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The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry: Episode 8

Aw. Poor Min-jae? Actually, as much as I find Kim Bum cute, I liked seeing his character taken down a peg or two.

With this episode, we start to get a little more weighty with the relationship issues, but not so much that it feels out of step with the drama’s pacing. The characters have been drawn so realistically that I find the developing relationships really easy to follow (and get behind and root for).

SONG OF THE DAY

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry OST – “이런생각” (These thoughts). The mood of this song doesn’t reflect the drama’s mood all the time (more like 5% of the time), but this is the vibe I love most about it — a little pensive, but lilting and upbeat all the same. [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

 
EPISODE 8 RECAP

Da-jung drops the bomb about Min-jae’s motives. Stunned and humiliated, Shin-young blows out her candles angrily and holds her head in her hands.

To Da-jung’s credit, despite the bickering between the ladies in the previous episode, this time she faces her friend with concern. She asks whether Shin-young made an embarrassing confession to Min-jae, such as saying she loved him or something equally mortifying in retrospect. And you know what I love about that? She’s not just looking out for Shin-young feeling duped, she’s also concerned about her friend preserving her pride. Lemme tell ya, girlfriends who think to consider such things are not so common, but they sure are appreciated.

Shin-young imagines a scenario where Min-jae faked his feelings and was only doing everything for the bet. In her mental image, he crows to his friends like an arrogant douchebag about getting her to fall for him.

Ever wise, Bu-ki offers that Min-jae may have developed real feelings — hasn’t she seen the way he looks at her? But Shin-young is not having it — she isn’t just feeling hurt by the bet, she’s ashamed of herself for momentarily allowing herself to be arrogant. For feeling that she’s still attractive enough to transcend that detractor, Age. (It sucks that she DID transcend that barrier, but now will not have that faith in herself because of this misunderstanding.)

When Min-jae calls, the girls urge Shin-young to take her “scorned woman has pride” moment, i.e., to answer the phone and skewer Min-jae alive. But instead, Shin-young merely takes out her phone battery. An understandable reaction, but one that disappoints all of us who were rooting for her to have her snappy, empowered comeback to a classic Douche Move From A Guy.

(Don’t get me wrong; Min-jae is sweet, but from Shin-young’s vantage point, he’s looking like an asshole right now.)

As suspected, Sang-mi is in fact Min-jae’s mother: She walks into his spacious apartment with a grim face and accuses him of lying to her. He’d promised not to keep pursuing music (as a career), but she saw his appearance on television. She orders him to pack up his stuff and move out, since his nice apartment was provided by his parents (and probably contingent upon an agreement that he quit music and go back to school).

Min-jae treats her with the respect one would expect of a good son, but also defends his case: He says gently that he’s done everything she wanted thus far. He loves her, but wants to live his own life.

Sang-mi argues that Min-jae is all she has left, and she’s pinned all her hopes on him. She wants him to be successful. I would have argued that he IS going to be successful — just in a different way — but Min-jae asks why it matters what other people think of him.

It pains Min-jae to hear his mother trivialize her own existence, and he reminds her that she has her own life. At 44, she’s still young and beautiful. Why does she talk like she’s unimportant? Instead of seeing his point, Sang-mi nods, “Yes, I’m insignificant.”

Min-jae replies, “I’m tired of hearing that. I love you too, but I can’t become your life’s dream. Don’t block my path.” Furthermore, “I wish you could be happy regardless of what I do.”

Sang-mi grows angrier and lashes out: “You’re not my son anymore. I want to leave you and your father behind now. Fine, I’ll live. Why aren’t you packing? I told you to get out.” She’s going to rent out this place, so he’d better get out asap.

Shin-young mopes, impervious to Bu-ki’s attempts to cheer her. She wonders glumly, “If something leaves you, shouldn’t something come to you, too? If someone leaves, shouldn’t someone come? I think I’ve been abandoned by the universe.” She’s embarrassed “for getting excited about a child’s game.”

Bu-ki tries to get her to look at this as a fun experience — they’ve all gone out with losers before, right? At least Min-jae’s much cuter, so she should consider the brief “relationship” as fun and move on. That’s the good part about aging — it gives you the ability to move past these things with greater ease.

Bu-ki is still convinced that Min-jae is for real, and that he loves her. However, she doesn’t mean to prod Shin-young into embarrassing herself, which is why she and Da-jung chase after her when Shin-young storms out of her room purposefully.

No doubt Bu-ki is recalling Shin-young’s Episode 1 determination to confront her cheating ex and make a scene in the middle of the night. They follow her frantically down the street, on a bus, and end up, surprisingly, at a park area.

As she looks out at the cityscape, Shin-young explains that years ago when she’d been studying to become a reporter, she took the bus everyday to the library, where she looked out at the Seoul skyline and swore to become a reporter. She vows now to make a new start, without the distractions of unimportant men.

She quotes Jane Eyre: “The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” Shin-young declares that she’s done with blind dates, but she’s not going to die an old maid, either. She shouts, “Because I’m valuable!”

(I love that this is a solemn moment that is broken when she shrieks that last bit a little too emphatically. This IS misguided-but-lovable Shin-young, after all.)

Her solution: She’s going to take Sang-woo back and make it work.

As Sang-woo’s ally, Da-jung calls him to alert him to this window of opportunity. Explaining that Min-jae was all a bet and Shin-young is looking favorably on Sang-woo, she tells him this is his chance to make his move.

Sang-woo exults, particularly when he hears that his competition was based on a bet. He agrees to Da-jung’s advice, to approach Shin-young naturally, without letting on that he knows she has had a change of heart.

Shin-young has far more patience than I, because I’d be ready to verbally castrate backstabbing Myung-seok at every opportunity, but she has settled into a tentative stalemate with him. They still trade barbs, but now the sting is gone and they’ve started to interact with an amusing vibe. (I hope they don’t de-fang Myung-seok too much, though, because he’s a guy who’s fully capable of being vicious and ruthless.)

Shin-young spots Min-jae in the UBN hallway, and he perks up to greet her. However, this time she’s the one who ignores him and walks on by.

Puzzled, he follows her into her office, where he sees her reacting to a lovely bouquet of flowers sent by Sang-woo. When he asks for a moment alone with her, she treats him with friendliness but pretends they’re nothing more than social acquaintances.

Min-jae takes her aside and proposes a dinner date, since he has secured dinner reservations. She declines cheerily, answering that Sang-woo asked first. Uncertain at her sudden change in mood, Min-jae mopes in his studio, wondering, “If I was born ten years earlier, how would things be?”

His mood takes another hit when he sees Sang-woo walk into the lobby cafe to meet Shin-young. She makes the most of the moment by acting purposely close to Sang-woo as they leave. It’s all for Min-jae’s benefit, since we can see below how she REALLY feels about her dinner date with Sang-woo, calmly looking over work papers while he tries to make conversation. I admit to feeling bad for both men, until I remember that they’ve both wronged Shin-young. (And given the chance, wouldn’t we want to do the same?)

Sang-woo’s far from clueless: When Shin-young proposes in a businesslike way that they marry, he comments, “I see you did like Ha Min-jae.” He knows that she’s acting like this to try to make herself feel better. Shin-young admits there’s truth to that, and asks if he can accept that. She’s tired of wandering and wants to settle with someone — “I think you’ll be okay.”

He picks up on her wording: Rather than saying “I want that person to be you,” she has said, “You’ll do.” But he doesn’t make that into An Issue, and agrees. They’ve had their share of tribulations, so now that they’re back together, they should be happy.

With that, he leans in to kiss her forehead… and pauses to comment, “You didn’t wash your hair, did you?” (Does Lee Pil-mo have a thing with clean hair?) Shin-young sighs. It’s nice to be comfortable together, but there are downsides to losing all sense of romantic tension.

When Sang-woo drops her off at home, she imagines for a moment that Min-jae is waiting in front of her apartment, and is duly disappointed to find that she’s imagining it. She reminds herself that Min-jae doesn’t know where she lives, and asks herself, “Should I have told him?” She’s not even trying to fool herself about not liking him anymore.

Da-jung presents Ban-seok with cookies that spell out his name. He’s so touched he looks like he’s about to cry, and asks, “Are you really human? You’re not an angel?”

Despite both of their idealized visions of dating and marriage, Da-jung and Ban-seok really seem like a good match. For instance, she enjoys doing cute little domestic gestures — she doesn’t want to stay home and cook and clean all the time, but she likes making a gesture out of it, and Ban-seok sincerely appreciates it.

They head to a museum, where Ban-seok steals looks at her hand, trying to work up the courage to take it. How adorable is the pinky-streeeetch? He’s unsuccessful there, but has better success that night at a drive-in movie. Again, he spends a lot of time trying to make his move, but Da-jung clues into his intent and takes the initiative. (The first attempt is hilarious — he’s so tense that he barely manages to touch lips — but Da-jung takes the lead in the second effort.)

Da-jung bursts into Bu-ki’s apartment that night to exult. (Bu-ki and Shin-young are together, but Shin-young is not up to this conversation and hides before Da-jung enters.) In fact, she is going to meet Ban-seok’s parents on the weekend.

Bu-ki comments that she’s moving pretty fast, but Da-jung feels that everything is right, and predicts a marriage within the year. Da-jung unfortunately picks Shin-young as an example of how more time doesn’t always equal more success, and that causes a pissy Shin-young to barge into the room and pelt her with pillows.

After Bu-ki runs interference, Da-jung apologizes; she’s just so happy to finally have someone to see movies with or eat with. She used to be so sad to eat out alone — say, for instance, if she wanted agu-jjim, or spicy monkfish stew, which never comes in single portions but comes in a minimum of two servings. In fact, portions are so large that even if she took home leftovers to eat at home, it was still too much. She had therefore prayed to find someone to eat with, and now offers to pray for Shin-young to be happy with Sang-woo. Shin-young reluctantly drinks to that.

Shin-young worries, “I couldn’t even imagine in my dreams that my heart would flutter and I would feel Ha Min-jae as a man when he’s so much younger than I am. I felt love from someone who was born when I was learning the alphabet.” She’s afraid of more things happening to her without warning, like with Min-jae.

Bu-ki answers reasonably: “Accepting that is what life is about. Do you think you’re the only one? Everyone’s like that. We understand, grow wise, and grow old.”

Hilariously, Da-jung’s contribution to this conversation is to burst out, “I don’t want to grow old!” Shin-young looks up desperately: “What eye cream works well?” (I love them.)

When Sang-mi returns to Min-jae’s apartment, it has been cleared out per mother’s orders, and she starts to clean. Min-jae, meanwhile, presents himself at Ban-seok’s apartment, promising to leave when/if Ban-seok’s girlfriend ever comes over. (Oh, THIS won’t get complicated, will it now?)

Ban-seok asks if Shin-young mentioned anything to him. Min-jae doesn’t know what that means, but it all starts to become clear when he hears that Ban-seok may have dropped a hint about Min-jae’s bet to make Shin-young fall for him. Although Ban-seok hadn’t told Da-jung any details or mentioned names, the ladies may have put facts together. Yet far from being upset, Min-jae actually is relieved — at least now things make sense — and he smiles, “I’m feeling better all of a sudden.”

So. Cute. (And just as I type that, Ban-seok comments, “Hey, when you smile like that you look really sexy.” But instead of meaning it as a compliment, he adds, “Should I try smiling like that in front of Da-jung?” and practices.)

Min-jae gets out his phone and texts, “Shin-young, you must really like me. I’ve found you out!” That cryptic message both irritates and confuses her.

Shin-young continues working on her “News & People” program, which finally makes its broadcast premiere. Min-jae’s reaction is pretty endearing as he anxiously checks the online ratings, then exults to see that News & People pulled in a top 10 finish with 15.9% ratings.

Myung-seok, feeling threatened, tries to downplay the results, but nobody is fooled. Their rating is damn good, and the deputy director is pleased, particularly since he received a lot of compliments on the program. Therefore, he gives Shin-young a fixed timeslot on the schedule for Wednesday nights.

Shin-young’s reaction is just as cute as Min-jae’s. She holds her own mini-celebration in the bathroom stall where she had previously cried — she tosses around streams of toilet paper as though she’s doing the traditional Korean ribbon dance

That evening, Sang-woo joins her team for drinks, where they cheer this positive upswing in her life. Job, check! Cute new/old boyfriend, check! Yet she remains distracted and checks her phone for messages from Min-jae that don’t arrive. Even when friend Hye-jin is in raptures over how great a boyfriend Sang-woo is, Shin-young keeps an eye on her un-ringing phone.

Sang-woo walks Shin-young home and starts to reminisce on old times, taking her hand. It’s so clear she’s not into him (as she removes the hand) that I’m glad that at least Sang-woo seems well aware of it: He thanks her for including him in the celebration, “But why do I feel like I’m a puppet? It feels like waiting for a train that won’t come.”

She explains that she’s trying, and asks for some time. He understands that he shouldn’t push it, and answers encouragingly that “I’m thankful even for this much.” But after she leaves, his smile starts to fade. He’s trying, too, he’s no dummy.

Sang-mi continues to be slightly aloof with Bu-ki, but this doesn’t fool the latter, who knows that Sang-mi’s starting to see her as a friend. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t continue to come to her restaurant.

Sang-mi says that during the cooking class, she had heard Bu-ki’s friends (Shin-young and Da-jung) and wanted to warn them not to marry, that they should remain free.

In the wake of her disagreement with her son, Sang-mi is more down today. Bu-ki senses that mood, and takes a ring from her own finger and gives it to Sang-mi, saying it’s her lucky ring. Now luck is on its way to find her.

It sure works fast: Sang-mi answers the door to Min-jae’s apartment to meet a prospective new tenant, and the instant she locks eyes with Sang-woo, they both feel a spark. Sang-woo feels the attraction particularly keenly, completely smitten with her. He agrees to take the apartment so quickly that even Sang-mi entreats him to be more prudent and think on it overnight.

He mentions an upcoming business trip to Paris, which catches her interest. She’s always wanted to go to a particular cafe in Saint-Germain that Sartre once mentioned… Sang-woo knows the cafe and offers to help be her guide if she ever decides to go to Paris, and promises to take a photo of a particular locale on his upcoming trip.

As they discuss sights in Paris, a bond starts to form between them, which is as troubling as it is exciting. After they part ways, both wonder what just hit them (HORMONES!), and ask themselves, “What’s wrong with me?”

Ban-seok and Da-jung meet his father at a restaurant, and his father is far from gracious. He’s not overtly rude, but he’s blunt in an aggressive sort of way. For instance, when Da-jung tries polite flattery by saying that Ban-seok’s good looks come from his father, he replies that she’s a good liar. When they try to make conversation, Dad cuts them off and seems to think he’s wasting his time. In fact, that’s why Mom didn’t even bother to come.

Ban-seok has to take a work call, which leaves Da-jung alone with his father, who gets right to the point. He assumes she’s pregnant and orders her to marry in a month — and even when he finds that she’s not pregnant, he doesn’t apologize. Rather, this makes things easier, since he doesn’t want them together. He doesn’t want a daughter-in-law who worked herself up from humble beginnings to achieve success, nor does his son need a working wife. Rather, he has always seen his son marrying within their level; his in-laws should be people within his (lofty) social circles.

He leaves immediately after delivering those harsh words, and Da-jung is so stunned that she loses all her energy. Ban-seok asks with concern what happened — did his father say something while he was out? Not comfortable with making the explanation, Da-jung answers no — she was merely overly stressed out about meeting his parents. She asks to be left alone for now, and Ban-seok obliges.

That night, Shin-young is working in her office when someone ducks into the room to shut off her lights. She chases the figure out into the hall, and is greeted with quite the romantic sight: a corridor lined with candles, some of which form arrows that point her down to the end of the hall.

She must have an idea of whose doing this is, but her smile fades when she recognizes Min-jae, who tells her, “I missed you.”

Min-jae explains that she misunderstood the situation: “You don’t understand when men are sincere. That’s why you’ve been single till now.” When she starts to argue, he cuts her off with a firm tone: “Lee Shin-young. I started that bet because I was interested in you, and came to like you more. Can’t you tell from my eyes? Don’t be angry, and don’t misunderstand. I like you for real.”

She admits, “It’s true I was briefly attracted to you. But we’re different in that I have to go into a relationship weighing everything. Please put a stop to your feelings. Why do I have to like someone like you—”

He cuts her off, then leans in, slowly…

…but as with the party kiss, he pulls back at the last minute. With a laugh, he plucks out a white hair, saying she stresses herself out too much. “You must have been worrying a lot about me.”

Min-jae reaches over to pluck out another, but she grabs his hand, not in the mood to humor him. This may be amusing for him but she has been taking the moment seriously, and this has spoiled the moment and her patience.

She says, “There’s another reason we can’t be. This is proof. You’re in your youth when you can play around immaturely, while time is valuable to me. Don’t play around with me anymore.”

She stalks off, leaving Min-jae looking after her, bummed now. In a nice detail, she walks counter to the direction of the arrows on the ground.

 

The vibe is understandably glum that night. Bu-ki pulls Shin-young’s white hairs while Da-jung lies down, listless and quiet.

The next day, Shin-young is back at work, talking about possible directions to go with their program. They can use university students for VJs, for example, and have a lot of people interested in the position.

Just then, the door opens and in steps Min-jae — sporting a full head of gray hair. Everyone gapes as he announces that he’s here about the student VJ position.

 
COMMENTS

Da-jung: In a throwaway comment in Episode 1, she had mentioned that coming from a shabby background and working herself to success was her insecurity. Is it fitting, then, that this should prove to be her obstacle in a relationship where everything was progressing perfectly? Ban-seok has a good job, good family, is a second son, is handsome, and adores her. After rejecting so many men for various frivolous reasons, she finds herself being the one deemed less than worthy — and it’s for a reason she can’t control. Well, she can control being a successful careerwoman, but that’s hardly something one should throw away to win over an in-law. Not being born to a higher social circle is, however, something just as uncontrollable as being bald or born a first son.

I recall reading a few comments from viewers who disliked Da-jung for being so materialistic and selfish, and I can understand why. However, I had a hunch she was going to get her big setdown, and that’s why I felt free to love her for her silliness — I was pretty sure she was going to be slapped upside the head (figuratively) and have to reevaluate what makes a relationship true.

Bu-ki: At first, I thought that Bu-ki was this drama’s cautionary tale, back in her twenties, because she had been walking proof that conforming to a man’s expectations would only lead to misery. But now, I think that Sang-mi is the real cautionary tale, because she and Bu-ki had similar trajectories early in their lives, but while Bu-ki was able to walk away, Sang-mi wasn’t. It also explains why Bu-ki feels a particular pull to Sang-mi and sometimes pushes past her boundaries when another polite stranger would stop.

This isn’t to say that Sang-mi can’t have her own second coming — and it looks like she will — but her life is a more extreme example of what happens when you lose oneself and build an identity entirely around other people. That’s a fact that Sang-mi herself acknowledges, and without shame — she has diminished her own ego to such an extent that she doesn’t even feel its loss. Sad, huh?

Shin-young: I like that Shin-young didn’t wallow in self-pity when she believed that she was the target of a cruel joke. She moped for a night, then pulled herself together and got back to her career. Granted, she’s acting on misconceptions about Min-jae’s true feelings, but imagine if it really had been purely based on a bet. Shin-young’s response is realistic but also calm and not hysterical.

As cute as Min-jae can be, I really liked the hallway scene because it did hammer in Shin-young’s point that he’s too young. Not in age, but in mentality, because while one can forgive him for teasing with the kiss at the party, it’s a different thing here. Back then it was a public moment to make a point; here they’re in private, and this is in conjunction with an apology. In a moment where he’s actually trying to prove his sincerity, he breaks that trust by playing a joke. I thought Shin-young was entirely justified in walking away, because the very fact that he would play with the moment shows that they’re not on the same page.

Therefore, the gray hair gesture at the end doesn’t even seem like a Grand Gesture to me — I thought it was the least he could do. He messed up his own Grand Gesture earlier, so now he’s gotta put something on the line. Another similar candle moment would not have cut it — he had to up his game.

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I don't know if you mention this later in the recap, but I just had to say before I forget: Isn't one of the reasons why Shin-young started flirting so much with Min-jae was because Sang-Woo (is that his name...? Shin-young's ex) was taking bouts at her age and talking like she couldn't get anyone else. So, if I remember correctly, she was playin some cards too. She got all flirty and close to Min-jae to prove to Sang-Woo that she still had game. She even went as far as pretending to be drunk so that Min-Jae would carry her home, not because she wanted to get him, but because she wanted to PROVE TO SANG-WOO that she could still attract guys. So technically, didn't her feelings develop over a "I bet I can!"? I think her reaction to the news is pretty unfair considering that one of the reasons why she was getting close with Min-Jae was also just to prove something.

I'd also like to point out (even though Shin-young wouldn't know this) that Min-jae made the bet as a reason to get close to Shin-young because he wanted an excuse to push his friend (the doctor) away. Just sayin'. I don't think Min-Jae's a douche. Lolz.

Thanks for the recap!!!! Love reading these things.

Sorry if you do address the points I just mentioned. I just didn't want to forget my thoughts. : )

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they both started out with insincere intentions but true love is hard to control XD

like the tension!

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this korean drama never fails to surprise me. i was quite stunned at the last part! that was one drastic move!!!! whoa. once again, thanks for the very detailed recap!!

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I'll check this drama out when I have time, just because of Lee Pil Mo.

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Thanks for the recap. I've been waiting for this a whole week.

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Thanks for the quality recap (as always)! I like how this drama doesn't linger on depressing moments and has its heroines pick themselves right back up - damsels in distress are no fun, especially compared to such lively characters.

I'm a bit confused on why Sang-mi is so self-deprecating though. Yes, there's no longer anything between her and her husband (but they're still married right? and technically still living together?), she doesn't feel a purpose in life, etc., but is there more to the story? Why exactly does she feel that her life was ruined in her early twenties?

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Why does the battery have to be taken out? Can't she just turn her cellphone off?

Thanks, JB, for the recap; wonderful, as usual. :)

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I was happy that Da-jung was "slapped" sort of speak because i do admit I didnt like her materialistic and selfish attitude but I enjoyed it anyways because I knew she was going to get examined too by someone else. What better than her future inlaws. She reminds me so much of charolatte from sex in the city that its scary. Charolatte realized what kind of man she really wanted after she divorced her perfect husband. I also don't like that fact that Da-jung is siding with SW I mean I'm sorry what kind of a friend is she if she is supporting a man that basically treated her friend like crap in the past. Either way I'm going to enjoy seeing how she develops in the future lol.
I love Bu-ki that all I have to say period.
As Shin-young whenever she appears I smile. She is such a charming woman. She had ever right to be mad at Min-jae but I like the way she recovered from it very quickly. Although I going to enjoy Min-jae reaction when he finds out she was doing it out of a bet as well. Either way she did make a good point to him in the candle scene. There is a time to be serious and funny he just chose the wrong moment to make his apology light-hearted. I agree him changing his hair completely was the least he could do but I still find the gesture sweet because he is really sorry.
I'm going to enjoy watching how their relationship grows and how Min-jae works hard to become a better man for her. She is older and more experience so he has alot of work to do. Not that I dont think he is not a man already It seems he is developing a good career already, but in terms of maturity level he has to learn when to step up when he really needs too. If there is ever a situation when they are in a crisis he needs to quickly step up and be man.

^_^ thank you javabeans you are the icing to my cake and the bubbles to my bubble tea ^_^

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thanks for the recap & insight... much appreciated!!!

the scene on the bus was quite hilarious really...

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@Molly,
We may learn more about Sang-mi's life later, but I think that the fact that she married so young is part of the reason that she is so deprecating of herself. It's not (only) that she's putting herself down, but that she never got the chance to even find out who she was before she had to take on the role of wife and mother. Since the wifely part has fallen apart, all she has left is mother. Koreans become adults at the age of 20 (which corresponds to the Western age of 19), which is when most of them graduate high school and enter university. Since she became a mother at 20, she has never been an adult on her own, without being a wife/mother as well.

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I love this drama sooooooo much lol...thank you for the recaps..Can't wait till ep 9 recap :)

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well they both made a bet but his was found out first so.........
but the gray hair!!!! LOL idk but he looks like he came out of an anime or something XD

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@ Snikki
The ubiquitous k-drama action - I'd like to know, too!

@ Javabeans
Thanks for the explanation; it makes understanding Sang-mi easier and it's an interesting point that you bring up. I also wonder what Min-jae's relationship with his dad is like...

Your response also made me realize that a lot of the couples here are opposites in one form or another. Min-jae and Shin-young oppose each other in age (relatively speaking), Da-jung and Ban-seok in family backgrounds, etc. Adding onto what you said about Bu-ki and Sang-mi being attracted to each other as friends because of their similar histories but being different in how they reacted to their situations, perhaps Sang-mi is particularly drawn to the independent, self-sustaining woman in Bu-ki since she lacks that, and sees who she could have been? My parents once told me that people meet in opposites - like magnets, lol. I like how this drama still incorporates opposition, but not in glaringly obvious ways.

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Thank you so much for the recap. I look forward to the recaps of this drama every time I visit your blog. Thank you so much for giving me a a much deeper perspective on dramas. You're amazing...

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I really liked your point about Min-jae screwing up his Grand Gesture, because I think you (and Shin-young) are spot-on. They don't look at life the same way, not through any fault of their own, but simply because they're in different places along the journey. Min-jae can't do anything about his age, but he can learn to take a little more mature view of life. I'm looking forward to seeing their relationship continue to progress. And I'm glad they're not making this a MELODRAMA story arc; that would totally ruin it.

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@2sugarpunch
they really , never , ever , fail to surprise us.i love the last part too there was something ,a tingling thing in my body that i felt when i read the recap...
LOVE IT.....been waiting for it since birth (hahaha it's been that long for me)
really excited for the next one...
;D

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Huh. I was already thinking that sang woo and buki were gonna end up together - maybe. i guess they don't have enough screen time together. well then, it'll still be interesting to have sangmi-sangwoo-shinyoung twist going

i actually liked that minjae showed up with gray hair. it was hilarious at first, and then i thought it was really sweet. i think it was a grand enough gesture - it's as though, he's telling shin young that "hey, i think and worry about you so much i have a whole head of gray hair, while you only have a few strands!" it's cute, and it's so like him. yeah - he might be a little immature in his actions, but i'd prefer if a younger guy was immature rather than an older guy who was as immature and jokey as a 24 year old. (which is how i see sangwoo, a bit)

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@kaedejun

That's such a great interpretation! SO cute. :)

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Wow, I never really like Kim Bum nor do I dislike him or anything, but that gray hair just might change my mind. I have a strange likeness to young man with gray/white hair, thanks to my years of watching anime. If it was longer ..I would have died. LOL

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thanks for the recap jb! the sang-woo and sang-mi twist was totally unexpected. i wonder if this will create more problem between shin-young and min-jae or will bridge the gap instead.

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QUESTION For the girls, I notice that in K-Dramas that younger man @ 18/25 do not seem to be consider a
"Real Man/Grown UP". By the time I was 17 years old I had a full time job help my mom put my 2 youngersiblings trough private school, and since that age I have earn my own way, by the age of 23 I was basically an adult with a new born child working full time helping support my own family so this concept of a 23 year old not being a Man is kinda offensive to me... So who care to explain?

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Thank you for the details and comments :)

For me, imho, I don't think MJ really intended to mess up with the kiss or the moment. I really think it's something to do with physical relationship. I think he might be afraid of or have a phobia about physical relationship. He didn't even have his first kiss. Does he think the real kisses and(or) physical relationship are different from true love? If I remember it right, his mom got married because she's pregnant, not because his dad and mom love each other. And his mom's never been happy for the past 24 years. And his dad is still pursuing the younger woman and even borrowed his place for the time with girls.

If it's the case, I hope SY can change/fix this because I so want the REAL kiss :)

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@Gee: You brought up a good point. Both Min Jae and Shin Young in a way used each other as a mean to an end in the earlier ep (which I actually thought was great b/c I like how both their playing field was equal instead of one just using the other), but then things go complicated and awry b/c of feelings.

I found the way Shin Young reacted to the situation to be so human...so expected. It might started off as something frivolous for her, but feelings started to develop and b/c of her history, her age, she has a whole lot of vulnerability going on. Thus you can't blame her for feeling betrayed and dissappointed not only in him but also in herself for letting herself go that way. I kinda think she's more upset with herself than anything else.

Thanx dramabeans for another great recap.

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I love this series so much I am watching them raw and reading the recaps while I wait for subs.

Another recap that I totally agree with and learn something from. As i have mentioned before I am new to Kdramas and the Korean culture. The explanations help greatly.

Also, as the series hits the midway point, we see these storylines progress and the friendship between the 3 women get closer or rather, we see what it means to them.

The challenges, the worries and the endearing moments. Love it.

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i choked when i saw him with the gray hair 0.o howerver i like it gives my a badboy image xD

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please can someone help me-i cant find a site that i can watch the woman who still wants to marry,i cant find it on youtube nor in viikii-it says find translators in your area or something.i really want to watch it online please recommend some sites to me..
;D

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this drama is based on a subtle and sentimental topic, but im sorry to say that the script of the drama is so weak that it rendered the characters confused resulting in a childish play with tarnished characters.Its not easy to handle such emotional topics.

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How hotter can Kim Bum be?! Is there an end to this? I'm trying not to melt here. hahahaha =))

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Thanks for the wonderful recap, JB!

I am loving this show, and agree that Min Jae could have done better during the whole candle scene, as he did change the feel of what should have been quite a serious moment, and he trivialized the interaction by making a joke. This reaffirmed Shin Young's view that he was not taking the relationship, and her, seriously. When he walked in with the newly dyed hair, I was so shocked. I liked the earnestness in what he was trying to do, but boy, did that color shock me. It felt like I was seeing a scene in Final Fantasy or something. :-)

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Wow...the cafe looks like the coffee prince shop? look..the flowers, and the white drawings on the window glass....

I super Lurv Kim Beom..!! wah.saranghae^_^

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Sighh... But gray hair only looks good on young people...

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i really starting to like this drama...and i'm excited for the next recap since i can't see the drama in viikii.net...i like the character of MJ and SY its so cute...

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THANKS! for the recaps, JB.

Really LOVING this drama.
Just finished ep 10 last night, and the enjoyable convincing flow has not let up one bit. It keeps delivering, and delivering.

I am with Gee@#1 and thought the bet worked both ways too. Glad it's being diffused without being blown out of proportion.

Spoilt moment though it was at the end ... I thought it was effective how they used that romantic interlude he screwed up to play out how differently their thought mappings could be. He's still more impulsively go with the flow reactive.

But as someone else up there said - better be chronologically 24 and thus .... then be a much older Sang Woo and still remain immature, indecisive (and my take - darn wimpy too).

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I'm truly loving the plot line and character development here and how everything is shown in different perspectives and angles. I honestly thought we'd have Sangmi as an embittered woman who would just be another symbolic inhibitor to the relationship between Shinyoung and Minjae. However, I love the contrast between Sangmi and Bukki as well as the differing perceptions of age; regardless of whether a woman has a man.

Great themes brought up that are relevant for the times! As my microeconomics professor noted on one of our homework problems concerning the trend of declining birth rates, it is ironic to note that the best contraceptive is allowing economic development to encompass women. Who woulda thunk that we could curb high rates by actually empowering women with higher work wages and opportunities in the ability of maintaining their financial independence? I know this may not be sooo relevant to the drama seeing that these women are looking for love and not to consciously show reluctance to having children, but it does challenge the paradox of which image women and society want to maintain and change. Can women have both a career and a love life? Once she has a man, does it look like she's giving up maintaining a "steady" family life by forsaking her children to pre-kindergarten or daycare in order to continue with her career?

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I really love how this drama picks on womens' ideals on love and relationships. You've got two guys, Sang-Woo and Min-Jae, one being assy ex-boyfriend and the other being a refreshing new catch.

I think from my (younger) perspective, I would have been easily woo'd by Min-jae's gestures of being flirty and forward and I'm guessing other women would have been too (who can resist Kim Bum's teasing baby face?! Candle light romance scene? Sign me up for that).

But it's wonderful how this drama, especially Shin-Young carries herself past these fantasy ideals and perceive relationships in a more realistic manner as you've said so yourself. At the same time, I (assume/know) that Shin-Young has never been approached so forwardly (especially by a younger guy) and it seems unreal to her. Again, reinforcing her mindset of having a "realistic" relationship.

Shin-Young believes he's immature but in the same sense, would being mature even change the fact that they have an age difference? I don't believe Shin-Young would look past that regardless.

Haha, I kinda just spit out what you already know and have already said before in your recaps. Anyways, wonderful recap thanks Javabeans!

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What a great drama! Thank you for recaps, we depend on it.
THANK YOU FOR THE SONG TOO! It is really nice. Javabeans, maybe you can find the link of the SM-SW song too? Thank you in advance.
By now I love all the characters, even SM. I wonder how she is going to find herself now, at the age of 44, belonging to this previous generation, when it was sort of difficult becoming an independent woman, or rather less financially profitable.
Like I said before, Bu Ki is my favorite, she is like an ideal to me. MJ is just a prince, a dream. I love the doctor too, he is so real.
Looking forward for further recaps!!!

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I just love Da Jung's cookies! =D
If it were me who made them, I don't think any part of it would be recognizable, LOL.
I think she should just pretend that she is pregnant and get married. Not like Ban Seok's father could force them to divorce afterward.

Well, as much of a shock factor it was to see Min Jae donning a head of gray hair, I guess I have to admit that it'd probably look worse on most other people. But boo on him for ruining that moment! You can pluck her gray hair out any other time! *sigh*

I hope Shin Young regains her confidence in the relationship. It's sad to see her run a mile back after taking such a huge step forward.

Thanks for the recap, Javabeans!

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Have totally been waiting for you to post that song!

How much do I love that Min-jae's reaction to the bet-reveal is to smile and take it in stride? So anti-melodrama and fitting for his carefree and arrogant attitude. Advantage Youth, in that case.

I completely agree about the candle scene. Their difference is not in feelings, but in how seriously they approach the relationship. To Shin-young who wants to be married, this only makes Min-jae look more like a wee bitty baby. Advantage Maturity, here.

This drama is totally a sleeper hit for me. Came out of nowhere and now I'm like a crack addict. MUST HAVE MORE.

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I just wanted to smack Min-jae for not kissing Shin-young. *ugh* May be he really is a kissing virgin. LOL. That would be kind of funny and sweet. But I must say that I really was not impressed with the grey hair thing. It just didn't feel like a big enough gesture. But Min-jae is smart, so i have absolute faith that he will redeem himself. Thank you for the recap! I am also waiting for the moment when Shin-young puts the smack downs on Myung-seok. That guy is such a prick.

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@ghian

I watch it on dramastyle.com; they don't have subs so hopefully you can understand Korean. It's a streaming website (correct my terminology if wrong) - it's basically like YouTube, so no downloads required!

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Dear girlfriday,

But you're 1 of our cracker dealers for this series. The recaps! I so look forward to them! No pressure tho =D

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I'm really enjoying these recaps as the subs are only out to episode 4. Thank you to both javabeans and girlfriday for your insightful recaps that really bring the show to life for me.

I have to say I find the Sang Mi/Sang Woo pairing quite an interesting prospect especially since it hyper advances the whole age issue by yet another decade as SM is 44 and SW is 34. It adds onto the irony that SW continued to belittle Shin Young for rejecting him and imply that she was being ridiculous for not considering her "advanced" age when she so easily shot down his overtures to get her back. I was never truly convinced of the possibility for a Bu Ki - Sang Woo pairing since she has already had the opportunity to see the worst side of him and...well...i just couldn't see how the writers could convincingly portray her dating the ex-boyfriend her best friend dated for ten years. In retrospect there was some foreshadowing of this tangential pairing when SY "cursed" SW a few episodes back to find some one older, fatter, less pretty, divorced and with a kid (she got 3 out of those 5 right if this pairing really takes off).

I like this drama a great deal because to some extent it is forcing me to ask myself some hard questions. I don't find myself to be in a marriage/baby frenzy even though I am looking down the barrel end of 30 in a little under 2 years time, but nonetheless I wonder sometimes if those two years will make all the difference? My mother's latest kick has been to pester me to freeze my eggs before I turn 30 (just in case I do end up having kids). While logically I understand the medical stance on the efficacy of eggs in women over the age of 30, the rest of me just wants to turn to my body and say "et tu brute?" As if there aren't enough problems with society looking down on me (namely every married individual I know who frets over my apathetic stance on being single - and that population seems to be growing in number), now my own body will some day back stab me as well and I have to plan for that eventuality?

I really empathize with SY because she is at times so real. She acknowledges her age and the way she is viewed in light of it, but it does not define her. She has worked hard up until this point in her career and yet she is not outstanding in her field (yet) in the same ways that BK and DJ are in theirs. While she is capable of being incredibly gorgeous, she is not willing to invest in doing so on a consistent basis because who she is encompasses more than just being beautiful for her age (i really hate that qualifier - what exactly is the age where you stop being a beautiful woman and become a woman that is beautiful for her age?). I think she is an outstanding woman, but it's not as overt - it's not the kind of outstanding that the whole world sees right away; instead you have to know her more deeply to see how strongly she really does live.

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I just had to come somewhere to say how much I LOVE this drama....its by twists and turns fun,funny,and tension!

as a Romantic...I am loving this. I wish I had friends like Boo Ki ....yeah and even Da Jung....
Oh my heart went out to her when she had that alone time with dear ol' dad...her reaction to it was wonderfully acted....

This is just one good drama everyone is great in it...and to think the only person I am familiar with is Mr Boys over flowers! smile who is doing a good job holding his own here....

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OMG. I really want those shoes that shin young is wearing. actually, the whole fashion in this drama is really good. this recap really showcases the shoes here:
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm96/javabeans122/drama/2010/still/still1/still8-00238.jpg

if anyone knows where i can get em please let me know!

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Of all the drama's I've seen lately, I only cried when Kang Mae though Thoven was dying from the sleeping pills and when Da Jung got told off by the dad. I disgust myself. lol

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I can only hope that someone will see this post and can answer my question: what's the title of the instrumental playing during the second half of the candle scene at the end, and where can I find it? It's beautiful! If it's part of the OST then I'm missing this one.

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i'm looking for the same song !! have you found it yet?

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Hi Stacy/Shini,

I'm crazy about the same instrumental song too at the end of ep 8! Just wondering did either of you manage to find it yet? *hopeful*

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joking about a kiss to her?then plucking out grey hair? bad moves bro

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Hello Javabeans!

I thought this was one of your most insightful recaps. It was a very fun and stimulating read.

I had one part I loved. Both you and GF have mentioned how the friendship of the main trio is the stronghold of the show. There is that beautiful moment when Shin-young lays her head in Bu-ki's lap and Bu-ki pulls out her grey hair as they chat, which really illustrates that. For me that's such a beautiful moment. My sister and I do that sort of thing for each other. It shows such a natural closeness, the grooming. Bu-ki's about the tough love, but there's love there and it's what I love about her. The "tough" part is also hysterical!

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Hi

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Hi guys!!
I wanted to ask you about the back ground song of the candle scene. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me if you know where can I find it. I have been looking for it for so long and I couldn't find it.
PLEASE HELP ME
PLEASE.......

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I agree with your assessment of the candle scene. First I was wondering what was so difficult about leaning in for a kiss, it took long enough for me to get bored with the scene. Then he pulls her hair like a little boy. It should make Shin Young wonder about his other moves ☻ I thought his gray hair made him look creepy.

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