1
bbchops
Dallas, TX
A wonderful romantic romp like the screwball comedies from Hollywood's heyday.
Before deciding whether to watch this drama, I looked the reviews to see what others thought. I rarely rely on the overall "score" a reviewer gives, and instead focus more on what they actually say about it in their comments. The first two reviews I read started with this: "I think this is one of those dramas where you sit back and say 'Wow, so this is also a way a Korean Drama can be made'." and "Honestly I did not expect anything about this drama, I just randomly clicked the first two episodes and it got me hooked." Honestly, I couldn't agree more with either of them. Marriage, Not Dating is a wonderful romantic romp and is a definite must see.
The excellent fast-paced script reminded me early on of those screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s like You Can't Take It With You and His Girl Friday. The dialog flies by so fast in places that it is almost hard to follow the translation. The many threads of the plot weave in, out, and through each other like commuters in fast traffic, with regular laugh-out-loud fender benders and pileups. But despite the pace and complexity of the story in places, the writer and director somehow manage to keep the story all together and moving. Each episode is told in flashback, with the cliff-hanger presented at the very beginning followed by the details that led up to it. It is a clever plot device (more reliable in places than others) that keeps the viewer guessing and yearning to see more.
The cast is excellent too. Han Groo is absolutely perfect as the loveable, well-intentioned Jang Mi who, despite her propensity for calamity, manages to make the lives brighter of everyone around her. Yeon Woo Jin as Ki Tae offers the perfect foil for Jang Mi. The walls he's built up around his life and his heart prove to be no match for the whirlwind Jang Mi after he convinces her to enter into a contract relationship to stave off an arranged marriage at the hands of his domineering mother, wonderfully played by Kim Hae Sook. (Have you ever watched a show with performance so good that you simply could not imagine any other actor playing it? Kim Hae Sook as Gi Tae's mom would be Exhibit A.)
This is an excellent and very entertaining show, and one that I look forward to rewatching.
The excellent fast-paced script reminded me early on of those screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s like You Can't Take It With You and His Girl Friday. The dialog flies by so fast in places that it is almost hard to follow the translation. The many threads of the plot weave in, out, and through each other like commuters in fast traffic, with regular laugh-out-loud fender benders and pileups. But despite the pace and complexity of the story in places, the writer and director somehow manage to keep the story all together and moving. Each episode is told in flashback, with the cliff-hanger presented at the very beginning followed by the details that led up to it. It is a clever plot device (more reliable in places than others) that keeps the viewer guessing and yearning to see more.
The cast is excellent too. Han Groo is absolutely perfect as the loveable, well-intentioned Jang Mi who, despite her propensity for calamity, manages to make the lives brighter of everyone around her. Yeon Woo Jin as Ki Tae offers the perfect foil for Jang Mi. The walls he's built up around his life and his heart prove to be no match for the whirlwind Jang Mi after he convinces her to enter into a contract relationship to stave off an arranged marriage at the hands of his domineering mother, wonderfully played by Kim Hae Sook. (Have you ever watched a show with performance so good that you simply could not imagine any other actor playing it? Kim Hae Sook as Gi Tae's mom would be Exhibit A.)
This is an excellent and very entertaining show, and one that I look forward to rewatching.
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