The Movie That Came Back to Me While Watching Kim Bu-jang
I’ve been watching the drama Kim Bu-jang lately, and somewhere in the middle of it, watching Sojiseob on screen, an old movie suddenly came back to me: Only You, a melodrama starring Sojiseob and Han Hyojoo. It’s been a while since I last thought about it, so I figured this was a good excuse to revisit it properly.
The Basics
Only You is a Korean melodrama released in 2011.
- Genre: Melodrama, romance
- Director: Song Il-gon
- Cast: Sojiseob (as Jang Cheol-min), Han Hyojoo (as Ha Jeong-hwa)
- Release: October 20, 2011 (general release), after premiering as the opening film of the 16th Busan International Film Festival
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- Admissions: roughly 1,027,908 (as of December 20, 2011)
- Rating: 15+
The fact that it opened as the flagship film of BIFF says a lot on its own — this wasn’t just a commercial melodrama, it was recognized as a genuine piece of filmmaking.
Cast
Sojiseob as Jang Cheol-min Born in 1977, Sojiseob originally had his sights set on becoming a competitive swimmer before entering the industry as a model. He made his acting debut in a 1998 drama, and his breakout came in 2004 with I’m Sorry, I Love You, which really put him on the map. Since then, he’s built a career largely around heavier, more emotionally intense roles, and more recently he’s back in the spotlight thanks to Kim Bu-jang. For Only You, he reportedly went through about a month of real boxing training to physically transform into his character.
Han Hyojoo as Ha Jeong-hwa Born in 1987, Han Hyojoo first drew attention with the 2007 drama As Much As Heaven and Earth, then went on to cement her status as a top actress through dramas like Dong Yi and Bread, Love and Dreams. While she’s especially known for her strength in melodrama, she’s also proven her range in other genres through films like Cold Eyes and Beauty Inside. In Only You, she took on her first role portraying a character losing her sight — another new challenge for her.
Both actors brought something different from their usual work to this film, which makes it worth watching closely if you’re a fan of either of them.
The Story
Cheol-min (Sojiseob) walked away from the boxing ring because of a dark chapter in his past, and now lives a life far removed from anything flashy. He manages a parking lot by day, delivers bottled water by night, and drifts through his days quietly, without much attachment to anyone or anything. Into that closed-off life comes Jeong-hwa (Han Hyojoo).
Jeong-hwa is gradually losing her eyesight. But you’d hardly know it from how she carries herself — bright, spirited, living each day fully in her own way. Her ability to keep smiling even as the world around her grows darker slowly starts to crack open Cheol-min’s guarded heart, and the two of them drift closer, almost without meaning to.
The closer Cheol-min gets to Jeong-hwa, the more he wants to become some kind of light for her as her world keeps fading. Eventually, he makes the decision to step back into the ring he’d walked away from, taking on real risk for her sake, again and again. Exactly how their relationship deepens from there — and what it ends up costing — is something I’d genuinely recommend watching for yourself.
What Makes This Film Stand Out
What’s impossible to talk about this movie without mentioning is just how fully both actors committed to their roles. Sojiseob reportedly trained in boxing for about a month to prepare for his role as a boxer, and Han Hyojoo took on a visually impaired character for the first time in her career. Both actors showed a different side of themselves here than what audiences had seen before, which makes it especially worth watching if you’re already a fan of either of them.
When it was selected as BIFF’s opening film, it reportedly earned praise for its “unconventional directing style and restrained aesthetic.” Given how easily this kind of material can slide into melodrama, the fact that it was handled with such restraint is probably a big part of why it’s still remembered so fondly.
For reference, it’s currently available to stream on Netflix, so if you’re curious, it’s easy enough to look up right now.
The Ending (Spoilers Ahead)
Everything from here on includes the ending, so if you haven’t seen it yet, I’d recommend skipping this section.
For Jeong-hwa’s sake, as she continues losing her sight, Cheol-min steps back into a dangerous, unsanctioned boxing match. He takes on serious injuries to cover her surgery costs, and quietly walks away from her side without ever telling her what he did. Time passes, Jeong-hwa regains her sight, and on a rainy street, she runs into Cheol-min again by chance. The film closes on the two of them holding hands, in a warm, quiet reunion.
It’s a bittersweet ending, but one that leaves you with real warmth by the end — the kind of film that stays with you for a while after the credits roll.
Wrapping Up
Only You has been described by both audiences and critics as “a sad but beautiful pure love story.” Going back through the plot after all this time made me want to watch it again from the start. If you’re in the mood for a proper, heartfelt melodrama, this is one I’d genuinely recommend.