In this blog post, I’ll examine the love, friendship, differing views on marriage, and professional lives of the four men and women who appear in the movie ‘Singles’. Through the characters’ dialogue and actions, I’ll explore the significance of Korean societal values, personal choices, the clash between reality and ideals, and the process of finding one’s own path in life.

Why ‘Singles’ in particular?

Marriage and romance. I first saw this movie when I was deeply in love with someone. I loved her so much that I wanted to marry her, and I was incredibly happy. However, as I got older and began to think seriously about marriage, I realized it wasn’t that simple. Perhaps because my parents are getting older and I’m the eldest son, I’ve become even more interested in stories about love and marriage. Does being in love mean you have to get married? Are marriage and dating separate issues? I still don’t really know. What are my views on marriage? And what about my views on dating? I watched this movie while thinking about my future—the day I’ll eventually get married—as if an elder were offering me advice.
This movie speaks honestly about love. The candid and down-to-earth love stories of men and women in their 20s—including premarital cohabitation and casual dating—really resonated with me. Unlike other movies, this honesty felt refreshing and liberating, which is why I really enjoyed it. I especially think this is a must-see for unmarried men and women in their 20s and 30s who are increasingly grappling with questions about marriage and dating.

The Story of Four Men and Women with Different Views on Marriage

The protagonists in the film have different perspectives on marriage. Nan-nan, played by Jang Jin-young, is a 29-year-old designer. Nan-nan is unilaterally dumped by a man she trusted and was dating with marriage in mind, and she is demoted at work to a restaurant manager. However, even in that situation, she doesn’t give up and adapts to her new job with a positive attitude. Then she meets Su-heon (Kim Joo-hyuk). Su-heon is a capable man who works at a securities firm, and he falls for Nan-nan. Their romance starts slowly, but as time goes on, they come to realize their deep feelings for one another. Nan-nan, who had always believed marriage was essential, turns down Su-heon’s proposal to get married and move abroad together. She is then promoted from restaurant manager to head of the foodservice division. Na-nan no longer believes that marriage is the be-all and end-all of life. She has come to realize that just because you love someone doesn’t mean you have to marry them. She finds happiness in her life through her career. Having broken free from the notion that marriage equals happiness, she begins to chart a course for a life that is truly her own.
Dong-mi, played by Um Jung-hwa, is Nan-nan’s best friend—a woman with a free-spirited approach to relationships. One day, she ends up spending the night with Jung-jun (Lee Beom-soo), a man she’s been close with. Although Dong-mi had always been bold in both her career and her love life, her outlook on life changes when she becomes pregnant. However, she doesn’t believe she has to get married just because of that. In the film, Dong-mi confidently chooses the path of a single mother. Rather than worrying about how others perceive her, she resolves to live according to her own convictions. As a single mother, she finds happiness in planning her own dreams and future. While Nan-nan chose her career and life over marriage, Dong-mi chose a future with her child without being bound by the institution of marriage.

The Reality of Being Twenty-Nine and a Critic’s Perspective on the Film “Singles”

Critic Kim Hye-ri discusses the special significance of the age twenty-nine through the lens of “Singles.” For women, twenty-nine is an age when, for various reasons, they find themselves surprised by who they’ve become. Whether she dreamed of being a strong woman or a beautiful one, the image of herself she had imagined throughout her 20s undergoes a major transformation around this time. Things she never thought would become part of her life begin to creep into her daily routine before she knows it. When she turns on the TV, the female leads in dramas and commercials all look younger than she does, and she feels anxious when her makeup—which she once found nothing but a hassle—runs out. To care for a body that tires easily if neglected, you find yourself visiting the gym or a sauna, spending time on health and wellness that you once didn’t even have enough of for fun. It’s the same at work. About four or five years after joining a company, you start to wonder whether the job you thought you’d dedicate your life to was really what you wanted. Sometimes they’re surprised to discover such a harsh and ruthless side to themselves, while at other times they marvel at where such tenacious patience had been hiding all along.
Of course, the age of twenty-nine here doesn’t simply refer to physical age. It symbolizes the period—roughly from twenty-seven to thirty-three—when people experience changes caught between the expectations of youth and the realities of life. “Singles” is a film that accurately captures the sensibilities of audiences navigating this very phase of life. The scene where Nan-nan and Dong-mi, who had been examining their faces in the reflection of a darkened billboard, hurriedly turn away when the image of a young model appears on the screen, perfectly illustrates this sensibility. Though brief, the scene conveys the feelings of two people who are acutely aware of their own aging.
Critics also note that the character Nan-nan effectively portrays the crisis faced by an ordinary working woman in her late 20s. Nan-nan is neither an ambitious career woman nor a woman who views marriage as her life’s goal. She is an ordinary person who, despite complaining about how hard her job is, ultimately continues to work. Whether she’s trying to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend by showing up looking sexy only to blurt out, “Want a restaurant coupon?” by mistake, or getting lost in fantasies of hitting a woman who’s sweetly talking on the phone with her boyfriend, these moments reveal Nan-nan’s clumsy and human side. Critics compare this version of Nan-nan to a more down-to-earth version of Ally, the lawyer from ‘Ally’s Making Love’.
Although Nan-nan’s voice drives the film’s narrative, the title ‘Singles’ refers not to one person but to many. The film’s heartwarming charm also stems from the friendships formed as friends living on their own lean on one another. Critics speculate that the production team likely drew inspiration from the appeal of ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and ‘Notting Hill’. Nanan’s supportive friend Dong-mi never loses her sense of humor even in difficult situations, and when evaluating men, she prioritizes whether they are people she can live with over whether they are romantic prospects. Played by Um Jung-hwa, Dong-mi captivates the audience every time she appears and comes across as a healthy younger sister offering critical support to Yeon-hee from ‘Marriage Is a Crazy Thing’. In contrast, the men in the film fall into two distinct categories. The pathetic men who engage in sexual harassment receive a satisfying comeuppance, while the “good” men are recognized as friends to the women. Jeong-jun and Su-heon are portrayed as characters reminiscent of the gay male best friends in Hollywood movies who are beloved by female audiences.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of this review is the interpretation that the term “single” carries the meaning of independence. Nan-nan, Dong-mi, and Jeong-jun reflect on their dreams from when they were around twenty, twenty-three, and twenty-seven years old. “When we were nineteen, all three of us wished to move out of our parents’ homes.” If breaking free from their parents’ care and becoming independent was their first goal, then at twenty-nine—having achieved that goal—a new set of concerns begins. Through the question, “Is this really where I belong?” they seek to find the place where they truly belong. Whether they marry or not, the task of a twenty-nine-year-old is to find a “home” where they can settle within their relationships and society—and this is also a key theme explored in the film ‘Singles’.
Critics also point out both the strengths and weaknesses of this film, which is based on a Japanese TV drama and novel. The unpretentious acting, dialogue that keenly captures the social climate of the time, and a screenplay and camera work that fully showcase the charm of the female actors are all delightful. The reviewer also adds that, particularly in terms of how the female characters’ individuality is portrayed, Korean cinema at the time fell short compared to TV dramas. However, the film lacks the power to build up individual events and lead them to a climactic conclusion. The humiliations endured by the characters do not feel sufficiently painful, and the crises do not come across as particularly precarious. Even in the saddest situations, scenes that ultimately wrap up cheerfully with a consistent rhythm lend the film a lightheartedness; however, this simultaneously weakens the emotional impact of the moments when Nan-nan and Dong-mi—ordinary women in real life—muster extraordinary courage. This is because, in reality, rejecting a marriage prospect with favorable conditions or choosing the path of a single mother is never easy. Another point of disappointment is that the male characters—portrayed to serve the needs of the two women—lack sufficiently developed personalities.
“Will I have achieved anything by the time I’m forty? If not, so be it.” This attitude of not being overly anxious about the future, women’s sexuality and love that aren’t bound by pregnancy or marriage, and a view of romance that doesn’t seek to change one’s life through marriage have already become part of reality, yet they still retain a fantastical quality. By presenting this way of life as a matter of course and cheerfully concluding that “there is always a solution to every problem,” ‘Singles’ is both a film that captures real-world social customs and a fantasy that stands slightly apart from reality.

The Relationship Between Society and the Individual as Reflected in Love and Friendship

I believe the film ‘Singles’ is a story about the love and friendship of four young people: Nan-nan (Jang Jin-young), Dong-mi (Um Jung-hwa), Jeong-jun (Lee Beom-soo), and Su-heon (Kim Joo-hyuk). In particular, the story of Nan-nan and Dong-mi—who are friends—forms the core of the film, revealing their two very different ways of life. However, every time I rewatch the film, I find myself thinking that even the elements of love and friendship are, ultimately, products of society and culture. The lives we lead and the love we experience are shaped within the framework of society and cannot exist completely independently outside of it. Ultimately, while this film tells a story of love and friendship, I believe it captures the image of the “self” as it exists within society, within a company, among friends, and in relationships with loved ones. Of course, there is no doubt that ‘Singles’ is a film centered on romantic love between men and women and friendship among friends. However, I would like to emphasize the fact that this love and friendship take place within the specific social framework of South Korea.
To analyze the film from this perspective, I focused on the protagonists’ dialogue and actions. Rather than assigning special meaning to background visuals or music, I examined what the characters say when a certain event occurs and how they behave afterward. My aim was to analyze the societal portrait the film seeks to depict through the characters’ words and actions as they unfold within specific situations.
This analysis can be applied right from the film’s opening scene. Nanan appears as a working woman. In a monologue early in the film, she explains that ever since she started receiving a salary, she has forgotten the word “Good Morning,” and her mornings begin with having to quickly decide whether to wash her hair or use the restroom. This statement can be interpreted to mean that, since becoming a member of society as an office worker, her daily life has come to be dominated by externally dictated and unconscious actions rather than an autonomous life. Where has the childlike longing for freedom and dreams gone? The film captures the lives of countless people who drift through each day as if pulled along by some force, rather than living according to their own desires. It portrays not just those of us who have lost our past dreams, but rather those of us who are gradually forgetting them.
Scenes depicting the two women’s work lives also reveal the individual’s place within society. In particular, they starkly illustrate the position, status, and limitations women face in the workplace. Scenes depict situations where they are reprimanded by their male superiors for no reason, subjected to sexual harassment, have the credit for their work taken by male superiors, or are forced to take the blame for mistakes they didn’t make. In these situations, the film shows how the two women respond in different ways. While Nan-nan is a character who lives by conforming to the workplace to a certain extent, Dong-mi is one who actively stands up against unfair situations. The two also display different attitudes toward love. While Nan-nan accepts a breakup in tears at her boyfriend’s single statement that he wants to end things, Dong-mi lives with a unique and liberated perspective on love, going so far as to declare, “Love is sex.” By featuring these two women living such different lives, the film presents the audience with ways of living that differ from their own. Viewers may experience vicarious satisfaction by observing characters unlike themselves, or conversely, they may find themselves satisfied with their current lives. By depicting such diverse ways of life, the film neither endorses nor criticizes any particular social class or lifestyle.
It’s also worth considering the film’s fantastical elements. Prime examples include the scene where Nan-nan confidently hands in her resignation letter, or the scene where she slaps a woman who is affectionately talking on the phone with her boyfriend right next to her. These are actions Nan-nan would not easily take in real life. So why did the film include these scenes? Are they meant to depict, through imagination, the actions Nan-nan actually wants to take but cannot? Or were they simply included to entertain the audience? It is difficult to pinpoint the exact intention. One could argue that by exaggerating actions she cannot take in reality, the film reveals her hopes while simultaneously highlighting the circumstances she currently faces. However, I believe these scenes are closer to the latter—that is, they are intended to entertain the audience. As mentioned earlier, Nan-nan represents the majority of people—particularly ordinary women who conform to societal expectations in their professional lives. She embodies the typical working-class individual who, despite being dissatisfied with reality, cannot easily translate that dissatisfaction into action and ultimately returns to her place even in frustrating situations. Scenes where Nan-nan suddenly acts in unexpected ways appear to be a device designed to relieve the frustration felt by the audience watching her. It can be analyzed as an attempt to create intentional humor by having a character who seems completely incapable of such behavior act in an unexpected way.
“At what company does a woman give a presentation to a director?” I believe this line, spoken by Dong-mi’s boss, starkly reveals the reality of our society. The workplace can be seen as the place where people, having left the protective framework of school, gain their first real-world experience as members of society. In that sense, the workplace is a collective that represents and speaks for society. The company depicted in the film clearly reflects a society that is unequal toward women. Although gender equality is discussed, discrimination based on gender still exists in reality. Because these issues are deeply rooted in societal values, they do not change easily. Just as it’s difficult to say that gender equality has been fully realized even in the United States, a country that emphasizes freedom and equality. Dong-mi does not conform to this situation. Instead of accepting this unjust reality, she responds proactively by handing in her resignation. Watching her actions, many people will likely feel a sense of vicarious satisfaction. This is because, in real-life work situations, even when faced with injustice, it’s not easy to simply quit a job.
“Quitting is cool, but what comes after isn’t.” Most people would agree with this statement by Jeong-jun. While the moment of confidently handing in your resignation may be cool, there’s no guarantee that life afterward will be just as cool. This line effectively illustrates the gap between reality and ideal. In the film, Nan-nan, Dong-mi, and Jeong-jun also discuss the dreams and hopes they held in their childhood. Everyone dreams of the life they want when they’re young. However, as we grow older and enter the workforce, we come face-to-face with practical problems. When the worlds of reality and ideal clash, most of us end up choosing reality, and our ideals remain, quite literally, in the realm of dreams. By presenting scenes that many people can relate to, the film prompts us to reflect on the things we’ve lost—or the things we’ve forgotten as we go about our lives.

A Way of Life Reflected in the Love and Friendship of Four People

While the story centers on Nan-nan and Dong-mi, Jeong-jun and Su-heon appear as figures who share the lives of these two women. Su-heon is the man who loves Nan-nan, and Jeong-jun is a close friend who shares Nan-nan and Dong-mi’s worries. Jeong-jun, in particular, is so close to Dong-mi that they even live together. The ways these four people express love vividly reflect the attitudes of young people at the time. Through Jung-jun’s romantic relationships, we see young women who place great importance on their partners’ abilities and physical appearance, while Dong-mi’s story prompts us to reflect on the issues surrounding single mothers and traditional values regarding marriage. Furthermore, I believe the love between Nan-nan and Su-heon exemplifies the kind of true love many people long for—a love built on patience and mutual understanding.
In the end, Nan-nan gives up the chance to go abroad with her beloved Su-heon and chooses to stay in the life she has—where she works and where her friends are. After seeing her lover off, Nan-nan reflects: “The moment he disappeared, everything felt uncertain. But one thing is clear: nothing has happened yet, and every problem has a solution.” I believe this line conveys the film’s most important message. Human beings are inherently prone to anxiety, and throughout our lives, we constantly encounter various problems. In such situations, we face moments when we must make choices, and we cannot know in advance whether the decisions we make will lead to positive outcomes or cause us to regret them later. But one thing is certain: there is a solution to every problem. After parting ways with her lover, Nan-nan feels anxious, but she realizes that nothing has actually happened yet. We cannot know what the future holds, but if a problem arises, we can simply seek a solution at that time.

The Meaning of “Singles” as Viewed Through Society

I analyzed this work from a symptomatic perspective. By examining not only the story directly presented in the work but also the underlying social meanings and issues, I sought to understand the relationship between the work and society. Literary works and films inevitably reflect societal issues, because the creators themselves are individuals living within that society. I believe ‘Singles’ portrays our lives within society through the lives of these four men and women. One of them might represent who I am right now, while another might represent the person I’ve always dreamed of becoming. Rather than concluding that one way of life is right and another is wrong, the film chooses simply to show how the characters live their lives. This is because no life can ever be complete or perfect. By depicting the lives, friendships, and love of these four men and women, I believe the film has become a small source of vitality for us as we navigate reality. That vitality does not end with simply enjoying the film; its greater significance lies in the fact that it gives us time to reflect on ourselves.
Existing analyses tend to examine the work and society to some extent in isolation from one another. This approach involves analyzing elements explicitly revealed in the work or seeking implicit and symptomatic meanings through its content. However, I sought to view the relationship between the work and society differently by examining each scene of the film based on an analysis at the symptomatic level. In other words, I did not stop at analyzing the society expressed within the work, but rather sought to view the work itself as a cultural product existing within real-world society. In other words, rather than using the work to analyze society, I sought to analyze the work as a constituent element of society itself. This is because I believed that, just as the protagonists in the film reflect our own lives in real society, the film itself is not an independent entity detached from society but rather a constituent part of that society. Therefore, to understand the love and friendship depicted in ‘Singles’, it is necessary to examine the social environment and values in which the characters live. We can see that the society in which they live is reflected in Nan-nan’s choice to prioritize her career over marriage, Dong-mi’s decision to raise a child without marrying, and the ways in which Jeong-jun and Su-heon form relationships with the two women.
When I first watched the film, I harbored the desire to marry the person I loved. However, as time passed and I began to think more realistically about marriage, I realized it wasn’t as simple an issue as I had imagined. I still haven’t arrived at a clear answer as to whether marriage is a necessity when you’re in love, or whether marriage and romance are separate matters. However, while watching ‘Singles’, I felt that pondering love and marriage is ultimately connected to the process of reflecting on who I am and what kind of life I want to live. Nan-nan and Dong-mi live their lives in different ways, but both strive to choose the life they want. And no one can know in advance what consequences those choices will bring.
Ultimately, I believe ‘Singles’ is a film that, while telling a story of love and friendship, also captures the lives of individuals navigating society. As we live within society, we make countless choices; sometimes we conform to reality, and other times we stand up against it. In that process, no life can ever be complete or perfect. That’s why I find it particularly meaningful that the film doesn’t offer a definitive conclusion but simply presents the lives of these four men and women. It’s because, in their stories, we might recognize our current selves or recall the life we once dreamed of. For me, ‘Singles’ was a film that made me rethink my concerns about love and marriage, while also giving me time to reflect on the society I live in and who I am. Perhaps that is the small source of vitality this film offers us.