Empire of Gold

Empire of Gold was purchased because it was not that expensive and 24 episodes and I like dramas where everyone sits and talks (like old school sageuks). This one was a mixed bag as far as viewer emotions go. Towards the middle of it I was very much involved but the last four episodes were really not good. I actually fall asleep and had to rewind multiple times at the final episod.

This drama is all about three (or maybe four) people trying to gain the control of a corporation. The lady is the original founder and chairman's daughter, the older guy is her cousion, son of her younger uncle (well the uncle is old but he is younger than the chairman) and the hot guy in the middle is the son of a noodle stall owner whose father was killed striking one of the real estate deals the corporation had. He is after not really revenge but he wants to be richer and to have more power than the other two so he can lord over them. There is a stepmom who planned revenge for 27 years, a secondary girl who actually loved by the hero throughout the series and he never got together with the main girl despite them getting married. And I think it was one of the things that turned me off. Not that it was bad that the hero remained loyal to the secondary girl (she not only prostituted herself but also got a murder rap for the hero) but I wanted some sexual tension and the dynamics of a forced marriage. And they were non existent. These two complemented each other as business partners but never got close as romantic partners.

All three of them were despicable, pitiful human beings. She wanted to be a professor of literature but forced by her father to lead the corporation, he always wanted the corporation and did despicable things to gain it. In fact all three of them did but she was the more humane and the winner in the end (you go drama).
The hero remained kind of pure despite forcing someone to accept murder charges, but towards the end he lost his cool and did the very thing that had been done to his father and caused the death of an innocent. Well he committed suicide. The other one went to jail for fraud.

So all in all I knew that it is impossible for someone to remain morally sound while running a huge corporation and getting profit. And it would have been better for the hero to go to the Philippines with the secondary girl. Ambition is not good.

This one is not recommended. All villains and no hero.