Tempted

Love is just a game for a chaebol heir who agrees to a petty bet with his friends to seduce a college student — until he starts to fall for her.

Tempted (2018) is a South Korean romance drama created for MBC and produced by Bon Factory, running for one season of 32 episodes. Kwon Shi-Hyun (Woo Do-hwan) is a chaebol heir who, along with his friends, makes a petty bet that he can seduce a college student, and the wager becomes a trap when he begins to fall for her. Eun Tae-Hee (JOY) anchors the story as the woman caught in the middle of his game, while Choi Soo-Ji (Mun Ka-young) and Lee Se-Joo (Kim Min-jae) add to the tangled romantic web. Shin Sung-woo and Jeon Mi-seon bring family pressure and old resentments into the mix. The engine of the series is a gamble that spirals into real feeling, with friendship, status and loyalty pulling against each other as every episode tightens the knots. Its structure is a single continuing romantic storyline rather than a case of the week, unfolding across a full season. Set in contemporary urban South Korea among wealthy families and university students, it carries the glossy look of a k-drama. Its tone mixes glossy romance, longing and sharp betrayal, and fans of Boys Over Flowers and Full House will find its class-divided love story familiar. The series suits viewers who enjoy emotional, slow-building romantic drama.

Audience reception is mixed, with a modest rating for this romantic melodrama built on a playful seduction bet.

• Boys Over Flowers (2009)shared romance tones, chaebol class setting, and wealthy heir pursuing a reluctant woman
• Full Houseshared melodramatic romance, love triangle, and rich-versus-ordinary class tension
• Cruel Intentionsshared seduction-game premise and romantic tension between privileged and ordinary characters, adapted in a similar cinematic romance mode

Release Date

2018-03-12

Episode runtime

35 min

Rating

7.1 / 10 (70)

What is Tempted about?

A chaebol heir's bet to seduce a college student turns into genuine love in this Korean romance.

What is Tempted like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tempted as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is Tempted violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Tempted.

What did critics think of Tempted?

Audience reception is mixed, with a modest rating for this romantic melodrama built on a playful seduction bet.

Which shows are like Tempted?

Shows with a similar feel include Boys Over Flowers (2009), Full House, and Cruel Intentions.

How long is Tempted?

Tempted: 1 season, 32 episodes.

Is Tempted still running?

No, Tempted has ended.

Where can I watch Tempted?

In United States, Tempted streams on Rakuten Viki, OnDemandKorea, Kocowa Amazon Channel.