Il Mare

Il Mare

Year: 2000

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Lee Hyun-seung

DramaRomanceFantasyMoving relationship storiesCaptivating relationships and charming romance

Love blooms in a seaside house across two years. In 1999 a young woman departs for the city, leaving a card in the mailbox asking the next resident to forward her mail. In 1997 a jaded architect moves in, finds the note and replies, slipping his letter into the same box. Their letters cross time, sparking a tender romance despite the two‑year gap.

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Timeline & Setting – Il Mare (2000)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Il Mare (2000). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1997 and 1999

The narrative unfolds in two years, 1997 and 1999, with Eun-joo living in one year and Sung-hyun in the other. The mailbox at Il Mare acts as a bridge, allowing messages and objects to pass between the timelines. Their cross-time correspondence drives key events, including attempts at meeting and altering outcomes.

Location

Il Mare

Il Mare is a coastal house by the sea that serves as the story’s focal location. The place becomes a magical gateway where a mailbox links two different years, enabling exchanges across time. Its tranquil, seaside atmosphere contrasts with the emotional intensity of the evolving romance.

🌊 Seaside 🏠 House ✉️ Mailbox ⏳ Time-bending

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:46

Main Characters – Il Mare (2000)

Meet the key characters of Il Mare (2000), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Eun-joo (Kim Eun-ju)

A woman who moves out of Il Mare and initiates a long-distance bond with Sung-hyun through the mysterious mailbox. She sends care through letters and objects, showing patience and determination to connect with the man she loves two years away. Her actions—like requesting a lost tape and attempting to secure a book—drive the emotional arc and reveal her willingness to bend time for love.

💖 Romance 🌊 Seaside 🕰️ Time-bound

Han Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae)

An architectural student who advances to become an architect and designs a beach house for Eun-joo’s imagined future. He grapples with duty, longing, and sacrifice as he exchanges letters across time and eventually makes choices that affect both timelines. His discovery of his own fate grounds the story in the consequences of their cross-time romance.

🎨 Architecture 🧭 Fate 💗 Romance

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:46

Major Themes – Il Mare (2000)

Explore the central themes of Il Mare (2000), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Time

Time is simultaneously a barrier and a bridge. The film centers on two years that separate the lovers, yet the mailbox makes communication across that divide possible. Choices in one timeline drastically reshape events in the other, creating a delicate balance between destiny and agency. The setting underscores how time can heal, complicate, or threaten love.

💖 Love Across Time

Love transcends chronological distance as Eun-joo and Sung-hyun form a deep connection despite living in different years. Their affection persists through letters and visions of shared moments, challenging the idea that time should separate lovers. The romance becomes a force that motivates acts of sacrifice and selflessness. Ultimately, love pushes them toward a risk-filled pursuit of a possible future together.

✉️ Communication

Communication is the mechanism that sustains the bond between the protagonists. The mailbox serves as a conduit for messages, requests, and confessions, shaping decisions across timelines. Miscommunications and warnings carry heavy consequences, highlighting how information can alter fate. The film positions letters as emotional lifelines that connect hearts across time.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:46

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Il Mare Summary

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Il Mare Summary

Il Mare Timeline

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Il Mare Timeline

Il Mare Spoiler-Free Summary

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Il Mare Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Il Mare

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