5.
Uncontrollably Fond We can’t go mentioning tragic endings without
‘Uncontrollably Fond’, because right on episode 1, this drama had revealed a male
lead who is suffering from an incurable disease.
Shin Joon Young is a top singer and actor who just learnt that he only has 1 year left
to live.
Frustrated and pained, he threw a tantrum and started to think about his first love.
And thus, we are introduced to the female lead Noh Eul, who used to always fight for
justice in her student days.
However, after her father passed away in a hit-and-run, she struggled to pay debts had
grown to become much more practical.
Joon Young and Noh Eul are finally reunited when she is asked to film a documentary surrounding
him.
And of course, like most K-dramas out there, they started to fall in love.
As sweet as their moments are, Joon Young gets worse day by day, and he starts to forget
about everything - about his mother, about Noh Eul, and even about himself.
A scene where Joon Young did not recognize his mother until he tastes her food has brought
the audience to tears, making them question why fate had to be this cruel.
And at the end of this series, there’s no miracle: Joon Young was never cured.
One evening, he leaned on Noh Eul’s shoulder to sleep, and drifted off to eternity.
He left behind a moving video, filmed after the illness was discovered.
“When you find this and watch the video, am I still alive?
And my love Eul, how is she living now?”
Still remembering him and working the career she loves, No Eul was seen kissing a poster
of her deceased love as the drama closes.
“See you tomorrow, Joon Young ah.”
4.
Hotel Del Luna As with other dramas on this list, there’s
also no happily ever after for our female lead Man Wol.
At the start of the series, we are introduced to a mysterious hotel that caters to ghosts,
and leading it is the charming Jang Man Wol, who, due to sins committed in the past, had
been cursed to linger for over a thousand years.
She’s cold, cynical, and materialistic to the tee.
And among her many staff ghosts is a sole human who works as the manager.
As the 99th manager, our male lead Goo Chan Sung is tasked with making Man Wol move on.
Throughout his time working at Hotel Del Luna, he learned of Man Wol and the staff’s pasts,
and set out to right them and clear their remorse.
Unfortunately, resolving these regrets also means letting Chan Sung’s newly found family
move on.
And one by one, the staff started to leave for afterlife, the hotel faded out of existence,
all traces of these people vanished, leaving nothing but the memories in Chan Sung’s
heart.
Even the supporting couple between the hotel intern Yoo Na and receptionist Hyun Joong
ends tragically as Hyun Joong passes and Yoo Na has to let him go, wishing he will be happy
in his next life.
Her future is still long-lasting, and thus she cannot follow him.
And while Chan Sung is reunited with another version of Man Wol at the end, the ending
is by no means less tear-jerking.
3.
The smile has left your eyes Next in the list is ‘The smile has left
your eyes’ - a series heartbreaking from start to end, with a closure that’s more
a stab in the heart.
The story revolves around Kim Moo Young, who is a borderline sociopath and thus cannot
feel like normal humans do.
When he meets the female lead Jin Kang, he asks her to teach him how to feel, how to
be human, and slowly but surely, they fall in love.
But the course of this series is a terrible rocky path.
Jin Kang’s older brother Jin Kook, believes that Moo Young is involved in a past suicide
patch - one he believed to be a murder in disguise.
He is thus furious to see his sister getting affiliated with a man he always considered
“the bad guy.”
Overcoming all these hardships, and yet what welcomes our two leads at the end is not a
happy ending but death.
Moo Young accidentally killed a person over a misunderstanding, and thinking that he can
be no good man, had tried to take his own life.
Meanwhile, after learning of her past, Jin Kang rushed to find Moo Young.
She begs him to live, saying that she will follow if he departs, and upon these worlds,
Moo Young cracks, admitting he never wants to die.
But suddenly, guns were fired, Jin Kang was shot as she covers for her love, and Moo Young
fails soon after.
Declaring their love for each other, both passed away, hands reaching out for a final
touch.
Tragic as it is, this finale was actually a brighter one compared to the Japanese original.
Moo Young and Jin Kang were supposed to be siblings, but the producers probably decided
that this closure was heart-wrenching enough.
2.
Mr. Sunshine Unrivaled as the best K-drama of 2018, Mr.
Sunshine was a stunning work of art that integrated political drama, era turmoil, as well as a
tragic love story.
Following 5 main characters from different classes and assume different identities, a
common point has brought them all together.
They all share the same love for their nation, and try to fight for their friends, families,
and Joseon.
But in the end, period dramas never have a happy ending, and four out five had lost their
lives as the series reached its end.
First off, we have the mysterious Kudo Hina, who owns Glory Hotel.
She had a painful past and is always devoted to Joseon, and thus had tried to blow up her
own hotel to wipe out Japanese soldiers that was the core to her tragedy.
She succeeded, but as her wounds were too severe, had taken her last breath in the arms
of Go Dong Mae - the man she loves.
But Dong Mae, along with enemies-turned-friends Eugene and Hee Sung, all have eyes for another
woman - Lady Ae Shin.
They strive to protect both her and the country in their heart.
Unfortunately, none of them make it to the end.
Dong Mae died while holding against multiple enemies, seriously wounded, and Hee Sung was
tortured to demise by the Japanese when he refused to reveal the whereabouts of his beloved.
Even Eugene received multiple shots to the back when trying to protect his love.
As the sole survivor, Lady Ae Shin continues to train, trying to form crews to seek venange
as well as liberate her nation Korea.
1.
Moon Lovers You are probably not surprised to see Moon
Lovers at the end of this list, and that’s because its ending was just heartbreaking
all throughout.
None of the characters was happy in the end, and as the audience, we were all left heartbroken.
The female lead Hae Soo is a mischievous girl from the 21st century.
However, after time-travelling into the past, she slowly loses her innocence and has to
learn to be cunning to survive in the turbulent palace.
The death count in ‘Moon Lovers’ was no less than shocking.
It starts with minor characters, to Hae Soo’s friends, and in the end, no one is left content.
The beautiful and romantic relationship between 13th Prince Baek Ah and previous princess
Woo Hee ended with her throwing herself off a castle wall, and he was left devastated,
leaving to become a wandering musician.
The brighter romance of 10th Prince Wang Eun and female general Seon Duk also ended with
the two leaving the world, harmed by various soldiers and unable to touch for the very
last time.
Even the main couple of 4th Prince Wang So and Hae Soo could not even on a happy note.
Wang So had to get married to secure his throne, while Hae Soo, unable to stand this, married
the 14th Prince - a close friend of hers.
In the end, Hae Soo’s health worsened after she gave birth to Wang So’s child.
She sends multiple letters to the palace, only to be ignored.
Wang Soo was only left with her ashes, and forever stayed alone in his large castle.
And even when Hae Soo returns to the future, she can’t forget all the things she has
been through.
Now, she can only look at Wang So in paintings and records, crying as she thinks: “I’m
sorry for leaving you alone.”
. A happy ending may be good, but a sad ending
makes a series all the more impactful.
Or at least, that’s the case for these tear-jerking K-dramas.
Do you know of any other sad endings?
Were they to your liking?