The Matchmakers

I didn't expect such an ending after the beginning of the drama 😅 From the first episodes, The Matchmakers was very interesting, but I didn't like the character played by Rowoon. He was quite bothersome and impossibly weird. Fortunately, he evolved! I love dramas from the Joseon era and was afraid prince-consort will ruin it. Totally felt in love with new type of main characters - widowers. I was extremely curious about the direction in which the drama would go 😍

Who is the prince-consort and what role did he play in The Matchmakers?

Shim Jung Woo is a very intelligent and really handsome young noble man who becomes the youngest to place first in the state examination. Unfortunately, his abilities were used in a power play and instead of serving the king, he becomes princess' husband. Adding oil to file, she dies shortly after the wedding ceremony, leaving the young husband in the terrible situation of not being able to marry anyone else in this life. 8 years later, after billion of send letters to the king, Jung Woo gets an opportunity to withdraw himself from Joseon customs. He takes a task to marry 3 old maidens and win the possibility to remarry. Here he meets Jung Soon Deok who disguises herself as Yeo Joo Daek, the best Matchmaker in the capital. Together they try to understand three unmarried sisters and marry other singles they meet.

MAIN CHARACTERS.

Shim Jung Woo (Rowoon) - as I wrote in the introduction. This character didn't fit the actor for many episodes. It wasn't until most of his backstory was presented that I started to warm up towards him. However, I would prefer that his marriage to the princess remained forced. Changing it to desire turned the plot into a typical one 😕 I'm starting to have a problem with Rowoon because each of his characters has to be extraordinary. He always has to be the smartest, the most beautiful, etc. I would like to see him in a more serious production at least once. At least here he couldn't fight... 😤 at least one flaw. The character of Jang Shin Yu from Destined with You, although also very confident, was played much better by him and he fit her better. I rate Jung Woo 6.5/10.

Jung Soon Deok (Cho Yi Hyun) - I really liked her! It's the first time I see this actress and I'm sold on her. It was played by 2 people at the same time and they were enacted in every detail. From clothes to the way of speaking. I love moves like this 💛 I can't say a bad word about her. Only praise. I found out that she plays the main role in All of Us Are Dead, but the subject matter of this drama is a total no-no for me. Therefore I will be waiting for something down to Earth with her.

As for these two as a couple, they looked great together, there's no denying that, but the chemistry was pretty poor. I didn't really feel Shim Jung Woo and Jung Soon Deok together as a couple. Only the last three episodes convinced me of their romantic story. I have watched a lot of dramas from the Joseon era and I know that despite the strict rules of that period, dramas can have quite a lot of passion. There was action here, there was tension, but I didn't notice any passion between the main characters. Unfortunately, comparing them to My Demon couple, they are boooooooooring 😅😂🙊

SECONDARY CHARACTERS.

King (Jo Han Chul) - what can I say.... When he is in the drama, it must be good 😁 Every drama he appears in has +7 overall performance points. Han Chul is a very diverse actor, he plays both funny and serious roles beautifully. When it comes to acting - yes, he has his own easily noticeable special features and a unique way of playing BUT! he can perfectly adapt it to the character he plays. Staple talent. From all his creations, the role in Reborn Rich is still #1 👌

Park So Hyun, Soon Deok's mother-in-law (Park Ji Young) - an incredibly strong character ❤ The actress played a brilliant role. I think, I've never seen her on screen before, but I'll be on the lookout from now on. In the description of the drama, she plays a supporting role, but actually she played a key role here. Even though she was a negative character, she became one of my more favorite characters. So Hyun has her own moral backbone (but not too far fetched from the real world) and strived for what was best for her family at all costs. I admire her (and, in a way, I'm afraid 🙈).

Jo Young Bae, Soon Deok's father-in-law (Lee Hae Young) - I have seen him on screen as a support role for a some time now and I am always glad to see him. He is as diverse as Han Chul in his roles but usually on a virtue of good and bad. Here he plays the head of the opposition to the king and plots throughout the entire drama. If he had more wives like So Hyun (or advisors as good as her), he would have managed to take the crown. Unfortunately, he had a pretty weak team.

The characters of the three sisters (picture just below plot summary) were very interesting and diverse. I liked and disliked each one equally. However, how much history these three women introduced into the entire plot is impossible to count.

When it comes to the overall plot, it is a really strong creation. Many new elements, interesting characters and a fantactiv plot twist. Each episode was interesting and draw me to the TV.

I love how they perfectly brought feminism into the Joseon era. People still think that women until the 20th century did absolutely nothing but give birth to children and cook or manage households. The main female characters in this drama completely contradict this. Although at first glance it might seem that way, the truth is completely different. The world is ruled from behind the curtain and Soon Deok's husband's family portrays this perfectly.

Even though I didn't like the prince-consort character, I really liked The Matchmakers as a whole. From the end of the drama to these last words of the review, I'm still struggling with whether to give the drama 7.5 or 8 points. But I think I will stay with these 7.5 because there were several elements (choosing a wife for the prince, changing forced marriages into great loves, the true story of Yeo Joo Daek) that should have been played differently. In this way, the drama is on par with Why Women Love, which is my long time love.