In this blog post, I’ll take a step-by-step look at the appeal, plot, and characters of the Korean film ‘Singles’—based on its screenplay—as well as how it differs from the original novel.

Why do I love this screenplay so much?

The most decisive reason is that I found the film ‘Singles’, based on this screenplay, to be incredibly delightful and entertaining. I really liked how it managed to break away from the typical formula despite being billed as a romantic comedy. It left a lasting impression on me because it didn’t stop at simply depicting the love between a handsome man and a beautiful woman; instead, it captured the honest emotions of 29-year-old women grappling with real-life struggles in a lighthearted and lively way.
The witty dialogue, which maintains a sense of realism without forcing laughs just because it’s a comedy, remains consistent right through the end of the film. I was particularly impressed by how it offered just the right amount of cinematic fantasy without resorting to a predictable happy ending. Even looking back now, I think this film strikes a remarkably good balance between reality and fantasy. The subtle fantasy elements created by Su-heon, Nan-nan’s realistic struggles at work, and the various coincidences and visual direction unique to film blend naturally together, successfully delivering both the dramatic entertainment audiences expect and unexpected discoveries.
Recalling the film I saw a few years ago and rereading the screenplay this time, I felt that the film was slightly more polished than the screenplay. This may be due in part to the casting choices, or perhaps because I saw the film first. Above all, I felt that the parts that were appropriately edited or cut were actually better off that way. There were quite a few scenes that would have felt somewhat disappointing if the film had been made exactly as written. In particular, the way the reunion between Jeong-jun and Ga-hee was handled in the film felt more natural.
Nevertheless, the biggest reason the film turned out to be such a well-crafted work was the strength of the screenplay itself. Cinematic imagination was already fully embedded within the screenplay, and I was able to confirm once again that, rather than being a work created solely through the director’s vision, the screenplay itself was meticulously structured with the film adaptation firmly in mind.

Subject Matter, Concept, Theme

The story revolves around the countless frustrations and hopes experienced by a 29-year-old woman through her work and love life.
The concept revolves around women of the same age naturally exploring work, love, and life through candid and lighthearted conversations. While embracing reality with just the right touch of fantasy and humor, the film remains firmly grounded in reality from start to finish.
The central theme is the life of a 29-year-old woman who cannot easily give up either her career or her love life.
It conveys the message that what matters is not how others see you,
nor the societal expectations that dictate what you must do once you reach a certain age,
but rather discovering who you truly are—someone capable of finding what you genuinely want and enjoying it.
Of course, this does not mean you should live your life alone. The story also emphasizes that if you have a cherished person with whom to share your loneliness, life can be truly happy, regardless of anyone else’s standards.

Plot Analysis

It’s questionable whether this work can be called a simple romantic comedy. If it is a romantic comedy, it certainly has a rather unique structure. Unlike typical romantic comedies, which center their stories on the meeting, romance, and conflicts between the male and female leads, ‘Singles’ weaves its narrative by simultaneously illuminating the lives of multiple characters.
While the meeting, romance, and breakup of Su-heon and Na-nan form an important axis, they do not constitute the entire story. Rather, the film centers on Dong-mi and Na-nan living their respective lives and the friendship they build together. Additionally, the conflict and reconciliation with Jung-jun, along with Dong-mi’s pregnancy, form another narrative axis, resulting in a structure distinct from that of a typical romantic comedy.
This characteristic becomes even clearer when examining the relationships between the characters. In most romantic comedies, all characters are connected through the male and female leads, but Su-heon effectively has a direct relationship only with Na-nan. In contrast, Dong-mi and Jeong-jun are closely connected to Na-nan, influencing each other’s lives. Ultimately, the core of this film can be seen not as the love between Su-heon and Na-nan, but as the process through which Na-nan and Dong-mi grow together.
The narrative flow follows a relatively stable structure of exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution.
The film begins by introducing the daily lives of three friends—Nanan, Dong-mi, and Jeong-jun—who are grappling with anxiety and worries as they face the reality of being twenty-nine years old. Although they are the friends who understand each other best, they each struggle with their own practical problems.
Later, Nanan, who had been working at a fashion brand, is unexpectedly transferred to become the manager of “High Rock Club,” a specialty beer bar. As she leaves her familiar job to adapt to a new environment, she meets Su-heon, an employee at a securities firm, and this marks the beginning of the main story.
Struggling to adapt to her new job and going through a period of trial and error, Nan-nan still can’t let go of her attachment to the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Su-heon steadily makes his move on her, and the two gradually grow closer. Meanwhile, Dong-mi and Jeong-jun also face their own problems, and their conflicts gradually deepen.
Later, Nan-nan and Su-heon become a couple and grow close enough to discuss their future together. In contrast, Dong-mi is confronted with the reality of an unexpected pregnancy, and all the characters find themselves at a critical crossroads in their lives.
Ultimately, after deeply reflecting on what kind of life she truly wants, Nan-nan chooses her own path over marriage to Su-heon. Dong-mi also decides to have the baby and take responsibility for her choice. Having chosen their own paths, the characters begin new lives, appearing far more mature than before.
Looking at this structure, one can see that the narrative flows naturally through its exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution, rather than having events clustered in specific sections. Furthermore, the fact that the evolving relationships between Su-heon and Nan-nan, as well as those between Dong-mi and Jeong-jun, progress in a balanced manner demonstrates that the plot was crafted with careful consideration for each character.
Furthermore, this development naturally intertwines not only with the characters’ relationships but also with Nan-nan’s journey of encountering her new workplace, the Hi-Rock Club, experiencing conflicts, adapting to it, and ultimately embracing it as her own. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, this film can be viewed as a coming-of-age drama between Nan-nan and the Hi-Rock Club, as well as a different kind of romantic comedy.

Character Analysis

Assuming I were to write the synopsis for ‘Singles’ myself, I would summarize the main characters as follows.

Nanan

Twenty-nine years old. She feels a vague sense of fear at the prospect of turning thirty.
She is moderately lazy, a bit messy, and somewhat scatterbrained.
She possesses an attractive appearance and figure.
She works as a planner for a fashion brand and still holds onto her dreams and lingering hopes for a career in fashion. However, she is not yet certain what kind of life she truly wants.
She is not financially well-off. In fact, she lives in a rooftop room under conditions that border on poverty, but she is not a character who is overly obsessed with money itself.
She has a long-term boyfriend named Ji-hoon and holds relatively open-minded views on sex. Of course, she isn’t as free-spirited as her friend Dong-mi.
Even when she witnesses injustice, she tends not to stand up to it easily due to practical realities. She is well aware of just how harsh reality can be when it comes to acting on her own terms.
She is not very good at hiding her emotions.
She cherishes her friends deeply and relies on them.
Although she doesn’t usually consider herself particularly independent, she feels a great sense of satisfaction when she achieves something on her own. In particular, she is averse to relying entirely on a man for her life.
Whether it’s work or love, she finds it hard to let go easily, but once she makes up her mind, she cuts ties without hesitation.

Dong-mi

She is a character with a charming and sexy aura.
She holds very liberal views on sex and accepts relationships between men and women naturally.
She has a hot-tempered personality and tends not to hold back what she wants to say.
She is straightforward and honest. She has a good sense of humor and isn’t afraid to swear. Her bluntness can sometimes hurt others, but that doesn’t make her a mean or cold-hearted person.
She doesn’t care much about what others think of her.
She genuinely cares for her friends and has a warm heart that worries about them as if they were her own family.
She has a strong sense of responsibility and hates nothing more than causing trouble for others because of her own actions.

Su-heon

He is not financially well-off.
He works at a securities firm and is recognized for his abilities at work.
He is popular among his friends and maintains good relationships with others.
He is patient and thorough by nature. Once he sets a goal, he possesses outstanding drive to see it through to the end.
He is affectionate and considerate, and is particularly good at understanding others’ feelings. He also possesses a pure-hearted side that allows him to love one person deeply.
He has a bright and positive personality.
He cannot easily ignore injustice. In particular, he has a strong desire to protect the people he loves.
He doesn’t hold grudges and doesn’t dwell on emotions for long.

Synopsis

Nanan, Dong-mi, and Jeong-jun are friends who are all twenty-nine years old. They are completely honest with each other and feel comfortable enough to openly share any worries they have. Although Dong-mi and Jeong-jun are of the opposite sex, they have been close friends for a long time and feel so at ease with each other that they even live together.
Nanan, who works in the planning department of a fashion brand, is held responsible for the failure of a newly launched line and is transferred to manage “High Rock Club,” a beer bar owned by the company’s affiliate. Although she believes the personnel decision is unfair, she cannot quit her job because she needs the income. To make matters worse, on the very same day, her long-time boyfriend, Ji-hoon, breaks up with her. Life isn’t easy for 29-year-old Nanan.
Unfamiliar with her new job, Nan-nan stumbles from one mistake to the next day after day. She still can’t let go of her lingering attachment to the fashion industry. Then, a new person enters Nan-nan’s life: Soo-heon. An employee at a securities firm in the same building, he shows interest in Nan-nan, and they gradually grow closer.
Meanwhile, Dong-mi, who has been dating freely and seeing various men, impulsively quits her job to start a new career. Jung-jun falls in love with a younger woman and continues the relationship even as he feels used by her. Displeased by this, Dong-mi has a major argument with Jung-jun, and eventually, while comforting Jung-jun after he’s been dumped, the two end up spending the night together.
Nanan, who has gradually begun to open up to Su-heon, grows closer to him through several dates. However, she accidentally runs into her ex-boyfriend Ji-hoon, which causes her to waver; she vents her feelings to Su-heon, leading to a major argument. Yet this incident brings them even closer, and they end up spending the night together. The next morning, Su-heon proposes to Nanan. Faced with this sudden proposal, Nan-nan struggles to make a decision, and Dong-mi urges her to marry Soo-heon. Ultimately, Nan-nan resolves to leave for New York with Soo-heon to pursue her dreams in fashion once again.
Meanwhile, Dong-mi, whose new business venture isn’t going as planned, discovers she is pregnant with Jung-jun’s child. She considers having an abortion but ultimately decides to give birth. However, she is unable to bring herself to tell Jeong-jun the truth. When Nan-nan finds out, she becomes furious and insists that Dong-mi must make a clear choice: either have the baby or marry Jeong-jun. Yet Dong-mi insists on resolving the issue on her own terms until the very end.
As time passes, Nan-nan gradually adjusts to her work at the Hi-Rock Club. She also comes to realize that the life she truly desires isn’t necessarily limited to the fashion industry. After much deliberation, she tells Su-heon that she cannot marry him and decides to accept Dong-mi’s choice as it is.
In the end, Jeong-jun returns to his hometown, and Su-heon leaves for New York. Nan-nan and Dong-mi begin living together again and start a new daily life. Now, the High Rock Club is no longer a place of frustration but a space for discovering new possibilities, and Nan-nan, too, embraces new hope as she takes control of her own life.

Compared to the original novel ‘Christmas at 29’, what has changed in ‘Singles’?

First, I’d like to note that due to time constraints, I made this comparison having read only the first volume of the original novel ‘Christmas at 29’.
‘Christmas at 29’ is a novel based on the drama. Perhaps because of this, I felt it lacked some of the delicate descriptions and plot developments that typically stimulate the reader’s imagination. Additionally, perhaps due to length constraints, the novel features far more characters and a more complex narrative structure than the ‘Singles’ screenplay. A significant portion of the text is devoted to explaining character relationships and situations.
As a result, I personally found the screenplay much more entertaining than the novel. Of course, this impression may have been stronger because I had already enjoyed watching ‘Singles’ first.
Looking at the details, the biggest difference lies in the character development. For convenience, I’ll use the names from the screenplay when referring to the characters from the original work.
In particular, Dong-mi’s character lacks some of the distinctiveness found in the screenplay. Her profession is also set as a cameraman, which differs significantly from the charm Dong-mi displays in the film. Su-heon is also portrayed as the son of an excessively wealthy family, and the process by which he falls for Nan-nan isn’t depicted in a sufficiently convincing manner. The process of him getting closer to Nan-nan is greatly abbreviated compared to other stories, making it difficult for the audience to empathize.
Overall, while the characters grapple with realistic concerns, they simultaneously feel overly cinematic and dramatic. They seem to have ample financial resources, and their relationships give the impression of being predetermined to some extent from the very beginning. Nan-nan’s ex-boyfriend, Ji-hoon, is also portrayed in an excessively negative light, bordering on a stereotypical villain.
On the other hand, the greatest appeal of ‘Singles’ is that there are no characters who are particularly bad or particularly good. When you look into their individual circumstances, they are all portrayed as characters you can understand. However, the original novel features characters like Ji-hoon or Soo-heon’s mother, where the distinction between good and evil is relatively clear-cut. Because of this, the characters feel somewhat less three-dimensional than in the film.
Additionally, characters such as Nan-nan’s parents, Dong-mi’s ex-boyfriend, and Nan-nan’s ex-boyfriend—who were boldly omitted from the film—do appear in the novel, but they do not significantly enhance the story’s appeal. Ultimately, the screenplay can be seen as having selected only the essential characters and events from the numerous elements in the original work to reconstruct a more solid narrative.
Although I haven’t finished reading the original novel, so there are limitations to evaluating the plot, theme, and overall concept, I believe the screenplay is far superior in its lighthearted yet realistic portrayal of the lives of twenty-nine-year-old women torn between work and love.
Put another way, the strength of the ‘Singles’ screenplay lies in its ability to fully capture the original’s strengths while boldly cutting out what isn’t necessary. Through this work, I was reminded once again that adaptation is not simply the process of converting a novel’s sentences into dialogue and scenes, but rather a process of accurately grasping the core appeal of the original work and recreating it as a new piece.
I once read the mystery novel ‘The Tragedy of Y’ first and later watched the film adaptation. While the plot development was quite similar, I was deeply impressed by the ending, in which the identity of the culprit differed from the original. This experience also reaffirmed for me that screenwriting is a distinct creative discipline.
Ultimately, I believe screenwriting is not merely a matter of adaptation but a field where a screenwriter’s unique creative abilities are most vividly displayed.
In summary, the original novel ‘Christmas at 29’ contained plenty of elements well-suited for adaptation into a film, such as the struggles of 29-year-old women regarding love and work, friendships between men and women, and the personal growth of women taking on new challenges. The key lies in deciding which elements to select and which parts to boldly omit during the process of adapting the original work into a screenplay.
Ultimately, while the original novel ‘Christmas at 29’ and the screenplay ‘Singles’ started from the same point, they were completed as works with distinct characters. In particular, I was able to confirm once again that how convincingly realism is portrayed is a crucial factor in determining the film’s overall quality.