The romantic comedy genre in Korean dramas has been thriving for decades, with audiences still chasing that perfect blend of heartfelt storytelling, lovable characters, and just the right touch of drama. In today’s saturated entertainment market—dominated by Hollywood, Bollywood, and the streaming wave of global K-dramas—competition is fierce.
Enter Would You Marry Me?, a 2025 drama that promises nostalgia and sparkling romance, yet somehow struggles to maintain the magic it hints at in its opening episodes.
Story
Kim Woo Ju, heir to South Korea’s oldest bakery, is a perfection-driven marketing head and notorious self-assured workaholic. His steady life takes an offbeat turn when Yoo Me Ri, a spirited designer from a partner company, ropes him into a “fake marriage” scheme to secure a coveted townhouse prize.
Me Ri herself is a whirlwind—creative, hot-tempered, and dealing with the fallout from a cheating ex and a housing scam. With Woo Ju coincidentally sharing the same name as her former fiancé, the two find themselves navigating misunderstandings, staged domestic life, and the inevitable sparks of attraction.
While the setup is charming, the drama soon falls into familiar tropes without reinventing them. Subplots multiply, but instead of enriching the story, they dilute its focus, and by the midpoint, the pace drags.
Performances
The cast delivers commendable performances despite the script’s shortcomings. Jung Soo Min infuses Yoo Me Ri with energy and vulnerability, but inconsistent writing leaves her character feeling underdefined. Choi Woo Shik brings a grounded charm to Woo Ju, yet the character itself lacks real growth. Baek Nara and Seo Bum June shine in limited screen time, though underdeveloped arcs waste their potential.
The secondary romance, in particular, feels like a missed opportunity—sketched out with potential but never given the time to blossom.
Behind the Scenes
It’s clear the writers aimed to combine multiple elements—comedy, romance, family intrigue, and rivalry—but too many moving parts left the core romance undernourished. Villains lingered longer than needed, conflicts resolved through convenient twists, and genuine emotional beats were scarce.
Instead of exploring internal struggles or quiet moments of self-discovery, the narrative leaned heavily on external drama: ex-lovers, meddling family members, and financial woes. Without a solid emotional anchor, the series struggled to create lasting impact.
Final Verdict
Would You Marry Me? starts with the warmth and charm reminiscent of classic rom-com K-dramas but loses its footing halfway, succumbing to formulaic patterns and narrative clutter. While fans of Choi Woo Shik and Jung Soo Min may enjoy their on-screen interactions, the drama’s lack of character depth and uneven pacing make it difficult to fully recommend.
If you’re looking for the magic of mid-2010s K-romcoms, you may find flashes of it here—but don’t expect it to last until the final episode.
