Brilliant Legacy (Shining Inheritance)

   

*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

        Hey guys! Wow, I've been gone forever! I decided to just post about whole shows rather than individual episodes. That means longer between each post, but oh well.
        So, for starters, this show has a grand total of TWENTY-EIGHT episodes! This really isn't a lot compared to some other shows I've heard about, which have anywhere from thirty to fifty, but it's definitely the longest one I've ever watched. If you're ever interested in watching it, just know that I had to slowly make my way through about fifteen episodes before the story actually got interesting. It's definitely worth it though!
         Plot summary: Eun sung (Han Hyo Joo)  is a twenty-something year-old girl who comes back from studying abroad in America to visit her father Pyung Joong (Jeon In Tak) who owns a construction company, her teenaged brother Eun Woo (Yeon Jun Suk), who has autism, and her step-mother and step sister, Sung Hee (Kim Mi Sook) and Sung-Mi (Moon Chae Won). Eun Sung has changed her major, and before she gets to tell her family, tragedy strikes. Pyung Joong dies in a gas-line accident. Or so they thought. What really happened is that Pyung Joong gets mugged, which leads Sung Hee to believe the thief is her husband, since he is burned beyond recognition and wearing Pyung Joong's watch and ring. When she confirms that he is dead, Sung Hee then turns Eun Sung and Eun Woo out of the house. Eun Sung loses Eun Woo, and meets Sook Ja (Ban Hyo Jung), the president of Jinsung Foods, who has lost her memory due to onset Dementia, and the poor way her family treats her, especially her grandson, Hwan (Lee Sung Ki). Sook Ja agrees to help Eun Sung find her brother if she will move in with the family and accept her inheritance and the company when she dies. What follows is a twenty-eight episode journey of betrayal, company politics, and love.
         To me, the first fourteen-ish episodes could have been condensed down into about two or three. The whole story arc of Eun-Sung getting kicked out of the house, meeting the grandmother, and moving in with the family could have happened so much faster. Instead, we have to sit through five or six episodes of crying and wandering around.  Something I really did like about this show is that it doesn't focus as much on the romance between the two main characters. Rather, the focus is placed on the family drama, and the relationships between EVERY character, not just two. That was a very refreshing change from every drama I've ever watched, and I've watched a lot in the past three years.
         If you suffer from second-lead syndrome, be prepared for a doozy. The second lead, Jun Sae is the sweetest second male lead that I've encountered. I'm not usually one for falling prey for second lead syndrome, but with this one, even I was rooting for him! I do admit that I went over to Hwan's side as the show progressed, and he matured.  Lee Sung Ki is amazing at portraying spoiled, childish characters, and turning them around to mature men at the end (see Gu Family Book, King 2 Hearts, My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, etc...). He does an awesome job at making me so annoyed at first, and then loving him right along with the female lead at the end.
         The main villain of this drama, Sung Hee, was great. Kim Mi Sook did such a good job portraying the corrupt and evil step-mother, that I hated her almost every second of the show. Every time she came on the screen, I just wanted her to get what she deserved, and to go to jail. Then, she showed her true character at the very end, and I sympathized for her. An actress that can do that really shows her stuff! The family showed Sung Hee mercy at the end of the show, even just for Sun Mi's sake, and I speak for many viewers when I say that we pity her too.
       To summarize, Shining Inheritance is definitely not a show to watch if you can't make it through the first fourteen or fifteen episodes of slowness. Making it to the end, however, is a real treat you can't afford to miss! Though awkward sometimes, the two leads have a good chemistry that shows in the way they flirt with each other, even if it is only for a brief amount of time. I give this three out of five stars for the good balance of drama and light-heartedness. I would probably give it more if it just wasn't so slow.

      Thanks for reading! The next drama I'll be reviewing is Prosecutor Princess! See you soon!