Marry My Husband is basically what happens when you screw over a genuinely good person and she gets a second chance at life. Kang Ji-Won (or Ji as I will lovingly refer to her from this point on) is what we, in the literary world, call an absolute and utter doormat. Love her. But let’s be real, she, like many people pleasers, has allowed trash to accumulate in her life for way too long. And in her second life, she finally gets to take it out.

Now, for any of you unfortunate enough to have not already started watching this show, Marry My Husband starts with our sweet Ji’s death. But don’t worry, this is one of those stories. You know what I’m talking about. The ones where the absolutely pure and blameless protagonist gets to go back in time and show the world just how cruel and vindictive she could’ve been if she wasn’t so damn good the first time around. But you know what, I’m not going to hold it against her for being a genuinely good person. Some people actually are (shocking I know). And honestly, they’re the ones who deserve a second chance at life. The rest of us can only sit back and wish we could’ve been as nice.

But anyways, back to our dear Ji’s death. After finding out she has gastric cancer, and at best, a year left to live. Wouldn’t you know, she also realises her husband hasn’t even paid the hospital bill. And what’s worse, the best friend: Jung Soo-min (henceforth referred to as The Homewrecker) who had always stayed by her side, was using her sickness as an excuse to get down and dirty with dear Ji’s scumbag of a husband: Park Min-hwan (who I will hatingly refer to as That Scumbag).

So she’s dying and That Scumbag and The Homewrecker are holding each other, oh so sweetly, discussing how agonising it is to wait for their dear friend to die. You see, they’re both eagerly awaiting a life insurance policy that will only be paid upon our dear Ji’s death. So of course, hearing this, sweet Ji loses it and finally unleashes the rage she has been holding onto her entire life. But of course, at this stage, it is way too late. The rot has set in and Ji is rewarded with her own death.

And that, my dear friends, is when the story truly begins. Because with her death, Ji gets to go back 10 years in time. And she gets to give her best friend: The Homewrecker, the fate she deserves.

It’s 2024 And If You’ve Never Seen A K-Drama, It’s Time To Start: No I Don’t Care That It’s In A Different Language, That’s What Subtitles Are For

It’s long past time to admit that K-Dramas are amazing. They’re satisfying. They make you feel good. So if this is your first time, welcome. This is a good place to start. Personally, my first was While You Were Sleeping. But if Marry My Husband is or will be your first, congratulations. You finally get to watch good television. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t any English TV shows that are good. Of course there are. But they tend to be the ones that get cancelled right after a major plot twist. And guess what lovelies, when it comes to K-Drama, I’ve never had to worry about that. Because most of them, at least the ones I’ve watched, are one season long with episodes that are at least an hour each.

And they’re paced well too. K-Dramas know how to let their audience breathe. They trap you with the exquisite characterisation and worldbuilding. And before you know it, you’ve gone 8 episodes without the main character and love interest even kissing. And guess what, you’re actually still into it. Because K-Dramas don’t reduce your attention span to that of a goldfish.

Although, I’m not liking this new trend where I get to see the steamy scenes of the characters I hate before I get to see my main ship even hold hands. Like come on, I know it’s necessary for the plot to show us these two disgusting people are doing it, but it’s still gross and off-putting. And what even was that transition? If you don’t want us to see the main lead’s exquisite body, don’t make him take his shirt off. That’s just clickbait. You should’ve at least let the poor man keep his clothes on. Why should the crew get to experience that part of him and we don’t?

In saying that, I genuinely hope the actor was comfortable with the scene. I certainly would never take off my shirt in front of my co-workers. But then again, I have boobs and I don’t think Yoo Ji-hyuk (henceforth referred to as LOML or love of my life) has those.

Why Is Sweet Karma So Slow?

I’ve got to say, as a writer, I appreciate that they have clearly set out boundaries. This may be a revenge fantasy but that doesn’t mean it can get away with making it too easy for our beloved main characters. So it makes sense that even though sweet Ji went back in time, the universe is still trying to course correct. As awful as her life was, it had already been lived. She can’t just forsake it completely without giving her role to another unlucky sucker. And who better than the Homewrecker herself? I gotta say, I’m really rooting for the Homewrecker and That Scumbag to get together. They’re a match made in hell. They deserve each other. And if the Homewrecker ends up getting gastric cancer and eventually murdered by her demon soulmate, so be it (and obviously, I don’t condone violence as a reward for bad behaviour but I think they both will give as good as they get). As long as Ji gets to drive that gorgeous car.

But I’m not gonna lie. The setbacks give me a lot of anxiety. At its heart, this is a story about a woman escaping domestic violence. She was quite literally murdered by the man who was supposed to love her unconditionally. Sure, she may be alive again but the trauma is still there. And I appreciate that they don’t gloss over it. Ji is still very afraid of her abusive husband. So yes, I understand the need for conflict and resistance in every good story. But as a woman and a survivor, this is not a good situation for her to be in. At least for the Homewrecker, she’s manipulative and crafty enough that I’m not entirely too sure that it isn’t actually going to end up being That Scumbag who ends up getting gastric cancer and dying. They’re both horribly abusive and evil in their own ways. While That Scumbag was the one to kill Ji, the Homewrecker could’ve very easily killed Ji herself. She just didn’t want to look bad. But if there were no consequences, best believe she would’ve pushed Ji into that table herself.

So yes, while I will never condone domestic violence as a punishment, I would much rather two abusive and evil people end up with each other rather than drag anyone else into their web. If you can’t get rid of the abusers in your life, let them abuse each other.

They’re both incredibly dangerous. And Ji could die, very easily. She could end up being the loser if she’s not careful. So yeah, the pushback isn’t making me too comfortable. I just want her to have her happy ending as soon as possible. But of course that wouldn’t be a very good story.

It’s So Satisfying To Watch A Woman Find Her Power And Get What She Wants

Being nice isn’t always a virtue. Sometimes, you have to let go of people pleasing and do what makes you happy, even if it feels selfish in the moment. There is nothing inherently wrong with choosing to treat yourself well, so long as it doesn’t come at the detriment of another person. We get so used to seeing people get to the top by stepping on those below them, that it seems impossible to get to the top without being cruel. But that isn’t the case.

Ji has the chance to come out on top. And she doesn’t need to step on anyone to do it. However, it’s important to remember that she’s the target of two incredibly abusive people. It is no mistake that she was systematically isolated until she had no one except her scumbag husband and homewrecker best friend. Abusers target the most vulnerable people in our society. So, of course, Ji who is sweet and kind, who doesn’t have a family to watch out for her would be the target.

This is, of course, not her fault. But it does mean she has to be extra careful. She is a strong, independent woman. But she’s facing off two people who could very easily kill her and feel no remorse after. And I’m glad that you get to see the danger in it too. Of course, LOML can help her as much as he’s able to. But with even the best support system in the world, escaping domestic violence is an incredibly dangerous art form. It requires its victim to be as manipulative and crafty as their abuser.

Now, Let’s Talk About That Sexy Hair

As someone who has had long hair for most of her life and only recently chopped off half of it (still reaches past my shoulders though and that’s a flex), I didn’t expect a haircut to make that dramatic of a difference to her face. But it makes sense. Long hair has traditionally been a sign of femininity (at least where I’m from). Ji’s long hair was an extension of her submission and unconditional trust (both very traditional feminine qualities).

Chopping that off represents her independence. While it’s true that she was supporting That Scumbag financially for their entire marriage, he still held all the control. And yes, that has a lot to do with the abuse he carried out against her. But it’s also partially due to Ji refusing to ever ask for more. And that’s a genuine problem. Even in the best of circumstances, if you never learn how to advocate for yourself, if you never learn how to ask for things, you will always be stepped on as someone else gets their wants.

In her first life, Ji genuinely believed that if she was simply patient and kind, one day, her goodness would be a reward in and of itself. One day, her Scumbag husband would recognise all that she had done for him, he would get his due and she would be treated the way she deserves. But in believing that unconditionally, she ignored every single red flag. That Scumbag consistently showed her that he didn’t really value her. You just have to look at the proposal and ask yourself how she could’ve possibly accepted something that cheap and thoughtless.

But it had a lot to do with her low self-esteem. Ji doesn’t just have one abuser. She has two. The Homewrecker had spent their entire friendship, ruining Ji’s good name and exposing her to ridicule and humiliation. She set herself out as Ji’s other half: the only person who would support her unconditionally. And so Ji was conditioned to believe that she was unworthy of love. That there was something wrong with her because she kept being bullied and tormented for, from her perspective, no reason.

And so of course she would accept his deficiencies. Of course she wouldn’t advocate for herself.

Her cutting her hair is her letting go of that. It’s her saying that she’s in control now. And anyone who’s ever been through tough times or a bad breakup can attest to the fact that there is power in being able to chop off a good portion of your hair. I honestly believe in the saying that hair has memory.

So what’s sexy isn’t simply just the short hair but what it represents: a new life.

The Unconditional Love Of A Father

I genuinely love that it is Ji’s dad who makes it possible for her to have a second life. Because of course he would. It is the dream of any good parent to have their child live their best life. Ji didn’t survive because of a cosmic fluke or even because of the acts of a lover. She survived through her father’s unconditional love for her, even after his death. And that’s sweet.

Yes, that’s all I have to say on this point.

Final Thoughts

I, obviously, have no idea how this is going to end. Sure I read through part of the manhwa before I decided to start watching the show but clearly I didn’t get to the end. Considering it took me by complete surprise when I discovered that Yoo Ji-hyuk had also time travelled. But I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes. And this probably won’t be my last review of this show. Let’s see if the ending is as good as the middle has been.

Until next time lovelies.