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Ajummas Assemble!
Could there be anything more fearsome than three ajummas uniting for vengeance? Maybe, but for the self-absorbed and abusive men that had run afoul of our lovely ladies and one teen boy, the Avengers Social Club would strike fear into their hearts before the drama was over.
Through a series of events connected to the local school, Kim Jeong Hye collects two other women in need of vengeance along with herself. The women agree to not physically hurt anyone or do anything (too) illegal. Jeong Hye’s husband is determined to become his father’s heir and brings home his 19-year-old illegitimate son, Lee Su Gyeom, to sweeten the deal. After all, mere girls can’t be in line for running a company. Gyeom isn’t thrilled with the father and mother who abandoned him leaving him to be raised by grandparents. It’s not long before Gyeom joins the Avengers group. Hong Do Hui is at the mercy of a wealthy con artist who wants to shake her down for money when the annoying woman’s bully of a son is “injured” after Do Hui’s son hits him. Lee Mi Suk’s husband has become physically and verbally abusive. He is running for school superintendent and is in bed with Byeong Su and the perverted principal Hong Sang Man. The ladies and Gyeom may be up against an abuser, the school system, the class system, and two major corporations, but they are about to learn just how strong they are.
ASC was a fun wish fulfillment drama. If you live long enough, you’ll be gleefully screwed over by someone and oh how satisfying it would be to have vengeance. As much as I love a good revenge story, ASC was far more about how the women grew as individuals and as friends. All three needed to find their confidence and courage to be their best selves. They also found that three is better than two, and four is better than three. Just like a pack of lionesses (+1 cub) they discovered strength in numbers. The three actresses were all quite good, especially, Ra Mi Ran, as ASC’s resident Unnie.
“Why are they doing this to us?” Rarely has there ever been a group of men less self-aware and more self-absorbed. The women were seen as either property, tools, or impediments. They would learn that it’s very dangerous to underestimate women. Even when it looks like all they do is wear pretty clothes and drink tea.
The biggest drawback to the drama for me was the length of the episodes. Several episodes in the middle could have been shorter with the conflicts and resolutions integrated into one episode instead of two, and the last episode almost felt like a long epilogue due to numerous flashback recaps.
What I learned from ASC:
Don’t anger the woman who cooks your food.
Friends teach friends to cuss and give them a safe place to let loose
Shin kicks are vile but in certain circumstances are well deserved
Korea has children’s books about rabbits who poo on other animals
Do not call women Stodgy Extra Ajummas (especially if any of them are going to cook your food)
The writers could not do math, a 17-year age gap is not small
Mangas can be research material for revenge
Despite the enormous earrings, the drama was set in 2017, not 1985
Never underestimate a woman in a chicken fight!
Some families are made, not born
And most importantly--Sometimes you can feel stronger just knowing that you’re not alone.
24 April 2025
Through a series of events connected to the local school, Kim Jeong Hye collects two other women in need of vengeance along with herself. The women agree to not physically hurt anyone or do anything (too) illegal. Jeong Hye’s husband is determined to become his father’s heir and brings home his 19-year-old illegitimate son, Lee Su Gyeom, to sweeten the deal. After all, mere girls can’t be in line for running a company. Gyeom isn’t thrilled with the father and mother who abandoned him leaving him to be raised by grandparents. It’s not long before Gyeom joins the Avengers group. Hong Do Hui is at the mercy of a wealthy con artist who wants to shake her down for money when the annoying woman’s bully of a son is “injured” after Do Hui’s son hits him. Lee Mi Suk’s husband has become physically and verbally abusive. He is running for school superintendent and is in bed with Byeong Su and the perverted principal Hong Sang Man. The ladies and Gyeom may be up against an abuser, the school system, the class system, and two major corporations, but they are about to learn just how strong they are.
ASC was a fun wish fulfillment drama. If you live long enough, you’ll be gleefully screwed over by someone and oh how satisfying it would be to have vengeance. As much as I love a good revenge story, ASC was far more about how the women grew as individuals and as friends. All three needed to find their confidence and courage to be their best selves. They also found that three is better than two, and four is better than three. Just like a pack of lionesses (+1 cub) they discovered strength in numbers. The three actresses were all quite good, especially, Ra Mi Ran, as ASC’s resident Unnie.
“Why are they doing this to us?” Rarely has there ever been a group of men less self-aware and more self-absorbed. The women were seen as either property, tools, or impediments. They would learn that it’s very dangerous to underestimate women. Even when it looks like all they do is wear pretty clothes and drink tea.
The biggest drawback to the drama for me was the length of the episodes. Several episodes in the middle could have been shorter with the conflicts and resolutions integrated into one episode instead of two, and the last episode almost felt like a long epilogue due to numerous flashback recaps.
What I learned from ASC:
Don’t anger the woman who cooks your food.
Friends teach friends to cuss and give them a safe place to let loose
Shin kicks are vile but in certain circumstances are well deserved
Korea has children’s books about rabbits who poo on other animals
Do not call women Stodgy Extra Ajummas (especially if any of them are going to cook your food)
The writers could not do math, a 17-year age gap is not small
Mangas can be research material for revenge
Despite the enormous earrings, the drama was set in 2017, not 1985
Never underestimate a woman in a chicken fight!
Some families are made, not born
And most importantly--Sometimes you can feel stronger just knowing that you’re not alone.
24 April 2025
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