Title: 연애를 기대해 Yeonaereul Gidaehae
English Title:
- Anticipate Dating
- Expect to Date
- Hope for Dating; Hope for Love
- Looking Forward to Romance
- Waiting for Love; Waiting for Romance
Language: Korean
Year: 2013
Episode: 02
Cast:
- 권보아 Kwon Bo A (보아 BoA)
- 최다니엘 Choi Daniel
- 임시완 Im Si Wan
- 김지원 Kim Ji Won
- 박진주 Park Jin Joo
- 주상욱 Joo Sang Wook
SYNOPSIS
College student Joo Yeon Ae is surprised to find out in a special lecture about love and dating that her terrible break-up with a cheating ex-boyfriend was filmed by random people and the video is popular all over the Internet. When the seminar instructor Philip called the woman in the video pathetic and foolish, Yeon Ae angrily declares that the woman in the video truly loved the cheating ex-boyfriend.
Philip's friend Cha Gi Dae was also attending the special lecture and upon hearing Yeon Ae's outburst in defense of the woman in the video, he counters that the woman in the video is not really acting out of love but selfishness.
Philip offers his love and dating expertise through text messaging or chat service on a discount to the students attending the special lecture. Yeon Ae's friend signs her up for the love and dating advice service.
After the lecture, Gi Dae approaches Philip to ask for a loan. Philip hands him a mobile phone and instructs him to be the expert on the love and dating advice service so he can earn extra cash.
REVIEW
Waiting for Love or Anticipate Dating (as the literal translation of its original title) explored many facets of love and dating, but it is too short to fully explore the intricacies of love relationships. It did raise some interesting questions, though.
If your likes and preferences are hated by the person you love, do you change it so you can match your loved one's tastes? Or do you still do the things you like that she dislikes in secret and pretend to have changed your ways to appease her? Or do you look for someone else with similar tastes?
How do you express your love and devotion to your special someone? Do you put more emphasis on how you want to express yourself? Or do you take into consideration how she would feel about your actions? Or will society dictate how you do things?
I honestly did not like the drama because of its premise. It's really hard to root for Joo Yeon Ae and Cha Gi Dae to be together even though they seem to be perfectly compatible with each other because both of them are in serious relationships with other people.
In a way, I understand Gi Dae's arguments about the woman in the viral video acting out of selfishness and not love. It is important for people in a relationship to be in the same place; people in a relationship should more or less have the same feelings or emotions, and consequently the same expectations.
Joo Yeon Ae: What's wrong with being a little clingy? You want to protect the ones you love... She definitely, sincerely loved him.
Cha Gi Dae: That's not love, that's abuse. "I've sacrificed so much for you and that's proof of my love for you. How can you not receive this devoted and pure love? You are, without question, the bad guy." She did not even take into consideration where the other person was in the relationship. And you think that guy was a jerk to begin with? You see, guys, they change based on how much they like the girl. They may become a jerk or a great guy, and that's how you define a man.
However, he completely lost me when he said guys change based on how much they like a girl. That may be true since people are generally more caring to their loved ones, but I think it is normal to expect basic courtesy from people. Not loving your girlfriend as she loves you is not an acceptable reason to cheat on her. And ultimately, there is no acceptable reason for cheating.
Anyway, I'm quite fascinated with Gi Dae's girlfriend Choi Sae Rom because she's extremely manipulative and completely selfish. She is exceedingly good at getting what she wants, without explicitly saying what she wants. Her indirect wheedling is quite a skill to have, I think.
Choi Sae Rom: It has to be pretty. I'm going to be wearing it when I meet your friends. [This shopping is not for my sake but for your (my boyfriend's) sake.] ...
Choi Sae Rom: I think this would match with the branded shirt I gave you, just like a couple look. [There should be give and take.] ...
Choi Sae Rom (to saleslady): If I say something is pretty or "I want to have that", he carefully prepares it and gives it as a surprise gift.
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연애를 기대해 Waiting for Love
