I’m a fangirl of many things, and K-Dramas aren’t one of them.
To be fair, I have started on a few titles, only to give up mid-series. When K-Dramas debuted in the Philippines with love story upon love story, they weren’t for me. However, I’ve watched all the way through Descendants of the Sun (DOTS) and Reply 1988. Arguably, DOTS is a love story, but it’s so much more than that. And Reply is an incredible story of family and community.
Truthfully, I wasn’t keen on adding any K-Dramas to my watchlist anytime soon–until someone told me that Reborn Rich, streaming on Viu Premium, was akin to Succession. And that piqued my curiosity.
Courtesy of Viu
I managed to finish this International Emmy-nominated K-Drama in five days. What’s even more surprising is how I got hooked. Here are some reasons why–with some minor spoilers ahead!
A compelling storyline
Reborn Rich centers around Hyun-Woo (Song Joong-ki), a loyal secretary working for Soonyang Group, a chaebol. The term refers to family-owned conglomerates that hold much power and influence in South Korea. Sounds like the Roy family in Succession, right? But this is where their plot similarities kind of skew.
Courtesy of Viu
Despite Hyun-Woo’s loyalty to Soonyang, someone in the family has him murdered. He then wakes up and discovers that he has been reincarnated as Jin Do-jun, the youngest member of the Soonyang family.
Korean dramas typically have this supernatural-esque feature to them–but, somehow, it doesn’t feel jarring nor out of place in this highly thrilling drama. If anything, his reincarnation made me increasingly curious how he was going to exact revenge on the family that betrayed him.
Remarkable performances
Having seen Song Joong-ki in DOTS, I did not expect to see him play a mild-mannered pushover (as Hyun-Woo) and a cunning yet innocent strategist (as Do-jun)–two completely different characters from the cocky yet romantic Captain Yoo Si-jin. His acting range is pretty impressive, and I’ll admit that I want to see more of him in different roles. Not to mention that nerdy looks suit him well!
Courtesy of Viu
Lee Sung-min’s performance as Jin Yang-chul, the chairman of Soonyang and the family’s patriarch, takes the cake for me. He’s shrewd and conniving, and his moments onscreen are pretty riveting. Much like Succession’s Logan Roy, the Chairman’s a really bad father, too.
Watching the series, you could easily see that Lee Sung-min played the Chairman to the hilt. It’s no surprise that the veteran actor was awarded Best Actor for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards earlier this year. Well-deserved!
From JTBC Official Website
Kim Shin-rok, who plays the Chairman’s only daughter, Jin Hwa-young, exemplified “rich people problems” and her tantrums were truly entertaining to behold. Hwa-young was annoying without being hateful, and she was also one of the reasons why Reborn Rich was such an engaging watch for me. The actress received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, also at the Baeksang Arts Awards, and it’s easy to see why!
An incredibly subtle romance element
A K-Drama won’t be complete without kilig feels, and Do-jun’s romance with budding prosecutor Seo Min-young (Shin Hyun-been) was an enjoyable slow burn without being syrupy sweet. And while Reborn Rich was really heavily leaning on drama, I particularly enjoyed how the love story did not distract nor deter from Do-jun’s goal, and did not feel out of place with the overall storytelling.
Discover new shows to stream with PLDT Home
Overall, Reborn Rich was an amazing K-Drama. While not exactly relatable, this series was powerful, compelling–and I will dare say it–addicting. If you’re meaning to get someone to jump on the K-Drama train, or are looking for a new series to watch, I highly recommend this show!
Reborn Rich is available to stream on Viu Premium (complete with a Tagalog Dub!) so you can watch this series on demand. Of course, my streaming experience wasn’t complete without my fiber-fast home WiFi, delivered by PLDT Home.
You can also get your dose of UNLI-ENTERTAINMENT when you subscribe to Viu Premium for just P80/month, charged to your PLDT Home bill. Upgrade your Internet connection to the Philippines’ undisputed fastest Internet for five straight years, and binge-watch all your new favorites without lag!