Title: 백년의 신부 | Baeknyeon-ui Shinboo | Hundred Year Bride | Bride of the Century
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Melodrama, Family
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Network: TV Chosun
Broadcast Period: 2014-Feb-22 to 2014-April-12

Synopsis:

The story is foretold in a fantasy manner about a belief of a 100 year-old curse that runs in the family who owns Korea’s most powerful conglomerates, Taeyang Corporation. The curse is about the first bride of the eldest son will always die after the wedding. And, Choi Kang Ju happens to be the cold eldest heir of Taeyang Corporation. While Jang Yi Kyung, the daughter of a Corporation in need of financial back-up from Taeyang Corporation, is going to be the bride of Choi Kang Ju. When Choi Kang Ju’s and Yi Kyung’s families decided for them to marry, due to the belief of this curse, a conspiracy from the family of Yi Kyung to protect her life without losing the richness and power of being the wife of Choi Kang Ju was hatched. Yi Kyung disappears and the mother replaces her with a look-alike, Na Doo Rim, a country girl from a small southern island who is on financial dire straits. Na Doo Rim became Yi Kyung. As this is an arranged marriage for their family’s Corporation, Choi Kang Ju initially doesn’t have any feelings for Jang Yi Kyung, however, as time passes by he developed feelings for Na Doo Rim whom he thought is Jang Yi Kyung. The situation became complicated when Na Doo Rim also fell in love with Choi Kang Ju.

Characters:

• Yang Jin Sung as Na Doo Rim | Jang Yi Kyung | Boon Yi
• Lee Hong Ki as Choi Kang Joo
• Jun Jin Seo as Choi Kang Joo (Younger Years)
• Nam Jung Hee as Park Soon Bok
• Yang Jin Sung as Jang Yi Kyung
• Park Jin Joo as Oh Jin Joo
• Choi II Hwa as Choi II Do
• Kim Seo Ra as Kim Myung Hee
• Jung Hae In as Choi Kang In
• Jang Ah Young as Lee Roo Mi
• Kang Pil Sun as Secretary Kim
• Sung Hyuk as Jang Yi Hyun
• Shin Eun Jung as Ma Jae Ran
• Kim Ah Young as Sung Joo Shin
• Kim Yoo Jung as Rian
• Im Byung Ki as Butler Jang
• Kwon Eun Ah as Ahn Dong Daek
• Park Jung Hak as Shaman
• Kim Jae Hwa as Kim Bong Sook
• Heo Jin as Myung Hee’s Mother | Kang Joo’s Grandmother
• Ji In
• Oh Jeul

My Review:

I read in one of the short verdict of Fangirl K-Drama review site that this is a “A light(ish) melodrama that’s high on the cute and low on the logic, Bride of the Century is the kind of show that would crumble under too harsh a lens. Given the right lens, though, it’s a fun watch that even gets pretty cracky in stretches.”. I couldn’t agree more. This K-drama provides a fun entertainment wherein it even ends truly gift wrapped with a big red bow. Even the least of all the supporting casts have an ending. You get to truly laugh in some of scenes and feel the warmth in your heart in others. However, if you look hard enough it doesn’t really provide any logic on the backdraft of its main storyline. Guess, it is done to simply entertain and for us to have something to smile about during your difficult days.

Although, this drama overall made me hiccup with laughter, there are some parts of it that got me so frustrated because it could have been done better. Actually, I rarely criticize technical nuances such as acting, writing and directing of films because most of the time I give a verdict base on the entertainment value it gives me. But, this time around, maybe I should give one as it feels like they have totally ignored them to make it at least better if not perfect. One, I feel they have chosen the wrong actor for the lead. Sorry if you are a fan of his. But, he’s not very suitable to play a role of a guy who can make a woman willing to sacrifice her life after spending just hallow few moments who is rude, arrogant, selfish, spoiled and inconsiderate. He looks like a wimp to me. Which brings me to my second gripe. The logic of a woman loving someone like that with scenes so few that these moments don’t even have depth to incite such feelings. So, I was wondering what kind of stupid writing is that? Even if the moments I spent with the man made me laugh and we kiss for a matter of seconds I would’t certainly sacrifice my life for it. Any woman who will do that is kinda dumb, don’t you think so? Then, the last gripe is that after the 2 leads did this personal and intimate wedding ceremony, they acted like not even married after such experience of life and death situation. (Sorry…I want you to watch it so you will feel the same way I did…I don’t want to be just me, lol!!!) C’mon!!! I know Korean dramas on TV are more conservative but it is so ridiculous that I am more willing to forgive the illogical motives and actions of the ghost and its backstory than this. I already have no connection to the lead man and the remaining little connection I have got totally severed on how their relationship played after that wedding and incident. Aigoo…aigoo…what possible got into the head of the director?

Oh, well, in the end with all its flaws I still got entertained, so, all is well that ends well…

Would I recommend this K-Drama? Probably just for the entertainment value, then yes. .

My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 3/5 Stars

OST:
01. Come Inside – Lee Jae Jin
02. Words I Couldn’t Say Yet – Cho Ah
03. Words I Couldn’t Say Yet – Lee Hong Ki
04. My Girl – 2Young
05. Do You Know? – Jun Geun Hwa