This review may contain spoilers
Deceit & scheming - what a mess!
Fake relationship and contract marriages are my favourite tropes. I was intrigued by this drama after reading many positive reviews on MDL. Boy was I disappointed! I couldn't stand the immature behaviour so I dropped this series after episode 10.What I liked:
1. The cooking - I like cooking & food scenes from quatro cheese kimchi to samgyetang and fried chicken.
2. Yeo Reum - he has great body and smile. Despite the lie at the start, I liked his character the most. He always thought of Jang Mi's welfare.
3. Jang Mi's kindness.
What I disliked
1. Jang Mi's characterisation - she's too nice until people took advantage of her (Hoon Dong, Gi Tae, Gi Tae's mum, Hyun Hee). Girl, it's OK to decline phone calls especially when you are in loo.
2. Gi Tae's characterisation - he's bland for a male lead. I dislike him for berating Jang Mi whenever she was in trouble even when she was locked in his building.
3. Every character, from Gi Tae' s family to second & third leads, is deceitful and always scheming. The only ok character is Jang Mi's father.
4. Childish behaviour - I stopped after 20 minutes of episode 10 because Jang Mi & Gi Tae still avoided each other. Too much push even when halfway though the series.
Favourite scene
When Jang Mi saved Hoon Dong from embarrassment at the auction
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most recommended to all :D
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dispointed
the movie start out ok so i gave it the benefit to keep going but after the 5ep i just couldnt take the girl lead anymore . i thought her character had so many flaws that real men wouldnt sand for that in real life so its unbelievable . Ive seen alot of asian drama with this scenario woman or men and they have someone they like on the side but they never doing anything with the side person with this movie she making out with this guy . sorry i will not recommend movie to anyone or even watch it again .Was this review helpful to you?
unremarkable run-of-the-mill characters
I'd dropped this before but i forgot why so i thought i'd give it another go cz im such a sucker for arranged marriage stuff. Now that i've watched till ep 7, I can see why I'd dropped it.Characters are the very essence of a story, you see (at least to me). And this story made it a point to have very prototypical characters with nothing distinctively likable about them. I'll dissect them.
Ju Jang Mi is your typical "im so kind" type of fl that has to go out of her way to butt into other ppl's business even when she's told not to bc she thinks she's such an oh so great saint sent to save everyone in the world. In simple words, she's a pushover. She's the type of gal guys call "easy" (the show itself points it out) and she freaking doesn't change after getting dumped sm times? She's just so painfully embarrassing to watch. But somehow ALL the guys already like this dumb cockroach that still didn't get its character development? like nani da fu
Kong Gi Tae was not too bad but also a very classic example of "rich mean man" ML ft past traumas. I felt bad for him what with all these dysfunctional annoying af women in his life. But why does he always gotta yell at her no explanation whatsoever? And he never apologizes; it's just brushed off. Do I feel bad for her tho? with the stuff she does nah
Kang Se A was another typical "anti-fl" material that does the most obnoxious things just for a guy that treats her like air. I mean, i don't get it, she's graceful, she's smart, she's rich, she's a boss, why do they always have to stoop so low for a mere guy? Always! What's with these shows?
Han Yeo Reum was boring. Someone tell me why he likes that human-shaped naivety.
The other coworker girl? Ew. The ex bf? Ew x3 .They're so despicably stupid, I don't wanna waste my words.
So the story revolves around these brainless, hateful maggots. And that tells you enough that needs to be said about this imbecilic show. They also never gave a concrete reason for why Jang Mi got involved in Gi Tae's con show and why she's still sticking to it. What's she getting out of it other than a phone?
Anyways, dropped bye and this time i'll remember how moronic this was
my actual rewatch value is 0 but mdl so dumb
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Ridiculousness and a drunk drama
For it was a wasted time, how did people muster up the courage to rewatch this drama more than once? I finished it because I don't really like dropping a drama that I already started. I guess it was the norm then in 2013 or 2014 to make female leads stupid, weak and cringe in drama, just like this one. The female was super annoying and had no respect for herself. Let's not talk about the alcohol in the drama, no episode without an alcohol and that our female lead doesn't get drunk. I hated it because of alcohol because let's be realistic alcohol doesn't make everything OK. The drama portrayed so many things. It didn't give the female lead a chance to grow up and be dependent on herself. Then ilthey were making dramas like this and unfortunately in this new decade it's just another norm albeit differently in another style. They all knew how to act but the storyline was useless and unnecessary.Was this review helpful to you?
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Masterpiece classic hilarious fun, "real" kdrama UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF EP 7
It starts so well .... imo 9.5/10 drama.... so funny.... great acting....and then.... boom... almost at the end of ep 7, the drama falls apart and becomes the usual sexist trash, loser immature weak FL and a cold loyal servant ML. Yuck. So stale....
I watched 8-10 to see if it will improve ... but those are terrible too. So I dropped.
THERE IS NOT MUCH CHARACTER GROWTH, the characters are too similar to what they were at the start. That's the problem. So the overall feeling is shallow, and the same behaviors and plots get stale after watching for a while.
UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF EP 7 - Wow this is a masterpiece, a classic, a GEM. Soooo funny. So well acted. So well made - the script, the acting, the camera/production, the styling, the music... Every scene is packed with fun details. UNTIL EP 7 WHEN IT BREAKS DOWN AND FL IS MADE DUMB STUPID IMMATURE MORON AS USUAL IN KDRAMAS... wow why do they always have to ruin it?????
The drama has beautiful bodies - omg tons of super great legs!
SO THIS IS A REAL THING, THIS IS WHY KDRAMAS BECAME FAMOUS - AND WHICH MORON DECIDED TO KILL IT OFF AND MAKE IT MORE LIKE KWOOD - TO MAKE MORE $$$$?
Watching this drama in 2026 when the kdramas are already dying. Actors are soooo skinny and lifeless, destroyed by dieting and plastic surgery, faces so tight to the point of not able to move the muscles, and eyes bulging out,
roles are poker faced and very still and boring. FLs are chaste elementary school kids stupid naive immature weak as if they live in 1800s but these days they are successful at work, MLs are poker faced servants that loyaly save FL non-stop and loved her since age of 3, very little dialogue, almost no meaningful dialogue, 1-dimensional "only good" leads with stupid 1-dimensional "only bad" villains.... etc... Basically THE WORST TRAITS OF OLD KDRAMAS (sexism, whiny FL and robot ML) BUT WITH STARVED TIRED ACTORS IN A SERIES OF STILL SHOTS WITHOUT ANY FUN, AND SCRIPTS THAT TOTALLY FLOP BY THE MIDDLE OF THE DRAMA
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WHICH MORONS DECIDED TO KILL KDRAMAS LIKE THIS??? AND HOW DO THOSE DEAD KDRAMAS MAKE SO MUCH $$$$ THAT THEY ARE STILL BEING MADE???
This drama has BEAUTIFUL people, The drama is worth watching only for beautiful strong radiant bodies and faces, exuding GOOD HEALTH.
This makes for interesting plots and yes amazing scenes and yeah visual appeal.
FL wears sneakers and runs and sneaks around, there is a lot of physical and slapstick comedy and female characters can participate bc they are physically fit.
FL actress and all female actresses did not have to act at all, just watching them is enough :) omg so many nice legs here! OMG!!!!
Luckily FL is a great actress. I cannot think of any current actress who looks and acts like her. She is truly fantastic.
The script and the acting is fantastic. ML is expressive, FL is strong and independent and openly sexy.
ML actor is a fantastic actor too. Wow he can act! And all the other actors are great as well.
The camera, the filming, how it is put together, the hilarious music...
Truly a masterpiece, a classic, a gem. Up to middle of ep 7. The soup scenes are just cringe dumb.
Yeah FL is not perfect, she has her cringe and insecurities, AND SHE IS SLIGHTLY DUMB .... out of insecurity and blind need to obey others... she just cannot say no or even say she needs to use the restroom... but she is ok! She is a very realistic ordinary woman who suffers from sexism. She is still A LOT better than most other FLs bc she figures things out and SPEAKS UP and is not afraid to take action. So some faults are ok :) it balances out... I did not see the end yet so I will update if need be.
Yeah ep 7 is trash, the soup scenes are terribly dumb
My criticism is her DRINKING TOO MUCH... and not saying "I need to go to restroom".... that was so cringe... (and all those other ppl - adjumas and her suitors - just do not see it - a very stark REALISTIC portrait of sexism in Korea..). ML is not perfect either - he is a selfish slime keeping her by his side - but on the other hand, he keeps saving her and he is already in love and he knows it :) he is ok :) he is a realistic man :)
I LOVE this drama. UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF EP 7 :) WHEN IT FALLS APART :) AND FL BECOMES A LOSER AS USUAL. SO UNTIL END OF EP 7 .... To me this is a real thing. The modern ones are mostly counterfeit, they are not kdramas but Kwood soaps. Most modern dramas do not even have the first half ok... they are trash from the start
======COMPARISON WITH A MORE MATURE ROMANCE
====
I watched Discovery of Love a long time ago and then rewatched it. That one is super powerful and changed my life. That drama is difficult but not draggy. There is a difference. it is difficult bc it goes DEEP into psyche and rooting out some very deep egoistical habits, e.g. addiction to complacency
Discovery of Love has a super profound message. It shows utmost evil and egotism and personal inner death disguised as pleasant convenience. The acting is FANTASTIC the dialogues, the scenes... wow!!!! that most slimey scene when she hides in the closet to seduce him and he takes it and forgives her cheating... wow!!!! Also it shows the process of MAKING A DECISION and then sticking to it. It shows some clarity
I didnt like the ending, I think she has not put in enough effort and has not grown enough, he had to notice she wore his bag and necklace..
Marriage Not Dating on the other hand is more showy and "action packed" but a lot more shallow and eventually it is about more shallow parts of the psyche - trauma requiring someone to not be alone or to be alone, confusion, very bad communication, not being aware of what you feel, being sidetracked into dating, flirting, s.x, dating experiments, etc ... It is a very young ppl drama :) ... It addresses some childhood trauma but does not go as deep as Discovery of Love, which nails some very basic fundamental principles of egotism , e.g addiction to self-comfort and easy way out, without thinking of consequences
Marriage Not Dating makes plot out of FL not being able to say I NEED TO GO TO RESTROOM NOW and then pooping around and causing other consequences. FL is so immature..... That makes it "difficult to watch" bc it is simply stupid. Sure you can say it is a satire that tries to show externally what the characters go through internally. Sure! I take that. But imo Discovery of Love conveys a lot more by implying it, by carefully selected scenes, like FL hiding in the closet to seduce SML and he accepts it. THAT SCENE IS 100% CREEPY. It is watching deep layers of egotism unmasked.
Mariage Not Dating has so much plot bc of obvious manipulations of ML's mother and ex and FL and ML falling for it. That makes it difficult to watch bc again it is shallow simple cartoon-like, villains are 1-sided bad and ML and FL are 1-sided good. The main characters wrestle a lot more with external evil instead of their own egotism.
Discovery of Love has no fluff "stupidity" plot or 1-dimensional characters in a cartoon battle. The characters wrestle with themselves and with each other and each one of them is complex "good and bad". And they TALK and interact deeply with each other. That makes it "difficult to watch" bc it is DEEP all the way from start to end
FL is weak but she is a super crafty parasite. So she is hard to detect and uproot.
Discovery of Love is about "ordinary functional successful people without any problems".
Marriage Not Dating is a flashy drama about flamboyant and "off the charts" characters.. FL is almost alcoholic and is very promiscuous and rash, FL has 3 guys to pick from and cheats with 2, ML has 2 girls to pick from, ML's mom and ex are extreme sociopaths, etc.
Marriage Not Dating can be titled "s.x and the city" and Discovery of Love is "how to keep love alive for decades"
Discovery of Love shows deeper layers of egotism... The more quiet, polite and calm egotism is, the deeper and stronger it is... and that kind is shown in that drama
Marriage Not Dating is more raw, more "childishly naive" more "young and lacking wisdom" drama, it is drama for ppl under 20 or 25 or maybe 30 if they are really late bloomers lmao ppl who are just starting their love life and have NO experience. The drama is about STARTING the journey.
Discovery of Love is for ppl who have some love experience, walked that road a while and now finally encountered the real road blocks. The real road block is not your mother or your ex, it is YOURSELF.
Marriage Not Dating starts as a heavy duty rom com - there is so much com, it is hilarious!!!! and then goes into ... soap :) It has so much action and locomotion but we do not get to see how the characters work inside themselves, how they wrestle and how they grow. So that is why it is a difficult watch for me - bc it is SHALLOW. Her mom, his mom, his ex, her current, ... his confusion, her confusion, ..... it is a hot mess of characters and events.... but it is shallow. We do not see some deep conversations or self reflections. Well that drama starts from "i will give you money to lie that we are dating" and then progresses into "ok lets date"
Discovery of love has very little comedy... It is a drama about mature love and about turning every unturned stone to find love under it... It is a deep digging psychological drama about being true and honest with ONESELF
It starts with "I ran away from responsibility, so I force myself to pretend I am ok and I use a boy toy as a consolation prize" and "I was dumped without any explanation, I missed you for 10?yrs, now I know what to change to win your heart and I am doing it" and "She seems so nice but why do I feel so shitty and fake with her"
Eric Moon as the ML and the actor who is SML are absolutely perfect. FL actress is the same in every drama I saw her and she is always a flakey female. She was perfect for this role
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Trite
A clingy, female lead with zero self-respect is not what I want in a drama. Add to that the most basic plot that has been done multiple times and one wonders how the writers could mess it up so badly. I'm sorry, but this was unappealing.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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Not as great as it is rated for!
Absolute trash. The guys are all jerks in this series no respect for women. They are all fine using the women who like them and then casting them away when there is no need for them. The ex of the main FL is trash... just a skirt chaser to get women in bed and then when they fall in love with him he discards them or gets his friend to help him break up. The women needs some self respect and should not keep chasing such losesr who have no interest in them this goes for the FL and the women who pines for the ML but knows she will not get him. Hate this kind of relationship in Kdramas. The male lead is also a piece of s****. He is fine using her then discarding her when it is convient for him. The second FL is gorgeous she should move on from the loser. why waste your time and life. This must be a cutural dating thing in Korea for it to be shown in drama's allthe time I dont get it.Could not get past the 4th episode. We all know what happens the ML+FL get together in the end otherwise this drama would not exist. In fact this garbage should not have ever been produced.
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