I Do, I Do

Foreword
It is a romantic-comedy on a successful shoe designer in her late 30s whose career is affected when she accidentally gets pregnant. Will she let the father of her child know about this? She likes being single and has no plans to get married at first. Fighting against destiny and opposition, the two try to adjust to the changes for their own happiness.

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Kim Sun-a – Huang Zhi An
At 37, she is a director at popular shoe company. She is arrogant, authoritarian and overbearing. That is why her subordinates call her Merdusa. Since she is young, she likes shoes. Her first design is a pair of shoes for little girls. Working harder and more passionately than anyone else, she climbs high. She is having premature menopause in 3 years’ time. But a one-night stand is about to affect her perfect life.

She gets pregnant and has thought of abortion but later gives up. She decides to keep the baby and calls it ‘little ankle’. She has thought of Tai Jiang as a sperm bank to provide sperm to get her pregnant. No gynecologist wants to be her doctor in charge as she doesn’t even take good care of herself. Thus, En Cheng has to take over.

En Cheng gets her to attend classes to know more about parenting. Seeing how Tai Jiang has matured, she begins to trust him. She is relieved that she is pregnant with a girl when En Cheng gives her baby shoes. She learns to let go many things to be less hard on herself.

She is forced to resign but Na Li announces at the CEO ceremony that Zhi An will be the next CEO. She has to stay as the company needs her. However, she passes the reins to Na Li to take over the first three years as she wants to spend time with her daughter. She then turns to work with Tai Jiang. Once again, it works on Sun-a acting as an arrogant and ambitious woman.

2. Lee Jang-woo – Piao Tai Jiang
At 29, he wants to become rich within ten years. But he only has a high school diploma. He works as a seller of counterfeit luxury shoes. He constantly runs away from the police during crackdowns on illicit goods. But he believes that he has to maintain his style.

So he invests a lot of time on networking. By luck, he is hired by to be a shoe designer – this is because Zhi An chooses him without knowing to spite on Na Li. She also regrets her choice when giving away the winning certificate at the ceremony to him. Compared to the other designers, he has no training, experience or background. Work becomes a challenge when they look down on him.

On top of this, he finds himself entangled with Zhi An who is an older woman with a bad temper. He makes blunders to lose her drawings on the bus and often makes her angry. He is mistaken that En Cheng is the father of Zhi An’s child. Despite all forsaking Zhi An, he remains in her team and is overjoyed that their design is chosen.

His talent is later revealed when Jake wants to groom him in the US. Slowly, they open their hearts and they become a couple. He chooses to stay as he wants to hear his daughter’s first cry. He resigns to start advertising his own shoes. This actor’s acting can be over the top at times and I can’t take it.

3. Park Geon-hyeong – Zhao En Cheng
He is a charming gynecologist and 38 year old highly eligible bachelor. Everybody in his family are doctors and he is under pressure to go to medical school. He chooses to be a gynecologist as he likes babies. he meets Ji-ahn on an arranged date and becomes interested in her when she tells him that she has early menopause to turn him off. Love starts to develop when he starts to get attracted by her curt nature.

He is stunned to know that she is pregnant and tells both their parents that they are not ready for marriage. He follows her through her pregnancy to shower her help, care and concern. He worries for her health and visits her frequently. That gives Tai Jiang the wrong idea.

He is perturbed when news spread that they are getting married. Zhi An is brave to conduct an interview to declare that she wants to be a single mother and he has to attach a paper to his back when making rounds in the hospital to announce that he is still single to stop people from congratulating him. Despite disapproving what Tai Jiang has done, he still drinks with him when both guys often have discussions.

They can be such good pals that they can pretend to be gays to prevent En Cheng’s prospective match from clinging to him. He starts to give Tai Jiang parenting tips too. Terrific acting from this actor – he makes this supporting role come across like a leading role instead with his natural flair.

4. Im Soo-hyang – Yan Na Li
She is the youngest daughter of the chairman of Hanyoung Apparel. She graduates with top honors from the S-Mode Institute and currently holds the title of vice president at her father’s company. She also has pretty looks. But she is the daughter of her father’s mistress who is a shoe designer so it runs in her blood. She only returns to her father after her mother dies.

So she has to live in the shadows while growing up. Deep inside, she has a vulnerable heart but on the surface, she is blunt and cold like Zhi An. Nobody dares to anger her except Tai Jiang who doesn’t know her identity to dance with her at the welcoming party. She starts to like him when he gives her his shoes when her high heel shoes are broken. He sticks them back with a new design but finds it shameful to show her to throw them away. She discovers them and wears them to

With her father’s support, she is on course to succeed him as his successor but she finds herself competing with her rival, Zhi An. So she plans on getting rid of her after knowing that Tai Jiang is also interested in Zhi An. But after knowing her ability, she prefers to keep her and she later continues her studies in order to be as good as Zhi An. I find her too gentle and doesn’t really come across as a bossy role.

5. Park Yeong-gyu – Piao Guang Shi
He is Tai Jiang's father who is an expert in making counterfeit shoes. He hopes Tai Jiang can succeed him but his standard is mediocre. He stops making counterfeit shoes when Tai Jiang gets into the company. Lured by the good pay, he also joins the company. His cover is blown but Na Li admires his ability to be able to make a duplicate of a pair of shoes that she gives Tai Jiang to make a pair for himself. He agrees to help Zhi An in the completion of shoes for the competition but he has to go to America with Jake.

He is appalled to know what happens between Zhi An and Tai Jiang. It is like repeating his past. In the end, he opens a new shop with Zhi An and Tai Jiang after all of them resign. They produce shoes that are popular and come up with their new brand.

6. Yoon Joo-sang – Mr Huang
He is Zhi An's father who is a retired principal. He often goes into conflicts with Zhi An and she often goes overseas for assignments to avoid him. He is furious when Zhi An leaves midway for work in the midst of his birthday party. En Cheng makes him happy and he hopes to have him as his son-in-law.

He wants Zhi An to abort the baby but is dismayed to learn from En Cheng that this might be her only chance of being a mother due to her early menopause. He turns to support her but disapproves of Tai Jiang who is very immature initially. He later accepts him.

7. Shin Seung-hwan - Lee Zhen Bai
He is Tai Jiang’s friend who opens an eatery. He can’t keep secrets well but takes good care of Guang Shi whenever he is drunk.

8. Jo Hee-bong – Xue Bang Su
He is the promotion unit senior manager. He blurts out Zhi An’s one night stand incident after hearing it from Zhen Bai but luckily Zhi An forgives him. He already has a son so he is very experienced in motherhood. He has a headache upon knowing that his wife is expecting twins – a boy and a girl. He shows Tai Jiang the scan and this is how Tai Jiang realizes that Zhi An is pregnant as he finds a scan in her car too. He helps him to get through the father jitters.

9. Kim Hye-eun – Peng Jun Xi
He is Zhi An’s friend who already has a daughter. Zhi An doesn’t understand why she fusses so much about her till she gets pregnant. Jun Xi has thought that Zhi An is unsuitable to be a mother to help her to find a doctor for abortion. Seeing that she can’t make up her mind and becomes fussy, she becomes displeased with her. Luckily, both make up later.

10. Oh Mi-yeon – Mrs Huang
She is Zhi An's mother who is a traditional housewife. She is stunned over Zhi An’s pregnancy and gets disappointed. However, she braces herself to help to cook nice food for her to visit her often. Her parents don’t stay with her as they stay in Busan.

11. Oh Mi-hee - Lady Zhang
She is Mrs Yan’s wife. She supports Zhi An and admires her ability. She dislikes Na Li for not being her child and often belittles her. She has thought that Zhi An provides good designs for singles to spur their sales and thus wants her to go for abortion to let the legacy continue. Otherwise, she has to resign. She has seen how Zhi An gets stuck with little ideas now.

When she refuses, she spreads news to the press that Zhi An is getting married to En Cheng but she doesn’t expect her to announce that she wants to be a single mother. Zhi An gets more attention for this and is amused that many send flowers to the office to congratulate her.

12. Lee Dae-yeon - President Yan
He is actually Na Li’s uncle to bring her back to the company. However, he is scared of Lady Zhang so he gives his shares to her in exchange of golf club ownership. This will not get him involved in the women’s war for power in the company.

13. Oh Min Suk – Jake Han
He is Na Li’s friend who is brought back to Korea to pit against Zhi An in shoe designing. All fawn on him but will not put his shoes back on his feet except Tai Jiang. He sees the shoes he designs for Na Li and gets interested. He then decides to groom him in the US.

14. Dr Jin
He is En Cheng’s colleague and is amused to see him with Zhi An. He has found her a nasty patient to pass her to him and En Cheng can beg him desperately to exchange shifts with him to go on dates with her.

15. Kim Min-hee - Ma Cheng Mei
She is the team leader who has a 3 year old boy and a one year old girl. Zhi An gives her lots of chances to groom her but she prefers not to go overseas to stay with her family. Zhi An is apologetic when she rejects giving her longer pregnancy leave in the past. When she resigns, she proposes to let Cheng Mei take over her position and Cheng Mei is grateful to her.

Interesting facts from Wikipedia

Zhi An's large and extensive shoe closet was custom-made for the drama. It went amounting to a total of 500 pairs of footwear worth ₩120 million. Sun A really had fun wearing so many pairs of them.

Zhi En’'s chic fashion style has also become trend-setting. It increased the demand for the brands the character used in the drama together with her bob hairstyle. According to wardrobe stylist Kim Young-joo, some of the credit belongs to Sun-a, who gave her input during their fashion concept meetings.

The drama received lower-than-expected ratings with an average of 8.2 percent, according to data compiled by TNmS (Total National Multimedia Statistics). It was very disappointing for the cast.

MBC 2012 drama awards- Lee Jang-woo won New Actor Award – but I feel that I expected more from him. He isn’t this good as I have thought.

Most favourite character
En Cheng, he is very sensitive to others. Although he can’t marry Zhi An, he is close to her parents. He is her shelter when she needs help. But she keeps breaking his heart when he sees her with Tai Jiang.

Most hated character
Lady Zhang, she is very insensitive. She only wants success and disregards feelings.

Songs
Tai Jiang's theme song is "Her Over Flowers", is sung by Yesung of Super Junior. The light and cheerful track expresses the feelings of a man who is in love with an older woman. Zhi An's theme song, "I Do", is sung by Park Ji-yoon. It is described as a song that will help invigorate those who are tired and worn out. En Cheng’s theme song is "If It Was Me", is a ballad sung by Alex Chu. It reflects the character's unrequited feelings for Zhi En. All are quite nice to listen to.

Conclusion

It is nothing new as compared to other dramas which also focused on elder woman, younger man relationship. It is understandable why the ratings are low. Many scenes on Tai Jiang and Zhi An don’t seem to go well as they don’t match. However, when she is with En Cheng, it becomes heartwarming. It depends a lot on the artistes’ acting

Sukting’s ratings :

On acting : *** (Scale of 5)

On story : *** (Scale of 5)

On song : *** (Scale of 5)