The Phoenix (2004 TV series)

infobox Television
show_name = Bul sae - The Phoenix
runtime = 60 mins
creator = Oh Kyung-Hun
starring = Lee Seo-Jin
Lee Eun-Joo
Jung Hae-Young
Eric Mun
country = South Korea
language = Korean
network = MBC
first_aired = April 5, 2004
last_aired = June 29, 2004
num_episodes = 26
list_episodes = List of The Phoenix episodes
imdb_id = 0462645
website = http://content.mbc.co.kr/e_mbc/drama.asp?idx=11|

The Phoenix is a Korean TV drama shown on MBC channel in April 2004. The four actors in the drama are Lee Seo-jin (who was in The Legendary Police Woman), Lee Eun-ju (the actress in the film Taegugki), Jung Hae-Young and Eric Mun (from the pop group "Shinhwa").

Plot

The story talked about a pair of lovers, Jang Sae-hoon (played by Lee Seo-jin) and Lee Ji-Eun (played by Lee Eun-ju). Jang Sae-hoon came from a poor family but a very gifted student. Lee Ji-Eun came from a rich family and her father is a CEO of a textile company. Lee Ji-Eun falls in love with Jang Sae-hoon, despite her family's strong opposition. For fear that her family will succeed in breaking them apart, Lee Ji-Eun purposely got pregnant with Sae-Hoon, so they could get married. While she got married, she was not accustomed to the shabby conditions that she had to deal with being married to Sae-Hoon. Moreover, she got a miscarriage and later she left Jang Sae-Hoon because of her being ill-accustomed to the life she was living with Sae-Hoon and the fact that she lost her baby. Despite Sae-Hoon's effort to win her back, Ji-Eun remain unperturbed. Thus, Sae-Hoon took the opportunity to leave for the US on a study grant/scholarship for which he was endorsed by his professor

When she heard that Jang Sae-hoon was planning to leave Korea for a long time, she drove in high speed to rush to the airport to see him. Her father followed her closely, and when her car stopped in front of the traffic light, her father stepped out of the car and tried to catch her attention. Unfortunately, her father's life was taken away by a motorcyclist who sideswipe him. It was later discovered that the so-called "accident" was actually part of a setup.

Suddenly, Lee Ji-Eun's family lost everything. Her father's textile company was taken over by the Suh-Rin group owned by the family of Suh Jung-Min with a very low selling price. It was later found that Suh Jung-Min's father was the one who planned the accident, which led to Lee Ji-Eun's father's death.

10 years later...

Jang Sae-hoon, the fiancè of Yoon Mi-ran (played by Jung Hae-Young), one of Lee Ji-Eun's best friends, returned to Korea and entered Suh-Rin group as a Director. Jang Sae-hoon's fiancée, Yoon Mi-ran, injured her leg in a car accident a year ago and she relied on a wheel chair to travel. Lee Ji-Eun meets the successful Jang Sae-hoon again in a banquet where she was working as a helper (the complete opposite compared to the beginning of the drama when they first met). Suh Jung-min meets Lee Ji-Eun at the banquet and decided to chase her.

Suh Jung-min and Lee Ji-Eun became a couple. But later their relationship broke down because Lee Ji-Eun learned from a recording owned by Jang Sae-hoon that the motorcyclist who took away her father's life was actually arranged by Suh Jung-min's father. Suh Jung-min's father wanted to take over her father's business at a very low price. So Suh's father arranged a hit-and-run accident for Lee's father. He wanted Lee Ji-Eun’s father to stay in the hospital for a few days until the bidding ended. Upon learning this, Lee Ji-Eun was so shocked and angry that she decided to leave Suh Jung-Min permanently.

Later, Yoon Mi-ran discovered that Lee Ji-Eun was actually her husband's ex-wife and did everything possible to make Jang Sae-hoon hers. Later, after several sessions of therapy for her to walk, she did finally learned how to walk again. However, fearful that Sae-Hoon may leave her, when he would learn that she can now walk; she decided to hide the truth from him. Still, despite her efforts to hide it, Jang Sae-hoon learned that she could actually walk and decided to leave after he found out. This was the final straw; in addition, to all the lies that she has been feeding him just to ensure that he stays by her side and not go back to Ji-Eun.

Yoon Mi-ran committed suicide by swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills because her love, Jang Sae-hoon, left her. The fact that he almost killed Lee Ji-Eun, Suh Jung-min's father was arrested. Suh Jung-min restarted his life overseas and enjoyed a successful career.

The story ended with Lee Ji-Eun, now a Marketing (Brand) Manager and Jang Sae-hoon, a successful businessman, went back separately but at the same time to the place where they consummated their love for each other. They had a serious talk and felt that it was the "right time" for them to be lovers again.

eries cast

* Lee Seo-jin (이서진) as Jang Seh-hoon (장세훈)
* Lee Eun-joo (이은주) as Lee Ji-eun (이지은)
* Eric Mun (문정혁) as Seo Jungmin (서정민)
* Jung Hye-young (정혜영) as Yoon Meeran (윤미란)
* Kim Binwoo as Ji-eun's younger sister

Characters

Jang Sae Hoon

(Acted by Lee Seo-Jin) He was raised by his father, and grew up building up great ambitions for success and fame. Then he lost his father to a car accident and started working as a part-time job at a gas station to make his living. His life is a difficult one indeed, but he's a natural born genius, who has never missed a scholarship in school. One day out of the blue, a girl comes storming into his life. Her name is Ji-Eun, a girl of a completely different background and character from Sae-Hoon's. Knowing just too well of his harsh reality and of what waits for them ahead, he pushes her away. Ji-Eun however, is keen to get his heart, and in the end, they get married. But as he expected, their marriage life was not rosy colored and Ji-Eun soon leaves him.

After signing divorce papers, he gets on a plane heading for New York and a "new life". After a series of all kinds of ups and downs, he accomplishes the "American Dream" and becomes a newly polished person, William Jang.

Ten years have passed and he returns to Korea. Maybe it's a twist of their fate...he finds himself standing in front of her once again. But this time, he has someone , Mi-Ran beside him. What's even worse, Mi-Ran and Ji-Eun are friends who studied together in Boston. Ten years ago, he really had nothing to offer her, but he loved her with all of his heart. Can he really let her go?

Lee Ji Eun

(Acted by Lee Eun-Joo) She has grown up having her way with everything. Her father is a successful CEO of a textile group and her mother is a hopeless and immature lady who only knows her luxurious world. With this background plus her beautiful looks, she's a reckless spoiled little brat. But she's also one lovable and attractive girl.

She comes home from Boston for the holidays and as usual, she goes around acting like a spoiled little brat. One day, Sae-Hoon suddenly comes into her life and she falls for him. But naturally, her parents are not happy of poor orphan Sae-Hoon. Ji-Eun doesn't give up here and gets pregnant. She leaves her parents and her luxurious life behind and starts her life with Sae-Hoon in a tiny room. But very soon, she wakes up to reality and starts to get tired of her life in destitution. As misery loves company, she has a miscarriage and realises she can't die for love. She gives a point-blank "no" and leaves Sae-Hoon. After their divorce, upon hearing that Sae-Hoon is leaving Korea, she drives like crazy to the airport thinking it would be her last chance to get him back. But fate is cruel to her and takes her father away in a car accident when he follows her. With her father's sudden death and the fall of her family, hopeless Ji-Eun picks up the phone and calls Sae-Hoon who, without knowing her situation, coldly turns her down.

Ten years later as a 32 years old divorcée, Ji-Eun is a different person. With a manic-depressive mother and a trouble-making sister, she has now become the bread winner of the family: this is a big change from the once reckless little brat who didn't even know how to turn on the stove. And another love comes knocking on her door. Jung Min is no doubt the perfect prince charming every girl would die for. Again she finds someone whom she desperately wants to get off her mind but whom she just can't forget. Then her ex-husband Sae-Hoon turns up in front of her. And a twist of fate makes them meet as client and helper.

Yoon Mi Ran

(Acted by Jung Hae-Young)Daughter of a rich real estate agent, she grew up wealthy and has a carefree lifestyle, left to her own devices by her doting father. However, despite that she has always felt somewhat inferior to Ji-Eun. Without knowing Sae-Hoon was once married to Ji-Eun, she gets to know Sae-Hoon at one Christmas donation party. She also desperately falls for him and decides to make him hers, doing everything possible. She did manage to get Sae-Hoon to be with her but this was due to a car accident. The accident makes left her unable to walk and getting around in a wheel chair. Feeling guilty and responsible for the accident, Sae-Hoon decides to marry her. Things get more complicated when Mi-Ran learns of Sae-Hoon's ex-wife. She then becomes more obsessed with Sae-hoon in order not to lose him to her lifetime rival, Ji-Eun. She even hides the fact that she can now walk again...

eo Jung Min

(Acted by Eric Mun)He's the prince charming of a huge conglomerate called Suh-Rin group. The term "Prince Charming" always comes with his name. He seems to have everything - the colorful background as the heir of Suh-Rin, perfectly good looking face, gentleman-like manners, talents in every sports. Maybe it could even be said that the word "perfect" is made for this kind of person. When he graduated from a prestigious university in Boston with honors, people were putting highest hopes on him. However, he was not spared from a twisted fate... He can never forget the day when he lost his twin brother. Only if he had not shouted to his brother..."Come on, you can do better than that. Beat me!" He felt guilty about the accident ever since and as a form of self-punishment, he lives the life of a debauchee much to the consternation and fury of his father. Then fate brings him to Ji-Eun...

Reception

This drama had the highest viewing rate among all 2004 MBC TV dramas. All the four main actors were awarded, as a result of their excellent performance in the drama, the "MBC TV Awards Best Actor/Actress."

External links

* [http://content.mbc.co.kr/e_mbc/drama.asp?idx=11 MBC's website to the drama]
* [http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/firebird www.imbc.com]