This show deserves non-AI subs. I've listened to so much broken English in my life that I'm pretty sure I understand everything but it would be nice if it flowed better.
An actual example: as you can see from the poster the female lead has short hair. Qiao Nan cuts it because he prefers his hair short and his soul is in her body. After cutting her hair, he runs out of her home to school. The mother says "cut your hair" and then the mother and father together say to each other "cut your hair". Now I'm pretty sure what was really said was "She cut her hair?!?!" to show their shock and surprise but instead we get "cut your hair!"
To end on a positive note - early on I think the writers/directors made a good decision of getting the two leads to swap bodies immediately. Get it out of the way and let these young actors show off their abilities. So far so good.
The plot and stories within the plot are legitimately crazy, messy and don't make much sense. But sometimes I'm in the mood for a soap opera so I'm here and loving every minute.
In terms of acting - I'll say that the majority of the cast have expressive faces and that's a huge plus with such a melodramatic plot.
Is it easy to cancel the subscription? The website seems clunky and while I want to watch this show... I'm not sure it's worth the hassle. I don't mind subscribing for a few months but yeah...
How would they be cousins? I don't think you are wrong. Grandfather adopted Min Ho and Min Ho is the father of…
Yeah it's a bit weird but I think they've basically confirmed it with that foot tattoo thing.
I'm more concerned with the grandfather's romantic life and Mi Rae's grandmother. Now that might make things super awkward. They are hinting there might be something. I hope not.
I'm having the worst worry in the world.. what if grandfather's long lost daughter is mi rae's mom? then wouldn't…
How would they be cousins? I don't think you are wrong. Grandfather adopted Min Ho and Min Ho is the father of the three sons. Grandfather is the biological father of Soo Jung and biological grandfather of Mi Rae.
As far as I'm aware Grandfather is not biologically related to his son or his grandsons. So biologically speaking Soo Jung and Mi Rae are not related to Hyun Jae.
It might be a little weird to some but it's not like they all grew up together. They don't know each other. It would be weirder if they knew each other.
While I can't think of any exact examples... I feel like this has been done before (adoptive family character falls in love with biologically related character and they get married and everyone finds out and happily ever after).
Choi Ye Bin has the type of face and smile that lights up a room. I could see her becoming the queen of dailies…
I love the family camaraderie. Especially the parents and grandfather of the male leads the way they all get along and help each other. I love healthy family dynamics. The mom is pushy about marriage but not overly pushy. They obviously want marriages and grandkids but none of the typical melodrama. They have their opinions but they try not to pressure the kids too much.
Hyun Jae keeps allowing his ex room to worm her way into his life. I wish he would be more forceful but he's been pretty clear about where he stands to his ex. It's not like he's giving her false hope. Every time they meet he does make it clear "we're not getting together".
I'm glad Yoo Na is getting a second love interest in the form of Mr Dump Truck Ass (I forget his name, I just remember that restaurant scene and his ass was massive, he's packing. He's Mi Rae's brother, right? Or maybe I'm wrong). Soo Jae is immature, has very little going for him and is roping her into conning his parents. He's ambitious but he's not good at following through on his ambitions. I like the Soo Jae and Yoo Na moments but until they come clean it's hard to root for them together. Rooting for Yoo Na on her own? Like I said, she smile and all is forgiven for me. Soo Jae has some growing to do. He talks a big game, a slick game but if I had to bet - the gym he wants to buy loses money given how small and upscale it looks. I have a gym like that in my office and at the time it was being built it was a question if it would be worth it or not. I can't imagine a business running that tiny gym and making money even with 1000+ people working in the building who might want to use the gym every day.
The preview look interesting. Hyun Jae is in his mid 30s. His ex in the preview says something along the lines of "I told Mi Rae we slept together". Did he get drunk and have sex? Was he sober? Or is the ex playing games? Most dramas tend to shy away from sex unless it's to set up the two leads together. I'm wondering if they'll commit to Hyun Jae having a sex life or if it's more mind games from the ex.
Regardless it's going to put a bit of a damper on Mi Rae's life. We're only 20% of the way in so I wasn't expecting them to get together so soon. I am a bit disappointed it's the meddling ex coming in between them. Kind of suggests this will drag on for weeks but who knows.
I haven't spoken at all about the oldest pairing. I can't recall many memorable moments between them. They definitely had some moments in earlier episodes but they're what? Both in their 40s? Their relationship and personalities seem the most naive of the three. And they were the ones where I thought sex would come up first and not Hyun Jae with his ex. C'mon, lets have an unplanned baby. Why? Yoon Jae and Hae Jun are at their best when they play off each other comedically and an unplanned pregnancy can do that. It also allows for more heartwarming and awkward moments with the Lee family - the parents and grandpa.
Choi Ye Bin has the type of face and smile that lights up a room. I could see her becoming the queen of dailies and long form dramas like this. Bae Da Bin (Mi Rae) could probably also dominate the space. She's got a bright smile and is more traditionally 'beautiful'. They smile and hearts melt. In terms of this week's episodes I'll put it in spoilers below.
I don't really understand their living situation. Two daughters work full time - one as a pharmacist(?) and one recently as a school nutritionist. And finally the youngest seems to work odd jobs part time. Okay, the mother is a novel writer. I get that.
But surely with the middle daughter getting hired they shouldn't be having major rent issues?
It's not a complaint or anything it's just funny. In American sitcoms you always wonder how they afford to live where they live. But in Korean makjangs? How can they not afford to live where they live?
Edit: Dropped at 19. The drama didn't surprise me or anything it's just too messy and the leads aren't enough to keep me in. Love Park Se Young and the male lead isn't too bad either when he smiles. The lead's brother plays a pretty good nervous/angsty guy too. There is stuff to like and if you like repetitive messy-ness in your makjang you might like this a lot. But for me, 19 episodes was enough to stop.
? South Korea is not progressive on feminism, mental health or LGBTQ issues.
The rise of BL is the story of a fetishization of a vulnerable group of people and not an indication of changing attitudes towards gay men. Gay men in South Korea and other parts of Asia are still vulnerable and face routine discrimination.
It has its flaws but I really liked the oldest son's relationship and the youngest son to some extent although that was a weird journey/ending. The Brutus character went on an interesting transformational journey. I dreaded his scenes early on but by the end I really enjoyed his character.
Of course there are makjang-y characters you might hate - the mother, the second son were two characters I had immense dislike for. They sort of mellowed but I never really got over my dislike for them.
No real villains or anything. Just a family makjang drama.
Overall one of the stronger ones and up there with my favorites - Family's Honor and Smile, You. Interestingly enough they all came out around the same time 2008-2010 but each one has a wildly different feel.
Hyun jae helped Mi Rae to get divorce from Mi Rae's husband as soon as possible.So why is he taking so long to…
Yeong Eun has children with her husband, they've both been unfaithful and there is more money, more assets to fight over. They can't come to an agreement so they are going to court.
It makes sense Mi Rae's marriage cancellation went faster. The big worry from the first few episodes was that Mi Rae's ex-husband would fight them in court. But instead he chose to give up and accept the cancellation. He gave up because apparently the marriage was to make his mom happy and his mom gave her approval to ending the marriage.
It's a good contrast. When two people are interested in moving on - Mi Rae and her ex-husband - things can work quickly. But when two people are interested in fighting it out or winning or not losing... the fight can go on and on and last a long time.
Hyun Jae needs to set boundaries. His ex is a bad person but she's told him that and he's still humoring her while also being interested in Mi Rae. He needs to make some firm decisions and stand up to his ex.
Mi Rae's paternal grandmother is the worst, her mother is only slightly better. They are both extremely entitled and seem to always want it their way or they'll complain and blame everyone else for not going along with decisions they have made on behalf of others. I have someone like this in my life and it's awful dealing with them.
I wonder if we'll see the slow descent of dementia with Mi Rae's maternal grandmother. They obviously hinted at it when she referred to her son-in-law as her husband.
Seriously, what's wrong with Korean dramas being dragged for months!! That's exactly why I've stopped watching…
I wish it were a daily makjang as well to get the episodes out faster. My boss is going to retire before this show finishes airing. And I'm being serious. She just told me she was retiring earlier this week.
Kim So Yeon would make a great mythical creature. She's got an other-worldly look to her at least in my opinion. I couldn't get through season 1 though.
Saw the trailer as it was on the front page of my Netflix. The trailer makes it seem like there will be no comedic relief and so I think that might be it for me, I'll leave it off my lists for now and try to remember to come back after reviews are in.
As things stand right now this is starting to remind me of Best Wedding(?). A Korean drama about a single mom. And while I appreciate the importance of that drama especially in a patriarchal society like Korea... I did not enjoy it. And my thinking is I won't enjoy He's Expecting either.
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An actual example: as you can see from the poster the female lead has short hair. Qiao Nan cuts it because he prefers his hair short and his soul is in her body. After cutting her hair, he runs out of her home to school. The mother says "cut your hair" and then the mother and father together say to each other "cut your hair". Now I'm pretty sure what was really said was "She cut her hair?!?!" to show their shock and surprise but instead we get "cut your hair!"
To end on a positive note - early on I think the writers/directors made a good decision of getting the two leads to swap bodies immediately. Get it out of the way and let these young actors show off their abilities. So far so good.
In terms of acting - I'll say that the majority of the cast have expressive faces and that's a huge plus with such a melodramatic plot.
I'm more concerned with the grandfather's romantic life and Mi Rae's grandmother. Now that might make things super awkward. They are hinting there might be something. I hope not.
As far as I'm aware Grandfather is not biologically related to his son or his grandsons. So biologically speaking Soo Jung and Mi Rae are not related to Hyun Jae.
It might be a little weird to some but it's not like they all grew up together. They don't know each other. It would be weirder if they knew each other.
While I can't think of any exact examples... I feel like this has been done before (adoptive family character falls in love with biologically related character and they get married and everyone finds out and happily ever after).
Hyun Jae keeps allowing his ex room to worm her way into his life. I wish he would be more forceful but he's been pretty clear about where he stands to his ex. It's not like he's giving her false hope. Every time they meet he does make it clear "we're not getting together".
I'm glad Yoo Na is getting a second love interest in the form of Mr Dump Truck Ass (I forget his name, I just remember that restaurant scene and his ass was massive, he's packing. He's Mi Rae's brother, right? Or maybe I'm wrong). Soo Jae is immature, has very little going for him and is roping her into conning his parents. He's ambitious but he's not good at following through on his ambitions. I like the Soo Jae and Yoo Na moments but until they come clean it's hard to root for them together. Rooting for Yoo Na on her own? Like I said, she smile and all is forgiven for me. Soo Jae has some growing to do. He talks a big game, a slick game but if I had to bet - the gym he wants to buy loses money given how small and upscale it looks. I have a gym like that in my office and at the time it was being built it was a question if it would be worth it or not. I can't imagine a business running that tiny gym and making money even with 1000+ people working in the building who might want to use the gym every day.
The preview look interesting. Hyun Jae is in his mid 30s. His ex in the preview says something along the lines of "I told Mi Rae we slept together". Did he get drunk and have sex? Was he sober? Or is the ex playing games? Most dramas tend to shy away from sex unless it's to set up the two leads together. I'm wondering if they'll commit to Hyun Jae having a sex life or if it's more mind games from the ex.
Regardless it's going to put a bit of a damper on Mi Rae's life. We're only 20% of the way in so I wasn't expecting them to get together so soon. I am a bit disappointed it's the meddling ex coming in between them. Kind of suggests this will drag on for weeks but who knows.
I haven't spoken at all about the oldest pairing. I can't recall many memorable moments between them. They definitely had some moments in earlier episodes but they're what? Both in their 40s? Their relationship and personalities seem the most naive of the three. And they were the ones where I thought sex would come up first and not Hyun Jae with his ex. C'mon, lets have an unplanned baby. Why? Yoon Jae and Hae Jun are at their best when they play off each other comedically and an unplanned pregnancy can do that. It also allows for more heartwarming and awkward moments with the Lee family - the parents and grandpa.
We'll have to see how things go and whether or not it feels repetitive after a while but no complaints after 2 episodes.
But surely with the middle daughter getting hired they shouldn't be having major rent issues?
It's not a complaint or anything it's just funny. In American sitcoms you always wonder how they afford to live where they live. But in Korean makjangs? How can they not afford to live where they live?
Edit: Dropped at 19. The drama didn't surprise me or anything it's just too messy and the leads aren't enough to keep me in. Love Park Se Young and the male lead isn't too bad either when he smiles. The lead's brother plays a pretty good nervous/angsty guy too. There is stuff to like and if you like repetitive messy-ness in your makjang you might like this a lot. But for me, 19 episodes was enough to stop.
The rise of BL is the story of a fetishization of a vulnerable group of people and not an indication of changing attitudes towards gay men. Gay men in South Korea and other parts of Asia are still vulnerable and face routine discrimination.
Of course there are makjang-y characters you might hate - the mother, the second son were two characters I had immense dislike for. They sort of mellowed but I never really got over my dislike for them.
No real villains or anything. Just a family makjang drama.
Overall one of the stronger ones and up there with my favorites - Family's Honor and Smile, You. Interestingly enough they all came out around the same time 2008-2010 but each one has a wildly different feel.
It makes sense Mi Rae's marriage cancellation went faster. The big worry from the first few episodes was that Mi Rae's ex-husband would fight them in court. But instead he chose to give up and accept the cancellation. He gave up because apparently the marriage was to make his mom happy and his mom gave her approval to ending the marriage.
It's a good contrast. When two people are interested in moving on - Mi Rae and her ex-husband - things can work quickly. But when two people are interested in fighting it out or winning or not losing... the fight can go on and on and last a long time.
Mi Rae's paternal grandmother is the worst, her mother is only slightly better. They are both extremely entitled and seem to always want it their way or they'll complain and blame everyone else for not going along with decisions they have made on behalf of others. I have someone like this in my life and it's awful dealing with them.
I wonder if we'll see the slow descent of dementia with Mi Rae's maternal grandmother. They obviously hinted at it when she referred to her son-in-law as her husband.
As things stand right now this is starting to remind me of Best Wedding(?). A Korean drama about a single mom. And while I appreciate the importance of that drama especially in a patriarchal society like Korea... I did not enjoy it. And my thinking is I won't enjoy He's Expecting either.