Zombie: So, you’ve had a chance to read my take on these first two episodes but we’ve yet to hear what you have to say. Two episodes in, what are your thoughts on Pretty Man?
Tanya: I have to say that I completely agree with your take. Selfish gigolo… I want to smack him. Creeper girl, kind of… I don’t even know where to go with that. These are such different characters than we are used to seeing from Jang Geun Suk and IU that I’m a little taken aback.
Zombie: They’re certainly not the characters I was expecting! I’m hoping that as time goes on, these two will develop into characters I can love and support…or at least care about. So far, the writers haven’t done much to endear their main characters to me which makes it hard for me to care about them or this show. Sad to say it but there it is!
Tanya: I understand that for sure. What do you think of Hong Yu Ra as a character? I don’t know whether to hate her or feel bad for her?
Zombie: I’m still trying to figure her out. Initially she reminded me of Yoon Young Hye in Golden Rainbow, wounded, angry, vengeful…but then she’s got this whole mysterious seductress persona going on at the same time so I’m not really sure how I feel about her. Maybe as the show goes on I’ll understand her better but for now, I’m not really a fan. She seems to have more than a little evil in her which I’m sure is going to be the source of much pain and frustration as the show progresses.
Tanya: That is true. There have been a lot of jilted mothers in the K-drama world lately. Even The Woman Who Married Three Times that just started airing has one. It’s a very common theme. Are there any other themes that you’ve noticed so far?
Zombie: Other than the brief appearance of what will undoubtedly be the overlooked but super-sweet and adorable second male lead? I can’t say that the other themes of this show are too prominent in other dramas at the moment…male gigolo seducing ten women to learn their secrets in an effort to find his father??? Not many out there like that at the moment…
Tanya: It is pretty unique to say the least. Although, the “learning the art of women” to destroy one has happened before, but never to get to the father on the other side. I wonder where it will go.
Zombie: I suppose we’ll find out at the show progresses. I’m just hoping that as this story unfolds, the characters will grow up and learn a thing or two about life, themselves, the world in general. They seem to be stuck in a very small, naive bubble which makes them insufferable at the moment. Like I said, I want to like these characters, they just haven’t given me much of a reason to…yet.
Tanya: It seems like they are stuck in high school when they met each other and never really grew out of it? At least to me anyway. Their maturity hit a stopping point in high school and that’s where they ended up. I do actually feel bad for Dok Go Ma Tae when his mother passed away. More so because she never told him that she was sick, not because he couldn’t handle it.
Zombie: I felt bad for him too. However I felt more sorry for him that with his mother’s passing, he’s fallen right into Yu Ra’s trap. It’s bad enough he has to suffer the pain of losing his mom but Yu Ra has to be there at that exact moment to manipulate him through that pain, just to get what she wants out of him. Here is where her evil streak rears its ugly head. I don’t like that she can make light of someone else’s suffering and use it to further her agenda.
Tanya: That is extremely low of Yu Ra, no matter what her ex-husband’s family has done to her. I mean, I know that losing your child because of divorce is extremely hard, but why do you have to mess with someone else’s life like that? According to the mutterings of the mother-in-law, the father-in-law liked Yu Ra. And since Ma Tae is a son, although illegitimate, it seems as though the father-in-law will come into play eventually.
Zombie: I have no doubt he will, it’s just a matter of when. My guess it will be at some crucial moment when Ma Te’s world is about to come crashing down…but that’s just a theory.
Tanya: Can we go back to David Choi, the second male lead (played by Lee Jang Woo), for a second? I cannot get over his adorableness. Is that even a word? I don’t care. He seems extremely genuine and kind-hearted. I loved that whole exchange about the hair hat she was selling.
Zombie: They were so cute in that scene! I’m really looking forward to seeing what part his character is going to play as this story progresses. I’m already preparing myself for the painful crush he’s going to have on Bo Tong which will never be reciprocated; I have a feeling it’s going to be a source of much pain for me. Stinking Second Male Lead Syndrome!
Tanya: I hope the writers have mercy and at least give him some sort of love interest. I don’t know if I can take the heartbreak when he’s such a nice guy! Or at least seems to be? We’ll have to find out!
Zombie: I think at this point, all we can say is “We’ll have to wait and see…” I’m anxious to see where this show will actually go and what journey these characters are going to make to become (I hope, I hope, I hope) better, wiser, stronger people. Here’s hoping next week’s episodes make some serious progress in character development! I’d hate to spend the next seven weeks wishing all of these amazing actors had chosen different projects…that’d just be sad!
Tanya: That we will! Now we want to know what YOU think! Leave a comment below or message us on Twitter @Hallyu_Tanya or @TheZombieMamma and let us know your first impressions of the series!