Categories: K-dramas

Se Joo Bids Mi Rae a Bus Station Bon Voyage in Marry Him If You Dare

The ratings for Marry Him If You Dare have been a huge disappointment with this drama and not necessarily warranted due to its quality (or lack thereof), but ultimately rather explainable. The rom-com genre has been by and large a crap shoot, with most garnering low ratings and few that really spark with the viewers. Conversely a sageuk usually has to majorly suck to get low ratings, and melodramas and makjangs generally have a greater percentage of success. While I love MYIHD, it’s not without its share of faults. The story is convoluted, and requires paying attention to watch otherwise it’s confusing and rather abruptly paced. Yoon Eun Hye did herself no favors by going for one of the worst perms in the history of television permed hair. It might have been some sort of sartorial statement in line with her character’s personality, but ultimately not necessary because thematically it’s always been silly to tie a hair style to a personality. Fans can decry the complaints about her bad hair, but it’s still valid because people need to like what they see. Channels have been flipped for less shallow reasons. The love quartet has been delightful but ultimately rather toothless. There is no viable second lead romance either way – Shin and Yoo Kyung aren’t interested in each other, and whatever early stirrings of interest form Se Joo has gone nowhere while Mi Rae has been mooning over Shin despite all attempts not to. The humor is sporadic, the pathos not yet visible, and the mystery is driven by an annoying future Mi Rae asking that viewers take her side when all signs point otherwise. I’m sad for the cast and crew but there is always an explanation for ratings. Won’t stop me from loving it though, and the first stills have been released for next week’s episode 5. It shows Mi Rae and Se Joo at the bus station saying goodbye to each other. I think the bus scenes between the OTP Sam Dong and Hye Mi in Dream High is one of the more iconic ones in K-dramas, and in general I like bus farewells because it always come with a sense of melancholy and being lost in the crowded bus saying goodbye to someone meaningful. Se Joo and Mi Rae are adorable here, and their feeling of camaraderie is palpable. Still no romantic chemistry from either side whichever way I look at it, but Mi Rae and Se Joo have a friend in each other at the network and that’s something special already.

ockoala

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  • I'm enjoying the series and can understand that it can be a bit confusing....I only have one issue: Kim Shin started having romantic interest in Mi Rae only after he saw that romantic dream with Mi Rae...that's what the drama showed....I would have liked if he would have gotten attracted to her without it...

    Please someone clear this doubt.......

    • i dont think so. i believe he's attracted to her before the dream. like when they're in the editing room together for haraboji's story. we know he dont usually acted like that with his other female coworkers. the dream's just accelerated his already existed feelings for her. if u know what i mean.

  • I have to agree with you. The plot is moving sooo slow, i thought it was initially a 20 ep. drama. But I see its a 16 ep drama. Things need to start happening faster...we have seen Shin and Mirae fall for each other, now let's see it for the second leads since they are apparently destined for each other. Also let's start to see what exactly future Mirae's reason is for doing all this....all in all i think that the plot needs to move faster!

    • Slow? How? It might be convoluted but definitely slow, at least to me. So much has happened in mere 4 episodes.

      • So agree w/ you Lexie; I dont find anything wrong w/ this drama; the pacing is just fine, the OTP is so perfect, the characters are progressing and the story is just getting more and more interesting. Maybe in S.Korea its not working but in international market, the 'Bigger market', this drama will definitely work.

    • In my case it's the exact opposite: I don't find it slow at all, in fact this is the first drama in nearly two years that I'm watching without skipping a scene, even though I read two different recaps before actually watching a new episode. In my case that says a lot ;) Also, I am soooo not eager to see a romance between second leads, I just can't convince myself to like Young Hwa - yeah, I know he improved a lot from his previous attempts (pathetic, may I add) to act, but still I find him a bit too... stiff and unnatural, so I'd love it if his screen time was limited as much as possible. Him as a friendly co-worker I can handle, but being a passionate lover? Lol, naaaaaah.

      • hahaha LoL> I get you. His scenes also feel bland to me. He did improve since his last try, and I can clearly see some emotion on his face but when he on screen with YEH and LDG he just naturally is lost looking. especially when LDG is on.

        I am still loving this show, plot twist notwithstanding.

    • I seriously don't think it's moving too slow... a lot of people think too fast. 2nd lead is already out of the running as far as romance goes, not that he ever had much of a chance in the first place. The only thing we need to figure out is FMR's mystery and see YK and Seju fall in love. I sort of wonder how they'll fit that into 12 more episodes.

    • I think its slow in that while we have seen the sparks fly between Shin and MiRae, we haven't seen the same for Yoo Kyung and SeJu since they are apparently destined for each other. We also have no more insight, than we did in episode 1, into why future MiRae is doing what she is doing. Also i feel like the episodes r really padded by what's happening at the workplace, which is fine, but i need equal amounts of stuff happening outside the workplace..

  • lol I though is moving fast for me, I like her curly hair...I can't picture YEH in straight hair now...I am enjoy watching this drama, well acting and quality...fighting FC..

  • The Rom-coms this year actually did well. TMS and IHYV were ratings hit. But the ratings for this drama has been dismal. Sometimes it's not even in the top 20 and is yet to break double figures. On the other hand, heirs isn't doing all that great too, so I guess no ones in the mood for romance.

    Good doctor did really well - but medical top team is sinking. Even all the sageuks did horrible this year - sword and flower, jang ok jung, goddess of fire. Haven't had much melo this year - Secret's the only one I can think of and that's doing well. The family dramas have been a hit though. Mostly all the makjangs did well - as always I suppose.

    • Why does it feel like the entire drama audience pool is sinking? Even the ratings "hits" are not at the kind of ratings hits they used to be at. 30% marking success is a bygone era, let alone 40-50%

      • Young people don't really watch stuff on TV anymore so they're always vastly underrepresented in TV ratings but older females tend to be in charge of a household's disposable income so it makes sense from an advertising perspective to still use the old TV box method to calculate ratings.

      • I totally agree. Before, 20% wasn't anywhere close to being good. Now the main goal is to break it. There hasn't been a miniseries this year that broke 30. In fact - at the top of my head I can only remember around 4-5 that broke 20 (overall or in Seoul).

        I do agree with Rina that the younger audiences are watching more internet than TV - who can blame them when it's much more convenient. This year, the hyped dramas online had/have really dismal ratings, and the ones that went under the radar were pretty well rated. I can only think of GFB, TMS and IHYV getting both ratings and attention. And it's mid October already!

      • @emil

        I think that's really all there is.

        I went and looked at the only dramas that did well

        KBS - Good Doctor. God of the Workplace did decently, School 2013 had more buzz than ratings, but it ended up Jan.
        SBS - Yawang, IHYV, TMS
        MBC - GFB.

        Poor MBC, though they had a successful weekend drama.

        Heirs is doing all right for SBS, but has to be a disappointment all things considered.

      • @Melissa: Heirs will never be a disappointment because the show was aimed internationally and they sold all the advertising slots. That's all that matters. Since SBS made money, ratings are irrelevant.

    • @mellisa

      Yea I think you pretty much covered it. SBS had another decent-ish one - that winter. But MBC has been seriously struggling in the weekdays. Their dramas have been in single digits - all of them since (and even before GFB).

      In the weekends though, SBS has had no success. KBS leads there as well - with King Family, YTBLSS and MDSY. They've had a good year overall I think.

      • Oh yeah, forgot That Winter. I'm worried about Ha Jiwon getting stuck in a 60 episode show on MBC ... I hope the trend reverses.

  • I love the show. I don't think the ratings do them justice especially the cast. Rarely, do you get a drama where each character actually shines and the chemistry between the 4 leads is something enjoyable too. I hope ratings would pick up in the coming weeks because I feel that the show genuinely deserves it.

  • I agree that the pacing of this drama is a little strange. It's kind of jumpy somehow. I also don't like story arcs where one character is repeatedly humiliated, as Mi Rae is in the early episodes. But this show has its charm, perhaps because both leads are great actors. I enjoyed the prop room scene.

  • Much as I am also disappointed with the rating of MHIYD, but all I can think now is that I can see Yoon Eun Hye every week on tv and I am enjoying every series of it, sometimes I get annoyed with the future Mi Rae and the brother, but if it's their character and necessary in the story, then I can accept. The rating game is so unpredictable, I am dismayed with the reception of Korean viewers on this romcom project, but what matters to me is that Yoon still unbeatable actress in Korea in terms of acting and popularity. She gives life to any character she portrays and that is all that matters to me. Now that her being a Hallyu queen has been certified, I am hoping that next time she will be offered a movie that can compete internationally, in terms of awards, why not, anything can happen under the sun.

  • I'm enjoying this show Mi Rae's curly hair and all. It's too bad ratings are low because this drama is keeping my attention. Yes it's convoluted but entertaining none the less. The actors have proven to portray their characters well and the script has enticed viewers (internationally) to tune in thus far. Too bad the locals in SK are not.

  • I think it's been a nice follow-up rom-com for those of us who were enjoying Master's Sun. Not as well done as TMS, of course, but with the lean pickings for rom-coms this year, it's nice to have one airing now.

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