Drama Review: All About Eve

All About Eve (MBC 2000)
Number of Episodes: 20
Main Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Chae Rim, Han Jae Suk, Kim So Yeon
Korean Wiz link: http://www.koreanwiz.org/drama-eve.html

This story focuses on the relationship between two women, Sun-Mi (played by Chae Rim) and Young-Mi (played by Kim So Yeon). The show opens with death of Young-Mi’s father after a work-related accident on the construction site of a company owned by Sun-Mi’s father. Sun-Mi’s father takes pity on Young-Mi, who is left an orphan by her father’s death. He offers to sponsor her when she goes to college in Seoul. She has the goal of becoming a TV news anchor. Through flashbacks, we realize that Young-Mi’s alcoholic father abused her and made her life miserable. She is now motivated at all costs to succeed and breakaway from her past. Meanwhile, Sun-Mi is getting ready to start college and has a goal similar to Young-Mi’s. She initially welcomes Young-Mi into their lives, but soon becomes distrusting of Young-Mi’s manipulative ways. In addition, Woo-jin (played by Han Jae Suk), Sun-mi’s first crush, falls in love with Young-Mi. Realizing she has lost Woo-jin to Young-Mi, Sun-Mi heads off to London to study and meets Hyong-Chul (played by Jang Dong Gun). Hyong-Chul’s family owns MBC, but he has stayed away from the family business because of a dispute with his father.

AZN TV says All About Eve is rated one of the top dramas of all time by its viewers, and I agree with that. I love this one. Unlike other dramas, no deep life lessons here other than evil doesn’t pay. It is just a great story line that is fun (and at times, heartbreaking) to watch. The competition between Sun-Mi and Young-Mi is fierce. It is very entertaining to watch them battle it out once they start to work at the TV station. Young-Mi's character is often pointed to as one of K-dramas top villains, and yet you can sympathize with her and pity her. Sun-Mi is adorable, loyal, and innocent, and Hyong-Chul is her prince. This drama is also a chance to see Jang Dong Gun, who is a top movie star in Korea. AZN TV is scheduled to air AAE online in September.