How does this rate in my Makjang Quality Scale? A kdrama is makjang-ish when it demonstrates a minimum of 5 of these qualities:
- Birth secrets
- Incestuous relationship, whether implied or real
- Fatal disease or looming disease
- Amnesia
- Physical abuse involving face slaps, hair-pulling and FORCED KISS
- Rape
- Make-up Sex or Kiss (Fighting one minute then humping each other the next. And I’m looking at you, Eric Mun!)
- Forced Kiss
- Parental estrangement
- Adultery
- Rags to riches/Sob story
- Corporate malfeasance
- Miscarriage of justice
- Revenge
- Noble idiocy
- Missed elevators, train door closings, and other missed opportunity tropes
- Rape
- “Hajima” or “Kajima”
- Melodramatic piano and/or guitar music
- Plaintive OSTs
- Lascia ch’io pianga, Lacrimosa and other classical music
- Lonely planet cinematography
- “Woe is me!” lead characters
- Love Polygons (because Love Triangles are for amateurs)
- Forbidden love
I like UEE before she had this gaunt, pointy-chin appearance. But I can overlook her annoying facial features as long as the plot is good. Hated her weepy persona in Marriage Contract so skipped it.
I find the premise of arranged/contract marriage preposterous but I can suspend my disbelief as long as I’m amused and entertained by the hijinks of an unlikely couple.
So should I watch this show?
Yew you should. It’s not too makjang for me, it doesn’t even feel makjang at all. Except for noble idiocy, nothing of the above criteria fits.
-SPOILER-
In summary, the story is about Uee’s PD character who went to the mountain to find the grandson of a late/legendary gayageum maker, Oh Hyuk. She was to be the PD for a documentary on him to bring back the prestige of the musical instrument, gayageum. She met Oh Jak Doo there, a recluse herbal farmer. Incidentally, Uee inherited that mountain from her aunt. Uee is single and independent, so plot device, someone died in her house while she was in the mountain and her friends kept warning her about being alone, she developed a phobia coz someone was trying to kill her (the target of the killer was her and not the tennant). She was also attacked several times. And so she couldn’t work because of her developed fears. Then Jak Doo discovered ahe owns the mountain and comes to find her to ask her not to sell the mountain coz it is Jak doo’s home and he promised his dead grandfather to stay and take care of a paulonia tree till it’s good enough for a gayageum. (Also, OJD is hiding his true identity that’s why he lived in the mountain). Coincidentally, he found her while she was being attacked and he quickly overpowered the bad guy. So Uee proposed to make him her fake husband (more like a bodyguard) in exchange for the promise to protect his mountain home. This way the attacker will see that she’s not alone anymore and won’t be an easy target. Coz she thought she was targeted because she’s single and living alone. He accepted it after some time due to some circumstances where some people found where he is hiding.
It’s not really a contrived plot to cohabit. It is understandable why she proposed. She saw how strong he is and he is a nice person. And I wouldn’t want to live with a mom like hers either that’s why she didn’t choose to live with her instead ofliving with a strange man. She was getting too paranoid but she feels safe with him around. And he pushed her gently to become her old self again. He took care of her quietly.
What I love about this show is that eventhough the 2 leads are total opposites with each other, they have come to respect and adjust to each other’s needs. Seung Joo (Uee) is a typical metro girl but she doesn’t complain much even when she had to live a simple life in the mountain. (No whiny girl lead here). Her and OJD lived peacefully and have come to lean on each other. She feels safe with him and he totally cured her of her fears. And him, I liked that he is reasonably proud. He feels out of place in the city, but stays and protect her from her stalker, and he says what needs to be said even to SJ’s mom and brother, who are sucking the life out of SJ. Oh, and he has not much qualms in accepting SJ’S wife card so he’ll have spending money. (He is so proud of the wife card. Lol), although he only uses it to buy coffeea%
The noble idiocy comes in with the foibles of her family. They were too much of a burden and she didn’t want to involve him in them. The corporate malfeasance comes in when she decided not to work.on the documentary anymore so her boss made things hard for her. But it’s not really a big deal bec of the 2nd lead’s silly crush on her.
No rape or forced kiss. In fact, there’s so little kissing. They said it’s because Kim Kang Woo is a married man. They do have chemistry, I think KKW is a great actor to make the romance work w/o much skinship.
I think the best part of the show is the first arc, where KKW is still OJD and SJ doesn’t know that he is who she was looking for, Oh Hyuk. Coz there’s no.noble idiocy at this time yet. OJD and SJ are just living comfortably with each other either when they were living in the city or in the mountain. And he is always quietly protecting her. And when she discovered who he is, she started to quietly protect him so he won’t be found out.
Uee’s hair here is hairrific, btw but it gets better on the second arc of the story.
Sold! I’ll watch it this weekend. I won’t marathon because it’s such a lovely spring weekend here and will probably spend it outdoors. But I’ll see what I can do. 😀
Thanks for taking the time to write that long spoiler. I don’t mind spoilers.
Have you managed to watch? I think it is much less makjang than one would think…
I like the main couple and I agree with Sansukini, the first half before the angst / noble idiocy hits is pretty good… and cute 😊
Love Eric, the best second male lead ever 😍
And one of the side characters is now giving so much needed lessons to the horrible mother and brother!!! 😈
Yes! I didn’t expect to like it because I don’t like how UEE looks (i.e., skeletal) but I like the hero’s chipmunk face. hahaha. I’m shallow.
Is Eric the second male lead?? You’re kidding me, right? I’ve only finished Episode 2 so will see how he develops. I find his English-isms hilarious.
The first 2 episodes are makjang but I understand that the script is setting up the reason for a marriage of convenience between two unlikely couple… so I’m giving it a pass.
How many episodes is this show slated for?
I think it is 24 episodes. Short weekender. And yes, Eric is the second lead and he is great! He gets better and better 🙂 He was the best thing when the angst hit…thanks to him (and ff button 😉) I managed to go through that annoying kdrama phase… now going to watch ep. 20…
I think he’s funny right now. I die laughing whenever he says “Ree-rri?” (For “Really?”). Cute.
I fast forward the scenes with brother and mother, and ex-girlfriend.