Giant – Add To the List of Korean Dramas Set in Gangnam
“Giant” is a 2010 Korean drama series, with 60 episodes, categorized as Historical drama, Crime, Political Thriller, Family, Romance, and Revenge; and streaming on Viki and KOCOWA+.
SUMMARY: Siblings get separated after the tragic death of their parents, but reconnect later as adults. When they learn the gory details about their father’s merciless death, they set out to get revenge.
♦ How to Become a Giant Among Giants
“Giant” is the story of one man, Lee Kang-Mo, who had siblings. He was the middle child. Lee Sung-Mo was his older brother and Lee Mi-Joo was his younger sister.
Gangnam means “South of the River”. Today it is a district in Seoul, South Korea, that used to be a sparsely populated agricultural area where the Lee family lived. During the 70s and 80s, it underwent rapid urban development and substantial investments attracted businesses and wealthy residents. No surprise that in 40 years (less than half a century) the value of land in Gangnam significantly increased. But before the Gangnam Boom, the father of Lee Kang-Mo, Lee Sung-Mo and Lee Mi-Joo was murdered.
Their father was a trusting soul. His friend, Hwang Tae-Seob, got involved in a criminal operation. The father just thought he a working an honest job. He had no idea it was a smuggling operation. Although Hwang Tae-Seob tried to save his life, Jo Pil-Yeon, the other criminal in charge of the operation, killed him. He planned to use the father as a scapegoat falsely accusing him of engaging in criminal activity. Then build his “road to success” in the world of business and politics, on top of an innocent man’s dead body. The mother dies as a result and the siblings end up getting separated.
♦ The Lee Siblings Reunite
Their lives take different paths, they lose touch with each other, but eventually reconnect.
- Lee Sung-Mo got a job working as an agent for the Korean Intelligence Agency. He was hired by Jo Pil-Yeon, the man who killed his father, and knows who the murderers are because he was there at the scene of the crime. He reconnected with his siblings and told them the details of their father’s death, intending to take revenge.
- Lee Mi-Joo had a relationship with Jo Min-Woo, the son of the man who killed her father. They break up and she becomes the step-daughter of a Congressman who dies mysteriously. She reconnected with her brothers and asked them to help her get revenge.
- Lee Kang-Mo was raised by Hwang Tae-Seob, the man partly responsible for his father’s death. He was in a relationship with Hwang Jung-Yeon, the daughter of Hwang Tae-Seob. But when he learns the story of how his father died, he sets out to get revenge.
Main Characters:
- Lee Kang-Mo (played by Lee Beom-Soo, “The Prime Minister and I”, “The Divine Move”)
- Lee Mi-Joo (played by Hwang Jung-Eum, “The Escape of the Seven 1 and 2”, “She Was Pretty”, “Incarnation of Money”)
- Lee Sung-Mo (played by Park Sang-Min)
- Hwang Tae-Seob (played by Lee Deok-Hwa, “Business Proposal”, “The Best Hit”, “Suspicious Partner”, “Hotel King”, “Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers”)
- Hwang Jung-Yeon (played by Park Jin-Hee)
- Jo Min-Woo (played by Joo Sang-Wook, “Grand Prince”)
- Jo Pil-Yeon (played by Jung Bo-Suk, “Secret Royal Inspector & Joy”, “Heart Surgeons”)
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.
How did this lengthy K-drama series end up on my watch list? OK! Here’s the story. One of my favorite movies when I was growing up a “Giant” (1956) which starred Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. When you hear the phrase “timeless classic”, if you have ever watched this movie you will immediately associate it with this phrase.
So when I saw the Korean drama titled “Giant”, I was like … I gotta watch this! Also, I read a summary of the plot and it said the series will give “considerable comfort and joy”. I thought: ‘Comfort and joy! Sounds like Christmas!” I was not disappointed although it was nothing like the American movie or like Christmas. LOL.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Giant (2010): Mid-Point Review | thundie’s prattle
Korean Drama Review: Giant (자이언트 ) | The OOC Channel
Giant:: We’ll take revenge for our Father. . .by making you lose a political race | Walk With Heroes
East of Eden VS Giant: A Comparative Analysis | Wannabefob
A Koala Reminisces: 2010 Year-End K-Drama Reviews | A Koala’s Playground
TRAILER/TEASER:
Eternal Crystal. “SBS Drama GIANT Opening 2010.” YouTube, 13 Sept. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrbUHTNd9c.
♦
