I’m very confused by people who say Ian had character development... no, he did not!!! I’m also one of the people who think Ian and TJ as endgame makes sense, but it only makes sense because Ian never had any character development. If Ian had actually developed as a character, Ian and TJ would never have worked out. Throughout the whole story, we see Ian mainly defined by his guilt, self-loathing, self-blame, and sense of responsibility toward TJ. Ian has talked several times about how TJ is ruined because of him and how selfish and cowardly he feels for running away and leaving TJ behind. So a huge part of him wants to save TJ from the gang and even fix him. Ian and TJ’s relationship was built on a lie, and until the very end, Ian never found out the truth about how TJ joined the gang. He still blames himself for it.
Later, when TJ chased Ian and asked him not to leave, he told Ian, “I’m scared of you, Youngwoo. Let’s go home.” TJ saying “I’m scared of you” only reinforced Ian’s belief that he has always been the problem. TJ even used the same words he had said to Ian when he picked him up from David Kim’s house. “Let’s go home” reminded Ian of the time TJ took him home, so what Ian felt at that moment was guilt and responsibility toward TJ. That’s why he suddenly decided to leave and heal himself. what TJ said made him believe that he was truly broken and needed to fix himself so their relationship could work out. The same goes for his decision to build a house for TJ, because TJ had said, “Let’s go home.” Ian decided to break things off with Jo because he chose to take responsibility for TJ’s feelings. And don’t tell me he chose TJ because his love for TJ was too great. I believe he does have romantic love for TJ, but I hate when people interpret everything Ian does for TJ as some grand gesture of love while completely ignoring the complexity of his feelings, especially his guilt and sense of responsibility.
The proof that choosing TJ was never mainly motivated by some great love for him is that Ian admitted he loved Jo and would like to continue loving him if he could. But he felt that he couldn’t because TJ’s speech hit Ian’s deepest issues and reinforced the guilt and responsibility he had always felt toward TJ, especially when TJ reminded him of how he had been there for him during the David Kim situation. I don’t believe Ian’s great love for TJ is what made him choose TJ, because if his love for TJ was truly that great, he wouldn’t have been able to love Jo and consider building a life with someone else in the first place. The story has never allowed Ian’s character to go beyond his guilt, responsibility, and attachment to TJ, or his core belief that he ruins everyone he loves. Every time Ian gets angry and disappointed in TJ (rightfully so), the narrative always forces him to retreat and make him feel guilty for the things he says to TJ. If Ian had been allowed to stay angry at TJ without looking back or feeling guilty about it, they would never have ended up together. But the narrative never allowed Ian to develop beyond that because the story required them to end up together. Ian had to keep living with his guilt and sense of responsibility toward TJ, and he had to never discover that their relationship was built on a lie, so they could ultimately end up together. So no, I don’t believe Ian ever had character development.
His guilt and responsibility toward TJ, along with his fear of ruining someone like Jo, were the driving forces behind his final decision. And I believe the ending makes sense considering Ian was never allowed to develop. I also believe he is happy by the end because he feels that he made the right decision. He saved Jo from becoming a murderer and from ruining himself further because of Ian, he saved TJ from the gang and was even able to “fix” him, and he saved Toby from her abusive father. His savior complex was fulfilled by the end. He no longer feels like he ruined the people he loved, and he’s finally living the normal, peaceful life he has always wanted.
I’m very confused by people who say Ian had character development... no, he did not!!!
I’m also one of the people who think Ian and TJ as endgame makes sense, but it only makes sense because Ian never had any character development. If Ian had actually developed as a character, Ian and TJ would never have worked out.
Throughout the whole story, we see Ian mainly defined by his guilt, self-loathing, self-blame, and sense of responsibility toward TJ. Ian has talked several times about how TJ is ruined because of him and how selfish and cowardly he feels for running away and leaving TJ behind. So a huge part of him wants to save TJ from the gang and even fix him.
Ian and TJ’s relationship was built on a lie, and until the very end, Ian never found out the truth about how TJ joined the gang. He still blames himself for it.
Later, when TJ chased Ian and asked him not to leave, he told Ian, “I’m scared of you, Youngwoo. Let’s go home.” TJ saying “I’m scared of you” only reinforced Ian’s belief that he has always been the problem. TJ even used the same words he had said to Ian when he picked him up from David Kim’s house. “Let’s go home” reminded Ian of the time TJ took him home, so what Ian felt at that moment was guilt and responsibility toward TJ.
That’s why he suddenly decided to leave and heal himself. what TJ said made him believe that he was truly broken and needed to fix himself so their relationship could work out. The same goes for his decision to build a house for TJ, because TJ had said, “Let’s go home.”
Ian decided to break things off with Jo because he chose to take responsibility for TJ’s feelings. And don’t tell me he chose TJ because his love for TJ was too great. I believe he does have romantic love for TJ, but I hate when people interpret everything Ian does for TJ as some grand gesture of love while completely ignoring the complexity of his feelings, especially his guilt and sense of responsibility.
The proof that choosing TJ was never mainly motivated by some great love for him is that Ian admitted he loved Jo and would like to continue loving him if he could. But he felt that he couldn’t because TJ’s speech hit Ian’s deepest issues and reinforced the guilt and responsibility he had always felt toward TJ, especially when TJ reminded him of how he had been there for him during the David Kim situation.
I don’t believe Ian’s great love for TJ is what made him choose TJ, because if his love for TJ was truly that great, he wouldn’t have been able to love Jo and consider building a life with someone else in the first place.
The story has never allowed Ian’s character to go beyond his guilt, responsibility, and attachment to TJ, or his core belief that he ruins everyone he loves. Every time Ian gets angry and disappointed in TJ (rightfully so), the narrative always forces him to retreat and make him feel guilty for the things he says to TJ.
If Ian had been allowed to stay angry at TJ without looking back or feeling guilty about it, they would never have ended up together. But the narrative never allowed Ian to develop beyond that because the story required them to end up together. Ian had to keep living with his guilt and sense of responsibility toward TJ, and he had to never discover that their relationship was built on a lie, so they could ultimately end up together.
So no, I don’t believe Ian ever had character development.
His guilt and responsibility toward TJ, along with his fear of ruining someone like Jo, were the driving forces behind his final decision.
And I believe the ending makes sense considering Ian was never allowed to develop. I also believe he is happy by the end because he feels that he made the right decision. He saved Jo from becoming a murderer and from ruining himself further because of Ian, he saved TJ from the gang and was even able to “fix” him, and he saved Toby from her abusive father.
His savior complex was fulfilled by the end. He no longer feels like he ruined the people he loved, and he’s finally living the normal, peaceful life he has always wanted.