A Virtuous Enterprise: Episodes 1-2
by quirkycase
With an attention-grabbing idea, lovable characters, 90s vibes, and plenty of humor, A Virtuous Enterprise kicks off proper. We’ve acquired a powerful ensemble solid and nice chemistry amongst our main women as they grow to be unlikely enterprise companions and scandalize their little city. It’s an uphill battle for our new saleswomen who face criticism on all fronts for his or her distinctive selection of wares, however these are usually not ladies who surrender simply.
EPISODES 1-2
What a enjoyable begin! I anticipated humor, however there’s additionally a depth to the storytelling that pulled me in. The drama strikes an incredible tone that enables each the humor and the intense moments to shine with out feeling dissonant. It’s surprisingly cute, watching these ladies discover confidence in such an unlikely approach. At its coronary heart, it is a story a few group of struggling ladies discovering their autonomy and taking cost of their very own lives via a controversial and decidedly feminine enterprise.
Our story is about in 1992 within the rural village of Geumje the place all people is aware of all people and never a lot new occurs. Ladies within the city are anticipated to be good wives and moms, not doing something to upset the established order. Enter our 4 main women who’re about to shake issues up.
First up, we’ve HAN JUNG-SOOK (Kim So-yeon). She’s stunning, upbeat, and demure. She’s the imaginative and prescient of an excellent spouse and mom to her younger son. The one stain on her life? Her troublemaking husband KWON SUNG-SOO (Choi Jae-rim) who can’t be relied upon to carry down a job. It’s as much as Jung-sook to wash up his messes and pay the payments via her facet hustles.
A kind of facet hustles is being a part-time housekeeper for wealthy madam OH GEUM-HEE (Kim Sung-ryung) who spends her days listlessly round the home, lonely and extremely bored. Her husband is barely ever house and berates her for being too uptight and in want of hobbies like these newfangled fashionable ladies have.
On the alternative finish of the spectrum is website positioning YOUNG-BOK (Kim Solar-young). She’s a mom of 4 with little time to spare. Younger-bok is boisterous, humorous, and speaks her thoughts. Whereas her husband is a bit goofy, he’s supportive and loving. Regardless of being poor, they appear fairly blissful.
Lastly, we’ve acquired the maknae of the group LEE JU-RI (Lee Se-hee), a assured single mother who runs a hair salon. She refuses to place up with anybody telling her how she ought to gown or behave or belittling her for not having a husband. When a ridiculous man condemns her for wanting too attractive, she doesn’t hesitate to offer him an entertaining and efficient dressing down that leaves him sputtering.
The unlikely partnership of those 4 very totally different ladies begins out of Jung-sook’s desperation when her husband but once more is fired from his manufacturing facility job after which “invests” their hire cash. She spies an advert within the paper for Fantasy Lingerie which presents excessive pay for being a product saleswoman. Nonetheless, the wares are a little bit sexier than anticipated – not solely are they to promote revealing lingerie but additionally intercourse toys. Solely two ladies are determined sufficient to contemplate it: Jung-sook and Younger-bok. After some convincing from the charismatic CEO (cameo by the great Ra Mi-ran), they’ve every signed a contract.
Elegant Geum-hee is probably the final lady anybody would anticipate to become involved on this enterprise, however after being briefly scandalized by all of it, she agrees to let Jung-sook host a house lingerie occasion at her home. (Oh, the 90s nostalgia of house events for women.) Ju-ri learns of the occasion whereas doing Geum-hee’s hair and begs to come back. Our quartet is full.
The primary occasion shouldn’t be precisely successful. Solely Ju-ri is happy by the merchandise, whereas the ajummas are horrified and confused. Watching Jung-sook and Younger-bok attempt to tactfully clarify the aim of the varied objects whereas the ajummas try to put on a bedazzled thong as a necklace and speculate that the vibrator have to be some newfangled garlic grinding pestle is hilarious.
The evening will get much more thrilling after one of many scandalized ladies CALLS THE COPS to report the place as a brothel. The ladies attempt to look nonchalant whereas the police do a gentle raid. (Ju-ri thinks quick sufficient to cover the vibrators to make issues look extra on the up and up.)
To say Jung-sook’s and Geum-hee’s husbands are usually not happy once they discover out about this endeavor is an understatement. The insecure, egocentric males berate their wives, Sung-soo even going as far as to name what they’re doing prostitution and leaving to remain at their married associates’ home. Quickly after, Jung-sook catches him pink handed having intercourse with the spouse. She’s put up with quite a bit from this man, however it is a step too far. She hasn’t introduced up divorce but, however I’ve a sense they aren’t going to get previous this.
The women’ enterprise enterprise shouldn’t be the one new, thrilling factor taking place in quiet Geumje of late. Good-looking newcomer KIM DO-HYUN (Yeon Woo-jin) arrives on the town as the latest police detective and has all of the ajummas abuzz. He says he left the large metropolis for a peaceable countryside life, however it’s clear there’s much more to his story. Do-hyun surveys the city like he’s in search of one thing on the down low.
Jung-sook retains working into him, typically in lower than superb circumstances, together with their first encounter when her bag of attractive wares spills open on the street. Later, he was one of many cops to point out as much as the raid of their lingerie occasion, after which he got here throughout her when she tried to drink away her sorrows after her husband’s infidelity. All these coincidental conferences have the makings of a romance, so I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s on the horizon after she (hopefully) splits along with her dishonest husband.
In the meantime, Jung-sook and Younger-bok get right down to enterprise and strategize on methods to get these conservative women to purchase their merchandise. They discover keen allies in Ju-ri and Geum-hee who deliver their very own skillsets to the desk. Ju-ri’s frankness about and luxury with intercourse makes her an ideal addition to the workforce, in addition to the truth that she’s skilled working a enterprise. Geum-hee finds an sudden use for her English diploma by translating intercourse toy descriptions and manuals (all of the toys are imported from the U.S.).
The ladies are decided to succeed and go so far as testing out all their objects – to nice satisfaction – and dealing on their gross sales pitch. They mannequin the objects, supply particular drinks, and provides their events a classier really feel. It really works, and their second occasion is a large success. They’re lastly making a living and having enjoyable in addition.
Geum-hee is having a lot enjoyable, she musters up the braveness to formally be a part of as a saleswoman, surprising her husband when she stands as much as him and declares she’s executed being bored and feeling ineffective. He’s adamantly opposed however turns into extra amendable to the concept after seeing her within the lingerie and acknowledging it might need its makes use of.
Jung-sook, Geum-hee, and Younger-bok develop extra assured by the day, empowered by their sense of autonomy and sexuality. Together with Ju-ri, the ladies have gotten true associates, a united entrance as the entire neighborhood calls their selections into query. Somebody has even graffitied Jung-sook’s home with the phrase “intercourse,” suggesting these ladies have a tough struggle forward of them on this conservative village.
In the meantime, within the epilogue, we get a style of what Do-hyun is as much as as he units up his basement mystery-solving room full along with his proof board filled with photographs and pink string. On the cellphone, he tells somebody in English that he’s going to seek out “him.”
I’m all in on this. The ladies are nice, and I’m already rooting for every of them to seek out what they want in life. I like tales of feminine friendship, particularly between ladies of various ages and walks of life, so I’m prepared to look at these ladies bond and discover themselves collectively. They’re going through a whole lot of misogyny and closed-mindedness surrounding ladies’s wants and needs – not solely concerning intercourse however life generally – however they’ve already confirmed they’re every powerful in their very own methods. Collectively, they’re going to be a drive to be reckoned with.
I’m unsure what to assume but of the thriller ingredient the place Do-hyun is anxious, however I hope it doesn’t drag the present down by being too severe or taking over an excessive amount of time. As of now, it’s a minor subplot that isn’t affecting a lot, however I’ve a sense it is going to get greater as we go. If executed proper, it could possibly be entertaining alongside our major story, so we’ll see the way it shapes up.
RELATED POSTS