“Little Women” is a Korean psychological thriller that portrays the lives of three sisters who have lived in poverty, but a sudden encounter with money changes their lives. Rich psychopaths clash with poor sisters and unleash a wicked story of greed and revenge.
Oh In Joo
The eldest of the three sisters, Oh In Joo, was naive. She did not study after high school because she was not smart and her parents didn’t have money. After their parents abandoned them, In Joo took care of her sisters like a mother and made sure they got the best education. She worked as a bookkeeper but was an outcast in her office because of her poverty, which was reflected in her dressing style and behavior.
Hwa Young was another outcast in her office and the only one who treated In Joo nicely. In Joo trusted Hwa Young like an older sister and did everything she asked her to. In Joo always dreamt of having money, but when she received loads of money, she had to fight for her life. There are only two reasons people run after money—gluttony or need. In Joo needed money, and she could not escape the trap.
In Joo risked losing her life many times as she discovered scary secrets about rich people. She was being used as a play doll who was fated to die from the beginning. She was ready to die if it meant her sisters would get money, but the world was different from her imagination. If it wasn’t for Choi Do-il, she would’ve died a long time ago without anyone finding out. Even after going through life-threatening situations, In Joo didn’t change at all and remained naive all the same. She still had hope that life would turn out well for her and her sisters.
Oh In Kyung
In Kyung was the smartest of all the sisters, not only academically but in general as well. She had started learning about stock investing at a young age but started working as a reporter when she grew up. However, she had a habit that tainted her good image. She was an alcoholic, and she couldn’t report sensitive news if she wasn’t drunk. Her senior always tried to get her fired, but her boss supported her and gave her chances again and again.
In Kyung believed that it was her duty as a reporter to bring justice to victims. She was not scared of powerful people and would pursue the truth until the end. One of her cases led her to Park Jae Sang and his vicious truth. She was a righteous person and opposed In Joo when she decided to keep the money Hwa Young had left for her. The sisters faced conflict and even decided to go their separate ways, but In Kyung couldn’t leave her sister behind.
Even after getting fired from the job, she investigated Jae Sang and found out that a large community of war veterans had turned into seasoned criminals. She had to sacrifice something big to save In Joo’s life, and she finally agreed to use unrighteous ways. After many betrayals and falls, In Kyung didn’t lose hope and exposed the vile Jeongran society to the nation.
Oh In Hye
The youngest sister, Oh In Hye, studied in high school and was pampered so much by her sister that she felt burdened by it. She felt that she needed to make money for herself and got involved with Park Jae Sang’s family. She started painting portraits for Hyo Rin and became friends with her. In Hye was young, but she knew how not to get involved in an adult person’s business.
In Hye helped Hyo Rin escape her toxic household. She seemed selfish in the beginning, but she turned out to be not only a good friend but also a trustworthy sister. She informed In Joo about the dark secrets of the Park household and secured the money that In Joo had risked her life for. She was as courageous as her sisters and held her family together.
Choi Do-il
Choi Do-il was an intelligent person who was trained for embezzlement, not that he had an option to choose a different life for himself, as Jae Sang funded his education after his father disappeared and his mother was sent to prison. His father was a war veteran, and his mother was serving a sentence in prison under false accusations. He was friends with Hwa Young, who introduced him to In Joo. Do-il wanted to escape this loop of serving Jae Sang and his wife, and In Joo came to his rescue.
In Joo was too naive to understand anything that was going on in her life, but Do-il prepared a path for her and guided her until the end. Do-il was known to only care about money, but In Joo was the only person he cared about. There was never a confession of love from his side, but in the end, he asked In Joo to accompany him to Greece even though she had no reason to go with him. It seemed like an indirect confession that he wanted to be with her.
Though In Joo was the actual protagonist, Do-il was the one who altered her story and practically controlled her life. In Joo was bound to die by Sang Ah’s hands, with her sister next in line. However, Do-il’s entry into her life changed not only In Joo’s life but everyone around her. There were only two characters running the entire story-Won Sang Ah and Choi Do-il.
Won Sang Ah
Park Jae Sang’s wife, Won Sang Ah, was the daughter of General Won, the founder of Jeongran society. She looked like a victim of domestic abuse in the beginning but turned out to be a total psychopath that Jae Sang had to keep in control. She accidentally killed her mother in childhood, and the trauma made her kill people to recreate her mother’s murder scene.
She played with Hwa Young and In Joo like they were her toys. She created dramatic scenarios for their lives and tried to kill them in the end. Sang Ah wanted to lead the Jeongran society, and when she couldn’t, she killed everyone who came her way. She even made her husband commit suicide. Her only enemy was Choi Do-il, whom she never thought would turn against her. She lost in the end only because Do-il was the unexpected rival who didn’t let anything go her way in “Little Women.”
See more: ‘Little Women’ Ending, Explained: Who Saved In Joo And Her Sisters From Sang Ah?
