Lee Doo Na! (2023)

Doona is a very pretty girl down stairs!

When Doona came on screen, she looked and appear to be like a kpop star,
my eyes were so glued to the tele and absorbed her beauty. What I was expecting
is not what I got but I still enjoyed it. I don't think I have ever watched a kpop Idol
Drama like this as they usually showcase the Idol performing a couple times.
In this case, Doona stopped performing while onstage with the group Dream Sweet
and her manager sent her away to stay low until further noticed as she cause some back
lash with the group and herself. They did not show any deep back story into what
happened but in a nutshell, Doona did not want to sing anymore without explaining
what was wrong with her.

At the house where pretty Doona lives downstairs, Won Joon moved in upstairs.
His friend from high school Yoon Taek also live at the house and that is how Won Joon
ended up living there. First Doona thought Won Joon was her anti fan as he recognized her
the day he moved in and was wearing merch sweater but he got it from his best friend Su Jin,
is a super fan of Dream Sweet and bias is Doona. Every day Won Joon woke up he saw Doona
looking at him, they became friends after a while then Doona started to follow Won Joon around.

Won Joon high school crush started attending the same University and they started hanging out
again. What wasn't clear was that Doona was falling for Won Joon but she was giving him dating advise
how to find out if Jin Joo was into him. But Doona was in fact falling for Won Joon. She made the first
move on him and he felt butterfly from their first kiss but he did not react the way Doona was hoping as
Won Joon doesn't kiss his friend. Their 2nd kiss was the best ( same as on poster when they were outside)
They came clear about their feelings and started dating, but it was long after their romance came to a holt as
Doona's Manager Park In Wook appeared. He advised her to do a comeback just as Doona but she will have
to break up with Won Joon.

Doona did not want to break up but she was kept away from Won Joon with no phone contact.
They met and Doona said if he went to MS after graduation and after 2 yrs they could go public with
their relationship. Won Joon was not confident at the time as he saw himself as a nobody so he decided
to break up with Doona. Won Joon focused on his studies went to MS. They met again at the reunion
dinner at the house. Doona really missed Won Joon alot. He did tell her he missed her too.

In the ending it wasn't clear if they got back together but the hugged and you see both of the in Japan
missed each other in going opposite direction on their separate business. Doona looked back to see
Won Joon but he did not see her. So in a way you can say they started dating again but still was not
fully revealed. When you are watching, do not miss any of the flashbacks scenes or preview scenes
as they are also the answer to how the story concluded.

Overall I gave this a firm 9.5 ratings. No one pissed me off lol. Also loved the Cinematography, very
detailed and show exactly what we need to see. I binged watched it in one go!!!

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Kpop exploitation explored.

NB If you choose this drama because it has a comedy genre I think this is misleading. This is not a fluffy romance. It explores the very unhealthy actions of the victim rescuer dynamic.

This drama highlights what happens when a young girl, who due to earlier neglect by her money grasping mother, decides to become an idol. She is groomed by her manager and eventually becomes a money making product. Along the way she begins to experience crippling anxiety. This is conveniently ignored by her manager until during a concert she collapses. He then bundles her off to live in an apartment that is part of a shared household.

An insight Doona gets later in the story is that the managers deliberate ghosting of her during this mental breakdown is to force her to suffer loneliness and isolation and drive her back under his control.

FL Doona is an emotional red flag mess.
she has no close friends, anger issues, abandonment issues and severe anxiety and depression. She acts out aggression in very inappropriate ways (using glass bottles as a weapon) and has never experienced love.
ML Won Joon enters the story as a student studying for his engineering degree who moves into the share house to be closer to college. He has left behind his single parent mother and a chronically ill younger sister. He has also had an unrequited love with a former childhood female Jin Joo whom he perceived to be out of his league due to her families wealth.

The story depicts the initial misunderstandings and then eventual curiosity and attraction between the two leads. Both actors represent their characters excellently.

The ending is left open for us to choose what happens next and this is very suitable after all the angst each character has faced in this relationship.

One thing I felt was that these two people needed to meet to help each of them to grow and heal. Both show more maturity and better boundaries in the end.

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The latest South Korean drama helmed by the man behind epic love tales "Romance is a bonus book" or "crash landing on you", this story is an elusive reminder that not all love stories are destined for happy ending. An unconventional tale of love has an undeniable charm of its own.


Doon (aka Suzy Bae) appears at the opening scene with lots of applaud ad cheering and soon loops into water. The opening scene does not take time to plunge into the deep sorrow and impending loneliness that has been eating the shining star. Enters Woon Jun, a civil engineering student who does not seem to be bothered by her presence. He harbors a long crush for her childhood friend Jin Joo. Life would have been so easy if Won Joon and Jin Joo had confessed their feelings in time but we all know destiny always had a cruel plan in its sleeve.

Yang Se-jong portrayal of shy yet caring and determined lover- Woon Joon is like the melted butter we need on hot chips like Doona. She is eccentric, vulnerable and highly selfish. But there is a little child inside who is seeking a warm hug fir herself. You can scold her but cannot hate her. The brief kiss at the beginning which put the loner hearts at turmoil to steamy romance which deciphers desires of two young hearts touch today's love chords. We fall in love quick this days, but scares to live in it.

Jin Ju and Woon Joon reminds us how failing to understand what we want makes us lose the person we want most. The warmth that friendship shared throughout is something to be envious of. The vivacious Choi I-ra, one lovely piece of Woon Joon's childhood, her cute banter with other two house mates -Yun Tae and Jeong Hoon gives the much needed break needed in this poignant tale.

If you are looking for a mush romance, then this is not your room. Its a far away tale from Cinderella romance or "celebrity" set up. It is a reality check of hard life which even million heart winner celebrities faces.

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A very short, compact and interesting story. Pretty good.

What I say here may be considered a spoiler to some, so read at your own risk : this drama is an open-ended drama, meaning it's up to your interpretation as to what happens at the end of it.
It's a very short drama, but compact with tons of messed up emotions, romance, love triangles, and dilemmas that the characters experience throughout the whole show.

STORY: They did manage to squeeze the main characters stories into 9 short episodes, which is good, and was quite different from normal dramas which made it quite interesting. The sad part is that there wasn't enough room to discover any of the other characters stories (you could say Jin Joo, but that was only surface level plot that was revealed for her), which would have pulled a lot of people in.

ACTING: I liked Won Joon's crying scenes, you could feel the emotion coming off the screen. Great job. Other than that, the acting was fine, nothing much to discuss here.

Would I watch it again? — It does have rewatch potential, because many people analyze and read into the scenes, openings and create different unique stories as to what actually happened in the show. It's quite short, so you wouldn't be losing much time. To go back to the question, no, I personally would not watch it again for the sole reason that I do not like these types of endings and find them stupid. You can't decide whether to make it sad or not sad, so you leave it to the audience, not my cup of tea at all.

Would I recommend it? — If you are against open-ended dramas, don't watch it. You will be disappointed and sad that you didn't get to see a real ending. If you don't mind them or enjoy them even, I would definitely recommend it.

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I liked it

I have rarely seen the ratings so varied as they are here for Doona! Reading through the reviews, the bad ratings probably come mainly from young and immature critics who didn't understand the ending (although you can watch a scene multiple times on Netflix) and who wanted the story to develop as they wished. Then we have a lot of psychologists among the viewers and those who can't step outside of their culture. Anyway - I liked Doona! and I liked Bae Suzy's restrained acting, she gave many scenes a deeper meaning with her facial expressions. I was actually prejudiced about seeing another drama with her after the really, really bad "Start-up". But she managed the broken character quite well!

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After only one episode, I said enough!

I understood right away after one episode that she was a manipulative pervers narcissist!!
The guy is a naive guy who never had a relationship.
He's kind, but weak.

Even if she has a past, whatever it is, it's a broken ego, that needs to vampirize someone in order to live. To suck the life out of someone. That's the pattern in all MPN!!
They are all acting the same way. They are calculators, manipulators, mean, delight in making others suffers and I know that's what was going to happen in this serie!
And, I don't want to watch that kind of thing.
I'm not masochistic.
Having been in two relationships with MPN, I recognize them right away and watching this kind of things reminds me of the past.
NO THANKS!!

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Doona is the crazy girl no man can avoid falling in love

Great k-drama. First of all the visuals. This kind of nostalgia in the photography perfectually suits the 20-21 years old protagonists. An era when everything is possibile and you are still experiencing the first love, first job, you think what you gonna do with your life etc. A style similar to "Video Games" by Lana del Rey or "Hurt" by New Jeans videos. Simply amazing.

Then Doona. Doona is the kind of crazy girl no man can avoid to fall in love with. She's just amazing. Funny, sexy, smart and talented. It's sad also when you realize that this firework girl is taking you away from the "wife style " girl you always liked, but you cannot do anything about it. The last episodes lose a little bit of spark and become more cliché. The end should have been clear about the fact that the relationship ended, as it should have been in the reality. Instead it seems they still meet each other which is highly unrealistic. If you are a normal guy, engineering student, Doona can only be the love story of your youth, the one you think about when you go watching your son football game on sundays.

Doona is made to be a star, Won-jun helped her find herself again in a time of crisis. In the end she is sad because he disappeared when she started to be ok. But disappearing is the only thing Won-jun could do after Doona recovered, as she is made to shine alone in the life.

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A Short but Unforgettable Journey into the Heart of Fame and Love

"Doona!" is a K-Drama that deeply moved me. From the very beginning, it pulled me into a whirlwind of emotions I haven't felt in a long time while watching a series. The character of Doona, with whom I could personally relate, is one of the most important aspects of this production. It's rare to see a lead female character with such a complex personality – strong yet full of inner turmoil. With each episode, I understood her choices, pains, and joys more and more.

What I truly appreciated about "Doona!" is the way it portrays the world of K-pop idols from a less-known perspective. The series reminds us that life in the spotlight isn't always as glamorous as it seems. More and more stars in show business struggle with depression and other mental health issues, and "Doona!" shows this honestly and without sugar-coating. It's not just a story about love but also about the cost of fame, pressure, and loneliness.

The ending? Well, it didn't meet my expectations. Instead of satisfaction, it left me with a sense of emptiness and sadness. Perhaps because I grew so attached to the main characters, it was hard for me to accept how things turned out. Sometimes love isn't enough to overcome everything – and what "Doona!" reveals hurts but also fascinates.

I understand why this drama might not appeal to everyone. I, too, had mixed feelings while watching, but for me, it was worth it. It's a story that stays with you for a long time, even though it consists of only a few episodes. It’s short yet intense, and although I feel sad that it ended so quickly, I know it left a lasting impression on me.

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A very genuine introspection into the life of a K-pop idol

This is an artistic series, not a crowd pleaser. The characters are very well defined, however, the most impressive part is the psychology of the K-pop idol. This is not a "famous girl and ordinary boy" story. The series tries to make everyone understand what the difficulties of being a k-pop (or k-drama actor/actress, whatsoever) star in plenty of cases really are. I loved the miniseries to bits. It fits perfectly to my idea of romanticism as well as the idea of realism. To be a star, in all languages and on all meridians doesn't mean necessarily happiness. It may; but it may not. I am from Canada, but I really appreciate k-dramas. However, watching the weddings of some k-stars (Jang Na-Ra, Kang So-Ra, for example) and the fact that the non-celebrity spouse's face is hidden, as well as the most of them cannot really have girlfriends/boyfriends while young and working in this business, made me think a lot about the traumatizing life of idols. The movie is nice, but also realistic, doesn't matter what the others say. Plenty of people will complain about the ending :)) There is no other real possible ending! I strongly recommend it! It's beautiful, romantic and realistic.

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More enjoyable for male then female in my opinion

Doona ,Doona ,Doona; The toxic girl that every men can't resist.


(First of all im not english and this is my first review, so be kind with me)

I write this review because i know why people put some bad overall review of this show and im here to bring so light to someone who would want something different from their usuall fairytales drama.

VERY IMPORTANT POINT : i've watched the anime of doona who is called the girl downstairs and cry near the last episode. So i was aware of what's was going to happen but they add a lot of differences so i wasn't spoil. Also doona have a manwha who is longer and have different ending (yeah they have 3 different ending for each media , the best one is the anime one )

So i kind of already like the story before even watching the drame, but i was shock by the quality of the acting in this drama. The chemesty between the two lead was awesome. the way they bring the romance was very realistic near the end of ep 1 (as a male) i had a little crush on doona playfull and teasing personnality (bae suzy is such a good actress)

the ost in this drama fit well the overall aesthetic of the drama with 3 ost that stand out ( "full moon" still could make me cry) the "opening" ost also fit very well the drama. Finally "rain and the bicycle" bring joy in my life to this day

also i think you would enjoy more this drama as male because for once it's on a male pov and all my male friend agreed that doona toxicity make them want to pursue her lol.


Now come the part on why everybody gave bad review to this drama.without spoiling the drama , near the end of drama the reality caught up on them and make their honeymoon bubble explode which was very emotional ( the subway scene :( ) everything end i a way that will definitely not satisfy your average drama watcher and leaving us with not a proper closure and question unanswered. But for me i loved that because it felt real sometime in life love isnt enough to be with someone. and the ending doesnt say no or yes to the question it just leave you their to imagine what happen.

i know the majority of people forgot everything that happen before the ending because of that and gave it bad review but an ending that doesnt satisfy you doesnt mean that the show is bad.

So this very mature drama was breath of fresh air in the kdrama fairytales that was very welcoming i think i like more this type of drama then the fairytales happy ending with mariage drama. but i wouldn't say i didn't like it more because i've watched the anime , because i did especially for the development of the second girl who for me is done way better in the anime.
thank you for reading!!!

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