Looking at the lead stars of the South Korean series “Marry My Husband,” one could get the immediate impression that the casting is apt for a romantic comedy. But as actress Park Min-young stressed, “There are many genres in this show and putting romantic comedy as the main description wouldn’t be a perfect fit.”

"I think what makes our show stand out the most is when you look at our casting, it might be a perfect fit for a romantic comedy," said Park, known for her lead roles in rom-coms such as “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “Her Private Life.”

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“But if you only look at that, it won’t be as interesting... because even from the first episode, it’s very intense. Violence, adultery and all the elements you would expect from a ‘makjang,’” she said, referring to a subgenre of South Korean series characterized by dramatic, sometimes even exaggerated, stories involving infidelity and revenge.

Based on a web novel of the same title, “Marry My Husband,” which premiered last January 1 and is available for streaming Prime Video, follows cancer-stricken Kang Ji-won (Park). On top of her medical condition, she deals with an incompetent husband, overbearing mother-in-law and a difficult work life.

After discovering that her husband was having an affair with her long-time friend, Ji-won is murdered by the pair, but later wakes up 10 years in the past, getting a second chance in life.

Apart from Park, “Marry My Husband” also stars Na In-woo from the variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” and period drama “River Where the Moon Rises.” He plays Yoo Ji-hyuk, Ji-won’s boss who becomes her biggest ally in her quest to change her fate during her second life.

Also part of the main cast are Lee Yi-kyung (from the comedy series “Welcome to Waikiki” and variety show “Hangout with Yoo”) and Song Ha-yoon (“Fight For My Way”) as Ji-won’s sly husband Park Min-hwan and best friend Jung Su-min, respectively.

In an interview arranged by Prime Video, the cast members agreed that the script was the main reason why they decided to take on the project, which they worked on for a year.

“This was the script I was holding onto until the end. My biggest reason [for joining the series] was that if [the script is] something that I can finish in one sitting like this, that our viewers will also follow along,” said Park.

“This series is like a lottery for all of us… We all believe that with the love our fans will send to this lottery-like work of ours, we can show many different sides of ourselves. That's why we chose it,” Lee added.

Role preparations

In preparing for her role, Park shared that she cut her hair short for the first time in a decade. “Actually in the show, it’s shorter,” she remarked.

“And for the first time, I’ve stood in front of the camera with a completely bare face. I challenged myself in many different ways. That’s what I tried out in terms of external aspects,” she said.

In order to get into character, Park imagined herself as Ji-won, who faced so much difficulties during her first life.

“Getting everything stolen by other people and losing everything, the shock of getting Ji-won's destiny stolen, I could empathize with her more through that imagination process so that method was the most helpful for me,” she said.

Na, meanwhile, approached Ji-hyuk based on other characters. “I tried to think of the other characters around Ji-hyuk as well because I wanted to make a more flexible and complex character,” he said.

“I was able to see the different charms of Ji-hyuk that way so I would say that is what I was the most proud of,” he added.

For Lee, his character Min-hwan “isn't a typical villain.” “You might pity him for some points and get comical relief in others. I approached him to portray him as a realistic, humane character,” he said.

Song, meanwhile, admitted that she was surprised at how she was able to play Su-min, whose charming appearance hides a treacherous personality.

“I was shocked from time to time monitoring myself as well. To see that I had this kind of face in me… I was able to find out a different side of me,” she said.

Asked about what they thought of the show’s theme of returning to the past and changing one’s future, Lee pointed out, "Being able to go back in time with the current memory is very attractive.”

“Acting in a series with this genre, I came to think that the viewers will be able to think about themselves through our show... the viewers may be able to think about their own lives from 10 years ago,” he said.

For Park, the impossibility of time travel makes the theme even more appealing to audiences. “Because there’s the rule that it’s undeniably impossible, it makes you imagine and want to experience it,” she said. 

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