Skip to main content

K-drama Review: Graceful Family



Hey guys, so I actually finished watching this drama last year after completing Hotel Del Luna as I was looking for something to watch to get over my withdrawal syndrome! This review has been in my draft for quite some time now and I decided to share this with you guys since both Im Soo Hyang and Lee Jang Woo has recently come back with their respective new drama this year! 

Graceful Family 우아한가 is a 16-episodes 2019 MBN drama starring Im Soo Hyang, Lee Jang Woo, Baek Jong Ok and many other veteran actors and actresses. Im Soo Hyang plays the lead role in this drama- Mok Suk Hee, the only granddaughter of MC Group, one of Korea's most powerful and largest corporations. However, unlike other chaebols, Suk Hee was banished to the United States when she was 15 years old after her mother was murdered in their home. After her mother's death, Suk Hee was not allowed to return to Korea as her whereabouts were tightly controlled by the head of MC Group- Han Jae Gook, potrayed by actress Baek Jong Ok. Before becoming the head of  "TOP" - MC Group's very own control center, Ms. Han was a judge who decided to leave her career behind to join MC Group. 

Lee Jang Woo, on the other hand, portrays a freelance lawyer, Heo Yoon Do, who sets up his firm in a small corner of his father's BBQ restaurant. Yoon Do has a painful past as his mother was wrongly convicted of a murder which she did not commit 15 years ago. 

Without the knowledge of MC Group, Suk Hee has been planning for her return to Korea. When she found out about her grandfather's deterioration in his health condition, Suk Hee decided to return to Korea. When she returned to Korea, she got into a minor car collision and she met Lawyer Heo. Although they started out on unfriendly terms, they soon decided to work together to uncover the mystery behind Suk Hee's mother's murder from 15 years ago. 

PROS:
1. I really liked how the writer was daring in exploring the various themes that are considered Taboo in South Korean society in this drama such as transgender, the power struggle and manipulation of the law etc. It was very interesting and definitely a surprising plot twist when it was revealed that Mo Wan Joon had a secret- that he was a transgender. I think the writer did really well in managing to conceal this secret well until the big reveal in the last few episodes! 

2. Each character in this drama was potrayed extremely well. Especially Mo Suk Hee and Mo Wan Soo. I especially really liked the character of Suk Hee- where she is not afraid to go out of her way to find a solution and although she has been hurt the most, she does not show her weakness easily and she strive to find justice until the very end of the drama, despite having lost so many of her loved ones along the way and finding out about her birth secret. Another character that I really liked was Wan Soo, as he was the most carefree yet sensitive character in this drama. Although he was revealed to be the real murderer of Suk Hee's mother in the end, it was difficult to blame him because he was a pitiful character who only wanted to be noticed and loved by his mother who only ever acknowledged Wan Joon as her son. 

3. The interesting plot twist in the end was definitely something to look forward to in this drama. I find the ending quite refreshing as it pretty much sums up the drama as a whole and it also gave the bad characters the punishment they deserved, as well as a happy ending for those who deserve it like Suk Hee and Yoon Do! 

CONS:
1. Like many other dramas, this drama got a bit draggy in the middle. But the unexpected plot twist in the last few episodes definitely made up for this! 

2. The lack of romance between the main leads, Suk Hee and Yoon Do. I felt like it was a waste of chemistry as their relationship did not progress much. But the lack of romance did allowed viewers to concentrate more on the main story rather than their romance. 

RATINGS: 4 / 5

DID YOU KNOW? 
1. Graceful Family was the highest rated MBN drama in 2019. 
2. This is the second time Im Soo Hyang and Lee Jang Woo worked together in the same drama, they previously starred in the MBC drama "I Do I Do" with Kim Sun Ah. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

K-Movie Review: Tune in for Love

Hey guys, so I have been waiting for this movie to come out for quite some time as I have been a fan of Kim Go Eun's movie and I was super excited with her pairing with Jung Hae In after their appearance together as sunbae-hoobae in the hit TvN-drama Goblin.  I finally managed to watch this movie over the weekends and decided to share a review with you guys, especially for those of you who are interested in watching this movie!  *spoilers alert* This melodrama romance movie tells the story about how two people, Mi-Soo (portrayed by Kim Go Eun) and Hyun-Woo (portrayed by Jung Hae In) met at different phrases of their life and how their relationship developed each time they met.  Year 1994  The movie started one morning in 1994 with high school student Mi-Soo opening up the bakery when Hyun-Woo, an ex-juvenile convict came into the bakery to ask for some soy-based drink. Mi-Soo is the daughter of the bakery and she works part-time at the bakery to help her older si

Chinese Movie Review: A Wedding Invitation

Hey guys, so I watched this movie called A Wedding Invitation starring Eddie Pan and Bai Bai He a couple of weeks ago. This is a collaboration movie between China and Korea, and is directed by a Korean director. And I have to say that it was a really good movie about a heartwarming and meaningful love story. So I've decided to write my first movie review on this movie! :)  The story begins with Li Xing and Qiao Qiao, who started dating since they were in high school. They continued to date after their graduation until one day, where Qiao Qiao insisted that she wanted to take a break from their relationship. They decided to sign a contract and break up. The contract states that if the both of them are still single after 5 years, they will have to get married to each other.  Five years later, the contract is coming to an end. One day, Qiao Qiao received a phone call from Li Xing, She had always thought that Li Xing will be waiting for her, but not until he told her that he

Korean Drama Review: Innocent Man

Hey guys, I just had a 3 days marathon re-watching Innocent Man! :) Innocent Man aka Nice Guy is a 20-episodes KBS drama starring Song Joong Ki, Moon Chae Won, Park Si Yeon and many other supporting cast. I first watched this drama 3 years ago when it premiered in 2012. This drama is my all time favorite drama and I have to say I really enjoyed watching this drama the first time and re-watching it again 3 years later! All the excitement, thrill, and heart tugging moments has made its comeback once again through this revenge and melo-themed drama!!! I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who is a K-drama fan out there! It is definitely worth it to watch this drama! :))  Innocent Man aka Nice Guy tells the story of a man named Kang Ma Roo, portrayed by actor Song Joong Ki, who has been betrayed by his girlfriend, Han Jae Hee, portrayed by actress Park Si Yeon. Ma Roo was a medical student, while Jae Hee was a news reporter. One day, Ma Roo received a phone call from J