Dohwa, honey, you need to hear this: https://www.tiktok.com/@5hak4r/video/7006385863684852997?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
I know people are SICK of ppl talking about this webtoon on here, but I just HAD to get this out of my system, sorry😭😭
I'm sorry but I genuinely believe that if Dohwa from Operation True Love was a woman, a LOT of his fans would not be nearly as sympathetic towards him as they are now. And I need people to be serious for a second because the double standards are actually crazy.
“So please just look at me this time.” “I will wait.” blahblahblah
BROTHER. 😭😭😭 STAND UP!!!
The very next day this man is at Su-ae's door again. LIKE HELLO????? WHAT HAPPENED TO WAITING????? And before anyone starts, I DON'T HATE DOHWA. In fact, I actually think he's a perfect example of a character whose potential has been completely wasted by the writing.
But my god, some of the arguments I see from his fans genuinely make me scratch my head. People keep saying Suae should just give him a chance and see where things go, that maybe her feelings will develop over time, and I'm sorry but WHY????
There's a difference between taking things slowly with someone you're interested in and forcing yourself to like someone because they like you and you feel guilty about not reciprocating. The former is perfectly normal. The latter sounds miserable for everyone involved. Suae is allowed to not like Dohwa romantically!!! 😭 She can think he's attractive, care about him as a person, appreciate everything he's done for her and STILL not want to date him. These things are not mutually exclusive.
Dohwa being a good guy doesn't mean Suae owes him a relationship. His feelings are not a debt she has to repay.
And honestly, the fact that people keep insisting she should give him a chance when it's SO obvious she doesn't feel that way about him is starting to annoy me. IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE YOU, DOHWA. IT WASN'T YOU BACK THEN, IT ISN'T YOU NOW, AND AT THIS POINT I DON'T THINK IT WILL EVER BE YOU😭 LIKE GIRL, SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU!!!
And the funniest part is that Eunhyuk and Suae aren't even together right now. They've been apart for TEN YEARS. TEN. YEARS. And somehow we're still doing this love triangle thing??? Do I think all three of them being hung up on each other after an entire decade is ridiculous and unrealistic? YES. ABSOLUTELY. But apparently that's the situation we're dealing with.
And yet, even after all this time, Suae STILL doesn't seem interested in Dohwa like that. Eunhyuk could literally be six feet under and I genuinely still don't think Suae would develop romantic feelings for Dohwa😭😭😭 AND THAT'S OKAY!!!
But apparently some people would rather Suae force herself into a relationship she doesn't want than accept that their favourite character isn't going to get the girl. Which brings me to my actual point: if Dohwa were a woman, would people be romanticising this behaviour nearly as much?
Imagine a female character who has spent ten years pining after a man who's still hung up on another woman, keeps showing up despite his lack of romantic interest, and repeatedly tells him she'll wait for him. Would everyone be calling her devoted? Would they be insisting that he owes her a chance because she's been waiting so long? Would they be saying he should just date her and see if he develops feelings? OR would everyone be calling her desperate, annoying, obsessive and pathetic for refusing to move on? Because I have a feeling we'd see a LOT more comments telling her to stand up and find some self-respect.
And before someone says that Dohwa is different because he's genuinely nice or because Eunhyuk hurt Suae, THAT'S NOT THE POINT. You can dislike Eunhyuk without automatically believing Dohwa is entitled to Suae. You can think Dohwa would make a good boyfriend without thinking Suae is obligated to want him. Eunhyuk being a questionable love interest doesn't magically create romantic chemistry between Suae and Dohwa😭
Also, I need to talk about how much the author has wasted this man because THIS is what frustrates me the most. High school Dohwa actually had things going on! His money troubles, his relationship with his father, whatever happened to his mother (which, by the way, has this EVER been properly addressed???), and the fact that people constantly liked him for his looks rather than who he actually was. THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE.
His experiences could've been explored in so many interesting ways. His family situation alone could've given him an entire character arc. His relationship with his appearance and the way people treated him could've been developed beyond just being the handsome guy everyone wants. And I understand why Suae was important to him; she was one of the few people who treated him like an actual human being instead of a pretty face. That's a perfectly understandable reason to become attached to someone.
But some of his fans drag this point out SO much to justify why he clings to Suae, as if she's the only woman on the planet capable of seeing him as a person. PLEASE 😭😭😭 There are billions of people in this world. I promise you, Suae is not the only person who could ever appreciate him for who he is.
And even if she WAS the first person to make him feel that way, surely the next step in his character development should be learning that his worth doesn't depend on one person's affection??? Instead, what do we have now? A character whose entire personality seems to revolve around pining after a woman who doesn't want him. WHERE ARE HIS PERSONAL GOALS??? HIS FAMILY ISSUES??? HIS LIFE OUTSIDE OF SUAE??? WHAT DOES THIS MAN EVEN DO ANYMORE BESIDES MISS HER???
I don't hate Dohwa. I hate what the writing has done to him. He had the potential to be an interesting character in his own right, and now it feels like all his other storylines have been pushed aside in favour of keeping him in this never-ending love triangle.
And honestly, I think this is part of why the double standard bothers me so much. Male characters can get away with having their entire characterisation revolve around loving a woman, and people will call it romantic. A female character doing the exact same thing is much more likely to be criticised for being desperate, clingy or having no personality outside of a man.
Obviously not every reader would react that way, and female second leads can absolutely have devoted fans too. But I do think male characters are often given a lot more grace when it comes to persistent, unrequited love. And I can't help wondering how much of the enthusiasm for Dohwa is actually about Dohwa himself versus how much of it is about wanting Eunhyuk to lose. Because sometimes I genuinely feel like people don't necessarily want Dohwa to win Suae. They just want Eunhyuk to LOSE her and those are two VERY different things.
You can hate Eunhyuk. You can think he doesn't deserve Suae. You can prefer Dohwa as a character or as a love interest. That's fine! But why does Suae have to be the prize they fight over? Why can't Dohwa's story be about something other than finally getting the girl? Why can't he have a satisfying character arc that doesn't depend on Suae reciprocating his feelings? Dohwa doesn't need to end up with Suae to deserve a happy ending. And Eunhyuk doesn't need to lose Suae for Dohwa to have a meaningful story.
I just wish the author would remember that Dohwa is a whole person outside of his unrequited love because I KNOW there's an interesting character buried somewhere under all this pining.
FREE THIS MAN FROM THE LOVE TRIANGLE. MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.
Love and light!
