Currently Watching: Heirs

Hello person living under a rock, there is a new drama out called Heirs, have you heard of it? No, well let me tell you about it.


For those 20% of drama watches who aren’t watching Heirs and the 1% who haven’t heard of Heirs, let me tell you a little thing or two. Heirs has been covered by so many people and you can find out heaps about it on the web. So, let me tell you things you might not be able to find on other sites

The Hype
The drama has had a lot of hype since March this year for many reasons. You had the writer of Secret Garden writing a new drama. Next, it was heard the Lee Min Ho was to star in it. His comeback to a more Rom-Com genre. And then it was held his leading lady was another Hallu star Park Shin Hye and then... expectations rose. However, saying that, judgments were also released - many people saying this show was going to flop because of the large hype and cast. When they found out this was going to take place in a high school, people threw their arms in upheaval. 

For one, the leads are past their high school phase and have played adult characters more than twice. Another issue was that people assumed this was going to be Boys Over Flowers, revamped with the writer thinking she can do better job than the previous hit show. And having Lee Min Ho playing the lead rich high schooler bully was rubbing people the wrong way. So let’s see: some were excited thinking this was going to be the new addictive drama, and others thought this was going to be a disaster of Boys Over Flowers 2.0. Let me tell you... you’re not right, but at the same time you’re not wrong either. 


It’s not that addictive show (the drug you crave) and it’s not the best drama out there, but it’s not Boys over Flowers 2.0 and it’s not a huge mess. It’s... okay. An easy watch, cute and pretty. 

Story
There is no ‘defined’ story in Heirs. It’s more driven by characters and what happens in their lives. More correctly, about the upper class youngest who are destined to become the most powerful individuals in Korea... and the poor kids who can’t compare with them. This drama was intended to be the Gossip Girl for Korea and it shows, however it’s not a direct copy, just inspired by the American show. 

With Gossip Girl I found it quite boring and repetitious and found only few characters pleasing, and I wished they did more with them. This is pretty much how I feel about Heirs. 

Characters
This drama is known for its huge cast and if I started describing each of them, we would be here all day.  However, as I mentioned early, the plot is driven by the characters, so here are the main plot driving characters.

Though Tan is the rich male lead in the drama, he isn’t your typical kdrama hero. This is one of the first times in a Kdrama that i’ve seen the lead rich male not being a jerk. He’s nice and is similar to the second in lead in many dramas. While a lot of people were scared that Lee Min Ho will reprise his role as Jun Pyo, this is not the case. He is not playing anything like his Boys over Flowers character. If anything, he is more likely playing the Ji Hoo side. None of Lee Min Ho characters resemble Kim Tan, is a different character. So, if you are a person who loves their second lead, or had second lead syndrome, then you will fall in love with the lead in this drama. 

While Tan is not your typical drama lead, Eun Sang is. She’s the candy type working hard to survive. However, I find that she has a little more attitude however the little attitude shown is overcome with crying. I’m not the biggest fan of Park Shin Hye and was sceptical when I found out she was Lee Min Ho’s leading lady. However out of the character I’ve seen from Park Shin Hye, this one is my favourite. I say this because she isn’t a naive wide eyed girl, if anything she’s realistic and a little pessimistic. Saying this, she isn’t my favourite female character in dramaland or even in the drama. She is forgettable and lacks a strong character.

Young Do, the second lead and other side of the love triangle with Eun Sang and Tan, is the rich jerk. Yep, a second lead that isn’t sweet and a door mat... shocker. It’s like if Jun Pyo and Chuck Bass had a love child.... ‘I’m Choi Young Do.’ Seriously waiting for him to say that. But yes, the second lead has Daddy issues and used to be friends with Tan before ‘something’ happened. And the second female lead is her usual mean girl for no reason. For me, these two are like the Chuck and Blair of Heirs and therefore I want them to end up together. Their side story is that they are soon to be step-siblings and Tan is Rachel’s fiance, while Tan is Young Do’s... frenemy? 

Anyway, Young Do and Rachel have this Hate/Hate relationship with one another and I for one can’t wait to see these two team up and take someone down. Sometimes, I wish our story was about these two. However, they aren’t without their flaws. Young Do is truly the devil without a cause and I would like to see Rachel’s character more. I mean we can see she’s a mean girl, but ever so slightly we see it as a mask. Therefore I want to see her vulnerable.

The Rest of Them
A lot of people are complaining about the large cast and how unnecessary they are and how they drag the plot. However, I don’t mind them. I’ve seen other shows where I hated the side stories and wanted to fast forward them. However, I don’t think these characters drag the story, because the main plot is slow and so are these story lines. What I find with the minor characters is that the writer, with only a few minutes, quickly shows us these characters and their personality in, what I think she has done well with, the ‘show, don’t tell’. You can look at the character and go, ‘yes, you’re the comic relief, you are the dumb girl...’ etc. However, while I understand these character and their personalities and a few short minutes, I think the main characters don’t have that. 

I feel the writer so far has failed to ‘show’ us these characters and instead ‘tell, tell, tells’ us about them and then still wants to keep the mystery about what happened, which just leaves bland charactesr talking about what’s wrong with their lives. The story is so full of characters that for a large amount of them, you really don’t care about because you don’t get to see them enough to relate/bond/attach to them to care. But at the same time you want to know more and why they are the way they are. 

Great Expectations
Has it leaved up to the hype? No. Is it a Boys Over Flowers 2.0? No. Is it the best drama ever? No. Is it the worst drama ever? No? So what is it?

Though it’s not the best drama of the year, and currently I’m enjoying other slow paced dramas more, it’s not a huge mess. Actors are good, the direction is good and the writing at moments is great. Heirs is a slow placed, pretty and easy to watch drama. There are good looking guys taking their shirts off, left and right. And there are girls (female lead) who wish they'd taken a peak at the shirtlessness (that moment I related to Eun Sang). Where the female lead does a wrist grab-and-drag to the male lead, whose mother is nothing like Jun Pyo’s mother (so far). There are moments that make you squeal, and moments that make you groan. Heirs is like any other drama, if it didn’t have the hype. 


The drama starts rolling after episode six and it gets interesting by each episode. With laughs, aww moments and squeals, it sneaks up on you. The drama is building slowly and hopefully, like a puzzle, it will all fit together and be epic. 

Do I recommend you watching it now ASAP, while it’s airing.... not really. I would recommend the people who haven’t watched it yet, to wait for the hype and expectations have cooled down and the drama has finished airing. Watch it when all the episodes are out and you don’t have to wait. It is slow paced and it would be easier to watch with all the episodes on hand. 

To those that are currently watching it, keep going. Don’t give up on Lee Min Ho, I mean Heirs yet.