Abuse can manifest itself in subtle ways that can be hard to recognize, especially when you’re used to the behavior. Marry My Husband takes the familiar downtrodden female lead we’ve seen in K-dramas, but gives her a do-over, another chance to escape her abuse not just by romance, but by recontextualizing the Cinderella-esque hardships and allowing her, and us, to recognize abuse for what it is. The show is able to navigate all this without letting go of its breezy approach, and it’s just so satisfying to see Ji-won actively and successfully achieve her revenge.

Marriage can make or break your life, all depending on the partner that you chose to wed. Unfortunately, the female lead of Marry My Husband chose wrongly, but luckily for her, she has an opportunity to make a different choice when thrown back into the past. This concept stands out from other time travel dramas because Ji-won isn’t trying to solve a mystery over what happened, or trying to maintain continuity for any timelines– Ji-won just wants to change her life. It’s already clear what’s at stake for her, we’ve already seen what could happen. The concept practically drives itself with the way Marry My Husband treats time travel as a plot device.