A História do Contrato de Casamento de Park (2023)

Enjoyable overall.

May, 2024.
A time travel mystery rom-com, which has laughs, intrigue, threat, tragedy and romance.

Park Yun-woo (LSY), is not your typical Joseon woman and when she can no longer avoid getting married, her life takes an unimaginable turn. The emotions, characters and her life during this time, make for an entertaing watch, with the usual variety of characters from that period.

After finding herself in modern day Seoul, she becomes embroiled with a chaebol family, but holds her own. Faces are familiar, but out of time, and she has to adjust to modern life, whilst trying to find a way back to her past one.

This part of the story has the most intrigue and mystery, plus the most laughs. Her intelligence and tenacity help her adjust, but a big dollop of 'just accepting', is needed, in how well!

As the synopsis details, she meets a man who is the double of her deceased husband (BIH), with whom she enters into a marriage contract. There are times she feels like history is repeating and begins piecing things together, as so many links to her past begin to emerge. A strange but familiar character makes random appearances, guiding her, but rarely succinctly.

Her deceased husband was a lovely character, very different to his doppelganger; but they share a secret.

I really enjoyed this drama. It's classic romance, with many of the usual elements of the genre, plus some twists.

What I was disappointed with, and frankly didn't understand, was her attitude towards a key charscter, near the end of the story. It made no sense to me, given her feelings in the first part of the drama. I felt so bad and sorry for that person. It is possible to love 2 people, especially in this context.

Don't expect it to be logical throughout, and just embrace the fiction; then you might enjoy it, as I did.

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Perfect marriage

MBC will forever be to me the channel that doesn't do things halfway. They either have awful dramas or really good stories, I am glad to say The Story of Park's Marriage Contract is the latter. Another good example of why 12 episodes long dramas are sometimes better, no time to waste and unnecessary conflicts.

Lee Se Young and Bae In Hyuk gave great chemistry. They delivered solid performances and nuance characters. There is no perfect relationship but the leads of this drama come very close through proper communication, team work and love. Particularly when you take into account there's time traveling and corporate spies trying to take them down.

Joo Hyun Young, Jo Bok Rae and Oh Yu Jin are scene stealers. Every single interaction between each other or the leads is gold comedy with the added attribute that they are actually super cool characters that have full lives, apart from the main story. So, it's interesting to see well developed secondary characters. Same goes for the rest of the cast.

The story per se it's really fun and the mystery well done. Every week, I wanted to a new clue to resolve what was happening but also find out what new adventure leading lady was going to have. Her charm and openness to the world was invigorating. Definitely one of the best characters of 2024.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable story and I recommend it.

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historical modern drama

Historically modern drama, where I was happy that Bae In Hyuk is in the main role. Overall, Lee Se Yeong is very good at historical dramas. When she got to the present world, she was out a lot, but she could have been more :D. It had a lot of funny moments and a nice story. But then again, I was disappointed that two adults finally kissed, and after that, both were like adolescents. I missed the adult approach. Also, I didn't understand two things: how Bae In Hyuk's heart problem was related to her being in the present world (he already had an issue with the heart and also underwent surgery). She had to come back, and then he miraculously healed. And that picture of her locked away at his grandfather's like a treasure. If anyone has an explanation for this, let me know please.

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the ending is a no

I was so in love with this drama until we got the last two episodes, was part of the plot dumb absolutely. I really wish we got a glimpse of grandpas character change we met him he was happy and goofy and them he showed up evil. Why was there only one surgeon in the hospital and if it was the grandpa’s decision why was there a need to go after the step-mom. All of those things I was able to get over but trying to convince me that she couldn’t love both versions of the ml was insane to me and it made the last two episodes boring and annoying. What was the meaning of the flowers dying and coming back, and why did her outfit change. Lastly I really wish we had gotten to see fl reunite with so wol.

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could've been a 9.5 but...

I would've rated this drama a 9 or 9.5 had it not been for the last few episodes. I enjoyed this story and how it flowed. The leads were great. I remember thinking OMG, how will this end? I love the current Kang Tae Ha, but I wanted justice for the one from the previous timeline as well. I loved how the past and present intertwined with the faces from the past making an appearance in today's world. I don't have anything bad to say about the first half of the drama. My issue came in the end when the female lead had to go back to the previous time and correct the wrongs. I don't particularly appreciate how that part of the story was written I feel like she should've gone back changed the past and then come back to the present sooner so the viewer could've got a little more interaction between the leads in the end. Instead, the viewer is taken back in time where she corrects the past only for the ML to lose his life still at which point she goes and stays in a cabin house away from her family where she is then attacked by the person who killed her in the beginning trying to kill her again. She jumps to her death and reappears back where it started in the current time with the male lead and that's the end. The viewer doesn't know what happened between the time she jumped and the time she returned. I just wish the last 2 episodes were written better.

sidenote: I loved the best friend and her relationship with the ML's assistant.

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A very short review since I was not able to connect with the story

This story has a lot of potential, but I do not know; the story was so boring for me because it did not make me focus while I watched. I keep falling asleep. And maybe because I kept falling asleep I was not able to focus or make a connection to any of the characters, which was a letdown because I was looking forward to this story since this is the only series that offers this kind of time travel. Also, I was not convince with the reasoning of the villain (if you can call him that) especially the one in the Joseon time. However, I will not tell anyone to not watch this because maybe it will be your cup of tea and will enjoy.

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Strong start, weak finish

It was captivating from the start.. from the Joseon era FL was suddenly transported to the modern world. Sort of like a parallel universe, she met her dead husband and other characters in this modern world , started living and trying to survive here.

Bae In Hyuk who played the ML was a little stiff, and not so convincing with his role. Their relationship and chemistry seemed more of good friends than of lovers. Even the bed scene looked very uncomfortable ;)

As the story goes on, there are twists in the plot but unfortunately it was quite predictable. Of course it’s a happy ending, but the humour and storyline could not really hold it strong till the end.

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Unraveling the Tangled Tale of "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract"

"The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" has its charms and flaws. It has a unique premise and a lovely cast, but it also has a weak plot and poor execution. It's a drama that you can enjoy if you don't think too much about it and just focus on the romance and the comedy. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not a disaster either. It's a drama that you can watch for fun, but not for depth.

First things first—that title. Yes, it's a mouthful, and I can't help but wonder if the writers were testing our commitment right from the start. But hey, don't judge a drama by its title, right?

Let's talk about the main couple. They are undeniably beautiful, and their romance is like a perfectly orchestrated symphony. The chemistry between them is palpable, and you can't help but root for their love to triumph against all odds. The journey of their relationship is a delightful mix of heart-fluttering moments and genuine emotional depth.

Then there's the second couple, whose comedic antics inject a hearty dose of laughter into the narrative, providing a much-needed break from the emotional rollercoaster of the main plot.

Joseon-era Tae Ha had it rough, and you can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for his predicament.

But then there's the reincarnation angle, which, let's face it, might be a bit of a stretch. The idea that almost everyone reincarnates in 2023, looking exactly like their past selves, might push the boundaries of believability. After all, reincarnation is not a mirror world where everyone is a doppelganger.

The drama might leave you with more questions than answers. The logic of how a descendant could emerge from Yun Woo's lineage when she and her parents all died in the Joseon era might require a suspension of disbelief. Did she have a secret child or something?

In the end, "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" is a rollercoaster of emotions, with its fair share of highs and bewildering loops.

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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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