Eve Kdrama Review: Revenge is Best Served Seo Ye-ji Style

Keeping aside the fact that I like Seo Ye-Ji, and also keeping aside the fact that I love revenge Korean dramas as a genre, I was excited to catch Eve when it premiered in South Korea in June 2022. And of course, I had to watch it as a running show, because well, all my promises to ‘never watch an ongoing Korean drama because the wait for each next episode is just too painful’ always go up in smoke whenever I catch a smoking hot trailer.

And this Kdrama named Eve sure had a smoking hot trailer. And yet the teaser trailer did not do it justice and only revealed two things: 1) that Seo Ye-ji was her sultry hot self in this one too, and 2) that this Korean drama firmly belonged to the revenge genre.

So if you too are drawn to well-written revenge Kdramas, Eve is sure to give you an adrenaline-packed high-octane punch.

What is the drama Eve about?

I usually hate giving a plot synopsis since I always think of it as spoilers. But will give a short para on this one, simply because the drama has far more depth (and twists and turns) than just this overall outline given below.

Lee La-El’s (Seo Yea-Ji) tragic past fuels her thirst for revenge against those responsible for her father’s death. With the help of Seo Eun-Pyeong (Lee Sang-Yeob), a man motivated by his own desire for power, Lee sets her sights on Kang Yoon-Kyum (Park Byung-Eun), the head of LY Group. Implementing a cunning plan after 13 years of preparation, Lee and Seo’s actions will have far-reaching consequences. As the youngest member of the National Assembly, Seo’s rise to power has been fueled by his own sense of justice and tragedy. The question remains: will La El’s quest for vengeance bring her peace or only further devastation? Will she even succeed and how, especially when pitted against Han So-Ra (Yoo-Sun) who plays her cruel villainous character to its best, most believable levels?

This Korean show was directed by Park Bong-Sub and the story was written by Yoon Young-Mi. The drama first aired on TvN and was given a mature rating on some episodes (which cause the expected hullabaloo in South Korea – eye roll!) The drama runs for a total of 16 episodes, most of which are quite entertaining, though some appear stretched and the last few even leave you wanting a better ending than was dished out. The drama was first aired on 1st June 2022 and it ended on 21st July 2022. Unfortunately, this Kdrama is not available on Netflix as yet.

Was Eve Kdrama a Hit or a Flop?

The much-anticipated return of Seo Ye-ji (after several good, bad and ugly false accusations against her that caused big scandals in South Korea) already gave Eve an impetus in terms of publicity and audience interest. So much so that when the first episode hit the screens with Eve’s premiere, it already made big waves in the rating game. Audiences across the country were tuning in, crowning it early on as the number one cable TV show with an impressive 3.6 per cent average nationwide rating. It was clear that Seo Ye-ji’s comeback was not to be missed and word of mouth only helped it further as the show started taking shape. The fact that the initial episodes had some adult scenes also helped spread the show’s news spread like wildfire. The show itself is not R-rated but one particular episode sure is. And they do say, no publicity is bad publicity and it sure helped Eve. The age gap controversy between the two main leads of the drama kept the publicity wheels turning for the show from episode one to last.

Since Son Ye-ji’s last drama was the hit Kdrama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”, and since she had already gained international fame for her exceptional acting skills alongside Kim Soo-Hyun in that drama, audiences were already eagerly awaiting Eve. Having a star-studded cast alongside her only helped stoke that interest further.

Eve Kdrama Review: A Gripping Makjang Drama Worth Watching

To be honest, I love makjang plots and I especially love revenge dramas, so it may be slightly biased to say that the drama really impressed me. But I am certain most will enjoy it too, hence the review. The writing is well-crafted, and the characters – even the secondary ones – are fleshed out and compelling. Seo Ye Ji continues to shine with her performance in this dark and intense drama, and her chemistry with Park Byung is electric. But it’s not just the main leads who deliver standout performances – Lee Sang Yeob’s portrayal of his character’s snarky attitude and disdain towards the villain while maintaining an ‘I care for you even from afar’ attitude towards the FL was simply superb. Though most Eve Kdrama reviews online don’t even mention it here, I must make a special mention of the acting prowess of Yoo-Soon as So-Ra. She completely emersed herself into her character and ensured that every nuance of emotion was visible right on her face. Incredible.

The captivating storyline had me fully engaged, particularly with the talented performance of Seo Yea-Ji as Lee La-el/Kim Sun-Bin seeking revenge, and Park Byung-Eun delivering a chilling portrayal of Kang Yoon-Gyeom. I was eager to see what twists and turns unfold in the plot even as the first few episodes passed. I was keen to know if Yoon-Gyeom’s character is as loathsome as rumoured, or potentially worse, and that tells us a lot about how well the story developed in line with character development in the show. Although Yea-Ji’s appearance was concerning to some viewers because of her thinness, I personally believe that it was made more pronounced to serve a purpose in the narrative, given that her character’s struggles with anorexia and self-harm, as well as the trauma of witnessing her father’s death.

This review absolutely NEEDS a special mention of Seo Ye-ji’s tango dance performance. The tango dance scene in the show was beyond mesmerizing. It perfectly complemented Seo Ye Ji’s stunning appearance and added a touch of seduction to the already captivating scene. But what really stole the show were her eyes, which spoke volumes about her acting skills (and those eyes feature in this Kdrama’s teaser/trailer too).

If I were to give you a parallel here, if you ever watched ABC’s American drama (with a Canadian actress) Revenge, and loved it as much as I do, I fully recommend that you catch this one too. Similar premise but completely different storylines of course. Worth watching both if you ask me.

Last but not the least, some negatives from the show. Eve Kdrama’s ending is not as expected, the most pleasant. But worse, it is also not the most expected. Many, including myself, were left dissatisfied with how the show ended. Also, that the last few episodes dragged, while the ending felt rushed (surely there’s a paradox in this line somewhere) but still true you know.

This post is part of Blogchatter’s A2Z challenge.