Admittedly, the setup for Incarnation of Money sounded pretty cracked from the get-go: Heroine is the daughter of a loan shark and breaks hero out of a psychiatric hospital by pretending to be his wife. Hijinks, go! But given the pedigree of its producers (History of the Salaryman, Giant) and its leading cast (Kang Ji-hwan, Hwang Jung-eum), I was expecting that it would be the good kind of cracked. I didn’t know HOW, but I had faith.
The teaser’s out, and it’s reassuring — the drama seems to carry the same sweeping, dark dramatics of the director’s prior series and hints at fast pacing and a quirky story. The trailer below starts out with our hero (Kang Ji-hwan) narrating: “There’s nothing that money can’t accomplish. It’s just that I don’t have enough of it.”
Then we see him wearing a straitjacket and vowing, “I have to get revenge.” The heroine wishes, “I want to love.” Park Sang-min says in a villainous tone (he’s our villain, right?), “I have to climb even higher.” Back to the hero, who says, “To do so, I need to have [money] first.”
The drama, which began filming over the weekend, is set in the judicial sphere as its characters explore themes of corruption and ambition. Sounds vague I know, but it’ll be populated with crooked judges and prosecutors and people wielding money like it’s power (which it is)—which is what the hero seeks to do as well by amassing both. Presumably he’s the victim of some grave injustice and needs to get his revengin’ on, with money as his enabler. After enduring a series of hardships, he returns as a prosecutor on a trial term, leading to some clashes with his strong-willed colleagues at the prosecutor’s office.
I groan a little to see Hwang Jung-eum in a fat suit (dramaland loves to give its heroines maaaagical makeovers), though I guess it informs her character, who later slims down. Apparently the chubby version gets a kiss with our hero (and an action scene), which might explain why she’d go out of her way to help him later down the line.
Incarnation of Money follows weekend drama Alice in Cheongdam-dong and premieres February 2.
Via ETV
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RECENTLY COMPLETED
Maybe i’ll watch this when KJH gets a hair makeover…
Laughed over 5 min after reading your comment
But his hair ain’t as bad, as his leading lady’s was in “Full house 2″..
The worsest hair ever: Park Ki Woong at the 2012 KBS awards.
It cannot be topped.
HAHAHAHAHA . the hair colour was WEIRD.but he’s cute so it made up for his hair a little
YES! the hair is so bad, imho anyways… and he has had really great hair in so many other stuff he’s done, which makes him look so damn hot! WHY THE BAD HAIR IN THIS SHOW???
Ikr! HJE has better haircut than in her other two dramas (CYHMH and FH), I kind of lost hope with her stylist but KJH’s cut could have been better than that. He usually has better hair ..
I don’t know why in a drama we have to always talk about hair… why do the production always makes us do this??
I agree. Both leads have terrible hairstyles. :/
I don’t live in Korea and I don’t what’s considered fashionable over there but surely it is not this. And yet, Full House gave me nightmares, Civil Servant also gave its leading lady attrocious hair, now this. What is the point of having ridiculiously attractive actors if you end up making them look bad in the drama anyway?
First Jang Hyuk, now Kang Ji Hwan. The Shaved Rat/Spock/Frankenstein’s monster/Dumb & Dumber look is becoming a trend. Dramagods help us…
Maybe his crooked hair cut has to do with him being in a psychiatric hospital…..maybe he tried cutting his bangs and the nurses were so horrified they placed him unjustly in a straight jacket
poor Kang Ji Hwan.
I am def. def. going to watch this. I loved “History” and a little bit of Giant….and I even think Hwang Jung Geum looks cute in a fat suit. tee hee. YAYYYYYYYYYyyyyyy
You aren’t the only one who thinks she’s still cute in a chubby suit! lol If only all of us were blessed to look as sweet with a few extra pounds…
You’re right. I think she’s the prettiest heroine in the fat suite that I’ve ever seen. I think I like her fat pictures better than her slim ones.
me too!
DITTO!!!!
yay!
hwang jung eum!
she looks so cute chubby.
(wishing her hair was longgg)
and is this the one with kim yoo jung as a child too? i see park ji bin but not her, heard they’re working together again!?
She IS cute in a fat suit.
Cuter than she is without it.
I know right?!
OMG! I so totally agree!
I kept on staring at the two (cutie fat suit and “made over” snap-snap sassy) pictures and I definitely, definitely prefer her cute adorable fat suit version.
I guess made-over Hwang Jung Eum’s fugly hair doesn’t help one bit.
I was also thinking that her character shouldn’t have had the miracle makeover because she’s way prettier in the fat suit. Heh.
I know, right! The first time ever an actress in a fat suit doesn’t look just bizzare but adorable and cuddly <3
Indeed, she does look cuter and younger in the fat suit.
OMg, I thought i was the only one… I think she’s super cute in the fat suit… The thing is, if she puts on sexy clothes as in the fat suit, then it’d be even better….
I don’t know..I think to me her acting will always be awkward. There are certain actresses who find themselves on a chopping block when it comes to acting. Yoon Eun Hye is one of them. Hwang Jung Eum definitely is the other.
That said, I can’t disagree that she has looks. But seriously, what’s wrong with Kang Ji Hwan’s hair? He used be very hot.
Waaaa, great cast… Thanks!!!
I am not feeling that teaser at all, but it’s only a teaser. I’m in the camp of those who need money to live but who don’t live for money: Piles of banknotes leave me cold or even a little uncomfortable. The tone looks extra serious. Hope we will have a bit of humor…
Last year it was time travel this year it’s the hair lol!
Hair is a serious thing. It can make or break a drama for me. I couldn’t watch Full House 2 because of the bad hair in that drama. In this drama, the hair is not as bad, but I can’t stand Hwang Jung-eum, so I’ll pass.
OMG. What the HAIR?! It’s not too late to fix it. I’m so excited that KJH is making a comeback finally. Finally
So excited and it takes the time slot of CA! My weekends are still going to be awesome.
Atleast they didn’t give her sausage fingers a la Prosecutor princess. I am interested in watching this!
Prosecutor princess was really fat.
no she wasn’t
Patiently waiting for the day when a fat heroine gets to stay fat. (Pil Suk, I love you!)
Agreed with Iadida!
Is it just me or does anyone else wishing that Hwang Jung-eum stayed in fat suit throughout the series? She looks adorable!
C’mon, k-dramaland….you have a spunky heroine who is not skinny….ala Kim Sam-Soon!
ikr?
Sigh, the actress who has to act as the ‘ugly version” of another actress………..
You and me both, ladida. Preferably played by someone who actually has the body for the role. If I never see another tiny actress awkwardly swaddled in a fat suit again, it’ll be too soon. Sigh.
Still interested in this one, don’t get me wrong. But ugh, not enthused about that plot point at all.
There’s the lead character from Rude Miss Young Ae. She has a hot bf too. She’s fat according to Korean standards.
here’s the viki link for more info
http://www.viki.com/channels/10365-ugly-young-ae-season-11
If there is not transformation, then it is better to give a healthy size actress the chance at a lead role.
BTW–The character doesn’t look FAT to me.
She might be covered, but she looks more pleasingly plump than FAT to me.
And I’m patiently waiting for the day they cast an actual fat actress in the role. :/
So random, but have anyone watched a TVB drama called “To Grow With Love” before? Myolie Wu (the female lead) was fat throughout the whole show (no fat suit, she just ate a lot). The drama is so cute!
Ah ‘fat’ is not the correct Wu to describe. I supposed ‘plump’.
lol all the pics of these actors/actresses look bad. Is it bad picture day or is it just the drama?
Why the haaaaair!!! Please whhhhy!?!?! Espicalliy HJE
Now here’s a drama that I look forward to watching. Hope it doesn’t disappoint.
Love Hwang Jung Eum!
And I love her with short hair unlike everyone else, lol
Since these are the writers of History of a Salaryman (Still one of my favorite dramas), I will definitely be watching, hahah(:
Her hair!!! Darn you stylist!! Wtfreak do you do?? Go in a room and plot how possibly make this poor girls hair horrid? She almost had semi normal hair in “Golden Time” but then she was always running around covered in blood so it did not matter. I can’t help to think that Anthony Kim would never let them give his shows star this bad of a hair cut…
Not really sold with the trailer but I’m looking forward to seeing the leads together. HJE is so beautiful but her hair always ruins it for me.
,at least they got the fat suit right…she’s believably chubby and unlike the PP fatsuit…
Oh the hair.
Glad you’ve been posting about this too. I’ll be covering this over at my blog as well. I’m very angry that they don’t seem to be talking about it much.
I knew there would be some ill sentiment due to Kang Ji Hwan’s legal troubles, but to completely bury a show and keep it out of the media because of one actor’s issues is just insane. I know Korea has issues with “decency” and “what will people think”, but to keep a whole series off the public eye because of something so little is just completely unprofessional and cheap.
Either that or they just don’t think it will bring in crowds, but considering this team’s previous two hits, I doubt they would skip the chance to promote this to bits.
I
I think she looks better looking chubby n cute in that red shirt(dont really know what to call that red thingy). and the chubby look looks believable, for once.
but i still got a beef over that pic of her with cupcake or muffin in hand. not all chubby people eat like a pig, drama/film people. somr of us eat like any other average person.
It’s Korea. Even having one eyebrow unbrushed makes you a freak. Still, I hope they handle her character with respect, because if entertainment doesn’t star being more fair about problems, disabilities, gender equality, sexual orientation etc, then how will their society every get that nudge in the right direction? Certainly not from politicians or educational institutions which can barely keep kids alive and sane in them.
Why kang ji hwan hair like jang hyuk. In Iris2,is it trend now that hair????
kang ji hwan is too good for hwang jung eum :O
agreed
I have been meaning to ask about Korea’s financial laws for a while now. I know drama’s aren’t a documenting of reality, but I was wondering if how debt works in drama is in any way related to how it works in Korea.
As I understand it, in the US a debtor’s estate is responsible for the debtor’s debt. If the estate isn’t large enough to pay off the debt the remaining debt dies with the debtor.
In K-drama’s it seems that anyone related to the debtor can be held responsible for the debt. Is this true in, that without signing legal papers you can be held responsibility for your relative debt that goes beyond a sense of responsibility?
The folks that are always shaking down debtor’s relatives, these are loan sharks. Would real banks hold relatives responsible who haven’t signed papers.
This is my big WTH?
In a couple of drama’s people have gone to the landlord and asked for a renter’s apartment deposit and the landlord has given it to them.
Sometimes it loan sharks and another time it was a father.
Could that person/renter sue the landlord? The landlord has given away the renter’s money without the renter’s permission. Isn’t that illegal? Theft? Fraud?
In kdrama all we understand is one have to clear the exorbitant INTEREST before thay can even try to clear/pay their debts.
The HAIIRRR :/ WHHYYY must they do this to so many of our drama heros of late?? >.<
I don’t like the main actress.. I feel like she is over reacting:/
tq JB
The hands (fingers) is still slim !. Can’t say about the neck, hidden by the bolero cape. The buttock look slim.
Yowch, they just started filming this past weekend? And premieres in a week? Isn’t that pretty hectic, even for dramaland? Or pretty normal? I thought they’d be in live shoot mode later.
I think they mean the adults just started filming. I think the kids started a month ago.
I love Hwang Jung Eum’s short red hair cut and her sharp expression, I feel it suits the atmosphere of the drama. Love her character already even before the show air. From the picture alone, looks like a breath of fresh air kind of female lead.
More ’bout her hair, though it’s so short, the cut and color is nice IMO, unlike the bowl cut Korean stylists usually choose for short-haired female characters.
i’m not liking Kang ji hwan’s hair…but i’m looking forward to the series…..
i actually think the new hairdo makes him more manly, i like it on him.
Dramaland, so many promising/interesting dramas to watch this year!!!
Last lady looks bad.ass
And I’m going to disagree with everyone. Maybe it’s just kang ji hwan… but I think he looks effing sexy. That smile! gah it gets me.
oh hey, the May Queen kid is in this
What in the spock is that haircut
somehow the noses of the other ladies seem to be to high :#
I don’t mind about their hair (yes, awful!) or their general look. I only care about one thing: Giant and Salaryman’s production team is back! And praying for one thing: please regain the AWESOMENESS as of those projects.
omg she looks adorable in the fat suit. is it weird that i prefer her that way? haha so weird.
Well everyone looks emaciated after that.
And I agree, she is cute.
wow…in salaryman, jung ryeo won was styled prettily, only jung kyeo won’s hair was a bit…(not to my taste) but in this both of them has so-so hair? at least hwang jung eum’s a bit better than fullhouse n golden time. come on, we’re wise enough to overlook the prettiness to appreciate acting prowess! this is a k drama, where everyone’s pretty even when they cry. its my escapism!
Kang Ji Hwan is back and in something I really want to watch!
Hwang Jung-eum looks adorable as a chubby girl! I think she looks better chubby than as herself.
Giant reunion… yay!
KJH in a straitjacket suits him. LOL!
Why is this considered a fat suit? Just her jawline was “fattened.” UGH.
Otherwise this may be what happens if Count of Monte Cristo meets Nice Guy. I’m thinking since I like fusion saeguk dramas, I will like literary judicial fusion dramas…that is a thing I just made up.
I will watch it, I like thrillers.
Finally! They didn’t fat-suit up her hands. Jesus, they usually make their hands look like sausages.
I’m hoping they will become a good pair. I’m a great fan of Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye love team and also Kang Ji Hwan and Sung Yu Ri love team so, I’m looking forward to see them and see if they will also have a nice rapport.