#na hyewon

Kang Inha's switch to being the antagonist wasn't sudden. He had displayed traits that showed his jealousy of Han Taeoh over a period of time. His entire pursuit for Na Hyewon started because of his jealousy. He was being turned into the antagonist. In the beginning, the writers made it seem as though he was simply a foil. Han Taeoh was a poor genius, and Kang Inha was a rich idiot. The writers slowly turned him into the antagonist.

Was it done well? Absolutely not. The entire conversion arc was extremely predictable and it would have made more sense if they gradually converted his character in an obvious manner; that entire arc could have been used to add logic.

And don't even get me started with Na Hyewon. As many people have said in their reviews: she's supposed to be Taeoh's mirror character. She had so much potential. But she did nothing. She was introduced as a trauma-induced, cold, level-headed, and intelligent person; someone who can plan far into the future and have a contingency plan at all times. She later on had none of that. She married Inha because it was part of her plan to get into the high society (which in itself doesn't match her personality that the writers created in the beginning) and then just submissively accepted all his physical and mental torture. She then also went to her abusive mother for help. Only to get kidnapped by her husband and thrown into an asylum.

What?

The character was horribly written. If she was supposed to be Taeoh's mirror character, they did her wrong. They could've explored her entry into the parliament, how she worked there and how she climbed the ladder to reach there. It can perhaps be seen as though she had began to depend on Taeoh for some parts of her life.

If that was the case, even that could've been explored. The drama just left so many unanswered questions. So Many!

Now, the LOML, Lee Jaewook. The creation of his character, Han Taeoh, had many flaws as well, such as his unwavering willingness to make Inha chairman. There's no justification. But, his character is the only one that remains somewhat understandably consistent. (Except with Huiju, with whom his character remains extremely consistent. I will get to that in a minute.) He still is the same mastermind who is calm, logical, and observant. His character development made more sense. Of course, that's probably because he is the main character. The creators focused too much on his character being the perfect, cold-blooded, hot guy that they just missed some really really important details.

And the saving grace. Choi Heejin as Kang Huiju and her dynamic with Kang Taeoh. First of all, Choi Heejin is adorable. I know everyone acknowledges that. Second of all, Kang Huiju was my favourite. She was bold, empathetic and a free spirit. She stood up for what she believed and actually did things, even though she was almost a minor character. (Unlike the FMC who did nothing.) Han Taeoh is also very consistent with how he acts with her. He has a soft spot for her, he knows that, but he refuses to act on it because his heart has decided on Na Hyewon. His actions are based on his fear of losing his control because of Huiju, he wants to keep her close but, at the same time, at a distance. The show uses that as a reason to why they can't be together. Their personalities clash too strongly and that would go against Han Taeoh's plans. Which doesn't make sense really cause it's not like they cared for how the other characters changed, but, oh well.

Her scenes with Han Taeoh also gave me hope. The scene that she tried to ruin his car. The tension. Oh my god. Then there was the scene where he bowed his head only for her in the hospital room. There was so much that could be explored through their relationship. It could've even made the show better. BUT NO. They chose to stick with the love triangle that made no sense with a female character that was introduced as someone possibly incapable of love.

But the good thing is that the show had an open ending. And he smiled when he saw her pictures. Na Hyewon and Han Taeoh carried on with their lives in their fields, and Huiju sends him pictures that he smiles at. So, I choose to look at it as Han Taeoh opening his heart to Kang Huiju. Opposing opinions are not welcome :D.

I also read a post, I can't remember whose post it was, but, they spoke about how, in the end, the Kang family had all to gain and these three lost. Han Taeoh and Na Hyewon began working like horses again. Kangoh Group has a dependable heir so Joongmo wins. Huiju travels the world and gains freedom, she also wins. Seungju is out of his mother's cuffs, meaning he also is free, so he wins. Kang Inha caused his own downfall, we don't talk about him. It really goes against their initial plan to ruin the family; another big flaw.