I came across this drama quite by accident as I didn't know any of the actors or actresses but I knew that it was a ratings juggernaut in Korea during its run. Despite my requirement of male eye-candy in a drama, I actually find that the drama deal-maker or breaker is the likability of the female lead. If she happens to be an annoying git like Geum Jan Di from Boys over Flowers... no amount of bishies will make that drama watchable for me (and in that drama the F4 was to die for). In Shining Inheritance, Han Hyo Joo's portrayal of Go Eun Sung was soo likeable I was invested in the story straightaway despite the typical Korean drama Cinderella storyline.The story starts with her coming back from the United States to her upper middle class family in Korea where she lives with her father, mentally disabled younger brother, stepmother *cue omnious music* and step-sister. Due to circumstances the father dies and the whole family is torn apart with her stepmother taking her father's fortune and kicking her brother and her to the curb. She magically becomes really resourceful for a rich girl and takes care of her brother in their reduced cirumstances. Enter the rich, arrogant love interest Sun Woo Hwan (Lee Seung Gi) and boy is he a royal ass! Most snappy, gruff chaebol-heir leads are usually rich but are at least competent in their jobs but here his Highness is a spoilt, lazy, disrespectful playboy. No wonder the drama is 28 episodes - it's going to take a whole lot of episodes to convince us that the pole wedged firmly up his ass is removable.
As the story is about family inheritances, fed up kick-ass grandma cuts off Sun Woo Hwan's inheritance and makes him work for his allowance at their family chain of restaurants where Eun Sung now works. Later on, kick-ass grandma makes Eun Sung the sole heir of the business which will leave him and his family penniless and unable to support their extravagant lifestyles. So naturally they hate each other's guts but Eun Sung's plucky, good nature is contagious and soon the suave playboy is just another gawky guy who's a little henpecked by all the women in his life. To make things complicated, it also just so happens that he is also the same guy that Eun Sung's step-sister Yoo Seung Mi has loved like since...birth. She's sticks to him like unwanted gum on his shoe. Second male lead Park Joon Sae plays the caring 'oppa' to Eun Sung and many will weep when him and his beautiful face is heartbroken but he's too bland and just 'nice' to be really in contention (no denying his hotness though). He really should get the memo that Korean women only like reformed jerks.
The story establishes the characters well and the drama's length allows all characters to get sufficient time to grow, mature and in other cases, plenty of screentime for devious stepmother to plot evil deeds. It's a light melodrama after all and stepmother stereotypes exist for a reason. While the drama isn't rapturously romantic, the hero does redeem himself and their love builds slowly and realistically with many cute scenes. Ultimately, the ending is satisfying with all ends tied up nicely. All in all Shining Inheritance is a drama deserving of its hype.
Linwe's Rating: 9/10
