[8] The script was completed in 2007 but Jeon couldn't find anyone to invest in the unconventional romantic comedy, largely because industry insiders considered the plot to be too difficult for the general public to understand.
Similar to the fantastical style of Cédric Klapisch's Auberge Espagnole,[8] Joo-wol's complex inner side is displayed through conversations shared with an imaginary character 'M'.
[5] In making Joo-wol the focus, the film shows how men beg for love and quickly lose interest in their partners once they are stuck in a relationship.
[9] Touted as a "Male Bridget Jones" and a "Korean 500 Days of Summer", the insightful love story tracks the hero's bumbling journey through modern dating, which turns out to be a lot harder than he thought.
Jeon said, "Reality can be ragged, pathetic and desperate," adding that he expected the audience to ask why they have to watch that sad truth on the silver screen instead of a fairy tale with a prince charming.
The Korea Times describes the film as "a perplexing tribute to love, a brutally honest portrayal of its progressive steps — from courtship to fizzling out.
It is a satire of the bachelor social ladder, on top of which sit three-piece suits and white gowns while the rock bottom is occupied by poor artists.