Viewers know that the most important characters in the drama "The Heirs?" are the troubled heir Kim Tan, played by Lee Min Ho, and his hesitant hardworking girlfriend Cha Eun Sang, played by Park Shin Hye. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are the most interesting.
Often the supporting characters in a drama are the ones to watch and "The Heirs" is no exception.
In this drama three of the supporting characters don't start out as very likeable but as the drama progresses they change in surprising and pleasing ways.
They are Choi Do Young, played by Kim Woo Bin, Lee Bo Na played by Krystal Jung and Han Ki Ae, Kim Tan's real mom, played by Kim Sung Ryung.
And they all change because of their relationship with Cha Eun Sang.
The Choi Do Young you meet early on is an unrepentant bully who picks on the weak and unfortunate. There's little to like about him. But as he falls for Cha Eun Sang, he reveals a vulnerable side that is surprisingly sweet. You can see him peel away layers of his tough guy personality until you feel sorry for whatever made him into such a tough guy. Although it's not hard to figure out how he got that way when you meet his not-so-nice dad.
Lee Bo Na, played by f(x)'s Krystal Jung is jealous, possessive, superficial and socially insecure. She doesn't like Cha Eun Sang because Cha is close with her boyfriend. And then she can't like her because of the school's pecking order and Rachel's disapproval. But when she relents and lets Cha Eun Sang stay at her house, you begin to see that there's a nice girl underneath her spoiled girl exterior.
And finally, even Kim Tan doesn't much like his mom when the drama starts. She's silly, overly concerned with social status and willing to let her son marry someone he doesn't love just to secure his place in the world. She doesn't stand up for herself or her son and has let herself be trapped in a secret like a bird in a gilded cage. She's mean to her maid, Cha Eun Sang's mom and not too nice to Cha Eun Sang either. But then when Kim Tan stands up for her, she develops the courage to oppose his dad and ask her son and Cha Eun Sang to come home.
Cha Eun Sang seems to have the power to effect change not only in Kim Tan but all the people in his life. And that's the best thing to look forward to in the rest of this drama.
