Genre romance | Author | |
Soonjung Manhwa (Hangul: 순정만화; RR: Sunjeong Manhwa; lit. "Pure/Romantic Comic" or the Korean version of shōjo manga; internationally, it is also known under the titles Love Story and Crush On You) is a webtoon by Kang Full. It became a hit sensation, building up an enthusiastic netizen audience and drawing in more than 60 million page views on web portal Daum. The story revolves around two unconventional romances with a noticeable age disparity. It was adapted into the live action movie Hello, Schoolgirl.
Contents
Characters
A shy, 30-year-old civil servant who moves to an apartment next door to Soo-young. Yeon-woo lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his grandparents and relatives. Having been on unsuccessful blind dates with various women, he befriends Soo-young after she threw garbage on him near a dustbin while she was on her way to school. Their relationship grows closer, but Yeon-woo struggles against his feelings for Soo-young. In the end he and Soo-young both confess that they love each other.
An 18-year-old high school student. The cheerful but fiery young woman lives with her mother since her father left them when Soo-young was young; her mother spoils her like a princess. When she and best friend Da-jung run into him on the train, she asks Yeon-woo to give her his tie, and that cements their friendship. In college, she almost dates Kang Sook, but she can't get over Yeon-woo.
A 22-year-old high school graduate, and Yeon-woo's colleague. He falls for Ha-kyung after they meet at a park. They begin dating after a while, and she's shocked when Sook kisses her. But he doesn't know about her scars from the past. He goes off to fulfill his mandatory military service and returns a changed man.
A 29-year-old melancholy photographer. She is still in mourning over her boyfriend's death. At first she doesn't return Sook's feelings, but soon sees him in a new light.
Soo-young's best friend who thinks Kang Sook is Soo-young's boyfriend.
Ha-kyung's boyfriend who was a photographer and died as a soldier.
Soo-young's mother, an eccentric woman who raised her daughter singlehandedly after her husband left them some years ago. She is shocked when she sees Soo-young and Yeon-woo holding hands. She is also troubled that Yeon-woo is an orphan.
An elderly couple who work at a laundromat. They lost their only son two years ago, and his girlfriend Ha-kyung has visited them many times since. Yeon-woo is a frequent customer, and Kyu-chul's mother gives him her Kyu-chul's clothes, but her husband doesn't want Yeon-woo to replace his late son.
Film adaptation
In November 2008, Love Story was adapted into a feature-length film titled Hello, Schoolgirl. Directed by Ryu Jang-ha, the film deviates a lot from its source material, but keeps the webtoon's main themes intact. The film was a financial success on release, topping the box office on its first weekend.