1HER SECOND CHANCE : A FATE GAME!
For the level of entertainment or how this show had me on a chokehold for these two months, I could give it a 10/10... but when I started picturing it as smthg perfect, they added a few clichés to the game. Adding a character that is pure annoyance, who looks more like a filler, it only made some eps in the middle feel flat when the rest of the thing was popcorn-worthy. Without Yu-Ra this would be a 12 ep show and my rating would really be higher.Sadly it couldn't become that masterpiece show but kudos to the satisfying storyline and the ACTING... By a 'satisfying' story I meant those "yesss go girl, slay" segments of the drama especially in the starting where I rooted with my all for the FL. Female lead's personal character development in the first half was really well done among similar shows I've seen before. Later, be it some bitch slap moments or pity parties it was fun like a polite makjang with warm supporting characters.
on the other hand, I'm in love with my wonderful villains Su Min (Song Ha Yoon) and Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung). Never started pitying their characters but only had HATE and hate in my mind. Ngl they're too funny sometimes. I was baffled by their acting and perfect depiction of these selfish to the core characters. Idk anything else but I'm keeping an eye out for everything SHY stars in next, becoz she was such a perfect bitch with her baby face. She's what kept me hooked.
Park Min Young was okay as usual but I discovered Na In Woo ♡.♡ from this drama who managed to shine even though the story revolved around FL and ML had no story for himself. He even bagged all of our hearts with his green forest, puppy coded charisma. But y'all let's be honest, he's so so fictional. Nevertheless, if "fiction" is this tall and beautiful, why not haha. I can't believe he was called "ugly" when this started airing, like get your eyes checked man!
Their chemistry was also great in most of the scenes, seemed very natural and was serving already-married vibes lol. From OSTs, nothing is very memorable except ♪Wounds of Time♪ sung by Kim So Yeon.
So overall try Marry my husband if you want to be impressed by annoying character's acting and hate them a lot, an enjoyable revenge packed with clownish comedy. Usually very predictable but I was still pleasantly surprised by her fate sometimes.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fates Rewritten: Kang Jiwon Seizes the Second Chance
Adapted from the web novel Marry My Husband (내 남편과 결혼해줘) by Seong So Jak (성소작) and directed by Park Won Gook, this show narrates Kang Jiwon's journey. Betrayed and killed by her husband and best friend, she seizes a second chance traveling back 10 years to alter her destiny.From beginning to end, i thoroughly enjoyed the show, it was a profoundly gratifying experience. Beyond mere revenge it delved into themes of self growth and altering fates for survival. Each episode surpassed the last, conveying the message that second chances should be wielded wisely.
Each character was meticulously crafted with profound depth, both protagonists and antagonists shared an equitable presence. The antagonists stole the spotlight in numerous episodes, their characters exhibiting sheer insanity. What sets them apart is their unwavering consistency, unlike many dramas where antagonists change last minute, these characters remained true to their evil nature, escalating with each episode.
The narrative primarily revolves around three characters who overshadowed the rest: Kang Jiwon, the main protagonist and Sumin & Park Minhwan, the main antagonists. Kang Jiwon's character was intricately developed, showcasing significant self growth throughout the series, providing a truly satisfying arc. Her relatable flaws and insecurities stemming from past trauma added depth to her character. Park Minyoung's portrayal of Kang Jiwon was exceptional with her acting reaching an extraordinary level of intensity in this role.
Next is Sumin, she is undoubtedly going to be an iconic villain remembered for a very long time. Her character, a psycho with an intense obsession for Jiwon, escalates to new levels of insanity with each episode. She is the kind of character we all love to hate. That underwater scene of hers will remain forever iconic. Kudos to Song Hayoon for brilliantly portraying this character. She undoubtedly deserves all the awards for this role.
Park Minhwan, portrayed as a truly terrible husband. If this character had been played by any other actor, it might have been annoying but Lee Yikyung's comic portrayal of Park Minhwan, with his nasty personality makes it impossible not to find him amusing. His scenes are absolutely hilarious and the way his character ended brings both satisfaction and sadness simultaneously.These three characters undoubtedly carried the entire show on their backs.
Apart from these characters there were also endearing and lovable characters such as Jihyuk, Huiyeon, Baek Eunho, Yang Juran, etc. each making show equally memorable.
However Yura stood out as the sole annoyance, her character was consistently irritating from start to finish. My only complaint is that instead of her they could have developed Huiyeon and Eun Ho's love story. Nevertheless considering the drama's unfolding in the last episode, it seems she played a crucial role as a catalyst in bringing about the final track.
Although romance wasnt the main genre, the main couple's love story was endearing and their chemistry was quite soothing. However more than the romance, i watched this for the compelling drama and the captivating performances of the aforementioned three characters who stole the show.
The soundtrack, cinematography and production quality were outstanding. The background music and OSTs were fitting, the cinematography offered a fresh and visually pleasing experience and the production quality was top notch, ensuring it didnt feel like a cheaply made show.
In summary watching this show was a highly satisfying experience. Despite moments of frustration particularly with the annoying character Yura, if we overlook that it was a gratifying watch from start to finish.
Was this review helpful to you?
Marry My Husband doesn't want you to think about it that hard
Okay, I’ll say it: I really really didn’t like Marry My Husband.That’s not to say that it’s a drama without redeeming qualities. While I might have resorted to “hate-watching” at some point, Marry my Husband always felt addictive and binge-worthy. There was always something exciting going on. The over-the-top nature of this show certainly prevented it from feeling stale or boring. The acting performances were??? okay??? Probably??? Everyone does too much all the time but hey, that again works for what this was trying to be. The fashion choices also made me laugh at points (why did she wear a wedding dress to a class reunion???). That’s not a strength of this show, but at least I got great enjoyment out of it.
This is most definitely a Makjang drama and I knew that going in, which meant that the lack of realism was never going to be a factor in my review. Prolonged silliness was what I was signing up for. Still, Marry My Husband left a bad taste in my mouth for reasons I still find difficult to articulate. Is it wrong to dislike a story for feeling mean? Because personally, even though this show bent over backwards trying to make me loathe the villains, I still didn’t get much enjoyment out of them getting their karma. Ji-won transforms over the series from a victim into another vapid mean girl. That in itself is a topic worth exploring but I am not entirely sure if anyone in the writing-room even considered that my sympathy for the protagonist could only last that long. The message is less that cruelty is wrong, more that cruelty directed at the wrong people is wrong. The goofiness of the plot and insanity of everyone’s performance constantly clashed with the severity and realism of the presented issues. Setting another woman up with a man you know to be abusive is an incredibly hard sell. The show only could attempt said feat by making sure that their female antagonist didn’t feel like an actual woman. Su-min had to be comically evil so no one in the audience thought about the implications of the plot. But in doing so, they also robbed me of all the fun I could have had with such a story to begin with.
But okay, even though this drama really doesn’t want me to, let’s talk about the implications of Marry My Husband and Ji-won's mission. When Ji-won is facing domestic abuse, Marry My Husband rightfully recognizes her situation as pitiful. But when Su-min is presented with the same fate, it’s fine because ultimately Su-min is a lot less likable. She’s just getting what she deserves. Women are only victims when they haven’t done anything wrong.
“But Ji-won had to act this way because someone had to fill her place in her abusive relationship”- cool, in-universe this is totally true. But Marry My Husband doesn’t exist in a vacuum. This rule in its worldbuilding only exists, because the author decided to write it. No one made them do that. Even worse, this creates a cycle where abuse is a necessary evil. Someone has to be at the end of the stick. And we have to choose the least likable person who deserves it the most.
This show also has a very strange relationship with class, which I found very questionable. Most villains in Marry My Husband are lower class. This is not necessarily a problem but it sure is noticeable. And the one time there is a valid criticism of class society, it gets dismissed entirely because it comes from the least sympathetic guy in the entire show.
Also, even though this is a classic exercise in Girlbossism™ arguably too much of Ji-won's revenge was reliant on the aid of her rich chaebol boytoy who was just a dreadfully boring character. Booooo, I am throwing tomatoes.
Maybe this is my fault. Maybe I just wanted something from this drama that it was never interested in giving. One-dimensional villains that you can just hate certainly still can be fun. I loved the arguably similar The Glory for that exact reason. But even though she was pure evil, I had fun watching The Glory’s villain. Because I could recognize actual attempts to make her feel somewhat real instead of a straw woman.
When I voiced my concerns about this show, I was assured time and time again that it’s “not that deep”. This is just a silly Makjang drama. Its main purpose is to just entertain me. Granted, it did that. Against my better judgement, I sat through its insanity. But I ultimately am the one who decides if it’s that deep to me. You're free to take away from it whatever you want, but what if I'm dissatisfied with the surface level? Marry My Husband might not want me to ask the big questions. Well too bad because I am asking them anyway.
Was this review helpful to you?
Just Lame...Unfortunately
I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.It's so disappointing every time I witness a drama self destructing...
Acting/Cast: Just okay. The female lead's acting started off strong in the first episode or two, but it quickly dive-bombed off a cliff. What her acting regressed in to reminded me of the female lead's acting in the beginning of Perfect Marriage Revenge. Except, in Perfect Marriage Revenge, her acting improved as the drama progressed. It was like she was trying to imitate the female lead in The Glory, but only at random moments, so she just seemed like she had a split personality for no reason. Then, that split personality acting turned into cookie-cutter basic female lead personality (which is an absence of personality). The best acting is probably from the second female lead and maybe some side characters. The male lead is boring too. If you're going to have no personality, at least have good chemistry with the female lead... 2/10
Writing: Literally the same plot as Perfect Marriage Revenge. I was hoping that this drama would at least be an improved version. Unfortunately, I ended up giving them the same overall score, but for different reasons. The leads weren't as likeable and didn't have as much chemistry in this drama. However, the villains were a lot better and the entertainment value was a bit higher. This drama also has some entertaining side characters as opposed to Perfect Marriage Revenge. The drama really goes downhill when the character Oh Yoo Ra is introduced in episode 11. The original villains were good enough - I don't know why they felt the need to add in another villain towards the end of the drama. Oh and you know how in every single romance drama there's a point about 2/3 into the drama where the leads "break up"? Well...simply the introduction of this new character is the catalyst for it here...and it's such a dumb reason. I started hating the female lead. I described her as being "self-righteous" (a very unattractive trait in my opinion). Also, the male lead does some ridiculous sacrificial lamb BS that was so cheesy and lame. I couldn't believe the drama had devolved into this stupidity. On a positive note, I liked the added complexity to the "rules" of fate and the detail of the female lead's father being involved in her second chance. 3.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The direction got drunk and wouldn't go home... I'm not a fan of the OST. And the intro...I usually don't mention intros because they really don't matter at all, but in any case, it's terrible. It doesn't fit the drama, but whatever. I can say that the beginning of this drama was well directed. The female lead's reaction to waking up ten years in the past, face-to-face with her abusive ex that had just murdered her was on point. It was so realistic...seriously, it was the highlight of the drama. Too bad the writers couldn't maintain that same energy for the rest of the drama. 4.5/10
Entertainment Value: Very entertaining through the first half of the drama. It takes a turn for the worst when an additional character is suddenly introduced in episode 11. The female lead started to really piss me off and her acting became a mess. The drama started getting cheesy. This wasn't supposed to be a Makjang right? It felt like more of a Makjang than Perfect Marriage Revenge did...and not a good one. 5/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 4/10. Highly disappointing, but it did get some things right.
Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Promising premise but struggles to deliver on its potential.
MMH tried to main 3 things- Revenge, Romance and Extramarital Affairs.It had a great cause for revenge and a good setup with the time travel..unfortunately carried out by a protagonist who did not look like someone who was on a mission after being cheated on, betrayed and eventually murdered but given a 2nd chance in life to correct things. There was very little conviction in her act. The retaliations and conflicts with the main antagonist felt so flat and almost childish throughout. It was challenging to fully empathize with her character or become emotionally invested in her route to victory because of her attitude. Ultimately ended feeling unsatisfied with her victory. PMY suffered almost every possible misfortune yet had lesser burning desire than BoA who came late into the picture with super overboard reactions for what seemed like relatively smaller reasons. Sums it up really.
The romance...was so dead, so dry. Bro get this, the FL had THREE love interests in the show but I felt ZERO chemistry. None, nada, missing!!! Both PMY and NIW felt like people who were not deeply bothered about being in love for the majority of the show, which was fine until they tried to make it about romance again later on. The ML character was not it..he was one-dimensional, sluggish, and predictable every single time he appeared. I had the hardest time watching him. His stoic character paired with the reserved personality of the FL did not create any spark even with time. It would have made sense if she was focused on revenge to think about love but even that was lacking. Towards the latter half when the show shifted focus to their romance..it felt like they were doing speed dating..forcing the sparkless romance onto the viewers, meh~ The one guy who felt like could be something warm (the chef) was friend-zoned almost immediately so that she could run back to her boring boss.
The affairs were probably the only thing done decently well but sadistically speaking- it lacks the usual thrill to the genre because most of the cheating was done on knowledge and not in secret due to the plot..but that's exactly what you want out of an affair drama!! The hiding, the secrets, the narrow escapes, the suspicions, and all that build up to the caught in the act!!
So what was MMH trying to deliver? It felt so average across all 3 departments. I found it hard to rope myself into the action because of all these lackluster aspects. It became even more of a mess after episode 12. I am serious. The truck did not just crash into NIW. I was in that car too. Omg, the embarrassment I felt from watching that scene. Every K-drama cliche you can think of, trust me will appear after episode 12. I mean it, go count it, or have a mini-game of bingo. What a poor attempt to inject a late cheap thrill by introducing a cliche-filled final arc led by a new but shallow antagonist so that the ML and FL can successfully survive great adversity and deserve their happy-ever-after ending. Poor poor move, cheapens the whole show drastically.
I see a lot of viewers giving high scores for the music (ost)…what music bro..? Come on...
Lots of praise online for PMY for her dedication to look the part for the show but this show just proves to me again that she is still an actress that hasn't broken out of her typecast. She did not deliver the revenger on a mission role for me in the drama; tho she did well with what she has always done best- being that girlfriend that every guy wants to be overprotective of. Song Hye Kyo did it successfully in The Glory and this could have been that role for PMY.
Song Ha Yoon (the crazy bff) and Lee Yi Kyung (useless bum) are the true MVPs of the show, especially the former. She carried the show for me and was the only one who felt alive and kept things moving. Her transformation in the drama was executed brilliantly. She brought intensity, suspense, and emotions along with solid acting chops to the show. She was the main reason I stuck with it. What a familiar crazy toxic gaslighting queen performance from her~ 미친년
I will specially mention Choi Gyu Ri (happy lil sister), Gong Min Jung (quiet lady manager), and Ha Do Gwon (CEO's PA) too. Great in their own roles.
All in all, MMH started with great promise and premise but fell flat and predictable as I found myself losing attention as it went. It lacks the usual intensity and suspense of a typical revenge plot for me to consider it in a higher regard. Despite great individual performances, the lack of chemistry and emotional attachment fell short considering the weighty themes of grief, love, betrayal, and revenge. MMH felt average across the departments and nothing truly shined and took control for me. It fell to the ranks of dramas that I wanted to finish just to see the ending of a story that I chose to start.
Kudos the last 2 episodes did have a tiny redemption arc by tying up loose ends neatly and giving what the viewers want to see, making it a somewhat decent finish- tho it was predictable and felt cheap due to how the final arc played out.
(Writers, directors: for the love of God can we please stop it with the big truck/lorry crash into coma-will you wake up please I actually love you scenes anymore…..it’s 2024 there is more than 1 way to kill someone and send their other half into agony T.T)
*See what my rating means here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/joshuading
Was this review helpful to you?
I think the most important thing is to like the plot of the story, I love revenge
I think I'm going to really like the drama, I love this plot of the protagonist getting a chance, you know, I find it so engaging. I thought the leads were beautiful, I love this actress and I think she's going to act a lot. The first episode was the kind that hooks you, you know? It makes you curious about what will happen in the future. Anyway, the drama reminds me a lot of Perfect Marriage Revenge, which excites me because that drama really got to me and I consider it the best of 2023. Oh, I saw that the main actress lost weight for the drama, and I was amazed because the woman delivers so much, my god. Anyway, I'm anxious for the other episodesWas this review helpful to you?
Less means more, more means less…
At least in terms of number of cliches, politines, schemes and unnecessary side characters. Develop and elaborate on what you already have - sadly the writer did not get the memo.Yes, I am aware that all these unnecessary side plots and twists were part of the source material, but I am also quite aware of the fact one should be selective of how much they decide to bring to the adaptation. It’s okay to remove some characters from the plot if they don’t really add much to it anyway.
First half of the show was honestly pure perfection. Female lead with good character that you want to root for. Too perfect to be true male lead. Supporting characters that feel like real people. Well paced drama and conflicts and get reasonable resolutions. Villains that are so awful you kind of start to appreciate how much of a hazardous waste they are.
And then the second half happened… Adding one dimensional characters just to annoy the viewers (since the same plot could have been achieved with the already existing cast). Why? Tell me why they decided adding side plots and characters to never develop them, never give a proper closure and actually make the already existing set up more messy and unrealistic, would be a good idea. Adding one dimensional, poorly written and poorly acted characters will never increase the quality and value of your project.
But even with that messy last few episodes, the drama managed to end on an enjoyable note. One thing I for sure appreciated was the message - you do not really need magic powers and time travel to change your life. Pay attention to your surroundings, see the value in people who support you, don’t be scared to ask for help, do not let people treat you badly - you deserve better. You have more power in your hands than you might think, you just have to take that first step and start using it.
That would be the “message” part, how about the romance? As for the chemistry, it was mediocre. I honestly think Park Min Young does not have good chemistry with any of her romantic co-actors. All of her rom-coms usually feel one sided - I see a lot of feelings and passion from the men, and then… not much from her. It’s the same case here. For how unreasonably perfect and poorly developed Yoo Ji Hyuk was, Na In Woo truly sold the character and even if by the end of the drama I did not feel like I know Ji Hyuk that well, I knew how much he loves Ji Won.
While I did not vibe with Park Min Young’s romantic scenes, I do think she did a great job with the personal journey of Kang Ji Won - from the shell of a human, defeated, angry, dying, to a confident, driven and strong woman. I felt her pain, I felt her frustration, I felt her fear, but I also felt the satisfaction and the sense of victory with each and every positive step she took.
All that said, I think we can all agree that the true stars of the drama were Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon - what a powerful duo. They could be given as a definition of characters you love to hate. Cannot believe I’m saying it, but I will miss their selfish, crazy, self pity shenanigans.
Production value? Soundtrack? Set design? Makeup and costumes? All typical mainstream drama level - great, but not outstanding and for sure not memorable.
Overall, it was extremely entertaining, then it became extremely frustrating, but still entertaining. Closer to the end it hit rock bottom and almost made me drop, just to finish on a high note again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Revenge for whom
After stellar reviews, jumped to test the waters. Well, this was mediocre revenge story more glamour camera for the FL since her acting is blerg.Story: death, cheating humans, death, rebirth, angst galore, vexing grandpa, mysterious aide - nothing new in kdrama world.
Acting: FL & ML were muted angst filled humans, providing little development of character for 30+yo, supporting actors offered character & insight. Strongest actor was the SFL who portrayed a deeply troubled mental paragon. This female actor was far more compelling & interesting compared to the FL.
Music: nothing memorable
Overall: watch if you love the FL or SFL. This should have been a 12eps drama. The stretch of 4eps was another example that viewers are given mediocrity so drama overloads can make more $.
Was this review helpful to you?
Promising start but went downhill
My review may not be adequate like others since it is not based on proper research. I read the manhwa for the sake of watching this drama and it incidentally was my first manhwa. I was completely hooked on the manhwa. It was fast-paced and had satisfied ending for each character. Including all the side characters and also their villains. It gave proper reasoning for all past but here it was rushed. Even though the drama was 16 episodes it couldn't do justice to the webtoon. Here, there was no chemistry between the leads. I know many will disagree with me but it could've been better. In manhwa, it was slow-paced but there was an intensity in their relationship. There was reasoning for every small detail as in how Jiwon moved into the new apartment, that allergy fiasco, and the other leads' relationships. The casting of Jihyeok was not good. I'm not saying that this actor is not looking but he couldn't do justice to the character. The villains were properly cast and their acting is the only good part of this whole drama. The best part of the manhwa that the drama failed to present was that Jiwon was kickass in the manhwa. Here, it felt forced. Especially all those so-called self-defense moves. I could rant about every single detail. But to summarize this review the drama was a mediocre remake of an excellent manga with not-so-appealing casting, average acting, inadequate storyline, screenplay, and production, an unnecessary introduction of new characters, not proper closures for other characters, and a lackluster ending.Was this review helpful to you?
If you read the webtoon, you already know the next 16 episodes are gonna be full of emotions...
Well, as somebody who read the webtoon, l was already rooting for this to be turned to a Kdrama and they did.... I just watched the first episode and already, l was crying and fuming with anger at the same time, l wonder how it's gonna be for the next 15episodes to comeMarry my husband basically has almost and l just said almost the same plot as Perfect marriage revenge, the difference is if she changes something, something will happen to another person.... A twist right??? I recommend this soooo much... Its a good way to start 2024.....tho Minyoung needs to gain weight later😭😭😭
Was this review helpful to you?
Great but destined to not be a Masterpiece
The drama was great in the initial episodes, but soon it lost touch. There are some good life lessons to learn. And the pacing is good, but not the best. Su Min and Min Hwan stole the limelight. Even though they were antagonists, there presence was better than that of male leads. Male lead chemistry, I feel, is kind of off at the beginning, but soon it becomes good.I think they were not able to portray the year 2013. It's 10 years ago, but for that timeline, all they did is change mobile phones to old Samsung phones while everything was still the same. I think they would have created a good nostalgic theme, but that was not the intention. Still, that thing had potential. I am happy with this drama but it's not much memorable and I rate it 8/10 overall.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not a nail-biting revenge drama, falling short in the end.
Barring the last few episodes, this is a good drama. Strong start, great cast & acting - the revenge plot dwindled towards the end with some unnecessary elements. Guess, the ending/revenge being satisfactory or not would differ people to people & hence affect the overall liking for this drama. For me, it wasn't the triumphant-fist-pump-the-air kind of revenge in the end that I love so I was unsatisfied. But the writers tied up all the knots- which makes it a decent if not great finish. Main for me the revenge arc was average : 5-6 out of 10. It had great potential but was not suspenseful/unexpected & felt mediocre when delivered in the final episodes.Fav Aspects:
1. The female friendships
2. Men (ML, Chef, U&K Lawyer) being such green flags
3. Decent Antagonists (the FL's friend & boyfriend/fiancé)
What I Did Not Like:
1. Ep 12-16 were rushed, had unnecessary angst & characters (eg: ML's ex-fiancée & greedy parents)
2. Lead Pair Chemistry was Lacking (yes, even with all the hot kisses)
3. Wished Ju Ran & Yoo Hee Yeon (the support FLs) had more time for their stories & not just hints at the end.
Overall: 7/10
Decent one-time watch given the hype & media coverage, but not something I will rate in my top 10 list of revenge dramas.
(see how I rate dramas explanation: https://mydramalist.com/profile/omo-omo-omo )
Was this review helpful to you?
