What to say, what to say...there's talk over on the ratings post for this week that Perfect Marriage Review is headed for cult status. Why not, indeed!! Thanks again @missvictrix for giving us a weekly place to wax poetic about its wonderfulness.

This show just flies by as we watch, on wings of fluff and silliness--and with an actual plot that isn't so bad!! I mean it's telling that I say that, but still. For makjang, this remains very self-aware, very funny and also still heart-tugging in parts. The brownie scene, I think we can all agree, gave us all THREE of these things in one go.

Now, to get serious for a moment: there's talk on the Fan Wall about just WHO the leader of that cooking class is going to turn out to be--in true makjang fashion--and I will admit that the question has been taking up a little corner of my mind since this weekend...our FL deserves to know her real family. That's all I'm sayin'.

Bring on the twisty-turny craziness, show!!!

@missvictrix Who is mocking what???? Everyone here is enjoying the show. You should come around to the fanwall and watch all the beanies flooding it with PMR posts.

The background music is actually good. The sheep bleating noise, Yi Joo's ex thunking his head on the hanging light at the bar etc., add to the strength of the show. Even the lighting colour change (Green/Blue/Purple) during Yoo Ra's resolution of taking matters into her hand was artistic.

I bet on the below
1. Yoo Ra and Seo Du Guk's elder bro will wed.
2. Yi Joo is a heiress whose family was bankrupted by Hawool and which is why grandpa is anxious and begginf for forgiveness
3. The cooking instructor might be Yi Joo's mom. That burn on her hand is suspicious
4. The bespectaled secretary is either Yi Joo's long lost brother or some divine being.
5. Seo Duk's bro hates him hecause after their dad remarried, he got less attention and care.

Screeeeeeee!!! What awesome episodes!
Swoon swoon.. more swoon.. the leads chemistry is fire! This OTP is killing it..

I love the humor in this show. I enjoyed the whole brownie sequence. And how awesome is Do Guk’s Mother! The way she is drawn towards Yi Joo is so lovely to watch. That entire brownie sequence had me in splits. ‘This is just my duty as a human being. How can I look at food like this and not do something’.. ROFL

And Do Guk..oh poor chap.. he is so deep in love.. he got it so bad. Poor guy wants a real marriage.
I really hope the misunderstandings get resolved soon, because they are so much better as a team.

How to wait till next week…. **Cries in emojis**

I love this drama so much. The ML trauma came just in time, I am assuming he is the one who fell into the water. We love a water trauma because it can come from the sky, the ground or an actual body of water, and here it is the river.

I love that @attiton's boyfriend has animated and isn't your typical, terrible chaebol secretary. He has layers.

As for Yi Joo, don't listen to your desperate ex, ask your "business" partner, so no misunderstandings.

Also Halmoni is still the best.

The one liners are hilarious.

"I doubt you signed up for an expensive cooking class, just to learn how to cook "( !!!)

"He was a divorced man with 2 kids, and i was young and beautiful..... have you seen my looks i was basically doing charity work"

"Im very open minded, i studied abroad"

"Pity is something you feel for a stray cat, not your daughter in law"

The women is Seo Do-Guks family are a hoot, and i love our main couple too

This drama is so drama-ish, it's very fun.

The couple's scenes are fun, sexy and warm in the same time.

For the trauma, I didn't understand what was happening in this flashback, the voice was calling Hyung, so he wasn't the one in the water? So why he's traumatized?

This is my first makjang and I LOVE it: evil step-mom, jealous sister, trauma, birth secret, HOT contract-husband to be and a lot of humour (the scene with halmeoni and abeoji was hilarious!).

Bring it on, I am hooked!

*Episode 3*

ALL the confrontations of ALL the characters in this episode were so satisfying! I particularly enjoyed how DoGuk's sister saw right through YooRa, and how his mother dismissed YooRa's gift. And can DoGuk get any more swoony? That conversation on the couch! What woman won't melt?

*Episode 4*

DoGuk's mother is giving him tough competition in caring for YiJoo already. The number of times she got offended on YiJoo's behalf 😄 Even the ladies in the cooking class cottoned on!! Love that all the women in DoGuk's family are no-nonsense and outspoken, but without any malice.

Speaking of malice, YooRa got shown the mirror by DoGuk in the classiest way! And the way he told Mr. Punchable Face that he is super happy to be used by YiJoo 🫠 Now we have another villain in the form of the older brother. I hope this means that YiJoo will also get to protect DoGuk from his brother like he is protecting her from her family.

PS. I love the jewelry on all the women. They all wear accessories as per their personalities but I can see myself wear each and every one of those pieces. But if they could spend on the jewelry, why couldn't they get the ML a decent wardrobe?!

@missvictrix, thanks for the recap !

What a fun show. I like how food plays an important role.
Look forward to the next episodes. I like the characters, even the evil ones.

This drama is so good at setting you up for one thing and then twisting it oh so slightly to give you an even better payoff. Case in point: everyone's favorite brownie scene. To let the whole scene play out all the way -- not with a pained swallow and lie about "it's not too bad" but to Do-gook actually spitting it out -- added to the humor and showed that our ML is willing to lie about some things (like the true nature of his feelings) but not about the FL's cooking. Another example of this commitment was the cafe scene between Do-gook's awesome grandma and Yi-joo's shady grandpa. I wonder what the actors thought when they read the script for that one!

I like that we've finally met Do-gook's kryptonite, as it will give Yi-joo a chance to support him for a change. Seems like both families have secrets. There's already been a truck of doom. Now we've got a drowning incident, and I wouldn't be surprised if we learn there was a fire in Yi-joo's history, either, for the drama tragedy trifecta.

Looking forward to more interactions between Yi-joo and the wonderful women of Do-gook's family. Love that there's already a mutual appreciation society forming there. OTP will need it now that stepmom and Do-gook’s brother have joined forces. PMR has balanced the highs and lows for its protagonists very effectively so far. That, to me, makes the difference between frustration and pure viewing fun. Keep it up, show!

Havent watched this week yet, but man, the recap makes me want to right now

One of the things that makes this series so awesome is the dialogue. It's just one burn after another; one cleverly phrased line after another. And they manage to deliver it all without screeching or overacting.

This show is the bomb.

I think the slightly lesser production value doesn't hurt this show one bit. In fact, the fact that it is not highly glossy or perfectly tailored (although it would be nice if Sung Hoon was given better fitting clothes) gives the show heart in scenes to balance the makjang of it all. Somehow this show manages to give you feels while being over the top.

And can we talk about how Sung Hoon is killing it in this drama? Clearly he has charisma and looks, but in prior dramas he was often over the top in his acting. Here, he manages to convey feelings more subtlely- he clearly cares for the FL, and his wanting this marriage to be real comes through even when they are talking as if it is merely an arrangement. He never pretends to dislike her or is mean to her.This undercurrent of affection makes the interactions between ML and FL so great.

Keep going little engine of drama happiness. I think you can, I think you can!

I don't like this drama at all, I don't care about any of the characters... I mean a truck of doom could run over all of them as if they were bowling pins and I would be happy because that means "the end".

So... why am I watching it? I make that question to myself several times while I watch the episodes. I can't say I'm hooked but I know I'll keep watching this. Maybe because I'm having the best of times commenting it with two online friends and none of us is taking it seriously :)

Best character of the week: the brownie brick. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

This drama is what I looked forward to the most this week. So the meeting of the chaebol parents were everything but sweet. I am glad Jung Hye was acting the way she was so Do Guk's family get a real sense of the family Yi Joo grew up with. In that sense, Do Guk's Mom is reluctantly softening towards Yi Joo. Good luck to Jung Hye and YuRa once the Taesan ladies are fully on Yi Joo's side.
There is some secret to Yi Joo's identity. Since it was implied that YuRa is not Yi Joo's father's biological child, is Yi Joo the real daughter of the Hanwool family? Grandfather is very apologetic to YiJoo so he has done something in the past that caused her less than pleasant upbringing.
Jung Hye's secretary/ henchman, Do Yu, also has mysterious loyalties. Is he working for Grandpa or Jung Hye? Why was he smirking when Yi Joo was bickering with Jung Hye.
Now that Do Guk's trauma is out in the open, I am sure Yi Joo will find out the truth that his brother lied. I hope there are more funny moments in next week's episode like the brick brownie. His Mom was sweet in her own way when she warned Yi Joo not to feed that brick to her son. But Do Guk, being curious as he is, tried it despite her insistence to throw it away. What other dessert can Yi Joo mess up as she learn how to cook/bake?
Okay okay I admit I am all in to the charms of this show.

Guys, I started this drama as an innocuous way to pass time in the long wait for A Good Day to be a Dog episodes.

I. AM. NOW. OBSESSED. I love this show. I can't explain why but it is so addictive. Before Du Guk, I judged swoon worthiness by lingering gazes. Now, if you are not defending me by threatening to rip out the tongues of disrespectful men uttering my pretty name and risking decades of dental work to eat my over-baked brownies,what are we really doing? We can't make this work. Don't waste my time trying to date me because the standard has been set.

And when he cautioned Yi Joo that she wouldn't be able to handle it if he confessed his love, I actually said out loud I don't think I could. Then he did and the butterflies went amok.

I actually wish she was at the point that she would defend him with the take-no-prisoners attitude that he backs her with. When Se Hyeok came planting seeds of doubt she actually began to question Du Guk. But I understand that Du Guk is aware that he is in love while Yi Joo is in the 'I'm in the denial that we have this insane attraction' phase so she's not there yet. But I think his brother's actions are going to bring out that side of her real quick.

And I never thought I would say this about a FL with her love interest's chaebol family, but I can't wait for her to marry into that family! If we think Du Guk is doing an awesome job of protecting her, that army of women in his family will form an impenetrable guard around her once she is one of their own.

I love that portrayal of Granny, Mummy and Sister being sharp, discerning, smart and tough without being cruel or petty. They are pleasant and important contrast to Yi Joo's own mother and sister. Women can be warm and strong. Assertive and kind. It doesn't have to be one or the other.

Also I am really enjoying the actress who plays Yi Joo. She's doing a great job demonstrating that transforming yourself is a process. You don't become a bad ass overnight. There are moments you waver. And then there are the moments you completely embrace your villain era spending the night with your evil sister's crush or cooly reminding your scheming mother that you know she's a dirty fraud and a criminal. It's a process.

As for theories:

I going with the theory that Du Guk was in the other car in that accident and got sent back for a do-over too.

Yi Joo's grandpa definitely has something to do with her being orphaned.

Yi Joo's mum's assistant is definitely giving me 'divine being toying with the fates of mortals' vibes but still feeling it out.

I didn't consider the cooking class teacher being her mum but I like it, so let's go with that.

Love this show so much. Dying for the weekend to come to watch more.

I'm enjoying the ride with this one, but I still find it odd how much it looks and sounds like a weekend lol didn't expect that tbh

So, this series made me look for my dramabeans login which o always seem to forget every market day. I read recaps daily but from an outsiders lens and not being able to join in the fun.....

Despite watching a lot of engaging series over the months, THIS WAS IT!!!!!! The one which made me cave and remember that my dramabeans is saved to my Google password or whatnot!!!

Here for the crazy ride because who else will enjoy this PIECE OF ART, if not us?🤭🤭🤭

I am loving this drama so far! Thanks for the Behind your smile recommendation as well - will give it a go. This drama is so much better than some of the other ones airing at the moment (so far, fingers crossed...)!

I just started watching this drama and am quite enjoying it - I haven't seen ep 4 yet but I read the webcomic so I'm not too worried about spoilers, lol. Thanks for the recommendation, everyone!

I actually like it better than the webcomic, so far. The cinematography and production values are way better than I expected based on the comments here, the leads have great chemistry, and the female lead shows a really versatile acting range. Do-guk is still as good as in the comic - he's a bit more of a golden retriever in the comic, but I think his drama version makes far more sense for the story and his background.

I started enjoying this drama because I admired the sheer treachery and totally unexplained malice of the evil Mom--but after these episodes, I've completely switched: Do Guk is now my reason for watching, because he completely reminds me of my youthful 1980s self. No, I'm not talking about his good looks, but everything else--the ill fitting jackets and pants, the open wing shirt collar like I used to sport when I frequented my personal high end bar (okay, no bar, but plenty of wing collars), the eager eating and surreptitious spitting out of inedible brownies made by your fiance who is wonderful in every way but a terrible cook, and then the pretending you are acting when you are actually confessing something you really feel. I even had a bit of trepidation entering the yacht/boat club owned by my family, because of my trauma over past sea sickness. I actually liked my mother in law, but in retrospect, it was kind of funny how my wife's childhood art disappeared into the closet!

Oh, and one more thing: this weeks featured art style was French intimism. I hope anyone reading this is taking notes, because I will be posting a mandatory art history quiz after the 12th episode, assuming they continue the weekly introduction of painting styles, which, as a docu-drama, I think they are bound to do.

This is so crazy it is Perfect! I was drawn in by the ridiculousness first episode and it just keeps getting better! The leads are killing it with their chemistry and this could also parade as a fashion show with the moms' wardrobes! I forgot how handsome Sung Hoon is. (ill fitting pants or not). I can't wait for the next episode which has become rare these days.

I'm going through a very rough patch right now in RL, so I tuned into this because of all the rave reviews here and the dire need of some no-brain-distraction. Maybe my expectations were so low (as so many people were referring to this as a "so bad it's good" show) that I'm actually very surprised that it's not so bad after all! At least not as bad, in my pov, as many of the more "serious" dramas I've been watching lately...
Well this show gives me distraction and then some! I love it that it doesn't seem to take itself and it's genre too seriously, and that all the tropes are here and so early! Some of them are twisted into something else, some of them are just like we know them - you never know what you'll get in the end when a seemingly familiar situation turns up. I'm actually excited about how it will all unfold in the end (who will be whose family? what with the history of all of these people?), and I expect no less than that every trope in the kdrama writing manual won't be left unturned. Or untouched. Um...you know what I mean.
Plus ML's family, I luff these women! When FL's journalist friend introduced them as one of the obstacles I thought "What? They're assets, not obstacles!" Turned out to be right. I hope it will stay that way until the end!

Do you remember when you used to have coffee just before dinner? Me either. Lol.
I am used to the good guys suffering all through the drama and turnabout coming only at the very end, so this drama is especially sweet for me cos we see the bad guys’ angst right from the end of episode 1
Grandpa pantsing(skirtsing?) grandma was LIT. I watched Do Gum’s put down of Yoo Ra like 5 times.

“…any hero who’s in the middle of a panic attack that drops him to his knees but still takes the opportunity for a flirty quip — well, that’s my kind of hero.”- Mine too !!

I did not think I was going to like this drama. I really like it! I don't get why though. I have a strong preference for actors investing emotion in their roles and making unreal plots seem real. That's not what's happening here. The villains are cartoons. The vibe is great though. Is this the fabled "chemistry"? It just seems like the people in the cast really like each other, not only the main leads but all of them.

“Because any hero who’s in the middle of a panic attack that drops him to his knees but still takes the opportunity for a flirty quip — well, that’s my kind of hero.”

Mine too!! I’m just a squealing mush when these two are together! And Do Gook’s family are just a bunch of savage hoots, they’re the best!

Whenever the ladies’ heels were clunking against the floor and I thought wow that was loud, i had no idea it was bad sound editing 😂

Oh! Oh! I have a few ideas about the FL's failed adoption!

1. The grandfather is traumatized and thinks he owes the FL for ruining her life. Perhaps he forced the family to adopt her?
2. Korean society is apparently very ambivalent about adoption. Perhaps the couple adopted an orphan to look cool and modern, but then the mother really was uncool/hated having an adopted daughter?
3. The FL is actually her adoptive mother's daughter but she had to pretend that she was only adopted. If she's ever caught, people will know her secret shame. Or she is actually her adoptive father's daughter, the rest is the same.

Or a combination of these? I'm noting this here because I love it when I guess right but also want to be kept honest about ways I guess wrong.

@missvictrix thank you so much for an awesome recap.

Perfect Marriage Revenge is Perfect Marriage Revenge and Pasquinade is Pasquinade and NEVER the twain shall meet.

PMR is cult-in-making and Beaniedom is agog with excitement not only with the drama but also with the speculations and theories flying fast and furious. This is the PARTY 🥳 we are throwing for ourselves.

Seo Do-guk is most definitely my kind of hero because of reasons I have discussed on my Fanwall.
His swoon factor is not just from his "words" but so his "actions".