Who would have thought that a real estate scam story could turn into one of the most romantic pairings ever?
After ‘Alchemy of Souls’ marked Jung So Min’s big breakout, audiences began expecting nothing less than cinematic gems from her, and this new drama seems to deliver on that level. Recent Korean drama releases seemed to have lost a bit of their spark and magic compared to earlier years, especially in the romance genre. However, ‘Would You Marry Me?’ feels like a refreshing comeback for the romance genre, particularly with the fake-married-couple dynamic.
Although many might say it is way too early to draw conclusions after just a few episodes, it is clear that both main actors are fully embodying their characters. With a mix of heart-thumping romance and comedy, along with the pair’s undeniable chemistry, it seems like the golden days of K-dramas are back.
Episode 3
The episode begins with Woo-Joo’s relatives about to catch him red-handed with Yoo Me-Ri. Luckily, Me-Ri hides in a doghouse and avoids facing his relatives, who drive away. Since she cannot be caught by the secretary living next door, Me-Ri has no choice but to live temporarily—for three months—in a cheap-looking motel.
While adjusting to her new accommodation, Me-Ri also has to get used to the team’s celebratory dinner, where she and Woo-Joo’s team go out together. As some team members start discussing the new announcement—the couple who won the house lottery—Me-Ri and Woo-Joo do their best to avoid the subject. Fortunately, they are not exposed, as their faces in the picture can barely be recognized.
To avoid any further complications, Woo-Joo decides to drive drunk Me-Ri back to her motel. As he is helping her get into her room, he finds the motel owner’s behavior quite suspicious. Once he realized he had dropped his key in her room and noticed the owner’s absence at the reception, he hurried back into the room and punched the latter upon seeing him near Me-Ri’s foot. Despite the misunderstanding, the owner returned part of Me-Ri’s money and asked her to leave. As a result, Me-Ri had to stay in the luxurious townhouse.
There were just two conditions: no lights at night, and she should be gone early for work in the morning so that no one would notice her presence. But, of course, it took only a mosquito to break her cover, prompting the secretary to grow a bit suspicious due to the lack of a man’s touch in the house. Consequently, Woo-Joo lends a few of his stuff to be included in the house, and both decide to take some fake wedding photos (oh, and that’s because they were told that the department store’s CEO would drop by for a visit).
Naturally, we got our first kiss—I mean the couple’s first kiss! While it wasn’t a kiss driven by love, it still counts.
Episode 4
Awaiting the CEO’s visit, Me-Ri and Woo-Joo start practicing some questions about their fake marriage, all while wearing matching couple outfits. We are treated to another beautiful emotional scene as Me-Ri shares the details about her broken marriage and cheating fiancé with Woo-Joo, as the latter reassures her that she will definitely one day meet her true soulmate. During that tender moment, it was quite funny how Woo-Joo seemed already a little jealous of the other ‘doppelgänger.’ As we are shown a flashback, it is revealed that Me-Ri became Woo-Joo’s first love not only because she gave him her teddy bear, but also because she cried for him as she learned of the deaths of his parents.
Now, onto a crucial detail—I mentioned in my previous review how suspicious I was of Woo-Joo’s uncle, and it turns out I was right. When an office worker confides in him about possible embezzlement involving company funds, the person gets murdered. Given this foul play, I’m sure that he’d be the villain in our lead couple’s romantic story.
A genuinely heartwarming segment of this episode was when Me-Ri’s mother shows up at her ex-in-laws’ doorstep, learns about the broken marriage, and is coldly treated by them. Luckily, Woo-Joo comes to her rescue, driving her back to the bus terminal and reminding her how kind and hardworking her daughter is. It was also really nice to see Me-Ri’s mother comforting her and telling her that she’s got a better future ahead, instead of blaming her for what happened.
And, lastly, I want to say that karma really, really hits hard. Now, no matter how much I want to, I won’t spoil that satisfying part. Trust me, you’ll want to watch and experience that scene firsthand.
Final Thoughts
By now, we’ve all caught the hints and glimpses of the past and pretty much figured out that Me-Ri is that little girl with whom Woo-Joo fell in love in his childhood. But the real question is: when will he realize it? Or had he already? Wait, what?
Well, no spoilers here, of course. I promise, it’s way more satisfying to see it unfold on the screen. Until then, see you next week!
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
Connect with us on Instagram | X | YouTube for more content, interviews, & news.
