"My Love Eun Dong" concluded on July 18, with a questionable ending, which carried both realism and improbability.
The romantic melodrama concluded its 16-episode run by confronting one of the biggest obstacles to happiness for the ill-fated couple. Ra Il (Park Min Soo), did not easily embrace Ji Eun Ho (Joo Jin Mo) as his a parental figure, let alone his father.
He falls into an unconscious state after he sees Choi Jae Ho (Kim Tae Hoon), the man he has always known to be his father, clinging to life on a hospital bed. Ra Il is discovered by his mother, Ji Eun Dong (Kim Sa Rang), who recognizes that her son will not easily embrace Eun Ho as his real father.
This scenario breaks the K-Drama mold, which would normally reunite the son with Eun Ho, making one big happy family. However, in real-life, a child would be both distraught and reluctant to accept huge changes to his social structure, especially if the circumstances appear to only benefit his mother.
While the past actions committed by Jae Ho and Eun Ha's adoptive father were monstrous, it would be equally wrong to rip Ra Il away from Jae Ho.
Series writer Baek Mi Kyung took a big risk with this ending, but one has to consider the fact that adultery was considered a criminal offense in Korea, until February 2015. Although, Jae Ho committed offenses that could be considered illegal, Eun Ho and Eun Dong would have been prosecuted for their love prior to 2015.
"My Love Eun Dong" concludes with a walk down the country road where the couple solidified their romance, over the years. There are no steamy kisses or embraces, just an innocent promise, between two fractured souls.
What are your thoughts on the ending of "My Love Eun Dong?" Do you think Ra Il should have remained with his real parents, regardless of his filial love for Jae Ho? Please comment below.
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About the writer: Adrienne Stanley is a contributing editor for KDramastars. She is also a contributing writer for KpopStarz, MTV Iggy, Viki and CJ Entertainment's KCON blog. Her passions include a love of K-pop and Asian drama. When she is not writing, she is hanging out on Twitter (@retrogirladdy).