Eve: Manipulation Is Easy, Emotions Are Hard

This kdrama follows a woman named Lee La-el (Seo Ye-ji) as she is driven by a desire for revenge against the conglomerate family who destroyed her life. To execute her plan, she infiltrates the inner circle of this wealthy family by charming key members including powerful chairman Kang Yoon-gyeom (Park Byung-eun), and his eccentric wife Han So-ra (Yoo Sun).

If it wasn't obvious, I get sucked in by female-centered revenge stories. To me, they're just really entertaining if done well. This one was done well. It was filled with intense emotional conflicts that seemed incredibly authentic, the potent influence of intricate relationships on someone, and well developed dramatic twists. There were elements of a psychological drama that really gripped me; I had to know what came next. The chemistry between the leads was further powered by their forbidden relationship status. Both actors emoted so well, and I felt the desperation between them. I longed to see their scenes together, slightly ignoring the fact that they were toxic for each other.

I praise Seo Ye-ji for her masterful performance as an incredibly complicated anti-hero. She was incredibly resourceful, adopting calculated approaches to achieving her goals. She eventually grappled with her own emotions and the moral implications of her actions as she got closer to her targets. And the cast backing her was incredible. Han So-ra was formidable, driven insane by her desire to maintain her status and safeguard her interests. Kang Yoon-gyeom struggled with personal challenges which tested his authority and leadership. The character development really shined in this drama.

Occasionally, I felt that the series moved a bit slowly but that was minor. I also didn't love how the second male lead Seo Eun-pyeong (Lee Sang-yeob) was portrayed; his entire existence was to help La-el while being hopelessly in love with her. He didn't get the respect and recognition that I thought he deserved. Other than that personal issue I had, I really liked the show overall.