“Eve” ~ Do You Like the Tango or Need it?

“Eve” is a 2022 Korean drama series, with 16 episodes, and can be categorized as Noir, Thriller, Crime, Revenge Drama, and Romance. Stream free on Viki or with a paid subscription on Netflix.

SUMMARY: A teenage girl and her mother are brutally beaten and she witnesses her father’s murder. A close friend pays for her medical treatment and then sends her to the United States hoping she will start a new life. She cut off contact with her friend, and 13 years later after reinventing herself using a new name, returned to South Korea to get revenge. The woman aimed to destroy everyone who took part in the crimes against her family. Even the man she met and married in Argentina was part of her revenge. He did not recognize her but she remembered him and how he helped others to steal her father’s company. When he was transferred from the office in Argentina to South Korea, she returned with him and got a job teaching ballet to children from wealthy families. This was a convenient way to get close to the parents. The people who killed her father and stole his company were living a life of luxury. She inserted herself into their lives by befriending the chaebol’s wife, and seducing the husband. Trapping the husband was easy. He was immediately bewitched when she performed a seductive tango dance at a special event for the parents of the school children.

♦ I’ll Pay You Back! TENFOLD!

In “Eve”, a teenage girl named Lee La-El witnessed her father being brutalized because someone wanted to take over his business. He refused to give in so they beat him to death. Then they rummaged through his house until they found the ownership papers and his seal. During the beatings, she and her mother were also injured, but not killed. That’s where the bad guys made their biggest mistake. Lee La-El remembered all of their faces.

Seo Eun-Pyeong was a close friend who helped her through her time of trouble. She received medical treatment and then he sent her to the United States. He paid for everything. Then he lost track of her and her mother. Seo Eun-Pyeong started his career as a lawyer but then decided to enter politics. He became the youngest member of the National Assembly and some thought he might even have a chance at becoming president. 13 years passed and one day he received a package. There was money and a thank you note. It was from Lee La-El.

Seo Eun-Pyeong had not heard from her in so long, but the note was proof she was still alive. But where was she? He found a woman and he was so sure she was Lee La-El. However the woman said he was mistaken. Her name was Kim Sun-Bin. She was married with a young daughter and her mother lived with her. Seo Eun-Pyeong could not accept that. He was sure that she was Lee La-El and wanted to know why she was pretending to be someone else and most importantly why she had come back from the States to South Korea. So he started investigating this woman who said her name was Kim Sun-Bin.

My Name is Kim Sun-Bin and Don’t Interfere!

Meanwhile, Lee La-El, now going by the name Kim Sun-Bin, had been doing her own investigating. Kang Yoon-Kyum is now the richest man in South Korea; he runs the LY Group. This Group is responsible for stealing her father’s business and for his death. His wife is Han So-Ra and it’s safe to guess that Kang Yoon-Kyum married her for her money and because her father approved of the marriage. Her father is a real ruthless scumbag and increased his company LY Group and his wealth by “any means necessary”. That means killing, bullying, plundering, buying off prosecutors and politicians, hiring thugs, etc. He raised his daughter, Han So-Ra, to be just like him. VICIOUS!! Needless to say, Kang Yoon-Kyum and Han So-Ra are not the happiest couple on the planet. Their marriage was made in HELL!

Lee La-El / Kim Sun-Bin found a way to tempt Kang Yoon-Kyum and lead him into her arms, so she could CRUSH HIM!! She also found a way to become “besties” with his wife, Han So-Ra, so she could CRUSH HER!! Even the man she married, was part of her revenge plan. Her foolish and clueless husband did not even recognize that she was the teenage girl who had been injured and that he had a part in her father’s death. No doubt by the time he does realize that he’s just a pawn on a chess board, it will be too late!

But how did Lee La-El set her “tenfold” revenge plan in motion? She danced the tango. When Kang Yoon-Kyum saw her dance the tango, he was immediately tempted by the forbidden fruit.

• “Those who love the tango fall into two categories. Those who like the dance and people who need the dance.” – Lee La El

Main Characters:

• Lee La-El / Kim Sun-Bin (played by Seo Yea-Ji, “Moorim School”, “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”)
• Kang Yoon-Kyum (played by Park Byung-Eun, “The Bequeathed”, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North”)
• Han So-Ra (played by Yoo-Sun, “Sweet & Sour”)
• Seo Eun-Pyeong (played by Lee Sang-Yeob, “My Lovely Boxer”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.4 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.8 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 6.4 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a public rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is 8 out of 10 stars.

NME thought this Kdrama sucked! They said the plot was painfully simple and “laughably unoriginal”. That’s true. But aren’t all revenge dramas unoriginal? On top of that, the soundtrack wasn’t all that great either. BUT! … This is what I say.

Some have categorized this Kdrama series as Romance, but I have to tell you … I was not feeling any love. All I saw were evil rich people who think they’re gods, creepy people who are more than happy to kill for money (and for fun … they like what they do!), and a couple of characters with justifiable anger who wanted revenge. Did they call it Romance because there were a few bedroom scenes? Perhaps.  From episode 1 there was nothing but anger and hate. But I watched it because the acting was very good, the storyline was spellbinding, and the tango dancing was freaking awesome.

It seems that the lead actress, Soo Ye-Ji, was involved in a sort of scandal or controversy, and this series was her comeback (or something like that). I don’t know what the scandal was and don’t care. I have seen this South Korean actress in a few Korean dramas and she is always good!

FINAL NOTES: Two new things I learned watching “Eve”:

1. I’ve never heard of vaginoplasty, but I know what it is now. Vaginoplasty for Gender Affirmation | Johns Hopkins Medicine
2. Shabu shabu is a food mentioned in this series, which is a Japanese dish but you can make it Korean style. Here’s the recipe: Korean-style shabu-shabu hot pot (샤브샤브) recipe by Maangchi

LINKS OF INTEREST:

‘Eve’ review: an epic tale of revenge that you’re better off missing out on | NME

Kim Seon-ho, Soo Ye-Ji, Ji-Soo: Five Kdrama Actors Who Courted Shocking Controversies | ? LatestLY

Eve: Seo Ye-ji’s First Korean Drama Post The Kim Jung-hyun Scandal Arrives Tomorrow; Know All About The Series | ? LatestLY

K-drama Eve: Seo Ye-ji’s comeback, two years after It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, is standard high-society fare | South China Morning Post

“Eve” Takes No. 1 In Ratings As “Jinxed At First” And “Insider” Follow Close Behind | Soompi

Eve episode 1 gets polarising reviews for inclusion of R-Rated scene | Pop Culture | Sportskeeda

Seo Ye-ji’s drama ‘Eve’ soars to No. 1 in ratings | GMA Entertainment

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

CJ ENM Global. “Eve | Official Trailer | CJ ENM.” YouTube Video. YouTube, August 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuDbeCTYJBI.‌