East of Eden (TV series)
| East of Eden | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for East of Eden | |
| Genre | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | So Won-young |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Reversal of Fate" by SG Wannabe and Kim Jong-wook |
| Composer | various artists |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 56 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | So Won Young (MBC) |
| Producers |
|
| Production locations | |
| Cinematography |
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| Production company | Chorokbaem Media |
| Distributor | MBC |
| Budget | ₩25 billion |
| Release | |
| Original network | Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation |
| Original release | August 25, 2008 – March 10, 2009 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 에덴의 東쪽 |
| Revised Romanization | Eden-ui Dong-jjok |
| McCune–Reischauer | Eten-ŭi Tong-tchok |
East of Eden (Korean: 에덴의 동쪽; RR: Eden-ui Dong-jjok) is a 2008 South Korean television series, starring Song Seung-heon,[1] Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Da-hae, Han Ji-hye,[2] Park Hae-jin and Lee Yeon-hee. It was produced by Chorokbaem Media as a 47th Anniversary Special Project Drama for MBC, on which it aired from August 25, 2008 to March 10, 2009 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 56 episodes. The ₩25 billion drama tells the story of the brothers Dong-chul (Song) and Dong-wook (Yeon). Their fates diverge after the murder of their coal miner father, with one joining the mob and the other becoming a successful lawyer.[3][4][5]
Plot[]
A period epic that spans the years 1960 to 2000s, East of Eden tells a saga of the bitter rivalry between two men who are eternally bound by fate. Historic events are referenced, such as the rapid industrialization of the 1970s and 1980s, Taebaek coal miners' strikes and student-led democracy movements.
Shin Tae-hwan (Jo Min-ki) is the managing director of a coal mine in Taebaek. The true embodiment of ruthless ambition, he strives to inherit the coal mining company Taesung Group. In the process, he kills Lee Ki-chul (Lee Jong-won), a miner crusading for worker's rights who has been blocking his path to success. He also seduces Yoo Mi-ae (Shin Eun-jung), a nurse at Taebaek Hospital, only to coldly brush her away after he's tired of her.
At the same moment that Yang Chun-hee (Lee Mi-sook), wife of the deceased Ki-chul, is giving birth to a son at Taebaek Hospital, Shin Tae-hwan's wife also gives birth to a baby boy. Filled with rage at Shin Tae-hwan's betrayal, the nurse Mi-ae comes up with a scheme to fulfill her own revenge. She switches the two babies. By doing so, she viciously transforms the fates of not just two lives, but those around them.
Years later, Chun-hee's sons Lee Dong-chul (Song Seung-heon) and Lee Dong-wook (Yeon Jung-hoon) have taken different paths in life. To alleviate their poverty, Dong-chul becomes a gangster, while the younger Dong-wook dreams of becoming a prosecutor to avenge his family by using the law against Shin Tae-hwan. Two women enter Dong-chul's life: the smart and sensible Min Hye-rin (Lee Da-hae), and Gook Young-ran (Lee Yeon-hee), the willful daughter of his gang boss (Yoo Dong-geun). Meanwhile, Shin Myung-hoon (Park Hae-jin), who's been molded in his father Tae-hwan's spiteful, selfish image, sets his eye on Kim Ji-hyun (Han Ji-hye), Dong-wook's sweetheart.
Although Dong-chul is on the other side of the law, he remains protective of Dong-wook, but a revelation shakes him to his core: that his nemesis Shin Myung-hoon is actually his biological brother while the beloved brother that had been beside him all these years is actually the biological son of his enemy.
Cast[]
Main characters[]
- Song Seung-heon as Lee Dong-chul
- Shin Dong-woo as Dong-chul (5 years old)
- Kim Bum as Dong-chul (15 years old)
- Yeon Jung-hoon as Lee Dong-wook
- Park Gun-tae as Dong-wook (10 years old)
- Lee Da-hae as Min Hye-rin[6]
- Han Ji-hye as Kim Ji-hyun
- Nam Ji-hyun as Ji-hyun (10 years old)
- Park Hae-jin as Shin Myung-hoon
- Won Deok-hyun as Myung-hoon (10 years old)
- Lee Yeon-hee as Gook Young-ran / Grace
- Jo Min-ki as Shin Tae-hwan (Myung-hoon's father)
- Lee Mi-sook as Yang Chun-hee (Dong-chul and Dong-wook's mother)
- Yoo Dong-geun as Gook Dae-hwa (Young-ran's father)
Supporting characters[]
- Dennis Oh as Mike Packard
- Lee Jong-won as Lee Ki-chul
- Jeon Mi-seon as Jung-ja (Ki-soon's mother)
- Park Hyun-sook as Yang Ok-hee (Chun-hee's sister)
- Jeon So-min as Lee Ki-soon
- Jin Ji-hee as Ki-soon (9 years old)
- Kim Sung-kyum as resident Oh
- Na Hyun-hee as Oh Yoon-hee
- Lee Won-jae as Kyung-tae
- Shim Hye-jin as Young-ran's mother
- Yoon Dong-hwan as lawyer Kim Tae-seon
- Jung Hye-young as Janice / Jae-hee
- Shin Eun-jung as Yoo Mi-ae / Rebecca
- Hwang Jung-eum as Kim So-jung
- Kang Eun-tak as Han Soo-jae
- Jeon Sung-hwan as stationmaster Kim Gab-soo (Ji-hyun's grandfather)
- Lee Seok-joon as Father Han
- Kim Hyung-min as Wang-geon
- Go Yoon-hoo as Dok-sa
- Kwon Se-in as Dok-sa (10 years old)
- Park Chan-hwan as Chaeng
- Kim Hak-chul as Kang Gi-man
- Park Geun-hyung as President Min (Hye-rin's father)
- Jung Young-sook as Bae Hwa-mi (Mr. Min's wife)
- Jung So-young as Min Hye-ryung (Hye-rin's sister)
- Park Sung-woong as Baek Sung-hyun
- Jung Yun-seok as Yo-seob (ep 7-10)
- Lee Sol-gu as Choi Hak-sung
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Netizen Popularity Award | Kim Bum | Won | |
| 21st Grimae Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Ha Jae-young, Jung Seung-woo (cinematographers) |
Won | |
| Best Production Director | Kim Jin-man | Won | ||
| Grand Prize (Daesang)[8] | Song Seung-heon | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Song Seung-heon | Nominated | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Lee Mi-sook | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor | Jo Min-ki | Won | ||
| Excellence Award, Actress | Han Ji-hye | Won | ||
| Lee Da-hae | Nominated | |||
| Golden Acting Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | Park Geun-hyung | Won | ||
| Golden Acting Award, Supporting Actress | Shin Eun-jung | Won | ||
| Golden Acting Award, Veteran Actor | Yoo Dong-geun | Won | ||
| PD Award | Yeon Jung-hoon | Won | ||
| Best New Actor | Park Hae-jin | Won | ||
| Best New Actress | Lee Yeon-hee | Won | ||
| Best Child Actor/Actress | Park Gun-tae | Won | ||
| Shin Dong-woo | Won | |||
| Nam Ji-hyun | Won | |||
| Writer of the Year | Na Yeon-sook | Won | ||
| Viewer's Favorite Drama of the Year | East of Eden | Nominated | ||
| Popularity Award, Actor | Song Seung-heon | Won | ||
| Popularity Award, Actress | Lee Yeon-hee | Won | ||
| Best Couple Award | Song Seung-heon and Lee Yeon-hee | Won | ||
| 2009 | Best Actor (TV) | Song Seung-heon | Nominated | |
| Best Actress (TV) | Han Ji-hye | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actor (TV) | Kim Bum | Nominated | ||
| Best New Actress (TV) | Lee Yeon-hee | Nominated |
International broadcast[]
- The series aired in Japan in 2009 on TBS and cable channel DATV.[9][10] Selected scenes were also screened in theaters, free of charge, in eight major Japanese cities including Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Hiroshima over 23 sessions in October 2008. These screenings were sponsored by Hanbang Cosmetics Company to mark lead actor Song Seung-heon's 32nd birthday; Song was the model of the company's ad campaign.[11]
- It aired in Vietnam on VTV3 from July 23, 2009, under the title Phía đông vườn địa đàng.
- It aired in the Philippines on GMA Network from August 16, 2010 until January 13, 2011.[12]
- It aired in Malaysia on TV2 in 2014.
- It aired in Thailand on True Asian Series starting May 29, 2009.[13]
References[]
- ^ "No Longer Just a Pretty Face: Song Seung-hun". The Chosun Ilbo. September 5, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Ki, Sun-min (November 26, 2008). "Actress Han Ji-hye feels destined for Eden". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ "A delightful banquet among the stars begins soon in East of Eden!". MBC Global Media. August 12, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Han, Sang-hee (August 19, 2008). "TV Dramas Gear Up for Post-Olympics Race". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Deutsch, Brian (September 11, 2008). "Drama Sets in Suncheon: Journey to Past". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Her last appearance was in episode 40, but last credit at episode 41.
- ^ Chung, Ah-young (November 2, 2008). "Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ "MBC Should Be Ashamed of Farcical Awards". The Chosun Ilbo. January 2, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Kim, Lynn (December 28, 2009). "Korean actor Cho Min-ki featured in Mainichi Shimbun". 10Asia. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "East of Eden to be Screened in 8 Japanese Cities". KBS Global. September 22, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ^ "GMA-7's newest Asianovela East of Eden premieres tonight". Philippine Entertainment Portal. August 16, 2010. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "East of Eden - ตระกูลรักหักเหลี่ยมแค้น". blike.net (in Thai). May 5, 2016.
External links[]
- East of Eden official MBC website (in Korean)
- East of Eden at MBC Global Media
- East of Eden at HanCinema
- East of Eden at IMDb
- MBC TV television dramas
- 2008 South Korean television series debuts
- 2009 South Korean television series endings
- Television series set in 1960
- Television series set in the 2000s
- Television series about revenge
- Korean-language television shows
- South Korean melodrama television series
- South Korean action television series