Money Flower ~ Let Me Play Matchmaker to Satisfy Your Greed
“Money Flower” is a 2017 Korean drama series, with 24 episodes, categorized as Legal Drama, Revenge, Crime, Mystery, Psychological Drama, Political Thriller, Thriller, Suspense, and Romance; streaming on Viki and KOCOWA+.
SUMMARY: A young boy’s mother took him and his little brother to attend the memorial services of a man who was very important in her life. But that man had a malicious wife who connived to get rid of them. Her plan was not successful because he lived. The foolish evil woman left an enemy behind. That was her mistake. The young boy grew up and became a man with a plan. He came back to destroy her. But she’s a mother who has a cherished son. So what! He had a mother and a brother, his mother’s son. Did she show them pity or mercy? You get what you give.
♦ You Can Be President If You Sell US Your Daughter
In “Money Flower”, Kang Pil-joo is a brilliant attorney working for the Cheong-A Group. But he has a hidden identity and manages to get employed by the people he hates the most. And they don’t even know it. They view him like a hunting dog, somebody with legal expertise who can cover up their crimes or even willingly take the blame and go to prison for them if they do something wrong. He’s been working for the Group for years. They have nothing but high praise for him. But no matter what, they are “higher” than he is. He may be a high-paid lawyer, but he’s just a disposable, lowly commoner.
Kang Pil-joo has not only hidden his identity, but he has also concealed a meticulous plan to carry out revenge on the family that wronged his family and made him an orphan. He spent part of his young life on the streets and even did time in jail because of them. But now he’s on the inside, right next to them. Kang Pil-joo is so close to Jung Mal-ran, the woman he despises, that she even allows him to hug her when she needs to be consoled. WHOA! That’s trust.
Jung Mal-ran has a lust for wealth and power that can’t be satiated, and she has a son, Jang Boo-cheon, who should be the heir to the Cheong-A Group. However, Jang Kook-hwan, the patriarch of the family, doesn’t think too highly of his grandson. He’d rather give the Group to someone he believes will make the business even more successful after he has departed this life. Kang Pil-joo suggested a way for her son to receive his grandfather’s approval. Play matchmaker and get the son to marry the president’s daughter. A political connection for her son? Jung Mal-ran thought his idea was marvelous. Of course, she’d think that. She’s an ambitious, greedy pig!
Na Mo-hyun is an idealistic environmentalist and the daughter of a politician who did not win the election because, according to Jung Mal-ran, he didn’t have as much money as the other candidate to put into his campaign. But if Na Mo-hyun’s father used her money for the next election, Jung Mal-ran could have him sitting in the Blue House, steering the country. She could make it so, as long as the wanna-be president agreed to allow her son to marry his daughter. He agreed. Although he really shouldn’t have.
Na Mo-hyun does not like wealthy people and certainly doesn’t want to marry into a wealthy family. She’s passionate about her environmental cause and does not to get involved with anybody who is not supportive. Actually, Na Mo-hyun is not thinking of marriage at all, let alone getting hooked up with a selfish, spoiled, wealthy brat of a husband.
She doesn’t even know Jang Kook-hwan, but that’s the correct description of the man her father agreed to allow her to marry so he could be president. Jang Kook-hwan is interested in another woman and will probably be interested in even more women. Even though he’ll be married to Na Mo-hyun, he doesn’t intend to allow his mother’s arranged political-business alliance to stop him from having fun!
Once upon a time, a long time ago, Kang Pil-joo had a memorable encounter with a lovely girl. He never knew her name, but she had already found a place in his heart. Would he ever meet her again? Eh! Enough with the whimsical wishful thinking. That kind of thinking is a luxury he can’t afford because he needs to be fully focused to carry out his revenge. Knowing that Na Mo-hyun would be immediately turned off if she knew Jang Kook-hwan was wealthy, he planned out a series of “unplanned close encounters” to make it appear that they happened to meet each other and happened to fall in love.
It’s a brilliant matchmaking plan. What could go wrong?
Uuumm … Remember that lovely girl from once upon a time, a long time ago, who found a place in Kang Pil-joo’s heart, even though he never knew her name? She was very kind and generous to him and treated him like a human being with a valuable life worth saving. Nobody had been that concerned about his well-being since his mother died. Her name is Na Mo-hyun. Yeah. She’s that girl.
Oh no! What has he done? Thanks to his carefully planned “unplanned close encounters,” Na Mo-hyun and Jang Kook-hwan have already started a relationship. He’s wrapped up Na Mo-hyun, that lovely girl, in his web of deceit, manipulation, and revenge. She doesn’t deserve to be used like a disposable pawn in a revenge plan. The people he hated had treated him cruelly and deserved his wrath. But this lovely girl hadn’t done anything to him. This is WRONG! But he can’t back out now. Can he?
Main Characters:
- Kang Pil-joo (played by Jang Hyuk, “A Beautiful Mind”, “Family: The Unbreakable Bond”, “The Swordsman”, “My Country: The New Age”, “Wok of Love”, “Shine or Go Crazy”, “Chuno (The Slave Hunters)”, “Voice”, “The Merchant: Gaekju”, “Tree With Deep Roots”)
- Na Mo-hyun (played by Park Se-young,”Whisper“)
- Jang Boo-cheon (played by Jang Seung-jo, “Familiar Wife”, “Secret Zoo”, “Heart Blackened”, “Strangers Again”, “Death’s Game”, “Nothing Uncovered”)
- Jung Mal-ran (played by Lee Mi-sook, “Queen Of Tears”, “Perfect Marriage Revenge”, “Cinderella’s Stepsister”)
- Jang Kook-hwan (Lee Soon-jae*, “Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP” – hamster (voice))
*Giving honor to whom honor is due. Lee Soon-jae began acting in the 1950s. He’s a living archive of Korean cinema history, a veteran actor worthy of high praise. DID YOU KNOW? He served as a member of South Korea’s National Assembly.
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is the same as Viki.
“Money Flower” is another Jang Hyuk K-drama that was on my list. Even though it was a typical, predictable revenge plot, you still want to watch it. There’s something so satisfying about seeing unrepentant, wealthy, scheming, conniving, greedy dirt-bags get their comeuppance. But what if … ? LOL.
Right from the start, you begin asking questions about the different characters, i.e. their motivation, if they have a hidden story, can their character change from bad to good, unlikable to likable, or vice versa, etc. Of course, at the end of each episode, you’ve come up with more questions. LOL. It makes it entertaining.
Similar K-Dramas You Might Also Like:
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Money Flower – A consuming revenge drama: r/KDRAMA | Reddit
Review: Money Flower | The Fangirl Verdict
Money Flower – Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Love
Exit Rave: Money Flower | @overthinkingkdrama on Tumblr
Money Flower Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses
TRAILER/TEASER:
MBCdrama. “[Money Flower] 돈꽃 1회 – Jang Hyeok What between Seyeong 20171111.” YouTube, 11 Nov. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HGxHvTcm7U.
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