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"Money is power"
Ca$hero gave a slightly different twist to the superhero genre. The titular character was given a super boost by having Lee Jun Ho portray him. He imprinted on me with Rain or Shine/Just Between Lovers early in my drama experience with that scratched up, beaten face so this portrayal hit that sweet spot with me. Was it perfect? No, but most superhero dramas and tv shows aren’t and I’ve watched my fair share. I found it watchable despite numerous plot holes and dangling story lines.
Kang Sang Ung and Kim Min Suk have been together for 9 years. Kim decides it’s time to get married for a variety of reasons, not least of which is in order to fair better in the apartment lottery. Housing is expensive and cash is king in real estate and life. When Kang’s father calls him home, he passes on the family inheritance—superhero powers. Giving his son only the sketchiest of guidelines, Kang wanders home confused and perturbed. The biggest drawback to having powers? Every time he uses them, he loses money and they only work with money in his pocket. Practical Kim is not pleased. A disgruntled fiancé is the least of his worries as he discovers a dark syndicate working against the supers.
The premise was interesting, if confusing. Kang meets two other supers. One has to drink alcohol to activate his powers, the other has to eat. I thought there might be a stronger societal commentary on the three sources other than—money, alcohol, food must be used in moderation. With the RoK’s housing and employment issues, the money aspect felt like it became downplayed as the drama went on. The dangers of the drinking culture were completely glossed over as was the pervasiveness of women being held to rigid definitions of beauty and weight. I was also disappointed that the other supers were not given, if not more, better use of their screen time. The villains were thinly drawn. Rich family evil. Got it. Though in today’s political climate I’m more willing to accept that.
Jun Ho managed to convey the shakily written concept of a man going from not truly caring about the people around him to being willing to sacrifice for others. Kim Hye Joon as Kim Min Suk had the rather thankless job of being the partner who planned ahead and knew what needed to be done to succeed in life. While Kang didn’t give much thought to finances, Min Suk knew they’d have to save every penny/won in order to attain better living conditions. She also had to have a lightbulb moment in order to embrace their new lifestyle. Sadly, the chemistry wasn’t very strong between the two, partly due to the writing.
My biggest complaint in the drama was Kang’s dad. He handed over the powers without any real guidelines and the advice he did give only led to more problems. I was hoping for more resolution to their rocky relationship, but found myself disliking the dad more as it went along. *
As I mentioned before, despite the plot holes and dangling story lines I enjoyed this drama for the most part. At least the hero didn’t need episodic pep talks and forget he had powers when chasing down bad guys. And at heart, I have a soft spot for cheesy stories about people with super powers who are willing to sacrifice for the greater good even when they (and the writers) stumble.
31 December 2025
*Spoilery comments below
The pernicious gods who handed out these powers punished heroes if they didn't use their powers and if they used their powers. Not exactly a paradigm I was fond of. I was truly hoping that Kang's dad at his retirement would get a financial karmic rebound regaining all the wealth he lost with interest. Why he never told his wife was a mystery that bothered me. And his whole situation with the loan shark...could have used a few sentences to clear that up.
Kang Sang Ung and Kim Min Suk have been together for 9 years. Kim decides it’s time to get married for a variety of reasons, not least of which is in order to fair better in the apartment lottery. Housing is expensive and cash is king in real estate and life. When Kang’s father calls him home, he passes on the family inheritance—superhero powers. Giving his son only the sketchiest of guidelines, Kang wanders home confused and perturbed. The biggest drawback to having powers? Every time he uses them, he loses money and they only work with money in his pocket. Practical Kim is not pleased. A disgruntled fiancé is the least of his worries as he discovers a dark syndicate working against the supers.
The premise was interesting, if confusing. Kang meets two other supers. One has to drink alcohol to activate his powers, the other has to eat. I thought there might be a stronger societal commentary on the three sources other than—money, alcohol, food must be used in moderation. With the RoK’s housing and employment issues, the money aspect felt like it became downplayed as the drama went on. The dangers of the drinking culture were completely glossed over as was the pervasiveness of women being held to rigid definitions of beauty and weight. I was also disappointed that the other supers were not given, if not more, better use of their screen time. The villains were thinly drawn. Rich family evil. Got it. Though in today’s political climate I’m more willing to accept that.
Jun Ho managed to convey the shakily written concept of a man going from not truly caring about the people around him to being willing to sacrifice for others. Kim Hye Joon as Kim Min Suk had the rather thankless job of being the partner who planned ahead and knew what needed to be done to succeed in life. While Kang didn’t give much thought to finances, Min Suk knew they’d have to save every penny/won in order to attain better living conditions. She also had to have a lightbulb moment in order to embrace their new lifestyle. Sadly, the chemistry wasn’t very strong between the two, partly due to the writing.
My biggest complaint in the drama was Kang’s dad. He handed over the powers without any real guidelines and the advice he did give only led to more problems. I was hoping for more resolution to their rocky relationship, but found myself disliking the dad more as it went along. *
As I mentioned before, despite the plot holes and dangling story lines I enjoyed this drama for the most part. At least the hero didn’t need episodic pep talks and forget he had powers when chasing down bad guys. And at heart, I have a soft spot for cheesy stories about people with super powers who are willing to sacrifice for the greater good even when they (and the writers) stumble.
31 December 2025
*Spoilery comments below
The pernicious gods who handed out these powers punished heroes if they didn't use their powers and if they used their powers. Not exactly a paradigm I was fond of. I was truly hoping that Kang's dad at his retirement would get a financial karmic rebound regaining all the wealth he lost with interest. Why he never told his wife was a mystery that bothered me. And his whole situation with the loan shark...could have used a few sentences to clear that up.
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