All In (TV series)

All In

Promotional poster
Genre Action
Romance
Drama
Written by Choi Wan-kyu
Directed by Yoo Chul-yong
Kang Shin-hyo
Starring Lee Byung-hun
Song Hye-kyo
Ji Sung
Park Sol-mi
Opening theme "Just Like the First Day" by Park Yong-ha
Country of origin South Korea
Original language(s) Korean
English
Japanese
No. of episodes 24
Production
Location(s) Seoul
Jeju
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Running time 60 minutes
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Broadcast
Original channel Seoul Broadcasting System
Audio format Stereo
Original run January 15, 2003 – April 3, 2003
Chronology
Preceded by Shoot for the Stars
Followed by Land of Wine
Related shows Swallow the Sun
External links
Website
Korean name
Hangul 올인
Revised Romanization Orin
McCune–Reischauer Orin

All In (Hangul: 올인) is a 2003 South Korean television drama series that aired on SBS from January 15 to April 3, 2003 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.[1] Inspired by the life of professional poker player Jimmy Cha, it starred Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo in a story about one's man's rise through the fiercely competitive world of casino gambling as he clashes with his rivals over money, success, and love.

The drama was a ratings success in South Korea, with its final episode reaching a peak viewership rating of 47.7%, which is the 42nd highest-rated Korean drama episode of all time.[2] It also won several awards, notably the Grand Prize ("Daesang") for Lee Byung-hun at the 2003 SBS Drama Awards.

Synopsis

Orphaned then taken in by his gambler uncle, Kim In-ha (Jin Goo) often hangs out with his friends in the basement of a movie theater. He unexpectedly befriends Choi Jung-won, a model student and the rich son of the theater owner. In-ha and Jung-won both fall for Min Su-yeon (Han Ji-min), the daughter of the projectionist at the theater.

When Su-yeon's father dies because he owed money to some loan sharks and gangsters, In-ha and Jung-won hatch a plan to avenge Su-yeon by setting fire to a gangster's hideout. But the fire spreads, accidentally killing the gang leader. In-ha is sentenced to seven years, while thanks to his family connections, Jung-won avoids jail time. As In-ha serves his sentence, Jung-won goes to the United States to study and Su-yeon decides to become a nun.

Seven years pass, and by pure chance, the three all end up working at the same casino. In-ha (Lee Byung-hun) and Su-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) fall in love, but are later separated when In-ha is forced to illegally immigrate to the U.S. He finds a job as a mafia hitman, and by a stroke of luck, again meets Su-yeon, and the two plan to get married. However, on their supposed wedding day, In-ha suffers a near-fatal gunshot wound and becomes comatose for 8 months. Unaware that In-ha is alive, the grieving Su-yeon returns to Korea.

In-ha eventually recovers, but Jung-won (Ji Sung) intervenes, saying that he is unworthy to love Su-yeon. In-ha decides to turn his life of misery around and becomes a professional gambler. He meets a business partner, and betting everything he has, returns to Korea to win back Su-yeon's love.

Cast

Main characters

Supporting characters

Awards

2003 39th Baeksang Arts Awards
2003 SBS Drama Awards

International broadcast

It first aired in Japan on cable channel KNTV from March 8 to May 25, 2003.[3] Re-airings followed on terrestrial channel NHK once a week starting April 16, 2004.[4] According to a poll conducted by TV Asahi variety show SMAP Station in May 2007, All In ranked as the seventh most popular Korean drama in Japan.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All In". KoreanWiz. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  2. ↑ "Top 50 highest-rated TV dramas of all time". Electric Ground. 8 December 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  3. ↑ http://www.kntv.co.jp/prog/detail/?p=2025
  4. ↑ "60 Korean dramas now go on air in Japan". Hancinema. 16 August 2005. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  5. ↑ "Winter Sonata, The Most Popular Korean Drama In Japan". Hancinema. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-18.

External links