I’ll go over four scenes quickly.

One, the kissing scene:

It’s anti-climactic now knowing that she was the one who kissed him. Am I being sexist?

The thrill was lost because Gaedong, not Hoon, maneuvered the kiss.

This is not an issue of women empowerment for me. When it comes to watching a romcom, I find it more romantic when the guy initiates the moves, particularly the first ones, and takes the lead. I want him to win the girl’s heart, and to EARN my approval for his sincere and romantic gestures.

Two, the Flower Crew scene: 

Hoon and Crew #2, the make-up artist, argued over Gaedong after she declined to be responsible for the marriage proposal. Crew #2 pointed out that Hoon should do it since Gaedong hadn’t mastered the marriage customs yet. His reason was valid.

The Flower Crew regrouped without Gaedong and discussed it further.

Crew #2: You know what kind of girl GD is, how can you entrust her to be an envoy?

He was referring to GD’s bad luck. He didn’t mention it earlier so as not to frighten Scholar Lee away and to spare GD from embarrassment.

Hoon: It’s not Rock-Head’s fault that she was abandoned. And she wasn’t abandoned.

He knew this for a fact. She wasn’t abandoned. The King still wanted her very much to be his bride but circumstances didn’t allow it. It wasn’t her fault that she was left at the altar.

Hoon: (continuing) Never mind. Anyway, why do you dislike her?

Crew #2: Because you keep breaking our rules. You were always good at separating work from your personal life. What’s with you lately?

Of course, Crew #3 DoJoon knew why so he smiled. Crew #2 YoHoon pouted, and Hoon wasn’t admitting to anything.

The silly side of me thinks Crew #2 is exhibiting jealousy here because he thinks of Hoon as “his” and sees GD as a rival to Hoon’s affections.

But the serious side of me likes the idea that Hoon is standing up for GD.

Three, the “Stop looking for him” scene:

Hoon waited for GD to return from her visit to the morgue. He grabbed her wrist because she was going to walk by him without saying a word.

GD: Mr. Matchmaker, today, I’m a bit… (removing his hand)
Hoon: Stop looking for him.

GD: Huh?
Hoon: That blacksmith was adopted into a noble family without sons. He’s living richly and dressing well. So you should forget him.

This is an understatement.

GD: That cannot be true. Don’t you think so? If you don’t want to find him, just say so. Why are you lying?

See here: if she found it hard to believe that Soo was adopted by a nobleman and became an aristocrat, then how on earth would she it credible that Soo suddenly became the king and ruler of the land? The idea of Soo becoming king was more preposterous that Soo becoming a nobleman.

Hoon: That guy— That guy –
GD: Look at that! You can’t even say it.
Hoon: In any case, I’m telling the truth. While he’s living the high life, are you going to keep looking for his corpse for the rest of your life?

He was telling her to stop because a) he didn’t want her to be in pain and b) he didn’t want to SEE her in pain.

GD: I will go in first.
Hoon: (holds her back again) Do you just not want to believe me because he’s made you suffer so much?

In his mind, she wanted to continue to wallow in pain. He already told her the truth but she was letting her feelings dictate her head and her actions.

GD: Mr. Matchmaker. My Soo…he’s not that kind of person.

She walked away and he stared after her. He knew he was in trouble because Gaedong was an obstinate person. If Hoon adhered to “seeing is believing” and demanded physical evidence before acknowledgment, then Gaedong was the opposite. She believed that Soo wouldn’t abandon her, so she didn’t see anything wrong in waiting for Soo forever and causing herself pain every time she viewed a dead body in the morgue.

Hoon’s problem then is how to change Gaedong’s PERCEPTION of Soo without breaking her heart with the REALITY of Soo’s situation? The problem with Soo is not that that he didn’t love Gaedong anymore but that their love wouldn’t be allowed to exist in the palace. Disclosing the reality of their “doomed love” will definitely change her perception of Soo but it will also break her heart.

Fourth and last, my favorite scene:

Scholar Lee bestowed upon Gaedong the all-important task of delivering the napchae (or groom’s gifts) to his beloved’s house. He was able to summon up the courage to wed Ms. Choi due to her. But Gaedong believed she was unlucky because earlier that day she was told that she was an unlucky woman, so she refused the job.

After spending the whole day mooning about this, she came home. Hoon had been waiting for her inside the gate.

Hoon: Didn’t you worry you’d get fired for slacking off this much, Gaedong?

He came out the door and sat down on the step beside her.

Note three things here:

First, this is the reversal of that time she waited for him and jumped on him.

Second, he joined her on the dirty stoop. Can you imagine that? He’s a finicky, fastidious man but yet, here he was sitting on the ground.

Third, there’s another reason this was the CHOSEN setting of this PARTICULAR scene. I’ll explain in a bit.

GD: Did you wait for me?
Hoon: Of course. Of course, I did. You have such a large debt to repay, how can you be idle? Can you sleep? (meaning, don’t you feel guilty?)
GD: Mr. Matchmaker, how nice of you to be so consistent. (meaning, he only worries about getting his money back from her)

Hoon: (placing a bundle of something on her lap)
GD: What is this?
Hoon: Wooden geese that are given to the bride by the groom as a gift. I hope that you are the one who delivers this gift.
GD: (handing the bundle back to him) I can’t do that.
Hoon: Because you’re unlucky? (not looking at her)

I understand why fangirls swoon over him. I really do. Let’s be honest for a second: if he was sitting this close to you, wouldn’t you feel the urge to give him a peck on his cheek? That face is calling for a stolen kiss. lol.

GD: Yes. Yes, I’m afraid I’ll be unlucky again. What if an unlucky brat sticks her nose into someone’s good event, and like before…

I like that he was listening to her but remained cool to her impassioned speech about her miserable luck. He was allowing her to rant. Then, after she became silent, he gave her side-glance, then began to talk calmly. Note, too, the way that he avoided looking at her directly.

Hoon: I have a lot of luck. Whatever I try, it turns out well. I’m so lucky that my life is boring.
GD: Yes. Yes. How nice for you. I’m full of misfortune. Whatever I do, it turns out unlucky.
Hoon: (still not looking at her face) Give me your hand.

She stuck her hand out and he took something from his sleeve pocket and placed it on her palm. He closed her hand and returned it to her. She opened her hand to see what he had given her. Nothing.

She stared at him.

Hoon: (still not looking at her face) I will share my lucky fate with you so give me some of your unfortunate fate.
GD: What kind of Gaedong (dog crap) is that? (he glances at her)
Hoon: I have so much luck that my life is boring, and you have so much misfortune, so your life is always tough. So let’s share our fortune and misfortune with each other. You took my luck so nothing bad will happen. As I told you, I’m disgustingly lucky, you see.

And he stands up to leave.

Bravo, writer!

Here’s the difference between him and Lee Soo on what sharing problems in a marriage means.

Lee Soo’s version was the clichéd storybook proposal. Unlike sitting at the doorstep, Soo and GD sat on a romantic bridge. It looked straight out of a Disney movie.

With Hoon, however, he showed that he was willing to lower himself and sit on the ground with her (and lose his dignity, lol) to talk to her about something serious with her. She believed that she was unlucky, and he was going this notion of hers. Just like he changed her fear of the rain on her wedding day, he was going to change her fear of her bad luck. He was going to change her perspective.

Do you see now why the setting was important? It was for contrast between the two male suitors. The setting, like the cinematography, isn’t just random. It assists the director and the writer in telling the story through ambiance and images the audience perceive.

GD: Soo, I can’t get married. I have no money to find my brother and I have to find somewhere to stay together when I find him. I live paycheck to paycheck. How can I live? I don’t want to give you this much burden.

Soo: Gaedong, do you know why couples are two? Each of them has their own weight. It is so difficult to carry alone. You can put your burden on my shoulder also.

He moved his hand and covered her hand. Symbolism alert! He was protecting her.

This is unlike Hoon who ASKED for her hand. He demanded an active participation from her. More importantly, although he didn’t tell her why he wanted her hand, she trustingly gave her hand to him.

Soo: Then, we can live together.

Now, Hoon too asked her to live together when he told her, “So let’s share our fortune and misfortune with each other.” But the proposals are different.

Soo: Her life is burdensome. He wants her to unburden on him so he can carry her load for her. Sharing her load with him will make it easier for her. That’s the kind of marriage he was proposing: to depend on him to care for her.

Hoon: Her life is unlucky. He’s born lucky. He’ll give some of his good luck to her and she can pass on some of her bad luck to him. Unlike Soo, he was NOT promising to take on and carry all her bad luck, all on his own, to make it easier for her. Instead, he was offering to share their fortune and misfortune together. This is the kind of union he envisions.

See that? Hoon made her a much better proposal.

Furthermore, the amazing thing here is…(drumroll please)

Hoon was lying to his teeth. lol.

Of course he wasn’t born lucky. Ha! Didn’t he just stomp on those blankets because life had become painful for him, too? First, if he was born lucky, then why was he estranged from his father?

Second, he was only the second-born son. The first-born son was supposed to carry on the prestige of the family.

Third, and the most unfortunate of all, he lost his beloved hyung by a terrible twist of fate. His father’s assassin mistook the son for a servant and killed the wrong person.

So of course he didn’t really see his life as disgustingly lucky. Au contraire, mes amis. That’s the reason he makes up all the rules, researches every minute details, analyzes everything, plans everything to a clockwork, and works hard to make his matchmaking a success.

He was leaving nothing up to luck. He’s controlling his life and taking destiny on his own two hands.

So, no, he doesn’t really believe in luck. He believes in making his own luck.

To me, that’s the reason he avoided Gaedong’s eyes while he talked about luck. He didn’t want to be found out.

lol.

What’s the point of this conversation with Gaedong then? Well, just like with the rain, he wanted to change her perception so she could believe in her ability to do things on her own.  Like her fear of the rain was paralyzing her, her fear of bad luck was stopping her from moving forward. He simply removed that obstruction for her so she could do the rest on her own.

What a guy! Yup, he definitely earned my approval here.