Love in Contract (2022) - Series Review; "Lightweight"

"Love In Contract" premiered on September 21, 2022 and concluded on Thursday, November 10, 2022. It aired on tvN and starred Park Min-Young as Cha Sang-Eun, Ko Kyoung-Pyo as Jung Ji-Ho, and Kim Jae-Young as Kang Hae-Jin.

Image from Love in Contract

The story of Cha Sang-Eun, an attractive woman with talent and charm who works as a contract marriage master, is told in this series. Her job was to assist her client in living a perfect single life. She assists them in receiving their inheritance, proving to some people that he was not single, and making their parents proud by demonstrating that they are getting married. She morphed into the woman the client desired, and their relationship was strictly professional with no strings attached. Some clients hired them for a specific event, while others have been with her for quite some time.

Jung Ji-Ho is the client with whom she has been working the longest. They have been married for five years, and one of her responsibilities is to eat with him as if they were a real husband and wife every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The schedule was agreed upon because Cha Sang-Eun also had clients, making the contract only possible during the specified dates.

Image from Love in Contract

She also had a hasty marriage contract with a well-known actor named Kang Hae-Jin. She was Hae-Jin's first love, and he took advantage of the opportunity to hire Cha Sang-Eun as his fiancée or future wife. Sang-Eun, Hae-Jin, and even Ji-Ho agreed on Hae-Jin's schedule of Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. And so, the love triangle began.

I can't put it into words how much I like it. I have a lot on my mind, but I think we can all agree that this drama is light and does not garner strong emotions. Strong emotions such as hatred, great pain, or the like increase your stress. If you want to fall in love and have fun while watching a drama, this is the one to watch. According to some, this was one of the best romantic comedy themed Korean dramas of 2022.

Image from Love in Contract

I can definitely say that this is lightweight because Cha Sang-Eun was able to be strong during an event where we would expect her to be stressed and damaged. She was a strong woman who understood that what she was doing was clearly wrong, but she only wanted to help her clients. I believe that even if the job was strange, as long as the intention was good and it isn't illegal at all, it would not lead to a larger problem because good people will always be there to support and defend you.

It took me a long time to decide whether to watch it or not because the plot or story was cliche in terms of the contract marriage. The plot on the internet was not particularly appealing, but if you watch the first two episodes, you will be hooked, particularly by the vibes it gives the viewer. The awkward chemistry between the two main leads at the start was kind of cute for me. But as the story progresses, you'll realize that they've already built something by eating every MWF. At first, it appears that they don't mind each other and simply eat to fulfill the contract, but as time passes, even small gestures make them special to each other.

Park Min-Young was truly one of the best Romantic Comedy Drama actors. Or all of the dramas she's been in had a comedic element to them, which is why I think she's a good fit for this type of drama. I believe Ko Kyoung-Po was able to contribute to the comedy side as well. He may appear serious in this one, but his innocence adds to the comedy. The chemistry between the two was undeniable. I haven't had second lead syndrome on this one, and they've been the one I've been rooting for since episode one.

I adore the reason Jung Ji-Ho chose to hire Cha Sang-Eun. It was revealed in the middle, I believe, and I'm really moved by why he hired her.

Image from Asianwiki

There are many twists and turns that make the story exciting, but you won't be stressed because the main characters are strong and know how to fight their battles. The appearance of the first wife was one of the events that made this story interesting. I believe the appearance of the first love always complicates the story, but because they were able to build the main lead's story, they were able to conquer this one, and since the first love already caused him pain and sadness, her appearance has no effect on the relationship they are building.

The scandal in which Cha Sang-Eun was involved was also on the list. Because he was under contract with a popular actor, her identity was revealed, causing all of her clients' families to become concerned. Despite the scandal, Cha Sang-Eun remained stable, and she was able to overcome it with the help of some of her clients who defended her. This will be a stressful series if the female lead is mentally unstable or not as strong as Sang-Eun demonstrated.

I never imagined that the last two episodes would reveal more details about the story. They didn't squander the last two episodes. It was packed with revelations, backstory, and closure. It was a well-written and well-executed series.

Image from Love in Contract

Finally, I enjoy this drama and would like to recommend it to you. It was brave to have a best friend who was LGBTQIA+ and to see how he battled the world and his family. This series is highly recommended if you enjoy romantic comedy series. It was entertaining, with a great story and characters. Two thumbs up!

Have you begun watching it yet? Or have you completed it as well? What did you think?