Back in my elementary school days, I had a crush on Aqualad. The fact he was a two-dimensional comic book character didn’t matter. Every Saturday, I plopped myself in front of the TV and watched him jet through the ocean on his trusty seahorse, helping Aquaman to defend the seas. What pre-teen girl wouldn’t fall for those wavy, black locks, blue eyes and red and blue wet suit? Granted, he tended to get into trouble requiring Aquaman to his rescue him. But if I could meet one comic book character in real life, Aqualad would still be my first choice. So, I can relate to second-year surgical resident, Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo), the female lead in the 2016 Kdrama, W: Two Worlds Apart. Suddenly pulled into the comic book, W, she gets to meet her crush – main character, Kang Cheol (Lee Jong-suk of While You Were Sleeping).
As the daughter of W’s creator, Oh Seong-moo (Kim Eui-sung), Yeon-joo grew up watching Kang Cheol’s life unfold. An Olympic gold medalist in shooting, he is accused of murdering his family and sent to jail by power-hungry, prosecutor Han Cheol-ho (Park Won-sang). When Kang Cheol is acquitted, it’s revealed he is a CEO of JN Global. Over the next ten (comic book) years, he uses his vast wealth and knowledge to discover the real killer. But W’s author, Seong-moo, is tired of his creation and plans to end Kang Cheol for good. He draws the final scene – Kang Cheol bleeding out after being stabbed by an unknown assailant. Kang Cheol’s death appears all but certain when Yeon-joo finds herself standing next to him. Using her medical skills, she saves his life. With a bridge to Kang Cheol’s world now open, will she be able to save him from her father?
- Series Title: W (Korean: 더블유) also known as W: Two Worlds and W: Two Worlds Apart
- Starring: Lee Jong-suk, Han Hyo-joo, Kim Eui-sung, Jung Yoo-jin, Lee Tae-hwan
- Written by: Song Jae-jung
- Directed by: Jung Dae-yoon
- Network: MBC TV
- Where to watch in the US: Viki
- Premier Date: July 20, 2016
- # of episodes: 16
- Kafenook Rating: 4.2 sips
W: Two Worlds Apart — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
Watching W: Two Worlds Apart reminded me a lot of the Greg Berlanti DC series’, Arrow (2013-2020) and The Flash (2014-2023) – shows also based on comic book characters. At times, I even felt I as though I were viewing an Arrow verse spin-off set in another universe where Korean is spoken. Like the shows in the Arrow verse, the world of W features flashy, modern sets, a villain reminiscent of those pitted against Barry Allen and team Flash, and music fitting for a mid-2010s action series.
The show also shares similarities with Extraordinary You, a drama featuring Kim Hye-yoon as Dan-oh and Rowoon as Ha-ru who learn of their status as comic book characters. Like Dan-ho and Haru, Kang Cheol discovers the harsh truth – that he is the main character in the comic book, W. Unlike the pair in Extraordinary You, he is not limited to that comic book world, however. Kang Cheol obtains the ability to move back and forth between the world of W and Yeon-hoo’s “real” world.
This sets up an interesting question about the two worlds. Did author Seong-moo create the entire world of W, or is W its own world where the comic book characters created by Seong-moo exist? Kang Cheol is the one who postulates that the cartoon itself is a medium connecting the two worlds. He even determines the rules for how people can move between the– wait—what’s happening . . .? I seem to be losi ng control of m y ke ybo ard—
—Ah ha – I’ve finally broken through!
Who . . . are you?
—I’m Kang Cheol. You were just writing about me.
Kang Cheol? How is this possible? You’re not– real. . .
—That’s what Yeon-hoo said when we first met but look how that turned out. I guess my being real or not depends on your point of view. What I can tell you is that after being in Yeon-hoo’s world for a while, I noticed gaps, similar to the ones in my home world of W. It didn’t take me long to realize that her world, my new home, exists within yet another world. Your world to be precise. Here, the place where Yeon-hoo and I live is part of a TV show you call W: Two Worlds Apart. It took some trial and error, but I discovered I could use this blog about the TV show as the medium to connect our world with yours.
I can’t believe you’ve actually crossed into my world. This is – – amazing! But – why are you here?
—Curiosity? Scientific discovery? As someone who has lived in multiple worlds, I wanted to learn more about the pathways between worlds. And what triggers the crossing process. Yeon-hoo first crossed into W to save me. As the daughter of W’s creator, and the person who originally came up with my character, she was in the unique position to pass through the barrier between worlds.
What about you, Kang Cheol? What triggered you to cross into Yeon-hoo’s world?
—For me, it happened after Yeon-hoo told me the truth about the world I lived in. Once I realized my status as a comic book character, the portal between worlds became visible and I was able to step into her world. Or at least my previous self did.
That’s right – after you first traveled to Yeon-hoo’s world and shot her father, you asked her to turn all the events since you were stabbed into a dream in the next chapter of W. In my world, there’s a famous TV show called Dallas that once explained an entire season away by saying it was all a dream – just to bring back a dead character. Because of that, a lot of people don’t like the “it was just a dream” plot device. At least in W: Two Worlds Apart, it provided an opportunity for you to get to know Yeon-hoo all over again. I also liked how Yeon-hoo fell asleep in her world with the copy of W and it later ended up in your hands.
—Having Chapter 34 of W was a big help. I may not remember what happened the first time around, but after reading the comic, I could relate to my previous self – and realize how much Yeon-woo meant to me.
Kang Cheol, something I never fully understood is why Yeon-hoo’s father, Seong-moo wanted to end your character to begin with.
—I think he tired of his creation. Me. If it weren’t for Yeon-hoo, he would have succeeded in getting rid of me. Her near-death experience, changed his perspective. She helped him to see W as a true world of its own, one she considered precious and needing protection.
Yeon-hoo turned into a part-comic book character when she became integral to the story of W. How did you think of taking her to the world of W after she was shot?
—Since her father had the ability to change the story in W using the animation computer, I knew it was the only way to save her. Next to living through the murder of my family, watching her die is the hardest things I’ve ever faced. I’m just thankful his changes to the story worked and he was able to save her.
You once vowed to find your family’s murderer. What went through your head when you realized their murder was nothing more than an inciting incident to your back story?
—Obviously, the pre-dream version of myself didn’t take that news very well, which is why he shot Seong-moo. Thankfully, I had the chance to reconcile with him after he tried to set things right. If it weren’t for his evil counterpart, Han Sang-hoon’s takeover, I think Seong-moo would still be alive today. At least he died knowing his daughter still lived and he was able to stop Han Cheol-ho from harming us any further.
Do you miss your friends back in W?
—Oh – I still see them occasionally. Seo Do-yoon tells me he misses being my bodyguard. He still doesn’t completely understand about the different worlds but he’s trying. Yoon So-hee thinks I’m living a broad and that I just visit now and then. I’m thankful she didn’t disappear when she became extraneous to the plot of W. Now, she’s the main character in her own life.
I’m happy to hear they are doing well. I like both of those characters – err, I mean people? Speaking of which, in my world, you’re portrayed by actor, Lee Jong-suk. Do you share any similarities with him?
—From what I’ve gathered he’s intelligent, handsome, and charming so – yes, we have a lot in common. He also appears to be a great boyfriend which is something I excel at as well.
I can see that you’re as humble as ever! If you could change one thing about what happened during W, what would it be?
—Hmm… one thing. That’s hard to say since Yeon-hoo and I have a new life together in her world. What I don’t miss is being the main character who is dependent on my creator’s whim. Now, I can live my life as I choose. If I had to pick one thing though, I sometimes miss the animation computer. It was convenient having the ability to draw an object and have it appear immediately. My multi-world research is still in the initial phase, so I don’t have the kind of money I did in W. It would be nice to occasionally treat Yeon-hoo to something special. She works so hard at the hospital. Instead, we just do more things on the list – which she keeps adding to by the way!
I loved how the two of you did things on the list – every couple should have one! Kang Cheol what about–
—oh no. . . it looks like my connection to this medium is starting to break down . . . I’m running out of time. Before I go there is something you need to know —
Kang Chaol? Are you still there?
— you think your world is the real one, but it’s just one inside anoth ……
Kang Chaol? My world is inside another– what? Kang Chaol!
I guess he’s gone. I can’t believe I had a chance to talk with the actual Kang Cheol! This must be how Yeon-hoo felt meeting her comic book crush. I wonder if he’ll ever make it back to this world. He seemed to have something important to tell me. . . Oh well – until he does, I’ll keep working my way through Lee Jung-suk dramas. What episode of Romance is a Bonus Book am I on?
W: Two Worlds Apart Soundtrack
Plus, I have several great songs from the soundtrack for W: Two Worlds Apart to listen to, like Where Are You, sung by Jung Joon Young and singing/rapping styling of Basick and Inkii’s In the Illusion.
