by HappySqueak, June 28, 2016
23

Ah, the allure of gender benders! Those boyish girls choosing the path to change their lives, all the while maintaining their disguise as a male. One Well Raised Daughter has all of that and more. It's a family drama that stirs the drama pot like crazy with plotting mothers, bitter sibling rivalry, and perseverance to overcome the odds. 

In order to achieve the title of heir to Hwangso Soya Sauce--her family’s business--which is passed down generation to generation, Jang Ha Na makes a decision as a young child that changes not only her life, but that of her widowed mother and sisters.  As her mother cuts her hair short, Ha Na's journey as Eun Seong begins; the path towards reclaiming her father’s place and keeping Hwangso Soya Sauce the way her grandfather strives for it to be.

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The time jump is written perfectly, and like many other gender benders all the amusing moments arrive right on cue! Our leading lady is certainly very flower boy feminine, but that is always part of the silly charm of a gender bender. Park Han Byul plays her role very well as young master Eun Seong.

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The episode count might seem daunting and this drama may have received mixed reviews, but if you simply just adore the concept of a girl in disguise and the added bonus of being tossed into a forced living situation with one of the leading oppas, you will definitely get hooked.

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Eun Seong encounters many trials as a disguised young man, but she also finds herself in some wonderful campy situations with first and second lead oppas, as well as being pitted against her extremely bitter half brother who strongly rivals her for the position of successor.

In the niche of daily dramas where the plots twist and bend, there are many surprises and some of the good old harsh kdrama family relationships that might make you shake your head at those frustratingly unlikeable characters. The story moves with fairly good pacing if you are in the mood for a long-running drama.
The styling is modern contemporary so it definitely does not look dated.

The oppas are handsome, and the anticipation of "when will they notice?" "will they find out?" makes this an enjoyable way to pass time!

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This is basically the gender bender that never ends! Enjoy!