A vivid and haughty younger man named Shim Jung Woo (Rowoon) aces the civil service examination, turning into the youngest particular person ever to take action. However, his goals of coming into the federal government are thwarted when the royal princess units sights on him, and the king asks his hand in marriage for his daughter. And misfortune strikes him when his bride dies proper in the midst of the marriage festivities. Widowed and unable to remarry once more, Jung Woo is the last word grouch of the dominion. He’s a royal secret inspector who for the previous eight years since his disastrous wedding ceremony retains making appeals to enter the federal government service. Despite the princely standing bestowed on him, he has adjectives like resentful and grumpy prefixed to his identify due to his cussed and cocky nature. Jung Woo lastly finds himself a possibility to show his fortune round. He has been assigned the duty of marrying off the three Maeng sisters, who’re nicely previous the marriageable age. If he succeeds in doing so, the king guarantees him a place within the authorities.

In the meantime, a sprightly younger widow named Jung Soon Deok (Cho Yi Hyun) leads a double life as a matchmaker and is considered among the finest in Hanyang City. Soon Deok, who regardless of her heartache, believes in love and discovering the appropriate match for younger {couples} by simply studying their physique language and aura. Jung Woo, who has already had a couple of disagreeable exchanges with the peppy Soon Deok, asks her to assist him within the mission. But as the 2 matchmakers get set on their job, Cupid has different plans in retailer. Will the awkward and perpetually sad Jung Woo discover his match in Soon Deok? Or will this forbidden romance between the widowed couple begin a fireplace that can’t be extinguished?

“The Matchmakers” has tons going for it, with a unusual narrative, oodles of humor, and Rowoon’s charisma. Here are three the reason why ought to this drama be in your watch listing.

A unusual and attention-grabbing premise

We have seen a number of interval rom-coms, however this one comes with an attention-grabbing twist. A widow who’s a matchmaker aligns with a widower to seek out the city’s so-called ageing spinsters their appropriate match. Though Jung Woo, whose bride mysteriously dies even earlier than the completion of the marriage rituals, has been branded as a widower, he’s unable to remarry. He is resentful of the identical, and although he retains making fixed appeals to have the ability to work, he additionally desires his marriage to be annulled.

Soon Deok is a widow with a son and is kind of resigned to her destiny. Although she and Jung Woo make an unlikely duo, being the other of one another in each potential means, they’re fairly the match. He is sharp, a disciplinarian, and a taskmaster as nicely. She is quick-witted, magnanimous, and impulsive. While he even will get terrified of a farm canine, she alternatively has no qualms in climbing up partitions. Their palpable chemistry is a giveaway of what’s prone to comply with, at a time when widow remarriage was not solely abhorred, however there was additionally a prohibition on the remarriage of widows. Dare somebody even enterprise that means, it spelled demise. “The Matchmakers” is satirical because it questions the identical.

The drama makes a sociocultural assertion on the establishment of marriage as nicely. At a time when marriages have been kind of seen as political or household alliances than being a matter of selection between {couples}, does anybody have the appropriate to make private choices? “The Matchmakers” is light-hearted fare however takes itself severely with its progressive storyline.

The sassy ladies of Joseon

Whether it’s a younger widow who moonlights as a matchmaker, a younger girl who writes raunchy grownup novels below a pseudonym, or the three sisters who regardless of societal norms favor being single than settling for much less, one can not assist however admire the spunk and spirit of those women of Hanyang. The moms or wives are chief decision-makers in household issues but additionally subtly train their affect on males, which may even affect the politics of the land. The women in their very own means are all set to slam the patriarchy.

Cho Yi Hyun’s Soon Deok is very admirable—she is spunky with a sunny and fascinating character. Even although she misses her lifeless husband, Soon Deok is the everlasting romantic who believes in love and desires these round her to seek out their excellent match. Well conscious that being a widow interprets as her being sure to family chores and taking care of her in-laws and son, she lives her dream of being a matchmaker. She is nowhere cynical and empowers different ladies round her, from her sister-in-law to encouraging Sam Soon (Jung Bo Min), who disguises herself as a person to put in writing common grownup novels. She stands for what she believes in however can be an empath who feels for these round her.

As ladies well beyond a sure age have been deemed unworthy of discovering an acceptable prospect, the fierce Maeng sisters present that for them being single is a matter of private selection. Their mom chides Jung Woo and ticks him off, saying she’d moderately have her daughter take care of her then turn out to be a slave to a stranger and his household. It is refreshing to see not solely a powerful feminine lead but additionally the power of character in the remainder of the feminine forged, who regardless of their positions are unwilling to compromise.

The appeal of Rowoon as Jung Woo

The overconfident but awkward, pompous, and prickly Jung Woo grows on you. You can not assist however really feel sorry for him. He is a sufferer of circumstances who has been denied what he aspired for in life. He has been compelled into a wedding in opposition to his needs and has needed to forgo his goals of being a civil servant. It’s attention-grabbing to notice, since normally in exhibits and common narratives, the ladies are those who need to compromise on their future and ambitions. This time round, we see the identical circumstances via the lens of a person, who has been compelled by his household to marry for political acquire. His widowed standing and being a member of the royal household additional seals his destiny, and he’s determined to interrupt away from the shadows of the palace partitions.

As a widower who’s assigned as a secret royal inspector with simply superficial authoritative standing, Jung Woo is sullen, cantankerous, and has a knack for rubbing everybody the incorrect means. A stickler for self-discipline, he inwardly laments his single standing if he isn’t ticking folks off. But when he’s assigned his job to marry off the Maeng sisters, he tries to additionally get right down to discovering out about his spouse’s mysterious demise and finds himself dedicated to the trigger.

Rowoon has come a good distance as an actor, and “The Matchmakers” proves his versatility and development as a performer. He will get his comedic timing on level, and his straight-faced dry wit and bumbling methods are enjoyable to say the least. Even when Jung Woo is annoying and painful to everybody round him, you get his frustration. A hilarious second is when he will get embarrassed and excited whereas studying the grownup novel “The Madame’s Private Life.” Rowoon’s physique language and expressions not solely get each facet of his character proper, however his uninhibited efficiency is on level. And his chemistry with Cho Yi Hyun is pure because it grows from irritation to admiration and fondness.

Start watching “The Matchmakers”:

Watch Now

Puja Talwar is a Soompi author with a powerful Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A very long time Okay-drama fan, she loves devising alternate situations to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to call a couple of. You can comply with her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

Currently watching: “The Matchmakers“

How does this text make you are feeling?