New drama rides on toy boy plotline

MBC's new weekend drama "Bitter Sweet Life" will debut tomorrow. Following on the heels of the romantic comedy "Last Scandal", this 24-episode miniseries plans to capitalize on a winning plotline: Young man falls for older woman.

Actress Oh Yeon-soo, who starred in the popular MBC drama "Jumong" (2006), will be playing the older woman. Actor Lee Dong-wook, who won women over in the romantic comedy "The Perfect Couple" ("The Best Romance", 2007) and the hit SBS drama "My Girl" (2005), will be her young lover.

In anticipation of the forthcoming drama, one domestic viewer wrote on the drama's official bulletin board, "I am so sad that "Last Scandal" is over. I have not seen the new drama yet, so I cannot say much about it. But I hope that it is not sad like 'Winter Bird'".

Judging from the title and the tagline on the official website, which reads "Love, temptation, desire, mystery", the miniseries promises to follow in the footsteps of the MBC melodrama "Winter Bird" (2007). So those who are expecting yet another lighthearted comedy are in for a surprise.

The drama opens with Lee Dong-wook's character, Lee Joon-soo, plummeting from the 18th floor to his death. Not exactly fodder for a comedy, but a perfect start for a mystery.

The series then fast tracks back six months. Viewers get to tune into a spicy love quadrangle between Lee Joon-soo, Oh's character Yoon Hye-jin, Hong Da-ae (played by Park Si-yeon) and Ha Dong-won, who is played by veteran actor Jeong Bo-seok.

Yoon Hye-jin is a housewife trapped in a bad marriage. Her husband, Ha Dong-won, is a wealthy but unfaithful fund manager. And his latest fling is turning into something more.

Deeply involved with Lee Joon-soo's sweetheart Hong Da-ae, Ha is so busy that he doesn't notice his wife.

Yoon, well aware of her husband's affair, decides to commit suicide. She journeys out to Japan to do the fatal deed only to fall for a young man -- Lee Joon-soo himself.

As the foursome get tangled in a deep web of lies and seduction, the situation gets out of hand. But viewers will have to tune in to see who did what to whom.

"Bitter Sweet Life" will air on Saturdays and Sundays on MBC at 9:40 p.m. starting tomorrow.

By Jean Oh