A Virtuous Business kdrama – Episode 1 Recap and Spoilers.
JTBC’s A Virtuous Business features Kim So-yeon stealing the spotlight with a shocking ending, where she witnesses her husband Choi Jae-rim’s affair.
The JTBC weekend drama A Virtuous Business, which premiered on the 13th, invites viewers on a nostalgic time travel journey, showcasing video tapes from that era, disinfection trucks emitting white smoke, public telephones, bustling traditional markets, and the songs of Kim Wan-sun, the most popular star of the time. This new perspective, combined with the unconventional subject matter of ‘door-to-door sales of adult products,’ sheds light on the prejudice, oppression, and poverty faced by women in the ’90s, creating a healthy public scandal in living rooms. Consequently, it got off to a strong start, recording a viewership rating of 3.9% nationwide and 4% in the metropolitan area. (Provided by Nielsen Korea, based on paid households)
Kim So-yeon’s transformative acting, which captivated viewers with her strong image, is remarkable. She completely sheds her previous persona and becomes the virtuous ‘Han Jeong-suk,’ showcasing her talent as a top actress. Jeong-suk, once a vibrant ‘hot pepper girl,’ struggles as the de facto head of her household after making a mistake in ‘selecting a husband.’ The more she grapples with her situation, the more troubles arise, pushing her husband Kwon Seong-soo (Choi Jae-rim) to the brink. The only hope for her husband, who is on the edge, lies in the door-to-door sales of adult products for ‘Fantasy Lingerie,’ which allows for flexible commuting and offers a monthly income of 500,000 won. Jeong-suk, initially uncomfortable with even the idea of sexual jokes, plunges into this taboo world of public sales, shaking up societal norms. Kim So-yeon effectively captures the emotional depth of Jeong-suk, portraying her desperation, the regret of not being able to buy her son a new bag, the awkwardness of selling adult products while struggling to open up, and her unexpected clumsiness due to an overwhelming passion for sales.
Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Sung-ryung, Kim Sun-young, and Lee Se-hee also fully immersed themselves in the 1992 setting, enhancing the overall experience. Yeon Woo-jin’s delicate acting brings to life the cool aura of ‘Kim Do-hyun,’ who captures the hearts of women in the drama with his charm, only to later draw a sharp line. Kim Sung-ryung embodies the sophistication and elegance of ‘Oh Geum-hee,’ a wealthy graduate of Ewha Womans University’s English Literature Department. Geum-hee, feeling bored due to her busy husband Choi Won-bong (Kim Won-hae), finds excitement in her “different experience” of selling adult products alongside Jeong-suk, thanks to Kim Sung-ryung’s confident performance.
Kim Sun-young adds flavor to the drama with her engaging portrayal of the bright and lively ‘Seo Young-bok.’ As the de facto head of her household, she joins Jeong-suk on sales trips, raising anticipation for her future antics. Lee Se-hee contributes to the fun with her lively portrayal of ‘Lee Joo-ri,’ a single mother. Unlike the other housewives who are closed off to adult products, there is curiosity about how the open-minded ‘hot girl’ Joo-ri will connect with the ‘Sisters of the Sales Trip,’ enhancing the overall enjoyment.
The highlight of the episode was undoubtedly Jeong-suk’s first door-to-door sales experience. Persuaded by the CEO of ‘Fantasy Lingerie’ (Ra Mi-ran), who provided examples from the U.S. and assured her it would be profitable, Jeong-suk embarked on her long-awaited sales adventure at Geum-hee’s house, where she worked as a housekeeper. Despite practicing hard the night before, the actual sales proved challenging. The housewives of Geumje were taken aback by the unconventional designs of the underwear, such as those with wide openings and revealing styles that emphasized rather than concealed body shapes.
The main product from ‘Fantasy Lingerie’ was shocking in itself. The housewives were stunned to discover the true purpose of an item resembling a microphone that stood upright like a garlic press. Soon, this device vibrated violently, creating chaos in the room, leading to a ridiculous incident where they reported it as a prostitution establishment. Detectives Do-hyeon and Na-seong-jae (Jung Soon-won) arrived at Geum-hee’s house, causing further hilarity. Thanks to Joo-ri’s quick thinking, the crisis was averted, but selling adult products, seen as low-quality goods in a tight-knit rural community, remains a significant challenge. There are high expectations for how Jeong-suk will overcome this prejudice in future episodes.
The broadcast also featured a mix of nostalgia, comedy, and empathy, culminating in a chilling twist at the end. Seong-su, struggling to find work in Geumje due to frequent fights, squanders Jeong-suk’s hard-earned monthly rent on poor investments. This drives Jeong-suk to the brink and forces her into selling adult products, only for Seong-su to criticize her efforts. Additionally, Jeong-suk’s inappropriate relationship with her best friend Seong Mi-hwa (Hong Ji-hee) comes to light. Witnessing this betrayal leaves Jeong-suk shocked and raises questions about how she will confront her problematic husband in the upcoming second episode.
Episode 2 of A Virtuous Business will air tonight (the 13th) at 10:30 PM on JTBC.
A Virtuous Business Korean drama main page
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