Moon-hee, having been in the patient's position, said that a doctor's top priority seems to be understanding the patient's vague fears and offered encouragement that Lee Hyori could become a good doctor. Although Lee Ji-an worried about Lee Hyori's plan to re-enroll, she decided to trust and support a daughter who had become stronger and firmer through suffering. Visiting the ossuary of the woman who gave her life, Han Cho-rong (Geum Min-kyung), Lee Hyori expressed gratitude and affection toward Lee Ji-an, saying, "Mom is a good mother, a good adult, and a good person," revealing her feelings to both "mothers."
In the meantime Lee Ji-an, Ryu Jeong-seok (Park Hae-joon), Lee Hyori and Ryu Bo-hyun became another new family before they knew it. While Lee Hyori returned to her studies and clinical training, Ryu Bo-hyun decided to go to Germany to study for his education. Before leaving, he asked Lee Ji-an to take care of his father Ryu Jeong-seok and Lee Hyori. The changes — Ryu Jeong-seok and Lee Hyori like a father and daughter, Lee Ji-an and Ryu Bo-hyun like a mother and son — created a warm feeling. The romances of Lee Ji-an and Ryu Jeong-seok, and of Lee Hyori and Ryu Bo-hyun, remained ongoing.
At the end of the broadcast the scene showed Lee Ji-an and her daughter Lee Hyori leaving on their first trip abroad. With Lee Hyori's narration, "Maybe our first love for all of us is our mother. To me, who was realizing life's expiration date and worrying about how to say goodbye, my 'first love' taught me to find the answer in how to love and live," the show reflected on the precious "people" who became small "miracles" for them, leaving a deep resonance.
The final line, "In the end, what we can do is remember that the best, the second best, and the third best are efforts to discover the happiness of this very moment. It's simply about living loving this magical today to the fullest. Like a first love that was all sincerity…" delivered a resonant message to those of us living in the "today," capping a perfectly fitting happy ending.
"For my first love" captivated viewers with the story of a single mom and her medical student daughter, who unexpectedly face a second act in life and choose to live for today's happiness rather than tomorrow, portraying a first love that is not an end but a beginning. The middle-aged romance of Lee Ji-an and Ryu Jeong-seok — a "too sincere" love confirmed after many years — the youthful romance of Lee Hyori and Ryu Bo-hyun — a "too thrilling" love, fresh and reminiscent of summer — and the family story that evoked all of our "first loves" presented diverse and vivid stories about love. Especially Lee Ji-an's line, "Enduring hard moments, rubbing against others, and living leaning on people," was the show's central message. It offered a deep insight and warm perspective on people who add warmth to life through countless relationships and connections — family, lovers, friends and neighbors.
Above all, the passionate performances by Yum Jung-ah, Park Hae-joon, Choi Yoon-ji, and Kim Min-gyu elevated the realism and immersion. Yum Jung-ah convincingly portrayed a wide emotional range; Park Hae-joon amplified his character's appeal with his own color; Choi Yoon-ji earned more-than-expected marks in her first leading role; and Kim Min-gyu was recognized for both looks and acting, forming the core of the drama. Also receiving praise for making viewers laugh and cry with a different level of depth were Kim Sun-young, Yang Kyung-won, Kim Mi-kyung, Kang Ae-sim and Jung Young-joo, and from Park Soo-young to the youthful energy contributors Jung Hoi-rin, Lee Tae-hoon, Jo Beom-gyu and Yang Yu-jin, the cast delivered flawless acting and irreplaceable presence in their character portrayals.
[Photo] tvN "For my first love" broadcast capture
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