A story of two university students living in different timelines, ‘Ditto’ explores an unexpected connection formed through a chance encounter.
Kim Yong (played by Yeo Jin Goo) is a junior studying mechanical engineering at Hanguk University. He begins his studies in 1995 and returns in 1999 after completing his military service. Upon returning, he finds that many things at the university have changed. He soon gets to know Seo Han Sol (played by Kim Hye Yoon) and falls in love with her.
Kim Mu Nee (played by Cho Yi Hyun), is a sophomore majoring in sociology who is tasked with interviewing a stranger for an assignment. Living in 2022, she’s out of inspiration when she suddenly finds an old Ham radio and unexpectedly connects to Kim Yong. As the two start conversing, they develop a friendship that goes beyond the bounds of time and space.
Movie: Ditto (2022)
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime mini TV, Viki, Tubi, Apple TV
Cast: Yeo Jin Goo, Cho Yi Hyun, Kim Hye Yoon, Na In Woo and Bae In Hyuk
Screenwriter & Director: Seo Eun Young
The Plot
The plot of the movie, ‘Ditto’, revolves around two university students, one from 1999 and another from 2022, who make contact across time and space through an old Ham radio.
Kim Yong returns to university in 1999 continue his studies after finishing his military enlistment. He dreams of becoming an author, but the limited future scope has him pursuing a more ‘safer’ option of mechanical engineering. On his very first day back at university, he learns about Seo Han Sol, the top scorer amongst new students, and soon falls in love with her. When she decides to join the radio club, he borrows a Ham radio from his friend, Kim Eun Sung (played by Bae In Hyuk) to practice, which marks the start of a domino effect connecting two different timelines.
Kim Mu Nee is a sophomore in 2022 majoring in sociology from the same university as Kim Yong. Her assignment requires her to interview a stranger and out of inspiration she tries her luck with her father’s old Ham radio. Linked by a lunar eclipse, Yong and Mu Nee connect across time. Her search for a unique story leads to nightly conversations with him, unaware of the decades between their worlds.
The two soon form a friendly bond over shared alma mater, talking to each other about their troubles, exchanging advice and support through nightly calls. However, when they attempt to meet, they miss each other by years. Small misunderstandings begin to arise until the truth about the time difference, Mu Nee’s parents, is revealed. Kim Yong, heartbroken by the revelations, disappears and the two cease to have any contact.
It is only after her presentation in 2022 that Mu Nee finally manages to find Kim Yong, and the two friends from different timelines are reunited at last.
The Characters
Kim Yong (Yeo Jin Goo)
A returning student who enrolled in mechanical engineering program in 1995 and deferred his studies to complete his military enlistment. He dreams of becoming an author, but reality and struggles make him apprehensive of pursuing his passion. After returning to university he meets Seo Han Sol and falls in love. In order to impress her and teach her the operation of Ham radio, he borrows one from his best friend Kim Eun Sung- accidentally connecting with Kim Mu Nee.
Kim Mu Nee (Cho Yi Hyun)
A sociology sophomore who enrolled into Hanguk University in 2021 who’s assigned to interview a stranger for her assignment. Out of inspiration, when she finds her father’s old Ham radio, assuming that anyone still using one would make for a unique case study. With little hope, she starts broadcasting. When her attempts of reaching a stranger connect her to Kim Yong, she is overjoyed and soon the two begin conversing, sharing their daily lives as students at the same university, unaware of the significant time difference that separates their experiences.
Seo Han Sol (Kim Hye Yoon)
The top-scoring freshman at Hanguk University in the year of 1999. As one of the few women studying mechanical engineering, she faces prejudice but claps back in kind. She reciprocates Kim Yong’s feelings, but misunderstandings soon arise, altering both their fates.
Kim Eun Sung (Bae In Hyuk)
Kim Eun Sung is shown as Kim Yong’s best friend. He’s shown to be a kind and supportive friend. The bond between the two friends strains stemming from Mu Nee’s revelations and misunderstandings lead them to drift apart.
O Yeong Ji (Na In Woo)
Mu Nee’s friend, portrayed as kind, supportive, and affectionate. He is also shown as her love interest, ultimately reciprocating her feelings by the end of the film.
Why to watch ‘Ditto’
- Story: The movie is a remake of 2000 movie of the same name ‘Ditto’ but with a modern take. While time travel and transmigration are no new concepts, the intertwining of different timelines in real time provides a novel concept with a modern touch.
- Characters: The characters’ dreams and passions make them relatable and humane. Despite the slightly supernatural settings of the plot, the characters and their stories make the story seem a plausible encounter instead.
- Balance Between Fiction and Reality: The movie does a wonderful job of portraying real life scenarios in a fictional setting. The balance struck between the two genres make it an easy yet intriguing watch.
- Ending: The movie has a happy ending. It beautifully ties up all the loose ends of the characters stories while still leaving room for viewers to imagine what comes next.
- Friendship and Love: Many instances within the story lead to situations where love, dreams and friendships are put at stake. However, what makes it worth the watch is how these groups of young adults across two completely different timelines deal with the troubles and live on.
‘Ditto’ is not just another remake, it is a testament to the troubles of youngsters across eras. It highlights the importance of choices and their long-lasting impact on the future. The countless ‘what ifs’ that arise in both the viewers’ and the characters’ hearts prompts one to think about their choices. It reminds us of the constant balance between dreams and love, and how we often romanticize a past we never experienced while overlooking the present. It is a gentle encouragement from the past to live your fullest in the present, to take chances while the time is still right and always look on the brighter side, because nothing ever truly disappears, nor does anything stay the same forever.
Written By: N.V.S. Akanksha
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