Thursday, September 17, 2009

Shining Inheritance

“I believe you. I like you. I want to have you.”

Also Known As: Chanranhan Yusan/ Brilliant Legacy/ Beautiful Legacy

Casts:

Han Hyo Joo as Go Eun Sung
Lee Seung Ki as Sun Woo Hwan
Bae Soo Bin as Park Jun Se
Moon Chae Won as Yoo Seung Mi
Ban Hyo Jung as Jang Sook Ja
Kim Mi Sook as Baek Sung Hee
Jun In Taek as Go Pyung Joong 

The Plot:

Go Eun Sung’s life is similar to Cinderella’s. After her father died, her step-mother, Baek Sung Hee, took away all of her assets and her younger brother, Eun Woo, suddenly disappears without a trace. Despite this, Eun Sung preservers and works really hard to fulfill her dreams. When the CEO of a food company, Jang Sook Ja, suffers amnesia and can’t remember who she is Eun Sung takes her in. However, Eun Sung does not know that she is the grandmother of Sun Woo Hwan, the man who she switched bags with at the airport. How will their constant bickering lead them to realize that they care more about each other than they let on?
credits: dramawiki

IMO:
After a long hiatus in watching Asian dramas (I got obsessed with variety shows and mangas) and having so many stalled dramas, I decided to watch this series and I was hooked so I actually finished it.
The plot is like a modern fairytale, and yes, definitely like Cinderella’s (which is my fave fairytale by the way). Her real mother died and her father remarried. Her stepmother appeared to be nice in front of her and her father but when her father “died”, she kicked her and her autistic brother out in the streets. She became poor and lost her brother. She met a kind grandmother who turned out to be a very rich person. However, in this fairy tale, we’ve got two princes. One is a jerk and the another is one of the kindest person I’ve ever seen graced Korean dramas.
Its underlying plot is basic and cliche even. There are some things that seemed illogical however the drama’s attack to this ordinary plot is unexpected.There were so many things happening at the same time but it didn’t gave the audience an overwhelming feeling because everything just fits. It’s like an intricate web of single events that is no matter how complex, the effect is just one.
I was pretty surprised that this series actually has 28 episodes. This is the longest Korean drama that I’ve ever watched. When I checked the number, I was actually a bit skeptic as to whether I have the patience to finish it.
However, I was already hooked during the very first episode. The car chase completely won me over. Haha.
Last thing, this is the very first subbed drama  that I’ve watched with my mom. She really doesn’t like watching dramas in their original language because she’s not used to reading subtitles. Also, whenever she watches TV, she has to be doing something else, whether it is housework or poring over some documents. But well, she watched this one, not all episodes but yeah, she tried.

Characters:


Han Hyo Joo as Go Eun Sung: I love her character. Eun Sung not only has a kind heart but she actually has guts. She is not a weak female lead and definitely a refreshing break from other female leads. She knows what’s important to her and she also know how to stand up for herself.  Hyo Joo is a very fetching actress (she actually resembles Song Hye Kyo a bit) but she has definitely come a long way since her Rainbow Romance days. I first appreciated her acting in Spring Waltz where she did a pretty good job. She can definitely act. She’s good in light scenes and she will break your heart when she cries. It’s also amazing how she can have perfect chemistry with the two male leads and grandmother as well.

Lee Seung Gi as Sun Woo Hwan: I’ve always liked Lee Seung Gi as a singer. I first get to know him in the (amazing) variety show, X-Man but this is the first time I get to see him act. And he can damn act. Omo, he was really good as the jerk Hwan. He was horrible and I feel he was incorrigible. I know he is definitely gonna change later on but I was wondering how they’re gonna do that realistically and whether I’ll actually like him because he was such a douchebag. But I guess the writers did their job very well, Hwan’s transition for the better is slow yet believable. He definitely didn’t change overnight and the process made me like him more. Seung Gi and Hyo Joo definitely looked good together and I hope they’ll have projects soon.

Bae Soo Bin as Park Jun Se: He is my prince!!! How can someone be as perfect as him? He was kind, generous, gentle, and just plain lovable from head to foot. It was pretty unbelievable. However, I love the way his character didn’t change despite Eun Sung turning him down and going with Hwan. You know how nice third wheel guys in Korean dramas changed into cunning men when they get rejected by the person they really love? They will do everything to break up the two who’s destined to be with each other while conniving with the other party. Well, Jun Se didn’t turn that way and I was utmost pleased. It doesn’t mean that he loves Eun Sung less because he didn’t go after her. No, he was definitely heartbroken and disappointed indeed but his love is so pure that when he has already done everything (all good) but the girl still chose another, he decided to let her go. I feel bad for him, nice guys do finish last.
 
Moon Chae Won as Yoo Seung Mi: The most pitiful character of all and the most sad. Her character is very easy to hate but I can’t seem to hate her fully because she was also a victim of her mother’s wicked ways. She was very lonely from the very start. Her real father isn’t any good and her new father cannot love her completely. She wasn’t close to Eun Sung but she didn’t hate her. She envies her yes, because she also wanted the same attention from her stepfather. But I guess, because she has Hwan and he is her rock, so she didn’t mind very much. However, when her hold on Hwan gets threatened by no less than the person who has everything she wanted, it drove her to allow herself be manipulated by her mother. I think her best moment was when she stopped her mother from jumping off the building in the final ep.


Kim Mi Sook as Baek Sung Hee: I want to mention her because she gave such a terrific performance. It’s amazing how evil she really is, how cunning, how manipulative. It’s scary. She’s so good in conveying messages that will make you believe that it’s the truth. Wow, Kim Mi Sook portrayed this character close to perfection. So formidable.

The other supporting characters are definitely more than forgettable especially grandmother and Eun Sung’s father. Hwan’s family though irritating at times, did their part pretty well. I also adore the second branch workers and Hye Ri, Eun Sung’s friend. And of course, I cannot forget, Go Eun Woo, who is so good in piano and so good in playing a special child. Two thumbs up.

The Soundtrack:

I just finished the drama last night and I haven’t got a chance to look up all the songs used in this drama but a few pieces stick to mind. First is, “Crazily in Love” by Ji Sun. I swear, Ji Sun is such a good singer. She also sang some of my favorite soundtracks in other dramas. Another is “The Person who Lives in My Heart” by Yi Soo (from MC The Max). The first chords of the song sound so much like an OST from Lovers in Paris. “Love is Punishment” by K.Will is also a good insert song. And of course, since Lee Seung Gi is here and he is a singer, we will hear some of his songs. I really love “Will You Marry Me?” I get giddy whenever I hear it. Also, in the noraebang part, Manager sang Seung Gi’s first song when he was still 17, “Because You’re My Woman.” It’s pretty amazing how his voice changed. Compare “Because You’re My Woman” to “Will You Marry Me?” You’ll think that the latter is sang by a younger Seung Gi and the former is sang by an older Seung Gi but it’s actually the other way around.

The Quote:

“I believe in you. I like you. I want to have you.” This was said by Sun Woo Hwan in episode 22 at the bridge. The drama has a lot of good quotes regarding money and life but I choose this one to put at the top. I find it pretty brilliant that he first said I believe you, rather than I like you. It’s like his trust in her is not clouded by his affection for her. He’s not partial because he has feelings for her. So, whether or not he likes her, he still believes in her. 

The Ending:
Not gonna spoil the ending for you guys, but all I can say is I was satisfied though I must admit that I was left craving for more. But the whole final episode was heartwarming. 

Conclusion:


It’s really no wonder why this drama beat Boys Over Flowers in the ratings game. Shining Inheritance is a pretty amazing drama. Their take on the typical plot is good. It has a nice combination of laughs and tears, of heartaches and triumphs. I’m happy that my comeback (sort of) review is this drama. Highly recommended!
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