Letter #111: The Story of Park's Marriage Contract

Good morning, Erin.

So…apparently this past Friday was not the final episode of My Sibling’s Romance. That was quite the surprise. That I discovered at about 2AM when I realized, “Um, there is no way we’re getting to final picks with only 20 minutes left. What’s going on wi—there’s a sixteenth episode, now?!”

There were originally supposed to be 10. 

Yeesh. Can’t wait to see what we get from the actual finale, after Episode 15’s, um, developments. (Which K-date corners of the internet are FUMING about. So, if you were looking to spend a couple of hours in a whirlwind of hastily thrown together anti-shipping TikToks…)

But we’re here to once again dive into my promise to play catchup, as we take a look at a show I got about halfway through back in, like, December. And if you think the only reason I gave it a shot was because the title gives away this show is about a fake relationship…well, I mean, it’s not the only reason. Zombie Girl from A Korean Odyssey is the lead, and I’d been meaning to check her out in something else because she was so impressive in that series. 

So, yes, we’re talkin’ The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, today—and awaaaaaaay we go!

1. I want to avoid spoilers of any kind, but, if you don’t know anything about the show, there is one minor thing (I mean, it’s big, but it doesn’t spoil much) about the plot that needs to be revealed right away: Yeon-woo starts off in the Joseon era and is magically transported into the 2023, which is where—and how—we get our zany fake relationship antics. 

1A. Yes—we get time travel and a fake relationship. If only the leads were to discover early on that they coincidentally lived next door to each other, and I’d have forgiven this show literally anything. 

2. Zombie Girl (...whose name I will one day learn, I’m sure) is fantastic in this. The script isn’t always great, but she absolutely delivers in every way she can. She’s charming and hilarious (her physical comedy is just…so good) and always strikes the exact right tone for whatever scene she’s in. The script is mostly pretty light, even when it gets heavy, so we don’t get to see just how much she can flex her muscles (which is a shame)—but the script is also not especially good, so I can’t say it being more serious would have afforded her any more of a chance to dig deep into her acting skills. 

3. And then there’s…actually, wait, I should probably mention people I recognized, first:

• Zombie Girl from A Korean Odyssey as Yeon-woo (the titular Park), our protagonist 

• the losing angle of the love triangle from My Roommate is a Gumiho as Tae-ha, the male lead

• Zumba Snake from Vincenzo as Yeon-woo’s mother

• Start-Up Step-dad from Start-Up as Yeon-woo’s father

• Gu-rami from Extraordinary Attorney Woo as Sa-wol, Yeon-woo’s servant

• Young-woo’s Mom from Extraordinary Attorney Woo as Tae-ha’s step-mother (wait for it…)

• the young version of Young-woo’s Mom in Extraordinary Attorney Woo as the young version of Tae-ha’s step-mother—and how fun is that! (mini-reunion! woo!)

• the director boss guy from Our Beloved Summer as Mr. Hong, Tae-ha’s assistant

• the female lead’s friend from middle school from True Beauty as Na-rae, Mr. Hong’s little sister

• the magistrate from 100 Days My Prince as Tae-ha’s mother’s assistant

3A. I also recognized the dead end where Yeon-woo meets a mysterious woman as being the same dead end where the second “old maid” sister and the crown prince were cornered by thugs in The Matchmakers.

3B. And there’s a scene at the restaurant from Business Proposal, as well!

4. Young-woo’s Mom (...whose name I will one day learn, I’m sure) also does her darndest with the weak script. But there’s only so much good acting can do. 

5. But right in her wheelhouse—both personally and for the show—is Gu-rami, whose Sa-wol is hilariously and adorably sassy. She was arguably the highlight of the series, and I’d love to see her pop up in more things. (I’d love to see her teamed up with Restaurant Friend from Our Beloved Summer. Or, apparently, the pawn shop lady from Vincenzo.) I mean, sure, she never demanded that her love interest choose between her and “the angel,” but 

6. Now, I’ve mentioned that the show’s script is kinda weak—and it is. But the writing isn’t terrible by any means. And the show is perfectly serviceable entertainment. It kind of stumbles across the finish line, but other than that, it’s a fun if forgettable time…if you stay with it. And I can’t promise everyone will find a reason to do that. 

6A. That is…pretty, pretty Zombie Girl in a series of pretty, pretty dresses should be reason enough. But I can’t promise everyone’s palette is as sophisticated as mine. 

6B. Seriously, just inject those poofy dresses into my veins. I frikkin’ love them.

6C. No, okay—my light swooning over Zombie Girl aside, the show’s a little slow and a little inconsequential. I thought it was okay, and I enjoyed the antics. The romance plots were pretty good. But, at the end of the day, I’d describe the show as serviceable—and therefore probably forgettable. 

7. And, yes, by the end there’s some flagrantly ridiculous lack of attention to simple rules of time travel. Which bothered me, but which I’m sure would infuriate you.

8. Oh, the actor playing Tae-ha’s grandfather is pitch-perfect, too. Exactly what the story needs him to be.

9. I can’t decide whether the show brushes past or slyly addresses Yeon-woo’s seeming lack of concern that everyone in 2023 is—by Joseon standards—showing a lot of skin. She’s not taken aback by short skirts or single-layer tops. Now, part of this is because she designs those gorgeous poofy dresses back in her own time, so she’s fascinated by the change in fashion, which would dull some of the “scandal” of it all. But she also doesn’t ever seem thrown by it in any sense. She just jumps into showing off her legs and shoulders and (I hope you’re sitting for this) women wearing trousers as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Now, she adapts to modern technology pretty quickly, too, but the show at least has a number of scenes in which she’s frightened or confused by, like, the TV and stuff to acknowledge that she’s, y’know, not in Kansas anymore. HOWEVER…there is a single, almost throwaway detail in the first episode that could—could—explain it all away: one of the dresses she makes back in Joseon is essentially a modern minidress. So, it is entirely possible that this was a setup to show that she wished clothes were less, um…just less, even back then. Which is kind of clever—if that’s what it is. 

10. Speaking of the “not in Kansas anymore” factor: Yeon-woo’s interaction with a Roomba was one of my favorite things ever. 

11. I have no idea what the script was thinking when it introduced Tae-ha’s younger brother into the story. The actor isn’t much of an actor, so it’s possible some of this is his fault. But he’s detestable, early on. His role softens, as time wears on, but he comes off as a psychopath in the first few episodes. And I cannot tell you why they thought that was a good dramatic choice. 

11A. I mean, in the first few episodes, he’s dress in these garish, block-color suits that make him seem like a reject Batman villain, so I have to assume this was done deliberately. 

12. Na-rae (who was not in this show nearly enough for my liking) praises trashy melodramas for keeping viewers on their toes with their unexpected plot twists. Which is less of a setup for something later in the plot than it is a good rule for life in general.

13. Yeon-woo is in a Halloween costume-level mafia boss outfit for, like, three seconds as part of a joke, and I’m not ashamed to tell you she looked hot.

14. After one of Yeon-woo’s Lizzy Bennett-esque ranting about her lack of freedom in Joseon when the show starts, Yeon-woo’s mother scolds that the system she so despises is the only thing keeping her free at all—that is, her rebellious antics are only tolerated as much as they are because their family is wealthy and powerful, and a poor woman with these attitudes would be met with, um, stronger resistance. Which I’m glad they took the time to mention. 

15. I’m not saying the zany romcom gets bogged down in a murder mystery subplot in the second half of the series, but…I’m not not saying it, either. And that could mean anything! Or something very specific! Who’s to say!

And…actually, yeah, I think that might be it. Everything else I have is a little too spoiler-y or would demand spoiler-y explanations for why I wanted to mention it. Hmm. I guess this was a short one. That's a little disappointing. (I’ve got six more shows already queued up for letters, though, so don’t worry. Lots more to come.)

But, yeah, that was Park’s Marriage Contract. Like I said, it was okay. I wouldn’t avoid it, if you had any interest in it, but I also wouldn’t put it on your list, if you hadn’t been interested already. 

Other than that, I’ve had a pretty good week off, so far. Got some chores out of the way, even as I do my best to avoid other chores I totally planned to do, and made some headway on some goof-off stuff I’d hoped to get around to. Sure, it’s blowing past me far too quickly, and I’ll be back at work before I blink. But, all in all, it’s been pretty uneventful, and I can’t ask for much more…than…

WH-WHAT DO YOU MEAN WEKI MEKI IS DISBANDING IN AUGUST?!?!?!

—Daryl