Bride of the Century Episode 1 Recap

This recapping project is probably a very bad idea on my part and the potential for regret seems rather high, but right now I’m inexplicably obsessed with Bride of the Century after thinking no current K-drama would lure me back in the foreseeable future. Airing on cable network Chosun TV, which is one of the least well know Korean cable networks out there in terms of its drama output (Operational Proposal, Hanbando), Bride of the Century has an awful name and a one-famous-name cast member in F.T. Island‘s Lee Hong Ki. By all accounts this should be a major dud, and then this drama started getting buzz beyond Lee Hong Ki fangirls excited over their oppa’s first drama headlining gig and I got curious. I’ll confess to being completely baffled by his popularity in You’re Beautiful, Jeremy was at most forgettable comic relief plus he’s so not my dish in the way he looked in that role.

In my mind, Lee Hong Ki was always this cheery goofy big kid like his Jeremy persona, which is why I had to scrape my jaw off the floor when he showed up in BotC and made me sit up and go “hubba hubba.” This drama is like someone took King Flower (Substitute Princess) and made a K-version of it with a few tweaks and throwing in a ghost on top. Really, this drama has a ghost haunting it. Lee Hong Ki gets to act opposite two versions of leading lady Yang Jin Sung who plays both the bitchy rich girl fiancee to Lee Hong Ki’s character as well as the plucky poor girl substitute fiancee who ends up winning his heart. We have all been there and seen this set up before, and frankly this drama doesn’t even have good acting or great directing to elevate its absurd and overused basic premise. So why am I recapping it? Because it’s thoroughly addicting despite its mediocrity buoyed by the two leads bickering and falling in love that always gets to me if the intangible elements are there.

Episode 1 recap:

A man and a woman are having a wedding night after a traditional Korean wedding ceremony in a rich countryside estate. Lots of older family retainer ahjummas are sneaking peaks at the pretty bride and gossiping that she won’t make it to sunrise alive since the groom’s family the Choi clan have been cursed for generations. The first wife of the first born son will always die right after the wedding. They discuss the family haunting by a beautiful woman ghost who sucks the life force out of the new bride to maintain her eternal beauty. The lady of the house comes and shushes everyone and sends them on their way.

Inside the wedding suite, the bride looks scared while the groom takes a drink before proceeding with the wedding consummation. Before he can get her clothes off, he passes out and a creepy gust of wind blows. A ghostly spectre seems to enter the room and scares the bride.

The bride runs away through the dark forest with something seemingly chasing her. The now awake groom leads family retainers to search for his missing bride. The bride is cornered at the edge of the cliff and screams in fear as a ghostly female form in black with long hair gets close to her. The only thing left is her shoe at the edge of the cliff as it appears she fell over the edge.

Cut to the middle of the ocean and a girl is swimming in the blue green depths. Na Doo Rim is scuba diving for seafood and happily gets out of the ocean with her haul. She suddenly sees a woman in white walking along the cliff and jumping into the water. She dives in to save the woman and grabs her hand when suddenly her eyes appear to open and she becomes the ghost who chased the bride and she’s wearing black all of a sudden. Doo Rim blinks and she turns back to the girl in white. Ooh, creepy.

Doo Rim takes her out of the water and the girl spits up water and sits up. She yells at Doo Rim for not saving her faster if she was coming. She proceeds to cry over her broken heart, berating a bastard who agreed to love her forever but cheated on her with another woman. She glances at Doo Rim and says a girl with a body like an elementary school student wouldn’t understand this heartbreak.

The girl asks why Doo Rim saved her and Doo Rim tells her that it’s not worth dying for love. The woman guesses that Doo Rim has never loved before and gives Doo Rim a bracelet which she says is a good luck charm that can summon love. Plus it has other good luck qualities as well and can ward off bad things. The girl then gets all excited when she sees her red shoes still safe and sound, heading off with a wish that Doo Rim find love so she doesn’t end up a virgin ghost one day. This ghost is surprisingly hilarious and sassy.

Doo Rim goes back home with her halmoni and we see she’s a hardworking girl who runs a seafood restaurant with her halmoni. She heads out to make a food delivery to a construction site.

Jang Yi Hyun is at the construction site and discussing how their company is currently in financial straits. He gets on the phone with his sister Yi Kyung (also played by Yang Jin Sung) who assures him that she is headed to the airport and will handle things properly. Yi Hyun is just concerned since it’s been a long time since they saw each other.

Doo Rim goes to deliver food and notices bricks falling from the construction site on top of Yi Hyun. She pushes him out of the way and saves his life. He’s stunned to see a girl who looks just like his sister Yi Kyung.

She helps him up while he asks if she’s alright since the bricks fell on her head. She assures him that she’s fine since the bricks hit her helmet. Yi Hyun gives her his card so that she can call him if she needs to go to the hospital.

Yi Kyung calls back her oppa and finds out that he just saw a girl who looked just like her. She jokes whether there is there is a twin sister of hers running around and she’s got a birth secret of sorts. Yi Hyun heads back to the construction site and goes to the lunch room to have lunch with the workers and assures them that they will get paid at the end of the month.

Yi Kyung goes to the airport to pick up her fiancee Choi Kang Joo who is returning from studying abroad. She hands him flowers while the media snaps away and he smiles warmly and accepts the flowers before walking away and complaining that this excessive welcoming home ceremony is too much.

Once in the car, they are distant and cool towards each other. Kang Joo gives Yi Hyun a necklace that he had Roo Mi pick up. Kang Joo’s assistant is Lee Roo Mi, who looks bitchy enough chances are she likes Kang Joo and is not happy with his engagement to Yi Kyung. She puts on the necklace and thanks Kang Joo before asking where they are going and getting no response as Kang Joo ignores her and leans back with his eyes closed.

Kang Joo takes Yi Kyung to lunch and learns that she doesn’t eat any seafood. They run into a Japanese business woman who greets Kang Joo cordially but then reveals that her brand is not going to be entering the Taeyang Group department store. She then notices the necklace on Yi Kyung and gets all verklempt, turns out that necklace was designed by her late husband. She changes her mind about doing business with Kang Joo.

Roo Mi comes to pick up Kang Joo and Yi Kyung and reveals that she bid on the necklace at an auction for him just like he asked her to. Yi Kyung chews Kang Joo out afterwards for planning this entire thing, treating her like a puppet to close a business deal. Kang Joo makes no bones about it, he sees his fiancee as exactly a puppet in his life. He asks if she can’t be clueless enough to want a romance since their engagement is a purely business transaction? Kang Joo leaves Yi Kyung fuming there.

On her way out, Yi Kyung runs into Kang Joo’s younger brother Kang In who is there with an idol girl. They greet each other cordially though he’s the black sheep of the family since he’s an idol and a member of the group Monster.

Kang Joo walks through the department store to survey the place and abruptly fires a female concierge for smoking and trying to conceal it with cheap perfume.

Yi Kyung goes home and rages to her mom President Ma that she won’t marry that cocky cold bastard Kang Joo. Mom slaps her and gives her the lowdown that the Ma Construction business are not doing well so she has to marry Kang Joo now.

Kang Joo goes home to the Choi family compound and is greeted warmly by the family retainers who are delighted he’s back from studying abroad.

Kang Joo takes tea with his parents and they discuss how he handled the Japanese brand business discussions and did a good job. Dad says water needs time to boil so even if Kang Joo hasn’t officially started at the department store he still needs to start working behind the scenes. Talk turn to younger brother Kang In, with Dad calling him a useless idol but Mom much more warm to the little son and worries about him working too much.

The Jang family sit down together and Yi Hyun reveals the construction site has been placated for now. He asks how Yi Kyung’s meeting with Kang Joo went and she glances at her mom before saying it went well. Yi Kyung asks her oppa how much that girl looked like her today and Yi Hyun glances at their mom and stammers.

Doo Rim puts her bracelet on the table and goes to sleep. Kang Joo goes to the ancestral altar and prays and there is a flashback of him as a kid banging on a closed door wanting to get out while crying for his dad. The housekeeper runs into him coming out of the altar residence and wonders why he’s there.

Doo Rim is one savvy restauranteur and manages to sell expensive dishes to a couple of Monster fangirls who want to eat exactly what their oppas ate before at the same restaurant when they were here three years ago filming an MV.

Doo Rim goes to a cosmetic’s store run by an ahjumma and hands over money for the neighborhood collection. The ahjumma gives her free skin care products but after Doo Rim leaves, she takes the packet of money and stares at it. Yi Kyung sits in her room and wonders why Choi Kang Joo is such a bastard. She goes to sleep and her mom opens her door to look in at her.

A fortune teller is paid a visit by the Choi family ghost who is so powerful she pins him to the ground as she descends from above. He doesn’t seen surprised to see her and asks why she came without letting him first. She tells him that the next person to arrive to see him, whatever she wants he needs to make happen. The fortune teller says it’s a secret of the Heavens and can’t be revealed but the ghost huffs at him and he immediately agrees and the ghost leaves.

The next person to arrive to see the fortune teller is none other than Yi Kyung’s mom President Ma. She reveals her daughter is getting married soon and the fortune teller thinks she wants to know if the couple are suited for each other. She hands over an envelope that contains wads of cash and asks if it’s true the fortune teller handles the family affairs of the Taeyang Group owned by the Choi family?

Doo Rim is selling coffee by the waterfront and run into the two fangirls from earlier who came to her restaurant. They girls watch a video of Kang Joo’s airport arrival on their cellphone and marvel at how handsome he is. Doo Rim has no idea who Choi Kang Joo and is told that he’s Kang In’s older brother and very rich and handsome, one of the most eligible bachelors in South Korea. The two fangirls take a better look at Doo Rim and notice that she looks a lot like Kang Joo’s fiancee.

Three louts come by and order coffee but then try and stiff Doo Rim. She’s no joke and promptly beats them bloody and they pay up.

The next day, Doo Rim learns that the cosmetic’s store ahjumma stole all their savings placed in the neighborhood fund and took off. Not just Doo Rim and her halmoni, lots of neighborhood ahjummas are also affected. Doo Rim runs around looking for the ahjumma but she’s long gone.

Doo Rim goes back to the restaurant and finds her halmomi passed out. She learns in the hospital that her halmoni will need surgery soon. Halmoni wakes up crying about all their savings being stolen and how hard Doo Rim worked to earn it. Halmoni is one feisty one and vows to track down that bitch when she gets out of the hospital and hack her into pieces. Doo Rim tells halmoni that she’ll just earn more money so she needs to not worry.

Kang Joo’s dad is listening to an old record and we see an old picture of a girl wearing white on his desk. He heads out and runs into his wife who is leaving the altar residence. She knows he is angry but they have to take good care of this place at his mother’s insistence. She tells him that if he wants to demolish this place, then he needs to first get rid of the picture of his first love that he’s been keeping in his study still.

Roo Mi is hanging with with a bunch of rich girls including Yi Kyung. The girls are all admiring Yi Kyung’s famous necklace and wondering how much it costs. Roo Mi says it costs the price of a Gangnam condo since its meant for the daughter-in-law of the Taeyang Group. But if it was Roo Mi, she would have tossed it into the trash but Yi Kyung surely can endure and endure some more.

Yi Kyung goes to confront Roo Mi in the bathroom and asks why the she was picked and not Roo Mi. Turns out Roo Mi is the daughter of a prosecutor who investigated the Taeyang Group a few years ago for accounting fraud so the two families have had a falling out, plus Yi Kyung’s family construction is now tightly aligned with Taeyang Group. Roo Mi grew up with Kang Joo and will still continue to be by his side, warning that if Yi Kyung falters then she will take her place. Yi Kyung assures her the wedding will happen no matter what since their company needs money right now so they won’t let this chance slip by. Roo Mi derides her for being just a puppet and then walks away after reminding Yi Kyung to show up at tomorrow’s party for Kang Joo officially joining the company.

Yi Kyung gets her make up done and puts on the necklace, but then she remembers Kang Joo insulting her as a puppet and her mom warning her to get married no matter what.

President Ma and Yi Hyun attend the party and a little boy hands a note to Yi Hyun from Yi Kyung telling her mom not to come look for her and she needs some time to think things over. Kang Joo walks over with his parents to greet the future in-laws and wonder where Yi Kyung is? Mom has to make an explanation and then they run home to find her room empty. Mom falls apart worried about her Yi Kyung while Yi Hyun comforts his mom saying that they will find her.

Kang Joo’s mom calls President Ma out to meet and shows her paparazzi pictures of Yi Kyung taken on the day of the party where she didn’t show up. Kang Joo’s mom says Yi Kyung needs show up at the two families official meeting brunch otherwise the wedding is off.

President Ma goes home to reveal this bad news to Yi Hyun but he suggests they can find a way to get through the parents meeting and give Yi Kyung time to come home. Yi Hyun drives to see Doo Rim at the restaurant but hears that it’s closed for the day.

Doo Rim is at the hospital and sitting outside going through lottery picks when her bracelet suddenly falls off. She picks it up and remembers the girl who gave it to her calling it a lucky bracelet that can bring romance. She decides to buy another lottery ticket but when she takes out her money she finds the business card left by Yi Hyun asking her to call if she needs to go to the hospital. She considers throwing it away but decides she should go for it since she desperately needs money right now.

Doo Rim calls Yi Hyun just as he arrives at the hospital and spots her sitting on the park bench. He answers the phone while watching her talk to him from a few feet away but Doo Rim doesn’t notice him. She brings up how her head hurts now and might have lasting side effects and then turns the talk to the medical bills. Yi Hyun hangs up and says he’ll be right there. Doo Rim freaks out and a moment later he’s standing right in front of her. He asks to talk with her.

Yi Hyun asks Doo Rim to push her hair off her forehead and when she balks her walks up to her and moves her hair back. He’s shocked at how much they look alike. Yi Hyun tells Doo Rim that he needs her, he needs her as the fiancee of Taeyang Group heir Choi Kang Joo.

Kang Joo walks through the department store where the female employees are lined up to greet him. Suddenly we see the ghost is there as one of the employees. Kang Joo stops and senses something odd. He looks back but the ghost is gone and it’s another employee standing there.

Thoughts of Mine:

Can we have a whole story with the ghost lady as the lead? She’s so freaking awesome! I love her snarky wit with Doo Rim and her sassy bossing around of the fortune teller. From the glimpse of the picture on Daddy Choi’s desk, the ghost is probably his first love, though one wonders how she could be the one cursing the Choi family first wives of first born sons to death for generations. This story is as silly as can be but the ghost addition makes it interesting and adds a layer of mystery that makes the narrative a flexible for unexpected twists and turns down the road. This really is a remake of King Flower, except one of the two lookalike leading ladies isn’t dead, and this time the male lead isn’t in on the substitute princess switcheroo. I’m really loving Lee Hong Ki as the icy cold asshole chaebol. It’s done to death but he hasn’t done it before and I like his take on it. It’s a departure from his real life persona and from his most famous acting role to-date in You’re Beautiful.

Yang Jin Sung was rather forgettable in a small role in Secret Love with Ji Sung, but here she is really making the most of her leading lady opportunity which is doubled in screen time since she plays both rich Yi Kyung and poor Doo Rim. She’s better playing Doo Rim but decent enough as Yi Kyung as well. Whether the two girls end up being twins doesn’t bother me since Kang Joo could care less about Yi Kyung and that couple isn’t married yet, so I’m content to see how the drama explains why the two girls are identical. Clearly the ghost lady is out to help Doo Rim, or is it to help Kang Joo fall for Doo Rim? Older brother Yi Hyun is a bit too staid and reserved for my tastes and I hope the drama doesn’t make him fall for Doo Rim because that is so ewwww that he would fall for a doppleganger of his own little sister. The parents are all interesting enough and they way they converse leaves a lot left unsaid so I’m looking forward to digging more into their back stories which clearly will have an impact on what is happening now to the kids.

This drama really is a hodge podge of random elements and every K-drama stereotype strung together with the one creative add of the haunting ghost who looks malevolent in black but cheeky in white. I’ll confess to having a soft spot for the arrogant hurting inside chaebol heir like Kang Joo, and if he’s played by an actor I find suitable for the role and gorgeous to look at, then I’m easily sold to keep on watching. Lee Hong Ki is eye candy to the nth degree as Kang Joo, and one of the best idol-turned-cold-chaebol characters right off the bat. Kang Joo is an ass, but Lee Hong Ki makes me want to keep watching and digging underneath the surface (or his shirt). BotC is marketed as a fantasy romance and at 16-episodes is a very brisk commitment so I’m onboard with my fingers-crossed. This does feel as lightweight as a TW-drama but therein lies the potential for it to not focus too much on the story and just make the two leads and their falling in love process utterly squeeworthy and memorable. That is what I’m all-in to experience and I hope BotC delivers on that and I can overlook the rest.

Click here to watch Bride of the Century.


Comments

Bride of the Century Episode 1 Recap — 73 Comments

  1. i’m waiting for more episodes before starting this one…it does seem entertaining enough to get me through a dry drama spell.

  2. thank you so much for recapping! I’m totally hooked already! Can’t wait for the next episode.
    Fingers crossed it has a satisfying ending. Not like for example the prime minister and 1.

  3. I’m glsd you started recapping this.. I just started as well and it’s a very addicting drama even if the cliches are abound…the ghost cracks me up and I’m very interested in learning her backstory as well!

  4. This drama is Velveeta level cheesy. But i’m so hooked! There’s something kinda addictive about it. And I can’t remember another kdrama where the lead kisses the heroine in every single episode (not counting this 1st where they hadnt met yet). Thank u for recapping it. I’m glad it’s getting some attention.

    • LOL at the “Velveta level of cheesy”! So true…and yet I still love it! Both the drama and Velveta. I haven’t seen episodes 3 & 4 yet, so I’m off to watch them now. Maybe while eating some nachos.

    • Not only “cheesy”, but “Velveeta” level – perfect description of this guilty pleasure drama. I’m glad Ms. K is recapping and so many others agree.

    • I couldn’t even recognize him without the blonde Jeremy hair!

      Dear koala, I love how your enthusiasm bounces off the screen and onto my “have-to-watch” list 🙂
      Thank you for recapping!

    • I finally watched this last week after looking at it being ready with sub for a few days.

      Jaws literally dropped when i realized it was Lee Hong Ki.. i like the female lead, the candy version is reminds me of Gu Hye Sun but less annoying.

  5. I had the same initial reaction. Pass. But i tried episode 1 and well I’m still watching. I like the interaction between the two male leads. Actually looking for something to fill in the gap while waiting for another awesome chapter of lost you forever. Thanks for the recap.

  6. I’m such a gonner for this drama. It is full of cliche and random plots… but I love it. And Lee Hong Ki is fantastic. I just love how perplexd his Kang Joo gets with the substitute bride and how he does things he would normally never do.

  7. The first episode wasn’t that good, but it was better than Sly and Single Again (which I thought would hook me because I love the main actors) so I continued watching the next 3 episodes. Can’t wait for E05.

    I missed Hong-ki and thought he would be doing more dramas than his YB costar Jung Yong-hwa because obviously he’s the better actor of the two (sorry, JYH fans!). I also like Yang Jin-sung since City Hunter. I like her playing cute, bubbly characters.

    It’s not as addictive as Emergency Couple (squeee!), but I’m invested so far. There’s just enough cheesy and mystery to keep me watching. Still procrastinating on watching E02 of S&SA, and I’m waiting for INR3 & AoF to finish so I could marathon both. I’m also waiting for subs of Wonderful Season, God’s Gift-14 Days, and Three Days.

  8. I honestly started this drama because of Lee Hong-ki, I loved him as Jeremy in You’re Beautiful and frankly he was my favourite part of that show. I knew the leading lady was familiar so I Googled her and found out she was in City Hunter, the other bodyguard girl.
    I’m currently 5 episodes into this drama and I love it. I love everything everything about it. The matchmaker ghost is hilariously adorable, Although I still feel there’s something creepy about her. This might be the show that would make the emptiness left by the awesome My Love From the Stars coming to an end hurt less, there’s No drama that will take YFAS’ place yet.

  9. I laughed and thought ”this drama is bad” and yet I’m addicted to it, arrrgh I love the main couple and want more of them. The ghost lady is also LOL love her.

    • I know, this show is just so cracktastically stuffed with kdrama cliche’s I should hate it, but instead it’s like a cute hand-made valentine (with tattered lace around the edges and lots of glitter) to kdrama, so I am sucked in in spite of myself. It is as heart-felt and gauche and charming as its heroine…it’s like King Flower except the heroine has some brains and the hero is…ok.

  10. I am sooo glad you decided to recap this drama. It’s definitely addicting. It’s refreshing and fast paced and yet mysterious enough that makes me keep guessing. All the actors play their parts well. I love DooRim and her fiesty, street smart, loveable, sweet character. Yang Ji Sung does a terrific job playing two opposite roles. Makes me think two separate actresses are playing the parts. And Lee Hong Ki makes me forget he’s Lee Hong Ki as he becomes Kang Joo. Great job!

  11. I am hooked on this drama too! I have been saving Miss Korea to binge on, but haven’t had the time yet. I just wanted a breezy drama to pass the time. This drama is exactly what I needed even though I didn’t know much about it LOL I love the bickering between the leads and all the cliches thrown into the mix. The ghost freaks me out whenever it appears, and I really want to know what is up with the mystery so…that is definitely a good thing. Yay for Lee Hong Ki being attractive in this drama. I can see this OTP being potentially super cute. I just hope the girl doesn’t stop being awesome 🙂

  12. Count me in as another person hooked on this drama. I also sees shades of Boys over Flowers with the ass kicking female lead. Although…sigh… it seems as if they are already making her into an incompetent fool. That is the only thing I didn’t like about episode 4. I can see they are already turning a hard working poor girl who was pretty competent in all areas of her life into a fool when she comes into contact with the cold chaebol.

    Also, I really like the cinematography. there are some really pretty shots in this drama. I love all of the warm tones or filters they use on the cameras. I don’t know much about filming but I like the look of this drama.

  13. Pretty addictive kdrama. Light, easy and enjoyable with a pinch of all the thing you would expect in a chaebol love triangle. Must say that both Lee Hong Ki & Yang Jin Sung makes it so much more enjoyable and additive. Can’t wait for the next episode. Somehow..you just want to watch more of it…addictive indeed!!

  14. Okay the whole ghost thing put me off of this but I just wanted to say that I haven’t seen HongKi with dark short hair in sooo long I thought he was KangIn from Super Junior.

    • Me too! I was so excited when I thought it was Kangin and thought he lost a lot of weight post army but when I looked it up on dramawiki I realised it was HongKi and just was meh… at least he isn’t sporting blonde hair.

  15. Lee Hong-ki is one of the reasons I still love You’re Beautiful until today. Jeremy was only second to Hwang Tae-kyung and since then, I’ve been hoping he picks up a good lead role. Started this since it aired and there’s this addicting feel to it. I’m really glad you’re covering it simply because I feel more people would find out about it. It’s a cute show and LHK is doing well, so fingers crossed it remains that way.

  16. Love the ghost lady, hate the chaebols, Yi Kyung’s brother seems pretty prone to incest (Ewwwwwwww). I watch for ghost lady and tacky but lovable Doo Rim. Hope to see more of the former.

  17. i watched this drama and got addicted as well
    hongki and yang jin sung have great chemistry, can’t help but squealed whenever i saw them together
    hongki looks handsome with black hair and normal clothes. so refreshing to see him void of anything fancy looking
    i love the ghost, she’s so cheeky

  18. Thanks for picking this up, Ms Koala! I’ve been hoping to find out more about this drama as I have a soft spot for Hong Ki.

  19. We really have very similar views on K-drama. I keep finding out that you are recapping the ones I like (like Miss Korea or Prime minister and I). This one is very entertaining, but you are right, it is full of tropes, but then again I also seem to have a soft-spot for the cold chaebol with a childhood/youth trauma (think Secret Garden). Thanks for the recaps.

  20. I like how everyone have the same thought about it : Tons of clichés, Lee Hong ki <3, addictive. I don't know how a show can be so bad and so addictive. I love the two main characters can't wait to see them fall hard for each other and the ghost!! i want to know more about her story!! Thank u for your recap and sharing your thought about it :]

  21. I love Hongki but I was skeptic when I heard about his role in this drama. It was so far from his real character and I didn’t thought that he would be able to pull it through but I was wrong. He’s good. He’s really good. I hate ghost stories but this one I like. It’s true the ghost in this drama should have more screentime coz she’s cool and creepy at the same time. I just hope this drama will have more fans aside from the ever loyal Primadonnas.

  22. This is awesome, Koala, that you are recapping!
    I am aboard for the run. It is very TW in how they are making me anticipate happily which cliche is next. It’s light and shallow, but what’s wrong with that? We can’t have steak and lobster at every meal, or vegetables and tofu, either. It’s OK to bring in some fast food, chips and dip or candy bars, right?

    And so far, there isn’t any particular character that I can’t stand on my screen.

    It must be some kind of drama alchemy where the sum of the parts is better than the individual pieces. They seemed to go out and collect all the good parts of dramas old and recent, and threw them in the mix.

    It helps that I like the OTP.Do Rim’s warm and loveable even though they have her do some pretty silly things, I like that she is the exact opposite of bitchface Roo Mi. It’s going to be fun to watch that back and forth.

    And Kang-joo’s so freaking cute with his little suits and scratchy voice and frownie chaebol face, and aggressive, too. I like that. We will talk more about that when we get there, but, yeah, he’s not giving up on what he wants from her.

    Liking the mystery lady – I am very curious on whether she’s a good ghost or a bad ghost.

    • I like the fact that Hongki plays a ice cold prick chaebol but he’s not entirely bad, he’s warm to people from his household and good with his brother, he just don’t trust people easily

      he’s trying to be mean to Do Rim but lol failed miserably and end up following her like puppy

      i love how we can’t hate him because he has a cute face and his expressions are adorable, when he cradled the kitty in one of the episode, i’m conflicted on who’s cuter, him or the kitty

      Do Rim is awesome and all sort of amazing even though she did embarrassing things, i love how she schooled Kang Joo each time and Kang Joo had that disbelief face on

  23. This is a fun bit of fluff!! Love Lee Hong Ki!! I am also watching 14 Days and Full Sun, both are excellent!! Yay!! New dramas to get lost in!

  24. Aren’t the bride on the early episode is played by Yang Jin Sung? Totally opposite with the picture’s the father kept. Can someone clarify for me please? TQ

    • if i’m not mistaken the bride is the ancestor’s bride not kang joo father’s
      the curse has been going around for 100 years already

  25. Love this drama, I found about it yesterday, also found out about this mini series( episodes just 15 minutes long) her lovely heels.. it is cute and fluffy and that is it. But the dramay has HOT hong jong hyun (the computer guy from cyrano dating agency drama) nothing hurts.

    • “mini series episodes just 15 minutes long”

      Are you talking about drama-toon After School Bokbulbok with kim so eun and seo kang joon (who i am currently smitten about)?
      I’m thinking about starting it soon since i like the premise and the characters sound quirky.

      • liz referring to the short mini web drama starring hong jong hyun and kara’s seungyeon

  26. I haven’t watched this but I spot someone in your recap, Koala!

    Isn’t the Japanese businesswoman a cameo role by the lady in Noriko Goes To Seoul?

    • yes, that is her, an extended cameo i guess. when she first appeared i was like ohhh it’s that japanese ajummah from that other Hong Ki’s drama

      • Ooooh. Thanks for the confirmation!

        I’m so happy when past co-stars do cameos on shows. I’d like to think that they somehow became close during filming and made friends in the industry. 😀

  27. Thank you miss Ockoala, I’m really happy you decided recap this drama, I thought that it wasn’t a popular one, but is really nice to see that i was wrong in that account, I love Hong Ki since You’re Beautiful, and Is a nice surprise to see him in this roll.

  28. I started watching the first episode weeks ago and dropped it halfway because of the bad acting (cough) Hongki (cough) and feeling that this drama may be a potential trainwreck. I adore him since YAB but him as Yi Kyung doesn’t do it for me. Hopefully that will change. After seeing this post i decided to give the series another try and boy am I hooked after episode two. Hooked with a capital H. I’m now almost caught up. Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but this plot is just plain old addicting.

  29. OMG. i love your recap. please wrote recap episode 2 – 4. what can i say. this drama was so promising & interesting. can’t wait the next episodes. really great drama

  30. Actually, I thought this drama was more like the drama that I wish I could unwatch “I Summon You, Gold”. I don’t want to jinx it but what started as a guilty pleasure ISYG progressed into a nightmare that I had me ending up head banging after each episode moaning “Why am I still watching this whyyyyy!?!”

    The premise of the doppelgänger (evil and nice twin separated by birth? or people who won the genetic lottery and just so happen to look like someone who is affluent with a fairy godmother *cough plastic surgeon* and a musical makeover montage)

  31. Oh I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one addicted to this cheesy but “I can’t wait for the next episode” drama. Yes the plot is a little contrite and over-used but who cares – I found the male lead very appealing and female lead is very cute. Somewhat to my surprise the chemistry between the two leads is very good.

    Back to more candy…

  32. I`m watching this drama from moment when it was available in torrent..but it is bad just bad.. I can`t stand it, but to give later good review of it I will watch it all…I`m regretting it, but there are some goodies I`m watching, so it lessens my pain 😛 first of all they changed Doo Rim make up, even if her make up artist was drunk, at least someone should notice how awful it was..omg
    and as for good point of drama..GHOSTS..the end

  33. why i think that this drama got really connected with MY GIRL?? First heroin disguise as as heiress but the hero is not his fake brother but actually is her fiance doppleganger. Then, there are random part where she slip and kiss LHK…really similar with MY GIRL too…but its true that it is really cliche but still, this drama kind of addicting,light and fun to watch…

    • I think that this drama will resemble a lot of other dramas – because it’s stolen something from each of them, LOL. I am half-tempted to start a running list of all of the kdrama cliches and tropes used in this show: I think it is trying to use them all.

  34. How could you do this to me *grabs subs OST gifs* I was watching Emergency Couple, Sly and Single Again, evaluating God’s Gift and Three Days (while ogling Her Lovely Shoes) and now.. I can’t explain why and I don’t know when but I’ll watch this, I have to. Good job Ms.Koala <3

  35. Yes! I just saw episode 4 so PLEASE KEEP RECAPPING THIS DRAMA! I know the tropes are nothing new, but if a story is told well and makes me laugh, I am onboard! I love the supernatural element. Not sure if the ghost is helping Do Roo Mi or just using her. I hope she’s helping her.

  36. Thanks for recapping! I am just a sucker for this type of drama. Watching it is like taking a little vacation. Love the Ghost addition to the story and of course the poor tough innocent girl with the cold cherobel guy is just my type of guilty pleasure.

  37. I jumped with joy when I saw the recap. I watched every episode twice. HongKi acting has improved. His acting in You are beautiful is rather stiff but very good in this show. This show so far is very interesting and hopefully has a good ending. Hope it will not end up like PM n I which is quite good throughout but did not have a good ending. You should watch the other 3 episodes also as they get more interesting. This show besides romance, it has a mystery also. I wonder how HongKi is going to protect his wife if it is true that the 1st wife of the 1st born son will die. Thanks for all the recap. Take care

    • Me too – the jumping with joy part. I got addicted to this on accidentally too; “You From the Star” had just ended and I was looking for a new fix. I’m really liking the developments in this story, actually.

      The chemistry between the two leads is awesome. For the first few episodes, HongKi just looks like he’s “playing grownup.” Until the 4th episode, which kind of explains why. The main actress looks more comfortable Doo Rim than Yi Kyung. And the ghost (OMG!)–she’s super awesome, and her contrivances make my day.

  38. Thanks for recapping this ms.K. I can sense the excitement in your writing and it makes me wanna start marathoning this series.

    There are a number of interesting series to date but so far, I am going to watch this to fill the void when You from Another Star ended. Hope it lives up to my expectation…

    Any insight on Beyond the Clouds and Ghost Seeing Detective?

  39. Im totally hooked on this drama too. I know it’s totally cheesy and I don’t even care.
    I can’t wait til your next update v

  40. Somehow, sometimes, I’m seeing Park Si Yeon in Yang Jin Sung…. Anyone thinks the same?
    Enjoying this drama too 🙂

  41. i also find this drama stangely addicting and started watching because it’s only 16 episodes and it’s not much of a commitment if it isn’t as interesting as i hope later on 🙂 currently i’m really liking the humor in this drama and the intangible chemistry between the leads…also hongki’s take on the stereotypical k-drama chaebol is nice

  42. I came into this drama without knowing much what it was about nor was I expecting to like it. BUT after the first episode, I am hooked!! It’s like one of those guilty pleasure dramas, which I haven’t had in a while… The ghost is sassy indeed and I like her when she’s not silently creeping up onto someone. Master’s Sun ghosts didn’t scare me, but this one is f-r-e-a-k-y. *shivers*

  43. Pingback: Bride of The Century: A Fantasy Love Story | rotijala

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