Strong Female Characters: till what extent you go to protect/get what you consider "Mine"
OK, I absolutely loved this show. I only started it because of Lee bo young and N. But, oh god the drama was real good. I am gonna rate it in the later part of the review section wise. The plot was real grappling. Like i was always waiting for the eps and it had a lot of drama.. Idk if i can call it a makjang but i feel it is one.Story: The story for the most part was good. However, i personally felt Soo Hyuk (vixx's N) arc was a bit weak.. like the story development of his felt weak. The story revolving around the 2 main protagonists was really well written.
A point to be appreciated is the Direction and the way they show and how the series progresses. Like the way they reveal tiny bits of the incident keeps us guessing.
Acting: OMG... Lee bo young and Kim Seo Hyung they absolutely nailed the role... The acting was so good. Ok Ja yoon was also real good . Again I felt N's acting was a bit off.. maybe i expected too much but still he did a good job considering the cast he was surrounded with.. must have been a lot of pressure.
Music: The bgms were very nice and in the last ep the final few minutes along with the ost in the background .. it was real good!!
One thing to be noted regarding to the drama is the aesthetics.. the way they showed the house and the attire of the cast.. everything was really detailed and unique.
It also has some comedy scenes but it tends more to the drama. If you like shows with a lot of tension and drama then, Mine is the perfect drama for you.
I tried my best to not spoil anything. Have fun watching!!
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I really the first parts of the drama but I think it got drag down in the long run. I love the characters, especially that it's female dominated with taboo topics that is also given importance in the drama. It's great.
For me though there is something lacking that I could not pinpoint what. I think I was just not convinced especially at the end. And to N, please don't accept a chaebol role next time, I love your role in Tunnel but not as a third generation chaebol. It does not suit him at all. I'm sorry. I didn't really felt the romance nor chemistry within the 3rd gen chaebol love story, but I understand since it's not really a romance drama.
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TWO WOMEN FINDING HAPPINESS IN LIFE
I actually love this drama because of basically everything... The story is unique and very thrilling as many secrets are being shown each time. I love their acting soooooo much. The second couple there is really cute and heartfelt. I love how they portrait a lot of emotions through their acting and the story itself. The production is insane and some of the lines are deep.Some characters are intimidating and annoying :) and some are mhmhmhmhmhm.... nice and relatable and funny.
That's all I can say to not spoil it....
Have fun watching.....
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Amazing cast, story, message
This drama is hard to describe in just one or two words, it mixes a lot of genres(soap opera, satire, melodrama, mystery). So I'll just list what it has to offer:-A cast of colorful, dysfunctional, and likeable characters
-A satiric yet so true view on society, not just rich people
-A melodramatic story with lords and servants set in modern times
-A peacock
-Women changing dresses several times during episodes, always looking stunning
-Great acting and production value
-Sad and tense moments mixed with comic relief
-A good mystery that keeps you guessing
-LGBT representation and feminist message
If you like these things watch it and have fun like I did!
My favorite character was actually Min-su, partly for her clever personality, partly for amazing job from the actress who can make soo many facial expressions, some comic, some tragic, but you could always guess what she's thinking about and it was so great! I love that actress tbh(Park Sung-Yun).
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Another one...
The first episode was remarkably bad and dull, how did they expect to pull in the viewers with that? This drama is a strong contender for the worst high-class society themed drama. It's as bad-ugly as the architecture of the house they are living in. Not only that, the mystery element was utterly garbage and redundant which also led to a weak climax and reveal. Poor attempt to throw in teasers of the big event at the end of every episode. Everyone turned to a softy and no one went too far for the sake of this artificial sismance moments everyone was having. Any subplot the drama tried to throw in ended up being as sloppy and underdeveloped as you can imagine. The cast was fine but that wasn't enough to make the drama serviceable.Was this review helpful to you?
The first reason is the number of episodes. Mine has only one season with sixteens episodes and the story was well paced with a climatic end and it concluded really well. (I am currently on the third season of Penthouse and it gets draggy and tangled too much sometimes.)
I really liked how Mine showed lives of both the rich people and the poorer ones who were working in the two mansions as staff. It was really nice to see these two worlds collide and how everyone had their own problems, privileges, and duties.
Also wow, we got a lesbian character in there! And she was a major character! And so many people were supportive of her when they learned the truth about her! And she got a happy ending with the woman she loved! ? I was honestly so happy to see that. We need more casual representation like this.
For all these reasons, plus great acting and amazing plot Mine has earned the highest rating from me. 10/10!
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Wanna watch strong female characters, go for it!!
A drama about powerful and strong women. To start with, the plot isn't very out of the box and it is a character driven drama and not plot driven so main focus is definitely on the characters.The drama had me from the first episode and it took me a day to complete it but after 16 episodes when I looked back, it wasn't much in terms of story but an exciting time I had.
The drama had its own charm, i.e- Strong female characters, Beautiful cinematography, amazing acting and Pretty clothes.
The drama also worked to break some stereotypes out of which most are associated with women and their relationships.
It also talked about same sex relationship.
If I had to give you one reason to watch it, it's THE CAST. The women in the drama are just amazing. Strong, empowered and who help each other just how I like it.
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One of the best-written female characters I've seen in a kdrama--Strong, Charismatic, and Powerful
This drama left me speechless with its effective, and beautifully written, plot. It’s always a treat when I finish a drama that I genuinely feel had the perfect amount of pacing and character development. Each character is flushed out and has a story of their own that adds to the overall plot. This drama excelled in its depiction of strong, powerful, and charismatic female characters, telling a story through the lens of women.Most dramas, unfortunately, succumb to toxic female relationships, which is a shame; female relationships and friendships can be life-altering and empowering and Mine displayed that perfectly. To me, the epitome of a healthy female friendship is that of Hi-Soo and Seo-Hyun, both wives of Chaebol sons. The drama could’ve easily been written with a lazy woman rivalry, where the two sister-in-laws are jealous and resentful of each other, thankfully the plot delves below surface level and tells the story of sisterly love through these two characters. This is a friendship that goes beyond petty emotions and displays pure trust without any doubt. The trust that Hi-Soo and Seo-Hyun have in each other becomes the pillar of their relationship.
Each character is flushed out and given a brief history of their past. We have Seo-Hyun, who from the outside holds a facade of an emotionless businesswoman, however as the drama progresses we see that the mask she wears is to protect Hyowon Group, rather she is a multi-layered woman. For her whole life, she’s had to hide her sexuality; Seo-Hyun struggles with her past relationship, a painter whom she loved but broke up with to keep the Hyowon Group from controversy and societal backlash. As the show progresses she is able to let go and accept that her sexuality, as a lesbian woman, is not something she should fear, but that it is hers and part of who she is, it does not take away from the woman she is. She also uses her own struggle to reform the withered relationship, she has with her son, who she allows to have a love marriage, something he gave up and regretted, but is able to pursue at the end of the show. Her charisma is a main factor in her personality, because despite her struggles she takes care of many tasks that would normally be for the Chaebol men of the Hyowon Group. She not only deserved the position of CEO, by the end of the series, but she earned it. Without her, the plan to take down Ji-young would’ve never gone through, she is the backbone of the Hyowon group.
Hi-Soo displays countless times that you don’t have to be related by blood to have a deep-rooted love for a child. Whenever Hi-soo doubted her status as a mother, I wanted to reach into the screen and give her a hug, because she displayed powerful and operative forms of motherhood. Her love for Ha-Joon was real. One of the developments in the plot is exactly that--Hi-Soo accepts that she is a mother and that Ha-Joon is her son. Everything that Hi-soo did was calculated and put Ha-Joon at the center, to Hi-soo it didn’t matter if it caused her discomfort, as long as it brought relief to her son. I love to see dramas that depict motherhood in this light, it's a certain glee I get when I see a mother-son bond that is as strong as Hi-Soo’s and Ha-Joons, an unconditional love with no strings attached. A pure motherly love.
Many forms of motherly parenting are touched on in the drama, and the drama displays the efficiency of Hi-soo’s mothering. In the first episode, we even have a disagreement between Seo-Hyun and Hi-Soo about whether to send Ha-Joon abroad for school, Hi-soo is clear and determined that she will not send him because she knows the importance of having a motherly figure during these essential childhood years. We see the lack of mothering from Seo-Hyun for her stepson (but later on mends her relationship--lots of credit to her because I love her, but she too admits that she was distant in mothering Soo-Hyuk). We see how the grandpa didn’t acknowledge Ji-young as a son and treated him with no love or respect growing up, and of course, the mothering of Mi-Joo was an abusive one. The forms of mothering and how they directly affect a child are well-written and become a backdrop for each character’s personality. It displays how important a motherly bond is for a child when they are young. Hi-Soo’s knowledge of this importance makes her strive to raise Ha-Joon in the best manner. She is a fantastic mother and I’m glad she comes to this realization by the end of the drama.
Our final powerful woman in the drama is Hye-Jin, who is written with a redemption arc that made me love her by the end of the drama. Initially introduced as Kang Ja-Gyeong she disguises her identity and remains a tutor for Ha-Joon, her biological son. Throughout the drama, we see the juxtaposition of the status of ‘mother’ between Hye-Jin and Hi-Soo. Hye-Jin was forced to leave her son, after carrying him for nine months and raising him for 18 months, when he got sick. Without the means to cure him, she went to the Han family, where her baby was taken away from her and the family forged her death. Extenuating circumstances forced Hye-Jin to devise her plot, to retake Ha-Joon. Hi-Soo, who did not birth Ha-Joon but raised him for six years, begins to question the validity of her status as Ha-Joon’s mother.
The question of, who deserves to be called his mother is brought into play. As this question floats throughout the drama, the ultimate conclusion is that both Hye-Jin and Hi-soo are fit to be his mother, they are both valid in the forms of mothering they did. Both women are victims of Ji-Young, who deceives both of them. Hye-Jin’s motherhood status is not invalidated, because of her lack of raising, and Hi-soo’s is not either because of her lack of pregnancy. Ultimately Hi-soo is the one who raised Ha-Joon, but throughout the show, the development of Hye-Jin makes it clear that she too would do absolutely anything for Ha-Joon. What connects Hisoo and Hye-Jin is their motherhood, and their love for Ha-Joon, both characters are willing to sacrifice their entire lives for the betterment of Ha-joon.
Seo-Hyun, Hi-Soo, and Hye-Jin make the ultimate team, coming together to take down the man who deceived them all--Ji-young.
My favourite aspect of the show is the way the villain shifts throughout the drama. Initially, we are led to believe that Hye-Jin is the ultimate villain, however, as the plot progresses so does Ji-Young's sinister nature. This drama took itself from good to excellent with its shift to a bigger and more intense villain. The pacing for this shift, of villains, also makes it entertaining to watch as it unfolds; the audience is made to dislike Hye-Jin because, after all, she is the one that enters the house and causes a rift within Hi-soo’s family. I remember thinking that this character, Hye-Jin, is irredeemable with no way of empathizing with her, however when the villain shifts to Ji-Young and we find out that the actual victims are not Ji-Young and Hi-Soo, but rather Hi-soo and Hye-Jin the story becomes even more gripping. This is not to excuse Hye-Jin’s actions, in the beginning, but to demonstrate how well they developed her character, by making her remorseful and open with Hi-soo. When Hye-Jin shifts to side with Hi-soo, she later apologizes and repents for her actions. Another wonderful example of the show's ability to display intelligent women teaming up against a powerful male. Had Hye-Jin remained stubborn and adamant in her revenge, over the entire Han family, she would have ultimately failed, however, because she is a well-flushed-out and realistic character she puts her anger aside and taps into her empathy and intelligence to realize that her other option, and the best option for her son Ha-Joon, is to let go of her resentment for Hi-soo and to help protect her in order to protect her son. The shared love for Ha-Joon allowed Hi-Soo and Hye-Jin to come out stronger and clearer about their plans.
With Hye-Jin we are left with a feeling of understanding for her and as such we root for her in the end. Ji-Young too, despite being a villain, is flushed out in his motives. Had Ji-Young been evil for the sake of being evil, he would’ve been a boring character. The drama displays how the lack of a healthy childhood environment, due to his abusive mother and neglectful family, directly moulded the man he became. The drama does not justify his actions but rather seeks to understand how an individual can get to that extreme point. The hatred I had for him also made him a better villain, I truly wanted to see his demise and when he finally does fall, both metaphorically and literally, it feels satisfying and justified. In the end, although Ji-young truly thought he was doing the right thing, Ji-young was a selfish man who let his greed and trauma justify his evil actions. Once Ji-Young had accepted that he was abandoned by everyone and loved by no one, despite being previously loved by Hi-Soo, he succumbed to his own cruel narrative to ease his mind about the crimes he committed.
Each episode of this drama is intentional and adds to the overall plot, with many thrillers and mystery kdramas there is too much wasted time in between the episodes, and although Mine isn’t completely free from that, it does an overall good job at maintaining a suspenseful pace. This drama has become one of my ultimate favourite dramas, for its beautifully written female characters and intricate plot I will definitely rewatch this drama in the future, it was an excellent revenge drama.
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A drama about a rich family stuck in a golden cage filled with secrets
Firstly, the acting in this drama was great specifically Lee bo-young and kim seo-hyun whose characters carried the show for me. I had previously watched sky castle and a bit of Nobody knows which both starred kim seo-hyun so I was expecting her character to be strong. Knowing her from Sky castle I knew that this drama would be similar to dramas such as sky castle itself, The Penthouse and world of the married. I also thought this had elements of the drama Chip-In which were the interviews of the family. Both Hui-soo and Seo-hyun were characters that showed kindness and power as well characters that showed emotion therefore as a viewer making it easier to like them. As well as these characters, I enjoyed the comedy parts of soon-hye(the mother-in-law) and seeing how she changed because of ji-yongs death. I have to say i was expecting yu-yeon to be a bigger character in the drama and was dissapointed by the lack of her and su hyeon's relationship, like they just ended up getting engaged one day and i really wanted to see an actual insight into the two in the later episodes. The last time we see them i thought it would be a sweet talk between them but it just ended up being yu yeon firing a maid. The first few episodes really had me convinced yu yeon would be big in the plot of the story so i was confused. I think it was very underwhelming finding out who killed ji-yong because they focused so much on the mystery of the night when it wasn't mind blowing and i think they revealed/repeated so much of what happened. For example when jin-ho gets the call about his brother-law getting into an accident. I swear that scene was shown 3 times when it was so unnecessary. I enjoyed the set of the alluring house and the beautiful outfits that they wore. Overall i would say watch it because it does get you hooked but it did let me down towards the ending as it was dragged out.Was this review helpful to you?
OG kdrama
i recommend this drams because its female leading and i love lee bo yeong and kim soo hyung acting. there so many reasons why i loved this drama one of so many reasons is because this drama is written form the writer of (women in dignity) drama and its actually have the same concept of story. moreover, what i loved about this drama that it remind me of old rich korean dramas and their problems inside the house and the maids stories i loved this kind of stories. this drama was the second drama i watch for ok ja yeon after watching (the uncanny counter) where she performed very well which made me proud to see her in such role in mine drama her acting in a whole another level.Was this review helpful to you?
Actual Strong Women Here - Be Warned
This drama deserves the highest praise. Incredible acting, gorgeous themes & wardrobe, interesting and well-formatted storyline, great examination of the web of family relationships and how bad choices can echo down thru generations, as well as a very thought-provoking theme of what truly makes a family, or more specifically, a mother?I highly recommend this drama, and I also recommend that anyone wondering if they should watch it just IGNORE most of the commentary. There are many immature, undereducated and basically shallow persons on this site who haven't a clue how to interpret a complicated, thoughtful drama like this. The number of different themes presented, the indirect way the writers show the main traumatic event, the complicated interwoven motivations of all the characters, takes a willingness to watch the entire drama and to do some thinking about it as well.
So if you don't want to do that, this is not the drama for you, just saying. Not fluff, even tho L and his love interest do provide a lovely, sweet little note threading through-out the drama.
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Good direction but could be better!
I appreciate the new direction kdramas have been taking. Older dramas mostly pitted girls against girls and villainized a female role, and while I still enjoy those shows, Mine's story really tried to show a new type of story. The girl your husband was cheating on you with may not be a total devil, and your husband is the issue. That being said, Lee Hyun‑wook's character was so charismatic and handsome and it was hard to hate him. I feel like the story was a bit unrealistic in the sense that Lee Bo Young's character straight up takes a week before deciding to divorce her husband. While objectively a good decision, in real life it would be a more complex, emotional situation. The writer didn't really show this complexity until the final episode (which I appreciated...) and alas this was the biggest shortcoming to the story in my eyes. Lee Hyun-wook was definitely a complex character and I believe the writer and Lee Hyun-wook portrayed this very well. I pitied him and really just wanted Lee Bo Young to give him a hug. Random but the housekeeper annoyed me so much lol. Kim Seo‑hyung woooof. Such an incredible performance, so charismatic. I cannot see any flaws in who she is as a character - calm and collected, and accepting of her identity, AND such a capable womans. She is 100% carrying my rating for this entire drama. (Lee Bo young is also an amazing actress...)I saw some comments where netizens talked about what the overall message of the drama was supposed to be...and I admit the writer did try to talk about some important things. I guess for me my feelings were more prominent and what I felt from this story was 1. how perfect Kim Seo-hyung's character was ... sorta inspires me ahaha. 2. how complex a person is, and how important it is to give grace to others. One line that stuck with me from the drama was that if there was even one person in support of you, you could live on. But for Ji-yong, he had no one.
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