The Virtual Bride Ep. 1-4 Discussion Post

[contralilium.livejournal.com]

"Old Boy lived in captivity for 15 years and so did Rapunzel for 18 years in a castle.
Yet, the most frightening castle is Mother's Castle.

One day, some women try to invade this impregnable castle.
They are daughter-in-laws!

Will these brave daughter-in-laws survive in the mother’s castle defeating this formidable enemy, mother-in-law?" - KBS World

In order to boost her flagging popularity, former idol group singer Oh In-young (Kim Dasom) agrees to appear in a television reality show that pairs up fake mothers- and daughters-in-law. In-young's partner is Yang Choon-ja (Go Doo-shim), the matriarch of a long-standing traditional clan, and they end up hating each other on the show. But as fate would have it, the two later end up becoming mother and daughter-in-law for real.

Other Titles: The Eccentric Daughter-in-law, Taming Mother-in-law
Airdate: August 17th, 2015 - September 22nd, 2015
Runtime: Monday&Tuesday 21:55 (KST)







Oh In-Young (Dasom)
- leader and mascot of has-been girl group, Ruby. Oh In-Young grew up without parents and is dependent on her company and manager to take care of her. After a backstage scuffle with a rival girl group, In-Young's president threatens to kick her out of the company unless she repairs her image and starts bringing in money. She's a bit ignorant but has a positive and persistent attitude that charms (most) of the people she meets.


Yang Chun-Ja (Ko Du-Shim)
- matriarch of the Cha family. She runs a kimchi making business out of her kitchen and stresses on the importance of traditional values. She opposes flashy clothes and accessories, out-of-home working mothers, and dissent. She's currently attempting to marry off her first son and thinks this new variety show is cheapening her son's image.


Cha Myeong-Seok (Ryu Soo-Young)
- eldest son of the Cha family. A super smart professor of math at a local university. Myeong-Seok has a seemingly neurotic personality and analyzes life through a mathematical lens. He's also a filial son who has been supporting his mother from a young age. Currently, Myeong-Seok is looking to get a promotion from assistant to full time professor at his job.



organized by living situation
Cha Family

Cha Dong-Seok (Kwak Hee-Sung)
- Chun-Ja's second son, Myeong-Seok's younger brother. He has a lot of big ideas but none of the drive to implement them. He's dependent on his mother for money as he's been out of a job for a while. Dong-Seok is the driving force in convincing his mother and brother to continue on with "Experience of Daughter-in-Law From The Eldest Son's Family" because he believes that it will give his family fame--which will give them more money to spend on him.


Kim Se-Mi (Kim Yun-Seo)
- Cha Dong-Seok's wife. Se-Mi is constantly at odds with her mother-in-law, Chun-Ja. She had been dating Dong-Seok for a while but after unexpectedly getting pregnant, the two married and moved into Dong-Seok's mother's house. After a few years of being a stay-at-home mother (and against the wishes of her mother-in-law and her husband) she decides to go back to work as an elementary school teacher. Se-Mi is a hard worker but gets stressed out trying to balance a full time job, motherhood and Chun-Ja's power-plays.


Lee Ha-Ji (Baek Ok-Dam)
- Ha-Ji has an ambiguous relationship to the Cha family, but she is Chun-Ja's right hand woman when it comes to their kimchi business. She also seems to have a crush on Myeong-Seok and is jealous of In-Young.


Cha Joo-Bok (Park Woong)
- Joo-Bok is Chun-Ja's father-in-law (Myeong-Seok and Dong Seok's grandfather). He's a widower who is trying to keep a new relationship with a family friend under wraps.


Cha Il-Goo (Kim Seong-Hwan)
- Chun-Ja's husband (Joo-Bok's son, Myeong-Seok and Dong Seok's father) is a retired man who spends most of his days and nights out partying with friends. He happens to be a big fan of In-Young and Ruby and feels like the family has hit the jackpot with her as their daughter-in-law.

Kang Family

Kang Joon-Soo (Ki Tae-Young)
- President of In-Young's company, married to Chun-Ja's only daughter. Joon-Soo is trying to keep his entertainment label from falling apart. When In-Young's scandal hits the internet, he pulls a favor from his in-law's and casts In-Young on "Experience of Daughter-in-Law From The Eldest Son's Family." Joon-Soo is also a momma's boy who goes to extremes to please and dote on his mother.


Cha Young-A (Son Eun-Seo)
- Chun-Ja and Il-Goo's only daughter, married to Kang Joon-Soo. Young-A works under her mother-in-law on the town's committee board. She is constantly bending over backwards to appeal to her mother-in-law in work and at home. Young-A is also being chastised by her mother-in-law because she hasn't conceived but can hardly get one moment alone with Joon-Soo before he leaves to spend time with his mother.


Jang Mi-Hee (Kim Bo-Yeon)
- Young-A's mother-in-law. Mi-Hee is the narcissistic team leader of town's committee board. She's really close to her son, Joon-Soo, and wishes to occupy all of his time. She's also quite manipulative and jealous of anyone who receives praise and often tries to use her personal connections to bribe her co-workers.

Additional Characters

Choi Soon-Hee (Lee Moon-Hee)
- a friend of the Cha family who regularly purchases kimchi and sauces for her restaurant. Soon-Hee is having a secret affair with Joo-Bok but wishes to make it public.

Oh Sang-Shik (Lee Yong-Joo)
- In-Young's manager who, after In-Young is cast on "Experience of Daughter-in-Law From The Eldest Son's Family," becomes Mi-Hee's personal chauffeur. As her manager, Sang-Shik is rooting for In-Young and hopes that she regains popularity.



Where to Watch
dramafever / myasiantv / viki

cr; KBS World TV, tagline from KBS World, synopsis from wikipedia, profile pictures from KBS.co.kr, profile descriptions by me

anyone watching this? it's basically one huge parody but I think it's really funny.

Comments

[layna.livejournal.com]

I have this in my DF queue. I am a daughter in law so I thought I might find this funny.

[iviih.livejournal.com]

It is also 12 episodes long so :))

I'll put it in my watch list, I like Ryu Soo-Young, my first Kdramas had him as lead :)

[wi-arae.livejournal.com]

I've been watching it! I like it it's fun and Dasom is actually quite good.
Keep in mind this is a sitcom people~ it's meant to be on the 'dumber' 'makjang' side and I've loving it after all the dramas that ripped my heart out recently

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

This show is so great aside from the creepy as fuck Mom with no boundaries

Her and her son need therapy and Jesus (or any other deity of your choice)

[joong-ki.livejournal.com]

IA! I hope the wife ends up getting a divorce because with that kind of husband >_<.

[simplyseasalt.livejournal.com]

This show is simplistic and entertaining. I like it.

[contralilium.livejournal.com]

I knew this was going to be corny just because that's the kind of dramas that Dasom generally sticks to, but when that other girl group member did Yewon's "you don't like me?" line I was basically sold.

my favorite parts so far:
In Young doing a sexy dance every time someone asks her to sing
Chun-Ja criticizing her husband's taste in women before realizing that he married her
Dong-Seok dressing up as his wife to prep the ingredients for kimchi

things I don't like:
Joon Soo
Joon Soo's Mom
Joon Soo and his Mom

Honestly YoungA seemed like such a Mary-Sue to me in the beginning, it's so inconceivable that she would continue to try so hard to be apart of that family when Joon Soo's mom dislikes/abuses her sooo much. But, I get that she's really in love with Joon Soo. I feel so bad for her and Se Mi, the mother-in-laws are so difficult.

[joong-ki.livejournal.com]

I am really enjoying the show. I love In Young and her honesty, she's hilarious. I am rooting for her, her fake mother in law is beginning to soften with her. I think I would enjoy the show more if it featured less of Joon Soo and his mother, I don't understand how Young A could even marry him. He does everything his mother says. My mom always tells me that you marry the guy not his family.

[obscureauthor.livejournal.com]

I want to watch. An interfering mil is what i expect considering i am from india. Gotta prepare myself tbh

[ocean-pig.livejournal.com]

This show helped me convince my bf that Dasom is the cutest thing alive. She's so charming in the drama and so sassy. I love her!

[imangos.livejournal.com]

I'm currently enjoying this in place of that sluggish sack of nothing-ever-happens called 'Scholar Who Walks the Night" or w/e it's called. This show is cute and funny; just the type of thing to watch while I read. Plus, Ryu Soo-Young gives me major Clark Kent/Christopher Reeves vibes especially with those giant glasses.

IA that Joon Soo and his weird clingy obsessive incompetent ninny of a mom are insanely annoying. It drove me bonkers when the Young-A told their manager it was the mom's idea for that project/proposal especially after this rabid nutjob bit her too! I would've punched this woman's blinking lights out for assaulting me like that.

[oneterrorist.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who is annoyed with most, if not all, the male characters in this drama?

Not sure if that's what the writer is going for, but even so I'm loving this drama so far, it's the only drama that I'm invested in atm.

Dasom is so cute wtf I can't believe I've never knew of her before D:

[contralilium.livejournal.com]

yes all of the guys in this show are frustrating even Myeong Seok because, I know it's building the *romance* but those times when In Young is being In Young and he's all standing in the back and laughing it up are so awkward to me.