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Great young actors!
To be honest, Kim Young Dae was my main reason to see this drama, only later did I notice that the story is very interesting as well. I liked his performance as "The Penthouse" more that I would expect and was curious that he would be able to perform well in completely different environment - the role of a king in the Joseon era. AND HE DID I!The start of the drama was difficult because the first two episodes seem to turn in all directions but as soon as I reached episode 3 everything came to one point. Forbidden Marriage contain some popular clichés: intrigues at the palace, wicked stepmother, Cinderella-like heroine but this doesn't affect its positive reception. Humorous and romantic situations increase that reception. I love how they incorporated handsome men showing off their biceps, reading books to "wake them up" and unexpected references to other dramas like Hotel Del Luna considered bedtime stories 😆😋
The drama was still very well balanced between the aforementioned himoristic elements and the seriousness of the situation in which the main couple is. I fought with myself for a long time whether to give the drama 7 or 6.5 points, but because of poor chemistry between the leads, it ended up on 6.5/10. Certain shots and actions of the actors showed that there was something between them, but it was not enough to accept it as a real feeling between the lady-swindler and the king 😒 These are young actors who need to learn a little more or have better screen partners 😬😅 Nonetheless Kim Young Dae and Park Ju Hyun are on the verge of being great actors.
I speak more about this and other dramas on my blog! Come and visit me there: my-asian-dramas.blogspot.com
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Delightful - made me smile, giggle and feel good no matter how things went. Sometimes you need that
If you're looking for an interesting story, romance, laughter, beautiful costumes, beguiling music and enough intrigue to keep you entertained but not drain your emotional battery...this could be the satisfying drama you're looking for. There's so much to love about this period romance and while the synopsis doesn't hint at how cleverly created & produced this drama is, it is visually stunning with a beautiful soundtrack.The photography/cinematography was great, although in a few places the look of actor's makeup suffered. The core story is actually tragic - as most Joseon period tales are - but the humor is great. Maybe over-the-top silly, and childish... I loved it. True to the writers intent, this is not a serious historic piece. Many traditional Joseon ideals are thwarted and replaced with 21st ideas and opinions. And it's certainly far from proper with use of erotic manwah as a way of enticement for all the male characters. There are also inside jokes about popular kdramas you' might recognize.
As I experienced it, Episode 1 of The Forbidden Marriage explodes with a prelude of eye-popping color and graphics, a literary disclaimer, intro to our scam artist So Rang who tries to make a living during the nationwide marriage ban in Joseon. Our 3 main characters are King Yi Heon, So Rang and Sun Won. Of these the King and So Rang are the funniest especially after they meet within the confines of the Palace. Both roles are exceptionally acted, and you can sympathize with their condition; enter into their feelings and empathize. The fact So Rang is a swindler is not really important, and neither is the elevated status of King Yi Heon, whose personality is laughable and allows for much comic relief. At times the humor is enough to make you stop watching to recover and catch your breath.
The soundtrack is excellent with so much diversity. One ballad I believe is Chinese and is lovely enough even without subtitles.
This drama came as quite a surprise to me as the synopsis didn't attract me. Also, its viewership was low for the genre. But Rom-Com type dramas vary widely, and this one is much more lighthearted; easy to watch because it's only 12 parts and takes an irreverent diversion from the more explicit cruelty of period dramas. I am delighted I watched it and hope more fans of Korean romance comedy will find it and add to its popularity. It might not be equivalent to The Kings Affection, Flower Crew: Joseon Wedding Agency or Lovers of the Red Sky, for its story presentation but is definitely entertaining and enjoyable without the emotional turmoil of a classic 16-24 part drama. I highly recommend it as such.
Summary:
For what it's worth, this lighthearted drama is well worth watching for the delightful story, beautiful visuals, mesmerizing music, comedic main characters and feel good ending.
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Romance got lost
I liked the drama, however, towards the midpoint it veered off course.The acting is not terrific and the main couple are possibly not the best pairing.
The ML is a traumatised king who is being kept emotionally unbalanced due to a series of grisly murders reinforcing his wife's supposed suicide.
Enter the FL who is hiding from her evil, murdering step mother and has become a con artist involved in the marriage compatibility business. She is a fast talker and not averse to pretending she has Shamanistic skills to save her own neck.
The comedic aspect is in play here as this clueless heroine behaves as though she was never been privy to a wealthy family background, although, as we find out later she has only been on the run for 7 years.
I actually like the 2ML best. He comes across as strong, caring and respectful. At all times he is protecting the king and the FL.
The introduced baddies and their nefarious plots to keep the kingdom's marriage ban in place so they can traffic kidnapped women is jarring.
The evil mother is a suitably Korean Melodrama character whose power and influence gets ever increasingly bigger without ever being suspected.
Luckily the script writers finally wrapped up the crisis, gave the bad guys a suitable end and marry off the two leads. What follows is more cute fun and fairy tale ending to wash away any bad taste left over from those middle episodes.
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A gem!
This Kdrama was an absolute gem! It had me in stitches with its humor, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the main characters. The blend of cuteness and comedy in the storyline is simply delightful, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining series. I've rewatched it numerous times, and each watch brings back that same sense of enjoyment.For those who appreciate healthy relationships in their dramas, you'll find a strong female lead here who not only stands up for herself but also adds a touch of playful charm to the story. The male lead, too, is endearing and lovable, making for a perfect on-screen pair. Set against a historical backdrop with elements of romance and action, this drama checks all the right boxes.
Now, about the initial deception by the female lead – it's crucial to note that her actions are motivated by a desire to help the king or the male lead and, at times, by a bit of jealousy. However, rest assured, all these aspects are addressed and resolved by the end of the series, leaving you with a heartwarming and happy conclusion.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, I did feel like something was lacking at times, though it wasn't a major annoyance. One area that could have been improved was the ending for the supporting cast. It would have been fantastic to have more information and scenes depicting their future. Such insights into their lives would have added an extra layer of depth to the story and enhanced the overall experience.
I recommend you to give this Kdrama a try – it's an absolute must-watch that's well worth your time, and I'm confident you'll thoroughly enjoy it!
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The Forbidden Marriage
Overall I do love this drama, one of the unique kind of Historical drama. All actors and actresses were good in their acting especially the Main actor and actress. Thanks to the Producer for this drama and I do really enjoy it and had watched twice for this one . The Korean Historical drama are the best so far , but this drama's story is a bit different from others. And for those who have not watch, I will encourage you to watch this one and you won't regret with such a fantastic drama full of great actingWas this review helpful to you?
Good Enough
Korean Drama " The Forbidden Marriage " is a historical romantic comedy, with a bit of political drama.The story is acted out smoothly, with the comedy genre being strong and overflowing from the beginning to the very ending. Without overdoing it, it aided the romance and it gave a fresh twist to the story.
The romance, in addition, was sweet and enjoyable, though it started out a bit off key, with the second lead taking the lead and having more interaction with the girl compared to the king. Still, it was a nice romantic story with some melodrama to spice things up.
The palace politics were, moreover, a bit on the low tempo, there to make things more dramatic, but not the main focus of the drama.
The performances, finally, were all enjoyable by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, eight out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Forbidden Marriage: Pain, Passion & Perfect Storytelling
Just finished watching The Forbidden Marriage for the second time — and wow, it still hits hard!This drama officially ranks #2 on my list of favorite Korean dramas, and for good reason.
What I love most is how beautifully it shows the growth of the main leads (ML & FL) — their pain, struggles, and the way they overcome everything together. It’s emotional, layered, and surprisingly funny at times
Sorang’s Journey
Sorang’s life was already filled with heartbreak long before the marriage ban. Losing her mother so young and having to live under a cruel stepmother — thanks to her father allowing his second wife to control the household — only deepened her misfortunes. Watching her push through everything with her cleverness and warmth made me admire her character even more.
King Lee Heon — Perfection in Acting
The ML’s portrayal of King Lee Heon? Beyond phenomenal. You can feel his pain in every scene.
He’s haunted by the death of his first love, believing for years that she took her own life — only to later discover the heartbreaking truth: she was murdered by one of his own cabinet members who wanted to manipulate him. His struggle between grief, duty, and love is portrayed flawlessly.
Lee Shin-Won — The Perfect Second Lead
Now, let’s talk about the second ML, Lee Shin-Won. I adored his character. Compassionate, loyal, supportive, and deeply understanding — he’s the kind of second lead that makes you want him to be happy, even if you know he won’t get the girl. The writer balanced his role perfectly without overdoing the love triangle.
Hidden Layers & Fun References
One thing I love about this drama is the little surprises hidden throughout:
Episode 1 & 12: Subtle hints of bisexuality — only the third time I’ve seen this in a Korean drama, especially in a historical setting!
Episode 4: Sorang mentions “seok sin gang rim” when talking about sexual position books — I even looked it up, and apparently, the phrase doesn’t exist anywhere.
Pop Culture Easter Eggs:
References to Goblin and Hotel Del Luna (loved those nods!)
A mention of the book Men Are from Mars; Women Are from Venus.
The bathtub scene? Inspired by Red Sleeve.
Episode 9: That old man giving a thumbs-up before going back into the hole? Total homage to The Terminator.
Comedy Gold
And I cannot forget the two lovable misfits — those two were hilarious! Their antics brought so much unexpected humor and balance to the darker parts of the story.
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how a KING is turned to be so WEAK and acting so POORLY?!
the male lead is so childish, acting like a baby king and the female lead should be instead his "baby sitter" instead of "love interest", kim young dae I am trying to find any positive sides for his acting but really I give up he is having a repulsive facial expressions whether a kind or evil person, I found him unbearable, there is so many actors that sometimes succeed and sometimes failed in their roles, but any drama he is playing after being interested I am ending dropping anything he is playing in any drama...the female lead is so fake in acting, there is no realistic acting at all like someone is forcing her to performe this role and she is following him as being his maid or his lover?!?! and the fact of rushing romance is not on the right place, is it possible for anybody mourning his wife to believe irrationally such swindler embodying her soul and that he is forgetting his devoting for his dead wife just for a weak moment of a liar woman believing herself she is the one replacing the deceased wife with no any reasons...
the moment I see that his dead wife will be returting from death at the next scenes of epispde 5, I didn't feel that interest at all to continue it and the love triangle is not that important thing as the second male lead is so dull in the other hand and I don't think a king personality is meant to be a weak one like him and the premise of forbidding the population to get married just because he is sad over the death of his wife for 7 years and the female leas is invested to change the rules of the nation!!!! that is something so silly to be written, I liked the funny side in the story otherwise the seriousness of a king is not present, I think kim young dae and park ju hyun could have replaced so easily by a more convincing and better actors in performance!!!!!
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A big waste of time
So this drama may be good for kids .like 13/14 /15or maybe 16years old kids ..I won’t consider more than it ... first of all the male leAd . I knew him from the drama [ extraordinary you] he was not in the main cast there but I actually liked his acting .. after that i watch his drama [shooting stars shitting stars ] .. that drama was pretty good . About the female lead i knew her from the thriller drama [ mouse ] . So my impression for both leads was quite good .. that’s why i wanted to give it a try. After watching 2 episodes i was like what? Because the male leads character seems like he is still in [ shotting shats shitting star].. same to same ..i waited till episode 6 after that i dropped it . I can’t take anymore.. there was not any character development. I mean it’s a historical era drama why the heck the characters are like this ..lines , acting terrible.. specially lines.like Mr queen was also a comedy historical drama but that hits different.. i will give mr queen 10/10 compared to this .. a total waste of valuable timeWas this review helpful to you?
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No sustainable serie.
Such a superficial stupid pointless series. What I don't understand is how it could score so high by MDL. Gets annoyed by being forced to waste time watching when you want to watch many other good series. Incomprehensible. How is MDL's scoring based? Dropped after 2 1/2 episodes. Although I would have liked to see a costume series of that category, it was not possible.Many series that MDL has recommended have been good, but this one feels so childish and pointless acting. I try to find what the creator of the series wants to convey to its viewers. Can't find any.
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A very clever made romantic comedy drama with combined themes
The most important elements in a romantic comedy is the story(setting), the characters(roles and acting) and the theme(s) of the drama(in this case traditional and modern themes combined). All of these elements have a above average score for me. Everything, except for the music, (which does set up the atmospheric tone for any drama) caught my instant attention. I found it harder to skip scenes (and I can be a very impatient viewer) and loved every minute of it, bit to bit. Even rewatched certain scenes because of the references and funny scenes. As a long experienced watcher of k-dramas(especially romcoms), I can say this is one of those iconic and timeless romcoms, just done right with the right flavor of emotion and slapstick humor. It surely will be remembered. So here is my review divided by several important elements:1. Story
I find it a very interesting storyline and the way it was set up with the setting and the characters, it really brought everything to life. I felt sort of nostalgic because it has this feel good taste to it that reminds me of the older, more iconic romcom dramas from years before, that always remained memorable to me and gave me warm feelings. The story also has much variety in it like comedy, romance, mental issues, superstition and mystery. I look forward to how to the story will continue, but interesting it will be for sure.
2. Characters
Adore the characters, played by very favorable actors who bring their characters to life. It felt like they belong in these roles, and the actors came off authentic and pure in their acting. Until now I can see much chemistry between not just the main leads, but all the characters. I also love the backstories of the characters, they are interesting and original, maybe not too realistic but that would not make it interesting if it was. I look forward to see where it goes from here, but I am very pleased with how the characters are written and shown on screen. I do wish if I must have some criticism in this review, that the main character the king would become more dynamic and come to have more depth and variety to his role. Because in the first two episodes he seemed to be constantly the same and putting out repetitive vibes that could become tiring if it continues like this. But I have hope that this will change.
3. Style of writing and how it played out in the scenes
This sense of style is very interesting to me, it is just the perfect combination of emotional and psychological writing with humor and light hearted scenes. It brings proper balance and makes it feel well rounded and interesting to watch. I can also appreciate the humoristic parts as it makes the heavier parts lighter/ Humor is a double- edged sword in writing. Used well, it elevates your work, creating a connection between you and the reader. A connection between emotion and relatability. It’s a human element that let’s you(as a viewer) be more easily absorbed by the work. Used poorly, it becomes a burden. Because humor is subjective, there is a large risk that we as viewers just won’t get it or won’t like it. The jokes might even fly right over my head. With this drama it dit not even go there and even if I did not get the joke immediately, It was so interesting that I watched the scene again when I did get it. Because I am not korean, and not very familiar with every cinematic work from Korea, some drama’s I just do not get no matter how many times I try to watch it. But this drama does not leave many people out and made it enjoyable so that anyone could get the story(with subtitles ofcourse). Watching earlier works from the same writer can help as well, or seeing as it is an historical romcom, being familiar with the korean traditional culture and superstition can make it more enjoyable. The writing has a lot of unexpected depth to some scenes as well, which makes it feel even richer to watch. There is noting like a comfy night watching a romcom with deep emotions and hilarious moments. The lines were well understood and not too cheesy or repetitive, there was always an element of surprise and variety to what was said and what was going on. Despite the story being a romcom with over exaggerated happenings at times, the lines still felt real and authentic. It fitted the characters well. It had a very rich sense if humor, with surreal humor where it takes advantage of the audience’s expectations and perceptions, flipping them over to create unpredictability. Making use of illogical thinking, absurd characters and events and nonsensical themes. The humor here is derived from the ridiculousness and unrealistic situations created by it’s unpredictability.
Wordplay, as suggested by it’s name, is a form of wit that plays around with the meanings and ambiguities of language for humorous results.
4. What I expect from this series?
Before this came out I initially did not expect much, I did capture my attention and interest as I find these sorts of rom coms with different elements to them very interesting and watchable. I personally do not have much patience so I like that the story keeps me going and keeps my attention. I also enjoy the touch of mystery in it, and the fact that it is an extra point to it and not the main thing, but just all different kind of point brought and set up together, it is very cleverly done and enjoyable to watch. Definitely recommend this series as it is appropriate for several different genres that you may like. I expect it to be endearing and have an unpredictable ending.
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