I was expecting this drama to be the typical family drama turning into a makjang where the main girl suffers the most out of the drama, but with this show, everything is the other way around. Soo In did suffer having to stay in her in-laws’ being treated like a maid and then went to jail because of her father in law, but in the present time, everything seems to go smooth for her. Although there are times when she and the other 3 former inmates face difficulties, as they all put their head to some thinking, in the end, the 4 women always end up winning against the bad ones.
Yes, bad things happen in other dramas as well to the main female character, but compare to those other dramas, this one doesn’t drag a conflict too much. Like for example Joo Ran trying to get Soo In’s truck out of her land – lasted at most 2 episodes. It’s more like a fast paced show rather than focusing too much on a certain fight, yet these fights do integrate into the bigger and main conflict of the plot.
One thing that disappoints me about this drama is the acting because I saw all the actors and mostly all the actresses in other projects and I was expecting to see good, well rounded acting, however this wasn’t the case since most of them seem rather forced. Still, I think this as something to do with the producer and the writer, after all they tell the actors how to do the characters and they just perform it.
If I am to talk about the characters, in a weird way as I watch the more I like them all be it a negative character or our positive ones. They do grow on you as time passes and it’s actually lovely how they are all portrayed.
Moon Soo In – honestly she is a typical poor humble woman however a lot of people criticized Han Ji Hye’s construction for making Soo In look and act plain, but she was being trampled years in the Ma family so she lost a lot of her personality after trying to please her in-laws – Soo In ended up being oppressed by Tae San who bluntly hated her and Joo Ran who put her down on a daily basis even though she had the moral support of Do Hyun.
Despise all that Soo In is still being warm towards those around her, even so she can’t open herself to another man, although Woo Seok and others are telling her flat out that he likes her. Rather than trying to understand the situation, she wants to ignore everything putting into her mind that Woo Seok is just pitying her.
Is Soo In stupid? No. Is she naïve? Yes, definitely. Yet, Soo In was a woman who grew up in an orphanage, Do Hyun was her family and her Universe, the first person she learned from moments that she will cherish and most importantly, Do Hyun was the only one who teaches her about warmth and feelings of love. But after his death, she lost everything thus Tae San’s use of her was easy as he constantly told her that everything she will do, regardless of what she would’ve signed was for Do Hyun, because Do Hyun would’ve wished for that – she hastily believed everything because Do Hyun was her everything.
Soo In wasn’t stupid for believing in her father-in-law although he always straight on hated her because she never believed in him, in fact what she wanted to do is make Do Hyun feel assured where he is that what he left behind was in its right place. However, what people didn’t notice, is that Soo In doesn’t live in the past, because in a crystal manner, this woman shows her desire to evolve in her own way.
Nam Woo Seok – he seems like a man of his word, even though everything is cute now at the beginning stage of his love towards Soo In, will he dare to protect her from the Ma family? Moreover, soon the writer may unlash the truth behind his past and the things he doesn’t remember so maybe rather than him protecting Soo In she will be the one helping him handle the truth. His past is pretty dark and there are a lot of questions to be answered, maybe as a way to take revenge on the Mas, Aeng Ran will reveal everything without thinking of the consequences affecting Woo Seok.
On a side note, I like his determination and bluntness when he rejects Joo Hee, even though the Ma family keeps pairing him with her. I personally suspect that somehow in an attempt to protect Soo In, Woo Seok will marry Joo Hee however he will divorce her the moment he finds the truth behind his past wife and how the accident actually happened.
I personally suspect Ma Joo Hee of killing Woo Seok’s former wife. They didn’t show the actual accident but considering her desire to monopolize him every time another woman is near him, makes Joo Hee a rather scary person. She did play the weak card in front of Woo Seok by making him feel sorry towards her when Joo Hee asked him in a past episode if he thinks that she is the one responsible for his wife’s death – wishing to not hurt her feelings, he denied having such thoughts however I’m not feeling sorry for her that’s why I’m letting myself blame Joo Hee for the loss of Byeol’s mother.
I bet everyone who watched this show thinks like this; let’s be honest, Joo Hee almost went wacko the moment people started sensing that Woo Seok may have feelings for Soo In – she did act violent furthermore she has a dark desire to pull out women who go near him.
However, I don’t blame Woo Seok for Joo Hee’s dirty actions, he isn’t at fault considering that the man always puts a wall between him and her, he firmly rejects any kind of approach she may have for him, still Joo He tenaciously thinks that in time she may have a chance with him.
I wonder if Aeng Ran will actually protect Woo Seok, or by trying to protect Do Jin she will have to flame everything on Woo Seok’s past. However she isn’t a negative character, not in the least, Aeng Ran wants to tell Woo Seok about his past, she keeps sending him letters and pictures that make up a puzzle from which he can learn the truth. Also, Aeng Ran isn’t the typical Korean drama ‘mistress’, she said in a former episode that she was forced to marry Tae San, there was never a desire of such feelings from her part. Now, was she forced by Tae San or by the surroundings? We may find out later on as the story progresses, but to put out my opinion out, I would rather pick the idea of her having to marry Tae San after losing her lover and being pregnant with Do Jin – rather than being a single mother in a Korean society she threatened Tae San with what he did in the past to Bok Nyeo and her husband thus Tae San took Do Jin under his name.
Because to be honest, Do Jin is clearly not Tae San’s son, he isn’t interested in what the youngest does except for the moments when the guy may embarrass the name of the Ma family. Tae San even revealed in an episode (episode 16 if I remember correctly) that he doesn’t want Do Jin to become the largest shareholder for the Shinhwa Company, if Do Jin were to be his son, Tae San wouldn’t be against him holding the power in the company – after all if Do Jin has the power, it means that Aeng Ran has it also.
Going back to Aeng Ran, in a way I do understand the things she does so she can get the Shinhwa power. Although in a way, this woman interferes in her son’s personal life, for him to be strong and protected, he has to get the power behind the company meaning to become the largest shareholder. Even so, putting Mi Oh in jail just to delete Do Jin’s actions to get a share of the Shinhwa was low and pointless as seen in the later episodes since Tae San doesn’t even care about Do Jin having a child. Still she may have done it because Tae San would’ve probably make Do Jin marry Mi Oh thus no chances for Aeng Ran and Do Jin at the Shinhwa shares; by marring her son to the daughter of another powerful family, Aeng Ran is enlarging her chances of taking over the company. She most definitely has a plan to take down Tae San.
On the other hand Mi Oh and Do Jin have a type of innocent love towards each other, unfortunately things don’t go as you plan especially when one of them has to fulfill his role as a son who has to take revenge. Do Jin has no intention of revenge or anything that has to do with Shinhwa Company; regardless no matter how much people are calling him a coward, Do Jin isn’t what other think since for now he is taking part to his mother’s plan, although he may not fully understand what it means because at this point Do Jin doesn’t understand the power he will have after being a major shareholder, currently he thinks that listening to his mother is what he should do to reward her suffering in the Ma family.
As for Do Jin’s feelings and actions towards Mi Oh, he is guilty for taking her to abort two years ago, but at that time and even now he doesn’t understand much about the situation he is in. Yet, Mi Oh knows him and she said that until Do Jin won’t leave his ‘mama boy’ case behind there can’t be anything between them. Do Jin has to understand what his mother is doing and wishes to obtain, until then he can’t protect Mi Oh, because let’s face it, him being outside in the raw world can’t even protect himself much more Mi Oh and their son – Though there won’t be a change in Do Jin for a period of time because he thinks that his mother lied to him.
To be honest I think Bo Kyung will be a great help for Do Jin, that’s if she doesn’t fall in love with him. For now everything is safe, she even advices Do Jin to listen to their parents probably Bo Kyung knows the consequences of rush actions after all she can’t reveal to the world her own child. Even so, Bo Kyung may also be a great “weapon” for the Mas if she is to fall in love with Do Jin therefore wanting to take him away from Mi Oh will create a buzz between everyone.
I’ve read some other opinions regarding Woo Seok and Bok Nyeo however I do think that he is her lost son – on another sites people are saying that he isn’t but Do Hyun’s mother did notice that Woo Seok is in a way familiar to her especially since the woman remembers only “Jin Woo” and “Jin Woo’s mother”.
I was thinking that maybe the current Shinhwa Company is Bok Nyeo and her husband’s former company; Tae San killed the husband and put Bok Nyeo in prison – because Aeng Ran always mentions Tae San’s sins. There is also the posibility that Aeng Ran who wants the company for Do Jin she will have to fight back Bok Nyeo who will end up finding the documents her husband left. Rather than having the major climax between Moon Soo In and the Ma family, the actual conflict of the drama will be between Aeng Ran and Bok Nyeo.
As for Joo Ran and her husband, these two are a complete joke so far and to be honest all they can do is stir things a little but that’s kinda everything in their power.
These are my thoughts over the first 17 episodes and what I think it will happen in the future episodes, now I’m curious about what others may think and what they are sensing on the overall story or even certain characters. Feel free to leave it in the comments, I would love to read other opinions regarding “The Legendary Witch”.
Four Seasons Dramas! 
I just KNEW I wasn’t the only one who thought the acting wasn’t good!!!! It’s so annoying.
I like Woo-Seok’s bluntness as well, people who go straight to the point like him are so rare. I also believe Joo Hee killed the wife, she even stated she can’t let another woman take Woo-Seok a second time, she’s one weird woman.
As for the mistress, I also can’t wait for the truth to be revealed. Is she really married to TaeSan? What is the title of the “main wife” then? I thought she was still the wife, but I stand corrected. I agree that Tae San doesn’t act as a father to Do Jin. I thought it was only because he was an illegitimate child, but what you wrote makes perfect sense.
And I do believe Woo-Seok is “Jin-Woo”, Bok Nyeo’s lost son as well! It is evident. Now, why does the mistress want him to find out about it is what I would like to understand. Why is it so important to her? What could she gain from it? And we do know Bok Nyeo used to be rich since her friend who won the lottery used to be her maid, so you could be right about her and her husband with Shinwah Group. Who knows, maybe the mistress knew the whole truth and used that to force him to take her in the family. I assume if Shinwha belonged to Bok Nyeo and her husband, then Woo-Seok could inherit the whole empire, along with Soo In if they get married, imagine THAT!
I hope we will have a surprising and joyful ending. And that the truth behind the death of Soo In’s husband will be revealed. Why was he killed and who did it? To this day, I can’t see any connection. Soo In was blamed by the Ma family for his death, I wonder why.
GREAT review!!!
Joo Hee is really weird and her attachment for Woo Seok is scary, I mean she goes wacko if other women approach Byeol as well, as if the girl is her daughter. Probably she projected herself to be in Woo Seok’s wife’s shoes that she now believes everything is her.
Tae San not wanting Do Jin to have the major number of shares may be a hint that he isn’t his son. For now it seems that Aeng Ran wants Bok Nyeo and Woo Seok to know the truth but she kinda wants to do it one at a time.
Thanks for reminding me about Do Hyun, I totally forgot about his death. To be honest the whole accident is rather fishy – sometimes I wonder if he is actually alive …. 0_0
Awesome review! I’m actually on the same page as you, especially with this particular part:
“I was thinking that maybe the current Shinhwa Company is Bok Nyeo and her husband’s former company; Tae San killed the husband and put Bok Nyeo in prison – because Aeng Ran always mentions Tae San’s sins. There is also the posibility that Aeng Ran who wants the company for Do Jin she will have to fight back Bok Nyeo who will end up finding the documents her husband left. Rather than having the major climax between Moon Soo In and the Ma family, the actual conflict of the drama will be between Aeng Ran and Bok Nyeo.”
And remember, that gentlemen singing inmate (I don’t remember her name), was someone who used to serve Bok Nyeo. She sees Bok Nyeo as a friend, but BN is holding a grudge against her for stealing way back the . It is evident that BN used to be rich.
Now I wonder if Nr 911 knows something about the Ma family ….