Scent of a Woman is a Korean Series centered on Lee Yeon Jae, a low-level employee at a travel agency who is told she has six months to live. Her love interests include Dr Chae Eun Suk, an oncologist who was her first love 20 years before, and Kang Ji Wook, a bored corporate son who is put in charge of her division. Add to the mix Lim Se Jyung, the spoiled, rich daughter who is engaged to Ji Wook as a corporate merger between their fathers' companies.
When Yeon Jae finds out about the terminal cancer, she decides to create a bucket list of twenty things she wanted to accomplish before she dies. She quits her job, determine to fulfill as many as possible. Some are easy ("Make my mom smile every day."); some are a little less so ("Go on a date with JunSu
"). In the course of this, she meets up with Ji Wook in Okinawa. He is first attracted to her free spirit as a stark contrast to his own shuttered heart, but eventually they learn to take care of each other.
The 16-episode series premiered in July 2011 on South Korea's SBS Network.
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This series provides examples of:
- Beleaguered Assistant: Yeon Jae, almost to Butt-Monkey status, doing menial jobs for her co-workers and being harrassed by the boss.
- Break the Haughty: Pretty much spoiled brat Se Jyung's entire storyline after realizing that 'a nobody' like Yeon Jae has so thoroughly beaten her for Ji Wook's affections.
- The Cameo: Junsu, from the KPop group JYJ/DBSK, makes an appearance at a fan meeting.
- Car Fu: Ji Wook uses his red sportscar as a shield for Yeon Jae.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Se Jyung, who can't stand Ji Wook with anyone else, even though she's not in love with him.
- Dance of Romance: The tango! Yeon Jae dances with both of her suitors.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: Namsam Tower shows up in Episode 14.
- Embarrassing Cover Up: Wilson, the pianist doesn't want to admit that his ring was stuck in his butt, so he claims it's a replica made by the same ringmaker. This forces Yeon Jae to pay a huge settlement for something she didn't do. Unfortunately for him, when Ji Wook investigates, this establishes him as a Bad Liar since the ringmaker supposedly died recently.
- Engrish: A conversation in English between South Korean and Japanese characters.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Yeon Jae calms and shortens her unruly tresses after quitting Line Tours.
- Final Love Duet: "Us Again" by Lee Sora is sung by the official couple at a noraebang.
- Frivolous Lawsuit: Se Jyung sues Yeon Jae for $100,000, even though there was no proof of wrong-doing, just to make Yeon Jae squirm.
- The Glasses Come Off: Yeon Jae when meeting Ji Wook in a nice bar. It doesn't help much.
- Heartbeat Soundtrack:
- When Yeon Jae touches Ji Wook's chest during a tango lesson.
- When Yeon Jae enters the arbitration room during the lawsuit.
- When Dr Suk sees Yeon Jae for the first time at the double date in Episode 8.
- Heroic BSoD: Dr Choi Eun Suk shuts down after one of his cancer patients dies.
- Hypocritical Humor: The other Lee when Ji Wook mistakenly takes Yeon Jae on as a tour guide comments that she's "weird." This is from a lady with bizarre taste in clothing, and ''way' too much eyeshadow and mascara.
- Karaoke Box: Yeon Jae's boss Sun Sik takes the team out to a noraebang.
- The Klutz: Yeon Jae is constantly tripping over people or running into them with coffee or wine nearby spilling drinks on others or herself.
- Like You Were Dying: Yeon Jae creates her bucket list and begins doing all the things she's wanted to do.
- List of Transgressions: When Yeon Jae quits, she tells off her boss.
- Mating Dance: The tango for Ji Wook.
- Motorcycle on the Coast Road: Played with, in that Yeon Jae always wanted to tour the coast, but on a bicycle. Ji Wook obliges.
- Mr. Fanservice: Ji Wook. Especially a certain shower scene. And the first scene where he pops out of the water. And pretty much anything where he's shirtless.
- Right Behind Me: Evolved into a recurring plot device. People find out about secrets by walking in on third-person conversations throughout the show, because the characters otherwise Cannot Spit It Out.
- Shout-Out:
- Cast Away: Yeon Jae has a dream of being stuck on an island with a red-faced volleyball that morphs into a man.
- Scent of a Woman: The Al Pacino version is broadcast on Ji Wook's TV, leading him to mimic the tango scene.
- Ji Wook watches Pretty Woman for inspiration to taking Yeon Jae out on a date.
- Source Music: "Tango por Una Cabeza" is used for any tango scene, real or imagined.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Yeon Jae calls her boss an S.O.B. and throws her resignation literally into his face. And when offered her job back, she declines.
