The Matchmakers is a historical romantic comedy about a man (Rowoon) who almost became the son-in-law of the king and married a princess, but she died at the wedding ceremony. He then gets involved in a matchmaking business where he receives help from a young widow (Choi Yi Hyun).
Rowoon plays Shim Jung Woo. He was promising scholar but was chosen to be the husband of the crown princess. But when she died, he was left unable to remarry or take a government position which left him with a challenging life. That all begins to change when he is given a matchmaking job and meets Soon Deok.
Choi Yi Hyun is Jung Soon Deok. She is noblewoman and a widow who lost her husband young. She moonlights as a matchmaker because of her talent and passion for the job. Things get more interesting when she teams up with Jung Woo.
The Matchmakers was such a lovely drama! It’s light and feel good while still having a solid story with just enough tension and drama to propel things forward. We get lots of great characters, plenty of humor, and a nice dose of deeper emotions.
The cinematography was excellent with gorgeous scenery and sets throughout the show along with some great costumes and nice music to accompany them. Everything was always lovely to look at.
The story centers around Jung Woo and Soon Deok as they tackle a big job of marrying Joseon’s older maidens and bachelors. I wasn’t sure how interesting this kind of story would be, but it ended up being very enjoyable.
First, there’s the actual relationship between Jung Woo and Soon Deok. Both are struggling with the loss of their loved ones and how that complicates their lives. Of course, at first they bicker and have misunderstandings, but soon enough, their circumstances draw them together.
Both of their back stories helped shape them well as characters and allowed for a nice emotional connection for me. Soon Deok was pretty fun as a character from the get go, and Jung Woo quickly grew on me, and I found him to be more endearing, goofy, and hilarious with every episode.
I really liked the balance in their relationship between lots of lighthearted humor and the deeper emotional bond that slowly developed between them. They were a very sweet couple.
Aside from our main couple, there is a fantastic supporting cast of characters. I quite enjoyed the multiple romances that grew out of the matchmaking story. There were lots of interesting characters here and plenty of challenges to overcome to get them married.
The King (Jo Han Chul) was an excellent character that helped with story development and had an intriguing relationship with Jung Woo.
There are multiple villains plotting ways to gain power. The most interesting one was Park So Hyun (Park Ji Young) who is Soon Deok’s mother-in-law. I found her to be a unique villain, particularly for a historical drama. She’s very nuanced and complex. Strategic and calculating. Calm and in control.
Surprisingly, she also treats Soon Deok quite well and appreciated the love she had for her son. I found Park So Hyun to be such a fascinating character and was always interested to see where all of her plotting would lead her. Great performance from Park Ji Young!
The Matchmakers was a wonderful experience overall. It doesn’t do anything particularly grand, and the romance is sweet but nothing too crazy. But the story was actually pretty unique, and it always held my interest and moved along so nicely. I enjoyed all of the characters no matter who was on screen.
Our main couple also had solid personal journeys as well a nice romance. I just felt good while watching this drama. It felt comfortable yet engaging, emotional yet lighthearted. The Matchmakers made me feel happy, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
My Rating: 8.5/10
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