If you ever felt like degrading almost every drama you have watched so far only because of this one new show you just started, then welcome to Money Flower. Is it captivating? Yes. Does it have an amazing cast? Yes. Will the script blow your mind away? A definite YES.
Although I know that there will always be this one or two per cent who don’t enjoy a show and that there are also those dramas whose hype is just overrated, I’m sure that most of the people who watched this one, enjoyed it as much as I did – and probably felt the same (painful…) torture every week.
I haven't watched many dramas with Jang Hyuk yet, but the character he took on in this drama is by far and without doubt one of his best - if not THE best. I can't compare much but I also can't imagine how Jang Hyuk would top what he delivered here. He plays a typical anti-hero who wants to take revenge for something that happened a long time ago and therefore concocts a plan that takes action over a long period of time while needing a lot of patience. 'Strength lies in calmness' one would say, well damn, Kang Pil Joo (Jang Hyuk) created this line all anew. A first glance of him and his whole demeanor tells you to not approach him. He seems like a fox that transforms into a tiger later on. He's cold and manipulative, calculating and ambitious. It's incredible how scarce his facial expressions were and at the same time told so much about his inner thoughts and conflicts. It was also thrilling to watch him pursue his goals and root for him but also see whether he would be able to go all the way, cross boundaries or stay focused till the bitter end.
Jang Hyuk's acting is leading this drama effortlessly, even though he is not the only force and has some equal counterparts who delivered their stories just as well.
For example Jang Seung Jo who is portraying Jang Boo Cheon. He seems to be a clueless guy who doesn't have a serious plan for his future and therefore gets lead like a puppet by his mother. Deep down he is a good boy. He has many flaws, makes mistakes and even though he tries to do the right things or correct his mistakes, he ends up worsening them. Yes, he's not perfect and definitely no saint but his bromance with Kang Pil Joo was beautiful and painful to watch at the same time. Twists and turns will test him in every possible way - and while Kang Pil Joo's path seems rather clear, Jang Boo Cheon's character will be thrown into some fatal situations. You won't always agree with his behavior or his decisions, you might even get furious about them. But there are also some moments when you want to give him some slack, too. Out of them all he was the one who was the hardest to predict, especially in the second half.
His mother on the other hand is one despicable woman. Lee Mi Sook. Whenever I watch a drama with her, she makes me want to strangle her character - sometimes jokingly, sometimes with all my might. Jung Mal Ran, the woman she is impersonating, definitely belongs to my latter choice. Just the sight of her makes me furious. Yes, she had some hardships in her life and always had to fight for everything while constantly living with the fear of losing it all in the end. But the lengths she is willing to go to secure those things and totally ignoring what's really important, put her on a way that would be very hard to escape from. I wouldn't say that she's one of the best villains I've seen so far, but Lee Mi Sook put on an enjoyable show and her performance is worth the effort.
These three actors just received the MBC rewards for excellence performances in Money Flower. It's the first time that I actually agree on the winners because their acting was far above everyone else.
Park Se Young plays Na Mo Hyun, the innocent equivalent in this drama and someone who brings a little balance into this heavy revenge game. She gets caught in Kang Pil Joo's net of lies without realizing it. Even though she seemed to be the naive good girl, she never appeared weak in my eyes. She had to deal with some cruel situations but after falling down, she put herself together and fought back which was so important because otherwise she would have become insane. I appreciate her character very much. She did what was in her power while staying true to herself, getting stronger and raising her confidence. I like Park Se Young a lot, her acting might not have been as outstanding as the others, but she still did a wonderful job and on top of that had sizzling chemistry with Jang Hyuk. Yes, they kept me on tenterhooks like I have never been before... But beware, this drama focuses on Pil Joo's revenge and doesn't care for its viewers desires.
There are so many other characters and actors who nourish the story and should be mentioned. But I don't want to take away all the enjoyment. It's hard to praise and do justice to this drama without getting lost in the details and reveal too much. Everyone should experience this road for themselves.
The story is smooth like water, it doesn't have rugged edges, and the colors and the music feel like a well balanced frame, that carries a calm but sweeping tone - and you realize that something big is coming down. It's like one of those paintings you discover in old art museums. The more you look at it, the more you get sucked in - Money Flower is just like that. It makes you curious and excited. It leaves a hole in your heart whenever you have to pause it. Sometimes I wanted to hide my face but the drama wouldn't let me do that. I was too paralyzed to avoid my gaze. And of course, I didn't want to miss even one second. I started to anticipate the heat in my veins while getting furious or anxious or flustered.
Other times I found myself crying without realizing it, because the tears suddenly exploded in my eyes. I didn't cry much during this show and I didn't realize how deep my emotions got entangled until a certain moment. Then it suddenly hit me and one scene, one tear of Jang Hyuk and my rivers broke. Believe me when I say that it's that good - in every aspect possible.
I was worried and in doubt until the last minute whether they would be able to conclude the drama with a satisfying ending. But they certainly did. I might have some personal issues with one tiny thing (that is so not worth mentioning) but overall a deserving finale.
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Money Flower paints a very interesting story about the Jang’s familial power struggle. Everyone has their own motives and agenda. Though this drama falls into the typical makjang, revenge category, the execution is beyond anything I’ve ever watched before.
The ability this drama has to deliver an intense, plot heavy story week over week is admirable. Characters are calculating, logical and heartless. Jang Hyuk stars as Kang Pil Joo. His delivery and ability to build suspense without even saying a word is pure power. His melodic delivery when he does speak as the calculated attorney leave the audience anticipating every word and syllable. He is absolutely mesmerizing. The drama also delivers on other strong portrayals by Park Se Young, Jang Seung Jo and Lee Mi Sook.
If you are looking for something that is intense and utilizes amazing story telling and acting, I would strongly recommend giving this drama a try. I can’t praise this drama enough. It has kept me guessing all the way through. The way this drama can suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, champing at the bit for the next episode is truly note worthy. What are you waiting for?! Let yourself get swept away!!!
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Jang Hyuk first won me over in Fated to Love but this role is completely different. There's no infectious laughter, in fact he rarely cracks a smile, but as Pil Joo he shows so much emotion behind what on the surface seems like a permanent poker face. From the beginning I was fascinated with, and rooting for, Pil Joo. Seeing the constant torment on his face at each betrayal, then watching him always be a step ahead, was an addictive combination. Even though he is insanely manipulative, he's also extremely sympathetic, and it's impressive watching this master strategist implement his ultimate plan for revenge. Whatever praise he gets for this role is well deserved.
The majority of the rest of the cast is just as praise worthy, and help create the perfect atmosphere. With a character like Pil Joo, you need characters just as compelling to make the story work, and although everyone was really good, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Mi Sook, and Lee Soon Jae were perfection. I loved Lee Soon Jae's matter of fact callousness as the head of the Jang family, Jang Gook Hwan (aka Grandpa from HELL). He was so nonchalant about being so unbelievably evil that I almost had to laugh at times. I adored Seung Jo's manic charm as Boo Cheon (the ultimate frenemy). Boo Cheon was so complicated that he's the kind of character you sympathize with and want to see destroyed. I loved him, and loved to hate him. He was also really good at saying more with his expression than words could. He had one scene where just him closing the hotel door was one of the most gripping episode endings.
Then there is Mi Sook's Jung Mal Ran (aka Psycho Mommy Dearest). Mal Ran is the kind of villain that I love. She somehow made being completely unmerciful attractive. Without giving away too much, she is the main target for Pil Joo's revenge, and their scenes together are many of my favorite moments in the show. It seems weird to call what they had chemistry, but that's what it felt like... intense rivalry, constant suspicion for sure, but also a little sexual tension. Even her outfits were amazing. I already liked her as one of the dueling mom's in Jealousy Incarnate, but I had no idea she was capable of this kind of performance. She is the worst mother possible, but in the best way!
The only character who was good but not as great as the others in my opinion is Park Se Young. As Na Mo Hyun she did a good enough job, but with such an epic cast it's easy for her to look mediocre in comparison. It could also be the way her character was written, being the least duplicitous of the bunch. She does hold her own in many scenes, but always in a way that still seems to leave her out-shined by her costar. I guess being the only goodie two shoes among the vicious can have that effect.
Betrayal, greed, and revenge is what drives this drama from start to finish, so don't get fooled by the genre tags or the synopsis. This is about THE WORST family you could ever imagine, and the fight to see who will be the next to lead the company once grandpa dies. Even though I've seen way too many dramas with this kind of plot, I don't ever remember one doing ruthless so well. Don't expect laughs, or anything even slightly resembling comic relief. Expect lots of people not trusting each other, and for good reason. Still it doesn't go overboard with melodramatic sadness, so its more engrossing than depressing. Instead of romance, I would say there is intense longing and deception. Instead of law, I would say that these characters take extreme liberties with the law in ways that are very entertaining. This is a drama where you wonder how far each character will go for their goal, and then stand back and watch them probably go way beyond what you would imagine they would do... at least that was the case with me. I had many jaw dropping moments at their actions.
Another thing worth mentioning is the music. It's less about songs and more about how much music is used to drive the intensity in the story. I especially loved the cliff hanger music at the end of each episode. Once I heard that music play I knew something unbelievable was about to happen. Even in the last episode, when I thought they couldn't possibly fit in another twist, that music always told me otherwise.
Would I watch this again? Absolutely, but I couldn't give it a perfect rewatch score, because knowing what will happen does lessen the intensity. The performances themselves are mesmerizing enough to keep me watching, but cliff hangers lose some of their charm when you know what will come next.
Overall I highly recommend this drama. The writing, directing, and acting were all too good to miss. If you want something light to watch, this is definitely not for you, but I'd still say add it to your queue for when you may be more in the mood. If you start watching and feel like it's too slow, this is one of those dramas that just gets more and more exciting as it goes on. If the idea of a makjang scares you away, think of it more as a revenge drama, and if revenge dramas aren't your thing, maybe think of it as a character driven melodrama. I say this because Money Flower is missing some of the elements I normally love in a drama, but I didn't really miss anything at all. I started watching with no expectations, and an open mind, and I knew early on that this would end up on my favorites list. It was so fun being shocked every week, and wanting to curse at my screen. I was satisfied with the end, and liked that it still left me wanting more, but with enough closure to not feel cheated. After 24 episodes I am sad that it's over. I'm not sure there's another drama that can fill the intensity void this one will leave.
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Words aren t enough to describe how amazing this serie have been plot twist after plot twist amazing characters played by incredible actors and actresses.
24 episodes have been a perfect choice for this story to be told and also the length of the episodes where also been managed amazingly.
It have been a wonderful journey to see this men taken everything from him but he knows exactly what he was meant to do and did everything in his power to get back what is rightfully his. I want to thank everyone and everybody for his hard work specially the writer and the director the writer to came up with this plot and the director to execute this serie as best as possible. I think maybe this fall i am gonna re watch this amazing drama again to remember why it has become my number one kdrama of all time. I give this serie a 10 outta 10 and definitely gonna re watch this. Thank you staff and team members from Money Flower 2017/2018
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This review may contain spoilers
Revenge has never looked so good
This drama is amazingly good.I don't really want to write this review because I might not do it justice; how do I express the wonder and elegance that is Money Flower? I'll try
Money Flower has some classic 'makjang' elements, chief among them being revenge and multiple birth secrets. I hope you won't be alarmed by my use of the word 'makjang' no need for you to imagine over the top plot twists or crazy hairpin bend plot development; no, not at all. Money Flower is so elegant, sophisticated, intellectual, watching it is like listening to a concerto, there are many lulling mellifluous moments where the plot is humming along beautifully until it comes to a crescendo which will leave you awestruck and marvelling at the wonderful storytelling.
This script is so tightly woven there is absolutely no room for you as a viewer to lose interest, when you're not riveted by the plot, you'll find yourself admiring the setting, the scenery, the camera work, the lighting, the beautiful people and costumes, there is an incredible attention to detail that was exercised in the making of this drama.
The story of revenge is handled in an intellectual manner, like a chess game it's methodical and well thought out, moves are calculated well in advance, there is very little room for error. The messed up family dynamic is shown to the viewer by the progression of the story and in flashbacks, you never feel as though the drama is telling you something, it simply shows you people's actions and the consequences of those actions.
The overriding theme in this drama is the love of money being the root of evil, as well as revenge and its consequences.
The cast is all excellent and well matched to their roles.
Jang Hyuk carries this show to such levels of acting excellence that I'm inspired to watch ALL his work. I've always been a fan but now I'll probably become a stalker, he's that good. He literally had no expression on his face most of the time and yet you knew exactly what he was feeling at any given moment, his eyes are so expressive, and the minor, barely perceptible shifts in expression were equivalent to a huge grin or frown in their impact. just wow.
The conclusion of his story is cathartic and you can feel his relief and the twenty year old burden being lifted off his shoulders.
Lee Mi Sook perfectly portrayed the power hungry yet fundamentally insecure Mal Ran, she is the perfect example of someone who has all their priorities mixed up.
Park Se Young is good as Mo Hyun, she didn't need to be epic so her quiet, simple straightforward demeanour was just perfect for the role.
Jang Seung Jo is wonderful in his role of Bu Cheon. Next to Jang Hyuk this is the performance and storyline that hit a chord with me. Bu Cheon is so pitiful in that the deck is stacked against him even before he is born, his mother's machinations make it impossible for him to chose his own path in life and ultimately to be happy. Jang Seung Jo managed to convey a sad cheerfulness that broke my heart every time, his acting is really great in this drama.
Finally we come to the root of all the evil in the Jang family: Lee Soon Jae as Chairman Jang. This man is diabolical and will stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wants which is to create a lasting legacy of himself into perpetuity, he is so narcissistic. He uses his company that he founded to manipulate his children and grandchildren, holding the presidency as a carrot stick to keep everyone in line, he employs some very heartless tactics, and is overall an extremely ODIOUS man!
The music is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Overall 10 out of 10. A splendid piece of entertainment.
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An intense experience. A masterclass.
Money Flower is really one of those beautiful pieces of television that come your way like Hayley’s comet .It’s beautifully shot and excellently written . It made me want to google filmography and it’s relevant terms and technicalities because what I was seeing was so impressive to me . Money Flower , for me , is up there in terms of supreme craftsmanship. I’m sure those who do film studies and such can appreciate this phenomenon in Money Flower. I came to appreciate jump shots , pan shots and eye matching scenes . In fact , the eye matching scenes were the most powerful scenes and made the drama really edgy , unique and gripping .The jump shots magnificently created suspense and the continuity cuts were so logical yet artful for a drama. Thanks Money Flowing for piquing my interest in film techniques.
The story was the usual revenge plot of the impostor wronged by the people they were deceiving . It was familiar to see yet I found myself mid episode squealing in excitement at how the plot unfolded and yelling at my screen “I love this !” Throughout the somewhat lengthy 24 episodes, I was truly stunned by the revelations and plot unfolding of this show . Money Flower is a social tragedy and the depictions of human greed and avarice are thought provoking. If you like dramas that are heavy on the unfair circumastances in society imposed by the ruling class then this one is for you .
The acting was faithful to the script and the cast in all their capacities brilliantly conveyed the subtleties , nuance and anger their characters had internalised . Everyone pulled their weight and there was no weak actor at all. They were artful surgeons to the script , fulfilling their brief with finesse and attention . I throughly enjoyed Jang Seung Jo portrayal of the tragic Jang Bu Cheon. His eyes were so expressive . I look forward to seeing more of him .Then of course ,we have Jang Hyuk playing the intense yet empathic Kang Pil Ju. Just wow. The chairman was the perfect villain and. Malran was the perfect antagonist that was a victim of their circumstances.
The music was amazing. It was mostly instrumental but they were very apt in capturing the moments either heartwarmingly , emotionally or mostly heartbreakingly. My favorite piece was an “Inexcusable Road.”
OVERALL - Brilliznt watch . A true master class in story telling .
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I actually hate this kind of Kdrama typical plot the most, where the main role obsessed with revenge and everyone in the family desperately 'kills' each other for throne and wealth. While watching this, I believe all of the family members have personality disorder and even some are psycho. But I'm still surprised I wasn't depressed when I finished it in only 3 days. Then I realised that the actors acting qualities can move the viewers' emotions to any direction. I must agree to people saying Jang hyuk is a charismatic actor, because his less facial expression can give tension and chill the viewers out the same time. The background music and sounds were also fine. Very well done and worth to watch.
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Do you like cliff-hangers that keep you watching?
Well, then you're in the right place because this has been the best and most satisfying revenge drama that I have ever watched. This show is so satisfying because just when the opposing side thinks they have the upper hand, Pil Joo comes in and reminds them that they don't. It is so satisfying to watch the opposing side come up with all these plans to ruin Pil Joo, but he is always one step ahead of them. Remember, if you try to mess with Pil Joo, you'll be the one to end up in the ground!
The story and cast were amazing, and the music deserves some kind of award! The only reason this isn't a full on 10/10 (like it should be) is because once the secret is revealed to basically everyone, I didn't really have anything to look forward to anymore so it got kind of boring, but only slightly!
Highly recommend!!
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LONG REVIEW
I might as well start by stating the obvious : one of the top 3 shows of 2018 and we’re only in February. But this level of quality is hardly ever surpassed, kdramaland or not. Rarely has a show been able to keep me interested and on my toes, from beginning to end. Do NOT be fooled by the 1st and 2nd episodes, which absolutely don’t reflect the greatness of this masterpiece. You might be turned off by some of the “cheesiness” at the beginning, but past those two episodes, it’s a totally different show.STRONG POINTS : Jang hyuk’s performance is phenomenal, the downside of this is that his skills are so superior that he tends to outshine everyone else. Jang Seung Jo is the 2nd best thing of the show. Dude, going from his performance in “I Order You” to this, was absolutely unbelievable, what a spectacular actor! The “makjangness” (I know that’s not a word lol), i.e. the unexpected directions that the story constantly took, was simply brilliant. Pretty much 70% of what you assume will happen won’t. Trust me, you don’t want to speculate. The cliffhangers at the end of every episode are frustratingly good. This drama is CRAZY. It’s a game of who’s who and who’s not who. Yeah I know the previous sentence doesn’t make much sense, but the drama is that cray cray lol. Money Flower also reveals the worst side of human nature when it comes to wealth. Greed is a serious issue that can affect even the most honest man, when put under certain circumstances. It made me question my own relationship with money. As for the OST, the music is perfect, the violins ? OMONA ! I can’t remember but one song with lyrics, everything else is a bunch of fantastic instrumentals. This is pretty rare in a drama (my 1st time seeing this) and it was a pleasure to hear all those well selected melodies.
WEAK POINTS : The female lead, Mo hyun’s character is subpar at best, and I won’t blame it on actress Park Se Young, she has talent. It’s the whole “seeing the world like a 5 year old” mindset that they gave this character that is annoying as heck. It’s like this girl saw this world through rose colored glasses her entire life and suddenly woke up by 30 years old. Even when reality hit her hard, I still found her too freaking sweet!
DEBATABLE : Sorry to the fans who loved the ending, but it seemed to be an open one. I’ve read two theories and both make sense. I just hate those because I can never choose. I prefer clear concrete endings. I’ll elaborate on it in the comment section (comment will be tagged as spoiler so no worries). That’s the only reason I didn’t give it a 10.
OVERALL : This drama is more than entertainment. It’s an experience. Jang Hyuk was already in my top 5, but he is officially my favorite actor since this one. His talent, his ability to carry a whole show, are undeniable. Everything was awesome from the pace, character development, story telling, OST and cinematography. I'm pretty sure this drama, being a local hit, will change the game in kdramaland.
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This review may contain spoilers
First of all I wanted to say, that I’m not into this kind of dramas. Family power struggle and a melodrama. However I enjoyed this drama due to amazing cast and plot twists. Kang Pil Joo isn’t some child grown at orphanage driven by greed and working at a big company, as stated in the synopsis. He grew up going through lots of struggles until he came to Cheong Ah corporation when he was young. While having wits, guts, physical power he slowly became the most valuable dog of the family. Little did they know that the dog was a tiger cub.
This drama is all about Kang Pil Joo’s long awaited revenge. But what makes it unique is the character himself is coldhearted, calculating, manipulative, always maintaining a poker face. Amazing how Jang Hyuk even with a poker face managed to show such a sea of emotions through his eyes. I’m a fan of Jang Hyuk but never ceases to amaze me with his acting. The lawyer Kang is the biggest strength of this drama. His character is always one step ahead, calculating and manipulating everything. He is the one who sets up the stage, the puppet master. That is why I like the poster of this drama it shows it pretty well.
Romance is mentioned in the genre and based on synopsis many might think that this drama is about Kang Pil Joo and Na Mo Hyeon’s love, but it’s is far from that. This drama is about revenge and Na Mo Hyeon, although an innocent character to the contrast to all the cold hearted characters of Jang family, become a sacrifice, a puppet in Kang Pil Joo’s hands.
Boo Cheon’s character is also very well played. A boy who is not bad, but he also not that good. Sometimes you may dislike him, sometimes sympathize with him. He is complete opposite of Kang Pil Joo, who is strong, with guts, clever, everyone likes him. Boo Cheon is not strong, nor clever, nor has guts. But you can still sympathize with his character. He tried to do good, but it’s difficult for him. However he gets Kang Pil Joo at his side. As Pil Joo’s master he gets his help to reach the chairman’s post.
Jang Mal Rang, Boo Cheon’s mother. Very calculating and manipulative woman as many in this drama. Played fantastically. Her weird relationship with Pil Joo is sometimes disturbing, but you can still see that the clever boy with serious eyes is very precious to her. She trusts him and relies on him. Little does she know that all of that is part of his big revenge plan.
As I said in the beginning I’m not into this kind of shows. So for people like me it can be boring sometimes. Too much talk about company, their stocks and shares. This may have been boring because I am not able to understand all of it.
However Jang Hyuk’ scenes kept me mesmerized the whole drama. The eyes that could speak so loudly, his stance is what kept me watching. And while doing it i was astonished by the great cast of this drama. No wonder they won so many awards.
Many people are talking about the ending. I can’t give any spoilers, but in my opinion the ending was perfect for those characters. Because all of them were who they are, because the story moved like it did, the ending suited the drama really well.
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We want diff stories with heroes who are really unbeatable...and this drama gives yoy that... You don't have to shed a single tear worrying for Kang Pil Joo...infact whn ppl betray him u look forward to how he has defeated them....
Brilliant Acting...there are a few loop holes but otherwise fantastic...worth a watch...totally hooking... binge wathing with full dedication kinda drama !
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When I first tried watching this, I dropped it after fifteen minutes because 1) I had no idea what was going on 2) it looked like a standard over-played drama plot. But, after reading a few reviews that were highly praising it towards its middle, I decided to give it another chance (good thing I was in winter break because I binged all 12 episodes at once).
I won't repeat what other reviews have already mentioned - the cast is solid, the plot is great, the ending is more than satisfactory. But I do want to talk about my one standout character and cast member - Lee Mi Sook playing as Jung Mal Ran. Not only was I absolutely stunned by her beauty and grace, I was also quite blown-away by her acting. Her performance was the most memorable for me and kept me coming back to the show. Others may not agree with me, but I thought that she was a well-rounded character with solid motivations (not good motivations, but solid nonetheless), back story, and perfectly executed by her actress. If you love character studies, I would highly recommend this show just for her, because she transforms so much from the first to the last episode.
My only quibble with this series was the fact that at times I felt that the episodes could have been shortened and certain conversations skipped over (eg. the main character repeatedly threatening one of his aggressors in the same exact way for 3-4 episodes). But it's a show definitely worth trying out - especially if you're looking for a solid makjang drama that won't bore you halfway with anything too over-dramatic.
8.5
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