The Heirs: The K-Drama Character Lee Min-ho Would Choose to Be IRL
“After a chance encounter in LA, two teens from different social backgrounds reunite at an exclusive high school attended by Korea’s über rich. One of the most popular K-dramas. With an all-star cast.”
The Heirs (Netflix)
When you combine Lee Min-ho with screenwriter Kim Eun-Sook there’s zero chance I’m not going to like the K-drama. Kim Eun-Sook’s The King: Eternal Monarch is the first Lee Min-ho K-drama I watched. The Heirs starts out in LA so it’s kind of fun to see Lee Min-ho here in America (but I like him in Korea better). That house we first see in LA where Kim Tan lives (having been exiled to the U.S.) is one of my favorite K-drama locations.
There are definitely similarities between Lee Min-ho’s Kim Tan in The Heirs and Gu Jun-Pyo in Boys Over Flowers. Min-ho has said he wanted to do this role because it was his last hurrah of sorts in playing a younger character while still in his 20s. As much as BOF is loved, Kim Tan gives Min-ho the opportunity to show a chaebol heir doesn’t have to be a jerk. Sometimes it almost feels like there’s some crossover in the storylines because the bullying we see by Kim Tan’s nemesis and former BFF Choi Young-Do is said to have begun with Tan. We never see this part of Tan on screen but it does remind me of Gu Jun-Pyo and F4 who were responsible for much of the bullying in BOF (if not literally, then on their behalf).
In a recent interview for Esquire Magazine Lee Min-ho was asked, “what character would you choose to live the rest of your life?” Without hesitation Min-ho replied, “Kim Tan from The Heirs. I want to go back to high school.” When asked to elaborate he said, “I want to do what I want to do without any stress for three years.” This tugs at my heart because despite his chuckles, if we’re paying attention this also gives us a very real glimpse into the pressures one of Korea’s (and all of Asia's) most popular actors is feeling. It also reminds me of some of the sentiments he expressed when working on Lee Seung-gi’s music video for Lee Min-ho Films Presents. From the outside, Lee Min-ho’s life looks glamorous and envious but always having high expectations put upon you and not being able to move freely in public comes at a cost. Similar pressures are also felt by his character, Kim Tan.
The Heirs is what you might call a fairytale. A boy from a wealthy family falls for a girl who comes from an economically challenged family. AKA—poor. On one hand Kim Tan takes what he has for granted. But on the other hand, he doesn’t seem to care about wealth, status, and power. True it’s mainly because he takes it for granted and doesn’t know what it’s like to live without it—but as the second son of Jeguk's chairman, his status has brought him nothing but pain his entire life.
As a mistress’ son he’s not even allowed to acknowledge his birth mom outside of the house and his older brother only looks at him as a threat to his own position within the family. Then there’s the whole forced to get engaged at age 17 to a girl from another wealthy family solely for the sake of the family businesses. This particular fairytale needs fairy godparents for several parties but I like the basic character of Kim Tan even though he’s not without flaws (though I’d say his are less than his elders). He tries to erase the lines that Cha Eun-Sang is not allowed to cross because of her social and economic status and he’s willing to give up any claim to his position in the company for his brother. And Eun-Sang.
It seems every K-drama featuring a chaebol heir storyline pits family members against each other. I wonder how accurate this is? I’d also like to know how real the mistress/born out of wedlock storyline is. And arranged marriages that are more like acquisitions and mergers. The relationship—or desire for one—between Kim Tan and his hyung (older brother, Won) is heartbreaking to watch. Kim Tan just wants to love and be loved.
For the most part, I like the paring between Lee Min-ho and Park Shin-Hye but their physical chemistry is lacking. Park Shin-Hye is sweet and nice in this role but is it just me or do her romance scenes leave something to be desired? Kim Tan and Cha Eun-Sang seem believable as they play off one another, but the kissing seems one-sided as if Tan is the only one who’s interested. Based on the storyline we know this is not the case. K-dramas are known for making the audience wait for that first kiss so when it finally happens you want it to feel genuine.
The Heirs had many young actors who’ve gone on to have much success. Park Hyung-Sik, Kim Woo-bin, Kim Ji-Won, and Kang Ha-Neul have all since had featured roles as leads. All but one of their characters rubbed me the wrong way in The Heirs but I really like their characters in other K-dramas. so that speaks to their acting ability. They were believable. Even when I rewatch The Heirs I forget that I love Kim Woo-Bin in Uncontrollably Fond because he’s such a jerk as Choi Young-Do. Same goes for Kim Ji-Won in Fight For My Way and Descendants of the Sun. I couldn’t believe this was the same person because I did not care for Rachel at all.
Without giving anything away I was pretty satisfied with the finale. It may not seem like a big thing but if you’ve watched 15 or 19 episodes you want the finale to be worthy of all the time you’ve dedicated to the characters and storylines. Especially if you’d be willing to watch a season two. ;)
I might’ve bought a cute pair of socks at Hmart the other day just because they reminded me of a cute gesture in The Heirs. :)
The Heirs has been one of my go-to sleep K-dramas. This doesn’t mean it puts me to sleep, but at the end of the day, the way I clear my brain is to watch a K-drama I know well enough I can fall asleep without feeling the need to wake up wondering what I missed. It also has me going to sleep hearing Korean which will hopefully influence my language skills.
What K-drama does Kim Ji-Won play female lead to Park Seo-Joon?
What K-drama turned Park Hyung-Sik and Park Seo-Joon into good friends IRL?
Which actor made his first public appearance in November 2019 at the Blue Dragon Film Awards after being diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2017?
Released: October 2013, Episodes: 20
Cast: Lee Min-Ho (Kim Tan), Park Shin-Hye (Cha Eun-Sang), Kim Woo-Bin (Choi Young-Do), Kang Min-Hyuk (Yoon Chan-Young), Choi Jin-Hyuk (Kim Won), Kang Ha-Neul (Lee Hyo-Shin), Krystal (Lee Bo-Na), Kim Ji-Won (Rachel Yoo), Park Hyung-Sik (Jo Myung-Soo), Jeon Soo-Jin (Kang Ye-Sol), Lim Ju-Eun (Jeon Hyun-Joo), Kim Sung-Ryoung (Han Ki-Ae), FULL CAST
The Heirs Trailer
