Entry tags:
The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, ep. 01-06
(original title: 아직도 결혼하고 싶은 여자)
This is about three friends—Lee Shin Young, Kim Bu Gi, and Jung Da Jung—and their successes and failures in love and work. I think this has been billed as Korea's Sex in the City several times, but a) I've only seen bits of the show, b) what I did see I wasn't a huge fan of, and c) and I hate the "[name], [country]'s [famous USian thing]" formula. The three friends are all 34-year-old career women who haven't had a lot of success in their love lives.
Shin Young is the Everywoman character who wants romance but also doesn't want to sacrifice her job; in her backstory, we discover that she's chosen career over a boyfriend before, and while she doesn't regret it, she also wishes it weren't an either-or. She's also currently being set up with young rising indie (for kdrama values of indie) star Min Jae, who is ten years younger than she is. Kim Bu Gi is the sophisticated and cool friend who has written off romance and goes for one-night stands. She's the most practical and put-together of the three. Jung Da Jung is an internationally successful interpreter, but she wants to get married to the right guy—older son, lots of money, taller than her, not balding, etc.—rightthissecond. She's the kind of character I would usually hate, except she is so hilariously funny that she is currently my favorite. Shin Young is extremely sympathetic and real, and Bu Gi is who I want as my personal advice giver, but Da Jung makes me fall off the sofa laughing.
The plot is fairly standard, and while this drama doesn't break any genre conventions, its characters are extremely likeable, it features quite a few women who talk to each other about a variety of things, and although it's not radical in its politics, it deals with issues that are very relevant to me. I have to say, although I love my high school shoujo manga, I am so happy that there are quite a few kdramas that cater specifically to young working women. I wish there were more catering to older working women too, though.
This reminds me a great deal of Dal Ja's Spring, which is a huge compliment. Min Jae is nowhere near as cute or as loveable as Tae Bong, but the show makes up for it by spending more time on Shin Young's friends. So far, there hasn't been quite as much intergenerational relationships, but I'm only six episodes in, and there's already a plot line that's promising.
Spoilers
I am still on the line re: Min Jae. He does things like bring Shin Young baked yams and waits in the cold with her, but then he does his annoying smile, which sadly comes off more as a smirk and less as an "Awww, you're so cute" look.
But! Da Jung and the doctor! OMG! Best. Couple. Ever.![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rilina told me that the actor who plays the doctor usually plays cold-hearted jerks, but you would think from watching this that all he ever did was play goofy puppy dog guys. His expressions! The way he never can contain his dorkiness! He is so cute. Da Jung luckily manages to disguise her own tics much better, but I am sure they will come out soon. I look forward to many more episodes of the two interacting with each other and cracking me up.
I also love Bu Gi's storyline with the woman whose husband propositioned her, even though I am wary of the woman being Min Jae's mom. Still! Bu Gi is made of awesome. I love her entire backstory and how her first reaction to the woman is "Look. Your husband sucks. Let's get you a makeover and ditch him!" instead of the show playing the two women off each other.
I like how much of the show focuses on Shin Young's career, much like DJS, and like DJS, I like Min Jae being supportive. But I also like how he goes in with vim and vigor and wants to change everything, whereas Shin Young is like, "Yeah. It sucks. But sometimes you have to suck it up so you can stay at the job longer and do more over the long-term." The ten-year difference there felt very real for me.
Most of all, the show makes me laugh. The first six episodes have already had at least three separate scenes that nearly made me fall off the sofa (asphalt, noraebang, and home spa), and I really need that these days. Also, I love that the love interests don't seem to be in the alpha male category.
All in all, very promising. I just hope it ends as well as it begins!
This is about three friends—Lee Shin Young, Kim Bu Gi, and Jung Da Jung—and their successes and failures in love and work. I think this has been billed as Korea's Sex in the City several times, but a) I've only seen bits of the show, b) what I did see I wasn't a huge fan of, and c) and I hate the "[name], [country]'s [famous USian thing]" formula. The three friends are all 34-year-old career women who haven't had a lot of success in their love lives.
Shin Young is the Everywoman character who wants romance but also doesn't want to sacrifice her job; in her backstory, we discover that she's chosen career over a boyfriend before, and while she doesn't regret it, she also wishes it weren't an either-or. She's also currently being set up with young rising indie (for kdrama values of indie) star Min Jae, who is ten years younger than she is. Kim Bu Gi is the sophisticated and cool friend who has written off romance and goes for one-night stands. She's the most practical and put-together of the three. Jung Da Jung is an internationally successful interpreter, but she wants to get married to the right guy—older son, lots of money, taller than her, not balding, etc.—rightthissecond. She's the kind of character I would usually hate, except she is so hilariously funny that she is currently my favorite. Shin Young is extremely sympathetic and real, and Bu Gi is who I want as my personal advice giver, but Da Jung makes me fall off the sofa laughing.
The plot is fairly standard, and while this drama doesn't break any genre conventions, its characters are extremely likeable, it features quite a few women who talk to each other about a variety of things, and although it's not radical in its politics, it deals with issues that are very relevant to me. I have to say, although I love my high school shoujo manga, I am so happy that there are quite a few kdramas that cater specifically to young working women. I wish there were more catering to older working women too, though.
This reminds me a great deal of Dal Ja's Spring, which is a huge compliment. Min Jae is nowhere near as cute or as loveable as Tae Bong, but the show makes up for it by spending more time on Shin Young's friends. So far, there hasn't been quite as much intergenerational relationships, but I'm only six episodes in, and there's already a plot line that's promising.
Spoilers
I am still on the line re: Min Jae. He does things like bring Shin Young baked yams and waits in the cold with her, but then he does his annoying smile, which sadly comes off more as a smirk and less as an "Awww, you're so cute" look.
But! Da Jung and the doctor! OMG! Best. Couple. Ever.
rilina told me that the actor who plays the doctor usually plays cold-hearted jerks, but you would think from watching this that all he ever did was play goofy puppy dog guys. His expressions! The way he never can contain his dorkiness! He is so cute. Da Jung luckily manages to disguise her own tics much better, but I am sure they will come out soon. I look forward to many more episodes of the two interacting with each other and cracking me up.I also love Bu Gi's storyline with the woman whose husband propositioned her, even though I am wary of the woman being Min Jae's mom. Still! Bu Gi is made of awesome. I love her entire backstory and how her first reaction to the woman is "Look. Your husband sucks. Let's get you a makeover and ditch him!" instead of the show playing the two women off each other.
I like how much of the show focuses on Shin Young's career, much like DJS, and like DJS, I like Min Jae being supportive. But I also like how he goes in with vim and vigor and wants to change everything, whereas Shin Young is like, "Yeah. It sucks. But sometimes you have to suck it up so you can stay at the job longer and do more over the long-term." The ten-year difference there felt very real for me.
Most of all, the show makes me laugh. The first six episodes have already had at least three separate scenes that nearly made me fall off the sofa (asphalt, noraebang, and home spa), and I really need that these days. Also, I love that the love interests don't seem to be in the alpha male category.
All in all, very promising. I just hope it ends as well as it begins!
no subject
no subject
no subject
I'm very new to kdramas. It happened all quite accidentally. Some things I watch on TV (SBS 18 or KBS 44). So far I've seen Temptation/Lure of Wife (high melodrama, OMG), Will It Snow for Christmas, You're Beautiful, Boys Over Flowers, Coffee Prince. I started watching My Lovely Sam Soon online and, like I said, I'm on episode 11. And I just started watching Style on channel 18. I watch more kdrama these days than American TV. The only regular English programming I seem to watch are DWTS and Castle on Mondays, then V on Tuesday (which I just realized I totally missed last night because it's not the most compelling drama ever).
no subject
Bwahaha, yay more people getting into kdramas!
no subject
no subject
no subject
I can't wait until you have finished the series because I really would like your take on the rest of it.
no subject