Little Women (2022)

The perfect mystery, thriller with a hidden, faint undertone of romance.

Wow. I have just finished this drama and few words can describe how I am feeling.

It has been an absolute rollercoaster of a journey. I've been shocked, confused, scared, anxious, happy and overwhelmed over the course of this 12 episode drama. Even though there are some things that I didn't (and a few which I still don't) understand, this drama is definitely one of my top 3 kdramas ever!

Here are the things that I liked about this drama:
- The Cast! Oh. My Gosh. This star studded cast was on fire! Everyone outdid themselves! The emotions portrayed, the deliverance of lines, the visuals, the pure talent! A few of them deserve extra attention: Wi Ha Jun ( he was phenomenal, outstanding and the definite highlight of the show) , Kim Go Eun (she took this character and made her feel so raw, imperfect and human), Uhm Ki Joon and Uhm Ji Won ( these two scared the hell out of me in the most fantastic way).
- The Cinematography. Just watch it. You'll see why.
- Most of the characters. They were flawed, occasionally annoying, but for me personally this just added to the story. It's all about the imperfections of humanity (Greed, Naivety, Capitalism+Poverty, etc). My favourite character was Choi Do-Il, he just kept me on the edge of my seat the entire drama! I never knew whether to trust him or not, but he always pulled through.
- The Plot Twists. I don't think I am the easiest person ever to shock, but this drama continuously surprised me. These plot twists also gave the drama quite a steady pace.
- The Villains. Guys, people are scary. Do not judge a book by its cover. The villains in this drama have probably scared me for life.

The things I didn't particularly love:
- Oh In Hye. She just got on my nerves a lot. The ending redeemed her a bit for me as a character, but I still don't think I can say that I really liked her much as a character.
- I sometimes got quite confused whilst watching this drama. There are still a number of things that I don't really understand, but I think I probably just need to rewatch it. The times I felt confused never really took away from my general enjoyment of the show, but maybe just keep it in mind that you might feel like something doesn't make sense every now and again.

Two things to note:
- Don't go into expecting an adaptation of the classic novel of the same name. You will be disappointed. I have read a number of comments under this drama where people express their dissatisfaction at this and I think it is important to address. There are a few tiny minuscule similarities but that is it. I think it would be better to look at it from the perspective of it focusing on the lives of women who don't have power over their own lives. I also hope this perspective helps anyone who feels frustrated over the dissimilarities between the two.
- Historical distortion surrounding the Vietnam war. Look into it a bit yourself and ensure that you are educated on why people are unhappy with the lack of historical accuracy in this drama, so that you can watch it whilst being aware of this issue.

I truly loved this drama. I would 100% recommend it.
However, Prepare To Have Your Mind Blown!!!!

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Amazing, simply amazing.

I am just adored by this drama. The suspense, story and plot twist were all done so well. I couldn't easily predict what was going to happen the next episode and just gave up predicting after a while. The story is done so well and I loved that the characters are not top class geniuses like they have prepared their whole life to know what to do in these type of situations. They are normal, everyday human beings that have flaws. Especially In joo, she is like a normal person who got dragged into this mess. It brings a little sense of realism. All the actors did so well in their roles. Especially Kim Go Eun did such a splendid job. The despair and happiness felt so real in the show. The other actors did a spectacular job too. This is must watch, if you like action, thriller and suspense. No boring episodes. It would always leave you at the edge of your seat.

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The best drama ever

Little Women the title attracted me because as a literature student and love I thought it will probably be a remake of the classic. Then i saw a clip on youtube and finally started watching the drama when it had 4 episodes released.

In the very beginning I could have never thought this drama which started with the story of three poor sisters' tragic situation and a mother who ran away with her daughter's money will end up to have this many twists and turns.

i usually don't write reviews but this drama deserves it. I loved how the entire cast had the best acting and a perfect storyline. They brought out the characters to such a level that once you start the drama there is no way you will stop talking about it.

The ending deserves a special mention because I believe no one would have thought it would end so smoothly until the very last minute like the last episode was full of twists.

The best drama I have ever watched. This is a much watch.

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A Veritable Dollhouse of Absurdity

The experience of watching this so-called homage to Louisa M. Alcott’s beloved tale is like playing a game of blind man’s bluff. The audience is positioned as the player in the middle, blind-folded, groping around trying to make sense of the surroundings only to be led by a cacophony of sounds which may either prove to be helpful leads or egregious misdirections that lead to nowhere. Rather than being any kind of thoughtful of adaptation of Alcott’s timeless series, the roots of this Korean drama lie in the overlong weekend family dramas infamous for their ridiculous plot lines punctuated by unbelievable twists and turns, protracted conflicts that are designed to leave audiences begging for more week after week. It’s a combination of pure farce, high melodrama and an unabashed (even gleeful) exploitation of tropes. Polished as it may be, it is still a makjang. From the first, this story positions itself as a morality tale cautioning against the consequences of greed and ambition from its use of the red shoes motif only to end up with a bewildering incoherent resolution that undermines the story’s early messaging.

The show throws the spotlight on two adult sisters from a working class background. They are Oh In-joo (Kim Go-eun), Oh In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun) as well as their teenage sister Oh In-hye (Park Ji-hoo), a talented artist who has caught the eye of a certain Ms Won Sang-a (Uhm Ji-won), an ambitious wealthy woman who is married to an aspiring politician Park Jae-sang (Uhm Ki-hoon). The unsuspecting Oh sisters who lament their meagre lot in life are drawn into a web of deception on a scale that they are laughably ill-equipped to handle. It suits the writer’s agenda to place these babes in the woods in such an unlikely situation as they flounder around in search of answers.

The real trouble begins when In-joo a bookkeeper finds herself tempted by the offer of 2 billion won of cash left to her at the pleasure of her colleague Jin Hwa-young in a gym locker. It’s more money than In-joo has ever seen in her young life but it comes with a high price tag and puts her in an ethical predicament. Apparently Hwa-young has been playing around with Other People’s money and suffered the consequences. In-joo is in over her head and it’s Choi Do-il (Wi Ha-joon), her company’s accounting manager and money laundering expert, to rescue. Apparently the company has a habit of accumulating ill-gotten money and key people in the organization are involved in helping the Park-Won family creating slush funds to further their political ambitions.

While the performances range from great (Kim Go-eun, Wi Ha-joon and Uhm Ji-won) to good, in the overall scheme of things the characters don’t matter much because they are quite literally putty in someone’s hands. They exist to tell a story like miniatures in a diorama or figures in a dollhouse. The dollhouse metaphor is deliberate on the part of the writer who wants to weave a fairytale about the ordinary confronting the extraordinary similar to any Brothers Grimm tale. While there are no talking animals or supernatural beings in the mix, the show nevertheless relies heavily on miracles. The Oh sisters are fated to embark on a journey through a dark forest of evil and they cannot be certain who is friend or foe. They are almost always somebody’s plaything and dependant on the goodwill of others for their survival. There is an appearance of agency but the Oh sisters can only react to the situations they inevitably find themselves in due to the machinations of others.

There’s little that is relatable about the Oh sisters. They act impetuously in service of the plot. There’s nothing realistic about them or the situation they find themselves. At times it’s hard to believe that they might have been a close-knit family once when they spend far more time with others than each other. Using In-joo and In-kyung in particular as the primary windows into this world is a double-edged sword. More often than not their supposed bravery comes across as recklessness and lack of circumspection.

Won Sang-a the show’s primary antagonist fancies herself an unfulfilled thespian and plays out her fantasies with lesser mortals. She’s General Won’s daughter and her wealth enables her to indulge in her narcissism and megalomania. She likes secrets and she takes perverse pleasure in gamefying scenarios involving desperate malleable individuals where she commands their inevitable outcome. On the other hand her relationship with husband Park Jae-sang involves a series of sex games in which she manipulates him while he enables and cleans up after her. At first it seems like he’s a controlling abusive husband but it doesn’t take long before it’s clear who’s really calling the shots in that dynamic. She represents the figure of the witch that’s the staple of many beloved fairytale as she’s an inveterate schemer and master manipulator that casts her spell on those she deems dispensable.

In that vein Little Women is a witch’s brew as it mixes high stakes criminal activities with family dysfunction, romances and a conspiracy that goes back decades. The set-up brimming with potential, hitting the climax in Episode 10 only to end with a whimper in Episode 12. For a show that traded relentlessly on plot twists and shock factor, the finale felt strangely flat and mind numbingly… tedious. In effect the writer overplayed her hand ad absurdism; to the point where the final showdown between the protagonist and antagonist feels comedic rather than revelatory thus diminishing the impact of the moment.

Despite the title, the highlight of the viewing experience is Choi Do-il, who grounds the show for me. Almost everything else about the show is a farce in every sense but Do-il feels like a bright spot in a bleakly surreal landscape and more’s the pity that this show isn’t about him. Although he makes claims to being entirely mercenary, he is the sanest creature in this cat and mouse insanity — a reassuring constant in a sea of madness for the artless In-joo. He is her lifeline from start to finish. Without him she would be six foot under or ashes in an urn. The romantic tension between them evidenced from the start regrettably doesn’t have closure which begs the question — is the show leaving the door open for a second series?

A show like this can be an engaging watch depending on mood and the extent one is willing to suspend all manner of disbelief because at the end of the day such dramas don’t exactly prioritise logic or consistency.

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Absolutely Amazing! Speechless of how good this drama is.

Every little aspect and thing if this drama was amazing. From episode 1 to 12, there is not one flaw I can pick. Man I only go out of my to write reviews if the drama is superb it hits me and makes me feel so emotional and empty (in a good way). I've only done this for Vincenzo and now Little Women. Haha, both by the same director. The plot was amazing. The action was amazing. The suspense was RIDICULOUSLY amazing, the acting was superb. The actors portrayed their characters too well.

Kim Go Eun is something else. She's got some unmatched acting talent, she's absolutely gorgeous too. Her character felt so real and was pretty realistic to be honest
Nam Ji Hyun and Park Ji Hoo were perfect too. Their eyes speak volumes, facial expressions were amazing. I felt so immersed when their scenes came on. They're so precious.

Wi Ha Jun. Man what can I say. This guy can act for sure. He made a perfect fit for his role. Never knew I would come to such an emotional state for his beautiful portrayal of love for In Joo in the most pure way. His quick thinking and critical skills he portrayed were so good. Man Choi Do Il is my type, period. I've never felt such an emotional attachment to the connection between two characters until now between In Joo and Do Il.

All the actors were so good. Cinematography was splendid, man some of the shots were mind blowing-ly perfect. Props to everyone who contributed to this drama, it really did something to me.I had and still currently have such a hard time letting go of this drama. There's like a knot in my heart. But I finally mustered up the courage to finish it and hopefully move on, this drama has brought my standards sooooo high. The only tiny thing I dispute is the absence of some kind of confession between In Joo and Do Il, but they didn't die and weren't on bad terms so I'm happy. I was so scared this drama wouldn't have a happy ending.

<3

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Enjoyable but leaves some important things hanging

I am giving this is a high rating simply because I enjoyed every minute of it more than I thought I would, since I do not usually enjoy Korean suspense/mystery dramas. It was all quite compelling to me from the very beginning. I thought it would be woke, given the title, and full of aggressive feminist propaganda, which I don't normally like in my dramas. (I don't like any sort of heavy political propaganda in stories I consume purely for entertainment), but surprisingly, it's not. The women characters are not perfect Mary Sues portraying women as the better gender and as strong, independent, and perfect. They are flawed and very real and quite relatable. I've never been a fan of Kim Go-Eun (didn't like her in Goblin, but that was probably because I didn't like the way that character was written), but I thought she did a stellar job here portraying the slightly naive, slightly ditzy Oh In-Joo. In-Joo's story is super relatable, especially for those of us who have had to struggle financially. Her choices and her reactions are perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. I thought this character was what carried the whole story for me -- she is a very good depiction of a perfectly real human, not an idealized "woman power" version.

As for the story itself, the twists and turns, even though some a bit sketchy, especially in hindsight, were good enough to keep me glued to my seat and wanting more. Sadly, as with many Kdramas, the ending, although generally okay, felt a bit rushed. There are two particular story elements that I feel were not resolved satisfactorily and/or were problematic:

1. In Joo and Do-Il. This connection goes beyond a superficial attraction. They both help each other grow as the story progressed. In-Joo makes Do-Il care for someone again other than money and vengeance. Do-il helps In-joo navigate through the chaos that she had to go through and come out sane. I would have been okay with them remaining perfectly platonic all throughout the show, but the writers had to go beyond that. They obviously implied that there was something there, a mutual attraction. You can see it in the way Do-il looks at In Joo, the way he smiles when he sees her face, the decisions he made to keep her safe. Setting this connection and attraction up in this way makes the audience expect a resolution, but none were given in the end. They need not necessarily have ended up together, but they could have progressed to more than just a "see you around." I was expecting a progression to at least more closeness and openness about the way they feel. I understand In-joo might not be ready for a relationship after what she'd been through, and probably needs some self-reflection, but that could have been handled with a trusty old time jump, which might be cliche but, if done right, could have give us a more satisfactory ending for this particular story arc.

2. I find it strange that In-Hye and Hyo-Rin, two self-involved minors -- children, for all intents and purposes -- are allowed to roam the world with buttloads of cash and zero adult supervision. I am all for freedom and escaping oppressive situations, but teenagers, especially, need guidance. In-hye, despite her little diatribe at the end trying to justify her actions, is, for me, unforgivable. She is narcissistic, self-involved, and almost psychopathic in her lack of empathy for her loving sisters. Teenagers often go through this phase where they feel stifled by their family's love, but that is just a phase and part of growing up. The fact that she allowed her sisters to feel humiliated, rejected, hurt, just to fulfill her fantasies and desires is extremely self-indulgent, selfish, and cruel. Her lack of empathy is disturbing. Anyway, the teenage fantasy of escaping your family to explore the world is something everybody at some point has probably had, but there are ways to accomplish this while still being considerate. In-hye has no reason to escape her loving sisters. Her life situation is not ideal, but her sisters obviously love her. Instead of indulging in her selfish fantasy and escaping from her family, she should have learned to appreciate what she had and escaped her narcissistic worldview -- I'm going to get what I want and I don't care how you feel or what you think about it. Real progression for her would have been getting past her self-obsession and being there for at least In-Joo, who is left alone in the end. Hyo-rin's case is altogether different, but she still needs guidance, especially after everything that happened. I just find it incredibly irresponsible of the adults, including Do-il, to allow these kids to do what they want with no supervision whatsoever. Teenagers are notoriously liable to making wrong decisions that could affect the rest of their lives at this particularly volatile period of growth, so they do need someone mature to at least guide them. Are the writers campaigning for children to be able to do what they want and to turn away from their families?

There are other loose threads, but these two are the ones that made me unhappy with the ending. Overall, it was a fun ride and definitely worth watching despite the above-mentioned flaws.

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Little women! Little things women do can bring results that aren't little! Watch! Watch! Watch!

It had been a while since I completely watched a 2022 aired Kdrama. But it was really worth the choice. Each week waiting eagerly for all the aired episodes feels quite memorable at this point. The entire drama was a roller-coaster ride of emotions. An individual though similar hardly possesses entirely same character and personality like each other.

This drama portrayed lives of women in each of their own world; somewhat similar somewhat different. Though usually when romance is added to a great extent in drama almost forgetting the original plot felt a bit bothersome but this series actually ended with hardly any. The best fact is that the chemistry between the potential pairing somewhat platonic but flavorful was more than enough to compensate.

Also, the sisterly bond between the Oh siblings shows how differently each love the other which can sometimes be miscommunicated and how families each have their own sob stories.

Truly the orchids stole the show too!!! And really honestly Won Sang A and Park Jae Sang though were antagonists but I literally imagined their childhood to adulthood journey being turned into fan-made edits; a different form of love two sided but maybe really not.

P.S: This version of Little Women let Laurie end up with Jo.

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Money , Rich vs Poor & Blue Orchid

At the first time I didn't know what's going on after two three episodes only I try to understand this story . First I thought Won Sang A was not a villain But the end of the some episodes she makes me somewhat angrier . While watching this drama I was afraid that Oh In Hye will die due to the heart disease , Thankfully She was saved I was very happy for that . And the another fear was I while watching this drama that Choi Do Il was cheating towards Oh In Joo , But Thankfully It was not . Hwa Young's Entry was such a awesome thing Loved the ending of this drama .Bcoz of the second leads ( Oh In Kyung &Jong ho ) and the sisters got a happy life also. ?? But not satisfied with the mainleads reuniting (Choi Do Il & Oh In Joo) . ? Want these couples ( Wi Ha Joon & Kim Go Eun) In a new drama

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To Suspenseful For Me

I was hoping this drama be more of the classic Little Women but it was very different. I don't usually like suspenseful thriller but I stay and watch this one. The characters are very interesting and the Three Sisters are very different and do care for each other. The suspense hits you right from the star and keep it going to the end. The twist and turns and the thrills keeps you jumping and your heart can race to a quick beating. In between all that there is a cute romance for each of the older sisters. I love the female cast in this drama especially that even the evilest person is a women. The actors performance was great and the story was good. But to scary for me.

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Unconventional take on a classic novel

Growing up I really loved the different versions of "The Little Women" from the novel, to the children's cartoon, to the different movies made which is why when I first saw the trailer for this drama I really didn't know what to expect but boy oh boy did it deliver.

The show started in a quite slow pace that gradually became more and more intense as the show went on but it wasn't until episode 10 came where the story just exploded into a fireworks show. After that episode all I can say was just "wow". The characters, the acting, the portrayal were all top tier!!!! Personally, there were still room for improvements in the story telling but it's okay, nothing's perfect anyway. But IMO I just found it weird that the 2 kids (Inhye and Hyorin) suddenly disappeared from the plot considering that their families were in the headlines of everything. It was weird also that the parents of Oh sisters did not reach out after all the news about their daughters. For sure, whatever was happening in their home country was really hard to miss out.

The ending was something I did not really expect 100% but it was definitely an ending that they deserved but of course one of the biggest regret there is the FL and ML. It was just sad that the ML said they will see each other again, but they never did :( Their chemistry were on point!!!! Love it!

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Waste of my time and it will be a waste of yours

Honestly, at first, I thought it would be very interesting. But then they went and continued the show.

The only likable character was Choi Do Ill. And that's it. The first two sisters were just annoying and downright stupid. And don't even get me started on In-hye, I hated that girl to the very last fiber in my body. Such an ungrateful, teenager that only whines and leaves her family behind just to live off of someone else's money. People only try to excuse her actions by calling her a child.

The way that the evil characters got away with literally everything so conveniently even when the people had FREAKING VIDEOS OF THEM COMMITTING CRIME!!! was another triggering thing. And the bad guys were comically villian-like.

Overall, the story was quite predictable and bland. Only watched it for the one likable character to see where it goes but nothing really went anywhere.

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