[Taiwanese Drama, 2015] 必娶女人 Marry me, or not?

[S.C.]

Hey, I just wanted to share with everyone a news clip I found about yesterday's farewell / Q&A session with Harry, Alice and Roy. In the video, it mentions that the director is hoping to turn the drama into a movie, but I think that the news should be taken with a grain of salt since nothing has been confirmed yet. It's all just talk so we shouldn't get our hopes too high since such news has been reported before >.<" (*coughcough* like in "In a Good Way" *coughcough*). But if is confirmed to be true some time down the road then I'd definitely be really happy to watch it! The more Roy & Alice, the merrier haha! And I guess the movie can make up for the "unsatisfying" ending for some viewers. Here's the video below with my rough translations below it:

Rough Translation of the video:

Reporter: Many fans have expressed that they will miss Marry me Or Not? after the broadcast of the final episode. As a result, on Valentine's day, the drama's cast used social media's to do a live broadcast to interact with fans.

Parts of the live broadcast

Reporter: The live broadcast was in the form of a Q&A session, allowing the cast to answer some the fans' questions while giving them an opportunity to reflect on the filming process. 

Parts of the live broadcast

Reporter: The large amount of time the cast spent with each other during filming has allowed them to become closer with each other.

However, the process of portraying a character that was so different from yourself was definitely a challenge for Alice, as she put even more time and effort for her character. 

Alice: If you compare Cai Huan Zhen to my own personality, I am more of a straight-forward / direct kind of person while Cai Huan Zhen is not as direct and easy to grasp, so I had to find certain qualities or characteristics to help me build up this character such as wearing perfume, leaving my nails long, painting my nails, or changing the way I speak.

Reporters: All of these details that were put into the character was done in the hopes of portraying Cai Huan Zhen to the best of her abilities.

On the last day of the broadcast, the cast contacted the director (who was filming in mainland china) via online...

Director: In 2016, I hope that Marry Me or Not? can be filmed into a movie.

Harry: A movie? Will the role of JQY be changed?

Alice: Will you still find me to portray CHZ *laughs*?

Reporters: The drama has received a lot of good reviews so the director's biggest wish is for the drama to be filmed into a movie. Fans have also express that they hope there will be an opportunity for the whole cast to collaborate again on-screen.

 

@xiashenghan:

I have finished the last episode last night, as promised ! I just need a bit of time to collect and compile my thoughts before I share them. Overall, I am satisfied with the ending, thank goodness lol ! 

[jazz638]

I liked the ending but...

Spoiler

 I have to say that it felt so abrupt to me. Like Huan Zhen was arguing with Hao Meng and she ended it with "do you still not understand what I want?" Then bam transition into flash mob, proposal, then wedding. Their ending was a little too perfect. I expected some more musing, inner thoughts from Hao Meng and Huan Zhen because that has been the tone for all the previous episodes. 

Though we kind of got closure for Qian Yao before he left for Korea in episode 14 (he and Sheng Nan said good-bye), I still wanted to see Qian Yao get a chance to redeem himself in the final episode. Every episode of Marry Me or Not exceeded my expectations but this final episode, although tied up beautifully with bow, kind of disappointed me plot-wise.

 

[chinoischick]

I felt like the ending did seem rushed. The OTP had unresolved issues, mainly HH had to deal with her own demons/insecurity regarding deserving a happily ever after. But I don't feel like Justin actually understood her reasons and they never actually resolved it. It seems like she said there are still issues and he just was mentally planning the proposal. 

[Misstwilightfan1416]

So sad it ended here's ninjas recap

http://www.ninjareflection.com/2016/02/marry-me-or-not-episode-15-recap.html

 

[xiashenghan]

I finally get the chance to post here. I was so out of it the past few days but I've already watched the ending. I still can't believe that it's finished already! 

I like the ending, though it is cheesy like what @funnyhunny07 . had said.  There are things that I felt was left hanging, I still feel like they should have added at least 1 more episode to completely explain the other issues that was concluded in a rush just like what @jazz638 has mentioned. I guess we were so used to having a perfect episode so we were expecting so much for an ending for this drama.

Spoiler

I was actually worried since they were still arguing and not yet reconciled so it made me uneasy on how the episode will end.

The sudden flash mob (let's presume the day after their argument) made me confused. Yes it was sweet of Hao Meng to do those things for her. To put up a performance and plan it with the whole crew, but I guess for me it would have been better if they used those minutes in other things. Inner thoughts and musings just like what @jazz638 has said.

I was expecting to Jiang Qian Yue as well. Like maybe they sort of implied that Hao Sheng Nan went to meet up with him or something in Korea. That couple have potential. It's just sad that they have to give up their love. 

It was so cute how they showed they high school days. That no matter what Hao Meng's heart will beat only with Cai Huan Zhen all these years. True love. 

OMG!  Thank you for that performance @priskaprilia! They're so cute! Especially Roy and Joanne, they're like siblings.   I didn't know that Harry Zhang's voice is good. It's nice to see them having fun on stage.

 

Aaah... I have to re-watch the whole drama before the new drama of Joanne Tseng starts.

[jazz638]

@xiashenghan You're right haha. Every episode has been perfect except for the last one so I guess we had really high expectations :/ For sure, I'm definitely going to re-watch the drama as well sometime in the future  Yes! Are you going to watch Refresh Man as well? I'm really looking forward to Joanne and Aaron's collaboration.

On their fb page, the director was saying how he hopes to make a movie for MMON in the future. I don't want to get my hopes up but I really hope it happens!! I need the closure, especially to Sheng Nan and Qian Yao's relationship.

 

[xiashenghan]

@jazz638

Yes yes. Every episode was done really good that on every next episode you have a high expectation. It's just that the ending they made looked like it was done in a rush. Too much issues that they should have settled before that proposal. I don't think a movie is not enough to contain everything. It might somehow ruin the story or something? I don't know. Unless it will be like a side story that they will show more of the past and some of the present and future. We know that they've like each other since high school (I have the impression Huan Huan fell in love with him at-first-sight as well).

Ah so the title is Refresh Man. Yes I will try to watch it since I like Joanne Tseng's acting and sort of adore Aaron Yan. So I'm looking forward to their new drama.

[Stacy Chang]

Love this drama . But could someone tell me the song the play in this drama is call? I believe it was a English song  they play here and there 

[S.C.]

Sorry for taking so long to actually post up my thoughts on the final episode, but it took me a while to gather my thoughts down because I needed some time to think through the ending and re-watch the episode to fully figure out my thoughts on it. Overall, I did enjoy the final episode and there were quite a few scenes that I really liked. However, like you guys have mentioned, I was slightly disappointed with the ending as well because the episode did feel a little rushed towards the end, and thus lacked the depth and clarity in explaining and resolving certain issues. I guess that was why although I liked the ending, I could not help but feel like it was lacking in something and did not give me the same level of satisfaction as the previous episodes.

For me, I think the source of my disappointment was more in the second half of the episode, as I felt like it was a bit rushed, which made the main issue between our OTP somewhat unclear and unresolved. Like @jazz638 & @chinoischick have mentioned, I felt like the transition from the scene in the Cafe to the proposal was a little awkward or disconnected, which gave out the impression that HM did not fully understanding HZ's fears but still went ahead with the proposal. I felt like perhaps an extra scene or two was needed for our OTP to dig a little deeper into the issue and figure things out. I definitely agree with you @xiashenghan, it would have been nice if there was an extra episode to tie up everything nicely, including the secondary plot of our second leads. It also would have been also nice to see some sweet scenes of our OTP after marriage if there was more time l! 

In spite of these flaws, I still enjoyed the overall episode. I really liked the first half of the episode although it was primarily focused on HM's parents. I felt like the storytelling of the first half of the episode was definitely similar in quality to all the previous episodes. I really loved the heartfelt exchanges between HZ and Hao Mama, as well as, HZ and HM (outside of her house). The scene of Hao Mama crying her heart out to HZ (with HM quietly listening from the outside) was so heartbreaking as well as heartwarming to watch. Who knew the woman Hao Mama disapproves of so much is the person who truly understands her the most! The scene not only reveals the true side of Hao Mama, but it also allows us to understand HZ and Hao Mama a little more because they are so similar in personality due to their shared fears and insecurities. The divorce scene was also another really touching scene that I loved. I loved what HM said to his father when he revealed what was inside their mother's purple box, and I was also glad to see that Hao Mama did actually love her husband all these years .

I also liked HM's proposal even though it might not have exactly connected well to the previous scene at the Cafe. Although I thought a part of it (like the dancing and the orchestra) was a bit grand in scale, but it was still very sweet and entertaining to watch. I really liked how all their close family and friends were present to witness the proposal because I think it's a great way to show and give HZ the support and blessing she needs to overcome her own fears and insecurities about her relationship with HM. It was also a great way for the audience to see everyone for the last time before the drama ends . However, it would have been nice though if QY was there too, but I guess it kind of make sense story-wise to not have him there since he hasn't redeem himself yet based on what was shown so I don't think HM or HZ will be happy to see him lol!

Lastly, I thought HM's proposal speech was also very sweet and sincere although I wished it was a little longer or extended a bit deeper in meaning (if you understand what I mean). But I still loved it. I loved that he was very honest in saying that he can't tell her for sure if they will find happiness in the end, since it's an answer that they will need to search for together, but he's positive that HZ is the "right" person to accompany him on this journey because no one has ever touched him so deeply time after time again. It's so sweet how HZ is the only person that HM remembers so deeply all these years, which reminds me of what he had at the start of the drama in Episode 1. One of the things that HM had said when he was describing his ideal marriage partner to his uncle was he hopes she will be someone who he will never forget the initial feelings he had when they first met, regardless of how long they've been together or how much time has passed in between. HZ is exactly that woman who HM can't seem to forget, and I guess that's why he was so sure she was the "right" person for him.

Although the final episode might not have been perfect to my expectations, but it was still enjoyable overall and it did not affect my love for this drama. I still love this drama overall for all the beautiful and touching scenes, dialogues and thoughts put into each episode. The acting by all our leads were also amazing, which made the journey really enjoyable! I hope that the whole cast will be able to collaborate again sometime in the future, especially Roy and Alice (because I just can't get enough of these two lol). I will definitely re-watch this drama again in the future, as I'm sure it will offer a different kind of feeling and insight the second time around. Of course, I have to re-watch again to also re-live the chemistry between our OTP haha !

 

@xiashenghan:

I agree, I'm not quite sure about a movie version of the drama as well. I mean it'd be nice to see everyone, but I think movies are way to short to properly explain everything. I personally prefer a drama over a movie since there's more time to develop the characters and the overall story, but if a movie does come out, I will still give it a try...as long as it doesn't ruin the story for me. I personally hope that they can collaborate again in another drama because a drama means there's more episodes for us to enjoy . Please drama gods, pleasssee!   

I think I am going to give Refresh Man a try next Sunday as well. I think Joanne and Aaron seem to have great chemistry together from an earlier interview I watched of them where Aaron guest-starred in one of the daily dramas that came out last year, so I think it would be a fun and cute collaboration! 

[Latte_Anyday]

So lovely to see Roy and Alice pair up again post Office Girls. Though the plot for this drama seem to be all over the place if ya ask me. Especially at the beginning where there's a mix of both slapstick comedy, parts musical and also a bit of drama thrown in. Still the drama's a breeze to watch if only for the wardrobe styling for the female characters LoL