A binding marriage between a free-spirited woman and a cold-hearted man. What a mix! Adding some time slip hijinks and it is an enjoyable ride in the opening week of The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract!
Along with fun elements, we have a scheming stepmother, a succession battle, and some hints of an ill fate connecting our leads.
Bunny S. watches The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract on Viu
Opening Week Rating:
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract Opening Week Highlights
Our heroine has no plans whatsoever to get married. Why marry when she can save money and travel around the world? But perhaps meeting our male lead will change her mind a bit.
Unluckily, this happy marriage is short-lived. And soon, the female lead finds herself face to face with a man who looks like a dead ringer for her dead husband. Interestingly, the man can’t be any more different from her affectionate husband.
“What is the point of being a noble lady? I am not allowed to do anything I want.”
Being stuck in the house all day feels stifling, right? That is precisely how our female lead, Park Yeon-woo, feels. Thus, she climbs over the wall and moonlights as Madame Butterfly, the most talented seamstress in Hanyang. With the money she gets, Yeon-woo plans to travel around. But a copycat popping out of nowhere gets in the way of achieving her dream.
Still, the copycat should be the least of Yeon-woo’s worries, as she now has police officers chasing after her. (It seems like Yeon-woo’s designs were a little too much creative for this era.) Caught red-handed, Yeon-woo’s family resolves to marry her off to the eldest son of Kang’s family, a.k.a the ugly bachelor.
“Just always remember who you are. Then no matter where you are or what you decide to become, the fact that you made those beautiful clothes will never change.”
What! Not on Yeon-woo’s life. She would rather run away. Yet, this plan seems useless after Yeon-woo’s father finds her and returns her home. The wedding date is set, and she finally meets her husband, Kang Tae-ha, who isn’t the slightest bit ugly. It isn’t that Tae-ha couldn’t marry. He is the one who chose not to do so.
On their wedding night, Tae-ha comes clean to Yeon-woo about his heart condition which is the reason he didn’t marry till now. Cutting off the ties on their clothes, Tae-ha gives Yeon-woo a chance to break off this marriage. But she won’t agree with this. To her, becoming a young widow is more tolerable than getting deserted on her wedding night.
“I am going to fulfill my duty even if you stubbornly insist. I am going to go through the three-year mourning period, so don’t humiliate me and my family like that.”
Unfortunately, this ominous fate comes true sooner than expected. Coughing up blood, Tae-ha breathes his last in Yeon-woo’s arms, leaving her devastated. Submitting to her fate, she resolves to mourn her husband’s death. But a strange man abducts her and throws her into a well. And when she comes back to her senses, she comes across a man who looks like the spitting image of her dead husband.
The said man is Kang Tae-ha, the heir to SH Group. Not only do both men share the same face and name, but also the same nasty stepmother and heart condition. Though Tae-ha keeps his illness a secret from everyone. Another trait both men share is being set against getting married but giving up for the sake of their grandfather’s wishes.
“Do you want to go home? I will help you, then. In return, will you be my bride?”
That day was supposed to be Tae-ha’s wedding day. But his bride vanished into thin air, leaving him in a predicament. Desperate to get this wedding over with, Tae-ha plays along with that “crazy” woman, calling him husband and believing she is already dead and has entered the underworld.
With Yeon-woo acting as the bride, the wedding ceremony goes smoothly. And assuming it is all over, Tae-ha kicks Yeon-woo out without a place to go. But the joke is on him. Initially, he agreed to get married in return for his grandfather getting surgery. But the date of the surgery was rescheduled. Which means Tae-ha must search around for his dear bride.
“You may stay here tonight. We will draw up a contract tomorrow and settle on the terms.”
Yeon-woo might have no money or a place to stay. But she won’t go back to that cold-hearted person who can’t hold a candle to her affectionate husband. Still, Yeon-woo can’t keep being homeless forever. So, she eventually comes around. Realizing they will be entangled together for a while, Tae-ha suggests they draw up a marriage contract. But as for the details, we will check them next week. Hooray! Let the contractual marriage begin.
Unbeknownst to Yeon-woo, her dear handmaiden and best friend, Sa-wol, has also time-traveled to the future. And I can’t wait for the girls’ reunion and the hot mess they will surely make. Another character we meet is Tae-ha’s half-brother, Kang Tae-min. The relationship between the brothers seems awkward. Which gets viewers curious about their side of the story.
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract Opening Week Musings
The fish-out-of-water antics were hilarious in the premiere week of The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract.
So far, Lee Se Young is nailing her role well. And watching Yeon-woo delivering those witty remarks with a serious face gets me cracking up.
Aside from our OTP, it looks like we are getting a succession battle and some hints at an ill fate connecting our leads.
This brings us to prepare that the drama can take a darker tone along the way. Hopefully, the show stays fun and doesn’t get too serious.
One thing that can be bothering viewers is the pacing. We got tons of setup, yet the ending of episode 2 felt rushed and confusing. All of a sudden, Tae-ha got into a crash and then returned home to find his nasty stepmother meeting Yeon-woo. Not to mention grandfather has the same painting Joseon Tae-ha drew of young Yeon-woo.
All in all, it was an entertaining premiere, and I hope the show keeps it up and gets more fun along the way.
Follow Yeon-woo as she solves the mystery of her time-traveling journey in The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract! International fans can watch it on Viu!
Photos and Videos: MBC Drama
