Marry My Husband – Full Review
Welcome to Marry My Husband – Full Review. A young woman gets a second chance to live her life and get revenge on her cheating husband and her conniving best friend. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Marry My Husband
♥ Aired: January 1 – February 20, 2024
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
♥Genre: Fantasy Romance
♥Starring: Park Min Young and Na In Woo
The Story
A dying woman discovers that her husband is having an affair with her best friend and they plan to kill her for the insurance money. But instead of dying quietly, the woman wakes up 10 years in the past. With a second chance on life and knowledge about the people she has mistakenly trusted, she will seek revenge while trying to change the cruel fate that destroyed her the first time around. And she will find that, as she looks at her life with a fresh perspective, there are plenty of friends and supporters that she had overlooked before.
The Leads
Park Min Young as Kang Ji Won
Kang Ji Won’s life has never been perfect. Her in-laws are a nightmare, her husband is lazy and negligent, and her job runs her ragged. But when she is diagnosed with cancer, she begins to despair the direction her life is taking her. And things go from bad to worse when she finds out that her husband and best friend have been cheating behind her back, and plan to kill her for her insurance money. So she believes all has been lost when she is pushed into a glass coffee table and “dies”. But when she wakes up, she finds herself 10 years in the past, before her cancer diagnosis or her marriage. Suddenly she has a chance to do it all again and get revenge on those who she thought cared about her. And when her handsome, but shy, boss offers to help her get back at them, she begins to see that while she may have trusted the wrong people in the past, there are those around her who are sincere and trustworthy; maybe most of all, herself. But changing the past is not as easy as she had originally thought and she will have to overcome some very complicated challenges if she is going to have a real chance at a fresh start.
Kang Ji Won is generous and kind-hearted. Her only real crime was wanting to believe the best of people who didn’t deserve it. But as she views her life from a fresh perspective, with the foreknowledge of everything that happened, she finds her own inner strength and worth. And unlike her best friend’s ability to suck all the light out of a room and cast it on herself, Ji Won learns to shine in a way that lets those around her sparkle as well. Park Min Young has had her reputation struggles this past couple years, but this role is right in her zone and she handled the character well.
Na In Woo as Yoo Ji Hyuk
Yoo Ji Hyuk is the marketing manager at U&K Food, where Ji Won works. Although no one at work knows it, he is also the grandson of the company CEO. Ji Hyuk met Ji Won years ago when she had too much to drink, and the couple spent the night sleeping along the Han River together. Since that day, he has never been able to forget her, so he is thrilled when she gets a job at his company. But Ji Won doesn’t remember Ji Hyuk from that night. And Ji Won eventually ends up marrying another co-worker, much to Ji Hyuk’s disappointment. But when Ji Won comes back after her death, Ji Hyuk is determined to help her get revenge and also win her heart. And Ji Hyuk has a secret of his own about second chances.
Yoo Ji Hyuk is quiet and socially awkward. His grandfather arranged a marriage for him with a family friend. But Ji Hyuk broke off the engagement because he was never actually interested in her as more than a long-time friend. But Ji Won is the only woman Ji Hyuk has ever had feelings for. I love Na In Woo’s calm appearance and easy charm. I did feel that his character could have had a bit more depth and growth. At times the role came off a bit too flat, but I thought he played the part well with what he had.
Supporting Characters
Lee Yi Kyung as Park Min Hwan
Park Min Hwan was Ji Won’s husband before her death. He married Ji Won because he recognized that she would do everything for him and he could skate through life on her efforts. He falls in love with Ji Won’s best friend, and the couple plan to kill Ji Won, take the insurance money, and live the rest of their lives together on the funds. But when Ji Won comes back from the dead, she decides to transfer her ill-fate with Min Hwan onto her friend, by letting them get married in her place.
Song Ha Yoon as Jung Soo Min
Jung Soo Min has been Ji Won’s best friend since they were students. But Soo Min is petty and jealous of the love that Ji Won got from her parents. She befriends Ji Won out of a need to be needed and Soo Min’s desire to eventually triumph over Ji Won in life. But when Ji Won gets her second chance, she is no longer fooled by Soo Min’s duplicity and plans to give Soo Min all the misfortune that she had to suffer the first time around.
Lee Gi Kwang as Baek Eun Ho
Baek Eun Ho was a classmate of Ji Won’s. He had a crush on her when they were young, but a misunderstanding caused a rift between them. When Eun Ho gets a chance to meet Ji Won after all these years, he hopes to rekindle their young romance. But unfortunately for him, Ji Won falls for Ji Hyuk first. In the end, Eun Ho falls for Ji Hyuk’s sister and gets a different happy ending than the one he had envisioned.
Things I Liked
♥ Soo Min
In my opinion, Soo Min was one of the best characters in this drama. Not that I liked her, mind you. But she was so easy to hate! She played the role with just enough rye humor to appreciate the actress and her abilities. And her self-delusion was easy to see and believe. Soo Min’s character dove deeper than the average one-dimensional villain. There is a complexity to her motivations and feelings that elevates the role to something noteworthy.
♥ Secondary Characters
This drama presented us with some interesting side characters who were compelling in their own stories without taking away from the main storyline. I enjoyed Ji Won’s co-workers, Joo Ran and Hee Yeon. Both characters had fun romantic stories and I was happy to see them both get the happy endings they deserved. Having these plot lines made the work parts of the story feel interesting and relevant to the overall story and the main characters.
♥ Fresh Perspective
While this is a time travel story, I thought it was interesting that in the end the things that brought Ji Won happiness were things that had been there all along. She just needed a fresh perspective to see them for what they were. This series also had a powerful message about learning to believe in yourself so others can believe in you too. Much of Ji Won’s success the second time around was born out of her fresh sense of confidence and worth.
Things I Didn’t Like
Yoo Ra
The addition of Yoo Ra to this cast really seemed unnecessary. The presence of an ex who doesn’t even seem that interested in marrying Ji Hyuk is pretty pointless. And I’m not sure why we needed a villain for our villains. All in all, the character never really integrates into the main story and the role just isn’t that noteworthy. While it’s truth that with a bit more development, Yoo Ra might have played a more important part, I still don’t see the need for her character.
Makjang
A fantasy revenge drama is going to be a little far-fetched by definition. But the “over-the-topness” of this one did get a bit much at times. From the acting to the plot, there are times when this drama’s silliness overshadows everything else. Part of this probably stems from the original source being a webtoon, but the style does bear mentioning. It is true that revenge dramas can always use a bit of levity but not many series push it as far as this one.
Mixed Message
While a good revenge story is always a bit cathartic, there is a darkness to the message of this drama. The inference is that no one should have to suffer the horrible life and abuse that Ji Won experienced, unless we don’t really like them, and then it’s fine. And in the end, whether she earned it or not, Ji Won does kind of become one of the mean girls we are supposed to hate. Luckily this is just a short-term transformation, born out of necessity, that she will later atone for by setting up a foundation to give others a second chance in life. Obviously this is all in fun, but it is interesting in light of the overall themes about positivity and self-love.
The Ending
Well, the villains all get their comeuppance and all of our couples seem to be on the road to happiness. Min Hwan and Yoo Ra are both killed after ending up living out Ji Won and Ji Hyuk’s destinies. Soo Min is alive but living a delusional life in prison, where she continues to insist that she is an innocent victim. Joo Ran’s cancer surgery is successful and she finally gets a divorce from her awful husband. And she and Suk Joon have finally admitted their feelings for each other. The same is true for Hee Yeon and Eun Ho, who are happily dating. Our lead couple have a big wedding celebration with their friends and family. As the years go by, they have children and seem to be taking advantage of their second chance at life and love. The final scene shows them meeting at an art museum on the day of their “deaths”. They take a moment to be grateful for their life together and all they went through to close this chapter from their former lives.
Should I Watch
“Marry My Husband” is a time travel revenge drama that is heavy on the makjang. The drama and comedy are exaggerated and often silly, but the revenge journey and romance are rewarding. The villains are especially well written and the side characters give the story some nice additional support. Karma and fate take center stage among the themes, although there is also a positive message about empowerment and self-worth. For those of you who watched “Perfect Marriage Revenge”, you will find the plots remarkably similar. I give “Marry My Husband” an 8 out of 10 ramen.
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