Woori the Virgin conveys generational trauma, single motherhood, and social stigma in a light-hearted way.
The Korean remake of the American telenovela Jane the Virgin. Oh Woo-ri is a 29-year-old virgin who took a vow of sexual abstinence at the request of her grandmother. However, she winds up being pregnant after an artificial insemination mix-up.
- Main Cast: Im Soo Hyang | Sung Hoon | Shin Dong Wook
- Supporting Cast: Hong Ji Yoon | Hong Eun Hee | Yun Woon Kyung | Kim Soo Ro
- Romance/Addictive Meter:
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- Rewatch Value:
- Dramas of Similar Vibes: Oh My Baby | My Secret Romance
nezryn watched Woori the Virgin on Viu
Woori the Virgin Quick Plot Recap
Oh Woo-ri (Im Soo Hyang) is an assistant writer of a popular drama series. When she was 15 she vowed to remain a virgin until she marries.
She is dating the devoted homicide detective Lee Kang Jae (Shin Dong Wook). However, when she went to her OB-GYN clinic for her routine medical exam, a terrible mix-up takes place, and got accidentally artificially inseminated.
She then later discovers her pregnancy and demands the clinic gets to the bottom of the case.
Eventually, she found out that the donor whose child she is now with is none other than the CEO of the company sponsoring her drama.
The CEO is named Raphael (Sung Hoon), who is going through a messy divorce with his wife Lee Ma-ri (Hong Ji Yoon). Yet, his wife does not want to divorce him, primarily for financial reasons.
However, when Raphael found out that he is going to be a father, things got complicated, particularly after he realizes that there is a past connection that links him to Oh Woo-ri.
Woori the Virgin Series Highlights
Unpacking Generational Trauma
Oh Woo-ri’s decision to keep the baby rather than abort it stems from her own generational trauma. Throughout her teenage years, she has always felt she ruined her mother’s life by becoming pregnant with her when she was a teenager.
When her family found out she got pregnant after an artificial insemination accident, her mother was furious and encouraged her to get an abortion. As a result, her mother’s reaction to learning of her pregnancy felt as if old wounds had been reopened.
Moreover, her decision on keeping the baby was based on what her mother and grandmother’s generation had been through. This accurately described the difficulties of single motherhood and how unresolved childhood trauma influences life decisions.
Love Triangle Dilemma
If you’re a fan of a series where the female lead is stuck between two suitors, and in the end, she has to choose who will be the one for her, then you should add Woori the Virgin to your list.
The anticipation was heightened as Woori chose who she would marry. #TeamRaphael or #TeamKangJae.
#TeamKangJae. Woori’s longtime boyfriend, all throughout their relationship, respected Woori’s vow of abstinence and has always been patient and understanding towards Woori. However, because of the unexpected pregnancy incident, Woori decided to break up with him.
Along the way, Kang Jae realizes that he wants to marry her despite Woori’s situation and decides that he wants to start over with Woori, with that he decided to pursue Woori once again.
# TeamRaphael, Woori’s baby daddy. From the beginning, right before the artificial insemination incident, Woori and Raphael had met before.
Raphael was kind of a playboy before and after stealing Woori’s first kiss, they never met again. Later, they coincidentally encountered each other again for a production Woori is working for.
Moreover, after finding out he was going to be a father he did everything a first-time father would do. For that matter, Raphael who used to be a playboy chaebol subsequently showed his soft side that tugged Woori’s heartstrings.
This is your typical love triangle, with the female lead torn between two amazing and charming men. However, only one will triumph and end up living happily married. The series established the anticipation and frustration of what a love triangle feels like.
Lee Ma-ri’s Character Development
Blinded by her mother’s eagerness to milk the fortune of Diamond Medical Foundation to escape poverty, Mari’s character emerges the most throughout the series. Her dark and complex storyline stole the show.
Lee Ma-ri, also known as Lee Mal-ja, is a cunning, devious woman who is simply naive and childish at the very worst. Her teenage tantrums and meltdowns are amusing to watch. She does, however, have one of the most compelling character developments.
In the last few episodes, her remorse and regret, as well as her attempts to repair relationships, made her character appear even more interesting. It shows that she only did all of those things because she was driven by her mother and was deprived of a family’s love.
Woori the Virgin Series Musings
Woori the Virgin is a Korean remake of the American television series “Jane the Virgin” and has somehow succeeded in delivering a meaningful series in a humorous way.
The series light-heartedly unfolds emotional events. With that, every episode becomes more interesting. The actors’ portrayal of their characters, particularly Im Soo Hyang’s adorable and graceful portrayal of Oh Woo-ri, can be commended.
Plentiful lessons and remarkable lines can be taken away from this series. As it conveys relatable situations in life.
Apart from that, the series did not just focus on one storyline which made the series more interesting. Particularly, it included Woori’s parents’ storyline. It is adorable how they got their second chance at their relationship which they took long enough to have because they have been considering Woori’s feelings.
Moreover, the story’s dark plot revolved around the search for Chairman Kim, on which honestly the entire series was centered. The series is expected to center on Woori’s unexpected pregnancy and love triangle dilemma. However, the narrative took its own spin and appears to add a little bit of action.
Illustrating What Unconventional Family Is *Spoiler Alert!
We couldn’t decide between Raphael and Kang Jae. Raphael was expected to be Woori’s endgame because he is the father of Woori’s child. However, it appears that she ended up choosing Kang Jae.
However, it’s a good thing that the plot of this series went with Woori choosing Kang Jae because it made the story less predictable. Although there were hints that Woori would choose Kang Jae, and eventually she did.
Raphael and Woori did not end up together, but they maintained a mature relationship and healthy communication while co-parenting Ri-woo conveys what an unconventional family is.
It is somewhat disappointing that Woori and Raphael did not end up together because they have good chemistry, and the fact that Raphael can not have another child was quite sad.
Above all, the series was commendable. The most important takeaway from Woori the Virgin is owning up to our convictions means battling the pressure of other people’s opinions.
On that note, we should live our life with our own choices. If possible, we choose the battles that only directly involve us. Woori braved the odds of her choices with her family and close circle supporting her. Our personal relationships need not be perfect and complete as society says.
International fans can watch Woori the Virgin on Viu.
K-Drama First Look: “Woori the Virgin” Cruises On A Woman’s Journey of Assessing Her Purpose
Photos: SBS | Viu
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