Updated: January 10, 2024
“Getting a second chance in life means I can do anything.”
tvN’s Marry My Husband (2024) is based on a web novel of the same name about a terminally ill woman who was intentionally killed by her husband after witnessing him having an affair with her bestfriend. She encounters a mysterious man and suddenly finds herself 10 years into the past. She then grabs the twist of fate for a shot at a better life including a plot for revenge against her closest enemies.
Having seen four episodes by far, here are some key points to consider watching the drama:
Characters/Performances:
I’ve seen Park Min-young portray various drama roles and the way she delivers her characters differently, in visual appearance and display of emotions, is just astounding. In fact, she underwent a dramatic weight loss for her character as Kang Ji-won who gets stricken by a terminal cancer in this drama. She’s not only a goddess of pretty visuals but she’s also a good actress — truly one of the remarkable talents in South Korean entertainment.
Song Ha-yoon with her problematic character in the drama is convincing. She’s an annoying, self-serving bestfriend who needs some spanking and that it intrigues me what fate awaits her in Kang Jiwon’s (Park Min-young) second chance. She actually represents people who have big holes in life that try to fill it by manipulating others, fabricating stories, and playing victims.
Lee Yi-kyung as a manipulative character is both hilarious and unpredictable to me. I see the playful character and his comedic faces from Welcome To Waikiki (2019-2020) but the way he performs the erratic personality of Park Min Hwan is something new to me and he slays. He’s the face of immature guys who take advantage of others in order to raise one’s standard — men who lack that strong will or sense of responsibility and still depend on mothers for survival.
I haven’t read the original webtoon so I’m not fully familiar with the characters being presented, but Na In Woo as a boss with a mysterious side and a constant life-saver of Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young) in her second life seems intriguing. At first, I thought he needed a better styling that suits his workplace position well but it was surprisingly brought up in episode 4. As the story progresses, he becomes an interesting character that you can’t wait how things will unveil between him and Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young). In fact, he’s also getting handsome.
Lee Gi-kwang as Chef Baek Eunho, Choi Gyu-ri as Hui Yeon, and Gong Min-jung as Ms. Yang all add fun to the show. And I liked that they are becoming instruments to aid Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young) become a better woman.
Screenplay/Plotline:
The concept and plot of this drama is something that makes you want to watch and await the next episode. It appears to be absorbing thus far on what happens or what changes in the lives of individuals now that Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young) has the control to reshape the past and future with her cleverness and memories intact. To add, she’s not alone in this journey of revenge. She has a new community eager to ride with her the tides of change.
I liked that the lead character, Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young), is getting brave from a bullied woman who used to conform to others to a confident woman who can speak her mind and stand against bullies — that she’s learning to set her boundaries and smart enough to say no to her manipulative boyfriend and bestfriend.
Every episode leaves you pondering with questions and keeps you hooked with its revelations.
Theme/Message:
I loved the cherry blossom scenes with terminally-ill Kang Jiwon (Park Min-young) in episode one that reflects about life and death, that amid uncertainties and despair, there awaits grace from above that’s ready to shower us with stillness that the chaotic world can’t provide.
Kang Jiwon’s (Park Min-young) husband and bestfriend display realistic behaviors when it comes to cheating, gaslighting, with the psychopathic-narcissistic tendency that shows no empathy towards their victim. I hope that the next episodes will explore and dig deeper about this psyche and human behavior for some thought-provoking lessons among viewers.
Kang Jiwon’s (Park Min-young) second chance at life leaves you wishing to turn back time to choose the better options and eliminate regrets. However, even without the fantasy of time travel, the story also challenges one to look at life in general with a wise and discerning eye including people, even the closest ones to you.
I liked that the story inspires to grab life’s second chance in pursuing to become a better version, to eliminate what is unhealthy, to get rid of fake relationships, and mingle with better people.
“If you don’t go, it’ll remain a shameful past. But if you go and fix it, it’ll become your history!”
Conclusion:
With four episodes released thus far, Marry My Husband (2024) is a good watch at the start of the year. The drama presents a realistic depiction of humanity’s evil nature when it comes to cheating relationships and fake friendships. It also keeps you guessing and hooked about the altered fate of all characters involved, which makes the drama engaging overall. Ultimately, Park Min-young carries herself well as the riveting star of the show, as always.
Webtoon writer: Sung So Jak | Screenwriter: Sin Yoo Dam | Director: Park Won Gook | Original network: tvN | Available on: Prime Video | Images: tvN network
KORB 