Love in Contract
Starring: Park Min Young, Go Kyung Pyo, Kim Jae Young, Lee Joo Bin, Kang Hyung Suk, Jin Kyung
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Business, Contemporary, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Nam Sung Woo
Screenwriter: Ha Gu Dam
Where I Watched It: Viki
Who I Watched It For: Park Min Young
Undeniably attractive, talented, and charming, Choi Sang Eun is the living definition of the perfect partner. This is exactly why instead of marrying, she chooses to employ her skills as a contract marriage master. Transforming herself into the perfect partner for each of her clients, Sang Eun allows those who employ her services to live the perfect single life, without having to agree to a committed, life-long relationship.
A long-term client, Jung Ji Ho has been using Sang Eun’s services every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for the past five years. A man shrouded in mystery, Sang Eun knows virtually nothing about Ji Ho but that doesn’t stop her from developing some rather unexpected feelings for him. Making her life even more difficult are the equally unexpected feelings she’s recently developed for one of her newest clients, Kang Hae Jin. A popular actor who employs her services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Hae Jin often makes Sang Eun’s heart flutter.
Torn between her professional obligations and the feelings she harbors for both Ji Ho and Hae Jin, Sang Eun finds herself in an unexpected predicament. How can she possibly maintain her professionalism when her heart is leading her in two different directions?
I went into this drama expecting one thing but got something else in return. I’m not mad about it. I enjoyed all of the characters, cheered for the mains and was happy in the end. Watching this was a good idea. Let’s get into my thoughts, shall we?
The Story
This story followed three main leads as they try to find love for the first time. These are three individuals who have never been shown an ounce of love in their lives so it was rough going for a while. They all stumbled their way around their feelings, each other, and everything else going on in their individual lives. All of that made this show a whole lot more interesting than I was expecting when I first started it. I was expecting something light, clumsy, and silly but the show ended up being a lot deeper than all that.
Main Male Lead
I was sucked into this show because Go Kyung Pyo’s character, Ji Ho, was such a curious one. He hired a wife that only met up with him three days a week and he forced himself to not want more even though it was obvious that he had feelings for her. He read books on how to act in social situations, and he hardly ever spoke to anyone unless he absolutely had to. He was the least popular guy at work because he was so strange to everyone around him and yet, he got up and went to work anyway.
He was seeing a therapist about everything and for a while, it seemed that his therapist was the closest he had to a friend. But with Sang Eun’s help, he won everyone else over. Sure, he was still strange and it took a while but watching him come into his own and learn how to love and be loved in return was so satisfying. I adored him.
Main Female Lead
I may have been sucked into this drama because of Go Kyung Pyo’s character but I started this drama because I like and enjoy Park Min Young’s acting. I haven’t watched everything that she’s been in but the few shows that I have watched, I liked her a lot. As much as I liked her as Secretary Kim, I think that Choi Sang Eun is my favorite character of hers.
Choi Sang Eun was a dawg. She was a big dawg. She had a pretty rough childhood. She was an orphan and when a pretty woman came and took her away, she built up all of these fantasies about being part of a family so she tried her hardest to please everyone around her, and instead of being happy, she was used at every turn. She was being groomed to be married off to further business opportunities and when she couldn’t take it anymore, she stormed off and never returned to that life. She turned all of that grooming into a successful business for herself and though she lived her life for herself, she still had ties to the woman that kept trying to sell her off to the highest bidder.
Each and every single time that Sang Eun was knocked down, she got right back up and dusted herself off then went out and tried again. She never backed down from a fight and she faced each and every single thing bravely. I really liked her and liked the person she was with both her best friend but with the two male leads as well. She was strong, she was capable, and she was caring. She was the bomb even when she got on my nerves, I loved her.
Second Lead
Kang Hae Jin really grew on me. Not that I ever hated him or anything but he was never in the running for who I wanted Sang Eun to end up with. With each passing episode, I got softer and softer for him because man, my guy just wanted to be happy and in love with someone who loved him back. Who wouldn’t want that? I loved seeing him grow into his own over the course of the drama too. When we first meet him, he’s kind of bratty and the typical celebrity who is only concerned about himself but the more you get to know him, the more you realize that all is not what you see. There was depth to his character and though he was running from his problems, when he finally stands up and fixes them, I thought he handled them well.
So yeah, I loved him too.
The Cast
From Ji Ho’s work place peeps to Hae Jin’s work place peeps and then Sang Eun’s best friend, I thought each group was a lot of fun though my favorite group of the bunch is definitely Ji Ho’s work friends. They each made me laugh, made me mad, or just made me happy. I thought each of them really delivered their best efforts in trying to bring the stories to life and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them.
Hae Jin’s family was a piece of work and I wanted to kick them all in the dick right along with Sang Eun’s Mom. I’m glad that both Hae Jin and Sang Eun were able to find their own people who loved and supported them. Does Sang Eun’s Mom play any other kind of character though? I’m tired of hating her in every drama I see her in. A lot of the cast were new faces to me but I enjoyed them a lot so I’m looking forward to seeing them around other k-dramas. Lots of fun folks for sure.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this drama was an unexpected delight for me. I went into it thinking that I’d get one thing and got something else completely. Something much better. This is a totally bingeable Korean drama. Its packed with a great cast of characters that made me laugh, cry, and happy sigh. Each episode built the story up bit by bit and I appreciated the writers efforts in delivering an enjoyable watching experience. I definitely recommend this drama if you’re looking for a straight up good drama.
Final Rating
4 out of 5
