Netflix K-Drama 'Little Women' Is a Love Letter to Female Friendships

The show is available to stream on Netflix.

(This story contains spoilers)

When Louis May Alcott penned ‘Little Women’ she probably didn’t anticipate the innumerable adaptations the novel would see over the coming years. For instance, the first one was the British silent film, and the more well-known one remains the Gillian Armstrong directorial 1994 film of the same name.  In other words, from animes to series’, the narrative has been packaged in various countries with different contexts and treatments. 

Let’s take Ai No Wakakusa Monogatari, the Japanese anime, that remained true to the original storyline. Compared to the one available on ALTBalaji, called Haq Se, loosely based on the book, primarily set in a politically charged Kashmir. Meanwhile, the more recent adaptation by Greta Gerwig, although seemingly set in 1860s Massachusetts during the Civil War, took creative liberties with the costumes and by and large had a modern twist. 

In comparison, the most recent Korean rendition of Little Women stands out because it takes the basic framework from the original story to flesh out a plot about embezzlement, tax evasion, money laundering and creates something engaging. Despite being meticulously crafted as a thriller, the heart of the story also insists upon themes of sisterhood, female friendships and perhaps even queer narratives. 

Sisterhood As the Foundation Of The Story

At the very opening, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the majority of this adaptation focuses on the love the sisters have for each other. Blood runs deep and every rendition of Little Woman stands by it. All three sisters are loyal, devoted and lead independent lives that although overlap never manages to make the plot clumsy. The story is tailored in such a way that Oh In-ju (Kim Go-eun), Oh In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun) and Oh In-hye (Park Ji-hoo) have different motivations in life that take them on different paths. 

Female Friendships Propel The Plot Forward

However, what gives momentum to the plot is the budding female friendships we see throughout the series. The entire plot is propelled by Oh In-ju’s friend, Jin Hwa-young’s (Choo Ja-hyun) suicide, and In-ju’s desperate need to find the reason behind her death.

Another growing friendship that brings us closer to the underlining theme of friendship is between Oh In-hye and Park Hyo-rin. 

Interestingly their friendship isn’t tainted by Park Jae-sang (Um Ki-joon) and Won Sang-ah (Uhm Ji-won) being Hyo-rin’s (Jeon Chae-eun) parents – who are the primary antagonists of the show. This blossoming friendship undercuts the previous assumption that blood runs thicker than water. 

A Queer Narrative?

But can there be a queer reading to a show that is intrinsically upholding female friendships? Perhaps. For instance, Twitter is going berserk while comparing In-hye and Hyo-rin to the characters in The Handmaiden. And with good reason, Jung Seo-kyung, the scriptwriter for Little Woman has also written The Handmaiden. Both films have a similar theme, but The Handmaiden openly deals with homosexual love as well. Perhaps he same is being covertly done for In-ju and Hwa-young’s friendship? So In-ju’s need to find her friend may be read as romantic. Although, it won’t be the only way to read it. But In-ju’s greed becomes secondary in face of love for Hwa-young – romantic or not. 

Another aspect that perhaps supports this theory is the lack of any strong male romantic interests. Except in the case of, In-kyung and Ha Jong-ho (Kang hoon), who is the only heterosexual couple around. And interestingly they are the Korean counterpart of Jo and Lorry, who surprisingly end up together – a twist that has never been seen before in the previous adaptations. 

In the end, it’s the female characters that carry the weight of the show. And they are predominantly driven by their love for each other. But how the love is perceived becomes secondary to the love itself. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the edge-of-the-seat thriller also manages to be a love letter to female bonds as they attempt circumvent any upheavals despite the cost.