Great Darcy Moment in Semantic Error

Darcy is a memorable character in his own right. One reason, yes, could be the very handsome and charismatic Colin Firth. 

I suggest another reason:

Darcy undergoes a change of heart and behavior. 

That is, like Shakespeare, Austen wasn't afraid to have her male characters experience an inner journey of self-appraisal. In Pride & Prejudice, she balances the inner journey for both main characters. They don't occur at precisely the same time, but they do overlap. 

In addition, the inner journey is organic. The most memorable change for Darcy occurs due to Elizabeth's accusation that she might have responded to him differently if he had behaved in a more "gentlemanlike manner."

He doesn't immediately apologize. It takes him a full night of letter-writing and longer to figure out that he was a jerk. But he takes the accusation seriously. That is, he doesn't merely concoct "wow, I ticked off the woman I love" sitcom regret. He perceives Elizabeth's hurt statement as an indictment of his behavior. He doesn't change in fundamentals but he does stop behaving like a guy whose deep feelings justify rudeness.

I was reminded of Darcy's epiphany when I rewatched Semantic Error this summer. Jaeyeong has been teasing Sangwoo. He changes his mind about the teasing and begins earnestly befriending and then courting Sangwoo when he has a Darcy-like epiphany. 

Jaeyeong has learned that Sangwoo has routines and patterns: Sangwoo dislikes the color red, he gets to class on-time to get a window seat, he only drinks a specific caffeinated beverage. Jaeyeong messes with these habits by wearing red, nabbing the window seat, and buying up ALL those beverages from the local vending machine.

Until he decides to stop being a "villain." 

What motivates him? 

Sangwoo's direct statement about his behavior: "You're the one acting like a villain all the time."

Jaeyeong contemplates his actions and makes changes to his dress, actions, and attitude. 

Of course, Jaeyeong is somewhat more extroverted and whimsical than Darcy: