At Eighteen is a coming-of-age drama about 18-year-olds, taking a realistic look into the moments of their lives, moments that all of us might have experienced at one time or another.
For Choi Jun-woo (portrayed by Ong Seung-wu), loneliness has become a habit. Even though he appears to lack empathy, it’s just that he has always been alone and isn’t practiced in expressing his emotions. Underneath his withdrawn exterior is a goofy and cute young man. “Moment at Eighteen” is about the events that unfold when Jun Woo transfers schools and is thrown into a new environment.
The series marks Ong Seung-wu's first official lead role. It aired from July 22 to September 10, 2019 on JTBC.
The series contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Hwi-young's father is physically abusive, and while it doesn't justify or excuse any of his actions, it's clear that his manipulative and jerkass behavior is a result of his father's oppressiveness.
- The Ace: Hwi-young; he excels in academics, and as the class rep., also manages the class.
- Broken Ace: Despite his excellence, he's revealed to be a Manipulative Bastard beneath the 'model student' facade, and looks down on his peers. This stems from his negative family life.
- All-Loving Hero: Jun-woo. He even forgives Hwi-young, who caused him a lot of suffering in the beginning of the series.
- Armour-Piercing Question: Jun-woo asking Hwi-young if he truly regrets his wrongdoings at the end of episode 15.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jun-woo parts ways with Soo-bin, though it's only temporary.
- Break the Cutie: Jun-woo. Just four episodes in, he is framed for theft, almost expelled from the new school, and meets his birth father (who had abandoned him and his mother), only to find out that he doesn't even recognize him. And just when things were starting to look up for him, he loses his only friend to an accident. Thankfully, he gets better.
- Broken Bird: Jun-woo. Beneath that stoic demeanor is a teenager who has led a very lonely life because of his working mother (which isn't really her fault, as she is the only breadwinner of their little family) and the absence of a father. Add to that the bullying he and his friend Jung-hoo have suffered throughout the years, which has caused him to become really withdrawn and even more lonely. It's to the point that he has completely convinced himself that he's a nobody, and has basically zero self-confidence. It's only after meeting Soo-bin and Mr. Oh that he starts opening up.
- Soo-bin could also count as one, given her past, though a really mild one.
- Character Development: Most of the characters go through a good amount of this, though the most prominent one would probably be Jun-woo.
- Disappeared Dad: Jun-woo's father abandoned him before he was even born. He appears later in the series, only to tell him that he just looks upon him as nothing but a mistake. Yikes.
- Soo-bin's parents divorced when she was younger, presumably in middle school.
- Good Parents: Jun-woo's mother. Despite not being able to be there for him most of the time, it's clear that she loves her son very much, and would do anything for his sake.
- Nice Girl: Soo-bin. Even when Hwi-young, her childhood bestfriend, tries to sabotage her and Jun-woo's relationship, she doesn't get angry at him, and actually tries to understand him.
- Nice Guy: Oh-je. Sweet boy wouldn't hurt a fly if he could.
- Jun-woo, despite appearing as The Stoic most of the time, is probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Even when people wrong him, he never, never, actively wishes any sort of harm upon them. This is best displayed when he gets a chance to get back at Hwi-young for wronging him, but he decides not to, even when Sang-hoon provokes him, and just tells Sang-hoon to not drag him into his and Hwi-young's fight.
- The Pollyanna: Jun-woo's mother. Despite their unfavorable circumstances, she's really cheerful most of the time; and it's quite her to get her feeling down. Except if it's something about her son.
- Stepford Smiler: Jun-woo. Despite going through quite a lot throughout and before the start of the series, he always tries his best to hide his pain and put on a smile for the sake of his loved ones. The only one who can see through his facade is his mother, and later, Soo-bin.
- Jun-woo's mother definitely counts as one. While it isn't all a facade, their are times when she puts up a strong front for Jun-woo's sake.
- Soo-bin, as she later admits, put on an act around her parents after their divorce, despite knowing that they were putting up a facade for her sake, so as to not worry them. However, around her friends, and later Jun-woo, she is as honest can be, as she is usually herself with them.
- The Stoic: Jun-woo. Even by the end of the series, this side of his remains, though he has definitely become better in expressing himself than at the start of the series.
- Tragic Bromance: Jun-woo and Jung-hoo. Jung-hoo dies. Need we say more?
- True Companions: Soo-bin and her friends definitely count. They're the first ones she turns to whenever she has a hard time (which, most of the times is because of her overbearing mother).
- Jun-woo and Oh-je form a really cute one; with both the shy boys helping each other out during tough times.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Happens to poor Jun-woo, not once, but thrice, throughout the series.
