Le mariage contracté par Park (2023)

Lovely main couple. Enjoyed the progression of their relationship

Bottom line: If you are on the fence about watching it, give it a try.
With time travel, you have to suspend disbelief to begin with, but this show, for me, required more suspension of belief than other shows I’ve watched with the same subject matter. And let’s all admit it, in the past couple of years, there have been a LOT of time travel dramas. That said, there was a lot to like about this show.
ACTING/CHARACTERS:
Bae In Hyuk as Tae Ha. I love this actor. When I’ve seen him in other things, I’ve wished for a ML role. He was great. A lot of people said that they didn’t like his “coldness”, but I didn’t see him as the typical cold CEO, more as a lonely one, due to his circumstances. Dimples, cute little lisp, his smiles…oh, my. Add to that, he’s got some good comedic timing. I found his character to be very likeable. I thought the scenes where he was jealous were so cute.
Lee Se Young as Yun Woo. She is so gorgeous, and I felt she was perfect for this role. Wide-eyed surprise with entering a world that she knows nothing about. She was smart and I loved that she was able to work as a designer, melding the old with the new.
Joo Hyun Young as Sa Wol, Yun Woo’s lady’s maid. She was quite funny. And when you couple her with Jo Bok Rae as Mr. Hong, you have a crazy funny couple that is a treat to watch. I liked their romance, but I also liked their relationships with their employers.
Jin Kyung as Min Hye Sook (Tae Ha’s stepmother). She was a terrific evil character. Very controlled, but when she lost it, she completely lost it! I wouldn’t have wanted to go toe-to-toe with her! I also liked that she got a redemption arc.
Yoo Sun Ho as Tae Min. This character was interesting. I felt sure at the beginning that he was going to be evil, but his development surprised me. I would have liked to have seen more of him. I do have to say, in some of his close ups the makeup around his eyes looked very strange.
Kim Yeo Jin as Yun Woo’s mother/Lee Mi Dam. I have enjoyed this actress in everything I’ve seen her in. She’s got a sweet face and a wonderfully soft and warm voice.
The grandfather character was just all kinds of creepy, especially toward the end. In the last couple of episodes this coloring was off (I think they did this intentionally) with a blue tinge around his lips. It added to the creepiness.
STORYLINE:
For only being 12 episodes, unfortunately it did get really draggy at times and then, OF COURSE, the ending was rushed. The story is where my difficulties came in. Joseon Tae Ha is poisoned and dies. When she goes back to change things, she saved him from being poisoned, but he still died.
Why was it a problem that 1) Tae Ha was married, and 2) he had a heart condition? They were always trying to get rid of him for one reason or another. Then there’s the issue with his heart. They mentioned that he had a pacemaker over and over again, but he had a scar from open heart surgery – that’s not how they put pacemakers in. I may have fast forwarded when they mentioned if he had any other kind of open-heart surgery. And if he was having chest pains, the pacemaker obviously wasn’t working – just give him a new one!
Why is there always a random female that is willing to do anything to get the ML? This one could have totally been left out, there were enough other evil characters. Her character did turn around eventually, though.
I felt that Yun Woo adapted to the current time too easily. That could have made some more comedic moments.
Obligatory breakup – only lasted for half an episode, and the reasons for the breakup still existed, so why did they even break up?
I’ll say again, needlessly rushed ending.
I do have to say, I loved the time they spent together in Episode 11. When she was looking at that old couple, that was so touching, her knowing that she would soon be leaving Tae Ha.
COSTUMING:
I LOVED the clothing that she wore, and that Mi Dam wore. Beautiful fabrics, colors and designs. I would have liked to see Tae Ha in casual clothes a bit more, but he can wear a suit like nobody’s business. I loved the boxy suits they had Tae Min wear – it reminded me of a child wearing his parent’s clothes and it added to his youthfulness.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Beautifully filmed. My favorite was in episode 5 when she is hanging the sheets up and then the sprinklers come on. Slow motion, filtered lighting, close ups of the actors. I liked all the sites they used to film in as well. Toward the end, when she’s walking along that water in the middle of the city at night, the lighting was very good. They used slow motion quite effectively, especially when they filmed their hands coming together.
CHEMISTRY:
Oh, my! Their chemistry was off the charts, not only romantically, but when they were together just talking. Excellent kissing scenes. When he looked at her, he either looked totally enthralled or totally in love, either one was great. I also like how she kiddingly said, “Do you like me or something?” and he came out and said that he did and didn’t backtrack at all.
This is one of those shows that I might watch again, only for the main couple.

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Decent cute little watch (if your ignore the last episode)

I absolutely LOVED the first half of the show: the set up, the leads, the build. AND omg the costumes for Yeon Woo - absolutely gorgeous. The story was interesting enough, but I don't think that was the driving point of this drama anyway. I was here for the romance and the cutesy. All in all it was good watch, if you ignore the last episode. A small plot-hole, became a giant one until there was only a question mark left. Honestly, I don't get what even happened there??? (Spoilers: Why did he suddenly die in Joseon, and why couldn't she accept him? Didn't she love her husband in Joseon first? And they are the freaking same person, but then again he in the new age would have been alone. And I seriously thought their goodbye was final, until it suddenly wasn't anymore, I'm just confused) Those things don't make any sense, but I guess I'm going to ignore it, because I love happy endings. Just.... they could've done it better. But I don't care tbh. It wasn't made to become a masterpiece.
What I actually appreciated story-wise, was their kinda sloppy executed feminism-movement in Joseon. It's nice to see a woman stand up for her rights, especially because Yeon Woo was already more outspoken and independent at the very beginning. But maybe not that realistic if you think about it, but still nice if you don't take it too seriously (and you definitely shouldn't take this drama too serious).

This is my first Bae In Hyuk drama and I must say, he is cute and has something very charming about him! I fell and immediately started watching Under the Queen Umbrella (which is on it's own an amazing drama - funny enough him and Yoo Sun Ho are brothers there too ahahah).
Lee Se Young has always been a tricky topic for me. For some reason none of her dramas spoke to me EVER, like I wouldn't always know she came out with a new series, but I never liked her projects or her?? But I loved her in here, and I might give her other works a try now!

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The story is almost as tight and lovely as Yeon-woo's embroidery

The heroine's adventure threads into the future, loops back to the past, to hold together and set right both history and the present. Lee Se-young shines in her role as the bold and talented Park Yeon-woo. My only qualm is that the writers could have given her more qualities/abilities that could have translated better or assisted her in her travel to "New Joseon", so she does not always seem so helpless and always have to be saved by Kang Tae-ha (she was glorious when she went back to her own timeline in ep. 11 and 12, standing up for herself, her husband, her family, and for all women in the country).

Bae In-hyuk plays two characters of the same name but manages to emulate first male lead vibes for present-day Tae-ha and lovelorn second male lead vibes for past Tae-ha, which is an impressive feat in itself.

The shift in the tone of the story is not that abrupt for me-- because the darker, more serious aspects of the plot have always been there (Tae-ha's illness, the whole Kang family conspiracy), just highlighted in the latter part of the series because they needed to be addressed. I also love the fantasy and Chun Myung's lore, and how they kept it a little mysterious without digging plot holes.

Multifaceted characters with different motives (from the seemingly benevolent grandfather, the "evil" step-mother, the "shifty" half-brother, to the seemingly dependable co-workers and most certainly loyal and badass friends), along with beautiful cinematography, and good chemistry between the two leads make "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" a generally pleasant drama to watch.

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I wish it was shorter

I can't believe that I'm saying this for a 12 episode drama but the amount of replayed scenes was just too much for me.

Halfway through the drama, I would have rated this as 10. The concept was interesting, the actors were good especially the one playing Sa Wol, there's chemistry between the leads and the storyline was tight. That jealousy dinner scene was truly hilarious. But from there, replayed scenes kept increasing which made me very thankful to the fast forward button. Still, this is a nice story that you would want to watch if you're in the mood for something romantic.

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Well they had me the first half..

It could’ve been great.. The leads were amazing they had amazing chemistry and I would 100% be keeping up with their next projects. I would absolutely love to see them acting again, perhaps with some better writing.

Secondary characters were charming as well I loved Solwa the most. Though by the end I was already over the cringy fluff.

There were many arcs that just made no sense I really ended up disliking the drama. By episode 9 I was already bored and this is probably the first time I have ever said this but this drama did not need 12 episodes.

I think the writer just went through all the generic Kdrama tropes and checked them all off as they were writing lol. It really was good for the first half. But it completely went downhill. Plot holes, and loose ends was really its demise.

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Not a fan

When I began this kdrama I was a bit skeptical. The first episode started out ok but I did notice that there were many draggy and unnecessary parts included, I guess to make the episodes long. I don't like that so much since I get bored pretty easily. Anyways, I continued watching and I just skipped the parts that I found boring. As for the plot, I didn't find it very good: It's confusing and there are some questions that remain unresolved till the end. It also is the kind of story where there are inheritance issus and stuff like that, I think that can be quite stressful to watch. However the plot overall is not a bad idea, it's just the way it was executed into this knot of storylines- it's a bit shabby and cheap. Logic, for instance, is not in this kdrama. The ending was really strage, did not like it at all. The female lead was quite cruel to say the least. I would not recommend watching, in my opinion.

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Fun Time Travel Romance

This was a very fun drama! I enjoy time travel romances such as Live Up to Your Name and Mr. Queen, so this was a nice new drama in the same vein. The main couple's relationship development was really well done, moving from initial dislike to eventually being head over heels for each other. The secondary couple was adorable and hilarious as well! I loved Sa Wol's character. I also really liked Tae Min - I appreciated the development of his relationships with his brother and SIL.

I also liked how Tae Min's mom wasn't pigeonholed into being a complete villain and was portrayed as a three dimensional, believable character. I'm happy that things worked out for her in the end. I wasn't super happy about what happened to the grandpa since it didn't feel completely believable - it was very makjang imo.

Characters aside, I thought that the past and present life's parallel storylines were quite well done. The reveal that the grandpa was the real villain was decently built up. I also liked seeing the differences between the first and last episodes. The lady with mystical powers was a good plot device to tie things together. Finally, Yeon Woo's arrival to New Joseon was absolutely hilarious and really made the first few episodes for me! Dol Se the vacuum deserves an honorable mention for his sacrifice.

Overall, despite the large amount of chaebol infighting, I thought that this was a fantastic drama. The acting was excellent, the romance was sweet, funny, and believable, and the storyline was fun and exciting. The balance between humor and seriousness was also really well done throughout. 9 stars.

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Concept unclear

She ventured to New Joseon to safeguard him and unravel the mystery surrounding her husband's death. Upon fulfilling her purpose, she returned to Old Joseon, but her maid didn't go back ? Why , this is unclear matter. However, upon her return, she discovered she was unmarried and embarked on a mission to save her husband, ultimately succeeding. Yet, tragedy struck as he met his demise shortly after, leaving her efforts in vain. Disheartened, she returned to New Joseon and at last she came back to her love. However, the rationale behind her journey to the future and back to her present solely to uncover her husband's death secret seems questionable. Surely, she could have investigated the matter in her own time with the aid of the mystical lady. While I appreciated the storyline and commendable performances from the cast, the underlying concept of the story left much to be desired.

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Um começo promissor com um final um pouco decepcionante

Achei que ia gostar mais deste drama, até porque o começo dele foi bem legal, os primeiros episódios me deixaram atenta e entretida. Mas pouco tempo depois, senti que alguma coisa não estava certa, não sei se foi a escrita, o roteiro... eu assistia com a sensação de que algo estava faltando.
Tudo parecia fazer sentido, mas acho que faltou um pouco mais de profundidade em certas coisas e 12 episódios foram poucos para isso, acho que esse drama poderia ter 16 episódios tranquilamente. Na vida passada, duas coisas me incomodaram. Primeiro, a forma exagerada e muito triste como o protagonista sofreu, fiquei com o coração pesado vendo ele implorando por atenção da moçinha enquanto ela o tratava com frieza. Ele morreu em seus braços novamente e nem um abraço ela o deu, isso foi cruel, ele não merecia isso, sem contar que era a mesma alma do futuro, do homem que ela se apaixonou, era exatamente ele ali, só que em uma época diferente, então não entendi o porquê fizeram o final dele daquele jeito. Segundo, o avô dele que foi o real cupado por todas as coisas ruins que aconteceram na sua família foi esquecido, a sua madrasta teve um final melancólico, mas e o avô? O que aconteceu com ele depois? Na segunda vida ele perdeu a memória e o Tae Ha perdoou muito rapidamente, o que me deixou chateada e sem entender, afinal, ele foi o grande responsável pela morte da sua mãe, o acontecimento mais traumático da sua vida e o que fez ele desenvolver um grave problema cardíaco, e é aí onde vi outro problema na história. Ele foi curado desse problema cardíaco de uma forma totalmente mal executada, deixando a situação boba demais, muito irrealista e apressada, como se fosse só para dar satisfação aos espectadores, parecia que não souberam como resolver e só jogaram na nossa cara que o amor dele pela Yeon Woo o curou, a explicação foi essa.
E quando a Yeon Woo voltou para a Coreia atual, eu não senti toda a emoção que achava que fosse sentir, muito pela forma como ela tratou o Tae Ha da era Joseon e também pelo fato de não terem mostrado em detalhes essa volta dela, por exemplo, a sua amiga tão leal que sentiu bastante a ida dela, poderia ter aparecido nas cenas finais se reencontrando a Yeon Woo, eles deveriam ter mostrado isso, já que elas eram praticamente irmãs e tinham uma conexão tão bonita. Outra coisa, a Yeon Woo desenvolveu mais a fundo o seu sonho de ser uma modista renomada na Coreia atual, ela fez um trabalho muito bonito, suas roupas eram simplesmente maravilhosas, mas isso também foi mal explorado justamente por causa dos poucos episódios que tinham, eu queria ter visto um pouco mais desse lado artístico dela, uma pena que durou pouco.
E no mais, a química dos protagonistas foi notável, eles formaram um casal lindo. Os personagens secundários foram bons também, gostei da maioria deles. Fiquei confusa com a personalidade do avô do Tae Ha na Coreia atual e as motivações e atitudes dele não fizeram muito sentido pra mim, então o personagem dele foi o que menos gostei.
Não sei se indicaria esse drama, gostei de acompanhá-lo mas não acho que seja bom o suficiente.

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Good balance of romance, comedy and mystery with a logical explanation for the time slip

For me the show was very well done and well paced, first 4 episodes focused on female lead’s journey and how she adapts to the modern world, next 4 episodes which I’d call the 2nd act focused on the leads falling in love and what the male lead was up against, because this provides the basis for the female lead time traveling to save him, and in the 3rd act - last 4 episodes, we get to see the back stories of the individual characters including the villains - both their Joseon and Modern day versions, and how that forms the premise of the overall story.

I particularly liked that some of the villains, particularly the female ones weren’t plain vanilla, but grey, and were mostly victims of circumstance. However, the show did not try to justify their actions, but had them make restitutions that were consistent with their characters.

I’m a sucker for bittersweet endings, and with all time travel shows, there’s always that element of loss when the time traveler goes back into their world. It was nice to see Yeonwoo going back in time to change Joseon Taeha’s fate and ending things nicely with him, I felt sad for him, but knowing he reincarnates in the future took away that sadness, even though he doesn’t have his past memories.

Unlike most time travel shows where we do not know the basis for the time traveler traveling, I’m glad this one provided a logical explanation for Yeonwoo traveling. It was also nice to see how they explored female empowerment, with Yeonwoo acquiring skills which she used to work and earn a living in new Joseon and using her noble woman status and money earned to help vulnerable women in Old Joseon.

It was great to see that the leads were very good at communicating their feelings and the concerns they had. Even where noble idiocy was employed, it didn't last more than 20 minutes, and it was all in a single episode.

The chemistry between the leads and entire cast was amazing, great acting from everyone, the comedic timing was awesome and the comedy wasn’t cringe, the music scoring was great, as well as the cinematography and the style of directing in certain scenes was exceptional, there were also some notable dialogues.

Overall, for a time slip drama, I think this was well executed and one of the best ones in recent times, it’s no surprise it had the highest rating of all the time slip dramas done last year.

If you’re still considering watching this, I’ll suggest you dive right in and make a decision after the first two episodes. The first episode is fully sageuk, while the second takes place in modern day. Only the first and last episodes take place in Joseon, and the flashbacks wasn’t overly done.

Some people might think some aspects of the show was rushed, but given that it’s only 12 episodes, I think they tried to make it as concise as possible. It’s one of those shows where you really have to pay attention because they do a lot of “show then tell (explain),” which is the mystery element of the show and the main driver of the story.

PS: This has a good balance of mystery, romance and comedy, however the comedy is utilised more in the first half and the second half is heavier on the mystery and romance. If you are expecting a simple, cheesy romcom, then this is not the show for you.

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It doesn't make sense

Wishful thinking shouldn't bring back your loved ones even in a fantasy story. This is a time travelling story which has absolutely no rules to the time travelling and breaks the very few ones it has when they find it convenient. The maid being left in the future is ok, while changing any other aspect affects the course of history? Such a proficient maid, with so much action in the story, would certainly affect the course of the story.
You never truly know the device or the set of factors that make them travel through time. At times, it seems like it's the watch, or the magical lady, or the water, or the tree. In the end, it was his wishful thinking. It doesn't make sense.
It also doesn't make sense that everyone has their corresponding person in the future, except for the FL and the maid. And the only person important to the action who isn't in Joseon is the ML's secretary.
They also couldn't decide if the ML was a completely different person or a reincarnation of her Joseon husband. If he truly was a reincarnation of her husband, like it's suggested several times, her not loving her original husband once she got back doesn't make any sense, since she loved him from the start.

I don't mind the evil grandpa, it was a good twist, but, again, it lacks consistency. If the stepmother wasn't evil and was trying to protect the ML in the present, that should have been mirrored in the past, since they repeated countless times that the past was repeating itself.

It could have been a better drama if they had dealt with the inconsistencies.

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I don't know how to describe the entirety of this drama because I watch this one ongoing. I really like this drama and the storyline of arrange marriages is one of my favorite theme in drama land so that's an added point. The process of watching the drama was enjoyable for me as a watcher. I find the leads having the chemistry, the side characters with their cute side stories as well as the family life of the leads. The acting was great for me, but I could really see that the others need more improvement but I'm not complaining cause it's tolerable.
I guess I was just not that excited with watching the last 2 episodes, because I lost my interest in it, which I don't know the reason behind. The ending felt like a rush but honestly I like the ending. I thought it was appropriate for the drama. I would recommend this for sure.

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