I will forever be in love with 20th Century Girl.
What Is 20th Century Girl About?
This heartfelt Korean coming-of-age film is set at the turn of the millennium and is about two friends who fall in love with the same boy.
20th Century Girl follows our main protagonist is Na Bo-ra (played by Kim Yoo-jung), a bright and loyal high schooler.
She has a best friend named Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo), who is preparing to fly to the United States for a serious heart surgery.
Yeon-du eventually goes on to tell Bo-ra that she has a crush on a classmate named Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo).
Hopeing to help her friend Bo-ra promises to watch over him and report back every detail via email, and even joins the school’s broadcasting club to get closer to Hyun-jin.
But she ends up spending more time with his best friend, Poong Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok), and as she gathers information for Yeon-du, Bo-ra starts falling for Woon-ho instead, though it takes her a while to admit it.
But things become even messier when Hyun-jin wrongly believes Bo-ra likes him and confesses his feelings.
Is 20th Century Girl Worth Watching?
Yes, yes, and yes. 20th Century Girl is one of those rare films that truly made me emotional and reflect on life, and how short it can be.
The film touches on important themes like first love, and it captures all the highs and lows of adolescence.
Kim Yoo-jung gives a standout performance as Bo-ra, who is funny, emotional, and relatable.
Byeon Woo-seok does a great job at playing Woon-ho, a sweet guy who makes it impossible not to fall in love with him.
And the chemistry between the two is just so magical and even the supporting characters, like Yeon-du and Hyun-jin, are memorable and important to the story.
What also sets this movie apart is the way it deals with emotions—there’s no melodrama for the sake of it. The tears come naturally, and so do the laughs.
The cinematography is stunning too. The rich, saturated colors give the film a dream-like quality, while the little details—from school uniforms to old-fashioned video stores—bring the late ’90s aesthetic to life.
In short, 20th Century Girl is more than worth watching.
It’s the kind of film that makes you remember your own teenage years, your own first love, or even just the friends who were always there for you.
If you’re in the mood for something nostalgic and beautiful, this one’s a must-watch. Just make sure you have tissues nearby—you’ll probably need them.
Rating
Where you’ve seen Byeon Woo-seok….Byeon Woo-seok is a cherished South Korean actor.
He gained fame for his roles in popular dramas like Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Record of Youth and more recently, Lovely Runner.
Where you’ve seen Kim Yoo-jung….Kim Yoo-jung is a popular South Korean actress known for her early success as a child star and her standout roles in dramas like Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (2016) and Love in the Moonlight (2016).
As she progressed in her acting career, she continued to impress in series such as Backstreet Rookie (2020) and Clean with Passion for Now (2018), and the film 20th Century Girl (2022).