The Heirs

A CLASSIC HS POOR GIRL CHAEBOL BOY KOREAN DRAMA THAT HITS ALL THE MARKS

It's a DRAMA with so much DRAMA and clichés but it does everything right. I was entertained and I was heartbroken and I swooned and I laughed and I sang and I remembered everyone at the end of it all. In a setting that could only happen in a Korean drama, there was so much heart and emotion in the storytelling and acting despite the predictable plot. Of course, people are put off the overused dynamics of the typical rich and mean kids bullying the poor girl shtick or the 1st world problems that only heirs and heiresses can understand, but I advise you to not take the circumstances seriously (laugh at them!) to enjoy this series. Instead look at the characters' hearts, their stories of love and their personal relationships, then you'll be thoroughly entertained. All the characters have a story that is revealed at a perfect discretion, keeping the viewer hooked.

I also want to spotlight the first episodes that take place in magical California, a fantasy-like place and a breath of fresh air for the poor FL to visit. The theme of living a dream carries through to the last episode giving it a perfect end in my humble opinion.

Lastly, the OST is unmatched and the lyrics captivate the essence of the characters and drama so very well.

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The plot is commonplace. Rich guy falling for a poor girl and it does not create any mark of difference than other dramas. Themes mostly revolve around quest for power and money, the tug of war in love, and mostly it runs in circles. Also, there is not enough foundation on Kim Tan's and Eun sang's love and it fails to put emphasis on where Tan's obsession for Eun sang is rooted. Moreover, the main characters except Young Do are pretty boring and there is no driving force behind their romance. Tan's character is mediocre and he fits more to be in the sidelines than on the stage. Eun sang's character, likewise, is so weak and too fragile that she always plays the damsel in distress who cannot stand up for her own and constantly needs saving. The only alluring character this drama has is Young Do. Kim Woo Bin has put a vigorous life into the character that despite his arrogance and seemingly hard facade, he still has vulnerabilities in him. Kim Ji Won's acting is also great.

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Honestly when I look back I don't even know how I managed to finish this show cause I hated it. I guess I just had too much free time back then.

Onto the actual review, this drama is not good. The plot is basically a bunch of clichés thrown together in the worst way possible. It's boring and overly dramatic at certain points, with probably the worst love triangle I've ever seen.
The characters are all terrible. The female lead is probably the worst I've watched in a drama. I get that the she goes through tough times, but I felt all she did was cry all the time as if that was her only personality trait. She had no spine and just served as everyone's doormat, it was frustrating to see.

And then we have Kim Tan. The way he was always manhandling the fl and forcing her into situations she clearly didn't like made me extremely uncomfortable when I watched them interact. The main couple had no chemistry together and honestly their kiss scenes were pure cringe. I don't think Park Shin-Hye is necessarily a bad actress, but sis can't act a proper kiss scene to save her life. The first time it happened it looked like Lee Min Ho was kissing a wall or something which just makes it weird to watch. The only reason I accepted them together is because the second lead is literally a psychopath, bullying the fl and trying to make her life a living hell, I still can't believe people shipped them.

The only good thing about it was the fact that young Park Hyung-Sik is in it, but this definitely doesn't make this show worth to watch.

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I finally decided to watch The Heirs because I was curious about why people hate this drama so much. Now, I too am people (lol). I'm already not the biggest fan of school dramas but this one reminded me exactly why I usually avoid them (usually they are too cute and slow for me). I was also deceived by the cast, which is filled with familiar faces from dramas I liked, even loved, but nothing could save this drama from itself. I guess the point was to show these superficial characters as having hidden depth but because this drama lacked depth itself that theme failed miserably.

The Heirs stars Lee Min Ho as another extremely wealthy student, like a Boys over Flowers flashback, but honestly, he seemed way too mature to be a student this time. Maybe it's because his character was so passive, but even with his usual charm, he seemed out of place as Kim Tan. He is matched with Park Shin Hye as Cha Eun Sang, in a standard poor girl role that has definitely been overdone but can still work if there is great chemistry... Spoiler Alert: There is no great chemistry! Initially, I was kinda entertained by the first few episodes, even if it was full of tropes and way too many coincidences and seemed to escalate to romance way too unrealistically. If the show kept up the same energy as the beginning then this drama could have been decent. Instead, it became so painfully dull I had to force myself to watch it till the end. It didn't help that most of that dullness came from Park Shin Hye's acting (and this isn't the first time I thought she was boring in a drama). Other than successfully crying on cue, I thought she was a bad choice for this role. Her character was supposed to inspire all this attention and admiration, but I couldn't understand what everyone saw in her since she was so boring and uninteresting. That brings me to the bad@ss third-wheel Kim Woo Bin as Choi Yeong Do. He is definitely the most interesting of the three main characters, and a great 2nd lead to secretly root for, but his storyline just didn't make the most of his performance. That can also be said about most of the performances, and that brings me to the writing which is this show's biggest flaw.

I don't always need a drama to make complete sense if it's entertaining. I also understand that melodramas tend to be over the top, which can be fun to watch if done right. I kept waiting for something entertaining or over the top to happen but it never did. Most of the show is the same unequal social status romance trope over and over again mixed in with school scenes of students being catty and bullying each other. How they are kept apart isn't even interesting, neither are the random moments of corporate infighting, featuring Choi Jin Hyu in a forgettable role. Please don't make the same mistake I did and expect the story to eventually pick up or end with a bang. It never does. Even if they condensed this drama into a two-hour movie I still don't think there'd be enough drama to keep the story from dragging, so 20 episodes seemed painfully long.

If I had to choose the best parts of the show it would be the relationship between the leads' moms. Kim Mi Kyung is a favorite of mine and the best performance in this whole drama, and she doesn't even speak, which says A LOT.

Would I watch this again? Never. I'm still surprised I didn't drop it the first time.

Overall, don't be fooled by the cast. This drama really is as bad as people say. Watching characters do the same things over and over again was like watching a drama that is 90% flashbacks. What's the point of a romance with a boring couple that mostly cries over being apart, and anytime they do get together you don't even care (Don't even get me started on the awful kissing scenes). This drama tried to rely on repeating what has already been done in countless other popular dramas and failed. This is the kind of drama you can take several naps through and not miss anything. If you do watch and you start getting bored just skip to the final episode, I promise you that you won't miss anything that important and you will save yourself from wasting hours of your life like I did. Yes, there are worse dramas than this one, but there are too many good dramas with these cast members to watch 20 hours of this.

I guess the point of The Heirs was to feel sorry for these characters who seemed to have everything, but by the end, I just felt sorry for myself for giving this drama a chance. Please don't be like me, believe these bad reviews and skip this drama.

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All the best to you if you're going to watch this series

There's so much to say about the plot (and it isn't positive) so instead of typing paragraphs and paragraphs, I'll say three things. One, Cha Eung San should've asked both Choi Young Do and Kim Tan to FUCK OFF and should've focused on her studies, Kim Tan and Choi Young Do should've left her the FUCK ALONE (seriously man wtf was up with them, following her around, basically harassing her till the point of submission), and, although I don't like bullies in TV shows or otherwise, Choi Young Do was fucking hot and even if you wanted a good story, Cha Eung San should've ended up with HIM and NOT Kim Tan. That's all.
Oh, and if you're going to watch the series anyway, be ready to pop a blood vessel or two, it's really frustrating to watch. <3

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This is one I’ve watched over and over (skipping over the evil dad parts). I thought LMH and PSH were lovely together. Though Kim Woo Bin’s character is not a good guy, he was able to convey a lot of vulnerability which I enjoyed watching. The woman that played PSH’s mom was really good (but she’s good in everything, especially Healer,). As time went on, I was disappointed in the weakness of the ML and his dad was just the WORST! It was a happy ending, but not a good ending. I don’t like the cliche they use about years going by. That made the ending flat for me.

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"When we were eighteen,we fell in love,loved each other,cried,ran away,knelt down.And turned our backs at each other countless of times.I thought it was a pretty dream.But you ended up being a nightmare."

-Kim Tan

With the best cast,the best dialuges,expressive characters,interesting relationships and beautiful and epic love-story.."The Heirs" are one show i will never forget.I watched this one with great attention,both laughed and cried with the characters.Watching Lee Min-Ho and Kim Wo-bin co-star as nemesis,their epic performances are one thing i unlikely will ever forget.Everything intruged me,and i found a lot of these characters passionate,and i rooted for them with all my heart.We get to watch them fall in love,suffer,battle,fight through obstacles and grow up in the imaginary Elite world they live in.

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I watched this drama for almost 10 times already! Every time that I watched this, I'm still on the hooked and can't hide my excitement in every scene / episode. The drama itself teaches us on how to be true on ourselves and fight for what we want and for our love. True love do exist but not all of them has the courage to fight and brave enough to face all the struggles. If you want to find happiness, you must know how to endure pain. The cast portrayed their roles very well! I love them all. I am still looking forward for the Season 2. A total package. A must watched! One of the best drama that I've watched. Thumbs up!!

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This show is a garbage can that is on fire. It stinks, it’s bad, but you can’t look away because unfortunately you want to know what’s going to happen next.

The main positive thing I can say about this show is that it sure was good at ending episodes on a cliffhanger. I would be watching the show, asking myself why on earth I’m watching it, resolving to stop once I finished the episode, and then it would end on a cliffhanger. Then I, hating myself for wasting my time on a show I didn’t even like, would have to click to watch the next episode.
Can I mention my favorite cliffhanger while I’m at it? Our female protagonist is standing in the middle of the street, with her two male love interests on either side of the street, telling her to come to them. That’s the end of the episode. The next episode starts and she walks away from both of them! I laughed out loud. Despite how garbage the majority of the show was, it did have some occasionally golden moments.

Since I’m talking about the positive parts of the show, I might as well mention that quite a few characters are good. This was the first role that brought Kim Woo Bin to my attention, and rightfully so. He is a thousand times more interesting and compelling than Lee Min Ho’s character. Krystal was also great in this show, she really stood out as a very jealous spoiled brat but she morphed into our female protagonist’s friend through... spite? I think she basically became friends with her to keep her away from her boyfriend lol. I think overall the acting is fine in this, but the script is just. So. Bad. The dialogue is flat and boring. Seriously, so much of this is a snore. That’s why Kim Woo Bin’s character was the most interesting, because he at least had more dynamic motivations and managed to convey more emotion than our two main leads combined. He’s a pretty terrible person, but at least he’s interesting!

It honestly cracked me up when I came back to this show years after I had watched it, because I hadn’t realized how jam-packed of stars it was! And I couldn’t remember any of them! Like, Kang Ha Neul was in this, and I was genuinely surprised, I didn’t remember him at all. Many, many actors that I like and respect are in this, but the script is so bland and boring that none of them are interesting. Seriously, even very talented actors couldn’t bring any life to this lifeless show.

This show suffers from what I would call cliche over content. The show filled itself with all the kdrama tropes and “shocking” moments (our female lead getting pushed into a pool, that dramatic crosswalk scene, etc) so it does manage to get its hooks into you, but there is hardly anything else besides those tropes and dramatic moments so it almost feels empty. Characters hardly exist outside of their tropes and thus they aren’t very interesting. They don’t really have the opportunity to portray emotions. The dialogue is mostly in service of whatever plot stuff is happening (and in the most utilitarian way) or is just filler, so no characters really demonstrate much of a personality. There’s plenty of dialogue that I wanted to or did skip because it was either the same conversation they had had before or nothing of consequence was really happening and it was boring. The show does a lot of telling, not showing. This is particularly evident in the main romance, of which I am fairly unconvinced actually exists. The two main leads... like each other? Dunno why, but the music and cinematography tells me so so I guess it’s true. It certainly seems to underlie their motivations but when they actually interact it’s very dull and they don’t convey a lot of emotion. It’s a little hard to tell whether (a) the acting is just kinda not great (which I find a little weird, since I don’t think Park Shin Hye or Lee Min Ho are untalented), (b) the script is so bad there’s nothing even good actors can do to save it, or (c) the editing focuses more on the ~drama~ that it fails to capture any emotions that the actors portrayed. Also that closet kiss was low key assault and while some kdramas do have some sketchy kisses that one was pretty bad.

This show is an excellent case study for observing kdrama tropes, so I’d almost recommend it if you want to see all of them in one place. However, aside from that, this show is addicting but it leaves you feeling really crappy and bad about yourself afterwards, so go watch a better show instead. There’s plenty of addicting kdrama tropes in other shows.

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I started watching this drama just because it showed up as a suggestion. The actors were great and you will find that most people probably watched the show because of them. The issue I had was the storyline. It was your typical high school society drama with a whole lot of issues that just kept on repeating.

Poor girl meets rich guy(s) and although she sometimes has the guts to stand up to them, she lets herself be easily influenced by others around her. The guys were friends and then they were enemies and the girl was their common interest. You have your supporting actors that played either enemies or friends, then they act like friends and then enemies again. It kind of got a bit confusing keeping track of who was friend or foe with the main actors and some of the supporting cast. Their issues just kept on being almost repetitive and the ending just leaves you more confused. If they had moved on instead of focusing on the same issues it could have been a better drama.

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Ok look...

I actually liked this. Ever since the beginning, I was really enjoying the drama. I think maybe part of the reason why I liked this a lot more than I thought I would was because I had the lowest possible expectations when I was going into it. I was waiting for the sh**show that plagued BOF to begin but it never did. Of course there was the classic angsty 2010 type drama in The Heirs, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as all the other stuff I’ve watched, and I really appreciated the Heirs for providing an entertaining and actually not that messy of a storyline for me to enjoy. I think the only real problem I have with the drama is that it dragged immensely towards the end, and that I couldn’t for the life of me understand how the Jeguk group drama + Kim Won’s love life ever fit into the main storyline. The weird love triangle between the Jeguk High teacher, her student, and Kim Won was barely explored, and it just felt oddly out of place the whole time. I didn’t mind it and actually thought it was pretty entertaining, but I can’t help but be a little upset at the way it ended lmao. Now, onto the characters that stole the show, because I have 2 in mind. First, Choi Young Do. I thought I grew out of my middle school bad-boy phase but I guess I didn’t, because although I hated CYD with a passion in the beginning, he absolutely stole my heart towards the end and I rooted for him the most. I was partly hoping the writer would find him a second female lead to fall in love with, but alas. Needless to say I really felt bad for him in the end and had major SLS around episode 10 and on. Second, Kim Tan’s mom. I can’t remember her name but oh my goodness was she iconic. Her sadness at being discarded and hidden away combined with her cockiness and pride as well as her mild alcoholism made her very enjoyable onscreen for me. She was definitely a beloved character, and she was imperfect in the most perfect way and I loved her for it. She definitely deserved better. Overall, I think the Heirs was an incredibly enjoyable ride as long as you don’t take it too seriously. Surprisingly I liked it a lot more than BOF even though they get compared at around the same level. Besides a weirdly inconclusive ending (it got wrapped up but it just felt off.. Idk) the heirs was a great, mindless drama. I would definitely recommend if you’re like me and feel kind of entertained by the characters’ misery (so odd because i used to hate it but i crave it these days). Happy watching!

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Was surprised to see many bad reviews bout this drama here mdl while secret garden (same writer) gets good ones (find it really funny seems like i really have different taste from majority. Withot knowing both were wrtiiten by same person- while watching I though (oh this is what secret garden’s supposed to make me feel - this is the right way to do it- reasons?

1. The leads chemistry
2.The events which led rich kids fall for ordinary girl and her being attractive which gives the feelings of the guy some justice

What else to like?
3. Girls are all pretty with interesting characters and guys were all handsome with cool personalities too
4. Setting and vibe

Cons
5.having several characters in the same love story concept

Overall serves what it supposed to. Inetersting and entertaining.

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