Early Access: Perfect Marriage Revenge E1-2

E1-2. Well, this is a case of FOMO working out really well, my friends.

I'd had no intention of checking out Perfect Marriage Revenge when the promos came out, because it looked like a typical B-grade makjang, and that's just not my usual cup of tea.

However, I do like a well-done makjang from time to time, coz they can be such juicy, gleeful fun.

And, as the positive chatter around this show grew, I basically got to the point where curiosity - and FOMO! - got the better of me.

Dipping my toes in while auditioning shows for freshly opening slots here on Patreon, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this show was grabbing me much more than more polished, more expensively produced dramas that were also in the running.

Just goes to show that story is more important than production values!

(Also, pro tip from Jiyuu - watching this with earbuds will amplify Show's imperfections in the sound quality, so do what I did, and watch it without earbuds. I found that that way, I was perfectly fine with Show's sound quality. 😁)

Originally, I'd been a little worried that I'd find the opening episode to be too angsty, because, if our female lead is to have a valid reason for revenge - which is a huge central premise of this story - then she's got to have a hard time, right?

I'm happy to say that Show doesn't go too heavy-handed with it.

Like, yes, she is poorly treated by her in-laws and her husband, but it's not to the extent that it becomes hard to watch. And yet, I do still back her up, in her decision to pursue revenge.

That's a delicate balance and a big ask, honestly (some other do-over shows that I've loved, had initial stretches that I found really tough to watch, like Familiar Wife), and I'm impressed that this little show manages that balance nicely.

It's horrible that Yi Joo's in-laws are so snooty as a whole and treat her in a disdainful manner, and a lot of their behavior sucks.

What makes it so watchable, though, is how the actors are hamming it up, particularly Lee Min Young as Jung Hye, Yi Joo's adoptive mother.

I just love how she swans around in that black gown while in the art gallery, like she's the queen of the ball.

I'm less taken with Jae Sook, Se Hyeok's mother, but Show more than makes up for it, by having Lee Mi Sook play Do Guk's mother.

Lee Mi Sook has just as much Queen energy as Lee Min Young, if not more, and although we don't have them sharing the screen yet, I'm sure they will, and I'm already expecting it to be delicious, cackle-worthy stuff, when they both swan onto the screen, ready to take each other on. 😁

I'd wondered why Yi Joo would take all this poor treatment, not only from her in-laws, but from her own parents, and with a smile, at that, but it all made sense, when Show reveals that Yi Joo is adopted, and has spent her whole life trying to earn the love and acceptance of her adoptive family.

Ahhh. No wonder she is so used to be being on her best behavior all the time, and no wonder she's willing to play second fiddle to everyone else; she doesn't feel like she belongs, and she's doing all she can, to not rock the boat.

And therefore, no wonder she extends that "turn the other cheek" attitude to her husband, Se Hyeok, too.

And no wonder she settles for his tepid-at-best levels of interest towards her, when they were getting married.

My heart really goes out to Yi Joo, for feeling so unloved and unaccepted, in her own home, all these years. No one should have to feel that way, in their own home.

Of course, one would hope that things would improve for Yi Joo upon marriage, right, since that's when her home surroundings change, but no dice; Se Hyeok's so enamored of Yi Joo's adoptive sister, Yoo Ra, that he's willing to marry Yi Joo, in order to be near Yoo Ra.

That boggles my mind, honestly, because how messed up is that? But of course, the messed-up quality is all par for the course, in our makjang world. 😁

In the thick of all this, I am most intrigued by the fact that Sung Hoon's character Do Guk, so obviously has feelings for Yi Joo, from the get-go.

In fact, the way Show plays it, it seems like Do Guk knows Yi Joo from before; we just don't know the details of the how or the when.

And, it's curious, because Yi Joo seems to have no recollection of Do Guk; he might know her, but she doesn't seem to know him.

BUT HE LOVES HER, and that's The Thing, that is making this whole contract marriage thing so delicious to me.

Like the contract marriage in Happiness, I'm getting the feeling that this contract marriage is going to be a big highlight of my watch of this show.

I'm really glad that we get the time jump pretty quickly, by the end of episode 1, and therefore tumble right into a whole new timeline, where Yi Joo is no longer trying to win the favor of her family and her in-laws.

Instead, I love that gets her bearing relatively quickly, and proceeds to do everything she can, to change her life.

Heh. This is where the deliciousness begins, I think. 😁

I freaking love that the first thing she does, is call off her wedding with Se Hyeok, with such decisiveness and flair.

The way she rips that slit into the wedding dress she's wearing, so that she can stalk off like a boss, is pretty darn great.

And it's also great, that when Se Hyeok begs and whines, she remains unmoved, and tells it to him like it is, calling him out for choosing her for all the wrong reasons.

Of course, I freaking love that when Yi Joo overhears Yoo Ra saying that Do Guk is the only man she wants, she promptly decides to snag Do Guk for herself - by going out there, and asking him to enter a contract marriage with her.

It's audacious, which is great to see from Yi Joo - and it works, because Do Guk already knows her and likes her (which I love).

I love this idea that he's the cold chaebol prince whom everyone wants to snag, but who seems to have no interest in any of his potential brides - except when it comes to Yi Joo.

Yes, it's a trope that she's the only woman who's actually made him curious, but I don't care; I love how it's playing out in our story.

I love that every time Yoo Ra sees Do Guk with Yi Joo, she looks like she's about to blow a gasket. And I love how smoothly Yi Joo carries herself, in those situations.

Like in the scene where Yi Joo picks up the hotel key card that Do Guk pushes at her, and smiles serenely at Yoo Ra, saying that she can't talk now, because she and Do Guk have "business" to attend to.

Muahaha. So. Delicious. 😁

I am also enjoying how the connection is shaping up, between Do Guk and Yi Joo.

He's obviously trying to understand her for real, because he's genuinely curious about her, and he likes her, but she thinks it's all business, and therefore keeps feeding him information about business trends and development - which just perplexes him. 😁

And I kinda love that when Yi Joo asks him what he thinks about choosing her as his business partner, he muses that he would've loved to have her on his sales team, because she's more convincing than any employee he has.

Very nice. I love that he's acknowledging her for her capabilities. Somehow, this feels needful, for Yi Joo, because her abilities have been denied on such a long-term basis, by her own family.

And, it's also nice to see little moments of bonding, like when Yi Joo gets tipsy, and Do Guk helps her tie up her hair - which is when Yi Joo drunkenly murmurs about how she couldn't find any happy moments when she'd faced death.

It gives us a twofer, with the accidental skinship giving us some physical closeness, and Yi Joo's drunken mumblings giving Do Guk a better sense of who and where Yi Joo is, as a person.

Very nicely done, I thought.

On another note, I love the fact that Yi Joo's connection with Do Guk is actively ruining the previously flirty-lovey connection between Yoo Ra and Se Hyeok.

This feels like a very good side effect, right off the bat, since Se Hyeok's flirtations with Yoo Ra had been one of the horrible things to have happened to Yi Joo, before her death.

I have to say, my favorite moment in this pair of episodes, is when Yi Joo gets locked up by Jung Hye, for staying out all night, and manages to sneak a phone call to Do Guk, by borrowing that kid's phone (genius!).

It's so great, that just as Jung Hye catches Yi Joo for sneaking the call, and sniffs condescendingly that Yi Joo's call will achieve nothing, because who does she think she is, coz Do Guk's not the kind of man to come running when a woman like Yi Joo calls - Do Guk shows up right there, playing the part of concerned lover to the T.

Also, it's really quite cute, how Do Guk gets a kick out of teasing Yi Joo, asking her to call him her prince, before he'll agree to come.

This gentle teasing makes me think that he's really having fun, with Yi Joo in his life, and that's nice.

Back on track, though, Do Guk's big entrance is made even more delicious, I think, by the fact that he wastes no time introducing himself to Yi Joo's father Jin Woong, and stating his intention to marry Yi Joo.

Muahaha. I love how discombobulated this makes Jung Hye and Yoo Ra. 😁

Beyond all this delicious revenge-driven oneupmanship, it's the emotional beats that Show also gives us, that help to ground everything.

Like that drunken moment that I mentioned earlier, as well as the tearful moment in the park, when Yi Joo talks about how someone had poisoned her food, at home, which is why she finds it hard to trust people, and why she feels more comfortable eating processed convenience store food.

I feel like Show is quite the expert, at managing the varying tones in our drama world.

From the more dramatic makjang beats, to these more mellow, vulnerable emotional beats, to the cracky romcom beats.

After Yi Joo talks about feeling that she's unable to trust people, we go from the emotionally vulnerable, to the romantic, pretty quickly, with the way Do Guk gets tears in his eyes from listening to Yi Joo, then asks her to tell him why she wants to marry him.

And when she replies honestly that she wants revenge, he gets this pleased smirk on his face, and goes to pick a flower to make a proposal ring.

..Which is how we get that initial peck on the lips, because Yi Joo thinks that that's what Do Guk's asking for, from her, to reciprocate his proposal.

..Which is how we get Do Guk getting that devilish twinkle in his eye, as he tells Yi Joo that in this case, that is not quite enough, and pulls her in for a proper kiss.

Eee! This is so great.

What a satisfying, perfect way to wrap up these initial episodes. 🤩

Things are definitely going to get more makjang going forward, but given that Show's going to anchor this whole thing with this contract marriage, I've got a good feeling about how this is all going to go down. 😁

* This show will be covered on the Early Access Plus (US$10) Tier *

Next episode notes will be out on: Thurs, 11 Jan 2024!