Witch's Romance Episode 1 - Creating the Perfect Couple

Kmuse here!  Back and attempting to keep up with two drama recaps at the same time, not to mention my weekly countdown, random khottie info, and all around kdrama information that has to be shared.  I know I know, you readers would not die if you did not see the latest bad outfit worn by Hyun Bin, but really, isn't your life more complete when you are able to see things like that?

There is nothing hotter on a guy than putting a  large printed knit flower sweater over a silky flower printed dress shirt.....said no one ever.  (Seriously we are so lucky he is uber hot to distract us from this clash of flower print)

So in an attempt to share everything krelated with you I am burning the midnight oil and doing both dramas.  Also I just couldn't bring myself to choose one over the other since both looked so great.  For those of you just discovering our awesome blog, I am Kmuse, one of the three bloggers on the site and for now the most vocal.  Dongsaeng and Unnie are still around but real life has taken a huge chunk out of the blogging time so for now you are stuck with me.  I am a mother of three and an avid kdrama watcher, in that I love to watch literally everything.  There are very few currently airing dramas that I am not watching so if you have any questions about them (or really any drama since I have seen an insane amount) feel free to ask me in the comments.  Or better yet come like our facebook page and ask me there. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-crazy-ahjummas/336988683021748?fref=ts
For those of you who have not read my past recaps, I am one of those bloggers that really likes to just discuss my opinions on certain scenes or concepts of the drama.  I don't go step by step through the whole thing.  So if you are looking for a more complete recap you might have to look elsewhere (and then come back and read mine of course).  But enough about me, lets get to what you are really waiting for and discuss episode 1 of  "Witch's Romance".

The opening scene is perfection in comedic humor form.  We have a busy street, the theme song "I'm A Witch" is playing in the background.   We see our heroine, Ban Ji Yeon (Uhm Jung Hwa - He Who Can't Marry), riding a bike (in a schoolgirl uniform) while being chased by a man in a Santa's outfit.  I can only assume that this is our young plucky hero Yoon Dong Ha ( Park Seo Joon - I Summon You Gold).  Cars continually honk (due to the fact that they are both in the middle of a busy street) as he keeps yelling "Stop Ahjumma" at the top of his lungs.  She just looks back at him and yells "are you crazy?  What is up with Santa in March?"  Already I am loving these two, and right off the bat you can totally feel the whimsy and humor of this drama.

How to Create A Funny Kdrama Female Character 

 (specifically a noona)

#1Act Your Age, Except When it is Funnier Not To

Ban Ji Yeon is a go getter, a workaholic, and someone that is not going to let anything stand in the way of achieving her goals, not even her age.  On the hunt for a story she pulls out her old high school uniform, complete with sweat pants underneath, (hehehe just flashed memories of Goong right then) and bobby pins in her bangs.  She and her cameraman are sneaking into a wealthy (and guarded) high school in order to get the scoop/photos of a cheating A list actor and his second family.   Even when her shirt gives up the fight because of her larger bust size, she remains unfazed and just snaps in a strategically placed safety pin.

She and her coworker get the shot and start rushing off the roof so they can get the pictures to their tabloid "Troublemaker News" before print.  Unfortunately for them they run into an overly diligent guard who mistakes them for perverts.  I love how Ji Yeon just sticks out her chest (seriously that shirt is going to burst) and shouts "Can't you tell we are students?"  They get chased to the gate (which is unfortunately closed) and her cameraman yells at her to run and get the article in.  He grabs the guard from behind and pretty much is beaten up as our heroine scales the gate and runs away.  

Unable to find a taxi she instead comes across a promotional event where Santa is giving out toys to orphans.  I guess that she is desperate since she steals Santa's bicycle (complete with toy bags) and rides off, determined to get to her office before the deadline.  She is chased the whole way by our Santa hottie, undistracted from her goal as she rides the bike literally into the lobby and elevator making it just before the magazine's deadline.

#2 When Things Get Tough Dance Through the Pain

I don't know about you guys, but I love when leading ladies let lose and be normal girly girls in their own homes.  Whether this means, watching TV in jammies eating Ramyun or singing along with the radio and doing their very own dance performance, either way it is always funny.  It also helps that the OST (Original Sound Track) to this drama is tap your toes awesome sauce.  Between the first song "She's A Witch" and this dance along number (really hoping we hear this song again) I am already being tempted to download this onto my MP3 player.  I promise to share the songs as soon as someone releases them on youtube.

 

#3 Have Crazy Relatives

And it is even better if your crazy relatives, in this case Ji Yeon's mother, are obsessed with your love life (or lack there of).  Ji Yeon's mother is so obsessed with her daughter's single status that she hunts down a shaman who is rumored to have paired up a 1000 old maids resulting in marriages.  So what is a mother to do but hire the famous Shaman to help her own, on the verge of becoming an ahjumma, daughter.  The mom asks if her daughter's fate is really that horrible to which the Shaman replies "Your daughter has the (*&@$% attitude in the cesspool to nowhere"  hahaha which I guess means that there is little hope.  She then also tells the poor mom that she is a dragon who wraps around men and anyone that marries her is destined to die.  The mother looks down sadly, "I knew I should have filed her birth certificate a year later".  The mom is quite the character and it also looks like fate has put a lot of obstacles between our OTP and happiness.

How to Create the Perfect Male Lead 

(Keep in mind that this is the perfect lead for a noona romantic comedy drama.  If it were for a regular kdrama then the list would be very different).

#1 Be Sweet, Adorable, Hardworking, and Kind.

We see all of our young hottie's best personality characteristics right off the bat.  He gives self defense seminars to teenage girls (and energetic guardsman), dresses up as Santa and hands out toys to underprivileged children.  And when crazy cosplaying ahjumma steals those toys he chases her through the streets of Seoul, making sure to retrieve the gifts.

WAIT!!! PAUSE JUST A MOMENT!  Is that Yoon Hyun Min (Heartless City, Inspiring Generation) playing his BFF?  I love him so much and he is my #1 actor who I want to jump over into leading man territory.  This drama just moved up another notch in my estimation.

Sorry.  Distracted for just a second by another man.  Let's get back to the wonder that is our sweet young lead.  It seems that Yoon Dong Ha and his beyond hot bestie own a odd jobs business.  Money is always  tight, but our entrepreneur cutie stays positive.

#2 Live As Near the Snarky Future Love of Your Life as Possible.

If possible, it is best to live in the same house, apartment, or rooftop since age is a huge thing in Korea and you have to be able to wear down her resistance.  Or if cohabitation is not an option, move in next door with your awesomely hot BFF.  You will then be able to get to know the real her and not just her professional "witch" persona.   I love how Yong Soo Chul (BFF Hottie) tells Dong Ha that the crazy girl next door must have had a horrible day since she has sung five songs in a row.  Can't wait til they realize that they are now neighbors.

#3 Be A White Knight

The #1 job of the man in a Donsaeng/noona dynamic is always to play the white knight and provide the "noona" with what is missing from her life.  Often that will be emotional support, a friend, fake boyfriend, or just to love her unconditionally.  So Dong Ha fits this role to a tee.  When his BFF (seriously crushing on him............oops focusing now) is hired by Ji Yeon's vindictive coworkers to fake interest in her at a bar and then embarrass her by confessing on stage in front of everyone and then ditching her.   Dong Ha saves the day by going up on the stage she has been left on and kissing the beejeebies out of her.  Definitely a top white Knight moment.

Can I just take this moment and thank Korean cable broadcasting for providing an outlet for the drama watcher to see NON fish face kisses.  It is truly enjoyable that we can get the emotional satisfaction from good romance as well as good kissing scenes.

 

My Thoughts

I am so happy that they are keeping a lot of the scenes that I loved in "My Queen" (the Taiwanese version of this drama) in this one.  I am even happier to see everything better filmed and directed since as much as I can enjoy a Tdrama, they are never up to par with the quality found in Kdramas.  This was a really solid first episode and it successfully set the light comedic tone and also made me care about both characters.  I was especially happy to see that the BFF hottie, Soo Chul, was in a lot of scenes.  With such a good actor you have to be sure to use him as much as possible even if he is not the lead.  

So far our main girl is actually very likable as well as smart and sassy.  I would have died if I had to review another "noona" that is clueless about life and love (talking about you Joo Yun from I Need Romance 3).   On the other hand, I need a bit more time to really get a handle on our leading man.  So far he seems really sweet and nice and really has a strong presence when onscreen, but I am sure he has some type of inner angst just waiting to come out.  This is a kdrama after all.

Thanks for joining me in yet another recapping excursion.  I can't wait to share more of my thoughts with all of you, and hopefully they remain entertaining to read.  Please be sure to join me later this week when I recap episode 2, recaps for the new drama Gap Dong, and my Weekly Top 5 Kdrama Countdown where I review the best moments from the week.  I can pretty much guarantee that Witch's Romance will be making it's debut in the top 5.  Til then this is Kmuse wishing you a wonderful week full of Kdramas.

Sincerely,
Kmuse

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