Only Just Married

Good start but a let down in the second half; seemed forced romance

This is only my third or fourth ever Japanese drama and maybe that's why my rating is affected but I'm just not able to get into Jdramas.

The entire drama felt rushed to me, but I don't know how to explain it because, at the same time, it also felt quite repetitive to me. Both of these are opposite ends which is what confuses me. I felt the FL's job scenes were so overdone, extra and not needed in that frequency given the length of the show which is why I call it repetitive. The show could've easily done without them. But at the same time, the story between them was so rushed as if they just had to somehow wrap it up and end it because they have a limit on episodes.

I actually quite enjoyed the beginning where the story was building and the FL's transition to love was quite smooth. But the ML's transition to leave seemed rather forced to me. I also did not enjoy the entire sequence with the SIL look-alike.

Safe to say my favourite character has been Yuito. He's been a good friend to Akiha throughout and also somewhat to Momose. He was a hilarious and well-thought-out character. Other than him, I did not see depth in any character, not even the leads to that extent.

As good as the first half was (probably an 8), the second half was just a letdown. The entire relationship seemed forced and then suddenly the remarriage to which she was so opposed, I don't know, does not make any sense to me.

Maybe I just don't understand the format of Jdramas or maybe this was just not a good one. I don't know. I would say this is easily skippable.

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One of the most Frustrating Male Leads

As someone who really enjoys the fake marriage and co-habitation trope, I thought this was a solid entry in the genre — just not one of the best. There are definitely stronger series out there that handle these tropes with more impact or chemistry, but this one is still entertaining and worth watching if you already love this type of story. It has a very promising start and does a good job drawing you in early. While it never fully reached “must-watch” status for me, it stayed consistently enjoyable throughout. If you’re a die-hard fan of fake marriage stories, I would still recommend it. And if you’ve already watched a lot in this genre and are open to something that’s good rather than exceptional, this is still a worthwhile watch.

I can understand why some viewers rate it a 10/10, and I can also understand why others did not like it at all. But I think most fans of the trope will not be completely disappointed. Personally, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to rewatch it, but if it happened to be on, I’d likely keep watching because it was entertaining.

Spoilers

If you have seen "Good Morning Call" or "Playful Kiss" you will get the vibe if this male lead character and the couple's original dynamic. The hardest part of watching Only Just Married was honestly how cruel the male lead character, Shu Momose, could be to the main girl character, Akiha Okado, in the beginning. He constantly called her irritating, acted like choosing her was a mistake, and took his frustrations out on her in ways that felt unnecessary. It became difficult to watch her accept every tiny scrap of kindness he gave her and immediately fall deeper into one-sided love again.

What made it worse was the entire situation with his sister-in-law, Miharu Momose. I could not get past the fact that he seemed emotionally more invested in her than in his own brother, Asahi Momose. Whenever something happened involving that relationship, his concern always felt directed toward her first, not his brother. And honestly, the sister-in-law seemed aware of his feelings. Some of her behavior came across as flirtatious, almost like she enjoyed the emotional attention and unintentionally — or intentionally — led him on.

The fake marriage itself also felt uncomfortable at times because of his motivations. Using marriage as a cover story while emotionally hung up on someone else made him hard to root for early on. Ironically, one of the best characters in the drama ended up being the woman who rejected him outright and refused to participate in that arrangement. She became the snarky voice of reason for the main girl and honestly represented what many viewers were probably thinking.

One thing that frustrated me personally was watching the main girl continue tolerating behavior she didn’t deserve, especially when she had the means to walk away much earlier. It hurt my pride as a woman a little watching her repeatedly settle for crumbs emotionally instead of protecting herself.

My daughter, who was my drama-watching buddy for this one, rage quit halfway through. She quit watching after we looked at lower-rated reviews instead of the glowing 9/10 and 10/10 ones to understand why some people disliked it so much. And honestly, those reviews perfectly captured how we felt at the beginning: he was selfish, emotionally cruel, overly attached to his sister-in-law, and completely oblivious to how badly he was hurting the main girl. What those reviews failed to mention, though, is that the drama does eventually turn things around. She does stand up for herself. And he finally comes to his senses.

The big gest payoff for me was seeing the main girl finally develop a backbone and emotionally detach from him. She reaches a point where she is simply done. Done accepting scraps. Done waiting for him to choose her. Done excusing his behavior. That shift completely changed the dynamic of the show.

Ironically, he nearly loses her because he still cannot communicate clearly. He pushes for the divorce intending it as a way to reset and pursue her properly, but he never explains himself well enough, so she understandably believes the relationship is truly over. At that point, she has finally found her self-respect and is no longer willing to chase him emotionally.

It honestly takes him forever — and way too much pushing from the second male lead — to realize what should have been obvious much earlier: that he genuinely loves her. But once he finally understands that what he felt for his sister-in-law was not actually romantic love, his growth becomes much more satisfying.

The ending worked for me because the emotional balance finally shifts. Instead of her endlessly proving herself to him, he has to fight for her. He has to reflect on what he truly wants, pursue her honestly, and convince her to marry him again. After everything earlier in the series, that reversal felt earned and emotionally satisfying.

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CLICHÉ CONTRACT RELATIONSHIP TO REAL RELATIONSHIP DRAMA

There are times I enjoy very cliché plots, especially if it’s made very well. Although this is not the best of this type of story I have watched, I can say that it has its good parts.

STORY:
Two people enter a contract relationship for some reason and then realize that they love each other. The plot is actually simple but somehow there are confusing parts. One is the male lead, I don’t think his reason for getting married is as strange as it’s portrayed. I do get his side but what I do not like is how naïve his character is and it’s a little frustrating. Also, there’s too much misunderstandings that the flow of the story seems to focus more on conflicts.

The ending is not my favorite, I feel like it could ended better. Up until the end there’s still lack of communication. It could have been simple and a cute moment but it wasn’t. Also, I feel like the main leads lacked in chemistry which is disappointing because at first I think they have a bit and expected a build-up throughout the story.

ACTING/CAST:
The actors did well (main and supporting), I think that they’ve embodied there character. The male lead being an introvert, very straight to the point person, very naïve (frustrating) who wanted to be married as a camouflage (so he can continue loving someone he cannot love). The female lead who is a warm hearted woman and very passionate in her career.

In terms of supporting characters, I liked that they have a story outside the plot, but for a 10 episode drama I think that some of these story wasn’t executed properly instead they become a distraction. A character I like though is the sister-in-law. I like her at first and then I didn’t and when I got to know her side I understand. I feel like her story and choices would give a lesson to the viewers that sometimes it takes more than love to be somewhere you want in life.

REWATCH VALUE:
The drama has some cute moments and I think that it’s worth a watch. I am glad I watched it and I do recommend it but I don’t think I would rewatch.

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ONE OF MY FAVORITE CLICHE' DRAMA

Please tell me if it is only I who noticed that there is no wedding ceremony on this drama when the story is all about marriage lol. I was wondering if in Japan when they want to marry someone they just have to fill out the contract and stamp on it and there ! They are husband and wife !

Thank fully when I watched it, I was really missing this kind of Cliche' story of a drama and I have chosen to watch a right drama on a right time ! You know just to share I was really planning to watch this one for previous years ago I Knew it would be something that has a predictable story from that time but because I was noticing Kentaro I really want to watch it.
first I like that Kentaro Sakaguchi that is my crush playing the lead like this is the first every drama of him that I watched, I don't usually watch Japaneses Dramas only Korean Dramas and going to Japanese drama like this feels really new to me, Like I found their language cute also, and their gestures, I also learned some of their traditions and daily lives and every thing was really cute !
i watched it for only 2 days and watching like that again is really amazing for me because it means I am really entertained and that the drama is really good ! because you know for someone who is a young adult employed and is busy every day , binge watching is really hard unlike during college and high school days where you can watch a 16 episode drama in one day ! --- so in short this one is good !
Getting Married to keep loving your Sister-in-law is really absurd , but I did not really mind about that because Kentaro is so cutie HAHA lol
I hate Momose san at first because He is so mean to Okado and I also hate that Okado is so weak hearted towards Momose but inspite of it , those moments really made my heart flutter !! like I know how that feels
I hate the influencer who looks like the in law of Momose-san like she is so flirt !
my favorite parts are when Momose asked Okado to wake him up every morning because he is not a morning person, also when Momose found out that Okado has already have enough money to pay her debt and be free from the fake marriage and how Okado kissed Momose .. you know its really funny that Momose san is so innocent that he did not even know that Okado loved him even when she kissed him already those were really cute
I like also the part when Momose san brags Okado on the later part to his subbordinates and office mates of Okado's designs , and on the last part knowing that the husband of Okados idol designer is Momose's Boss ! HAHAHA that was really surprisingly funny.
I thought in my self that Oh Japanese dramas are like this .. and I cannot get over.I just love the progression of their love story , I just love every moments they have specially when Momose used the cat to call Okado to his house , I just can;t contain it ! and now I missed them so much . I am plannin g to rewatch this again next time !

There is no really lesson in this drama but to you know be brave to confess your feelings, also learn to wait , learn to not give up on the person you love for maybe who knows they will change in the way you wanted them to , just don't leave them.
I am glad I watched this drama and before I forgot to mention, I love the OST so so much , like the song has been on my playlist until now ! because of this drama I can't get away from Japanese Dramas now ..
definitely recommended one for my 5 years of being addict on Dramas. i might say I am a pro , hHAHA lol Just kidding !

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*chaotically good* energy from both main leads

Momose Shu is so in love with his sister in law he marries another woman as to reduce the concern of his family about his single-ness. Okado Akiha agrees to help her grandmother keep her shop but then also falls in love with him and tries to help in any way she can.

While this show was enjoyable, I think Momose Shu spent too much time thinking about Miharu (his SIL). While I get that was the starting premise, I think the framing and just overall “love” for her on his part was played for too long. Yes, it’s nice to show him as a loyal lover but it messes with the romantic balance between him and the actual *love interest*, Okado Akiha. Thus the 7 romance rating. Honestly, I could even make it a 6 but I think the ending was pleasant enough so whatever.

I am glad Miharu ended up not divorcing Asahi, but I think during that time is when Momose Shu should have let her go properly.

I enjoyed how Okado Akiha’s fan admiration for Maruzono Fumi played out. And, I liked Mamiya Shoko’s as well as Makihara Yuito’s characters. Mamiya Shoko was very much the viewer in how she interacted with the main leads but her choice to suddenly want to be with Momose Shu for a hot second after already rejecting his original proposal was kinda random. I think it was just for her to “align” with Makihara Yuito but I don’t think it was needed at all.

Makihara Yuito was a cutie. Because of how DUMB Momose Shu was for much of the show, I was honestly rooting for him and I don’t think I have ever rooted for the SML before LOL.

Anyways, it’s not a show I will hold dearly but I did enjoy the ride for what it was overall.

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Started out great, ended okay

I am a huge fan of the whole fake-marriage-to-lovers trope, so I decided to give this a try and I'm glad I did.

The show started out great, and I had many moments where I really loved the plot and the characters. I liked Okado's unconventional thoughts on marriage and sympathized a lot with Momose's unrequited love. Momose was sometimes unintentionally funny, and I enjoyed their dynamic.

However, I feel like Okado fell in love with Momose way too quickly. By episode three, she already realized she liked him. This gave us seven hour-long episodes of her trying to deny her feelings or trying to find ways to get Momose to love her back. Even so, I still enjoyed the show a lot and was very willing to continue to watch.

There were a few cringey moments, especially when Okado misinterpreted Momose's actions or words and went full-steam ahead with her perception, but it wasn't too bad overall. However, episode seven and eight had too much filler. While I can understand the reasons the characters are doing what they're doing, I honestly found myself just speeding up to get to the point the plot would move forward.

I rarely say that a show should have been shorter, but the pacing of this show was so strange. With the current plot, the show would have worked better with eight hour-long episodes instead. Or, they could have paced it better to fit the ten episodes without filler.

Also, I'm not sure I completely understand the conflict in episode 10. One thing that I get frustrated with during shows about is the lack of communication. They tell their friends the exact reason they're mad, but they expect their partner to magically read their minds? While lack of communication was a recurring trope in this show, it got worse as the show went on. Okado got mad at Momose for assuming things (which he shouldn't have done) but then she herself refused to communicate her expectations to him. It was frustrating to watch at times. However! I do think some of the things I didn't super understand regarding Okado was because they were reflective of Japanese society and culture, neither of which I am a part of, so it makes sense that I don't understand where she's coming from. Watching while keeping that in mind made the show more enjoyable for me.

One small detail I actually really liked - the title card of the last episode changed to fit the current situation. I was actually hoping it would change every episode to reflect their situation, so when I saw that it did actually change in the last one, it was really cool to see.

I am excited to see that there is a spin-off with Makihara!! I felt that Okado really took advantage of him and unfairly brushed off his feelings. He really got the short end of the stick so I am excited to see how his story pans out.

Anyway, although the pacing could have been better, I still enjoyed this show.

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Une comédie qui me semble bien douloureuse…

Ce drama nous conte une énième histoire de faux mariage. Si le concept peut être drôle, s’il est bien amené, ce n’est pas toujours le cas & cela peut même mener au drame… Dans ce cas-ci, je dois avouer avoir eu du mal avec l’histoire & avoir vu plus de souffrance que de rire… On peut même dire que l’héroïne prend vraiment pour son « grade » avec un héros des plus hermétique durant une grande partie de l’histoire…

Parlons un peu de ce drama en parlant des clichés du monde cinématographique asiatique qui y sont présent :
► Une jeune femme n’ayant jamais eu de relation amoureuse ou très peu… (& qui bien sûr tombe amoureuse du héros.)
► Un jeune homme « riche » qui propose un mariage pour x raison(s). (& qui se voile la face durant la presque totalité du drama ^^)
► Des parents qui souhaitent voir leurs enfants se marier le plus rapidement possible.
► Une conception de l’amour assez « pudique » & surtout « innocente ». (qui a du mal à passer vu l’âge des protagonistes, c’est un concept qui chez les américains ou européens n’existe plus depuis bien longtemps…)

En résumé, si j’avais vu ce drama il y a quelques années, je suis sûre qu’il m’aurait beaucoup plu. Cependant, à l’heure actuelle, son visionnage m’a laissé une impression désagréable… Avec une vision de l’amour & du couple qui me semble bien erronée (Après, chacun à sa conception de la chose ^^).

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Drama romantis yang klasik tapi bikin greget

Klise sih ceritanya. Tentang 2 orang manusia beda kelamin yang cukup umur dan memutuskan untuk menjalani married with benefits (?). Latar belakang yang dibuat dari cerita ini untuk Akiha cukup masuk akal, tapi latar belakang dan alasan Momose untuk menikah yang bikin ganggu dan justru terlihat menyedihkan. Maksudnya, suka sama temen yang kemudian jadi kakak ipar kamu itu rasanya bukan masalah yang besar selagi kamu tau batasan. Kenapa menumbalkan orang asing dalam sebuah pernikahan untuk menghindari kenyataan itu? Lucunya, Momose tau dia cinta sama Miharu (Kakak iparnya), tapi dia gak menyadari perasaan cintanya ke Akiha setelah sekian lama hidup bersama sebagai suami-istri. Momose kan bukan pertama kali jatuh cinta, masa dia masih kesulitan juga menyadari perasaannya ke Akiha? Plot cinta segitiga (yang kalau diselidiki lagi ada lebih dari tiga orang) nya juga kurang bisa aku terima. Out of nowhere ada orang yang mirip banget sama Miharu dan tiba-tiba langsung mencoba merebut Momose dari Akiha? Juga resepsionis munafik yang nolak Momose diawal tapi sekarang malah kegatelan ngejar-ngejar Momose? Semua itu masih bisa ditahan, masih bisa dianggap fine-fine aja sampai di akhir episode 8. Rasanya pengen banget maki-maki Momose langsung di depan matanya. Masalah ending, klasik juga sebenernya. Tipikal ending yang diinginkan semua penonton :)

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Partendo dal presupposto che questa non è una commedia romantica, la storia è anche carina ma un po di cose non mi hanno convinta. In primis la chimica tra i due protagonisti è latente e anche i momenti dolci risultano forzati. FL sul lavoro mi ha convinta ma quando doveva avere a che fare con il partner mi cascava come una pera cotta, non proprio il massimo da guardare! ML è un personaggio particolare, direi che da una lato mi ricorda molto Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) e mi ha incuriosita: forse è solo per lui che l'ho guardato tutto XD
Piaciuta molto anche la questione affrontata dal fratello di lui con la moglie: l'ho trovata davvero interessante poichè va in parte(lo sottolineo) a rompere gli stereotipi della classica famiglia a cui i giapponesi sono tanto attaccati. Degli intramezzi invece me n'è piaciuto solo uno e mi dispiace per come è stato trattato ma amen. Gli altri personaggi invece non mi hanno convinta per nulla. Insomma, adatto come drama solo a chi ama il trope contratto di matrimonio però vi avverto che non è granchè.

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Un drama non riuscito, al di là delle buone idee di partenza.

Alla ricerca di un drama simile ma all'altezza di "In house marriage honey" sono approdata a questa serie... Purtroppo. Storia senza spessore, il tema - forse all'inizio anche interessante - dell'amore impossibile di lui per la cognata si trascina troppo e troppo a lungo, togliendo spazio all'evoluzione della coppia principale e penalizzandola. Akiha un po' incoerente, lui eternamente smarrito come un pianeta disperso che tornerà in orbita giusto alla fine, la chimica tra i due è pari a zero, il background e i personaggi secondari al pare di un contorno di verdure insipido. Una serie che manca di sprint e spina dorsale, che mette sul piatto una tematica ma non sa gestirla, sfruttarla o portarla avanti, quindi viene accantonata e ripresa all'occorrenza mescolandola ad altri temi trattati nella stessa maniera. Le buone idee possono ispirare una serie, ma è la loro concretizzazione che ne fa un bel drama. Strappa la sufficienza per compassione, ma di sicuro non la rivedrei.

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amor e outros amores

foi um processo lento para que ambos percebessem o que estavam sentindo, mas isso é porque temos a idéia de que tudo tem que acontecer o mais rápido possível, que se não acontecer de tal maneira, não existe outra alternativa. algumas pessoas desistem rápido demais, cansam antes de entender os próprios sentimentos. particularmente gostei do desenvolvimento. momose passou boa parte acreditando que só tinha um único amor em sua vida, então tudo era uma experiência nova, fiquei feliz pela akiha ter sido compreensiva e ter acolhido os sentimentos dele, e até posso ver algumas pessoas entendendo isso como um ato egoísta, mas não, no amor é assim, não existe padrão, não existe casamento perfeito, não existe ordem correta a se seguir.

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