Nevertheless highlights the best moments of being young and foolishly in love.
It appears to traverse not just the blissful parts, but the bittersweet ones.
More so, it captures the uncertainty and inadvertent mistakes people often overlook which are warning signs that the relationship is bound to be doomed.
Han So Hee and Song Kang literally ignited the premiere episode of their new series with ample passion.
The fiery gazes and subdued but addicting flirtation literally goes straight to our senses from our Netflix screen.
Let’s hope we frolic for some more in the next nine episodes.
Opening Week Rating: 
Episode Recaps: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | Finale + Review
Nevertheless Opening Week Story
“Love. It gets trampled on and helplessly melts away. It’s nothing. My relationship ended like that too.”
Art student Yu Nabi discovers the heartbreaking truth that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. It’s not at all fair because she practically lives with her life decisions needed to be consulted first with her cheater boyfriend.
She was even once chided for not consulting on painting her nails but he did not inform her when she became the inspiration to his artwork of a woman in a frenzied erotic state and position.
“It’s silly, but the moment our eyes met… the pain of the breakup that had been weighing down on me just a minute ago… melted away like snow.”
When she confirmed how she wasted her life and love to him, she wallows alone at a bar to heal her broken heart.
Just then a handsome guy with a butterfly tattoo on his nape approached and mistook her to be his date. Sparks fly between them, and they end up enjoying each other’s company.
However, coming from the restroom, she overhears his coquettish conversation with someone, and she realized she just met another guy that is bad for her heart.
“I don’t believe in fate or love anymore. But this situation, it’s pretty unrealistic.”
Meeting someone who drew an instant attraction is rare. Baffled at how she thinks she’s seeing the guy at the campus, Nabi got the surprise of her life when she meets the man who’s been haunting her thoughts again.
It turns out that he is her junior although they are of the same age. She finally learns of his name to be Park Jae-eon.
While gravitating to Jae-eon, Nabi is aware that he knows his effect on the opposite sex. She knows that he likes being in the company of women.
Coming from a nightmare relationship, Jae-eon is obviously bad news to her still frail heart. But she lets herself overthink her subtle teasings.
She knows she’s being lured like a butterfly to sweet nectar that is dangerously addictive.
“He’s different from the first impression I had of him. I wanted to believe that only I knew this side of him.”
Nabi’s friend Bit-na has seen through her newfound fascination. It is dangerously escalating to a level that is not ideally encouraged.
When Nabi took a chance of accidentally bumping with Jae-eon, the love deities must have seen her intention and gladly gave it.
Spending time alone pretending they’re doing their artwork, they go for a walk and sit on a bench to enjoy each other’s company on a beautiful spring night.
“It feels like something new is about to begin. I’m probably not mistaken.”
Feeling the mood to take advances, Jae-eon attempts to cross Nabi’s wall. But she mustered her strength well to evade it.
However, he makes his second attempt, and it looks like her defense is melting away, betraying her.
Nevertheless Episode 1 Musings
I won’t judge Nabi for succumbing to Jae-eon’s temptation easily. To say it bluntly, Song Kang has perfectly created Jae-eon’s appeal to channel that guy any girl would willingly explore intimacy with. The same guy that our mothers warned us about not to date. *chuckles
Han So Hee and Song Kang are both fantastic in the first episode. They perfectly captured the awkwardness of the mutual attraction they struggle to verbalize. Interestingly, their actions speak of just going mindless about it to quell the raging fire.
Director Kim emphasized the heartfelt and genuine romance of young people to be the drawing point of the series at the recent press conference. We couldn’t be happier to how Nevertheless is shaping up to follow that route.
The first serving of Nevertheless would hit home to any viewer with fond and tormenting campus romance memory. It did to me that I immediately bought coins so I can read the webtoon to aid me in the succeeding recaps. *wink Seriously, I’m partly blaming the mesmerizing enticement of the lead pair in the story.
A Brave Depiction of Real Youth Romance
Reality speaking, the majority of us experienced the same love predicaments of Nabi and Jae-eon. We can empathize with Nabi’s inhibition since she endured a breakup that is so not worth it.
Conventionally, Jae-eon’s serial no-label attachment is not the best possible relationship we should aspire to. But the soaring divorce rate supports the idea of how utter commitment has since evolved to a hard-to-achieve and cruel reality.
Giving off an indie vibe, the music and smart quips from the characters further brought out the flavor of the narrative. Thank heavens, we now have a school-set drama featuring students with unfiltered life and love problems.
In a single deafening instant, life changes for both Nabi and Jae-eon. Will they find a way to compromise when their love perspectives totally run on different courses? Or will they enjoy the moment while it lasts?
I rarely score 5 stars in the premiere week, but Nevertheless really deserves it.
Don’t miss streaming Nevertheless on Netflix every Sunday at midnight PHT.
Photos: Netflix | JTBC
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