Money Flower follows the story of people who think that they have power over money, but they are actually controlled by their greed for it. Pil Joo (Jang Hyuk) is a talented man who becomes the top lawyer for a large corporation and is praised for his skills at his job. But in reality, he has set in motion an intricate plan for revenge that will topple the greedy family who owns the corporation.
Do you like revenge? Do you like secrets of every kind? What about lots of angst and soapy goodness? Plenty of twists and turns? Well, look no further than Money Flower! It’s got all of that and more to give us quite a thrilling ride!
Jang Hyuk plays Kang Pil Joo, and he’s out for revenge on the family that wronged him. Jang Hyuk could not be any more perfect for a character like this. While Pil Joo is is very calm and collected, he has such a powerful presence.
And Jang Hyuk is able to deliver an almost endless amount of subtle facial expressions that convey the many different emotions he is feeling. From anger, to sadness, to pride, to love. All the emotions are there. It really is incredible.
You must have someone like Jang Hyuk in a role like this to showcase the many aspects of Pil Joo. Watching him was completely captivating, and he commands your attention with just his presence. A phenomenal performance by Jang Hyuk all around!
Jang Seung Jo is Jang Boo Cheon who is the eldest grandson of the Jang family. But the head of the corporation, his grandfather, favors Boo Cheon’s younger cousin. This causes Bo Cheon and his mother to have to fight for their position in the family. Boo Cheon is a spoiled and immature man that needs Pil Joo’s help and guidance to execute their plans.
Park Se Young is Na Mo Hyun. She’s an incredibly kind woman who believes in fated love. She’s also the daughter of an assembly man who plans to run for president. Pil Joo convinces the Jang family that aligning with her father will better their position, so they develop a plan to have Boo Cheon “coincidentally” meet Mo Hyun and begin a romantic relationship that will lead to marriage. This puts her right in the middle of this crazy family and Pil Joo’s revenge scheme.
Lee Mi Sook plays Jung Mal Ran who is Boo Cheon’s mother. She is the main orchestrator of trying to position Boo Cheon for future power. And she’s willing to do anything to accomplish her goals.
She makes Pil Joo her right hand man that executes all her orders. But little does she know that she is also Pil Joo’s main target for revenge for her evil deeds. Mal Ran is one despicable character, but she sure is an interesting one. And Lee Mi Sook was wonderful in the role.
Pil Joo and Mal Ran also have quite an interesting dynamic between them. While Pil Joo carefully executes his plans, he becomes absolutely vital to Mal Ran. And while she always sees herself as far above him, she takes this strange liking to him which includes some surprisingly sensual chemistry. Not something I expected when originally being introduced to them! It’s just something you have to see to understand.
Money Flower is the definition of soapy goodness! This is one of those juicy dramas filled with secrets of all kinds and twists at every turn. There are affairs, birth secrets, cover ups, bribery, and even murder! It’s makjang at its finest.
There is an intricate revenge plan in place as we have Pil Joo as the puppet master who plays everyone according to his wishes. It’s brilliant to watch unfold! He knows everything that is going on and how to position everyone. And when things go wrong, he’s ready to put things back together and continue on with his mission. It was seriously entertaining to watch!
I’m not a big fan of business politics, so I was concerned how I would feel about this drama. But for being a story set right in the middle of business power plays, I found that I was very much enjoying it all.
While there are plenty of business dealings, it is all really just a backdrop for a well laid out revenge story filled with angsty and twisty family issues. Sure, there were times here and there where some of the business was a bit meh, but then we got right back to that awesome revenge and angst. Just keep it coming!
The drama was mapped out beautifully. It always knew where it was going and had a purpose. There was always plenty of tension as secrets kept piling up and everyone worked to avoid being discovered. And there are lots of big reveals with each of them being incredibly satisfying to watch play out.
The drama is slick and gorgeous with stylish sets. I just loved every location that was used as a backdrop for all the happenings. I also loved how the modern city was blended with the gorgeous historical buildings. It really created a unique look.
All of the guys were looking stylish in their suits while the women also looked incredible in their fantastic outfits. It’s a nice drama to look at for sure! The soundtrack is something to praise too. It’s primarily instrumentals, but the songs were perfect and created such a rich, tense, and melancholy atmosphere.
There are so many different relationships that have so much going on. We have Mo Hyun being played as a piece in a larger game. Then there’s Boo Cheon who comes to love her, but their entire relationship is built on lies as he works his way to power. Mal Ran only does what is best for her and Boo Cheon to secure their place on top while throwing everyone else to the side.
And Pil Joo is at the center of everything. In his revenge quest, innocent people are thrown into the mix and get hurt. But he is firm in his plans and continues to let everything he has set in motion unfold. It’s just crazy what all is going on between these people!
This is the kind of drama where the bulk of the characters are not all that likable. Aside from Mo Hyun, everyone has an agenda and does varying levels of despicable things. Even our revenge seeking hero Pil Joo does very questionable things.
But you definitely understand him and his justified yet morally questionable revenge quest. And I just have to praise Jang Hyuk again. The emotions going on behind his eyes are incredible, and he completely brings this character to life in a way that no other could.
Also, Boo Cheon was an interesting character for me. He has a lot of unlikable qualities, but he also has a certain vulnerability to him. And you know that he is simply the product of his greedy and twisted family. I developed a fondness for him despite his bad qualities and was rooting for him to somehow break free of his family chains.
Money Flower is perfect those who are fans of over the top, soapy revenge stories. It executes this type of genre to perfection to make for an all around intense, emotional, and entertaining watch. This is one not to miss out on!
My Rating: 9/10
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