Greatest Marriage (Except there is no marriage in this drama, so I'm not sure about the translation here.)
I have two drama reviews to write, but I’m doing this one first because out of all the dramas I watched in 2014 I think this one was the best of the underrated, underappreciated (not including Let’s Eat, of course) Korean Dramas.
Greatest Marriage is a story of feminism in a society that still judges a woman for having a child out of wedlock. It’s the story of a woman who has a passion and refuses to give it up in the face of oppression and prejudice. It’s a story that you would never see in the US either, because a woman getting pregnant and having a kid by herself is so common at this point in our history that it seems silly to have your career in jeopardy because of it.
This is the story of Cha Ki Young, a woman who started as basically a grunt in the news anchor world and made her way up through hard work, perseverance, and the fabulous ability to see the through the crap of her co-worker until she could get to the big spot herself.
Ki Young is an outlier in her world. She is completely independent, confident and pretty much what most of the people around her call an extreme feminist.
And of course, as with any situation where a tough, intelligent lady is doing her thing, a couple of men move in to make life difficult.
First there is her new co-anchor, Jo Eun Cha, who makes it his mission from day one to get her removed from her job as #1.
(He’s such a charmer, that one.)
Then there is the boy-toy, chef, and baby daddy, Park Tae Yun. This guy was pretty much verbally abused his whole life, lives at the mercy of his crazypants Appa, and quickly becomes totally obsessed with Ki Young.
(We’ll get to the obsession in a minute.)
So, let’s dive in to the meat of the drama. There are some sexytimes (with our lovely lady as the initiator).
And there is the inevitable fallout.
(Nothing, honey. That is one fine man.)
And of course, the biggest game changer of all: the baby.
(I’ve been there, I really have.)
So what did I love about this drama?
-The main lead. I can’t say enough about how badass Cha Ki Young was in this drama. She took all the crap life threw at her, she raised her chin, and she took the path of her own choosing. Park Shi Yeon was so amazing in this drama. I’ve never seen in anything before, but I have to say, I was very impressed by her performance, and I will definitely be seeking out her other roles.
-The amazing feminist undertones and exploration of this society. Honestly, I was totally shocked by how openly these writers explored the different choices available to a woman in a culture like this. Everything from her position in society, to her age, to her birth choices are commented on by male authority figures, her lover, and even her own mother.
(I think one of the most interesting dynamics in this story is that everyone is pressuring her to get an abortion, so having her baby is the harder choice for her here.)
-The comedy. I don’t want to get into too many specifics, but if you’ve never seen a man dancing around in his boxers to kpop, you’re missing out on life.
(gif credit to gottcha78)
-Finally, I just wanted to say how impressed I am with how finely this drama rode the line of plot and drama. It was never boring. I hated the annoying people just enough that I really wanted them gone, but never with the level I did for the second femaie lead in Trot Lovers, for instance. It is really hard to have a 16 ep drama with high dramatic elements that doesn’t go too far. So really well done.
What I could have lived without:
-Some of the side plots I didn’t really care about, like her married friend and that whole bit. I wish I could have seen more of the relationship between the three leads toward the end and much less of some other people.
-I really wish Tae Yun’s family could have learned their lesson instead of just going blithely along, doing whatever they want.
-I was not really keen on where they ended with the three leads. I’m not sad or angry, but I would have liked more of an explanation about where things ended up, rather than all the allusions to one thing or another. (Can’t say more without spoiling.)
-I also wish Ki Young had stuck more to her guns after the baby was born. Yes, children change EVERYTHING, but she just sort of gave up and floundered for a while. It was not pleasant to see. It was a choice I’m not sure I would have taken as a female writer, but *shrug* I guess that’s why they call it artistic license.
Overall, I give this drama a solid A-: quick moving plot, FANTASTIC lead and supporting cast, but a bit of letdown with the loose thread ending. WATCH IT!
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