The Heirs

Heirs Fall Flat

The predictable storyline dragged on, with Cha Eun Sang's incessant crying becoming grating. The characters lacked depth, making it hard to root for them. Kim Tan's indecisiveness and Eun Sang's passivity were particularly frustrating.

The supporting cast was underutilized, and Rachel Yoo's character was reduced to a mere plot device. Even Lee Min-Ho's charm couldn't save the shallow script, and Park Shin-Hye's performance was marred by her character's constant tears. The drama's focus on wealth and privilege grew tiresome, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.

This drama is a masterclass in melodrama, with predictable plot twists and cringe-worthy dialogue. The acting often felt like overacting. If you enjoy watching rich people problems and endless tears, then "Heirs" might be for you. Otherwise, skip it.

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I'm actually really disappointed with this drama. It comes from a writer I love with a cast full of actors I love and somehow ended up royally sucking (sorry if that sounds harsh).

In retrospect, there were some good moments, humorous times, gorgeous shots, and even a few character developments that were touching and honest. But the story was clichéd to the extreme and full of recycled plot(s) (both from other similar shows and from itself...) and to be really honest here I was bored most of the time.

So, why did I keep on watching until the bitter end? I just kept expecting it to get better. I'm a little blown away that Kim Eun Sook actually penned this to the point where I'm actually considering the possibly that she has an intern who secretly wrote a majority of the scenes. I know writers can have "bad days" so to speak but I'm fairly confident that Kim Eun Sook has established a solid reputation and career off of having well plotted and witty dramas (that can, at times--admittedly--be a bit dull) but the long drawn out scenes of characters just staring at each other that happened over and over again (while pretty at first) where not only a waste of screen time but a huge waste of the viewer's time as well.

One of the only things that remained consistent with Kim Eun Sook's previous works was her spot on perfect hero Kim Tan (or "flawless namja" as my friend and I like to call him). If there is one thing that I've always been impressed with in Kim Eun Sook's shows, it's how amazingly perfect all of her leading men tend to be (even the ones that also make you want to punch them in the face).

But anyway, I don't understand the hype for Heirs and I certainly can't relate or agree with anyone who enjoyed this drama (though to each his/her own). I CAN say that I'm living in South Korea right now (at the time of this review) and it's extremely popular here so it must have done something right. I think it all boils down to:

Pros: Great cast, cute character interactions

Cons: poor plot, long boring scenes, humorously-cliché, eye-roll inducing moments, very little character development (exception: Yong-do and Kim Tan's mom), HORRIBLE SOUNDTRACK (?love is the mooooment?), cheesy dialogue, and unnecessary angst.

Watch at your own risk.

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The leading characters were so unlikeable. The female protagonist was a crybaby and couldn't stand on her own two feet. The male protagonist was immature, dumb and arrogant. Sure anyone can have these traits, but there was barely any character development for either the main female or male protagonists throughout the whole series, which frustrated me endlessly. One of the most liked characters for me was Cha Eun Sang's mum (AND SHE WAS MUTE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD). I also really liked Lee Hyo-Shin, Yoon Chan-Young, Lee Bo-Na and even Rachel Yoo. They are the supporting characters yet they had greater character development and were more likeable than the main characters. The cast and the actors' performances were superb but the script and storyline really let them down. The only promising part in this whole series was when the story started to pick up its pace around Episode 11 but then went downhill towards the end. Overall, the whole plot was boring and borderline annoying. The music choice was okay only because I love FTISLAND's song. I hate the fact that songs cued at wrong times throughout the series. Some melodramatic moments in the series were cringey enough - I didn't need to hear an out-of-place song to top it all off. All in all, what a waste of an attractive drama poster and an amazing cast. I wanted to give this an overall lower score but I respect the actors' performances and their hard work. I'm glad I didn't drop this series and forced myself to complete it because now I am CONVINCED that this drama is a huge disappointment.

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This show it's so bad and not even like in a funny-bad way it's just terrible. Do not waste your time. Lee Minho is not at all charming in this I hate his character and they didn't even try to write an interesting character with Eunsang. And yeah Kim Woobin is attractive ig but his character also sucks like can these creeps please leave Eunsang alone she's so boring what about her is so interesting? That being said, Krystal kinda ate this up like I'm hit or miss on her but she needs to be doing more roles like this. Her character was so FUN and she delivers my favorite line in any TV show with 'Gosh, I hate him so much but he's so hot.' I love her. Kim Mikyung ate that up though like her dynamic with the other mom was so fun I love them can I have a show just about them? But yeah the women in this show are treated so poorly and the show just never does anything about it???? Instead they shove two boring bad boys at us like we're supposed to thank them for it?????? Park Hyungsik and Kim Jiwon i'm so sorry you two had to be apart of this show. But yeah Park Hyungsik's character is fun even if he's not doing anything and QUEEN KIM JIWON ATE AS USUAL. Her character is so fun I love a good mean girl and this time it's completely warranted like if my bf left me for Eunsang I'd riot too. It's like whoever wrote this just took the script of Boys over Flowers and changed a few things and thought we wouldnt notice like no this is WORSE than boys over flowers this is just such a bad show. But ig I have to give it credit for that Krystal line

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I watched this to get a Lee Min Ho fix. In that respect, it delivered.

Acting
While most of the Korean actors are fantastic (and wonderful eye candy), the American actors are terrible. I've seen a lot of community theatre, and even most first time volunteer actors are better than the American actors this show hired. Maybe it is a problem of direction or that I am an English speaker, so the cruddy delivery jumps out at me more, but the American actors' performances were just bad. As I said, the Korean actors have great timing and bring a lot of spark to their characters. Even when the writing and dialogue flags (and it does a lot) the actors make it somehow watchable.

Characters
By-and-large each character sticks to their archtype and rarely deviates. Despite this, the characters are fully realized with more nuanced and detailed backstories and developments. While the bloated cast provided lots of beauty, a lot of characters felt unnecessary and their side plots were too seperate from the overarching story. I wish that the side plots were treated like spin offs, instead of being included in the main drama's story.

Story
Standard Kdrama plot #5. There is little deviation and almost no suprises. Rich, second son, bastard (in the technical sense) falls for his family's maid. The classist, distant, tyranical father - along with snobby family members, a rich fiancee, a rich male rival, and rich schoolmates - make it difficult for them to get together.

Music
While the music quality was good for a Kdrama, it was painfully repetative.

Direction and Editing
Overall, inoffensive, but nothing great. Holy flashback montages, Batman! I know this is a Kdrama trope/common technique, but it was glaring and obnoxious in this series.

Conclusion
If you just want a light, glossy, cute, fun, romantic drama with lots of eyecandy and you do not mind lots of filler and predictability, this is for you. The characters and quality acting from the Korean actors keep it watchable. However, if you want something less expected and without filler, then this is not for you. I doubt I would rewatch it again, but I don't regret watching it.

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Story:
The story line was probably the weak point for this drama. Saying this, I still think it was an interesting story! As I watched the drama as it aired, I was waiting week after week for the new episodes to come out. The story may have been so interesting for me because of the strong cast and their great acting skills.

Acting/Cast:
Of course this drama gained so much 'popularity' because of the cast being well-known. I will admit that Lee Min Ho was what pulled me into the drama, and as soon as I realised Park Shin Hye was playing the female lead, I was completely caught! Two of my favourite actors... together... in a drama... both as the leads! Couldn't be any better. However with such an impressing cast, I was worried that the drama would be a let down, and that I would be disappointed especially with so many 'idols' being casted. Boy was I wrong to even think this. The idols all acted really well! Krystal (f(x)) was veryyyy interesting with Minhyuk (from CN Blue), and Hyungshik (ZE:A) was hilarious to watch. Of course the 2nd male lead Kim Won Bin was also great to watch. He will definitely do great in the future. AND of courseeeee, the main leads lived up to my expectations, hands down. Every character in this drama was interesting, not one annoyed me. Even the evil characters were good.

As you can see... too many great cast to speak about, so little space. Soooo, if you are curious (and haven't watched the drama), go watchhhhhh!

Music:
The music is really nice. It will definitely become one of my top favourite soundtracks in the future. It goes well with the scenes helping to support the emotions.

Rewatch?
YES! Even though the drama finished quite a while ago, I haven't been game to watch it again, as I was sad when the drama finished (I was probably in denial...). Howeverrrrr, in the future when I stop feeling sad, I will definitely watch it again!

Overall:
Overall, I understand that with this drama there are either people who absolutely love it, or people who dislike it. I believe the reasons for people either liking or disliking this drama is because they are either drawn to the cast OR they are had too high of expectations for the cast and were let down.

Honestly, don't believe what people are saying about it either being the best or worth drama in the history of dramas, and just give it a try! Then you can have your own opinion. You never know... you could end up completely loving the drama. Or even disliking it. I definitely recommend it!

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okay first of all this drama has gotten so many bad reviews. but, this drama is actually not that bad. it has a things that i have never seen on any other dramas. this drama literally had action, romance and lots of funny and sad scenes. literally the way the girl express her emotions and her acting is the best. i felt like crying because the way she looks when she cries makes you have pity for her. and the way her life is going is tough too. especially her being raised from a poor family. and it's good that she got to go to a good school. plus she tries so hard not to get into any dramas and fights but, rich people. you know how they are stereotyped. this drama also makes me mad because the way that she reacts to the things that happened to her especially by the most richest girls in the school. like it just pisses me off. like i was really wanting her to do this but instead she like just does something completely different. although she doesn't do that all time especially when she has enough and gets tired. i really like how both guys are possessive of her. this drama is really good. like they really show how rich kid school are and how in reality different kids get treated differently. and how it affects not just one person but all the kids. yup everyone in the school gets affected by the new girl . just watch.

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Call It Cringe, I Call It Peak K-Drama

As I read through several reviews of this drama, I can’t help but feel a bit unfortunate. I don’t know if most of these people watched it only after 2020, but for those of us who saw it around 2013, this was peak drama. Not because the storyline was groundbreaking or the acting flawless, but because it carried that unique charm old K-dramas had. The music was overly dramatic (but honestly, lit), the plot was ridiculous at times, and yet… this drama is iconic no matter what.

Almost every main actor in this drama has become a top star today, which makes looking back even more special. The story itself, in its entirety, fit perfectly with the era it came from. Maybe I enjoyed it more because I wasn’t nitpicking every detail, I just let myself dive into the romance, the unexpected twists, the simple flow, and of course, the dramatic entry of the OST. This drama, together with those romantic Wattpad novels we devoured back then, really shaped our childhood.

I don’t know about y’all, but I loved those “I will fight for you” moments. I had no issue with the acting , they were great, and the visuals? Even better. The only problem is that it completely ruined Lee Min Ho for me in a way, because I just can’t see him as anything other than a rich man’s son anymore. This role basically defined his aura in all his following projects. Still, I appreciated how the story highlighted the significance of social hierarchy in Korea.

What I wasn’t satisfied with was the ending. The female lead was strong enough to stand up for her mother and for herself, but with that unsatisfying conclusion, it felt like she’d just be swallowed up. If K-dramas had been doing second seasons back then, maybe this one could’ve gotten a better ending and a stronger response.

For me, this is a one-time watch drama. It’s not the kind you casually rewatch for comfort; it’s too dramatic for that. But back when I first watched it, I was deeply invested. And honestly, I can say that for me, the very definition of romantic K-drama started with this one.

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The Tropiest of Tropiest KDramas

I'm writing this review in 2021, but I watched this show back when it aired in 2013, and I can safely say that there is something truly unique about this Kdrama and I doubt it can ever be replicated ever again. To truly appreciate what this show is like, you have to imagine yourself as a Kdrama viewer from 2013: in the international scene, everyone used this little old site called Dramafever (in reality: mega popular free-to-use drama watching site) who actually had a hand in co-producing this show. It features cinematic, lesser known American venues such as Balboa Park in San Diego or the Terranea Rancho Palos Verdes resort near Los Angeles. Apparently, the scriptwriter intentionally designed the show to be a meme: she was no rookie at the time of penning the story and just slammed all the fun elements she could think of into it.

This memeness is both this show's greatest strength and its biggest downfall. On the one hand, in 2021, you may recognize the ridiculous star-studded cast: we've got the mega popular Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Hos as the leads. For side characters, they are all recognizable names: we have Choi Jin Hyuk who I swear is in everything, and most recently in a minor role in Mr Queen. We have Kim Ji Won of Descendants of the Sun fame (and more recently Arthdal Chronicles/Fight My Way). Even the even-more-minor characters have reached great notoriety: Kang Ha Neul would go on to star in the Baeksang-winning drama Where the Camellia Blooms. So what's the problem? Well, because it's so tropy, all the characters are one-dimensional, barely tapping into the skill of each actor. Kim Tan is a lovesick, rich teen with daddy issues. Cha Eun Sang is a pitiful, poor girl who cries a lot. Choi Young Do is your misunderstood second lead. Yoo Rachel is a bully. None of these characters have depth: they exist to fulfill their one plot role. It's hard to say it's "well acted" because...what is there to act? Personally, I love Kim Ji Won -- I think she expresses great depth as an actress in her other roles. But in Heirs? Her character exists to scowl or hurt Cha Eun Sang, either physically or mentally. And pretty much every single character can be described this way.

The story is of the same flavor: a wonderful exercise in "how cliche can you make a plot". We've got the tragic, teen romance. We've got Chaebols. We've got honoring your family vs pursuing romantic love. It's all there.

Ultimately, Heirs succeeds in doing what it set out to do. It's a beautiful show "about nothing", featuring gorgeous, sunny locales, beautiful actors and actresses, with a plot that invokes a lot of designer costumes and kisses. Back in 2013, I had a lot of fun watching it and I still do on re-watch. But there's "nothing there". Heirs is a weird show.

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