Before "The Heirs" began filming, fans discussed how similar it might be to Lee Min Ho's breakout hit "Boys Over Flowers." Both dramas are about an elite high school and a romance between a rich boy and a poor girl. And Lee Min Ho plays the rich boy.
If you never saw "Boys Over Flowers," don't read any further because we are going to talk about the end.
If you did see the classic kdrama, you may remember that after a long absence, the lovers reunite on a beach with the other members of F4 in tow. By that time, Gu Jun Pyo, played by Lee Min Ho, has fulfilled his role as chaebol and made lots of money, so hopefully his mom is done interfering in his life. Geum Jan Di, played by Gu Hye Sun, is a doctor and has succeeded in realizing her dream. They meet on a beach and it seems pretty certain that they will spend their life together.
Scenes recently filmed for "The Heirs" indicate that the reunion between Kim Tan, played by Lee Min Ho, and Cha Eun Sang, played by Park Shin Hye will also take place on a beach. Kim Tan's dad has succeeded in sending Cha Eun Sang away but spending at least a year apart from your true love is a classic kdrama test to prove that your love is true.
The actors were recently seen on the shore in Donghae, Gangwondo, which is the location of some of Korea's most popular beaches. It gets pretty cold there in the winter so Park Shin Hye looked chilly and Lee Min Ho wore a thick sweater to defend against the weather.
Will the couple reunite there? What will have to happen for them to have a relationship free from his family's interference? Lee Min Ho will probably have to control the family business without harming the people he most cares about, his mom and his brother. He may even enlist Kim Woo Bin to make it happen. And he will certainly have to strengthen his alliance with his brother.
What will Cha Eun Sang have to accomplish. She needs to feel strong enough to stand up to the bullies in her life, both the ones in high school and the rich adults that want to squash her relationship with Kim Tan.
Okay, "The Heirs" is not "Boys Over Flowers," but a beach reunion may be a nod to that drama. And Kim Tan did meet Cha Eun Sang on the beach, so it's fitting.
And speaking of homage, the series is so popular that plans for a parody are already underway, possibly starring SHINee's Taemin.