Little Women (2022)

Incredible!

(Disclaimer, I never read the novel). So incredibly good. I felt frustrated in the beginning by different characters but by the end I felt content with how they grew. Uhm Jiwon did an amazing job portraying Sangah in such a way I couldn't hate her. I found Inkyungs character to be a little stiff at points but that was just her character and by the end she was much more likable. I absolutely hate Mari but I wish she was brought up again at the end and had some sort of consequence for her actions. I found it so frustrating how the sisters just blocked other when they're upset in the beginning. I've really never watched anything that was as good as this. Kind of sad nothing ended up happening with two leads but it would've been rushed so maybe it's better nothing happened. I think Little Women definitely could've benefited with at least one more episode so much happened at the last 20 minutes that it felt rushed. I'm quite happy with the ending, maybe there will be a season 2 and that's why it ends that way. Kim Goeun did a fantastic job portraying a naive happy wants best for her sisters type character to the point of it seeming like it really is her. Very good drama, I'm glad I watched this.

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Much better than Yumi Cells

As you can tell by the headline I 100% watched this show because of Kim Go Eun, I loved her in Goblin and she was excellent in The King: The Eternal Monarch. She can act with any actor and in any capacity. Did I like her in Yumi Cells? yes, but did I like Yumi Cells? No. So with that said, I went into Little Women with an open mind.

I'm an American, so I grew up reading and watching Little Women. I'm not sure if this drama is based on the novel, I actually thought it was just a coincidence it was the same title. But I guess you can say, it's both about poor sisters living in a harsh society. This drama, as much as I enjoyed it (to my surprise) shouldn't have been for me. I don't like "class" dramas. I don't like anything like Parasite, Sky Castle, etc. It's too much angst and not enough fluff.

Why this drama worked out for me:

1.) CASTing. The drama spared no budget on casting. It was an A list cast. My second favorite character was of course, Wi Ha Jun, as everyone knows him from Squid Games, but I loved him in 18 again. He's really rising in the ranks and I absolutely loved his character. He was mysterious, strong, masculine and a little calculating. The writer was very good in developing the characters.

2.) The MUSIC isn't something you think would be catchy. There wasn't really any lyrics, but one of my favorite songs was just instrumental. The music really set the stage and tone for the scenes. You were just moved and it made you feel a certain way, should it be nervous, happy or excited.

3.) The STORY, It's hard to write a thriller that has movement from start to finish. The first 4 episodes are explosive and addicting. You really DO NO KNOW where the direction will take you. I never excited to have so many expected twists and turns. 12 episodes was the perfect length. There were a few scenes here and there I didn't care for, but overall, it was an exciting drama to watch.

A few nit-picky items:

Of course the story wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good in closing loop holes. The writer does take liberties at certain scenes, but to me, this is no different from watching an action movie and a car jumping thousands of feet in the air for show. The characters are over-the-top and at some points you think it's a dystopian society where it's a law-less land. You just have to take the story for what it is.

Lack of romance. There was a little slow-burn, but of course the focus of the show was the sisters, so I guess there was no room for romance. Just don't go expecting hearts and flowers and confessions, but warm gestures.

I didn't always agree with some of the choices some characters made, but I accepted it for what it was and that is okay.

Overall, for a drama that has a genre I don't usually watch or care for, I was really happy and satisfied watching. It kept my interest.

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Brilliant Writing

This show deserves a great amount of love for its many things, but primarily for its innovative, suspenseful and beautifully crafted plot line. Very few kdramas pull of the intricacy of such a complex story (especially in a mere 12 episodes). There’s too much to praise so I’m just going to list my top 5 favourite things about the show:
1. Completely original, women-centric story which is mainly concerned with socio-economic issues and the desire to be wealthy. It is an age-old tale of poor people wanting more, but because of the female perspective, you can see it in an entirely new light
2. The flawed characters: Some people might dislike the 3 FL’s but that’s kind of the point. How many people in the real world read every contract thoroughly, or wouldn’t take a chance to drastically better their lives?! The sisters are relatable in their imperfections and most people irl aren’t very different. We all have our individual set of values, they can be realistic like In-Joo’s or selfish like In-Hye, and sometimes stupidly brave like In-Kyung’s. The beauty here is that they represent real women, who should be allowed to make mistakes and grow cause that’s only natural
3. The ML’s: Opposite to the FL’s with obvious issues, the ML’s are perfect and won’t ever disappoint you which creates a really nice balance between the characters
4. The villains get applause of their own, of course! I wanted to constantly murder all of them, especially the main antagonist. And that really speaks to her acting skills and how amazingly she portrayed a character so completely evil. Great work from all the negative characters
5. The eerie sound-track and the flower symbolism gets an honourable mention cause it truly tied the direction with the script and enhanced the final product very well.
(Bonus: This needs a sismance tag for all the lasting and heartfelt friendships they portrayed. Female characters supporting and truly ‘loving’ each other is a big part of the show and that’s a nice change from the stereotypes).
Lastly, this show is criminally underrated, I’m guessing because of its lack of cheesy romance and the lesser role of ML’s. People looking for that stuff will undoubtedly be disappointed. But, if someone is looking for a more adult suspense/thriller with very prominent class struggle themes, then this show is certainly worth a watch!

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Psychological thriller with a hell lot of money problems...

Little Women (by Louisa May Alcott) is by far one of my favourite classic literary novels and although this cannot be considered an "adaptation" or "remake" of any sort because of the vast differential cleft between the two plotlines, but I very much enjoyed the constant thrill I engaged with, while watching this concise yet fulfilling drama

The story in itself was portrayed beautifully, in my opinion by showing the very evident discrepancy between the two different money classes, statuses and families. It was interesting how they showed that while poor people dream of becoming rich, rich people dream of becoming richer and going even higher in the hierarchy of society. The innocence of the 'kids' (hyorin and inhye), and how only the people with wealth (Mr. Park and his wife) would have been able to fabricate their way towards their goals.. along with how every single scene in the drama happened for a purpose/ was a part of someone's VERY meticulous plan (will not be spoiling so do go watch it!) Every single episode left me on the edge of my seat and every shocking revelation had me pausing the episode and either screaming or gasping really loud LMFAO!! You can also literally not trust ANYONE in the show, it's traumatic.

Let's talk about how throughout the drama, Injoo thinks that other people favour her and "toy" with her because she believes she's slow-witted but she's actually undeniably one of the smartest people in the drama. Being an older sister AND without any support from her parents, she's handled her sisters and herself throughout and her decision making skills are top-notch and she really doesn't need to be book-smart for that. The chemistry with Choi Do Il was OVERFLOWING though and I was really sad because I thought they liked each other (I still think they do LOL considering he still wants to see her again but that's for our interpretation). Inkyung's character is super brash but overall, it was definitely for the better holistic cause for the plot.

The funniest thing was though.. how did Injoo take out and put in 2 WHOLE BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF BILLS IN THE LOCKER WITHOUT ANYONE SEEING? Like literally did no one suspect her? I was SO glad that Inhye and Hyorin (I actually didn't like her at the start but I sympathised with her towards the end) left the horrible corrupted mess left by the adults and I'm happy they're living a happy life together! So satisfactory that I even shed a tear towards the end! I did despise Inhye a lot because her actions always came off as rude and ungrateful towards her sisters' love towards her though.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of a psychological-crime-thriller rollercoaster ride!! The casting was absolutely PERFECT and they played their roles better than I thought they would!!

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Forget about the book this is not your typical slice of life drama.

Before I begin...Is there someone else who also thought Jang Ho (neighbour friend) was kinda SUS throughout the series? I mean he was giving me this weird feeling haha...well maybe it's just me.

To sum up this show- Spoonfuls of penthouse, little bit of Alcott's novel and pinch of squid games= perfect mixture of Little women ready.

This show is everything what Penthouse should be with less screaming, less over the top and unnecessary twists. The way people were coming back alive I was literally taken aback sometimes to see how similar it was to Penthouse and I still blame Joo Dan Tae... hahaha no he was not that crazy here. (Maybe a little). Please give him some good roles for god's sake but he is really good with his antagonist characters. His wife in the show however was really amazing actor I must say its been a while when I liked a negative character this much. She was the real definition of crazy. This show is star studded for sure and you know that they just cannot disappoint you. Special mention for Wa Hi Joon...this guy was like everywhere, helping everyone, rescuing everyone with a swag. He was just slaying every scene. All three female leads were amazing in their roles. You end up praying for them, cry with them, sympathize with them and annoyed with them and enjoyed with them. That was the sort of connection they build with the viewers. While one was naive the second was upright and third ambitious they remained true to their characters till the end.
Out of all three I believe third sister had it the best throughout the show. She was adored by her sisters who tried their best to make all sort of sacrifice just for her. She was even treated in the best way by the antagonists. She never looked back to see the condition of her sisters even in their worst times. So yes, she had the least character growth among them. But the ending will surely make it up to some extent. I loved the grandma the way she made everyone nervous around her. She was the definition of Domineering. I loved her.
The twists will definitely make you doubt people again and again and you will be at the edge of your seat thinking who is friend or not or when will there come a new betrayal...this show did a great job in keeping the attention of the viewers. In the end its been a while when I truly enjoyed a kdrama.
So don't be misled by the name of the show this is not what Louisa May Alcott had written. Its not the slice of life drama you will expect with the name. So go watch it you will definitely enjoy it.

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Perhaps the only significant misstep is in the title

There's scant overlap between the source material of "Little Women" and the Korean drama that bears its name. Louisa May Alcott's novel has three sisters that struggle in a family afflicted by poverty, but there's only scattered other parallels between the present drama and either the novel or previous adaptations. And perhaps the most jarring twist in an almost endless string of them is the one that hits quite early on - that this is not at all what a viewer would expect from something called "Little Women".

Kim Go Eun, Nami Ji Hyun and Park Ji Hoo play the sisters In Joo, In Kyung and In Hye respectively. In Joo is a bookkeeper in a corporate office but an outcast among the staff. In Kyung is a reporter at a news station where she seems to get the worst possible assignments like covering a typhoon from the middle of the typhoon. In Hye is a prodigy at oil painting but resents that her older sisters sacrifice for her to pursue her art.

The narrative kicks off with In Joo's only friend at work nonchalantly asking her to help with a side business project she's been working on. And then bad things start happening and it's not clear who's behind them, but there's little question that the Won family and Uhm Ki Joon's Park Jae Sang who has married in to the family are involved. Before long, each of the In sisters entangles herself with this clan and it very likely will not be a healthy relationship.

Kim Hee Won directs and does so masterfully. The production value across the board is flawless. It is exceptionally well shot. The sound editing and score are sublime. The wardrobe, hair and makeup crews killed it. Each episode is a compelling watch in isolation and as the tension builds quite quickly early on, it only ratchets tighter as the series progresses.

The cast is led by some big names like Kim Go Eun and Nam Ji Hyun and Wi Ha Joon. Of those three, Nam Ji Hyun stands out, although all are very good. There's some terrific performances by supporting cast too. Gong Min Jung is a viciously combative colleague of In Kyung. Kim Mye Sook plays a distant, wealthy relative of the In sisters and is terrific. Park Bo Kyung is a frightening operative working for Park Jae Sang.

But the most captivating work is by Uhm Ji Won. Her Won Sang A is definitely not a mentally well person. Is she simply a spoiled princess of the powerful Won family? There's a lot more than that (A WHOLE LOT MORE) and while plenty of mystery surrounds the character, when she's on screen, everything else shrinks. It is hands down the best supporting performance in the genre this year.

If there are flaws, it's that the screenplay gets a little too tricksy at times to feint this way and that. Most often, things are adequately explained, but not always. And there's some inconsistencies in how much control a powerful group holds over courts and judges and prosecutors and the media. At times, it is unlimited and a moment later, they are no more powerful than a corner convenience store.

Highly recommended for the above reasons as well as what is unquestionably the cameo appearance of 2022. "Little Women" is almost certainly the best drama of 2022.

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loved this drama... full of twist and turns... every ep. is mind blowing...

Every actor is suitable according to their roles... plotting and story is very attractive and amazing... my fav. roles are choi do il and In joo... their chemistry hits differently... the role of In kyung is very strong... overall i really loved this drama.. now it is one of my fav. dramas... the ost are amazing... everything seems to be perfect.... i wanted choi do il and In joo to be together but they can't.... each ep. contain lots of secrets you can't skip 1 second of this drama... i watched this while airing and i sometimes feel like my heart was going to be explode while waiting for the next episode... i got anxious when i can't watch ep. on the same day of airing... i hope you can understand my state at that time...😩

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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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just read review

this drama is really something.. actually I am not a fan of any mystery and thriller dramas but this drama is amazing my favourite genre in dramas romantic comedy or anything this drama is really amazing i know i am being exaggerate but we need to talk truth right
1. story line was just awesome
2. mystery and character development was super
3.choi do il has stolen our hearts even though he is walking red flag
4. sets are nice and oh in joo oh in kyung oh in hye were super they portrayed their roles perfectly
5.background music was just awesome
6. relationships between their sisters were just stolen our hearts
at last what I want to say is this drama was awesome

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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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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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