The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023)

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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I wish it was shorter

I can't believe that I'm saying this for a 12 episode drama but the amount of replayed scenes was just too much for me.

Halfway through the drama, I would have rated this as 10. The concept was interesting, the actors were good especially the one playing Sa Wol, there's chemistry between the leads and the storyline was tight. That jealousy dinner scene was truly hilarious. But from there, replayed scenes kept increasing which made me very thankful to the fast forward button. Still, this is a nice story that you would want to watch if you're in the mood for something romantic.

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Well they had me the first half..

It could’ve been great.. The leads were amazing they had amazing chemistry and I would 100% be keeping up with their next projects. I would absolutely love to see them acting again, perhaps with some better writing.

Secondary characters were charming as well I loved Solwa the most. Though by the end I was already over the cringy fluff.

There were many arcs that just made no sense I really ended up disliking the drama. By episode 9 I was already bored and this is probably the first time I have ever said this but this drama did not need 12 episodes.

I think the writer just went through all the generic Kdrama tropes and checked them all off as they were writing lol. It really was good for the first half. But it completely went downhill. Plot holes, and loose ends was really its demise.

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Not a fan

When I began this kdrama I was a bit skeptical. The first episode started out ok but I did notice that there were many draggy and unnecessary parts included, I guess to make the episodes long. I don't like that so much since I get bored pretty easily. Anyways, I continued watching and I just skipped the parts that I found boring. As for the plot, I didn't find it very good: It's confusing and there are some questions that remain unresolved till the end. It also is the kind of story where there are inheritance issus and stuff like that, I think that can be quite stressful to watch. However the plot overall is not a bad idea, it's just the way it was executed into this knot of storylines- it's a bit shabby and cheap. Logic, for instance, is not in this kdrama. The ending was really strage, did not like it at all. The female lead was quite cruel to say the least. I would not recommend watching, in my opinion.

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They Had the Romance, the Looks, the Embroidery… But Not the Writing

I wanted to love this. Truly. I’m a sucker for a good love story, and I’ve enjoyed these actors in other projects — but unfortunately, this was a full-on cringe fest.

Let’s start with my biggest ick: the time travel. It was absurd. The female lead, Park Yun-woo, doesn’t even wake up somewhere mysterious — she just turns up in a pool in the modern day. Cringe. I get that there used to be a well in that location 200 years ago (where she was thrown in), but… what if there wasn’t a pool now? Would she have just landed on concrete and died? The whole setup feels lazy and barely thought through.

And it gets worse. The second time she time-travels? She arrives in a different outfit. Why? The first time she wore the same one she was thrown in with. No explanation, no consistency — just chaos.

Yun-woo herself adjusted shockingly well for someone who jumped two centuries ahead. But naturally, she just had to befriend a cleaning robot (why do K-dramas keep doing this?). I’m not going to break down every issue I had with her behavior, but honestly, she was far more compelling in the Joseon era. Once she adapted to modern life, she became flat and boring.

The pacing was all over the place — fast at the beginning, slow in the middle, then it rushed again at the end. I don’t mind slow parts; what bothers me is when big developments get crammed in without buildup.

Now Kang Tae-ha. Here’s the thing — he did have depth. His heart condition, his trauma, his strained family dynamics — it was all there. But none of it stuck. I literally watched the finale yesterday, and the only thing I remember is his face and the way he talks. That’s the kind of boring I mean: not empty, but emotionally forgettable. A character that leaves no lasting impact.

The rest of the characters didn’t help either. The family drama, the “mystery” of who’s good or bad — it was all predictable. Which is fine in theory, but I didn’t feel anything for any of them. No attachment, no investment. That’s a problem.

What kept me watching was the romance. I can’t lie — I enjoyed their cute moments. The chemistry was there. But everything around that relationship was a mess.

That said, one thing I absolutely adored? The costumes. The embroidery, the designs, the colors — every time Yun-woo walked into a scene, I was excited to see what she was wearing. It was hands down the highlight of the show for me.

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The premise of time travel is nothing new, and neither are fake relationships. Throw in the cold man/warm woman, boss-employee trope, you have the Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. Of course, as with any supernatural drama, we have to suspend some disbelief in order for this drama to pass muster.  

There is nothing ground-breaking here, no exceptional acting to speak of, and this is not the fault of either Lee Se Young or Bae In Hyuk. It’s mostly how the characters were written, some of them very predictable, that they leave very little room for interpretation. It’s more the chemistry between Yun Woo and Tae Ha that is mostly carrying this drama. The comedic couple of Sa Wol and Sung Pyo also enliven the story, but their pairing was more forced than a testament of their affection. Unexplained as well, is Tae Min’s interest in Yun Woo, especially when their meet-cute is more like meet-hate, and their encounters were so few and far in between to justify any progression.

Although interesting, the plot has some gaps that remained unfilled toward the end. I thought they did Joseon Tae Ha a disservice, since he was the one who longed for Yun Woo since they were little. But I guess it was only natural for a woman to fall only for one version of the man, despite looking the same.  

But despite its flaws, I enjoyed this one despite the lukewarm reception.

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Concept unclear

She ventured to New Joseon to safeguard him and unravel the mystery surrounding her husband's death. Upon fulfilling her purpose, she returned to Old Joseon, but her maid didn't go back ? Why , this is unclear matter. However, upon her return, she discovered she was unmarried and embarked on a mission to save her husband, ultimately succeeding. Yet, tragedy struck as he met his demise shortly after, leaving her efforts in vain. Disheartened, she returned to New Joseon and at last she came back to her love. However, the rationale behind her journey to the future and back to her present solely to uncover her husband's death secret seems questionable. Surely, she could have investigated the matter in her own time with the aid of the mystical lady. While I appreciated the storyline and commendable performances from the cast, the underlying concept of the story left much to be desired.

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