5 Burning Questions We Have About “W”

Warning: The following article contains many spoilers for “W” and “My Love from the Stars,” so please read at your own discretion! This article was also written before the airing of Episode 8.

Lee Jong Suk and Han Hyo Joo have me hooked with their new drama “W”! Its unique concept, suspenseful storyline, and endless eye candy (Lee Jong Suk <3) have made it my newest K-drama obsession. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve been this addicted.

Although “W” hasn’t even hit the halfway mark, its exciting plot has already raised many mind-boggling questions that keep viewers impatiently waiting for answers. Below are the top five burning questions I have about the drama:

Q1: Why did Yoon So Hui’s hand disappear?

If you watched Episode 7, you probably remember this puzzling scene. At first I thought Yoon So Hui’s hand disappeared because it was time for her to exit the story, since Oh Yeon Joo had replaced her as the female lead. But if Yoon So Hui is truly no longer part of the webtoon, shouldn’t her entire body have disappeared? And why did her hand ultimately reappear?

I wonder if this strange occurrence represents the author’s dilemma over whether Yoon So Hui should remain in the webtoon. Maybe her hand faded when the author considered removing her from the story, but it reappeared when the author ultimately decided to keep her in. But this explanation would raise another question: Who is the author that decided to keep Yoon So Hui in and why? We know both Oh Yeon Joo and her father are co-authors of the webtoon, so which of the two decided to keep Yoon So Hui’s character alive? Or is there a third creator we don’t yet know about?

Q2: What happens if other webtoon characters realize their true identities?

Kang Chul is currently the only webtoon character who knows of his true identity, but some of his friends are not far from having the same revelation. I’m curious how they will react upon learning their true identities, especially whether they would continue to play their designated roles or change the story. For example, if So Hui realizes she was supposed to be the female lead but was replaced by Oh Yeon Joo, would she become furious and vow revenge? If Seo Do Yeon knows he is the second male lead, would he grow tired of living in Kang Chul’s shadow and decide to fight for the leading role?

Q3: Will Oh Yeon Joo and Kang Chul have a happy ending?

All of us probably hope the answer to this question is a big, resounding YES because Oh Yeon Joo and Kang Chul are such a cute couple! However, their road to a happy ending looks rough, especially since they face problems most K-drama couples don’t have, like being from two different dimensions. But there should be some hope. After all, Do Min Joon and Cheon Song Yi had a (mostly) happy ending in “My Love from the Stars” despite coming from different worlds. I guess we just have to find the “W” version of the wormhole. Oh, and we also have to get rid of that crazy man in black.

Q4: Who is the man in black?

He’s been lurking in the shadows since Episode 1, but no one knows who he is, not even his supposed creator, Oh Yeon Joo’s father, who claims he made this character without a specific identity in mind. But I think this character must have an important identity because he can obviously think, talk, and impact the plot. Maybe he symbolizes something, just like how So Hui’s disappearing hand might represent an author’s dilemma. Perhaps this man personifies an author’s desire to kill off his characters? After all, he appeared whenever Oh Yeon Joo’s father desperately wanted to eliminate Kang Chul. But at the end of Episode 7, the man in black says he will kill Oh Yeon Joo. I don’t think her father would be cold-hearted enough to murder his own daughter, so if the man in black is indeed an author’s desire to kill, does that mean there is another creator involved?

Q5: Are there more than two worlds?

When I shared my thoughts about “W” with some coworkers at lunch, one of them suggested a mind-blowing theory: What if Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo’s worlds are both fiction, and reality lies in a third world? That would mean there is an unseen writer who has written Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo’s worlds into being, and only he has the ultimate power to control how everything plays out. This theory would explain why they can’t track down or destroy the man in black because he is following the instructions of a higher power who can eliminate anyone in Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo’s worlds. It also means literally anything can happen in the drama because the real writer has creative license to do whatever he wants with the characters and story.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to watch this drama so that you can join in on the conversation! Oh wait, but before you go…

Bonus Question: Why is Lee Jong Suk so perfect?

“W” airs every Wednesday and Thursday on MBC. Catch the drama exclusively on Viki or start watching it below!

[viki]https://www.viki.com/videos/1105299v-w-episode-1?utm_source=soompi&utm_medium=drama&utm_campaign=five-burning-questions-w&utm_content_id=886879wpp[/viki]