20th Century Girl: A Letter to My Younger Self
I hadn't intended to be crying in front of a Korean first-love film. But there I was at 2 AM, sobbing over "20th Century Girl," my heart feeling like it had been dissected by somebody and they'd removed all the feelings I thought I'd long forgotten. While she stood by waiting for that call from Poong Woon-ho, checking her beeper repeatedly, I waited for messages that never came. While she wrote in her diary how much she loved someone who might not love her back, I replayed every crush that made me think the world was going to end.
This movie did not just tell a story. It recreated all the cringe-worthy, beautiful, painful moments of being young and in love for the first time.
What I Learned About Korean Youth Culture
Seeing this movie in 1999 was like looking into a time machine. The whole beeper culture, the way kids stood outside telephones waiting, the writing of letters—it reminded me that Korean teens had the same cringe-worthy adolescence we all had, just with different technology.
What really annoyed me was the way Korean households were presented in the movie. Bo-ra and her mother's relationship looked so realistic and touching. When they fought, you could feel the love present there. How Korean parents are concerned with their children's education but also want them to be happy - that felt familiar given the different context. I loved seeing how Korean teens in the 90s dealt with friendships and commitment. The way Bo-ra promised to help out her best friend with her crush over her own emotions—that doesn't change across cultures or generations. We've all been there.
The movie also showed me just how highly Korean culture values close friendships. The bond between the girls, the way they stuck by each other through everything—it made me homesick for my school friends and think about why such relationships had mattered so much back then.
Comparing with My Own Experience Growing Up in Bangladesh
Watching Bo-ra's life reminded me of my own teenage years in Dhaka. Some things were so familiar it was scary. The way she obsessed over every minute interaction with her crush, the diary entries, the way first love was the only thing that had any meaning in the world—I went through all this.
But there were also differences. In Bangladesh, freedom that Bo-ra had to date boys, to go out on her own, to make up her own mind about relationships—that would have been far harder for most of us. Our families are more integrated into all that we do. At times that was claustrophobic when I was a kid, but seeing Bo-ra get to make all these decisions for the most part by herself made me appreciate that safety net.
The manner of dating in the film was also not the same. Over here in Bangladesh, till date, relationships are more family-oriented. The free manner in which Korean teenagers could date, hang out, and even go on trips together—it was a reflection of how differently our cultures treat young love. But the feelings were the same. The butterflies, the heartache, how everything felt so melodramatic and important—that's universal. In Seoul or Dhaka, being seventeen and in love is like having the whole world on your shoulders.
Why Korean Movies Like This Matter
After watching "20th Century Girl," I understood why Korean filmmakers keep making these coming-of-age stories. They're not merely entertaining us—they're preserving something precious about youthfulness that is usually taken for granted by adults. Korea went through a time of great transformation at the close of the 20th century. The 1990s were a time when the nation was modernizing very fast, but still children were children. This movie captures that moment when technology was changing but the heart was the same. It is like they wanted to remember how it felt to be a teenager at that specific time.
Korean artists seem to understand that first love stories are not necessarily romance. They're about growing up, making mistakes, discovering who you are. The manner in which they treat these subjects with such tact and honesty—it makes these tales feel real, not just cute.
I think that Korean movies are able to do this overseas because they can focus on the emotions that unite us. The two specific points can be Korean, but the emotions are universal.
What This Movie Gave Me
"20th Century Girl" did the unexpected—it made me thankful for the clumsy teenager I was. Watching Bo-ra's journey reminded me of the epiphany that all the cringe-worthy experiences, all the melodramatic break-ups, all the fiery friendships - they weren't simply stupid teen moments. They were the moments that shaped who I am.
The movie also made me miss the simplicity of life before smartphones and social media. The way Bo-ra had to wait for calls, write actual letters, and live in the moment without documenting everything—there was something beautiful about that slower pace of life.
Most importantly, it made me remember that first love is not to be taken lightly. We're always dismissing teenage couples as "just puppy love," but this movie proved how genuine and serious they are. Bo-ra's love was innocent and youthful, but no less real. As I watched the end, and with it the bittersweetreveal about time and memory, I realized that this film was more than just about first love. It was about bringing forward our past selves with us, about how the eighteen-year-old we were remains very much a part of our present selves today.
"20th Century Girl" caused me to long to write a letter to my teenage years—reminding her that all those emotions were genuine, that it is okay to love so intensely even when you are young, and that those beautiful, painful youth moments are worth recollecting and sharing. Sometimes the best movies are the ones that make you feel a little bit less lonely in your own life, and this one definitely did that for me.
20th Century Girl: A Letter to My Younger Self
I hadn't intended to be crying in front of a Korean first-love film. But there I was at 2 AM, sobbing over "20th Century Girl," my heart feeling like it had been dissected by somebody and they'd removed all the feelings I thought I'd long forgotten. While she stood by waiting for that call from Poong Woon-ho, checking her beeper repeatedly, I waited for messages that never came. While she wrote in her diary how much she loved someone who might not love her back, I replayed every crush that made me think the world was going to end.
This movie did not just tell a story. It recreated all the cringe-worthy, beautiful, painful moments of being young and in love for the first time.
What I Learned About Korean Youth Culture
The movie also showed me just how highly Korean culture values close friendships. The bond between the girls, the way they stuck by each other through everything—it made me homesick for my school friends and think about why such relationships had mattered so much back then.
Comparing with My Own Experience Growing Up in Bangladesh
Watching Bo-ra's life reminded me of my own teenage years in Dhaka. Some things were so familiar it was scary. The way she obsessed over every minute interaction with her crush, the diary entries, the way first love was the only thing that had any meaning in the world—I went through all this.
But there were also differences. In Bangladesh, freedom that Bo-ra had to date boys, to go out on her own, to make up her own mind about relationships—that would have been far harder for most of us. Our families are more integrated into all that we do. At times that was claustrophobic when I was a kid, but seeing Bo-ra get to make all these decisions for the most part by herself made me appreciate that safety net.
The manner of dating in the film was also not the same. Over here in Bangladesh, till date, relationships are more family-oriented. The free manner in which Korean teenagers could date, hang out, and even go on trips together—it was a reflection of how differently our cultures treat young love. But the feelings were the same. The butterflies, the heartache, how everything felt so melodramatic and important—that's universal. In Seoul or Dhaka, being seventeen and in love is like having the whole world on your shoulders.
Why Korean Movies Like This Matter
After watching "20th Century Girl," I understood why Korean filmmakers keep making these coming-of-age stories. They're not merely entertaining us—they're preserving something precious about youthfulness that is usually taken for granted by adults. Korea went through a time of great transformation at the close of the 20th century. The 1990s were a time when the nation was modernizing very fast, but still children were children. This movie captures that moment when technology was changing but the heart was the same. It is like they wanted to remember how it felt to be a teenager at that specific time.
Korean artists seem to understand that first love stories are not necessarily romance. They're about growing up, making mistakes, discovering who you are. The manner in which they treat these subjects with such tact and honesty—it makes these tales feel real, not just cute.
I think that Korean movies are able to do this overseas because they can focus on the emotions that unite us. The two specific points can be Korean, but the emotions are universal.
What This Movie Gave Me
"20th Century Girl" did the unexpected—it made me thankful for the clumsy teenager I was. Watching Bo-ra's journey reminded me of the epiphany that all the cringe-worthy experiences, all the melodramatic break-ups, all the fiery friendships - they weren't simply stupid teen moments. They were the moments that shaped who I am.
The movie also made me miss the simplicity of life before smartphones and social media. The way Bo-ra had to wait for calls, write actual letters, and live in the moment without documenting everything—there was something beautiful about that slower pace of life.
Most importantly, it made me remember that first love is not to be taken lightly. We're always dismissing teenage couples as "just puppy love," but this movie proved how genuine and serious they are. Bo-ra's love was innocent and youthful, but no less real. As I watched the end, and with it the bittersweetreveal about time and memory, I realized that this film was more than just about first love. It was about bringing forward our past selves with us, about how the eighteen-year-old we were remains very much a part of our present selves today.
"20th Century Girl" caused me to long to write a letter to my teenage years—reminding her that all those emotions were genuine, that it is okay to love so intensely even when you are young, and that those beautiful, painful youth moments are worth recollecting and sharing. Sometimes the best movies are the ones that make you feel a little bit less lonely in your own life, and this one definitely did that for me.