I started this drama hoping for a quick but cute romcom but it quickly turned into mediocre historical melodrama. I wouldn't even mind if the melodramatic plot was over the top and fun but instead, it took itself too seriously and dragged on, and by the last episode I was super bored. I think "The Forbidden Marriage" is a trope fest that doesn't always work. Sometimes it was funny and cute and sometimes it was cringy and forced. It wasn't silly enough to keep me entertained like "Rooftop Prince", and the lead couple wasn't compelling enough for me to root for like "The Red Sleeve". It seems like they borrowed things that worked in other dramas that just didn't work for me here, and just added the occasional immature sexual innuendo for giggles. I would have preferred if they chose to stick with comedy but instead, it's a weird messy melodramatic love triangle mystery.

This drama depends a lot on Kim Young Dae's charm to make this love story work but bad writing and stale chemistry made me disappointed with the main couple. Park Ju Hyun was initially funny, and I liked her mischievous spunk, but I just didn't love her as a romantic lead. I can't even totally blame the writing, because there are lots of dramas where the stubborn tyrannical male lead has his heart changed by the unconventional female lead, which I love. In this case, besides the initial teasing that was fun to watch, I felt no spark between the leads. Instead, it was the promise of a love triangle that kept me watching, and Kim Woo Seok as Lee Shin Won is the only character whose feelings felt genuine. I can't even quite call it 2nd lead syndrome because I liked him more than both leads. The lovelorn hero storyline was what kept me watching when the show started to drag and if they got rid of his character I would have dropped this drama for sure. I won't spoil things too much, but things get so predictable after a while it's hard to spoil.

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Some characters didn't get enough screen time, like the flamboyant psychic played by Choi Deok Moon, and the erotic/romantic writer (which was a cute plot of its own), while the villainous characters got too much screen time, especially in the final episodes. It would be different if they truly took time to establish backstories like So Rang's family dynamic or Lee Heon's first marriage if they were going to go on such a detailed thriller detour. They also did a poor job of establishing the love between the two leads in my opinion. I knew in detail why Shin Won was in love with the female lead but why did So Rang love the king? Just attraction? He was an irrational jerk most of the time. Why did the king really fall for So Rang? Because she catered to him? Because she was "different"? And why did his relationship with the first queen seem so one-sided and even creepy? I can even believe that going through trials is what ultimately brought them together but their confessions and love declarations just felt so cringy. You would think with all the flirtation and sexual references that there would be more chemistry but I could not take them seriously enough to feel anything but awkwardness.

Would I watch this again? No. I was on the fence about dropping it but kept hoping that some of the comedic sparks from the beginning of the drama would come back. Once the drama deviated to melodrama it never quite found consistent humor again. I don't regret watching it, but I wouldn't ask this drama out on a second date.

Overall, I cannot really recommend this drama unless you love anything and everything Kim Young Dae does. If his cuteness is your reason, you will have plenty of it to tide you over. I'll also add a trigger warning for haters of love triangles and unrequited love. If you are hoping for a funny romcom about repressed people starving for love during a 7-year ban on marriage, like I was, be warned that melodrama is on the horizon and it will soon take over completely and turn into a cliché battle over who should be the next Queen. The 12th episode is the most dragged out of all. Instead of closure, it felt like they just kept adding things to fill up the time. Yes, every character gets some kind of closure or a hint at closure, and some of the final moments are cute, but it was too late for me to care. "The Forbidden Marriage" seems like a drama that wasn't a strong enough silly comedy so they kept throwing in sageuk tropes which backfired. Maybe I had too many expectations, wasn't in the right mood, or was too team Shin Won to enjoy this drama as much as others. Consider this a friendly reminder that not every highly-rated drama is for everyone.