Always

Always (2011), also known by its Korean title Ojik Geudaeman, is a poignant South Korean romantic drama that follows the intersection of two broken lives. Jang Cheol-min is a former boxer with a mysterious, violent past who now works as a parking lot attendant and water deliveryman. His quiet, isolated existence is disrupted by Ha Jung-hwa, a cheerful woman who is gradually losing her vision due to a past accident. Despite her disability, her spirited nature draws the stoic Cheol-min out of his shell, leading to a profound and transformative romance.

As their bond strengthens, Cheol-min discovers a tragic connection between his past career as a debt collector and the accident that caused Jung-hwa's blindness. Driven by intense guilt and a desire to restore her sight, he accepts a dangerous mission in the underground fighting circuit to pay for her eye surgery. The film avoids typical genre clichés by focusing on the physical and emotional weight of redemption, exploring whether one can ever truly make amends for the sins of the past through sacrificial love.

The core meaning of Always centers on the concept of restorative justice through love. Director Song Il-gon explores the idea that human connection is not dependent on physical sight but on the resonance of two souls. The film suggests that while the past cannot be erased, it can be redeemed through selfless acts of sacrifice. It posits that true 'vision' is the ability to recognize the inherent worth and pain of another person, transcending the visible scars of the body and the invisible scars of the heart.

While widely viewed as a romantic tragedy, some interpret the film as a social commentary on the 'Invisible Man'. Cheol-min represents the marginalized lower class—unskilled laborers and former convicts—who are 'invisible' to society except when they are needed for violence. Another reading suggests that the ending is psychologically ambiguous; rather than a simple happy reunion, it represents the union of two people who are permanently broken, suggesting that their future will be defined by shared trauma rather than just love.

Always is a cornerstone of the 'K-Melodrama' wave of the early 2010s. It solidified the 'Protector/Maimed Hero' archetype in Hallyu cinema. The film's success across Asia contributed significantly to the global popularity of its leads, particularly So Ji-sub. Its influence is most visible in the sheer number of international remakes, proving that its core story of blind love and tragic sacrifice is a universal narrative that resonates across disparate cultures and languages. It remains a frequent reference point for romantic dramas involving physical disability.

Audiences generally reacted with high emotional investment, often describing the film as a 'tear-jerker.' The chemistry between So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo was widely praised as the film's strongest asset. While critics occasionally noted the predictability of the plot and its reliance on traditional melodrama tropes, the high production value and Song Il-gon's sensitive direction elevated it above typical genre fare. It maintains a very high score on audience aggregators like IMDb and MyDramaList.