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| TvN's thriller drama series, "Little Women," follows the story of three sisters. Courtesy of tvN |
By Lee Gyu-lee
TvN's thriller drama series, "Little Women," recently wrapped up in success, offering a refreshing, modern take on Louisa May Alcott's coming-of-age novel of the same name.
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| Screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung of the series, "Little Women" / Courtesy of tvN |
As In-ju digs into her co-worker's death, the three sisters cross paths with the country's richest and most influential family and go against the family to reveal their dark conspiracy.
"The reason I came up with this series was I had a question: 'What if three sisters, who are living in poverty, get a huge sum of money?' The money turns out to have different triggers, like the death of a beloved friend, putting family members and one's own life at risk, and other social issues," screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung, who co-scripted director Park Chan-wook's award-winning films, "Thirst," "The Handmaiden," and "Decision to Leave," said in an interview with The Korea Times via video chat, Monday.
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| A scene from the series, "Little Women" / Courtesy of tvN |
"The ending parallels the beginning where the sisters finally get a huge sum of money. And if it's going to end with them getting the money, I wanted to show how and where it came from … At first, they just wanted to become wealthy, but in the end, they come to realize how they can make use of the money," she said.
Adding that she believes stories are set off by characters' flaws, she said her intention with this story is to get viewers to sympathize with the characters.
"When I create a character, I think about what he or she holds as a purpose in life. I focus on what their motivations are in their actions," she said. "I realized that I've never put any likable features that viewers would like in my scripts … and I think it all starts with flaws. Despite the characters' flaws, I want people to come to love them."
The series has garnered praise for its sophisticated scenography, from luxurious set design to delicate props. Art director Ryu Seung-hee, who has previously worked with the writer for "The Handmaiden," joined the project to lead the scenography.
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| The series "Little Women" ended on Oct. 9. Courtesy of tvN |
"As we started the series, I felt that it should carry a sense of ambiguity between fantasy and reality. And to create that ambiance, the visuals were important, so I asked director Ryu to do them," she said. "When I saw the filmed scenes, my heart dropped, and thought, 'People will watch the series to see the visuals. I hope the story can turn out just as good as the visual quality.'"
The writer spoke out on the series' recent issue in Vietnam, in which the Vietnamese government requested Netflix to stop streaming it, saying that it distorts the history of the Vietnam War (1960-75).
"I came up with the idea of the Vietnam War as I created the plot for where the money came from. I do understand that I didn't think enough from a local's perspective. But I didn't intend to discuss the right or wrong of the Vietnam War or to define it," she said. "I felt that I should be more delicate in writing a global series."
