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The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry: Episode 3

This is shaping up to be a fun, amusing drama — somewhat light, but not necessarily empty. With the phrase “wants to marry” in the title, naturally romance is a recurring theme, but I actually like that this drama is more about the friendships between the three women. The romances are (so far) on the side. With the friendship at the core, the drama’s appeal hinges on a likable dynamic between these three. Thankfully the ladies have an endearing chemistry.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Bum – “내 기타줄 끊은 여자” (The Woman Who Cut My Guitar String), which is the song his character writes in the drama. [ Download ]

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EPISODE 3 RECAP

Stress causes Shin-young’s face muscles to seize up, and her jaw twists (official term: Bell’s palsy, a nerve affliction), so she is forced to take a week off work. She seeks treatment at an Oriental medicine hospital, where she asks for the best doctor and gets Na Ban-seok. (I LOVE that Bu-ki whips out her camera to take a shot of Shin-young’s twisted face.)

Full recovery may take up to three months of continual treatment, and Ban-seok gets started on the acupuncture. He warns her that the most important factor to wellness is remaining stress-free and relaxed.

Shin-young is lying in bed with needles jutting out of her face when the phone rings. Unfortunately, she can only mumble through clenched teeth and her words are unintelligible, so Min-jae is offended when she hangs up on him. She texts him back– but he’s further insulted at the curt message requesting that he text her his question.

In annoyance, Min-jae calls back, and she answers — but again, her words come out as mere “Mmmmmpf!” grunts, and he assumes she’s been drinking. Again this call is cut short. Furthermore, Ban-seok warns her not to talk during treatment and turns her phone off.

So Min-jae gets her automated message indicating that the phone has been shut off. Peeved, he goes to her workplace, UBN studios, to look for her. One of the younger women recognizes him and excitedly introduces herself as a fan.

Shin-young’s co-workers are curious to know why such a young hottie would be looking for her, and inform him that she’s on leave for her facial paralysis.

Determined to get married within the year, Da-jung seeks out a matchmaker, who has a great match lined up but expresses a few reservations because of her age. Da-jung is open to getting a physical, until the woman says that the man wants her to visit an ob-gyn to check out whether she’s ever been pregnant or miscarried. This is offensive, and Da-jung walks out. Next, she is turned away by a dating service because they don’t have any men fitting her requirements.

Feeling morose, she strolls along a bridge and shouts to the water, “Sorry for being successful! Sorry for making good money, you mean jerks!” In response, a police car pulls over, as though worried she’ll jump. Startled, Da-jung runs off.

Shin-young is better today — she can mumble half-intelligibly — but stubbornly remains in bed despite Bu-ki’s attempts to rouse her. Bu-ki wonders why she’s so gloomy — what is she so afraid of? Shin-young retorts, “Everything!”

Bu-ki puts things in an optimistic light: Everyone has dark periods, but in the long run they prepare you for brighter changes to come. This does not lift Shin-young’s spirits, and she sighs, “I’m tired of expending energy uselessly now.” She thinks she’s lost the opportunity to get married, and as time goes on, she’s also losing confidence.

Pragmatic as ever, Bu-ki responds, “Losing the chance to marry means you’ve lost the chance to divorce, so that’s not all bad. And you can always regain your confidence. It’s simple.”

After her disheartening day, Da-jung goes to the spa for a rejuvenating facial: looking younger will better prepare her to attract a man. (She looks to Bu-ki for confirmation of its effects; Bu-ki replies dryly, “Your face just looks red to me.”)

Over drinks at a pojangmacha, Bu-ki wonders why Da-jung wants to marry so badly. Anyone can marry if you just lower your standards enough, so marriage itself is nothing special, but not everyone can have professional success. But Da-jung says, “I think I’ve succeeded enough.” Men avoid her because they’re intimidated by a woman who is successful and independently makes good money. She wants to marry while she can still have kids, before she’s too old to mother them. Da-jung asks Bu-ki to introduce her to some men, flattering her to get her to agree.

Min-jae and Ban-seok meet at the gym, and their conversation affords another glimpse into their relationship. Ban-seok is ten years older, and he’d been responsible for straightening Min-jae out before he turned into a problem kid.

Thinking of Shin-young, Min-jae asks if Ban-seok has ever heard of facial paralysis. Ban-seok explains that it’s often caused by stress, particularly if the person is sensitive. Min-jae thinks, “But she doesn’t seem sensitive,” which is a concept Ban-seok corrects — you can’t judge that from someone’s outer appearance. A person can be tender-hearted and sensitive on the inside.

This makes Min-jae stop and think about it a little more; clearly he’s intrigued by Shin-young, though he hasn’t figured her out yet.

Bu-ki makes good on her promise, and sets Da-jung up on a series of dates. One after another, they fall flat, mostly because Da-jung is extremely picky. After each failed match-up, Bu-ki dutifully tries a new date, but there’s always something wrong. The first guy is bald, the second guy is from a religious family, the third is 10 cm shorter than her.

Shin-young goes in for follow-up sessions with Ban-seok, and improves steadily until the paralysis has mostly worn off. She’s happy because now she can get back to work and her normal life, and is eager about the prospect about not coming in every day. However, Ban-seok feels a curious letdown at her reaction (as though taking it personally that she doesn’t want to come by every day), and urges her to keep up with treatments every other day.

When she gets back to work, she’s in for an unhappy surprise — her planning team is in danger of being broken up. After such a long absence, the members have agreed to join (or want to join) new/better teams, which would leave her without a staff.

Grimly, she faces her teammates, saying that she understands what they’re thinking, that she should give in gracefully and leave UBN now (leaving room for the others). As a single woman, she doesn’t have a family or husband to support, like they do. Shin-young concedes that yes, she’ll probably leave UBN at some point — but not now. If she leaves, she won’t ever be able to rise higher than this mid-level position. Her chance to marry is fast slipping away, plus her ex is getting married today — she refuses to sink any lower than this. This is her planning team and if her ratings turn out low and she fails, she’ll quit then. So for now, they stay.

She’s wrong about one thing, though: At the wedding hall, Sang-woo sits amidst empty tables and looks at a photo of them together. He thinks, “Shin-young. Actually, I called off the wedding. I realized the person I really love is you. Forgive me, will you?” He starts to call her, but decides against it.

Back at the office, Shin-young’s co-workers inform her that Ha Min-jae had dropped by to see her. They swoon over him and suggest that they ask him to do the music for their program. Shin-young, however, isn’t impressed and replies that he’s ill-mannered; she has no idea what people see in such a rude kid.

She’s the only one who thinks that, though. At the university, a group of giggling schoolgirls waits for him; one girl shyly gives him a bouquet of flowers, promising to come to his upcoming show. He’s not outright rude, but tells them coolly to study instead of seeking him out like this.

He walks into class late, interrupting Shin-young’s lecture, and lays the bouquet on her podium. Naturally, the class Ooohs knowingly. He says (sounding purposely cryptic, I think), “Sorry for calling you like that the other day.” Puzzled, she wonders why he’s apologizing for that now, and Min-jae leans in close, as though to share a secret. He whispers that he wanted to see her now that she’s back to normal, which prompts more tittering from the students.

He then takes a seat and calls out to her, “I didn’t tell anyone about it.” Again, his deliberate mysteriousness makes their encounter sound more suggestive than it actually was.

Shin-young takes her class in to UBN for a tour of the studio. Min-jae smiles to himself, as though enjoying seeing Shin-young in her element. He certainly doesn’t lack for confidence, so it’s fun seeing him taken down a peg. When Shin-young asks if anyone wants to try sitting in the anchor chair, she asks which student has the most presence. Min-jae teases, “You shouldn’t talk so pointedly about me” and starts to step forward, but Shin-young ignores him and calls another student forward. Ha.

One of the other PDs asks for a moment with Min-jae, so she gives her students a break while the PD asks if Min-jae would appear on a program he’s working on. A bit uncomfortably, Min-jae declines, saying that he’s not interested in going on television. The PD asks if he can use his Youtube video, and Min-jae deflects by saying he’s in class right now, so he’ll think about it later.

Shin-young watches this from a distance, slowly starting to see that Min-jae commands a lot of attention. Perhaps she’d underestimated him after all.

Later, she goes online to check out Min-jae’s performance video, and admits to her co-worker (the avid fan) that she hadn’t realized he was famous in indie circles. She didn’t know he wrote all his own songs, either.

Sensing her interest, the co-worker offers to take her along to the concert. Shin-young turns her down at first, but ends up letting herself be dragged along. At the club, she watches dispassionately until Min-jae’s introduction perks her interest — his new song is titled “The Woman Who Cut My Guitar String.” He explains that it’s based on a real-life encounter: he’d been working on a pretty good song when this strange woman came in and cut his guitar string.

Kim Bum – “내 기타줄 끊은 여자” (The Woman Who Cut My Guitar String)

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      If not for you, I could have made it
If not for you, I could have shone brightly
This time’s for real
This time it’s all done
I was happy, everything was good
I was smiling until you came
I was happy, everything was good
I was smiling until you came
 
Like in a dream, she cut my guitar string and left
How could she do this to me?
Please don’t do this
Does everything have a reason?
Why’d she cut my guitar string?
She appeared in my dream:
“I did it for you”
 
I’ve already got a lot of sadness
I’ve fallen over a lot
Please don’t cut my guitar string and leave again  
Even if you don’t
I’ve been hurt enough
Please don’t cut my guitar string and leave again
 
If you have too much,
you won’t know what’s important
You won’t long for love,
I did it for you
 
I’ve already got a lot of sadness
I’ve fallen over a lot
Please don’t cut my guitar string and leave again
Even if you don’t
I’ve been hurt enough
Please don’t cut my guitar string and leave again
Even if you don’t
I’m too humble
Please don’t cut my guitar string and leave again
너만 아니었음 난 뜰 수 있었어
너만 아니었음 빛날 수 있었어
이번에는 진짜야
이번에는 다 됐어
행복했어 좋았어
웃었어 니가 오기 전까지
행복했어 좋았어
웃었어 니가 오기 전까지
 
꿈에서 본 듯한 그 여자 기타줄 끊고 갔네
어떻게 이래 나한테 이래
제발 이러지마요
모든 일엔 이유가 있을까
그녀는 왜 기타줄을 끊었나
그녀가 꿈에 나타났어
널 위해 그랬어
 
난 이미 슬픈 게 많아요
넘어진 적도 많아
제발 다신 기타 줄을 끊고 가지 말아요
당신이 그러지 않아도
그 동안 너무 아팠어
제발 다신 기타 줄을 끊고 가지 말아요
 
너무 많은 걸 가지면
넌 소중한 걸 모를 거야
사랑이 그립지 않을 거야
널 위해 그랬어
 
난 이미 슬픈 게 많아요
넘어진 적도 많아
제발 다신 기타 줄을 끊고 가지 말아요
당신이 그러지 않아도
그 동안 너무 아팠어
제발 다신 기타줄을 끊고 가지 말아요
당신이 그러지 않아도
나는 너무 겸손해
제발 다신 기타 줄을 끊고 가지 말아요

 
Okay, so not the best song. But let’s pretend it is, for the sake of Min-jae’s reputation as a musical genius.

Truth be told, she’s pretty impressed, and inside her head she’s willing to admit he’s pretty talented. But she’s not ready to concede that out loud, and asks her co-worker grudgingly, “What’s so great about this song?”

Shin-young leaves the show shortly thereafter, but something (or rather, the song) makes her change her mind. By the time Min-jae leaves the club, she’s waiting outside on the street. After the initial surprise passes, he’s back to his cocky ways: “Wasn’t it cool?”

Making the lame excuse that she was just passing by, she comments, “It sounds like you wrote that song because of me.” He asks, “Were you waiting all this time to buy me coffee?” Ignoring her stammers of denial, he leads her away.

Shin-young says he ought to be grateful for her for inspiration. She can’t hold back her curiosity, and persists in asking: Did he write the lyrics on the spot, or later? He asks, “Are you just curious because you’re a reporter? Or are you interested in me?”

Min-jae enjoys pushing her buttons, because her reaction to his roundabout answers (and his flirting tone) is impatience and irritation. Finally he explains that yes, he wrote the song because of their meeting. (Also, he used the words “guitar string” rather than the more appropriate guitar “cable” because it’s easier to understand.) When she complains that he took a long time to answer a simple question, he answers, “This way, I get to see your face a little longer.”

She retorts, “Want to write a song called ‘The Woman Who Poured Coffee On My Face’?” Undaunted, he challenges her: “Give it a try. I’ll give you a big kiss.” She narrows her eyes. He urges her to go on, saying he’s looking forward to it. But when she flicks her open cup toward his face, he flinches. (It’s empty.)

She gets up to leave, sighing, “It’s my fault for asking a serious question.” She warns him to keep his mouth shut and not come to class anymore, as he’d promised earlier.

Bu-ki invites Shin-young and Da-jung to a restaurant’s opening. The ladies mingle with the other guests, Da-jung keeping an eye out for eligible bachelors. Too bad she gets a little ahead of herself, because she’s mortified when she finds out that the guy she’s flirting with was born in 1988. Worse yet, she lied about her age, saying she was born in 1985, which has shaved a good nine years off her real age. She can’t keep up the lie since he came with someone who recognizes her.

Shin-young and Da-jung cut out early, deciding to pig out on snacks at home. They split up to buy their favorite late-night snacks, and will meet up back at the apartment.

On her way home, Shin-young finds Sang-woo waiting to intercept her. She isn’t pleased to see him, not even when he confesses that he called the wedding off, and that he’d sent her the invitation on purpose so that she would see for herself that it was canceled.

Shin-young: “What would change if I saw that?”
Sang-woo: “Forgive me and take me back.”
Shin-young: “Do you think you can just leave me when you want, then come back to open arms?”
Sang-woo: “Do you know what my life’s biggest mistake was? Opposing when you went abroad. Thinking that you didn’t love me.”
Shin-young: “Do you know what my life’s biggest mistake was? Loving a man like you. Mistaking you for my soulmate.”
Sang-woo: “I’ll show you that it wasn’t a mistake. Give me another chance.”
Shin-oung: “I have a boyfriend I want to marry.”
Sang-woo: “Break up. I did.”

She kicks him: “Even if I stay single forever, I won’t go back to you!” He persists, saying that he knows she’s not dating anyone and promising, “I’ll wait. I’ll wait forever.”

No surprise that Shin-young comes home in a dark mood, and reaches for the liquor. She fumes — how she could go back to him when he ripped her heart out?

Da-jung tells her to be calm and go back to him, which doesn’t help calm her down any. To marriage-obsessed Da-jung, it’s better for Shin-young to think calmly and take him back (and marry). Shin-young is not having it, and in her fit of temper, her facial paralysis strikes again.

This means more acupuncture treatments. Shin-young had stopped going back for follow-up visits, to Ban-seok’s dismay, thinking that all was well. Ban-seok had been depressed when she’d stopped coming, despite his firm stance on not dating clients or even seeing them in a romantic light. This time, he’s cheered by her vow to come by every day this week, and she improves again.

The encounter leaves Ban-seok mooning over his crush, thinking, “I feel strange. I have feelings for a patient. I must be crazy.”

Min-jae doesn’t think it’s such a big deal. Is she pretty? Is she interested back? Is she available? Ban-seok answers that she is pretty, she doesn’t seem to dislike him, and he isn’t sure of her dating status. However, he shouldn’t feel this way about a patient in the first place, and ought to get rid of his feelings. Min-jae scoffs that the reason Ban-seok hasn’t been able to date is because he’s so conservative.

Ban-seok sighs, “Whenever I see her, I feel excited and happy. My hand shakes when I put the needles in.” Min-jae jokes that if his shaking hand makes a mistake, he might give her facial paralysis. Ban-seok replies that that’s actually the reason she came in for treatment.

Thinking it’s a funny coincidence, Min-jae tosses out, “It’s not Lee Shin-young, is it?” Ban-seok asks, surprised, “How do you know?”

Intensifying her efforts, Da-jung drags Shin-young along to a fortunteller/guru to diagnose why they have been unable to marry. Shin-young remains skeptical at his general remarks (earning the fortuneteller’s disdain), because anyone could have guessed that their age is a factor.

The man concludes that they need an exorcism, which merits another skeptical reaction from Shin-young. Da-jung, however, eats this all up, eager to do whatever she has to. She’s spurred by the fortuneteller’s hazy prediction that he sees men in their future who will com “as soon as the road opens.” But in order for that to happen, they need to clear it via exorcism.

Neither Bu-ki and Shin-young are persuaded, but they reluctantly tag along on the exorcism outing, dressed all in red per the fortuneteller’s instructions. They prepare excuses in the event they should need to justify their presence: Shin-young is merely here covering a story, and Bu-ki is surveying the land.

Da-jung throws herself into it optimistically, but the other two question the fortuneteller’s chants, wondering if he’s legit. He grows offended (probably because he’s mumbling nonsense and is uncomfortable with the scrutiny), saying their lack of faith is why they can’t marry.

And so, they step aside and wait for Da-jung to finish, but the fortuneteller says he’s “lost the feeling.” Taking this opportunity to blame it on the two doubters, he sneaks up on them and beats them with a stick, while Da-jung begs them to just go along with it.

And just then, they’re swarmed by a crowd of reporters, who have been watching from the outskirts. Cameras are thrust in their faces and the reporters bombard them with questions about the man’s violent tactics.

The women cover their faces in mortification — they all have their public images to think about! — and try to run, with difficulty, away from the reporters.

 
COMMENTS

This episode continues with the refreshing tone; the story has comedy, which isn’t entirely slapstick but not entirely dry wit, either. It’s somewhere in between, sort of like in Soulmate. Some gags are played for the physicality, but the humor really comes from the dialogue and the easy, entertaining relationships of the three leads.

Of the three, Da-jung is definitely my favorite, even if (or because?) she’s the most flawed. She may be materialistic and picky, but Eom Ji-won plays her with such sunny appeal that she’s still quite likable. (The equivalent characters in series like My Sweet Seoul and Romance Hunter, on the other hand, drove me batty with their snooty attitudes. So this is definitely an area where the actress makes a huge difference in bringing the quirkiness to life.) I like that she’s selfish in an honest and open way, which keeps her from being disingenuous.

Bu-ki has an interesting backstory, so while we have seen her the least, I am digging her character, too. I haven’t been struck with Wang Bit-na’s acting in the past, so this role really suits her. I enjoy her dialogue the most, since it’s dry and cynical (but not bitter!). Still, you understand where she’s coming from because of her past experience being the slavish, eager-to-please girlfriend.

Shin-young is the straight woman so she’s not as offbeat as the others, and to be honest I’m not sure she’s written with a lot of depth (yet), but I like the way Park Jin-hee plays her. She’s aware of her age but not frightened of it, nor is she dismissive of it. It matters and she’s aware of the restrictions society places on single women of her station, but it doesn’t define her.

This may seem an obvious point but I think a key factor of this drama’s marriage theme isn’t that these women are husband-crazed or desperate to find their soulmates. Not even Da-jung, really. For all intents and purposes, marriage in this drama is more about the opportunity to marry, not the act itself (which is what Shin-young is half-mourning in the early scene. To some extent this is true in all dramas, but I think this one makes a particular distinction between marriage and love.

Choi Chul-ho has been playing cold bastards recently, so how great is he to embrace the opposite with this innocent, awkward bachelor character? He reminds me of Sohn Hyun-joo, who also had a history of playing ill-mannered men before he took on the pure, kind eldest son in Sol Pharmacy. Had you not seen his earlier work, you might have thought it was an easy, simple character to play, but in the context of his career, it’s more impressive. And Kim Bum — I think this is the most adorable he’s been since Unstoppable High Kick. It’s like the best mix of all his characters thus far, without going overboard on any one trait — he has the boyish charm from High Kick, the playboy flirtiness of Boys Before Flowers, yet also a new maturity that he’s been attempting in stuff like Dream that (in my opinion) never really fully materialized.

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I don't really get it. I feel like there is a perception that there are no "good guys" available. And, in fact, I know a few really special, really awesome women who are not married but who would like to be married.

But, isn't this a fallacy? Aren't there just as many men out there, who are also saying to themselves, "Hey! I'm a great guy, I make a decent living, I am not a selfish prig (anymore) and I am perfectly amenable to being flexible about a whole range of issues. Where are all the good women out there? How come i am still single????"

I am sure that age has something to do with it, but honestly, for every great woman out there, I am sure that there is at least as many great guys out there... no?

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Oh, and javabeans, wonderful recap!

My wife and I picked Wish Upon a Star to watch, but we might switch over because after episode 2, we are nearly torn apart by the sadness of the situation of the main character's family.

This looks a lot more promising from a lightness standpoint, and so we might switch over.... and your awesome recaps are extra incentive to switch (not that you aren't recapping WUaS, but the fact that you are also recapping this one means that we aren't going to be losing anything by switching).

:)

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Thank you thank you ... I've been secretly waiting for you to recap this and I really like this drama but seem like not a lot of ppl watching it:( Kim bum is so adorable and match so well with park Jin hee. I love watching both of them flirting..

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Oh man, this budding love triangle is going to be cute~~

And you're right, it's not the greatest song. Lyrics aside, I'm not sure Kim Bum's voice is suited for indie rock, if this could even be called that.

@samsooki

It doesn't really have to have anything to do with age, actually.. I'm only 21, and I know plenty of people who haven't had much chance to date because all of the good ones are taken. I can only imagine how much harder it would be if we were 10 years older and the guys we hadn't been able to get when we were younger have all gotten married.

Part of the problem is with meeting people.. Sure, there might be just as many "good" single men as there are "good" single women, but if they never have an opportunity to meet, it doesn't do either side much good, does it?

Also, don't give up on WUAS!! It gets much lighter after episode 2.. By episode 8 I was laughing almost constantly. :D

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Wong Bit-Na's hairdo is too funky. Didn't like it back in the 80's and don't like it today.

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I'm actually amazed by my ability to NOT hate Kim Bum in this role. It seems like every drama I've recently seen him in was mediocre, but now, I actually enjoy his character and look forward to the scenes he's in. I feel like I'm FINALLY understanding all the hype, lol.

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thanks for the recap
kim bum rockssssssssss

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^ The hair is pretty wacky and I'd never wear it, but I actually like it for her character. When she has those flashback sequences with the long hair, Wang Bit-na completely washed out of the scene and was unmemorable. This hair suits the character really well, imo.

I think Wish Upon a Star has more wacky laugh-out-loud moments than this one, which is more about tonal humor, rather than situational. Wish/Star probably has a few more frustrating characters, but it has a lot of winning ones too. I'd say, give both a try; it would be too bad if you missed out on the nonstop hilarity of Wish's Episode 8.

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Choi Chul-ho has been playing cold bastards recently
his character here somehow reminds me of his character in Queen of Housewives.,,
But he's a great actor indeed..he can be so damn cold ( or cool? ) but has comedic side too. I like him.
Kim Bum IS adorable! :D

am sure that age has something to do with it, but honestly, for every great woman out there, I am sure that there is at least as many great guys out there… no?
theoretically? because of the unbalance population of men and women, maybe it would be " for every 10 great women out there, there is probably 1 great guy..if they're lucky."
We women have to survive this cruel world, no?

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Samsooki, you speak of love like it's math. :)

1nice guy+1 good woman = happy couple

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The good side of this is that it's an infinite source for rom com material.

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Hmmmm....wonder why anyone would want to switch from WUAS? I've been following it on JB and also waiting for episode 9 to be released. It's a really enjoyable drama and it's scheduled to air here in Hawaii soon.

I've seen Kim Bum in Boys Before Flowers and Dream....I'm not sure if I really want to follow him around.

Keep up the good work JB.....doesn't matter what you recap...it's always interesting!

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@10,

LOL!

Mayhaps, but then again, I am fairly confident that there aren't too many guys who propose to one girl then that night get caught in an apartment fire with another girl and have a third girl show up on that exact same night.

That kind of confluence of events... the likelihood of that happening has got to be astronomically low.

One might say, the chances of that happening would be similar to being killed by unmarried terrorist educated at the university level. :D

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@ 12 samsooki

>Mayhaps, but then again, I am fairly confident that there aren’t too many guys who propose to one girl then that night get caught in an apartment fire with another girl and have a third girl show up on that exact same night.

Well, it wasn't quite a proposal, 3 girls and an apartment fire, but a friend of mine was once caught cheating when a fire alarm in his building was pulled and his other girl friend heard the fire engines and came running to see if he was ok. Yeah, that was ugly. And of course, it ended up as a cat fight, instead of the cats going after the tom-cat.

And yes, HE was my friend. 8-) Although I knew one of the girls, and had told her that dating him was a bad idea....I just didn't rat him out.

Speaking of good men, however - they do seem scarce on the ground, especially as you age. It used to be said that if you didn't meet your future spouse before you graduated college (or about that age) that statistically speaking you were headed for spinsterhood. Not so sure this is true anymore though.

Kim Bum, such a cutie. Him I'd fix up with my nieces. If there was a Ban-seok running loose around here, well, he'd be a keeper.

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On my to watch list now. It looks like its shaping up pretty good. I've just been reading your recaps. Thanks JB!

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i am really liking the chemistry b/w the grl and kim bum. I'm patiently waitiing for ep 4!

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Thanks, JB! I'm enjoying this series through your recaps. This is coming from a woman who doesn't want to get married. :D

The irony is, I'm following 2 dramas that contradict my life: I don't know how to handle kids, ergo I don't want to have kids of my own -- Wish Upon a Star; I don't ever want to get married -- The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry.

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Hi JB!! thanks for recapping it. I watched it without subs and still enjoyed it. I love the 3girls, they are funny, witty and pretty. the story itself is not bad. its not great but it leaves you wanting more to see whats gonna happen next . I love how they go on such ridiculous adventure. Can't wait for the next eps to come and your recaps on them.thanks again!

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My favorite is Bu-ki so far. :)

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thanks for the recap , was deciding if i should watch this series . Now it sounds like fun ! Will watch this and see how it goes

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thanks for the recaps.
i love all three of the girls and the men aren't so bad, either.
choi chul ho is v cute as the dorky doctor. i think it's closer to his actual personality, if you watch him on talk shows.

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I think Samsooki has a lot of great points...

There are so many factors that go into finding someone you want to marry let alone someone who wants to marry you too, love being the biggest one. You might be a great catch but if no one loves you the way you want to be loved and the way you deserved to be loved you are still going to be that great woman/man but just single.

Like someone mentioned it is sometimes really hard to meet people, and sometimes you get a great vibe or connection from someone but their eyes are looking at that other great man/woman...IDK its like love is a merry-go-round and you have to wait until its your turn to take a ride.

Thanks for the recap. I'm thinking of picking this drama up in the future.

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can someone please tell me where i can watch this online with english subs? viikii won't let people watch it unless they're subbers or translators.

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When I saw the icon for WWSWtM (wow, that's long) under the in progress recaps, I was hoping you'd keep recapping this one! I haven't been able to find this anywhere yet, so I'm doubly enjoying them. I'm especially digging the relationship developing between Shin-young and Min-jae -- I always appreciate the dramas where the girl isn't throwing herself at an uncaring male lead.

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Phew! I was so afraid you weren't going to recap this series anymore b/c after the first two good episodes perhaps you didn't like the rest...
Yay! go JB!
thanks for recaps, as always :D

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I've just finished the first two eps and find this drama very interesting, just wonder about its rating and how many drama will continue being underrated. I hope when WISFC ends, this one will be good. idk If the title is modified will it be better? cuz it's obvious that "the man who can't get married" can't get some ratings maybe people just think this drama is as sleepy since the name is kind of similar

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The more I watch this, the more I am liking the production. It's understated but funny, nice pacing without being overly dramatic. Kim Bum is adorable here, and the ladies are really marvelous together with great chemistry so the relationship between them are entirely believable. Sang Woo is annoying me at the moment because of his arrogance but the actor who plays him do give the character a little bit of emotive depth so it's not too bad.
I'll definitely be continuing with this one as I've watched the 4 episodes and I think it's shaping quite nicely. I do hope the ratings are better because this one is infinitely better than Man Who Can't Get Married.

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I guess this show attracts women for who Kim Bum is inappropriately young for haha... the chemistry between him and SY is so great, the age gap is not noticeable... Regardless, I do hope it gets more love soon... it's so fresh and funny.
The women's crazy actions and SY's facial paralysis crack me up...

The ex is really a loser and a jerk... it's so true when a woman has finished with a guy, she won't turn back. can't wait to see what the writers will do with him.

The show is also really playing on the stereotype that nice guys are boring and or socially awkward and even "women who can't get married" don't want them.

I agree Choi Chul Ho is doing a great job - his poor antics around women are so funny... I am liking him much much more in this comedic role than in his previous serious roles (in Partner, Hotblooded salesman)

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Thanks for the recap, JB. This is a wonderful drama, somewhat wacky yet somewhat realistic.

I think this is a fairly wonderful caption of the psyche of 30 something single women. I am now in my mid 40's and has been happily married for close to 10 years. However, I see a lot of "me" in this drama when I was still looking for Mr Right back then.

My husband is 11 years my junior and he proposed 2 months after we met. Sometimes, one needs to think out of the box and be less risk adversed in order to sieze the day and be happy. I shed all my baggage and look where I am now.

For every single women out there, "Have Faith"!!!!

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Thanks for the recaps! I haven't watched any of the full eps yet, but snippets of it and it looks promising and cute. So far, I like the interaction b/w Shin-young and Min-jae, since they look pretty compatible. Kim Bum looks so suave playing Min-jae! Pity that the ratings are low, so it doesn't do justice for Kim Bum's morale. Sucks to have back-to-back drama flops :( Stay confident and strong Bummie!!

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@samsooki, I smile at your comment. There is a great difference between "Falling In Love" and marriage, do you have to have one in order to get the other? The answer is no.
In the modern age the emphasis has been put on the concept of "Romantic Love" we must remember that in the past centuries that was not the case, interestingly enough most of the early "Religions" of the world do not embrace the concept of "Romantic Love".
Marriage is by far the accepted form in by which a man and a woman can keep the continuity of their species. So does romantic love exist? Yes it does, but as science has prove the felling of "Falling In Love" does not last forever etc,etc.
I do believe that a great amount of people do not have a healthy concept of what marriage really is, so they try to fashion their search for a "Soul Mate" by following what modern culture present to them as the way of finding a suitable partner.
I do not believe that it is a case about "Bad Guys against Bad Girls", or not enough Good Guys, as if all woman were Good!
But more a case of people being to selfish, it is not about giving, sacrificing, forbearance,forgiveness,
but it is about "Me", how much Love can I get, how many times can I fulfill my basal needs...etc,etc..
most people who are married they learn very quickly that selfishness, is the easiest way to ruin a relationship.......
By the way in the USA 50% of all marriages end up in divorce and Korea has one of the highest incidents of divorce in the World.... So go Figure.. : O

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Thank you soooo much for recapping this series! I haven't been able to find the english subs for the first four episodes anywhere, but I'm still watching it with my small knowledge of the Korean language and enjoying it. Definitely helps to read the dramabeans recaps and understand everything that is going on with the storylines! After IRIS, I was in the mood for something light and romantic!

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k i m b u m <3

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@nell123:

"1nice guy+1 good woman = happy couple

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The good side of this is that it’s an infinite source for rom com material."

And the perfect couple files for divorce over an unsettled issue of who's responsible for the bathroom messes ;)

I should really stop watching these court shows.. heh. But's it's just so LOL funny to hear that these cases really happen.

If there is ever a reason for divorces, I say it has to do with morality. Morals never changes - what is right will always be right. Yet in the world today, morality doesn't exist much in most humans, and the value of marriage is almost obsolete in some.

--

Back on subject: I love this show. The woman don't cry and mourn 24/7 of being single. It's entertaining, and you gain confidence.

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I was quite skeptical of this drama at first but after reading the recaps, i realized that it was actually quite light hearted and interesting!

Watching dramas like these and The Man Who Can't Get Married makes me feel worried about single and i'm only 19! Scary!

Samsooki mentioned that its not that difficult to get married with the number of available girls and guys out there. But i disagree, its hard to just find the one person to spend the rest of your life with and so many ppl out there are already taken.

Compared to in the past, more ppl get married earlier but with now more women focused on their careers they push marriage back to much later and before they realize they would already be past 30. The higher one climbs up the coporate ladder the harder it is to get married: Most women would want to find men of the same coporate position, and men are in turn afraid of women who are higher in position than them, ego may be one of the reasons but most women on top are seen are fierce and aggressive, sterotyping i guess.

Obviously there's the "cougar" type of women now, but its still difficult to overcome social barriers and its hard for many traditional parents to accept this kind of phenomenon esp in Asian countries.

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I love your re-caps! Well written with in-depth analysis of the characters.

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Thanks for the recap! This is a refreshing change from Will It Snow for Christmas, although that one was very addicting and I'm in Go Soo withdrawal. :) I've never really thought much about Kim Bum, but based on these recaps, he seems adorable as Min-jae! Love the female bonding, like you mentioned. I'll have to watch a bit of this.

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I was surprised by this drama. It is just so light, fun and I can sorta relate. Thanks so much for the recaps! :D

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@ 33 Biscuit:

"If there is ever a reason for divorces, I say it has to do with morality. Morals never changes – what is right will always be right. Yet in the world today, morality doesn’t exist much in most humans, and the value of marriage is almost obsolete in some."

I don't think morality is the issue here. At least, I don't think that people in the past had higher morals than people today. It's just that people today have more choices and freedom to exercise them. .I mean, If you are in a relationship without a future why keep it and torment yourself if you have a chance to escape.

Now, on topic :

What I like about this drama is that it is lighthearted, funny and it doesn't take itself too seriously. I hope that the writers have enough inspiration to keep it that way and don't try to explore the "tragedy of spinsterhood" too much.
Thanks for the recap, JB! :)

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@#33 Biscuit

I'm sure you don't mean it but I feel offended by your morality argument. I come from a single parent family so I know first hand how much a divorce has its effect on the family and children. To say that the high divorce rate is an issue of morality is simply a sweeping statement that demeans people like my mother who tried so hard to keep a marriage working but failed.
Going into a marriage takes a lot of faith and getting out of one takes even more courage. To say it's because people do not have the moral values of the older days is rather simplistic.

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im enjoing this show very much.. very high on the giggle factor.. im watching it raw as always... so thank you for the recap

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@39: If what I said offended you, than I wholeheartedly apologize. Of-course, it is impossible for a statement to represent every single divorce. But generally and by the majority of the people today, it is usually related to some form of immorality. Adultery alone is around 60-70%. Of-course there are those who strive hard to make their marriage work, like your mother, and they should be commended. But I was just referring to the general majority in today's world.

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Another fantastic recap! Thank you, javabeans! I especially appreciate that you translated the lyrics of the song into English and then posted them side-by-side with the Korean ones. Just plain a*w*e*s*o*m*e* of you!!!

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I like that kind of dramas and the chosen couple really look good together =D
when I find a good drama to watch, I wish it could be shown everyday and takes a long time ...

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i finally found episode 1 subbed (streaming)!!!!
here's the link
http://www.dramaonly.com/350-the-woman-who-still-wants-to-marry.html

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I loves Soulmate so if this is in any way like it then im definatly going to keep reading your recaps. ohh by the way I loved the song lol it sounds like something I would write lol so maybe its not a brilliant piece of work but I still like it.
I wonder what the older woman and younger man romance story is going to be like. I would really hate to see the hot guy broken hearted. maybe the song is foreshadowing of that or maybe im putting to much thought into this

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I'm a bit caught up now with the recaps. Finally.

I am absolutely sold on Kim Bum in this. I think we tend to see female characters light up the screen, but for me, Kim Bum does exactly that. The recap perfectly wrapped up his character of Min Jae. He has this subtle masculinity with this charm that is vulnerable. I enjoy seeing him flirt and then be knocked down a notch or 2.

I am also in love with the friendship of the 3 women. It's flawed, but deep. I had a group of friends like that many years ago. Unfortunately we moved and some of us got married and divorced which ultimately stopped our friendships, but I look back upon those years as a great time with women that I adored sharing my life and experiences with.

Can't wait to see more.

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I'm currently on episode 6 and I am absolutely amazed with this show.
It's so quirky and light and entertaining! You actually ENJOY watching it as it's not too tiring. But as you said, it's not necessarily empty. The drama conveys its meaning in a comical way.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Park Jin-hee in this show, as well as the other two women. I am SO digging the Shin young - Min Jae relationship <3
Some older woman-younger guy relationships are quite hard to watch, but these two are super duper appealing :)

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where can i WATCH EPISODE 3 WITH ENG SUB ?

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I've only seen three episodes that are subbed for this drama and already I am hooked. I liked the scene where the lead girl convinces her team to stay on with her.

And yes Kim Bum is definitely appealing to as the toy boy to the noona :-D

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where can i get this movie? i want to watch it!

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