Introduction
I found this drama when looking for a drama to watch for Valentine’s Day. I missed watching Taiwanese dramas and I am familiar with most of the actors/actresses in it. It’s also short and sweet to binge-watch. Most of all… it’s a pure romcom! (without trying to mix any other genres in it)
Drama Info
Drama title: I Am Married... But! (Native title: 童話故事下集 )
Alternative title: Fairy Tales Part Two
Genres: Romance, Comedy
Aired: Feb 14
Episodes: 12 | Duration: 35 minutes
Director: Li Nian Xiu ( 李念修 )
Screenwriter: Li Nian Xiu ( 李念修 )
Where to watch: Netflix
OST:
Theme Song: "About Our Multiverse" ( 愛的多重宇宙 ) by Tizzy Bac
Trailer:
I don’t usually put two drama trailers in my articles, but I like the first trailer but I only found it without the English sub on YouTube. It is a teaser trailer on Netflix. The second trailer is the official trailer with the English sub, but I think it’s misleading the audience about the content of the drama.
Synopsis
After a meet-cute ends in a whirlwind romance, a couple must learn to navigate the messy reality of married life that’s nothing like a fairy tale ending (source: Netflix).
Characters
Main Characters
Ko Chia Yen ( 柯佳嬿 ) as Ling I Ling
Jasper Liu ( 劉以豪 ) as Zeng Xue You
Supporting Characters
Review
Directing/Scriptwriting/Editing
Before starting my review, it’s worth mentioning and giving a compliment to Director Li Nian Xiu, who also wrote the script and edited the drama as well. Li won the 59th Golden Horse Awards Best Live Action Short Film Award for her 2021 short film Can You Hear Me? ( 講話沒有在聽 ). She spent three years polishing the script and filmed this drama in 2023. The series leaves out the romantic and sweet plots that often appear in idol dramas.
Story
Short and sweet
Because of Director Li’s experience making a short film, I think she did well making this short drama, without being a drag or full of fillers. I don’t think contemporary dramas should be very long. And if they are romantic dramas, it seems mandatory to have multiple couples. This drama can easily stretch out its episodes by adding multiple romances using the supporting characters’ stories, but luckily Director Li didn’t use that route.
A pure rom-com
As I mentioned in the Introduction section, this drama is a pure romcom. Yes, it has some serious moments, but never melodramatic, and after serious events the humor kicks back in. The drama doesn’t force any other genres into it. I do love dark genres such as mystery, thriller, fantasy, and supernatural, and don’t mind those genres and romance are fused together. But many times the mix doesn’t work. Watchers will clash into two groups, the ones who groan if there is romance in a drama, and the ones who complain there is not enough sweet moments or kisses in a drama.
To-the-point topic
With short duration, the drama directly tackles the topic of romance after marriage, with many if not all issues that can come up in a marriage. I will discuss more about them in the next big section Marital/Relationship Issues. The drama not only covers issues within marriage but also why people avoid getting married and why people get divorced, all shown in mini packages through the characters.
Characters
Ling Ling and You You are two flawed characters. They are opposite in personalities, like the Beauty and the Beast.
Ling I Ling/Ling Ling
Ling Ling is a 30-year-old independent and outgoing career woman. At age 18 she moved from the countryside to Tainan alone for school and work. She paid school tuition and living expenses herself. After graduating from university, she relocated to Taipei for work. Despite the high apartment rent, she managed to send home money every month. She works as an editor in a small advertising company.
Zeng Xue You/You You
You You is an engineer in his 30’s. He’s very kind, sweet, quiet, and timid. Too kind, people say. He’s been living with his parents in Taipei and has a married sister with a niece. He’s deemed as mama’s boy because he always says “Mom said this” and “Mom said that”. When little he was very fragile and sickly, so his mom, particularly, has taken great care of him until now. He loves putting together Lego.
Wu Chun Mei
Wu Chun Mei, You You’s mother, is not overbearing or meddling, but I think she loves her family too much. She makes herself a servant to her family and takes care of everybody like her children, even her husband, who doesn’t know how to clean up after eating pizza when she’s not home. She washes family members’ clothing manually, including Ling Ling’s underwear! There is also family rituals, for example, You You’s sister and her family have to come for dinner once a week.
The “other man/woman”
Althought portrayed lightly without serious pursuits, the pharmacist Liu, boss Paul, and colleague Lu can be considered “the other man/woman”. If this is a long drama, their characters can be the crazy second leads who actively pursue Ling Ling or You You, creating a love triangle or causing tension.
Acting
As someone who likes watching Chinese short dramas with leading actors and actresses who usually only play supporting characters in long dramas, it’s nice to see the leading actor and actress who are experienced with excellent acting. I have seen the supporting actors and actresses in other dramas as main characters, too, so their skills are unquestionable.
Visual
Taiwanese dramas are usually realistic with their visual effects. Since the setting is a middle-income family with a small house in the drama, all costumes, accessories, props, and sets reflect the modesty of such a society level.
Marital/Relationship Issues
With such a relatively short drama, Director/scriptwriter Li Nian Xiu cleverly included some marital/relationship issues that are quite common for couples. Below I identified some problems shown in this drama, with a warning that they are medium to heavy spoilers. If you haven’t seen the drama and are interested in watching it, please skip to the Conclusion.
Communication issues
You You is a quiet and timid man. He is usually a listener and keeps quiet to maintain peace. Ling Ling is more outspoken, however, living in her in-laws’ house makes her shut her mouth a lot to maintain harmony, but she keeps things inside that eventually burst out.
You You as Rain ‘speaks’ more and boldly, and when Ling Ling finds out You You is Rain that makes her angry.
Financial issue
The young couple faces the same issue other newly married couples face with living arrangements. Ling Ling wants to have their own place, having moved too many times when single. However, house prices is extremely expensive for decent living. They still live with You You’s parents, while saving money for the down payment, living frugally with carpooling, taking home lunch boxes (cooked by You You’s mom), etc. Neither of them are moneywasters, but still Ling Ling wants to eat outside sometimes.
Fertility issue
Ling Ling already stated before marriage that she doesn’t want to have kids, which You You doesn’t mind. Although the in-laws do not oppose it, they still think that the couple should have kids and hint here and there about having children. Ling Ling’s refusal of not have kids came from her childhood when she was 10 years old and had to take care of three younger siblings since her parents were busy working. After 8 years of doing chores, she was done and moved out to go to college.
When Ling Ling finally is willing to have kids after seeing her colleague Nana giving birth and helping her take care of the baby together with You You, she is not able to conceive right away. They went to the fertility specialist doctor, only to find that You You is infertile. They lied to Wu Chun Mei that they were going on a vacation for a romantic getaway, but actually to treat You You. When Wu Chun Mei sees the hospital bill, Ling Ling takes the initiative to lie to her mother-in-law that it was her issue because she had a tumor on her uterus and had to have surgery.
The drama shows that women are still stigmatized to be infertile instead of men. When Ling Ling is not able to conceive right away, Wu Chun Mei and other women shove a lot of food and advice to her so she can get pregnant right away. Her lying to her mother-in-law about her issue is the cause is also stigmatizing that women are the cause of not having to get pregnant, not the men.
Living with the in-laws
Ling Ling still feels being an outsider living with You You’s family, because his mom still rewashes the dishes Ling Ling washed. I think on the contrary, Wu Chun Mei treats her daughter-in-law as a child, the same as she treats her husband and You You, like children. Because of that, Wu Chun Mei doesn’t even mind washing Ling Ling’s underwear, feeding You You to try new food, and cleaning the house when everyone makes a mess.
The temptations of infidelity
The temptations of infidelity in a marriage/relationship come in many forms, noticeable in this drama:
The dating app
It starts with the dating app that Ling Ling’s client wants everyone at the company to download the app and give it glowing reviews with five stars. You You accidentally saw the app’s notification when Ling Ling forgot her phone. What was he doing? He downloaded to app and approached Ling Ling as Rain to find out what was in her mind. You You cannot communicate clearly with his wife, but bold in his advice to her. He claims he is single, although Ling Ling claims she’s married. Indirectly, in my opinion, You You condones Ling Ling ‘cheating’ with Rain or using an app to find another guy.
Having a crush on someone while married
Ling Ling meets Pharmacist Liu Wen Chieh when she hits her head on his drug store after hearing neighbors gossip about her staying overnight at her colleague’s house. He is similar to her husband, very sweet and kind, and of course, he is someone new. Ling Ling, without saying about her marital status, has a crush on him especially when she knows he’s single.
Having a crush while married is considered a normal human experience, even if you are in a happy relationship. However, it’s important to not act on those feelings and to maintain the commitment and trust within the marriage/relationship.
One thing to criticize in this drama is that it solves You You’s problem of being non-communicative, but not Ling Ling’s communication issue. When she and You You meet Pharmacist Liu in front of the apartment, clearly there is awkwardness between the two in regards to You You. The man is also aware of this situation and he even gives her a hint to be open about Liu Wen Chieh. But Ling Ling doesn’t disclose to her husband about the handsome pharmacist.
Danger of workplace affair
This case in my opinion of more dangerous than Ling Ling’s crush on Liu Wen Chieh, because you see the person every day at the workplace. Day-to-day business relations. You You not only works together with Chen Xiao Lu but also hang out together with her outside of working hours when they get together with other colleagues. Lu brings her little son since she is a young single mom. Lu has a crush on You You because of his sweet and kind personality, and he is also good at her little son. However, You You doesn’t have any romantic feelings for Lu, just sympathizes with her situation. He also rejects her approach and is honest with his wife about his crashing at Lu’s place despite nothing happening.
Conclusion
This drama is a short and sweet romcom, despite showing marital/relationship issues that can destroy a marriage/relationship, chooses not to go there and opts to resolve the issues with a lighthearted and humorous approach.
Ending Spoiler
Will their marriage survive?
Yes, so far. There are no serious issues for a divorce they cannot solve. Ling Ling discovers that You You is Rain. Sunny demands to meet Rain at a restaurant. They argue and eat together. Their issues are solved in a lighthearted way, complete with playing games like Truth or Dare and Rock, paper, scissors. After knowing the real reason why her daughter-in-law wants to move out, Chun Mei quietly puts down brochures on apartment sales on the kitchen table. Happy ending.
