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The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract – Full Review
Welcome to The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract – Full Review. A Joseon woman travels into the future and meets the reincarnation of her deceased husband. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
♥ Aired: November 24, 2023 – January 6, 2024
♥# of Episodes: 12
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Historical Rom-Com
♥Starring: Lee Se Young and Bae In Hyuk
The Story
A Joseon woman has her husband die on their wedding night. While she is still in mourning, she is kidnapped and thrown into a well. But instead of dying, the woman wakes up in a rooftop swimming pool in modern times. And the man who saves her from drowning looks exactly like the husband she lost. The couple end up in a contract marriage to satisfy his grandfather’s pressure to continue the family line. And as she spends time with him, she learns that this present day version of her husband is not the same man that she married in the past. But he is someone she could grow to love. Now she will need to make a choice whether to try to get back to her original life or stay in present day Seoul and build a new life .
The Leads
Lee Se Young as Park Yun Woo
Park Yoon Woo is a Joseon woman forced into marriage by her parents. But when a handsome stranger she recently met turns out to be the groom, she warms to the idea. Unfortunately, her new husband dies on their wedding night. Later she is kidnapped by a masked man and thrown into a well to die. But instead, she wakes up in a rooftop swimming pool in modern day Korea. And the man who pulls her from the water looks exactly like her dead husband. The pair end up in a mutually beneficial contract marriage. And the more time she spends with the present day version of her husband, the more she begins to want their marriage to be real. But a curse from their past could force her to leave this new world and her new husband behind and go back to her own time.
Park Yoon Woo is confident, fiercely independent, and amazing gifted with a needle. It is no wonder that she quickly adjusted to the modern day world and finds her own job working with a fashion designer. And the fact that her new employer looks exactly like her mom from the past only makes her new job more enjoyable. I love Lee Se Young, and she has proven herself to be particularly well-suited for historical dramas. Her fiery attitude mixed with a quiet elegance makes her perfect for these kinds of roles. She was lovely in this drama and I really liked the character she created.
Bae In Hyuk as Kang Tae Ha
Kang Tae Ha is heir to SH Group. His parents both died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by a jealous and overbearing stepmother and a doting grandfather. He suffers from a heart condition, which he has hid from his family. One day he meets a strange woman on the roof of his company’s hotel. At first he wants nothing to do with her, but later he approaches her about a contract marriage that would keep his grandfather from pushing him into marriage with some well connected stranger. As he gets to know the woman, he begins to believe that, no matter how impossible it seems, her story of traveling from the past seems to be true. And as his injured heart begins to accept her as his wife and one true love, he tries to persuade her to stay with him instead of going back to Joseon Korea.
Kang Tae Ha lived a lonely life after losing both of his parents. His grandfather has been supportive of him, but he is also a driven business man who puts the success of his company above all else, including family. And as Tae Ha uncovers more about his grandfather’s involvement in the death of his mother, he begins to realize that he is not the warm-hearted man he had always thought. Bae In Hyuk portrayed this character well, although he is creating a niche for himself in playing cold, more reserved characters, without much emotional depth. I hope that as he grows as an actor, he will be able to take on more complex roles.
Supporting Characters
Joo Hyun Young as Sa Wol
Young Sa Wol is Yun Woo’s Joseon servant. Somehow she follows Yun Woo to the present and sets up shop, making money through make-shift part-time jobs. Luckily, one of her jobs takes her to the house of Tae Ha’s family, where she runs into Yun Woo again. She ends up falling in love with Tae Ha’s private secretary and eventually she decides to stay in the present and marry him instead of going back with Yun Woo.
Yoo Sun Ho as Kang Tae Min
Kang Tae Min is Tae Ha’s half brother. He is a free spirit who doesn’t really care about the family wealth or business. Although his mother has spent his whole life grooming him to be the next Chairman of SH Group. Tae Min develops a crush on Yun Woo, but he is quick to realize that her heart already belongs to Tae Ha.
Chun Ho Jin as Kang Sang Mo
Kang Sang Mo is Tae Ha’s grandfather and the current Chairman of SH Group. After his parents died, Sang Mo doted on Tae Ha and built a strong relationship with him. But over time, Tae Ha learns that his grandfther’s affection for him was more about raising up the next heir to the company than any familial love. And his wrong-doings becoming increasingly exposed as the drama goes on.
Things I Liked
♥ Modern Day Yun Woo
While it is a bit unrealistic to think that Yun Woo adjusts so quickly to modern life, I loved how we see her as free-thinking and ahead of her time, even before she time travels. And it is great to see her embrace the freedom she gains and really spread her wings and make her own opportunities. I also love the way they included her clothes designing skills and used it as a way to show off some beautiful designs that incorporate traditional Korean clothing with modern day fashion.
♥ Family Bonding
While Tae Ha’s family is obviously a wreck, I really enjoyed the few scenes of him bonding with his brother and little cousin. Their game day at home was especially memorable and sweet.The guys had a fun chemistry and I would have loved to have seen a few more scenes of them together. I feel like the little bit that we did see laid a good foundation to believe that the future of the family business will be safe as this trio learn to use their talents to build up both the company and each other.
♥ Sa Wol and Seong Pyo
Most fans seem to agree that Sa Wol and Seong Pyo are both great side characters in their own right. And they are even cuter as a couple. This quirky duo provide some nice comic relief without being too heavy-handed. And they were an easy couple to root for. Although they didn’t get a ton of screen time, I felt like we saw a nice development of their relationship.
Things I Didn’t Like
Joseon Tae Ha Ending
I did like the way they gave past and present Tae Ha their own story and character. But I really felt bad for the ending they gave our Joseon friend. First he loses the woman he has loved since he was a kid to someone he can’t even see. When she first returns, Yun Woo avoids him all together, which must have been confusing and heartbreaking for him. And then she just lives with him long enough to wait for him to die before returning to the man she actually loves. I mean, what was the use of saving him on their wedding night if he was just going to die anyway?
Villain Switch
Min Hye Suk made a good villain, and her story about wanting the prize for a good wife in the past made sense. So I kind of hated it when they suddenly tried to make her more sympathetic once they had exposed the grandfather’s evil deeds. Hye Suk may not have been the one to kill Tae Ha’s mom, but she is certainly the one who has made his life miserable since she has been gone. I just didn’t feel like all the backpedaling was necessary.
Past and Time Travel Story
My biggest issue with this drama was all the inconsistencies in the time travel parts of the story. First of all, if Cheon Myeong saved Yun Woo by helping her travel in time, then how did Sa Wol also end up there? And how did just deciding to go back suddenly make it happen. Aren’t Yun Woo and Sa Wol somehow connected through time? Also, how are the past and present actually connected? How does the grandfather fit into the story and what does the painting have to do with it? And what happens when Yun Woo leaves for good this time? Does she go back to being dead or does her family forget she ever existed? This is just the tip of the iceburg, but let’s suffice it to say that I have a lot of questions.
The Ending
I’m not really sure you can classify this ending as a happy one, but our couple does end up together, so that is good. But first, our cast of villains each receive their own unique punishment. Myung Soo goes to prison for trying to kill Tae Ha and Sang Mo. Hye Suk has to step away from the business entirely, and live a quiet life. And Sang Mo loses his memory, due to Myung Soo’s hit to the head, and lives out his life in a blissful delusion. I’m not sure justice was entirely served, but I appreciate the variation. Now back to our leads. To save Tae Ha’s life, Yun Woo decides to go back to her time. She gets some closure with her family, saves Tae Ha on their wedding night, and then stays with him until his heart finally gives out. Although Joseon Tae Ha’s original death didn’t save present Tae Ha, this second death somehow makes it so Yun Woo can finally go back to modern day Seoul and present day Tae Ha, who has been waiting for her, spending countless time at the rooftop pool. And right on cue, during one of his visits, the crepe myrtle tree blooms again and there is Yun Woo. She tells him that his prayers are the thing that brought her back. The couple kiss and I’m sure they will live happily ever after.
Should I Watch
“The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract” is a light time -travel romance. This drama started much stronger than it ended. While the cast was good and the romantic chemistry was swoon-worthy, there are lots of plot holes and inconsistencies in the time travel story. At times the story really didn’t make much sense. And I never felt like we got a solid connection between the past characters and their present day counterparts. I did enjoy the romance and concept of this drama, and it’s a pleasant enough watch, but I wish the execution were stronger. I give “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract” a 7 out of 10 ramen.
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