Bride of the Century

Summary: Bride of the Centrury is a 2014 k-drama produced for CSTV. This sixteen episode series is centered around the Choi family, owners of the multi-million dollar conglomerate Taeyang Group. As their eldest son Choi Kang Joo (Lee Hong Ki) prepares for his arranged marriage with Jang Yi Kyung (Yang Jin Sung), the rumor that the family is cursed resurfaces. According to the legends, the first wife of the eldest son in each generation will die on her wedding night. When mysterious forces begin plucking at the threads of fate, the lives of everyone involved are irrevocably changed.

-2 1/2 hearts for bad casting and a bad ending

Recommendation: My opinion regarding this drama will probably be unpopular. But, I didn't love it. This is another one of those k-dramas that had a great set-up but ultimately failed to deliver. There were a lot of great moments in the first half of the series and I was excited to see how everything connected. But the explanation was...meh. And, frankly, this wasn't a great role for Lee Hong Ki. I struggled through the entire series to see him as Choi Kang Ju - a cold and logical businessman afraid of love. Sung Hyuk as Jang Yi Hyun was equally unimpressive as the rival for Na Doo Rim's heart. Then, the series ends with what has to be one of the most anticlimactic wrap-ups in k-drama history. It came across as, "...and then everyone said they were sorry. The end."



Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): The ghost thing was beginning to feel a little overdone coming out of 2013 but as I started watching this series I had some hope that this would be a really different twist on it. It started out so strong with an interesting premise: family curse that kills first wife! But it ended up not being that exciting. There were too many things going on with the story and it turned into a convoluted mess.

The casting for many of the roles in this series was just... not good. Lee Hong Ki is a great actor and I loved his performance as Jeremy in You're Beautiful. But, the role of Choi Kang Ju was completely at odds with his youthful appearance. It always felt like he was playing dress-up in his father's suits. An older more mature looking actor would have served the role better. That also made it difficult for me to buy-in to the romance with Yang Jin Sung - who took on both roles of Na Doo Rim and Jang Yi Kyung. They had a nice chemistry as long as it didn't involve any kind of physical intimacy - their wedding night being particularly boring and chaste. I recognize it is television and there are limitations. But when the characters share a single kiss and wake up the next morning with all their clothes on, you kind of assume nothing happened - particularly, the conception of a child.

Where can I get a clothes line to hang my laundry?

It may also be purely coincidental but in episode 15 there were a few scenes that were staged similarly to The Slave Hunters. And, I think the music may have come from Moon Embracing the Sun. When I recognize sets, staging, soundtracks, etc... from other dramas it becomes distracting. But, I have now learned that if I want to seduce a man I should invite him to watch me hang my laundry out to dry. Thank you, k-dramas!

I don't want to lend the impression that Bride of the Century is all bad. It has some fun moments. But as an overall production there are definitely better options out there.