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5 Reasons to Watch “Marriage, Not Dating”

Marriage, Not Dating may almost be over, but it is worth your while to binge watch the 10 episodes currently available and fall in love with the drama like the rest of us! I stumbled upon this drama randomly about a week ago and decided to watch the first episode. I’m glad I did because I was hooked after that and ended watching the rest of the available episodes that weekend. I did pick it initially for the title, I’m all for long term love and commitment, not for hookups and constant flings. That’s why I value marriage such a great deal, whether its atheist marriage, christian marriage, muslim marriage, it doesn’t matter because to me the qualities and morals of the pairing are all the same no matter what belief you have. So when I saw this, I thought wow this will take my fancy! And I was right, but not entirely for those reasons I had thought in the beginning.

There are a lot of factors as to why I enjoy this drama so much. I would say most of them are subtle reasons that cater to my personality. I love sarcasm, wit, one-liners, comedy, and romance. Marriage, Not dating has all of that and more. So I decided to highlight the 5 biggest reasons (according to me) why you should start watching this great drama (they are in no particular order).

      1. The concept
      The storyline of Marriage, Not Dating is somewhat complicated and most likely unrealistic, but who cares? Gong Gi Tae wants to stay a bachelor, but his nagging mother wants him to get married. She tells him that she will set him up with a bride of her choice if he doesn’t get his act together. Gi Tae and Joo Jang Mi cross paths, and they end up starting a fake relationship. A concept that’s similar to how someone in real life might hire a london escort to be their “partner” at an event. So it’s not too far-fetched that they do this in the hopes that it will get Gi Tae’s mother off of his back. The end goals are so Gi Tae can live alone as a bachelor, while Jang Mi aims to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be Gi Tae’s best friend.

      Meanwhile, Jang Mi’s coworker (and friend), Gi Tae’s friend Hong Doon, Hoon Dong’s employee Yeo Reum, and Gi Tae’s ex-fiance, along with Jang Mi and Gi Tae, all end up mixed together in a mess of relationships and pheromones (look here if you’re asking what are pheromones?). It’s not the greatest description of the show, but trust me when I say that it is an entertaining drama that will keep you begging for more.

      2. Jinwoon of 2AM
      2AM’s maknae, Jinwoon, has a fairly prominent role in this drama. He is Hong Doon’s employee and Jang Mi’s potential love interest. He doesn’t have very many lines in the first ten episodes, but he has plenty of screen time, and his smile will seriously make you melt.

      I see why Jang Mi falls for him: he’s tall, handsome, has a great smile, he can cook, and he shows off his fit body while at the beach! From that description alone, he seems like the perfect man. But there are few things that have happened so far that may make you wary of him. And I have a feeling something more may happen in the later episodes. It seems like he has a lot of secrets, and it’s almost impossible to get them out of him.

      3. The adult content (don’t worry it’s all PG-13)
      There are a lot of dramas that don’t talk about kissing, boyfriends, girlfriends, sex, and things like that. Then again, there are a few that do. I’ve noticed that tvN’s dramas tend to talk more openly about relationships and what goes on while two people are in a relationship.

      There are a lot of not-so-subtle moments where Gi Tae implies that he and Jang Mi are always sleeping together. He mostly says things like that to his mother, so she won’t keep barging in at his house. It’s refreshing to watch dramas that don’t shy away from all aspects of relationships (even if this relationship is fake). It makes the scenarios seem more realistic, and they are more relatable for mature audiences.

      4. The comedy
      Another thing I love about tvN’s dramas is the comedy. Every drama I have watched on tvN has been more mature, with great comedic scenes, one-liners, and characters. Marriage, Not Dating is no exception! Since there are already 10 episodes that have aired, it’s hard to pick out a single funny moment.

      However, there is one episode in which the Gi Tae’s mother visits Jang Mi in her workplace, and she desperately needs to use the bathroom. The whole episode shows Jang Mi’s struggle with trying to get to the bathroom before she explodes. In a way it’s a metaphor of her current position in life, where she’s constantly put into uncomfortable positions because of her fake relationship. But the acting throughout the episode really makes you feel for her. That is only one example among many throughout the series so far.

      5. The REAL kisses
      I know I’m not the only one out there who gets so frustrated whenever there is a kiss in a K-Drama. More times than not, the kiss consists of the male character placing his lips on top of the female character’s lips. There is no passion, no movement… nothing. It’s awkward and sometimes cringeworthy to watch. Already in 10 episodes of Marriage, Not Dating we have seen two REAL kisses with two different men. You go, Joo Jang Mi!

      It’s obvious when two characters are about to kiss. The way the director sets up the scene tells you something is about to happen. Most of the time the two characters look into each other’s eyes, and then the slow motion and repetition of scenes sets in. Other times, one character is rapidly talking about something while the other character stares lovingly at them. Then BAM, the kiss. And in this drama, we get real kisses with mouths open, reciprocal kissing, and most of all, passion.

      There are still six episodes remaining, which I patiently await. I hope Marriage, Not Dating continues to impress me with the remaining episodes. SO many times a drama loses its initial spark toward the end of the series. But, I have high hopes for this one.

      Are you guys watching Marriage, Not Dating, what do you think of it so far? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.