Three Dads, One Mom: Episode 4
by javabeans
Three Dads, One Mom is… not a good show.
You know how sometimes you might be watching a drama, say, and something happens in the latter part of the drama that is exactly like what happened earlier in the drama? For instance, the mother of the rich hero tries to buy off her son’s poor girlfriend, or a misunderstanding causes a rift between two people. Or two people arrive at the same crowded venue looking for each other and just barely miss each other as they walk by, oblivious to the other. These are just examples of overused and super-trite occurrences that I may put up with once in a drama, but when they appear again later, it’s irritating because clearly they are out of ideas.
Anyway, it’s like that for Three Dads, only instead of occasionally, it’s every single episode, and the repetition is in triplicate form. It’s bad enough for a contrivance to push along your plot, but when that contrivance continually happens THREE TIMES in a row, it’s aggravating. There’s very little story going on (who needs story when you can just repeat stuff three times?).
Plus Eugene is really starting to get annoying — it’s partly her, and it’s partly her stupid character. (How they squandered such talents in their supporting cast I will never know.) So given that the two problematic roles are the lead female and the lead male…
I considered following along and recapping the series anyway just for the fun of it, but I can just see the initial humor of the situation degenerating into frustration. There’s a fine line between “so bad it’s fun(ny)” and “so bad I want to shoot something.”
SONG OF THE DAY
As One – “Zza Zza La!” from their latest “Sponge Remake 2008” single.
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EPISODE 4 RECAP
The guys rush Na Young to the hospital, who’s wailing so loudly all my sympathy for the pregnant condition goes flying out the window. Seriously, woman. Maybe Eugene’s so pretty she’s never actually had to endure pain, and this is her best approximation of a woman in suffering. It’s remarkably similar to what I’d imagine is her approximation of a squealing stuck pig.
In any case, it’s a false alarm! The doctor identifies it as false labor; she’s still a few days off. The guys try to accept this with grace, but now that the initial panic has worn off, they’re acutely aware of all the inconveniences they’ve suffered. The car battery is dead because Su Hyun accidentally left the lights on in his hurry; they have to push the car home; they’ve stayed up all night and are exhausted.
Na Young feels so bad that days later, she refrains from calling the guys when she goes into labor again, worrying that it’s false labor again. Never mind that by this time she’s five days overdue. Because I know when I’m carrying a watermelon-sized person in my body that’s trying to force its way out, the first thing I think of is the embarrassment I’d feel if all this excruciating pain were false labor. False labor = still real pain.
When the pain becomes too great to endure, does Na Young ask the guys to take her to the hospital? Of course not. She takes a taxi.
By this time she’s wailing like a stuck pig again and the taxi driver rushes her to the first hospital he comes across — which happens to be celebrating its grand opening. Na Young is its first labor patient, and the doctors are just as excited and worried as Na Young.
This time, the guys are all in the midst of Very Important Life Tasks — Su Hyun is just about to make a great impression on the rich CEO dude (with the classy art-gallery daughter); Kwang Hee is busy macking on a girl; and Kyung Tae has just captured a criminal.
They all rush to the hospital; Kyung Tae is first to arrive.
Kyung Tae calls himself Na Young’s guarantor, so he’s assumed to be the father and pushed into the delivery room. Almost immediately, he passes out at the gruesome sight.
Next is Kwang Hee, who is likewise assumed to be the father (the nurse is told belatedly that Kyung Tae isn’t the one), and he’s rushed into the room accordingly (and literally craps his pants. Lovely). Last to arrive is Su Hyun, who is once again assumed to be the father and (yep) rushed into delivery.
After more excessive wailing, baby Ha Sun is finally born, and the guys get one look at that baby face and are won over. They wonder what would happen if the baby ends up resembling one of them too closely, and that line of reasoning is hurriedly cut short when Na Young appears. They remind themselves they must take care with their words.
The guys finish getting the nursery ready (grumbling about all the work, and suggesting that their best bet is to marry off Na Young to get rid of their obligation — an argument that angers Kyung Tae), and make a trip to Sung Min’s grave on the day Na Young is to be released from the hospital. Unfortunately, each guy happens to be conveniently (or inconveniently, I suppose) called to work, leaving Na Young waiting at the hospital for a ride that doesn’t come. Finally she makes her own way home; Kwang Hee rushes to meet her, sorry that he was so late, and tries to help around the house. But Na Young is starting to find the guys’ constant presence obtrusive, and requests some time alone.
For instance, Kyung Tae visits intending on preparing a meal for her, but takes an early leave when Na Young starts feeling breast pains and asks for privacy. At home, the guys look up cures for breast pain — but the recommended treatments are hot towels and hand massages, which they can’t exactly offer.
Kwang Hee calls his mother for advice and urges her to come to Seoul and help him; naturally she finds his questions about breast pains and babies alarming. She jumps to the conclusion that Kwang Hee knocked someone up and starts yelling at him; and rather than simply tell her the truth (that would be too easy), Kwang Hee just tells her to forget it, since they’ll ask Kyung Tae’s mom instead. So Kwang Hee’s mom assumes that Kyung Tae is the one who got someone pregnant, and smugly lets Kyung Tae’s mom freak out. Thus the two moms arrive in Seoul, agitated and jumping to conclusions.
Only when they arrive in Seoul does Kyung Tae clarify the situation, and since the two women are already there, they go to help Na Young with her problem (more stuck-pig squealing ensues).
Kwang Hee’s mom (the nicely dressed one) coos at the baby and remarks that she looks just like Kwang Hee did at that age, which unnerves both guys.
At that point, Na Young gets a visit from her troublesome dad, with whom she has a difficult (and distant) relationship. Kyung Tae’s mom (the more casually dressed one) practically has to drag Kwang Hee’s mom away, seeing that the woman is flirting with the stranger. Kwang Hee’s mom calls her son and is gratified to hear that Na Young’s father is single.
At Na Young’s continued coldness, her father asks if she’s upset about the money her husband had lent her, which grabs her attention. What money? Seeing that she’s unaware, her dad brushes it aside, and just then they’re visited by a bunch of angry people who lost money because of her father. He insists that his daughter tell them she knows nothing about it, then sneaks out from the balcony.
The angry people demand their money back and show Na Young a signed statement stamped by Sung Min ensuring that he would take over responsibility for her father’s debts. So now they’re her debts.
Unable to draw a loan, Na Young attempts to find work, but having a baby means nobody is willing to hire her. She’s resting on a bench in dejected spirits when her friend Jumi pulls up in a van, fretting that they’re going for a job interview and are missing one person. OF COURSE THEY ARE.
So Na Young leaps at the chance and drops off Ha Sun with Kwang Hee. She’s awfully unceremonious and not really that appreciative for someone who felt uncomfortable that the guys were being so helpful. And he’s awfully reluctant and whiny for someone who’d just vowed to do what he could to raise the kid right. Character inconsistency overload!
In any case, Na Young rocks her interview, although she has to pretend to be single and childless (Jumi strongly cautions her to keep her story straight, because they won’t even take married women). And because her waistline has grown recently, her jacket button, which has been forced closed, can’t take the strain and finally pops off as she’s leaving — hitting someone in the cheek and plopping into his coffee cup.
She sees this but is too embarrassed to react, so she walks away trying to pretend that nothing happened. But of course the guy looks at her with a glimmer of interest, calls her over, and hands her button back to her. Who wants to bet he’s the CEO of the company she just interviewed with? Extra points if he’s also a chaebol!
Additionally…
I don’t think Three Dads is ALL bad. It’s simply throwaway programming. The kind you watch, enjoying the eye candy, and forget about the minute it’s over. Half the time I find it amusing, even if it’s all very obvious humor and silly plotlines. The other half of the time, it’s mildly annoying because it’s too obvious and too silly. (And Na Young is really heading into idiotic territory.) Unfortunately, I have a feeling that half-fun-half-not ratio is going to tilt heavily in favor of the latter. I’ll see how this week’s episodes are, but if I drop the drama, I don’t think I’d miss it. I’d barely remember it as it is.
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Tags: Eugene, Jae Hee, Jo Hyun-jae, Shin Sung-rok, Three Dads One Mom
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51 no name
July 21, 2008 at 9:43 PM
If you think this drama is bad, try "Tears of Diamond", then you can compare that to this and you'll know.
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52 neniamae
August 26, 2008 at 10:57 PM
h.....................it is so nice to watched this drama now i know that it can possible that you have three husband i love this drama sires i will not forget this drama
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53 rainie
September 9, 2008 at 6:31 PM
wow nice drama, i say so beautiful.
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54 tlina069
September 15, 2008 at 12:08 AM
I usually agree with you, javabeans, but this time I kinda beg to differ. ^_^ I just finished watching this series and I find it very entertaining, though shallow in some ways. I think this is a loose adaptation of "Three Men and A Baby" + add the 'mom' in the mix. Hehehe...
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55
September 26, 2008 at 10:06 AM
hi you know the are so funny movie a best movie i like it
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56 AMDG
September 28, 2008 at 9:24 PM
this is "not a good show?" well i'll leave that to your hands..
as for me, i actually liked it. Entertaining as it is. and is actually worth watching. not really pointless like what most people say. or do we have different definitions of the word POINTLESS? (i really don't know)
but my advice, watch it for yourselves and don't feed yourselves with what others have to say. its rather frustating to know it was actually fit to your taste and then didn't gave it a try.
xoxo
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57 Beige
October 3, 2008 at 1:33 PM
I just love your run down of the episode, had me laughing so hard nearly fell off the computer chair.....actually could skip the drama and just read you.
Many thanks for brightening my day....Regards.
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58
October 5, 2008 at 9:30 PM
i like to watch that show...
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59 nikki
October 8, 2008 at 8:41 PM
i love watching hthe episode 4. how i love to see the 3 dads. .
love it!
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60 NoNeedName
October 14, 2008 at 12:31 PM
i dunt think this drama's bad. 1-5 ep i admit it was boring but after i think it quite ok.
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61
October 16, 2008 at 7:19 AM
its so very nice movie sana have a part two of movie of three dads and one mommy............... from vanessa
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62 jerish
October 17, 2008 at 7:48 PM
we love watching 3 dads and one mommy......because it relates to every mom and dad on how they love their first baby......we love the character of joo hyuen jae.....he is really cute and also jae hee.....OMG...SARANGHAE..
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63 Joezza
October 17, 2008 at 7:54 PM
i love to watch 3 dads and one mommy because its really perfect to every mom and dad who have a children.....and i really really love the character of joo hyuen jae and jae hee...their both cute.........keep up the good work...SARANGHAE....
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64 kaye
October 20, 2008 at 8:40 AM
well..... i dont find the drama bad. it's actually good. and i love it.. and enjoying it.
the baby is so cute. Eugene is so pretty. i love how she carries her clothes. Jo Hyun Jae is hot as always which makes me love to watch the drama more. and especially the baby!!! sh'es so adorable...
anyhow.....yeah...dont be carried away by other people's judgments. everyone has his own opinion anyway and i respect it. but..guys, you should see it for yourself first before judging...ahryt?
:D
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65 kdrama fanatic
October 23, 2008 at 3:28 AM
i love three dads and one mom! it's not bad at all! very entertaining and i look forward to watch the next episode. jae hee pants are cool! whats wrong with you guys, don't you know fashion? jae hee is so so cute and i love him as well as jo hyun jae, he's so attractive... omg! they did well, the script and acting are good... im so in to it... im very hooked to it! java beans your too harsh on three dads and one mom, it's not bad... really try to enjoy it instead of seeing the flaws... :)
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66 beauty
October 23, 2008 at 8:34 PM
itz really perfect comedy drama; i love everything on this drama. three dads w/ one mommy.. the cast so adorable... eugene is so pretty;the 3 guys are so funny... 100% RATE OF THIS DRAMA... I LOVE U ALL/....... MORE POWER.. PLZ EXPECTING TO WATCH MORE ON EPISODE.... PART 2-10... HEHEHE
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67
October 29, 2008 at 7:06 PM
.....its very nice, exciting, and fabolous,,....
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68
November 5, 2008 at 7:16 PM
hai
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69 wendy
November 7, 2008 at 3:13 AM
i love three dads with one mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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70 mic
November 8, 2008 at 1:40 AM
i love three dads with mom...and i think this is one of the best series i have ever seen...but i agree to the idea that the first episodes of this series is not quite good..but believe me the succeding episodes were really amazing.....I really admire the casts...
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71 annie
November 8, 2008 at 1:47 AM
the best series...Kwang hee's pants are so cool...and the cast are really suitable for their roles....javabeans ,you are too harsh to this series .try to enjoy the episodes rather than seeing it's weaknesses....I am telling you guys this series is the best...
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72
November 9, 2008 at 8:27 PM
the show was very beautifullllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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73 rizza
November 11, 2008 at 5:02 AM
.,its really beautiful! me and my family are very addicted in this show.,we already finish to watch this.,hoping that it will have part 2.i love jake specially jayden!nicole is so cute.the best!
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74 rheez
November 13, 2008 at 5:46 PM
hi..... am one of eugene's fan i just wanted to say to those who hates her that see yourself first b4 judging... inggit kayo lng...for me eugene is cute..... ok... i love their drama...
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75 julie
November 14, 2008 at 4:59 AM
three dads with one mom is over.. (haayyyzz) hope it'll have part 2 :)
regards to jae hee (jayden) ^_^
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76 bong camat jr
November 24, 2008 at 10:25 PM
its realy an amazing story. I realLy watching it, hoping there will be apart 2.i learned a lot of lesson from it.i like the twist,the characters and the objective of the story. IM FALLING INLOVE WITH EUGENE,SHE'S REALLY THE BEST AND SHE REALLY DESERVES A HIGH POWERED FLATTERY, GOD BLESS AND PSEUDO TO THE CASTS.
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77 Guia
November 29, 2008 at 5:48 AM
I really love it... Me and my classmate were so addicted with this show an were so inlove to Su Hyun and Kwang Hee. I don't think that this show is not good! I understand others... but the show is just making it exage and overact so that they can catch other people's attention and only to make us entertain! That's why, I really hate those people who's giving negative comments... I hate you!
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78 Guia Tarranza
November 29, 2008 at 5:51 AM
I really love it… Me and my classmate were so addicted with this show an were so inlove to Su Hyun and Kwang Hee. I don’t think that this show is not good! I understand others… but the show is just making it exage and overact so that they can catch other people’s attention and only to make us entertain! That’s why, I really hate those people who’s giving negative comments… I hate you!
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79 Lany Tarranza
November 29, 2008 at 5:58 AM
Hi! I'm one who loves watching this show, even though I'm so tired and already sleepy, I coincided to watch it. I adore all the cast especially the three dads! I hope that there will be part 2 because I will really watch if there will be. So I'll love it!
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80
December 24, 2008 at 10:22 PM
I LOVE THE KOREAN COMEDY SHOW...........
THREE DADS WITH ONE MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS ALL AND I WISH TO HAVE AND SEE MORE SCEENS ABOUT THAT SHOW. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
(Sana nga may part 3 episode nyan eh..!11 hwahhahaha!
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81 RelenaChung15
July 20, 2009 at 9:49 AM
To be honest, I agree with a lot of what you are saying about this drama...
I started watching it because of Jae Hee and I love his acting. True, I find all of the characters stereotypical: The business man who only thinks and talks about money. The artist who plays around with girls and has no money. The policeman who is a good at catching bad guys but horrible with social skills. And of course, the mom who has no idea what she is doing.
But after just watching this drama to waste some time over the summer, I have to say that it is really funny! You can't expect a glamorous story line with romance, death, and intellectual meaning! This show is meant to be humorous with each of the character's out of this world personalities clashing together to raise up a child in a "good environment"!
If you are expecting a serious love drama, this is DEFINATELY not one you should be watching! But, if you want a light-hearted, sitcomish drama, this is definately a keeper with it's crazy situations, misunderstandings, and humor. And come on, in this episode, you have to admit that Jae Hee putting on his sweatshirt backwards is hilarious!
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82 mellissa
July 23, 2009 at 8:56 PM
i don't agree with the assessment that this drama is not good. IT IS GOOD, IT IS VERY GOOD. the story is great, very different from the usual kdrama. if you view it the first time, you will think that the story is thin, very light, easily forgettable and discardable. but if you dig deeper into the story you will realize that there are many different kinds of love that was touched upon in this drama, foremost is the love between friends - the 4 guys here. i think part of the reason that the 3 guys stuck it out with na young and ha seon is because of their love and loyalty to their dead friend; love for one's parent - so there is a reason for JHJ/Su Hyun's thriftiness - he has a sick father to care for; love of a parent for his/her child; love of a man for a woman; second chance at love; love over money. all these kinds of love portrayed in a funny and lighthearted way and not in the usual kdrama fashion of so much crying, fighting, shouting and dying!!!
the character development was great also. the 3 dads started out as immature guys, concerned only with their own personal goals (most especially JHJ's character) but due to their interactions with the baby and because of their love for their dead friend, they mature fast!!! i especially love the way JHJ's character developed in the drama. he was the most selfish and goal/career-oriented of the the 3 dads, even thinking of sacrificing personal happiness for his career goals. but he ended up falling in love, not with just the baby but with the mom as well.
i hope people who read this blog will not allow dramabeans' biases to stop them from watching this drama. give this drama a chance to capture your heart.
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83 pretty joy
August 18, 2009 at 3:00 AM
.....i really love this movie ......
....it's funny ........
................i don't think its bad.........
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84 LiuLa
December 21, 2009 at 6:18 PM
I loved this show! Your taste is sucky!
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85 SKY
February 2, 2010 at 10:18 PM
i am so glad that for once I didn’t let Javabean’s opinion of a drama and an actor influence me. I watched this drama despite JB’s negative review and I fell in love with it right away. The humor may tend to be slapstick-y in some areas, but this drama has a lot of heart.
On SSR – I love his brand of comedic acting. But if his acting in that scene where he discovered he is not Ha Seon’s real father is any example of his dramatic acting, then I say he should stick to comedy.
On Jae Hee – I have never been a fan. I have never seen any of his dramas or movies outside of 3D1M. And after watching him act in 3D1M, I still don’t have any inclination to check out his previous works.
On Eugene – she is a decent actress, her character is weak in the beginning but the drama showed her transformation to becoming a more independent woman in the latter eps. At the end of the drama, I like the mixture of independence and gentleness in her character. She did a great job portraying Na Young’s ineptness in the early eps without making her irritating.
On Jo Hyun Jae’s performance – JHJ played it really low key in the first few eps. I think it was intentional, not only on his part but on the part of the director and writer. Director and writer need him to play it really low key so that the audience will turn their eyes on Jae Hee, SSR and the boss (can’t remember his name) as possible love interests to Eugene, just to keep the audience guessing as to who she will end up with. Director and writer used many devices to downplay JHJ’s role in the early eps: he has less dialogue, less people to interact with, his scenes are less funny, he is always positioned on the side and not in the middle, and positioned far from Na Young and Ha Seon. But JHJ upped his performance in the latter half of the drama, when his character started taking charge of the various situations they (3 dads & mom & baby) find themselves in. And I say that he performed brilliantly. Besides that, how can you expect a serious fund manager whose serious life goal is to be among Korea’s top 1% to be all over the place and loud? I believe JHJ handled his role as the stingy fund manager brilliantly – funny in an understated way.
It is a credit to Jo Hyun Jae’s great acting talent that he was able to make the audience dislike his character so much because of his miserly, stingy ways despite being the most handsome of the 3 dads + that 1 boss. I also applaud his decision to take on a role that is so far away from his acting comfort zone. That is a true mark of an actor who is serious about his craft and who is not afraid to challenge himself and his abilities.
on the drama – a good watch, lighthearted but very meaningful. it might be billed as a romcom, but it dealt more about friendship and love for family.
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Ayea
May 2, 2014 at 4:34 PM
I, too, am glad that I started watching this drama before reading JB's recaps. After only two episodes, I was hooked. This is LOL ROF comedy. It is not a drama that one watches so that one can then write a thesis on it! I definitely do not agree with JB here. But then she liked Que Sera Sera ... I did not finish that drama: annoying characters and a plot that was boring!
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86 high kick!
April 24, 2010 at 8:12 AM
three dads is BAD? WHAT? You sure don't have some taste on dramas. LOL. Well,we have different opinions. But I really like this drama,I fell inlove with it.
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87 amber
June 18, 2010 at 8:17 AM
i also liked the drama a lot and never missed a single episode.
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88 Amanda
June 19, 2010 at 4:55 PM
You stupid bitch. I'm on episode 9 right now and I'd say the drama is rather unique and so far so good.
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89 Sudi
August 31, 2012 at 3:56 AM
If any one of you have completed watching this drama please post it who does Eun gin end up with?I guess its with the CEO,am I right?Plzzzzzzzzzzzz post it.
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90 trebuchette
February 24, 2016 at 10:26 AM
I just finished rewatching this. So far, I think this is my 3rd (or 4th?) time since it first aired on 2008.
I still laughed and cried over this series. True, it doesn't have a "deep" plot, but it IS a comedy after all. Na-young gets better after a while too, especially when she & Ha Seon start living with the dads. What makes this worth watching is the affection of the 3 to the baby; they start getting terrified of the thought of being the real dad, but then slowly change their minds as they begin to love Ha Seon. The baby actors are so cute, too! ♡
Idc if you don't like Eugene, but you have to understand her character. She's a widow, a mother, & then became penniless. Ofc she'll jump at the chance of earning money for her daughter. True, she starts off a bit ditzy, but so do 90% of drama heroines. XD
So if you ever give 3D1M another chance, watch it without expecting anything. Don't overanalyze; that destroys the enjoyment of watching a series. :)
P.S. the scenes in which the dads "compete" for the baby's affection are hilarious!
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