Re-writing my thoughts seven years after about The Heirs, has had me a taste of different perspective in this youth series.
The extent of how affecting Lee Min Ho‘s melting gazes and suave moves is something that us girls can’t explain and would rather not complain about. Though he suffered bringing out the story to compete or at least level to romantic youth stories, Kim Tan, portrayed by Lee Min Ho, fascinates with a character he challenged albeit the comparison to his other popular character in Boys Over Flowers.
- Main Cast: Lee Min Ho | Park Shin Hye | Kim Woo Bin | Kim Ji Won | Kang Ha Neul | Park Hyung Sik | Kang Min Hyuk | Choi Jin Hyuk | Krystal Jung | Jeon Soo Jin | Lim Ju Eun | Kim Sung Ryung | Jung Dong Hwan | Choi Jin Ho | Choi Won Young |
- Network & Episode Count: 20 Episodes | SBS
- Official Website: The Heirs SBS
- Streaming Site: Netflix | Viu
The Heirs Quick Review
- Plot Trajectory: Consistently engrossing with minor plot hiccups along the way
- Plot Pace: Nicely-done
- Character Portrayal: Main Cast overwhelmed the supporting cast
- Writing: Nicely-penned with visible plot inconsistencies
- Watch on a binge or intervals?: Binge
- Crowning Moments: Mission Accomplished On Presenting A Big Cast To A Simple Story | Kim Tan’s One Great Love
- Romance/Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: Boys Over Flowers |
The Heirs Quick Plot Summary
Heir to a huge business conglomerate, Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) has lived a luxurious and lonely life. He has a biological mom he can’t be open to the public because it would sacrifice his position as an heir/major stockholder in his father’s company. He also has a bride-to-be that was arranged for him to help their company grow even bigger; and a brother who exiled him in fear of his own position as the first heir.
Meekly living abroad and following his brother’s desire, he finds a turning point in his life when he met poor girl Cha Eun-sang (Park Shin Hye), who was visiting her sister abroad. Their quick summer interlude slowly build to a blossoming fondness that made Kim Tan chose to confront his brother and halt his banishment by returning to South Korea.
Just as he was settling in, fate gifts him a reunion with Eun-sang who was living in their house as their servant’s daughter. To complicate the already you-and-me-against-your-rich-family’s-love-story, Kim Tan’s former best friend turned frenemy Choi Young-do (Kim Woo Bin) also fell in love with Eun-sang. They constantly engage in brawls and bickering because of her.
Eventually, Eun-sang opens her heart to Kim Tan’s genuine love throwing away the insecurities and apprehensions bugging her. But the final test of their love emerged when Tan’s father imposed to stop the relationship they can’t afford to be have. In the end, they survive the pressure and sustain their love after defying the rich father, the rich third parties as well as the hesitations and fears.
The Heirs Peak Points
Kim Tan’s One Great Love
Kim Tan’s angsty this-is-a-cruel-rich-life sessions wallowing in tears and pain because his money can’t make him be with his indecisive first love was a reminder of how love is meant for both parties to work on to be together. That one party can’t bear the love for both of them to work as love requires compromise and mutual decision to be with one another.
I saw Kim Tan battled the odds and Eun-sang responding most of the time in her half-hearted i-love-you-too. But showing their tenacity beyond their years, they defied what needed to be overcome for their love to carry on. Ultimately, making their young romance special.
Challenging the fluid story with big cast
Bearing the weight of the most highly anticipated drama in 2013, the big cast of The Heirs barely managed to get the stories and interactions among the rest of the characters in full swing, whilst trying to support the romance plot brewed the moment the show kicked in.
It started slow, got addictive in the middling part and closed safely in the ending. It was even a tough tale to begin with, considering the rich boy-poor girl love milieu.
There’s really not much room for the story to develop and for the characters to be loved fully. So, ending with a closure without forcing “years after ending” and just focusing on the main characters’ yearnings and pains being answered and emancipated has made this youth tale a sweet watch.
Its fate to not be able to present the proper character developments for its huge young cast is inescapable. At the very least though, each character left a strong label of what their roles are in the story.
Series Afterthoughts
It was surprising how The Heirs connected its audience to the story even if the conflict was so worn out. Slow starting I guess paved a way for the audience to feel each and every character’s pain and bliss. The right moments and the right things to say at those moments cemented the connection well, making me understand why Young-do and Won have to be gritty and unreasonable and why Eun-sang can be so indecisive most of the time. It just all boils down to all of them caring for Tan.
Inasmuch as I wanted to help Tan carry the weight of the crown, I’m glad he endured it and made the remaining episodes prove to us that trendy drama with recycled plots are best served with a heartfelt first love fight with your parents. *wink
I initially didn’t expect much from Lee Min Ho when the news of him taking another rich boy role happened. I mean he can just be his prince charming self doing nothing, and I will be a his fangirl noona regardless. But he was so good in this drama and I can’t help but notice.
Out of all the kiss scenes he had, his college boy kisses in this drama really made me feel sweet sixteen-ish, and that claiming my girl kiss on Ep 16 was the best kiss in kdramaland 2013 for me, so sweet it radiated to me from the computer screen. *chuckles
Why you should give The Heirs a go?
The Heirs was a late bloomer. I love that the characters moved to a positive redemption and the rich-boy-poor-girl love story did not thread to a fairytale with stubborn Cinderella and not thinking Prince Charming even if it moved to a predictable ending. Being stronger with its imperfections, it has managed to tug my emotions with the heartwarming and love affirming romantic scenes.
Flaws and all, I love that this drama reminded me that at one point in our lives, when we were younger – we love blindly, truthfully and happily. We went from bliss to pain; to staying together to letting go; and it has improved our love perspective as a person.
Photos: SBS
Videos: Respective YouTube channels
