TV Chosun's melodrama (wait maybe comedy?), Red Balloon, finally comes to a tear-jerking finale as viewership ratings shoot through the roof! The second-voted most-popular K-drama out now ended its 20-episode run at an all-time high with a jaw-dropping 11.566% nationwide viewership rating! Let's break down what happened in this crazy yet so-addicting drama!
In our last article about Red Ballon, we couldn't figure out whether it was a melodrama or comedy. Or both? After this weekend's finale, we definitely would have to go with melodrama with a couple of comedic elements. This cast of crazy mixed-up characters with their emotions all over the place finally "adulted up" at the end! We couldn't have wished for a better ending! Let's see what happened!
** Contains Spoilers!
Episode 20 starts off with Ji Nam Chul (Lee Sung Jae) meeting Jo Eun San (Jung Yoo Min) in his hometown. She comes to him to say her last farewell as she decides to become a volunteer and leave Korea. Nam Chul still can't figure out his feelings so he hesitates and at the last minute, runs after Eun San. But it's too late and he isn't able to tell her how he feels.
Meanwhile, Jo Eun Kang (Seo Ji Hye) is dealing with the lawsuit that her ex-best friend Han Ba Da (Hong Soo Hyun) has slapped her with. She is in despair as she pleads with Ba Da to drop the suit. Driven by rage, Ba Da drags her father-in-law and his family to Ba Da's parents' house to unveil who they really are. By then, Eun Kang and her family are on their knees begging for forgiveness as they are exposed for taking advantage of a rich family.
All of this revenge and torture against Eun Kang while she prepares for her first day as a teacher is becoming too much for Ba Da as she struggles with her inner emotions as a friend. Her mother decides to put a banner up in front of Eun Kang's future school naming her an "adulteress with her friend's husband" to ruin any chances of regular life. Ba Da decides that it is too much for her and decides to drop all charges against Eun Kang.
Eun Kang sees Ba Da fight with her mother about their 20 years of friendship and says that enough is enough and tells her mother to stop with the banner. She gets a chance to teach her first day of school but eventually punishes herself by putting in her letter of resignation after the first day. Ba Da meets up with her to tell Eun Kang that she has dropped all charges and that she should continue teaching. Eun Kang tells her best friend that she needs to quit in order to punish herself for what she did.
As the two begin mending their friendship, everything starts to come back together. Nam Chul is back with his wife and children, Eun San and Nam Chul are on good terms emotionally, and Go Cha Won (Lee Sang Woo) and Eun Kang have a close friend relationship as she takes a job at a rural school as a teacher.
Ending Thoughts
If you love a crazy storyline with some crazy characters, this is the drama for you! Throw in some outrageous comedic moments and a male lead that doesn't have much confidence, and you have yourself a highly-watch late-night soap! The main relationship between Han Ba Da and Jo Eun Kang is worth watching! It shows that no matter how bad someone may make a decision if that friendship is worth fighting for, it can mend all! So call up and share this article with your best friend and tell them how much they mean to you!
Was this the ending you hoped for? Let us know in the comments!