Television series
Reborn Rich
A loyal corporate fixer is framed, murdered, and wakes up as the youngest son of the family that destroyed him — this time with foreknowledge, timing, and a very patient grudge. It's chaebol drama played as chess: boardroom maneuvering, generational resentment, and a hero who always knows which lever to pull next. Good for anyone who wants their revenge fantasy delivered with spreadsheets instead of gunfights.
If you liked this
Vincenzo2021
Song Joong-ki again plays a righteous outsider dismantling a corrupt organisation from the inside, trading chaebol boardrooms for mafia flair — same star, same appetite for elaborate comeuppance, delivered with more black comedy.
But The tone swings wildly between slapstick and genuine cruelty, which can feel jarring if you wanted a straighter revenge drama.
Itaewon Class2020
An ex-con takes on the powerful conglomerate that ruined his family, building a restaurant empire as his weapon of choice — a slower-burn revenge built on grit and community instead of hidden identity.
But It lingers on restaurant drama and romance subplots, so it can feel meandering if you want relentless corporate scheming.
Penthouse: War in Life2020
Wealth, murder, and merciless social climbing collide in this gloriously overheated saga, where every character has a secret worth killing for — pure soap-opera adrenaline for anyone who loves scheming rich people.
But It escalates into genuinely absurd territory by the finale, and the theatrics can exhaust you if melodrama isn't your thing.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Count of Monte Cristo2002
Reborn Rich runs on the same engine — death, disguise, and a meticulous plan to dismantle the people who destroyed you from the inside — just relocated from 19th-century France to a Korean boardroom.
The original template: a man betrayed and left for dead returns under a new identity to ruin, precisely and patiently, everyone who wronged him. Watching it shows how old and durable this machine really is.
But It's a swashbuckling costume drama with none of the corporate intrigue or modern setting — pure classic adventure instead.
More like this (7)
Sky Castle2018
A sharp, darkly funny satire of Korea's elite, obsessed with legacy and status, following mothers who will do almost anything to keep their children on top of a rigged system.
But It's social critique more than revenge thriller, so the propulsive payback fantasy of Reborn Rich is largely missing here.
Succession2018
The definitive family-business power struggle, no reincarnation required — just merciless siblings circling their ailing father's empire with knives disguised as loyalty. Whip-smart, savage, and endlessly quotable.
But It's slower and more dialogue-driven, with none of the genre pleasures — no fantasy hook, no clean villain to root against.
Money Flower2017no page yet
A man returns from presumed death to dismantle the chaebol family that destroyed his, blending legal-thriller precision with old-fashioned melodrama — a close cousin in both spirit and structure.
But The plotting is dense with legal maneuvering and demands patience before the revenge really starts to ignite.
Mr. Sunshine2018
A sweeping historical epic about identity, class, and reinvention set against Korea's turbulent past — gorgeous, ambitious, and emotionally enormous, for when you want the scale turned all the way up.
But It's a period romance first and a revenge story second, with a runtime that asks for real commitment.
The King: Eternal Monarch2020no page yet
If it's the fantasy hook you loved — alternate lives, parallel worlds, fate rewritten — this leans fully into romantic fantasy, with Lee Min-ho crossing dimensions instead of decades.
But The revenge plot takes a backseat to romance and world-building logic that some viewers find confusing rather than satisfying.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley2019
Strip out the fantasy premise and Reborn Rich's family business is basically this: a closed system of secrecy and self-interest, run by people convinced their own myths are true.
A documentary about a real person who built an empire on lies, loyalty, and other people's money — no reincarnation, no fantasy, just the actual mechanics of corporate fraud and how long it took anyone to notice.
But There's no revenge, no catharsis, and no fictional villain to hate cleanly — just an uncomfortable, ongoing real-world mess.
Dynasty1981
Same genetic material — a wealthy family, endless betrayals, an outsider clawing for a seat at the table — just turned up to maximum camp instead of played straight.
If Reborn Rich's family scheming felt delicious, this is its trashier, campier ancestor — oil money, shoulder pads, and backstabbing relatives who'd fit right into the Jin family boardroom.
But The production and acting are pure eighties soap, unapologetically melodramatic in a way that can feel dated rather than clever.
