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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Birth of a Mrs" Episodes 5-7

For whatever reason this week's episodes of "Birth of a Married Woman are much shorter than the first ones. The general themes remain well intact. First it's discussions of wedding dresses. And I have to admit, it did not occur to me that there was such sheer variety in the different kinds of wedding dresses available. But alas, I am a man so like Cheol-soo, I don't have that great an emotional reaction to wedding dresses, instead eschewing emotional reactions for generally boring practicality.

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The question of where Yeong-hee and Cheol-soo are actually going to live (as is detailed in the sixth episode) is more universally practical in nature. Finding a good apartment in Seoul, or even anywhere near Seoul, is hard. I rather liked how one such actually affordable home is of course at the top of a hill. Nobody likes living on top of hills, especially in areas with small roads, because you have to walk up there. Which incidentally is a good way to get your daily cardio.

Next it's on to furniture. And geez, is that ever a stumbling block. I'm still wondering what to do about furniture when I next move back to Korea. I hate buying new stuff- so hard to move around, so expensive. Yet for Yeong-hee and Cheol-soo, this is not really an optional process, however many colorful characters they meet along the way. Getting married is about establishing permanence in the world, having finally decided to commit to one single life path.

This is the standpoint from which they enetr the final episodes of the set, which builds off on all the previous logistical adventures to create a portrait of stress caused by excess planning. Note how, in spite of the fact that they're planning a wedding, neither Yeong-hee nor Cheol-soo have much leeway to engage in romantic behavior because this wedding is really like a second job to them. It's stressful.

So as usual "The Birth of a Mrs" is going into more boring realism than it is with the dramatic flourishes more chiefly utilized by the genre. This limits the drama's entertainment value somewhat. A literal dream sequence is the closest "The Birth of a Mrs" gets to genuine excitement. Yet I still appreciate the focus. Even though i am not married myself, the material is presented in a very down to earth way that's easy to relate to.

Review by William Schwartz

"The Birth of a Mrs" is directed by Lee Jeong-hoon-II, written by Choi Do-hee, Kang Seon-woo and features Lee Joon-hyuk, Yoon Seung-ah, Sung Byung-sook and Lee Mi-young.

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