The Forbidden Marriage is about a king (Kim Young Dae) whose crown princess dies so he forbids marriage in the country, but a con artist (Park Joo Hyun) shows up saying she can channel the spirit of the princess.

Kim Young Dae plays King Lee Heon.  Devastated by the loss of his Crown Princess, he has been in dismay for years. That begins to change though when he meets So Rang who claims she can channel the princess, and he starts developing feelings for her.

Park Joo Hyun is Ye So Rang. She’s a swindler living under a secret identity. When she finds herself in a bad situation, she pretends she can channel the princess. This allows her to grow close to the King, and a bond develops between them.

Then we have Kim Woo Seok play Lee Sin Won. He is a close friend of King Lee Heon and has a brief but impactful history with So Rang. He ends up as the third leg in this love triangle.

The Forbidden Marriage was such a lovely surprise! It was a treat. This is one of those dramas that drew me in right from the start. The first episode was fantastic and had me thoroughly interested in the characters and what was going on.

And by the second episode, I was having all kinds of feels and was loving every minute. That is a special kind of drama. It’s a very engaging show with romance, friendship, humor, heart, and a solid story shrouded in mystery.


The drama was beautiful to look at with lovely scenery and costumes. The soundtrack was also fantastic with emotional ballads, whimsical romance songs, and gorgeous background music. It added so much depth to the drama and really brought out the feels.

I liked the unique spin on the story of the country suffering though a marriage ban and how it affects the people. Behind the ban is a mystery involving murder and a bid for power. It kept things very entertaining.

The romance in the drama was great to watch. Now, thanks to the second episode, I did suffer some Second Lead Syndrome for Sin Won. He’s such a kind man, and his story pulled me right in. I enjoyed seeing his relationship with So Rang.

But I was able to fully get on board with the romance between Lee Heon and So Rang. He’s the tortured soul whose world is opened back up by the fun-loving and nurturing heart of So Rang.

It can be challenging when a relationship starts off on a big lie, but I loved seeing these two bond. There were many very emotional moments between them from sad ones to joyful ones. My heart was definitely fluttering with this romance!



All of the characters in The Forbidden Marriage were great. Everyone from the main cast down to the supporting ones had a story. There are plenty of quirky characters that add lots of fun to the series as well as some nice little side storylines.

The villains are pretty one-note here, but I found them quite entertaining in their constant plotting. Jo Sung Gyun (Yang Dong Geun) and Seo Woon (Park Sun Young) were both interesting and added plenty of drama to the show.

The Forbidden Marriage was a wonderful watch for me. It had a strong start and kept me engaged all of the way through. The characters and relationships were well developed, and there was a solid story with a side of mystery. The last episode was also great with an ending that wraps everything up with a beautiful bow on top. It left my heart feeling very full.

My Rating: 9/10

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8 responses to “The Forbidden Marriage Korean Drama Review”

  1. kdramachickblog Avatar

    So glad you enjoyed this one!!! It’s a favorite of mine as well. Another to add to my list of recent period dramas I’ve found engaging and adored.

    1. Kay Avatar

      It really was such a fantastic drama all the way through, and I enjoyed it so much 🙂 I’m so glad we both loved it!

  2. D Avatar
    D

    I too loved this one. I’m glad you it too.

    1. Kay Avatar

      I really did love it ❤ It was such a great drama!

  3. […] All of the characters were great too. Everyone from the main cast down to the supporting ones had a story. There are plenty of quirky characters that add lots of fun to the series as well as some nice little side storylines. The Forbidden Marriage was a wonderful watch for me, and it left my heart feeling very full. (The Forbidden Marriage Review) […]

  4. Rachel Leverton Avatar
    Rachel Leverton

    I’m enjoying it, but I keep getting distracted with how oily Park Ju Hyun’s skin looks under the camera lighting. What’s odd is that none of the other characters look oily, so it really jars the enjoyment of the show. She’s a beautiful, talented actress, so I’m wondering if it was a director choice or makeup artist choice? Even in photo stills, her face looks unbelievably oily. Confusing . . .

    1. Kay Avatar

      I’ve noticed sometimes the makeup department goes a more “oily” route with some characters in dramas. Not sure why. Definitely a great drama though 🙂

  5. […] All of the characters were great too. Everyone from the main cast down to the supporting ones had a story. There are plenty of quirky characters that add lots of fun to the series as well as some nice little side storylines. The Forbidden Marriage was a wonderful watch for me, and it left my heart feeling very full. My Rating: 9/10 (The Forbidden Marriage Review) […]

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