Love in Contract (2022) User Reviews

Welcome to yet another useless love triangle in Kdramaland...

[hanalisss · 6/10 · 10 November 2022]

First thing i have to mention is that the 3/4 last dramas of Park Min Young have been literally the same, it feels like I have watched her portraying the same exact characters but with different male leads ( what's wrong with secretary Kim, Forecasting Love and weather, Her Private Life...) she is completely stuck with the roles she picks and that doesn't allow me to see how she actually performs ( if she can)

The concept of the series is somewhat original but feels more like a modern version geisha or gisaeng stories ( like when in the past they would literally kidnap and breed girls to be the perfect submissive male companions. Yet somehow in a modern society it doesn't work well and there's too many things and wholes that makes zero sense.

I am not a fan of love triangles ( usually) but sometimes if its well done and the script is well written, it does work and you end up suffering wanting to know what happens and who will be the triumphant ending couple.

This is not the case in the majority of kdramas unfortunately, including this one.

The love triangle here is just causing underdeveloped characters, and storylines left halfway. There's not enough time in the show to deepen into the layers of the main characters and you can't even get invested enough with the secondary lead either for the same reason.

If you ignore everything around the main story and just focus on the development of the main couple you will be able to enjoy their chemistry, its good enough to keep you entertained for a few hours, just don't try to think of it as a smart story that makes sense.

Lost its spark towards the end

[blebbe · 7/10 · 17 November 2022]

I really liked the concept of this show; a woman who does contract marriages as her job and falls in love with a client. It's a little cliché, but in a good way. The beginning was really good, the characters had their purposes and the storyline moved very smoothly. But after about 10 episodes the story just started to fall apart. The whole concept kind of changed as the show went on. The characters were really charming and delivered some really funny lines in the beginning, but this was almost completely lost half way though. I feel like the story just suddenly changed and lost most of it's really good qualities. I liked this show, I just wish they had planned the ending better.

SO CUTE I COULD CRY

[Yoonluv · 6/10 · 8 December 2022]

No this show is so cute I didn't expect to like it this much but it's a 10/10 for me because the way it had me smiling and giggling every episode like oh my god. And kyung Pyo I love him omg I actually love him. His role in this drama is so likeable like he's so oblivious but it's so cute I literally wanna cry. He's honestly such a good actor like one of my favs. And min-young did such an amazing job as usual. I never get tired of her cause she's such a versatile actress. And omg Hyung Suk might have been my fav in this whole show. His character is so likeable I honestly love him. I definitely 100% recommend this show to anyone and everyone cause it's so wholesome.

Best Romance/Not Predictable/Great Chemistry

[PalmBeachG · 10/10 · 29 September 2022]

Edited after watching full series: Let me start off by saying that was the best ending ever!!! Absolutely loved this romantic K-Drama. I leaned toward Go Kyung Pyo to be my favorite Male Lead actor from the beginning to end and I stand by that now that I have seen the final I know that my first assessment was correct. I loved him in playing the role of the mystery man, who seemed at first to be suspiciously anti-social, with the contract marriage who had dinner for 5 years with the female lead . Have seen the leading female Park Min Young a few times in the past, and I loved her in this series as she seems to have chemistry with the male leads and I usually don't make too many comments about female leads, so will watch for future series with her in it as well. Excellent romantic series. Hope to see Go Kyung Pyo again soon. #RoCoKing #GoKyungPyo.

Good vibes show.

[priyagoswami-94472 · 9/10 · 20 October 2022]

I like this show. It is not boring at all. I like the overall vibes of the show.

Love in Contract has an intriguing storyline with good dose of romance and mystery.

So far it's doing well. It's not getting boring even with the plot not being the most intricate. It's really fun to watch because the characters are all so interesting, charismatic, likeable, good looking, it has it all. This show is so funny, the comedic timing is on point. It's more with the acting and the facial expressions, but it isn't overdone and is charmingly hilarious.

I was pleasantly surprised with the representation of LGBTQ themes.

Wounded petals are the most fragrant.

[alaningle7 · 8/10 · 13 November 2022]

Park Min-young plays Choi Sang-eun a beautiful woman who was raised to be married into a chaebol family but rebelled and now earns her living entering countless contract marriages. Go Kyung-pyo plays Jung Ji-ho a family court judge who after seeing her often in court enters a contract marriage with her to combat his loneliness. It is an entertaining story and has a love triangle, powerful families in the background pulling strings and a homosexual character who is treated sensitively which is unusual in Korean dramas. It does lose its way a little on occasions and the characters are a little too extreme but overall an enjoyable series which keeps you interested.

Great Idea, Marginally Executed

[jengelbkk · 4/10 · 20 November 2022]

I got hooked early with this one based on the main characters personalities, backgrounds and stories. So much potential. However, sloppy story telling, inconsistent dialogue (some touching and some cringe-worthy) and situations that are not realistic (e.g. How does she constantly show up to the guys place without disguise and not be discovered by paparazzi?) lessened my enjoyment. Drags a bit in the last few episodes (it probably could have been 2 less episodes to create a tighter story with a faster pace). We finished it but felt the potential of the story wasn't realized. I can't fully recommend you take the time when there are so many other good Korea series out there.

Revenge of the Chaebols

[leahcubed · 9/10 · 6 December 2022]

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic drama series with 16 episodes approximately 65 minutes run time each.

First I provide a synopsis then I will review

Synopsis

Choi Sang-Eun/Jamie (Park Min-young) becomes the spouse for single men in need of a partner for events or so their family will quit forcing relationships on them. She has been divorced many times as a result but never had a serious relationship. As a chaebol she was raised to be the perfect bride and feels she is using her skills to help others who are trapped by societal rules as she was. Her goal is complete emotional detachment but she find that hard with one long term client, Jung Ji-ho (Go Kyung-pho), a painfully introverted man who is drawn to the spunky and vivacious Sang-Eun. Kang Hae-jin (Kim Jae-young), fell in love with the girl he knew as Jamie when he observed her reject the chaebol lifestyle in a very visible manner. He also hated being a chaebol and used her as inspiration to break away and become a very successful actor and businessman in the entertainment sector. But she disappeared so he never got over his first love. He was so enamored that he even named his beloved cat after her and he talks to the cat like a girlfriend sparking all kinds of fan rumors of a live in girlfriend. Scandal follows the chaebol turned hallyu star as when he is not accused of having a live in girlfriend, he is categorized as gay since he never dates. He moves into a building where Ji-ho lives and does not realize at first that the girl he could never forget, Jamie, has a long standing contract with Ji-ho and he thinks she is now married and living right next to him. He ultimately figures out what she is actually doing. When his family grows tired of the scandal they bring up an arranged marriage, Hae-jin implores Sang-eun to accept him as a client. Sam-eun thinks she has love and life all figured out and is perfectly positioned to counsel and help others but the mirror is double sided and she finds, through these close interactions, she has a lot to learn. As she draws closer to the two men on a much more personal level, will she discover that love is possible for her as well?

Review

I found her job very interesting because it seemed to run so counter to what I know of South Korean culture. Love and marriage are taken very seriously so her being a "single helper" seemed like a very bizarre thing for a cultured young lady to do. I also wondered how she thought, in such small social circles, she could take pictures and leave other traces and not have future friends and relatives recognize her from those past relationships. In the USA the only job similar to that would be an escort but that has cross over with prostitution and is very marginalized. There were a couple of times when the stigma associated with what she was doing was brought up, typically from questions from those closest to her and she acted very offended that people viewed what she did as something less than helping and a service to society. I thought she was a bit unreasonable to think others might not view her activity in a favorable light. But it was interesting, and definitely different, and added a unique spin to the story. Overall it was a well paced, interesting and heart warming story. I liked the characters, there was great character development, and it ended well.

Spoilers* I had serious second lead syndrome in this one. Hae-jin sacrificed so much for Sang-eun, to protect her and because he was completely loyal in his love. I thought they were a very good match as they understood, all too well, each other's motivations in the way they currently lived. He was so kind to everyone around him. There was such a deep sadness in him I wanted to see him fully happy. Ji-ho's ex-wife ultimately becomes Hae-jin's close legal counsel and it is suggested they may develop a romantic relationship but I never found her character very redeeming. Ji-ho apologized to her but I found, in what they showed of their relationship, she was emotionally cruel to him. I wanted Hae-jin to find someone who would shower him with the kind of love he never had and she was not the type of person that would ever be able to offer that. So I was disappointed they implied a romantic connection developing there. There was another relationship between Ji-ho's gay roommate and Hae-jin's manager where a relationship implied but never explored. I thought they would have been a good couple and they indicated they would team up as talent and manager but not much beyond that. I liked those character so much I would have loved to have seen that fully developed. I felt rather than have Sang-eun go through this "I don't know if I am worth it period" they could have spent that time giving us more to those stories.

In general Park Min-young rarely disappoints. Her character was cute, pretty and compelling. The wardrobe they put her in was very pretty and she has such a perfect form pretty much everything looks good on her. I was not a fan of Hae-jin's sloppy looking shirts that were high fashion. But it did fit with what is considered fashionable. I am just not a huge fan of that over sized look. I would have liked for them to officially claim her as a daughter of the conglomerate because it felt like she had more than paid her dues in terms of the training she went through for the "Jamie project." I loved the double proposal at the end. I affectionately called Ji-ho little robot because he struggled with the emotional aspects of having relationships but he was so pure and cute about it. So, his proposal was surprising but very heart warming. Sang-euns proposal was just like her and I think was a great way to show her deep love for Ji-ho. I would recommend this series for those that like Romantic dramas and would say this does have a unique twist that makes it a bit more compelling than the ho-hum.

messy and no meaning

[bhavanakottepally · 2/10 · 21 October 2022]

Tbh m,I started this series for PMY, known fact that her chosen drama's are always rom-com. But, I hardly find it romantic and comedy. Watching ji-ho and sang-eun is not at all appealing, I don't feel connected with their chemistry or story. Feels like "let's just watch since I started this". Their is no proper dialogue, connection or any part that feels touching. Everything is revealed in flashback but no one talks in real about their past.... It's already episode 10 and lead's don't know each other flashbacks and their actual reality. On what matter's they actual feel something towards each other?? Only character's that feel connected in this drama are hae-jin and jung-han and little bit of ji-ho staff but not actual main leads . I expected much more than this, it's just going not actually entertaining. Hae-jin character should've been first male lead. I'm much more interested in how he will solve his family conflicts then how ji-ho and sang-eun will end up together.... This would've been great if the story is not so slow, more communication from leads. You just can't avoid all these drawbacks of your past and can just focus on present , that feels so distant even if they're beside each other all the time. Why ji-ho married and got divorced? And out of nowhere after 5 years of contract now he feel something? His character is improving that's great but their isn't anything felt like he is in love. Hae-jin feels like he is in love. So messy and not so meaningful character's , ji-ho faced many things and he is so cold I understand but wasn't ji-eun was his first comfort place what actual happened with them?? Jae-mi was played since childhood but was her occupation was only way that can pay of her debt ?? I guess since she was mold into a good wife material, she took that as her occupation ?? Hae-jin character has a meaning he was inspired by his first love where he doesn't know that is not her actual identity but still got inspired, loved her and did what he wanted to do and made his own name. Character's are from rich background but have no standard's whie living in the present. I guess hae-jin character as an actor life show much better. A judge has no standard and social living ?? How's that possible? I just want sang-eun work to come out , it would make much sense , how can a person won't face the same person living the same city? How her previous customer's are not encountered atleast once , she even did wedding's , how come their are no mutual people from all the 12 wedding's. She don't have rich background to cover-up, hae-jin can't do it since he doesn't take help from his family and ji-ho is a name sake judge with no connections and power.

Quirky characters, mostly funny and quite enjoyable

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 3 December 2022]

Of the recent rom com series in the last couple of years I liked this one. It has quirky characters that are often surprise. There is a comic tone with some delightful funny moments and some moving moments. The title sounds light weight but it doesn't feel frivolous. So the mix of comedy mystery and romance keeps it interesting.

Park Min Young much slimmer than before gives a tour de force performance and displays a lot of range. She is good at both playing sweet wife and sad. Her exercise skills are impressive. Go Kyung Pyo plays a socially awkward judge. His character has some laugh out loud moments when he says something to spoil the mood. Kim Jae Young is quite suitable as the actor and his character turns out to be an unexpectedly good guy. The enigmatic Madam Yoo is quite hilarious too. It is a modern show with a gay best friend who is quite a big character. Some quirky villains especially the Kangjin Group eldest son who is well played.

The last episode is a bit dragged out but at least the ending is complete. I enjoyed most of this show.

The romance lovers should watch

[rugby-13167 · 8/10 · 10 November 2022]

Everything ended well. The story of a lonely girl got a good upbringing who would be a contract wife to profitable deal her family. I loathe when people are used like things. Sang Eun could be strong and got away from her merciless family. Don't worry I'm not a spoiler because this drama includes a lot of the circumstances. I want to express regret in connection with many unfounded reproaches to lead actress. The haters don't miss a chance to buzz about outward appearance and health of the lead actress. I'll give you a tip advice pass by a biassed opinion, just in case you missed this one, the romance lovers should watch this nice drama with a wise plot.

It's okay

[shareen_shany · 9/10 · 11 November 2022]

Whenever it's Park Min-Young, it's a must watch show, especially after "what's wrong with secretary kim." Not in favour to see 2 episodes per week. As from the start It was intriguing yet confusing.

The 1st plot is of her making a living by marrying men for money or a temporary husband to ease the other partner social life dilemma. Weird plot!

It's not ideal, but that's how she was brought up. She is an orphan & was formed to be a bride for the rich/a hired robot. She was a project. So she makes use of her capabilities to pay off her 10 years or so debt to a woman who works for her family/the nanny.

Totally weird plot!

The 2nd plot, a secluded judge who was once divorced, saw her in his court, decided to hire her to be his wife. It goes on for 5 years & just before retiring, he fell in love with her. The first ML/JJH is an awkward guy, but honest.

At the 10th episode, it gets interesting between these 2 main casts.

The 3rd plot is FL/CSE stuck between 2 guys, which, of course, she created it. It's still weird. I'm just waiting for the bomb to drop & it does after episode 10!

The 2nd ML/KJH is a famous actor who hates his family but loves his intolerable mom. She is using him to climb up the ladder of the family wealth.

The last plot is as confusing. So CSE has paid off her debt, but why invite the nanny to stay in her house if they are not civil to each other? Why pay the woman debt & ends up now poor. It invites trouble! She had everything & and retired, but instead, she used her wealth to help the despicable nanny! She wants to find real love, hence the retirement, but she could when she has been married 12 times!

By the 10th episode, it gets interesting as JJH declares his love to CSE.

Normally, the further episodes go, the more you enjoy the show, but here, it's actually the opposite.

Firstly, the love or romantic interaction between CSE & JJH starts by the 11th episode. They perform well together but feel like there is no chemistry.

Secondly, what stood out in this drama is Go Kyung Pyo truly impressed by him character playing JJH his different roles in this drama are unique & intriguing!

Thirdly, Kim Jae Young playing KJH is good, too, though it starts a little late.

Fourthly, Park Min Young actually is a favourite, but here, her role is a little weak. In the beginning, she looks so different, like she has plastic surgery, her beautiful face change & look so thin. Some or most of her attire is too trendy or fashionable, which doesn't suit her figure or look.

Her latest drama, "Love & weather forecasting," is good, but not WOW.

The plot is really weird & demoralising!

Not Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 2/10 · 3 January 2023]

Korean Drama " Love in Contract " has a good story in theory, but the execution was weak.

The dynamics between a strong, independant and girly woman and a moody, closed up man were spot on, for starters. However, the love story lacked pace, had few romantic moments that were added awkwardly into the story and, overall, it lost its enjoyament since it felt parcial.

The love triangle, moreover, was boring and the two leads had zero chemistry, which did not aid at all.

Also, the main character was annoying and acting immature most of the time, though the actress did a good job with her performance.

Finally, the drama got boring after the first episodes and messy when it came to its plot.

So, overall, two out of ten.

An inspiring relationship!

[gclefjag · 10/10 · 15 February 2023]

It's somewhat a different plot but worth watching till the end. At first, you'd be asking why, why this job but as you go along, you learn to understand the reason. The lead characters Sang-eun and Ji-ho have portrayed their roles excellently. Their love for one another flourished through the years, wasn't forced but bloomed on it's own. Both accepted each other as they are, no expectations that's why they don't really argue. And when there is doubt, they honestly disclose their thoughts and feelings. This kind of relationship should be an inspiration to all. When there is trust and honesty love will stand well.

Actually 5/10

[mymaxnk · 1/10 · 16 October 2022]

I started with good impression for this series, but as it goes on, there are too many non-sense decisions that try to lead to the stupid misunderstanding or comedy scene. Which make me not enjoying that scene at all.

Main characters were introduced as intelligent people , but did a lot of unconsidered actions and stupid actions. It's more like a sit-coms than a rom-coms to me.

There also some rich characters that have an idea like they could say anything to anyone and just give them a luxury branded bag or cloth and they will some how fine with it. Also bad parenting everywhere every parents in this series are the worst parents and they try to make it as a funny scene which is not fun at all.

So I actually rated this 5/10. But since many people rated 10/10 for no good reasons, I need to rated it 1/10 to average it down.

Although the images part is well-groomed. But the screenplay is really problematic.

[MsDory · 3/10 · 11 November 2022]

The first is in terms of visuals. From the backgrounds to the characters' costumes, everything is taken care of, and especially Park Min Young's outfit. It's perfect.

The biggest minus point of the movie, definitely falls into the scenario that I can describe in short sentences: a flash in the pan. The first episodes, the movie is really attractive. With a fresh and interesting initial idea about a woman who specializes in helping men who have difficulty in dating and getting married, the film draws viewers in and is curious about what happens next. But the more I watched the movie, the more disappointed I became. Because it is illogical, superficial and solves problems too easily.

The conflict in the film is built quite well and makes the audience curious to watch to the end, but it is resolved in a way that is too simple. It felt like the balloon was inflated to full and then burst at the end. Leaving nothing but a feeling of bewildered surprise =))).

The chemistry of the main couple is also quite lackluster. On Love in contract, I couldn't feel any love- feeling from this couple. It's like two strangers. In the early episodes, when the two were not together, they didn't show much. But when the offically come together and still keep their distance, still sitting apart on a sofa, it's really nonse=_=

In general, for me, Love In Contract is an attractive movie in the early episodes and gradually loses its breath in the later episodes and is definitely not worth rewatching.

Another stupid show with predictable plot

[skyescape-564-683302 · 1/10 · 2 October 2022]

Another TV series with a very predictable plot. It was enough to watch the first two episodes to know how it will end. I really don't know if the scripts of all these Korean series are written by only one person, or if they copy from each other, but it has become painful to watch. Why in every, but every series, there must be a scene where a crazy driver on a scooter from a courier service drives on the sidewalk and goes straight at people, not even looking where and how he's driving, and there's always a prince on a white horse who saves a poor girl from accident by protecting her with your body so that she moves to the side... and of course a romantic moment immediately happens... WTF!!! And again, a girl falls in love with some weird man, not at first of course, and of course that can only happen in such a stupid series and nowhere else... Another desperate series has finally ended, as I wrote at the beginning, a very predictable story with very bad acting and an even worse script. People who praise this series and write that it is not predictable are obviously not paying attention and are misleading potential viewers with their comments. I really don't know what people can like in such a bad series.

Promising start but simply turned cliche

[sophiamarinova · 5/10 · 20 October 2022]

I have to agree with someone else here who wanted to give it a five but gave it a one to balance out inflated ratings. Started out somewhat promising, the actors definitely got my attention initially. Park Min Young is as usual quite perky and perfectly made up for the camera. Her partner Go Kyung Pyo is pretty good but so quiet that it gets tiring (I know this is the story but..) the only other characters that I found engaging were his work pals. The story starts to drag on after a few episodes, we experience the typical cliché love triangle. There are many unnecessary extraneous characters. It started out well but in my opinion does not deliver a fully engaging, interesting and coherent story. It also does feel predictable though not coherent not necessarily in a good way.

I was looking forward to a romcom with emphasis on the comedy, didn't find it

[nassib_d · 5/10 · 15 October 2023]

Another story about contracted marriage / relationships, which will of course end in the protagonists finding true love. Nothing new, but if done well it's always enjoyable. Not so much in this case.

I was hoping this was a fun romcom but even though the plot and plot "twists" had potentially, the acting of the female lead protagonist was not as charismatic as I had expected. Not sure if it was lack of chemistry between the male protagonists, her carrying a lot of the weight of the story or maybe just not the right balance of comedy for me. Plot holes here and there, bland follow up on mysteries, and a couple of inconsistencies. Not a waste of time , just maybe not the serie for me.