Perfect Marriage Revenge (2023) KDrama Episode 1

In Perfect Marriage Revenge Episode 1, we see our protagonist, Yi-joo, painting a portrait of her family in preparation for a significant event. She doesn’t think it’s very good, so she’s concerned her family won’t like it. The radio hosts reassure her that the gesture will be appreciated by her loved ones on the radio.

Shortly after that, when Yi-joo’s mother-in-law Jae-sook phones, her sister-in-law See-hee transfers the call to her. Since Jae-sook’s friends will soon be arriving, she has asked Yi-joo to get ready. Yi-joo turns to her sister-in-law for help, but she turns her down. Following this, Yi-joo cooks, cleans and makes preparations for her mother-in-law’s friends.

When the guests finally arrive, not long after, they are underwhelmed by Yi-joo’s meal preparations. Her mother-in-law also scolds her for not getting takeaway because of how poorly she cooked.

Once everyone has left, Yi-joo’s mother-in-law starts pressuring her to persuade her father to give her son, Se-hyeok, a prestigious position in the family business. However, Yi-joo argues that her partner truly enjoys his work. Her mother-in-law, on the other hand, thinks she’s naive.

Following that, Yi-joo goes to her parents’ house to give them the portrait as a present. However, her mother and sister aren’t home. She then calls the office and gets confirmation from the manager, Jae-won, that they are actually attending an important company event. Following that, Yi-joo heads to the office.

Yi-joo tries to reach her partner Se-hyeok over the phone as she leaves the house. When he doesn’t pick up, she tries calling his office. The news of her husband’s resignation comes shortly after. Considering he kept it a secret from her, she is taken aback.

When Yi-joo shows the artwork to her mother Jung-hye, she belittles her and tells her that she is now married and thus she should be with her husband. When Jung-hye insults her, her sister Yoo-ra finds it hilarious. Later, their client sees Yi-joo’s artwork and feels stunned by how lifelike it is. Following that, she raves about how accurate Yi-joo’s portrait is.

After the client leaves, Jung-hye makes an effort to charm Yi-joo by asking her to paint realistic portraits for the next charity event. Yi-joo, in her naiveté, agrees and continues to hold her family in high regard.

Yi-joo later meets her husband at the office, where she treats him with respect and expresses her trust in him. She is also seen nudging him to share his feelings with her. However, it appears that her husband Se-hyeok has developed feelings for Yi-joo’s sister, Yoo-ra.

Later that day, Yoo-ra makes fun of Yi-joo and her love language. When Yoo-ra’s boyfriend Do-kook sides with Yi-joo, she mocks him by getting close to Yi-joo’s husband Se-hyeok. Yi-joo and Do-kook are both embarrassed by their partners once this happens.

Yi-joo comes across Do-kook after using the washroom. He confronts her about her being naive and not seeing the fact that her efforts towards her family are one sided. Following this, she notices that her husband seems to be unusually playful and giddy around Yoo-ra. This has made her quite unhappy. Then the silence is shattered when a customer asks to see the artwork the business plans to auction off.

The portraits are then presented to the client by Yi-joo. That said, Yi-joo and the person accompanying her appear to be looking at the back of a painting as she gets distracted. They then leave once this happens.

The former client places the winning bid at the charity auction. Then, she publicly shames and slaps Jung-hye for allegedly deceiving her. She then proceeds to show that the paintings are not created by the artists the company claims they are. The client has shown evidence of this, and Jung-hye is currently under arrest warrant. Instead of taking responsibility, she throws Yi-joo under the bus. She asks Yi-joo to shoulder the guilt and promises to save her in a private conversation.

Yi-joo is bewildered and hurt, so she withdraws for a while. She overhears her husband Se-hyeok confessing his feelings for her sister Yoo-ra as she walks along. Yi-joo is devastated, so she goes to confront her husband. Then, he hands her divorce papers and tells her he was going to tell her about it. Yi-joo is so disappointed and saddened that she leaves.

Mother calls Yi-joo as she is driving. When her mother calls, she asks her to shoulder the responsibility. Yi-joo is involved in a serious accident at this point. She is consequently brought to the hospital.

In the hospital, Yi-joo’s condition is critical as the doctors warn her mother and sister. When no one is present, Jung-hye disconnects her device. She goes on to inform Yi-joo that, despite the fact that she adopted her, she has never liked her. She then advises her to “not be so nice” in her next life. Following that, she leaves and asks Jae-won to reconnect the device.

While Yi-joo is trying to stay alive, she begs God to give her another shot at life to execute her revenge. It’s not long before we find out that her wish has come true and she awakens one year before.

Following this, everything proceeds just as it did a year ago. Yi-joo and her fiance go to look for a wedding gown. This time, however, she makes changes and dramatically breaks off her engagement to her fiance Se-hyeok, and the episode ends on that note.

The Episode Review

In the first episode, the primary characters are presented, and their backstories are explored. We see the way Yi-joo’s sister, husband, and mother have treated her unfairly. This episode planted the roots for her need for revenge, which will blossom in upcoming episodes.

The premise of the show is rather fascinating if I’m being honest. The execution of the pilot episode, though, comes dangerously close to overdoing the dramatics and making the protagonist too much of a victim. That’s not necessarily a drawback, though, considering the show’s genre. Having said that, the show’s dramatic elements imply that it’s not for everyone.

Overall, the episode wasn’t quite up to par with what I had hoped for, but it wasn’t terrible either. We’ll have to wait and watch the direction the show takes moving forward.