Little Women 작은 아씨들 (2022)
So far 8 episodes have been broadcasted and I have to wait till this coming weekend for episode 9 and 10 to air. This is quite annoying (episode 8 ended with some cliffhanger!) which makes me think again before I’ll ever watch another ongoing series. This K-drama has 12 episodes, thus the last two episodes will air in about two weeks’ time. I’m enjoying this show, still not as much as I would have liked to. To be honest, I can’t pinpoint exactly why I’m not completely in love with this show. It's apparently loosely based on the novel by the same name written by Louisa May Alcott, a novel that’s a childhood favourite of mine and one I know very well. Apart from a few comparisons with the characters from the book, this drama has very little to do with the March sisters and their story. The Korean version is rather dark, it’s a thriller and a mystery. Though the show is suspenseful and at times eerie (e.g. the young girls finding the house maquette with the strangled doll wearing red heels), I’m still not totally gripped by the plot and the intertwining mysteries with the blue orchid. If I compare it to the previously watched Kairos, I think the plot of Kairos was better crafted and tighter written.
I do like the characters, despite not being completely likeable. I like the middle sister best, Nam Ji-hyun as Oh In-kyung (the equivalent of Jo March). She’s headstrong and obstinate, and though her behaviour is often impulsive and creates embarrassing situations at times, she clearly has a strong moral compass. The show focuses more on the eldest sister (Kim Go-eun as Oh In-joo, the equivalent of Meg March), who hates being poor and will do anything for money. I like the actress and she gives the strongest performance. I also like the two male actors (Wi Ha-joon as Choi Do-il and Kang Hoon as Ha Jong-ho) who play the love interests of the two elder sisters. Kang Hoon, who in Alcott’s novel ends up with Amy (the youngest sister Oh In-hye, played by Park Ji-hu), will likely end up here with Oh In-kyung. It looks like Choi Do-il has a shady side and he’s still not above suspicion, but I hope a romance will develop between him and Oh In-joo.
Fortunately the production values are very good, as is the cinematography. No budget has been spared. There’s no memorable OST, no songs at all, but the music suits the series well and is atmospheric. I’m hoping the rest of the show, four more episodes, won’t be disappointing and that there will be a romantic happy ending, like in Alcott's Little Women. By the way, I do like the relationships between the sisters, especially the two eldest. The way Oh In-joo rescued Oh In-kyung from a group of thronging reporters during a press conference by grabbing her hand and leading her out of the crowd was one of this show’s most heartwarming moments.