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‘Nevertheless’: Han So-hee and Song Kang Turn Friends-With-Benefits Into A Solid Slow Burn

A tale of two souls who refuse to believe in love, yet find themselves drawn together across ten episodes.

By mitch·3 min read
Two figures sit near one another upon a high balcony, gazing into the setting sun.

“Nevertheless” is a drama about two people who refuse to believe in love, and it spends ten episodes trying to change their minds. The series follows Yoo Na-bi, played by Han So-hee, a woman who has stopped trusting love after a bad relationship. She meets Park Jae-eon, played by Song Kang, a man who treats love as a game. Together they start a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but neither of them expects it to lead anywhere.

Trailer, via Netflix K-Content.

The Premise

Na-bi and Jae-eon meet through mutual friends. Na-bi is guarded and bitter about love. Jae-eon is charming and playful, but he avoids commitment. The show sets up their dynamic as a slow burn. Their arrangement is supposed to be casual, but both characters keep pushing against it.

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The Cast

Han So-hee plays Na-bi with a sharp, wounded energy. Song Kang brings a confident, teasing charm to Jae-eon. The supporting cast includes Chae Jong-hyeop as Yang Do-hyeok, Lee Yul-eum as Yoon Seol-a, and Yang Hye-ji as Oh Bit-na. The chemistry between the leads carries the series.

The Webtoon Roots

“Nevertheless” is based on a popular webtoon of the same name, first published on Naver Webtoon. The series stays faithful to that source material, which explains why the story feels familiar to anyone who has followed the original online comic.

The Broadcast Schedule

Date Episode
2021-06-19 1
2021-06-26 2
2021-07-03 3
2021-07-10 4
2021-07-17 5
2021-07-24 6
2021-07-31 7
2021-08-07 8
2021-08-14 9
2021-08-21 10

Each episode aired on JTBC on Saturdays at 23:00 (KST) and was released on Netflix afterward.

The Romance

The show takes its time getting to the emotional payoff. Na-bi and Jae-eon dance around their feelings for several episodes before they admit what is happening. That patience pays off in the final stretch, where the series lets the characters actually talk about what they want.

“An uncertain romance begins between Yoo Na-bi, a heartbroken woman who no longer believes in love, and Park Jae-eon, a flirtatious man who does not want to commit to a relationship, but gradually starts to fall in love with Na-Bi.”

The Verdict

“Nevertheless” is a solid, if predictable, romantic drama. It does not reinvent the genre, but it executes its premise well. The leads sell the slow burn, and the show handles the transition from friends-with-benefits to something deeper with a fair amount of grace.

Where it stumbles is in its middle stretch. Some episodes feel like filler, padding out the inevitable ending. The supporting cast gets less to do, which keeps attention on the central couple.

The show also leans on its webtoon origins too heavily at times. Viewers familiar with the source material may find some scenes obvious, since the series follows the original’s beats closely.

The Score

“Nevertheless” earns a 7.3 out of 10. It is a competent, enjoyable watch that rewards viewers willing to sit through its slower middle chapters. The finale delivers on the promise the show sets up in its first few episodes, even if the journey there is not always smooth.

It is a safe bet for fans of Korean romantic dramas, but it does not break new ground. Still, the core pairing between Han So-hee and Song Kang is strong enough to justify the investment.

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