“Fated to Love You” Episode 1 recap

His crazy is as refreshing as a good shampoo in the jungle.

Side dish: They went to Macau this episode, so let’s go too! There’s only one place to get Macanese cuisine in Toronto, and it’s actually in Markham, in the food court of New Kennedy Square. If you can’t make it there, or to Macau, here’s a recipe for the African Chicken from Henri’s Galley in Macau. I haven’t tried it, but I will soon.

Episode Recap

Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) is the flamboyant president of Jangin Chemical who will readily rip off his shirt and give himself a sensual shampoo to prove the superiority of his family company’s products. Being the sole heir, the pressure is on for him to marry and procreate. Luckily, Gun has had a six year, long distance relationship with Nam Se Ra (Wang Ji Won) who is returning to Korea.

Kim Mi Young (Jang Na Ra) is the pushover lackey of a law office. She is overworked and underappreciated, but manages to catch the eye of Lawyer Min.

Gun and Mi Young literally collide into each other, then travel separately to Macau. Gun is going to propose to unladylike ballerina, Se Ra. Mi Young unexpectedly wins luxury accommodations in Macau, and invites Lawyer Min to accompany her.

Enemies of Gun lurk in Macau, plotting to entrap him using a strong aphrodisiac and a hussy for hire. Mi Young ends up chugging the bottle meant for Gun. Let the hijinks begin!

Comments

Only 만: Let’s start out by saying we had no intention of covering this show in any form, until we actually watched it.

Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다: I started watching “Fated to Love You” based on your enthusiasm for the bizarre male lead. Jang Hyuk’s character, Gun was quite impressive.

만: Impressively weird, you mean. Hence, my enthusiasm. I think I was 10 minutes into it when I messaged you.

중국어 캐나다: Yes, the introductory scene, with a cameo from Clara, had very good comic timing. I found it hilarious when Gun points out his six pack, and she is visibly counting them.

만: Any scene that successfully combines comedy with fan service is a winner in my book. But, the rest of the show was pretty good, too. They kept up the pace, without feeling frenetic, and though the characters were over-the-top, they still had depth. It’s a good setup for the rest of the show.

중국어 캐나다: Yes, I was impressed with the pacing, and I do not hate any character, not even Jang Na Ra’s cheerful doormat, Mi Young. I guess I trust the pacing to bring about changes quickly so that I don’t need to watch her be abused by everyone for any prolonged period.

만: Absolutely. I normally hate it when we spend the first few episodes pointlessly humiliating the heroine, and surprisingly, even though Mi Young’s a doormat, I didn’t feel like cringing while watching. It helps that she’s so self-aware.

중국어 캐나다: Well, Mi Young broke the fourth wall, and introduced herself directly to the audience, which you don’t see much in K-dramas. And, she was the only character to do that. So, even though a whole array of characters were introduced very quickly, you feel a connection with her, because of that scene.

만: Good point. I have to congratulate everyone involved on taking what could have been a lame premise with cardboard cutout characters, and making it fun and engaging. I laughed out loud a few times this episode, and it wasn’t at the expense of characterization or story logic.

중국어 캐나다: I also appreciated that Mi Young is not expected to be chaste. She is sharing a suite with her new boyfriend, and though she is nervous, there is no drama around that. Also, the second female lead, played by the only actress we enjoyed in “I Need Romance 3”, Wang Ji Won, is not the usual rich bitch. She enjoyed cock blocking womanizer, Daniel (Choi Jin Hyuk), and she places her supposed boyfriend, Gun in a headlock upon their reunion. It does make me wonder if Gun’s romantic notions are one-sided.

만: It looks like it, which will make this all the more entertaining. I did laugh a little at Wang Ji Won and Choi Jin Hyuk on the airplane, partially because they were supposed to be married in “The Heirs”.

중국어 캐나다: Oh, right. I forgot about that; it’s a small K-drama world. Speaking of comedy, I didn’t laugh out loud much in this episode. I enjoyed how over the top Gun was in the first scene, but the entire collision between Gun and Mi Young, followed by having to out-sprint a dog felt forced.

만: I did enjoy the way their characters interacted in the scene. I wouldn’t say I was laughing hysterically, but it did lay the groundwork for their future interactions pretty well. Plus, Gun’s such a weirdo, everything he does is kind of funny.

중국어 캐나다: Also, who reaches into a fountain, and starts drinking whatever they suddenly come across?! Especially in Macau.

만: That left visions of dysentery dancing in my head.

중국어 캐나다: That was lazy on the part of the writers. Or, maybe, they thought they were being wacky.

만: I’m not sure which. I guess they figured that since the whole premise is akin to an unlikely fairy tale, we’ll just gloss that bit over in our minds.

중국어 캐나다: Well, it will be easy to gloss over if they keep up this pace. They rarely do in K-dramas, grinding their way through to the end, but we can only hope this is the exception.

만: Agreed. And so far, the characters are charming enough to pull it through regardless.

Some photos to keep your mind occupied till the next episode:

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Fated to Love You (운명처럼 널 사랑해)

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