I’m going to blog this one as I watch.

Episode 1: Ji Eun, the leading lady in this romantic drama, is sort of an “I Love Lucy” klutz. And I find it difficult, if not impossible to believe that she would just let her friends steal her house, clean out her bank account, and leave her stranded in China, without pressing charges. But Rain, the actor who plays the male lead, Young Jae, is really good-looking. Oh, Young Jae buys Ji Eun’s house from her thieving friends, not knowing that the house is stolen property.

Episode 2: Young Jae likes Hye Won. Hye Won likes Young Jae’s friend, Min Hyuk. Ji Eun just wants her house and her life back. Ji Eun’s “friends” just want an easy life on somebody else’s hard work and money. Gotta get this all sorted out by episode 16.

Episode 3: Ji Eun and Young Jae sign a marriage contract. It’s a marriage of convenience, a way for Young Jae to stay out of “scandals” and protect himself from his desire for Hye Won (who says they’re just friends, but shows up to spoil romantic moments between Young Jae and his “bride”, Ji Eun.) For Ji Eun, it’s a way to get her house back. Young Jae promises that the two of them will divorce within six months, and the house will be hers. Young Jae and Ji Eun get married, go on a honeymoon, ride bicycles, and fight.

Episode 4: Young Jae and Ji Eun fight. Ji Eun is a ditz, and Young Jae is a jerk. They make up, and Young Jae buys Ji Eun a recorder for her writing career as a birthday present. But he still orders her around like a jerk.

Episode 5: Young Jae is even more of a jerk. He calls Ji Eun a birdbrain and makes fun of her writing. He goes to meet Hye Won, who is just pulling his chain, at a bar, and he leaves Ji Eun waiting for him at the mall. He doesn’t even CALL, for Pete’s sake. He tries to make it up to Ji Eun by going to a movie with her, but Hye Won calls to say she’s in the hospital, and of course, Young Jae goes running to comfort her. Ji Eun tags along and sees her (platonic) “husband” holding Hye Won’s hand. This hand-holding thing is apparently very meaningful in Korean culture. Holding hands=he really likes her, not Ji Eun? Pretty boy jerk!

Episodes 6-9: More Young Jae moon-eyed over Hye Won. Hye Won is beautiful, but rather pitiful. The actress who’s playing Hye Won doesn’t seem to have much range: playful or tearful. That’s about it. More Ji Eun getting teated poorly by Young Jae. Did I mention that Young Jae (actor:Rain) is seriously good-looking, but the character he plays has issues with emotionally abusive behavior? More fighting between Young Jae and Ji Eun. But now Min Hyuk, the guy that Hye Won really likes when she’s not jerking Young Jae’s chain, likes Ji Eun. Ji Eun’s thieving friends continue to poke their fingers in the pie, mess things up, and provide comic relief.

Episode 10: Young Jae actually apologizes to Ji Eun! But his behavior doesn’t get much better. The couple sign a revised marriage contract with lots of new requirements from Ji Eun for Young Jae to fulfill (at least 105), including Young Jae has to help with the housework, and he must bring Ji Eun roses on Wednesdays. Young Jae signs the contract without reading it because he wants only one thing: for the contract marriage period to be extended to three years. He’s in love with Ji Eun but still hasn’t admitted it to himself. Ji Eun, on the other hand, is about to give up on Young Jae and go for Min Hyuk.

I knew from the beginning that Ji Eun and Young Jae were going to be together, for real and not just because of a contract of convenience, by the end of the series. But if I were advising Ji Eun at this point, I’d tell her to get herself away from Young Jae and think seriously about Min Hyuk. Young Jae tells her that she’s a birdbrain and an idiot at least five or six times per episode. The only thing he has going for him is his family, which I haven’t mentioned. Grandma (Halmoni) is a hoot, and the family loves Ji Eun. Young Jae, not surprisingly, is not on great terms with his family, especially his father who wanted him to be a doctor instead of an actor. Here’s a scene where Ji Eun gives a gift to Young Jae’s family—priceless:

Really though, what kind of man has a huge, bigger than life-size, model-type photograph of himself, bare-chested, hanging in his bedroom entryway? Narcissistic much?

The series did go on to end as I thought it would: Young Jae and Ji Eun together at last! I still think she would have been better off with the other guy, but you watch and form your own opinion. (I’ll reiterate that Rain, the actor who plays Young Jae, is a good-looking guy, but his behavior as Young Jae leaves something to be desired.)