A tough prosecutor is hit by a car while chasing a suspect and wakes up with amnesia.  She is told that she is the daughter-in-law of the wealthy and powerful Hansu Group.  But even though she has no memories of her life before the accident, something definitely feels off.  As she tries to piece together what actually happened on the day of her accident, she gets some help from an estranged member of the Han family.  Each of them has their own reasons for wanting to get to the truth of what happened that day, and together their resources and knowledge may be enough to expose the lies and crimes they uncover.  

Lee Sang Yoon as Han Seung Wook

At one time, Han Seung Wook was the heir to Hanju Group.  But when his father is framed for embezzlement and killed while Seung Wook is still a minor, his uncle manages to take control of the company.  Now that he is an adult, Seung Wook is determined to reveal the truth of what happened to his father and take back control of the business he should be running.  Kang Mi Na was his first love, so when he meets Yeon Joo, he immediately knows she is not Mi Na.  And he suspects that helping her find her true identity may also help him with his own quest to expose the secrets the family has hidden from him for years.  

Han Seung Wook has been in the US for years, rebuilding the life his uncle stole from him after Seung Wook’s father’s death.  He has worked for years to build the money and power he needs to fight the powerful Hanju Group and make himself the CEO.  Lee Sang Yoon plays this role of the calm, and stable male lead so well.  Seung Wook’s quiet confidence was the perfect pairing for the loud and chaotic Yeon Joo.  I enjoyed their playful back and forth, and Lee Sang Yoon managed to hold true to his character and still make his presence felt.

Jin Seo Yun as Han Seong Hye

Han Seong Hye is the eldest daughter of the Hanju Group.  She shows more interest and skill in business than any of her siblings, but because she is a female, her father never takes her seriously.  She works at the company and is in charge of their hotel chain.  She is ambitious and narcissistic, and she will stop at nothing to take control of the family business.  When she was younger, she accidentally killed Seung Wook’s father and framed Yeon Joo’s father for the crime.

 ♥ Comic Melodrama

Comedy and melodrama don’t often go together and that is for good reason.  But every once in awhile, it is fun to become a parody of yourself for the sake of humor.  And that is exactly what makes this drama so fun.  The ridiculous, over-the-top storylines are taken to the extreme so that no one could possibly take them seriously.  It is meant to make us laugh in its absurdity.  And yet we still root for good to triumph over evil and for our vicious villains to get their comeuppance.  

♥ First Love

The trope of lost first love is used well in this drama.  While Seung Wook thinks that Mi Na was his first love, Yeon Joo apparently thinks he was just some passing stranger that she had a romantic encounter with at the hospital on the worst day of her life.  Neither one is aware that they aren’t meeting for the first time.  It gave a unique twist to the idea of destiny and true love.  I enjoyed watching them put the pieces together slowly and in their own way.

Return to U.S.

I thought Seung Wook’s decision to go back to the U.S. at the end of this drama was a weird choice.  It’s true that he grew up there, but with the death of his mother, he doesn’t seem to have much waiting for him there.  On the other hand, he is now the CEO of his father’s company and he has Lawyer Noh there to look after him.  Add to that the fact, that Yeon Joo had to retake the bar to work in the States and her father is finally out of prison, so they can work on rebuilding their relationship.  Having them pick up and move seemed strange and unexpected to me.  

Seong Hye’s Ending

After watching 16 episodes of Seong Hye be the absolute worst human being on the planet, I felt like we should have seen more of her punishment.  The last thing we see is her getting arrested.  At least we see the Chairman and Chief Prosecutor side by side in their cells, getting what they deserve.  Just one more shot of Seong Hye actually paying for her crimes would have given me some satisfaction.

Well, as all good melodramas do, “One the Woman” ends on a happy note for our lead couple, getting both love and revenge. The Chairman, Chief Prosecutor, and Seung Hye all end up in prison for their many crimes.  And in the wake of all of that revelation, Seung Wook is finally named CEO of Hanju Group.  He tells Yeon Joo that he is moving back to the United States and he will wait for her there. Yeon Joo’s dad is out of prison and he has opened a restaurant with her “uncles”.  But even with them there, she decides she needs to be by Seung Wook’s side.  The final scene shows the couple celebrating Yeon Joo passing the U.S. bar exam by flying home for a visit.  Lawyer Noh is there to meet them in the airport.  And as they walk out a Yeon Joo doppelganger with a haircut suspiciously like Yeon Joo’s aunt Eun Hwa walks by them.  Whether it’s Mi Na returning to her original face, Aunt Eun Hwa running from her financial fraud crimes, or a completely new and unknown twin, we may never know.  Take your pick!