A Virtuous Business

Another one of my highly-anticipated watches that fell a bit flat for me towards the end. At least it was a happy ending for everyone involved, especially my favorite girl squad.

A Virtuous Business follows Jeong-suk, a young housewife living in early 90s Geumje, a small town (village?) where everyone is everyone else's business. When her dead-beat husband loses his job, Jeong-suk must find a way to make a living, and that's when she's introduced to selling lingerie and sex toys.

It's definitely a crazy business to be involved in in a country as conservative in South Korea during that time period, and in fact Jeong-suk face a lot of backlash as she and her three compatriots and business partners, Yeong-bok, Geum-hui, and Ju-ri, struggle to get their business off the ground.

The show overall was quite fun, and it's such an intriguing concept, but I think the story was much stronger when it focused on the four women running their business amidst all the rejection and being an amazing support system for each other. In just 12 episodes, the show had to squeeze in the business plot PLUS the detective solving a decades-old mystery AND trying to find his birth mother PLUS Yeong-bok's husband's drama PLUS Ju-ri's love interest's drama... it just ended up being too disjointed and too much. So much so that even important conflicts were rushed in their resolution that the whole point was lost. I mean, no one likes a dragged-out plot point, but surely there's a middle ground between that and said plot point being resolved in like half an episode and all the characters moving on like nothing happened.

Also, that time skip at the end is absolutely diabolical, 4 YEARS is simply too much. How did Jeong-suk and co end up with a big boutique store in the middle of town for a business that no-one is seemingly a fan of, as demonstrated by the protest on the street on the day of their opening?

But I think the show's biggest "sin" is wasting important themes that could have made it stand out or not fully committing to them. I'm not saying it had to be a raunch-fest, but the story of a young, newly-divorced mother selling sex toys and sexy lingerie in a deeply conservative rural town seems like an opportunity to explore how women can explore and own their sexuality on their own terms, and not just for the pleasure of men, and how women can just own their lives in general.

And yet the main selling point of the lingerie is for the women to look good for their husbands. Jeong-suk enters a new relationship with a hot, well-adjusted guy (with a JOB, thank God) and the relationship is as chaste as any typical kdrama even though their chemistry was fire. Ju-ri and Yeong-bok are in relationships with man-children that they still have to take care of on tope of everything else going on in their lives. Geum-hui is the only one whose husband turns out to be somewhat normal at the end, but I'm not sure if that was deliberate character development or the writers forgot his characterization. Also we're told Geum-hui didn't want children and wanted to live like a modern woman, and yet it turns out she did have a child and she was a housewife in any case spending her days cooking for her husband and following his every whim.

And I just generally think focusing on the business in general and how it grew plus setbacks would have made the show more interesting. There were scenes of them discussing game plans here and there, but they felt awkward and like they were written by people who didn't know what they were talking about. Why did they never expand their reach to other towns? Just how many vibrators could the butcher possibly buy?

I'm sure having more episodes would have helped give room to fully develop these concepts, but also I'm not even sure the writers would have made good use of the opportunity.

Still, I enjoyed the four women's friendship; I love how they came from different backgrounds and circumstances and found common ground with the business and each other. Even though I wasn't a fan of the ending, I'm glad that they were successful in the end and that everything ended on a good note, and I still think the show was quite good for what it is. The acting was great, the setting and production was great; I just wish it had done more.

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Girl's Girl Kdrama of the Decade!

A beautiful drama about a friendship of four amazing women! 💆🏻‍♀️💗I loved how eccentric this drama felt and how the writers pulled off the clichés in a fresh and enjoyable way. The "virtuous business" theme gave it a unique touch, making it stand out on its own.

The lineup for this drama was unexpectedly impressive. Kim So Yeon playing the coy yet brave Han Jeong Seuk was such a refreshing change from her previous roles. I’d say the same for Yeon Woo Jin! I’m so glad this drama really highlighted their versatility, especially acting-wise.

I also loved how the drama took the time to introduce each character’s backstory and narrative in a way that didn’t stray from its synopsis. It helped emphasize values of friendship, love, and family out of all. The plot itself felt fresh and new to me. It’s an educating K-drama, shedding light on stigmas from the 1990s while keeping things engaging and meaningful.

I had just wished the main leads had more screen time in the later episodss sigh...

Overall, this was a guilty pleasure of mine and was watching this along side other kdramas hahaha😄

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I loved the friends like family aspect. A little disappointed in the softer focus on romance.

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean comedy drama with 12, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis and then review.  The synopsis is provided as many synopsis, particularly for Chinese and Japanese series, do not provide a very detailed description.  If you are not interested in a synopsis, please scroll to the review which is labeled as such.

Synopsis

Han Jeong-suk (Kim So-yeon) would not have dreamed her life would end up as it did.  Married to her high school sweetheart, Kwon Seon-soo (Choi Jae-rim), her marriage is a disappointment with a deadbeat spouse who can't keep a job who also neglects the important aspects of their marriage.  Once a beauty queen Jeon-suk has to turn from doing odd jobs to support her family to something with a more solid and promising income.  The opportunity to sell adult fantasy products falls practically in her lap and she finds she has a talent for directly marketing.  As the business picks up speed her acquaintances turned friends, Oh Geum-hee (Kim Sung-ryung), the classy socialite; Seo Young-bok (Kim Sun-young) who has a large loving family, and Lee Joo-ri (Lee Se-hee) a bubbly, beautiful young single mom/salon owner all join for their own reasons.  The four women become fast friends and business partners as they face a society that is not fully ready to accept this type of business without social repercussions.  Jeon-suk finds an unlikely ally in detective Kim Do-hyun (Yeon Woo-jin) who finds himself constantly rescuing the sweet, beautiful and guileless Jeon-suk.  In such a hostile environment can the four determined women make this unlikely business a success?

**Review**

This was a very heartwarming story about friendship, perseverance, and romance where the friends are more or less family. I highly recommend this for those who enjoy slice-of-life elements, overcoming the odds, and romance.

**Spoilers**

The story ends well, with most major plot points resolved and the main characters and side romances appearing to be on a path to being together. However, it's not perfect. For instance, there's no clear statement of long-term commitment between the main leads (ML and FL), though it seems they are heading towards a lasting relationship. As someone who's in it for the romance, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of a heart-fluttering confession and really disliked the separation trope. The main couple was apart for four years, and there's no indication of how or if they kept in contact during this time, making their reunion feel somewhat like a restart. This approach might have been intended to show the female lead's strength in rebuilding from nothing on her own, but it somewhat diminished the potential cuteness of the romance.

Ms. Moon nearly stole the show, with so many major plot points revolving around her. She establishes her independence from her husband, gains some equality in her marriage, supports the FL with her business, and there's the whole subplot about her son. I loved her character, she was nearly a co-lead.

Another romance that felt underdeveloped was between the hair stylist and the awkward, nerdy son of the real estate mogul. Their relationship had all the makings of something super cute, but the narrative focused more on their breakup than their reconciliation. In the ending, it was clear they were back together, but we don't see what happened during their time apart.

The initial emphasis on the FL's horrible ex-husband was significant, only for this storyline to be dropped later. His threats seemed to lead nowhere, and his son's interest in seeing his father was oddly abandoned when the ML came into the picture. Usually, there would be some confrontation or closure, but none was provided here.

The "breaking up for your own good" trope was also used, particularly with the hairdresser and her boyfriend, which I find unappealing. He's supposedly going back to school to become a photographer, possibly to cut the purse strings, but the outcome of this decision remains unclear.

Having the business destroyed and essentially starting all over and four years later she was just then opening a store? And with all the protesters again that ruined it for the previous CEO the viewer still does not know if it will make it.

We did not get to see ML reunion with FL son after four years. Did they see each other at all during that time? Separation tropes are lame.

All in all, my desire to know more about everything signifies how much I enjoyed the characters and the story. The technique of leaving things unfinished for the viewer to fill in the details isn't one I personally appreciate; I prefer a fully told story. This is my only critique of what was otherwise a highly enjoyable series.

#AVirtouosBusiness  #KimSoYeon  #YeonWooJin  #YeonWooJin  #KimSungRyung  #KimSunYoung  #LeeSeeHee

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Simpatico e oltre i soliti stereotipi

Terminato anche questo piccolo gioiellino... Un drama che merita sicuramente di essere visto perché fa tanto riflettere su una realtà che ancora oggi comunque crea sempre problemi... l'emancipazione femminile... Queste 4 donne ci hanno fatto sorridere a crepapelle, ci hanno emozionato e fatto piangere... Ognuna di loro ha avuto il suo Happy ending nonostante le difficoltà incontrate.... Un amicizia così tra donne e' un sogno... Pura e sincera 👏👏

Ma posso dare 8.5 ...

Sono delusa dal finale e dalla sua poca accuratezza... Quando ci azzecco su alcune dinamiche nei drama ci rimango male soprattutto perché desideravo il contrario ...

L'incendio un semplice incidente e l'abbandono avviene per una famiglia chiusa nella sua mentalità e nulla più... Raccontato in due minuti ...

L'ex migliora amica la fa franca si tromba il marito dell'amica rimane pure incinta e nessuno le dice nulla e non viene scoperta... Bell'affare ... L'ex marito dopo il matrimonio ciao ciao scompare pure per il figlio....

Il detective doveva stare via max 2 anni e ne sono passati 4...si rivedono come se niente fosse e anche il saluto di partenza non c'è stato... Un abbraccio un bacio nada ....

Magicamente dopo 4 anni aprono il loro primo negozio .... Questo salto temporale ....bhaa nel mezzo come sono andate avanti se chi vendeva questa merce era stato arrestato???

A me piace quando tutto si apre e si conclude con un senso...

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A Virtuous Watch!

When I first started watching A Virtuous Business, I had a hard time connecting to the story but I don’t like to give up on kdramas right away because they usually take from two to four episodes until the viewer can start to see the bigger picture of the story. And this was absolutely the case for this particular kdrama.

I also think there’s an added issue with the way it was promoted, mainly because the team behind this kdrama didn’t want to give the story away and it worked a little too well.

A Virtuous Business it’s so much more than a story about four women empowering themselves. I don’t think this kdrama is given enough credit for how progressive it actually it’s when you take into consideration the time and country it takes place, or the cultural impact the reinterpretation of Confucianism had in South Korean values, believes and relationships.

This kdrama might be set in a particular time and of course things have changed, but I think it’s fair to say there’s still some relevance in the experiences of these characters. There are very specific scenes that come to mind about this issues but I would hate it to spoil it for anybody.

The story also has a secondary subplot about a very dark and heartbreaking part of contemporary korean history, and that many people are still reckoning with to this day. This part is well balanced with the main story and the comedy, so it never takes too much (which easily could) and instead only gives the kdrama more gravitas.

The relationships are at the heart of this story, with the four female leads front and center but the other women, kids and men around them get their chance to shine and make this world feel lived-in, their dynamics real and development earned. The story ask some hard questions about women’s issues, it questions the definition of what is a “good family man”, the best way to connect with your partner and how to raise children.

I highly recommend giving A Virtuous Business a chance, I think you might be pleasantly surprised!

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Enjoyable!

I haven't watched the drama this was based on, so this review is solely on the kdrama.

I was surprised to see a drama with this kind of subject matter being made into a kdrama. Seeing that Netflix was presenting it in the U.S. made it more plausible because the Netflix kdramas have always been riskier than the dramas I've seen from other platforms. Surprisingly, I think the topic was handled pretty well in this drama (though the drama takes a pretty big shift in story about halfway through and is mostly about interpersonal drama). There were some genuine laughs in the beginning when the women first start selling the products and, while some jokes were cheesy, I enjoyed it.

The cast is 100% the reason I gave this a chance because the main actresses have majorly impressed me in other dramas. There's even brief appearances from Ra Mi-ran, one of my all time faves. Also, the guys were all great. The kids did a good job, too!

This drama worked the best when it was centered on the women's individual growth. I enjoyed Jung-sook's story the most when she was getting rid of the crappy husband who was just dragging her down and making peace with her mother's treatment of her. I felt like Ju-ri was primarily a woman that supported her friends when they struggled with confidence, especially when it was something they'd been shamed for. Young-bok was also a really loyal friend and her family situation was so sad. Geum-hee was actually my favorite character and I loved every single scene she was in. The actress was phenomenal and I loved that this show subverted the assumption that the oldest woman in the friend group would be the most conservative. Her story is partially why I kind of felt like the business aspect could've been stronger.

I'd wished, for all that she suffered in continuing it, that Jung-sook had a more personal reason for joining the business. Geum-hee has this storyline revolving around her husband initially shaming her for wanting anything sold by that kind of company and she basically ignores him and wears the lingerie anyway. It was about her overcoming that desire to just do whatever her husband wanted. For Jung-sook, it was just a cash grab, yet she suffers more than anyone else for the job. I don't know if the original drama gave the MC more of a personal reason to keep doing it, but it was just a bit of a missing piece to me.

The story of the detective looking for his mother was interesting. For such a small town, I didn't expect 2 random plots of people in the town being sociopathic monsters. That joke on tiktok about kdramas being (kinda) sunny/happy until they insert a random kidnapping/murder plot came to mind with the random man trying to kidnap Jung-sook. I wished they hadn't laid the "reveal" on quite so thick, but it was nice that the detective had a happy conclusion to his story.

The storyline I was most moved by was Young-bok's and her husband's trouble with the law. It was actually heartbreaking with how clear it was her husband loved his family but couldn't do anything to support them. It was a bit of a sad ending for them overall (unless I missed something?) because, as I understand it, he still didn't have a job? Maybe he became a stay at home dad?

Overall, I enjoyed this show for the most part. Admittedly, it was still a bit hard for me to see So Yeon Kim in this kind of role. I don't expect her to just play a villain in everything, but I also felt like this character wasn't given a ton for the actress to really dig into. Her character's motivations start with trying to make money to take care of her son and shift halfway through to trying to take care of and help the detective. I thought she did a great job in the scenes where she was bonding with the other women.

The scenes centering the friendship between the women were my favorite part of this drama. Its a recommend and the second most enjoyable Netflix kdrama I've seen.

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Predictable Story/plot

I've never seen the original "Brief Encounters"
I liked this remake but it wasn't thrilling to me.
I don't know if the plot was meant to be "basic" like every other drama, if it was meant to be then they did a great work. The story was predictable to me, like "I'm looking for sighs my husband is cheating, he has another phone that I don't know about, Yep! he is cheating". That predictable.... Great actors though!! They did excellent work representing the characters. The show was funny in ways and boring in others. Also definitely missing pieces of the show, specially 'why did yhe cheater grt away with it" Re-watch value: low

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' A Virtuous Business '' is a business drama about female friendship and endurance.

The drama has a band of interesting characters that have nice chemistry between them, and their friendship bonds were the highlight of the drama, rather than the romance, which was okay but was left half-baked in the end. The family drama was enjoyable as well and gave some sweet and emotional moments to the plot.

In addition, the theme was original but well handled. The performances were all great as well, by everyone in the cast.

Finally, the settings, costumes, and makeup were all spot on for the time period in which the drama was taking place.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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