With mistaken identities, conniving vixens, love triangles, disapproving parents, Cinderella allusions, and co-habitation romance, Tomato is everything you can expect from a Korean drama - and more! If the plot and sentiments seem rather familiar, it is only because Tomato came before the rest. Starring top actress Kim Hee Sun (Sad Love Story) and the handsome Kim Suk Hoon (Tube), this classic Korean drama reached astounding ratings of 53 Percent during its original broadcast on SBS in 1999. An entertaining mix of lighthearted romance and serious melodrama, Tomato was written by Lee Hee Myung, who would later go on to create hit dramas like Bright Girl's Success and My Fair Lady.
The bright and cheerful Lee Han Yi (Kim Hee Sun) moves from Jeju to the big city to pursue her dream of becoming a shoe designer. By chance, she saves lawyer and shoe company heir Cha Seung Joon (Kim Suk Hoon) after he gets hit by a car. When Seung Joon later mistakes Han Yi's friend Yoon Sae Ra (Kim Ji Young) as his savior, Sae Ra goes along with the mistake, hoping to win his affections. But fate works in strange ways, and Han Yi ends up renting the same place with Seung Joon and working at his estranged mother's shoe company. The reluctant roommates initially bicker incessantly, but grow closer over time. The jealous and calculating Sae Ra, however, is determined to sabotage both their relationship and Han Yi's career. |