Incarnation of money review

from the writers of the ever awesome History Of A Salaryman, this show didn't manage to come close to the perfection of salaryman but it was enjoyable, nothing more and nothing less. The best part of the show is definitely the first 5 episodes and the last 5, and the middle 14 episodes were a little hard to watch but i absolutely love the 5 episodes so much that it was worth it! (Like a great macaroon with a far too sweet flavor but still yummy nevertheless)


CHARACTERS AND CAST:
First of all let me say that i love how so many familiar faces from History Of A Salaryman is also in this show :*

Kang Ji Hwan as Lee Cha Don/Lee Kang Suk
Lee Kang Suk is suppose to be the rich heir having to be born in a mega rich family but things start to change when his father gets murdered by his mistress and someone he trust and then throwing the blame to his mum which lead to her being in jail for many years. He also became a target having to know too much about his father death thus lead him to be in great danger and while escaping, he was knock down by a car which inside is our dear female lead, her loan shark mother and assistant, they send him to the hospital to realize that he has lost all his previous memories. Many many years later he becomes Lee Cha Don the prosecutor orphan who is searching for his family, but instead of becoming a prosecutor that is honest and upright, he became a prosecutor that gets polluted easily by money before regaining his memory and sworn unpon revenging those that killed his father and to become a upright prosecutor as wished by his birth mother before she dies. I expected the character to be really serious but instead, he is no where near serious haha, he was fun so it makes the revenge element light hearted compared to other revenge dramas which is a super plus point for the show. Kwan Ji Hwan did a great job (although i think he could have done even better), it's my first Kwan Ji Hwan drama that i actually like him in (Lie To Me was a mess to me sorry), i will definitely watch any drama with Kwan Ji Hwan in now!


Hwang Jung Eum as Bok Jae In
Jae in had puppy love with the memory lost Kang Suk until he decided to break her heart by calling her fat like everyone else around her making her determine to lose weight but few years later, Jae in is still the equal fat self (her determination got conquer by the temptation of food *i feel her*). For a case, Kang Suk got close to Jae In on purpose and they started "dating" without realizing they have known each other in the past but again Jae In's heart got broken again which this time she is really determined to make him regret so she went for plastic surgery and intense weight loss and yup we have got Hwang Jung Eum aka the new Jae In. Jae In is a really strong character, having to stand up for herself, although she cries sometimes (it's normal for a girl to cry easily duhhh) but she doesn't let anyone bully her easily. She loves Kang Suk from the beginning despite the pain he has gave her and finally manage to get Kang Suk's heart too. Hwang Jung Eum's acting is never a problem making Jae In a fabulous character but there's something i seriously have to complain about: WHY CAN'T THEY KEEP THE LONG HAIRSTYLE THROUGHOUT THE DRAMA!?!?!? She looks good with this hair but the show decided to give her a boylish short hair cut pshhhhhhhhhhh, i know it's suppose to be a new look as the story past many years later but why can't they just curl her hair or cut it just slightly shorter instead of making her look like a guy T_T

Park Sang Min as Ji Se Kwang

The antagonist of the drama, he started of as the "brother" of kang suk being close to his family but he backstabs them by cheating with his father's mistress and killing him, framing the mother as the killer and tries to kill Kang suk but he manage to escaped with him thinking that he is dead already. He is actually taking revenge too as Kang suk's father paid his father to go to jail for him and he died in the jail thus lead to him wanting to take revenge for his father. He isn't a really special character being just another typical villain but he irritates me so badly throughout the show haha.

Choi Yeo Jin as Ju Ji Hoo

Although she's the second lead, I find her having a lack of screen time but well this show do have a big main cast so you can't help it if one or another gets lack of screen time. Ji Hoo is Cha Don's senior which Cha Don admires as she is an upright prosecutor that doesn't get tempted by money but sadly she is in love with Se Kwang that ends up using her ouchhhhhh. I feel that she's pretty much the only unpolluted character in the drama? haha yeah I feel everyone else including out protagonist was initially polluted by money but she was never tempted by money and manage to stay upright and do what is right. I have previously watched Choi Yeo Jin in Emergency Couple so I am quite familiar with her, her acting is nothing fantastic but is good enough and her characters all seem pretty likable haha.

Oh Yoon Ah as Eun Bi Ryung
 
Bi Ryung is a character you will love to hate but hate to love. She is the mistress of our hero's father and also a R rated movie star haha but sadly she is hopelessly in love with the antagonist, Se Kwang that made her do many many bad stuff and she still did it willingly because of love. Se Kwang never really loved her instead just uses her again and again, and she stupidly forgives him and keeps helping him till the end but well although she is a character that should be hated, she makes viewers sympathise with her instead so yup i have an love hate relationship with her character. This is the first time i'm seeing Oh Yoon Ah and i have to admit she did a great job, she is really pretty too haha

Kim Soo Mi as Bok Hwa Sool

Hwa Sool is Jae In's loan shark mother that is so freakin cute haha. She is also the one that is secretly helping Cha Don to pay his school fees for him to become a prosecutor because he refused to be his son. Hwa Sool's interaction with Jae In is really cute haha kinda like how sassy Chun Song Yi(the female lead character in you who came from the stars) will become when she gets old. Kim Soo Mi is an well recognised actress so no doubt she did an fantastic job here too

STORY AND DIRECTING:

Title: 돈의 화신 / Donui Hwashin

Also known as: Money Incarnation / Money Demons / The Embodiment of Money / Money Incarnate

Genre: Crime, mystery, comedy, romance

Episodes: 24

Broadcast network: SBS

Broadcast period: 2013-Feb-02 to 2013-Apr-21

Air time: Saturday & Sunday 22:00

Original Soundtrack: Incarnation of Money OST

Synopsis

A drama based on law about money, love and passion. It is about lobbying, rebating, connecting and corruption of the Korean society through Lee Cha Don who loses everything because of money.
Lee Cha Don (Kang Ji Hwan) is a man who rises to the seat of a special branch prosecutor with the money of a loan shark, while Bok Jae In (Hwang Jung Eum) is the daughter of the loan shark who raises Lee Cha Don

Personal Comments: as stated, the flow of the story wasn't fantastic having a boring middle process but the back and front of the show makes watching the boring parts all worth it so i never regretted finishing this. If you are looking for something with bucket loads of romance, this isn't the show for you, the writer/director duo seems to always put romance as the backseat not priority (excluding empress ki), this show has a little lack of romance but well i'm ok with that since the theme is about money and how money pollute people so if you are looking for something with less romance cause you are sick of all the love in dramaland like me haha, do give this a try!
There are still loads of fantastic characters and actors in this show but it's gonna take me forever to finish the post if i list all so..... :b

IN CONCLUSION: worth my 24 hours of watching
personal ratings: 9/10 (would give it a 8 if the last few eps wasn't so addictive and would give it a 9.5 if the middle was anywhere close to the back or front of the drama)
how much i think it deserves: 8.5/10