“It’s easier to be crazy than to explain something that people can’t understand. Actually it’s more convenient that way. It’s better to be crazy than pathetic.”

Let me get this out of the way first. Nobody growing up in Korea would think that a marriage of convenience would ever be the simple answer to life’s problems. With all these family obligations, societal expectations and unspoken rules, it’s ridiculous to imagine so. There are so many great things about this drama that are so different. No one pays attention to the CEO. The feminine representations are the best. The chirpy office girl is so sardonic. The women treat each other with respect.

Ji Ho – female lead
Ji Ho is a wonderful Kdrama heroine. She has this beautiful inner strength and the ability to laugh at herself and own up to her crazy actions. She actually runs very hot and cold like a Korean male hero. Towards the end of the drama she really has gender role reversals and is totally tough.

Se Hee
“Do you know how much stress people like you give me?”

Se Hee’s honesty is beautiful. I also love the way his preserves Ji Ho’s autonomy.
The cat is a major focus in Se Hee’s life. It’s so adorable. Yes, Se Hee is introverted, but he still is highly aware of other people’s perspectives and feelings.

Romance

“Something that’s not simple just started.”

It’s such a great start to a relationship that Se Hee likes everything about Ji Ho. He’s not looking down on her for those usual reasons of messiness, clumsiness, chattiness, etc. He’s not annoyed by her at all.

“If you have some time, would you marry me?”

“I noticed you washed the instant noodle bowl.”
“Yes, it’s a habit.”
“You have a really good habit.”

These two are an amazing couple. They are so normal. I love the way the pair meet through a series of texts and notes. I was concerned about what would happen when the truth came out, but they both dealt with it maturely without the ridiculous high drama that I predicted would ensue.
I appreciated the approach that they first found themselves to be so compatible and the relationship developed from there instead of this opposites attract sort of premise that is so rampant.
They have a great positivity in their relationship. Se Hee is so polite to Ji Ho.

Se Hee’s way of falling in love is too cute. He is such a reserved character, but the drama shows all the little ways that he is falling in love. Actually, when he talks to other people about Ji Ho, you can really see how much he cares about her and how much he notices about her.

I love the way they start really looking at each other. For me, that was the sweetest moment when they’d bump into each other somewhere, do an awkward bow and just look at each other as if they’re savouring the happiness and looking at their love’s face.

I thought the ending would go the standard route of miscommunication and missed opportunities. But the drama does well to surprise us with what each character actually knows.

While normally I wouldn’t encourage emotional whiplash from either gender, I feel a bit satisfied seeing the heroine get to play the strategic hero when it comes to romance while the hero flops around helplessly. It’s a bit of a different angle too, that throughout the show the hero is flawlessly considerate and he needs to pull out some selfish sentences so the heroine understands he actually has feelings.

Work

“We are not family. Let’s get paid properly.” I love this slogan haha.
The drama portrays different work environments from Ho Rang’s restaurant to Soo Ji’s corporate world.

Family
Ji Ho’s mother is really a great dynamic to the show. I enjoyed her unpredictable interactions with people and she has a most meaningful conversation with Se Hee. Considering her relationship with her husband, it was wonderful to hear Se Hee’s point of view of how he won’t be lording over his wife.

Ji Ho’s sister in law is quite nice. I was glad she was also normal, wanting to be on good terms with Ji Ho.

Friends

Ji Ho’s friends are great. They are both actresses that I’m familiar with from shows that made a big impact on me. They are multi-dimensional women. I always feel so happy to see a cheery slightly ditzy character in a managerial position.

Ho Rang
She’s a pretty average girl. Who knew a sofa could be the cause of so much drama and miscommunication.

Soo Ji
I first saw Esom in White Christmas where obviously she seemed so small next to all the male models that starred in that show. She is an amazing character in this show with so many hidden layers. She’s snarky, but also motherly. She has an active sex life but doesn’t flaunt it and yet continually gets discriminated and harassed at work for her gender. The drama demonstrates this so strongly but not in an in your face harsh manner. I liked seeing Soo Ji still living life despite being so submissive at work. I wasn’t sure if I would like her love line but really Mr. Ma is so cute with her. I agree with his assessment of her.

“You look like a baby when you smile. But you look scary in general.”

Mr. Ma
“I’m a bit scared to be scolded by you twice in one day. Gosh, Soo Ji is the scariest in the world!”

Mr. Ma has a unique way of using his voice in different scenarios that makes his character really come alive.