Marry My Husband: Japan

Live without regrets, without waiting for a chance that might never come.

I will be perfectly honest - if I have not seen the Korean version, did not know how the story goes and was able to experience it all for the first time watching the Japanese adaptation, I would rate it higher. Knowing all the twists and turns did take away from the excitement I could have felt.

With that, I would for sure recommend not even looking at the Korean version and just watching this one. It’s better in almost all areas.

Starting with the story - cutting the number of episodes to 10 was a wise choice. The pacing has to be tight to keep the tension up. At the same time, they managed not to bombard me with rage-inducing scenes one after another, giving me time to breathe and calm down with heartwarming moments between leads, but also truly adorable scenes of growing friendship between Misa, Yuriko and Miku. I don’t know how, but they were able to seemingly blend borderline telenovela and slice of life and all the scenes had perfect flow and smooth transitions.

I truly appreciate how, despite the crazy plot, the whole show felt weirdly grounded in reality. All thanks to the characters’ writing. Four main leads truly felt like real people rather than exaggerated caricatures of cliche tropes (as they did in the Korean version). Kanbe Misa was not as much of a pushover in her second life as I thought she would be. Suzuki Wataru, while still ridiculously perfect, had that goofy side to him that made it a bit more believable. And both Esaka Reina and Hirano Tomoya were not as psychotic (this is one of the aspects I actually liked in the Korean version more - Soo Min was just a different level of evil).

Most big plot moments were delivered in just the right time, with just the right amount of flare and drama. The execution was close to perfection in hitting these highlights. Wish it had more romance? I guess cutting episodes means removing some aspect, they did leave all the important bits in, and it's more about Kanbe Misa and her journey anyway, but damn I wished to see more romantic scenes, because Satoh Takeru is just that hot.

Acting wise, as much as I love Satoh Takeru and I truly believe he aced the role, the true star was undoubtedly Koshiba Fuka. I believed every tear, every smile, every smirk and every line. Be it happiness, sadness, anger, helplessness or hopefulness, frustration, excitement, surprise, confusion - she hit the right note for every emotion. She also looked freaking stunning!

As for visuals - beautiful. Aesthetic feast. The best aspect? Lighting. The way they just knew when to film to make the sceneries look better - no words to describe how grateful I am. Indoors, outdoors, morning, night - no matter when or where, they did their best to give us the most stunning views.

Random specific things I enjoyed a lot/liked better than Korean version:

First of all, the conclusion they gave for Kanbe Misa and Esaka Reina was extremely satisfying, had more depth and actual emotional impact than the original version.

Not name dropping BTS for cloud (or any other popular group). I am sorry, but that “favorite song” moment in the Korean version was so ridiculous and cringe worthy I borderline wanted to drop the drama because of it.

Suzuki Wataru not being a “barely emoting wall of perfection”. It was so good to see all these emotions clearly visible on Satoh Takeru’s face.

The views! Again, I am amazed with how beautiful this drama looked.

Overall, yes I am aware this review focuses a lot on comparing this show with the Korean version, but I honestly want to make it clear that if one has to pick one over the other - they should go with the Japanese version first. Even though the drama is literally about getting a second chance, at the end of the day it sends a clear message that one should not wait for a miracle to happen, and should start living the life they want to live now - no regrets, no hesitation, no doubt.

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This is what a remake should be all about! Just so impressive!

Honestly, this is one of the best remakes I have seen in a while and this must be only my 3rd or 4th Japanese drama, the other dramas didn't leave much of an impression.

Thea actors were good!
The chemistry was lit!
The pacing was just right!

I know, I am using too many exclamation marks, but it was that good for me!

I have seen An Incurable Case of Love but I didn't much care for it, this one is a gem.

It doesn't at all feel like a remake. The actors bring their own energy and style to characters and they look amazing throughout it all.

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Phenomenal revival of the classic revenge drama!

Wow wow wow, this was sooo much fun! I've not seen the korean version, so I was going into the show mostly blind but it was beautiful! The cinematography was stunning, the acting was brilliant and most importantly I thought the pacing was perfect. They didn't drag out any of the plot lines, and I was genuinely shocked at every plot twist! I think there's been a many more competent, strong-willed fls being written as of recent, and Misa is definitely one of them. I was immensely satisfied by her direction in the show and how much more confidence she gets. Satoh Takeru is as always a delight to watch and having just seen him in an incurable case of love, it was so lovely to see him being a more nerdy character and smiling a lot more! As much as I hated the character, Shiraishi Sei did a phenomenal job as the villian, and I rlly did believe the incompetence of Tomoya. I thought the ending was very well done and satisfying (essential for a revenge drama) and I loved the montage of all the events happening in the 10 years until 2025.

As a side note and slight tangent- OMG THANK GOD YURIKO DIVORCED HER HUSBAND, maybe I'm still traumatised from the ridiculousness that was Dr Cha, but I was so scared the drama anti-divorce agenda was going to appear again but thankfully it didn't. I genuinely cheered when she went "ofc i've handed in the divorce papers" That's my girl fr

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It was all about second chances and living life to the fullest

Let me start this off by saying that this adaptation is by far my favourite one ! I cried, laughed, raged, ranted and enjoyed every second of this.

I've read the manhwa and watched the kdrama before this. I don't want to compare too much to the other adaptations but I was slightly disappointed with the kdrama so I went into this skeptical of it's execution. However I was pleasantly suprised and might even consider this as one of the top dramas of the year.

Let's start with the many positives:
1. A well written adaptation- The writers cleverly understood the plot holes and the missing gaps in the original work and kdrama. The scenes ebbbed and flowed smoothly and there weren't any space for us to question anything. There were some changes to the story but the original essence and story direction stayed the same. The changes made sense and just elevated the story even more.
2. Great casting and acting- The cast and acting direction were perfect. The facial expressions to the dialogue delivery, everything was done realistically with no unnecessary exaggeration. The chemistry between the actors was also great and I was feeling the emotions with them.
3. Cinematography and dialogue- You could really feel what the producers wanted to convey through the cinematography. Even though the story has dark elements, the overall lighting and coloring stayed warm and bright. The dialogues were also written very well. They were believable and realistic so I stayed invested in the story.
4. The overall message- The manhwa adaptation had a more comedic and dramatic tone. The kdrama had a more dark, exaggerated and dramatic tone, almost similar to a soap opera. However, this adaptation had a more hopeful and uplifting message which I really liked and related to.
5. No unnecessary drama or characters- The biggest reason why I was disappointed with the kdrama was the unnecessary dramatic plot twists and new characters. There is already enough side characters and plot twists in the source work so adding too many things made it feel forced and heavy. But here, they took away some side characters, stuck to the original storyline and even made it better by filling in plot holes.

Now, there are some minor cons:
1. Scarcity of romantic scenes- The leads had so much chemistry and romantic tension that I was waiting for them to get together to see their passionate relationship. They did have one awesome kiss scene but right after that, they acted like an old married couple. I get that they are older and mature, but I wanted some goofy cuteness and passion.
2. Some dramatic scenes- Though the writing and dialogue was better, there were some scenes which were just too dramatic to be believable. Since most of the drama was done in a natural way, the dramatic scenes stood out too much in a bad way.

Other than that, I have no other complaints because this drama was genuinely that good. Everything was perfect and this is definitely going to rank higher in my charts.

The kdrama had some negatives like the unnecessary new characters, out of the blue plot twists which didn't make any sense and the lead actress' overpowering presence which kind of overshadowed the rest of the cast and plot. But this adaptation took notes and worked on filling the plot holes, made the cast perform in harmony and actually delivered a good message that can be comforting to a lot of people.

Overall, I hope everyone gives this drama a chance because this just proved that the curse of the exaggerated jdramas with bad acting can be broken.

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To me, today

I found this because I very recently watched another adaptation of the same story, started it because of a recommendation, kept with it because of how interesting it got and finished it with a greater appreciation of just.. feeling appreciative.
Because despite being a story about second chances, it was always about taking chances on what you want.

The story is creative and crisp, the plot is solid and moves at a brisk pace, and doesn't feel too dramatic, even with the fantastical setting. The leads are characters you can root for, and they have great chemistry. It's a complete package and a good drama.

But I have watched this story before. The adaptation I watched was the K Drama, Marry My Husband and naturally, I couldn't help but compare the two. There were some things I preferred about the K Drama, and some aspects that were better executed here, in the J Drama. Both solid in their own right, but asking me, this is the one I would recommend before the K Drama.

Firstly, because the story is much more consice and palatable. One thing I really didn't like about Marry My Husband was the amount of filler scenes they had, and cutting out a lot of the stuff from the latter half in this version really helped with the story.

Second, the characters. I think with the exception of Tomoya (Min Hwan in the K Drama), I preferred how the characters were written in the J Drama. At points, I would say I preferred the character writing here completely to that of the K Drama. Misa was much more feisty and pro active, Wataru felt less like a caricature of "perfect human being", Reina was much more devious and cunning, and Tomoya was so incredibly pathetic as a character.
The way all of them interacted with each other was also so much more believable than in the K Drama, all of that felt highly dramatized and here it was quite representative of how human beings behave at times. The actors themselves did so well, like I said, for the most part, the character writing was much better here, and every actor took the brief and ran with it. The performances were incredible.

Third, the CHEMISTRY. Sorry but, Park Min Young and Na In Woo had zero chemistry, but luckily, Koshiba Fuka and Satoh Takeru brought it! Overall, the J Drama would be the version I prefer and would recommend.

You win some and lose some though, and there were tiny things like Lee Yi Kyung's portrayal of Min Hwan or Lee Gi Kwang as Eun Ho and his impact on the plot that I missed here. Plus, a couple of aspects I think they could have bettered upon - particularly the last few episodes. There were some moments that felt completely out of character for so many characters and though it can be likened to impulsiveness and emotion, I just didn't understand those actions. And one that really, really disappointed me? The ending! Not the actual ending but the ending our antagonists got. Without spoiling anything, it just didn't make sense to me and I wish it had been executed just a bit different.

There is however one thing that disappointed me in both versions.. the romance. Why you ask? I just didn't buy it. I had a hard time believing either of the couples in either version were really that into each other that they would sacrifice themselves for each other's sake (like the dramas were clearly trying to tell us), but I never felt that soulmates level connection anywhere.

That was a long drawn out comparison to say that you can watch any version you'd like but my recommendation is this one here. The overall impression this made was a lot better and even without comparison, it has a great story and message.

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Un remake che vale la pena guardare

Ho amato questa storia.
L'ho letta per la prima volta su WEBTOON e dal primo momento mi ha conquistata.
Avevo già trovato entusiasmante l'adattamento coreano.
Ma la versione giapponese mi ha rapita. La recitazione delle due protagoniste femminili è stata superba. Ho sentito fino alla fine ognuna delle loro emozioni. Stupenda soprattutto l'interpretazione di Reina, l'antagonista.
Ho apprezzato anche alcune piccole differenze dalla storia originale che mi hanno permesso di apprezzare maggiormente la storia.
Per chi come me ama vedere remake di una storia amata e già vista, questa è una visione consigliata.

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This is how you adapt another show!

To be fair, this is not an adaptation of the Kdrama, but the webtoon the drama was based on but the fact that they decided to make this after the success of the Kdrama, makes me think they had their eyes on that show's progress, for sure! So, the fact that they saw that, said great and then went on to make a BETTER adaptation, deserves all the applause.
Here are all the ways this was better:
1. I like the aesthetics of this better! I like the warm lighting better than the blue/white light crispy quality of Kdramas. This is a matter of personal taste. So I'm getting it out of the way. I like warm tones, warm lighting, and natural skin tones better! I also found the outfits more realistic and cozy. They looked like timeless pieces that didn't scream 2025 trends in 2015. They also looks believable purchasable for the female lead. Yes, they make a point of her buying a pricey dress but she also buys a bunch of cheap stuff! lol The houses looked better too! Like lived in places. It just had a nicer production design.
2. With just 10 hour-long episodes, this show doesn't waste time on anything! Any sort of time-consuming melodrama that would buy time for subway product placement is cut out! They don't introduce a random villain in the last 4 episodes who burns through your nervous system like a flesh-eating fungus...sorry that got graphic! But the point is, this show stays very focused on the main plot which is surprisingly, not revenge...and that leads me to my next point.
3. This show has revenge in it, sort of. But the revenge is not the main plot, the plot is about living your best life and seizing the day and not leaving your life by someone else's expectations. Instead, to leave well, for you. That is such a strong and beautiful message that by the end, the revenge isn't even sweet. It's just sad that to see those characters ruin their lives by greed and envy and grudges. Meanwhile, our female lead gets to be more true to herself in a healing and lovely story. The fact that she gets rid of her abusive ex and her toxic friend is a bonus!
4. This is not an entirely super realistic story overall and it has romantic notions such as an ethical CEO who cares and is nice. Or the ability to rent good housing...BUT it's also not too dramatically theatrical. I liked that.

Anyway, HIGHLY recommended. Watch this instead of the drama. The chemistry is better here, the romance hits harder, the interior design is better and the story is delightful! Also watch it if you've already watched the Kdrama! hehe...

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A second life. A right and happy life.

This is a wonderful way to show how a remake must be done. Great storyline. There are no unresolved issues. Everything is wrapped up nicely. The actors magnificently played their roles well. Satoh Takeru never disappoints. But I applaud Koshiba Fuka as Misa. Love her sweet smile.

The secondary characters were also excellent. Everything was perfect.

My favorite scene was when Wataru shared his future plans with her. I teared up with that... And also when Misa finally wins on her bet to fix the marriage between the two.

Everyone is wonderful. Just applaud the writers...

10/10...

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Don’t Skip This Version!

As someone who has seen the Korean version and read the WEBTOON, I would definitely suggest watching this version as well. I especially liked the acting of Reina and Tomoya, I felt like the actors did a great job of showing the inner feelings of the characters and their motivations. The soundtrack was excellent as well. There were some small changes to the story that kept viewers like me interested and made it feel more like its own story. I think each version (the WEBTOON, Korean, and Japanese) had aspects of their own story that I preferred, so I can’t say that there is one version better than another. If you are wondering if you should start this show, do! if you are in the middle of it and thinking, hmm should I continue? please watch until the end, that is the best part!

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The acting and cinematography overshadowed how unentertaining the screenplay is

The drama has little to no viewer impact, unjustifiable behavior of the villain, exxagerated music scoring, and some episodes were bland and lacks emotional impact to viewers.

First, the most important factor to me when rating dramas are their impact. Wether the drama is measured with their shocking plot twists or heart wrenching emotions. This drama lacks it but should have possessed it by not revealing the most important revelations at an early time. It pisses me off that some revelations will be revealed and then it will be revealed again at the point of the view of the main character. Almost all revelations were revealed twice. This writing breaks the elements of surprise and impact to the viewer. Come on, this is not how the writer should write it. Reveal them once and at the right time.

Second, the music scoring is very exaggerated. This is the first Japanese drama that you will hear such a suspenseful music scoring for a wordful girl fight. It’s like the music is for a brutal killing scene but look at the characters they are just staring at each other.

Third, a bland climax for some episodes. You see, all episodes must have their own story circle. Meaning to say, they must have their own climax, sadly some episodes were bland but due to its cinematography and exxagerated scoring, they managed to pull it off.

Fourth, the unjustifiable character of the villain. The important element for a Japanese drama is the villain’s motive, the reason why they’re acting like that. All motives should be valid. Unfortunately, the drama failed to present the villain’s reasoning properly on how they can be like that kind of person. All viewers must validate the villain’s background. To make a successful villain is to make the viewers agree with your motive but I highly doubt if they agree with the villain in this drama.

Overall, the production managed to pull it off nicely with great acting of the cast and the cinematography but I hope that they will pay attention next time on how they will write their show.

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Great but slightly stretched

Now I haven't seen the korean Ver. Because I'm not a huge fan of the FL, so I didn't know much about the story except that it's a revenge story, and my review is based on this being the only version I've watched so no comparing or anything.

The story was great, it's very simple with hardly any plot holes which is great if you have a mind like me who keep pointing out mistakes. I also liked that they didn't show many scenes with the FL having being bullied or hurt and only showed flashbacks of the moments to gain enough sympathy without getting us heated up ~
there is, however, one thing I didn't understand in the time sequence in the plot but I discarded it because it's not very important.

Characters were spectacular, I liked the evil characters here xD but I didn't understand why they keep mentioning Reina's past, as if I'm supposed to feel sorry for her, she needed help probably if it wasn't for the need of a replacement, I would like her to be locked in a mental hospital somewhere 😂

The chemistry between the two leads was fantastic, I loved them both despite being slightly irritated by Takeru's very low-pitched, slightly whispery and throaty voice xD don't get me wrong, he could just stand there and I would admire him immediately, but in some scene his voice was distracting me xD I mean that in the nicest way ~

What I didn't like was probably the last 3 episodes, everything was amazing and ended perfectly on ep7 or so, it was the perfect revenge plan I think the best revenge was to have the bad people facing eachother, but since things have to happen I understand why the kept the story going, still it could be solved in like 30 mins or so not 3 whole episodes ~

Overall very good, up till ep7 at least ~
Recommended for revenge lovers

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