KDrama Review: The Princess' Man

The Gist: Love. Murder. Jealousy. Lust for Power. Political intrigue in fancy outfits! What more do you want?

Ok, Ok – Daughter of the king’s brother, Lee Se Ryeung (Moon Chae Won), is eager to scope out the man her father is trying to arrange her to marry, the Vice Premier’s son, Gim Seung Yu (Park Shi Hoo).  When Se Ryeung finds out Seung Yu is her cousin Princess Kyung Hye's (Hong Soo Hyun) teacher she convinces her to switch places for them to meet. Despite a quick connection, things go awry when Se Ryeung’s father, Su Yang (Kim Young Chul) starts making move for his brother’s throne. The Vice Premier, Jong Seo (Lee Soon Jae), promptly rejects the proposal in favor of submitting Seung Yu for the position of prince consort. Su Yang doesn’t take the rejection lightly and despite Se Ryeung’s best efforts, her family is now opposing her friends and the man she loves. She’s not the only one affected, as Seung Yu’s friends Sin Myeon (Song Jong Ho) and Jung Jong (Lee Min Woo) must also choose where their allegiances lie, split between friends and family.

NOTE: I will attempt to tag all spoilers but it is very difficult to talk about the scope of this show without giving anything away – so be forewarned! Some details may be revealed!

Love:

1.The Plot!

Holy cow. This show was like Korean style game of thrones. At 24 episodes, I was worried about the length beforehand, but when I wasn’t watching it, I wanted to be and when I was watching it, I could watch 3 or 4 episodes at a time easily. The political machinations of Su Yang and the king could have been pared down, but ultimately the show did a nice job of juxtaposing the political complications with emotional distress. In every side story, there were characters to be invested in as every decision is connected to another character’s story. The moments were well paced, the story fairly unpredictable, and the unfolding of events equal parts distressing and lovely. 

2.The Characters/Actors

The great thing about watching a show that deals with real issues, life and death, is that it showcases the immense talent of a cast such as this one. From our main duo to minor ensemble characters, the emotion is raw and the characters well developed. If you asked me about any two characters, I could tell you how they feel about each other and interact because their motives and feelings are so clearly laid out. Let’s take a quick moment to highlight our starring man Shi Hoo as Seung Yoo because all I can say is wow! The pretty face turns from an immature young man to a total badass. *SPOILERS* Oh boy is he put through a lot. After watching his father and brother get murdered, he goes through a dark place. His descent into apathy and madness and subsequent forgiveness were a true treat to watch. Se Ryeung also deserves some credit as all their scenes together, trying to reconcile their families with their love sets up some major questions for this show. Se Ryeung and Sin Myeon make very different choices regarding family loyalty and both have to suffer for it. But, we’ll talk more about Sin Myeon a little later. But let’s take a quick detour to talk about Jong. *SPOILERS* I think Jong came away as the character I was most impressed with. He seemed so silly, but he could snap into protective and serious at the drop of a hat. He turns into a very fitting husband to the princess and their scenes had me in tears. Seriously, tissue box next to me for all of episode 22 – why do the good die young!? 

3.The Gisaeng House! 

No, not that first evil plotty one. About mid-series Se Yeung finds some comrades in Jun No Gul (Yun Jong Hwa) and Jo Suk Joo (Kim Roe Ha), the latter of which owns (?) a gisaeng house (a.k.a. a house of female entertainers). I’m always a bit skeptical when a series adds a bunch of characters midway through, but they didn’t detract from the main story, in fact they added quite a bit of life to it. Cho Hee (Chu So Young)’s stoic character made for some touching and funny moments with her dry humor. I loved Moo-Young (Choi Han Bit) as a transgender gisaeng. What a bold choice! And she is fierce! They grow to be as important as Jong and Sin Myeon to Seung Yu. They also are standing up for what’s right, even when it doesn’t directly affect them. I love, love, love them all.

4.Love

Just a quick note that while this show has a lot of things going on, the romance is really the driving force behind it all. Seung Yu and Se Ryeung have an undeniable chemistry. This is the type of romance that I can really dive into, the kind that is just desperate, where you can feel the pain of our star crossed lovers being forced apart. Ah! So beautiful.

Meh:

1.How Not to Get the Girl – Paging Sin Myeon

 So I must say that I really misjudged Sin Myeon. I thought he would be a valuable friend for the series, but that falls apart pretty quickly. *SPOILERS* So, his father decides to ally with Su Yang and arrange a marriage with him and Se Ryeung, whom Sin Myeon full well knows is in love with his best friend. Seeming reasonable at first, he pretty much decides that the best way to win her affections is a)to help kill his best friend’s whole family b) actively try to kill his best friend c)betray her cousin and close friend, the princess d)insist that well it’s all arranged anyway, so you belong to me! That’s right! Sin Myeon does all of these things and somehow is confused when Se Ryeung isn’t totally infatuated with him. How dumb is Sin Myeon? Even after it’s clear that she’d rather DIE than marry him, he still insists on keeping her around. I kept waiting for the moment for him to realize, yes, this is far enough, time to come to my senses and it really never comes, not right up until the poor guy dies.

2.How Not to Win Your Daughter’s Love – Paging Su Yang

Essentially Su Yang is a power hungry monster, who really doesn’t care about right and wrong, as long as he gets what he wants. *SPOILERS* Like Sin Myeon, Su Yang decides the best way to his daughter to get over Seung Yu is to murder his whole family and exile him, then drown him at sea, then send assassins after him, then send the army after him, and basically just say that he’s going to kill Seung Yu if it’s the last thing he ever does. It’s pretty clear pretty fast that Se Ryeung isn’t going to stand for this and somehow Su Yang seems confused. This makes a little more sense when you think about how strong family loyalty is to this culture, which makes Se Ryeung’s defiance all the more admirable. It’s not like she’s just concerned about love, there’s also all the needless backstabbing and murder. It’s brave, not foolish. He’s a wicked villain and such a terrible father!

3.The Ending.

Well *SPOILERS* obviously. So I was all set to give this a super A+. With its compelling storyline and dedicated actors, the Princess’ Man had me glued to the screen, which is why I feel a little bit ambivalent about the ending. Yes, I am glad the Se Ryeung and Seung Yu could be together and in love, but there’s a lot of drawbacks. First, Seung Yu is blind. What purpose does that serve? Second. None of their friends know they’re alive so they’re isolated. That’s kind of a bummer. Third. We get zero follow through on the princess and her son. What happened to them? Fourth. Jong had to die and that’s acceptable, but still sad. Finally, the entire story is essentially people rising up to counter Su Yang and get him off the throne and the ending? They fail, Seung Yu runs away like he swore he wouldn’t a million times and Su Yang gets a nice long, if not lonely, seat on the throne and the former prince gets poisoned. Welp. That’s kind of disappointing. All those people essentially died in vain. They wanted to make a stand and it didn’t really make a difference. While I dreaded Seung Yu killing Su Yang, he deserved it and it would have completed the buildup. Instead, we’re just left with a skeleton cast and a hollow feeling in our hearts that nothing can be changed. Really, the only person to get their comeuppance is Sin Myeon’s father, whose choice ultimately led to his son’s death and he knows it.

Hate:

Honestly, I didn’t really hate anything about this show. Yes the problems listed above were irksome, but only minor inconveniences in what is really a great show.

So:

So… all in all I really loved this show. The actors were amazing and I’m a little bit in love with Seung Yu. You don’t feel the length of the show and the relationship building keeps you coming back for more and more. Aside from Sin Myeon being a terrible friend, Su Yang being a terrible everything, and not quite the closure you want at the end, the Princess’ Man is probably one of the best shows I’ve watched. 

Whew. Sorry this review is so long! There's a lot to unpack. Final Grade: A-

P.S. How cute was Seung Yu's niece?! AH! Happy Valentine's Everybody! 

KDrama Review: Ma Boy

The Gist: Recovering cancer patient Jan Geu Rim (Kim So Hyun) gets a chance to realize her dream of becoming a singer when she is accepted to an arts school, the same as her idol Tae Joon (Min Hoo). Things get a little odd when she ends up rooming with the school’s mystery girl Irene (Sun Woong). Geu Rim quickly figures out Irene’s mysterious secret – she’s actually a very pretty boy, taking modeling jobs as a girl until he can make his debut as a dancer. Geu Rim swears to keep his secret, which is no easy task considering Tae Joon is obliviously in love with him, which upsets his fan club, and Irene’s fan club. Soon, Geu Rim finds herself a little less preoccupied with Tae Joon and a little more interested in the boy hiding in plain sight.

Love:

1.Bite Size

 This miniseries is like a little drama snack. At just three episodes, there’s no extra fluff as each episode hits every plot point deliberately and there’s no dragging out of lies and intrigue. It was an adorable story and I could have stood if it was a shorter full length series, say 11 episodes or so, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to sit down and finish a story in one sitting. In this sense, it felt more like a fleshed out movie than a show.

2.Geu Rim and Hyun Woo

Kim So Hyun is an actress I’m already impressed with, showing off serious talent at such a young age (She’s 14!!! OMG. She’s ten years younger than I am.). I loved her in The Moon that Embraces the Sun and while I didn’t finish I Miss You, her role left and early impression. Sun Woong is a new face for me, which is not surprising as he’s only been in 2 shows including this one and he’s 22 (aka WAY TOO OLD FOR So Hyun, but you won’t think so just watching the show). Either way, he is a talented dancer and actually shockingly pretty for a guy. The two were well cast and well matched, playing off each other easily.

3. A New Kind of Swap

Even if it didn’t work perfectly, I still liked the new twist on the gender bending usual. The cross dressing girl to boy is played out (see You’re Beautiful, Hana Kimi, Nail Shop Paris, etc.), but this is the first time I’ve seen a show playing up the other side. As uncomfortable as it was for his character, Sun Woong really embraced it and did it well. Still, seeing him in his Irene getup for the first time really had me zeroed in on all the reasons I could see he was a guy. Even though his face is pretty enough for a girl, the broad shoulders were a dead giveaway, he’s really tall, no hint of an hourglass, Adam’s apple, and let’s not forget good ole man hands. All that said, not all girl’s fit one type, so if I didn’t know ahead of time, I’m not sure what I’d think. Either way, it’s a bold choice and I like it.

Meh:

1.Side Characters

Ok. How overly ridiculous was Tae Joon? It successfully paints our Hyun Woo in a much better light, but I think it was just a spoonful over the top. That’s not even talking about the fan clubs, whose obsessions were downright stereotypical, without much character building. I’d say the only bright spot allowed was the leader of TJ’s fan club, when she gets the chance to swoop in and help Geu Rim, even after making her life a little bit miserable.

2. Ok. Let’s think about this for a moment…

Some of the premise of this story you have to take with a grain of salt. As in, even in the extreme situation that Irene gets Hyun Woo much needed work, there’s really no reason for him to go to school as her. I mean, couldn’t he just go as himself and then change into his garb when he gets to the studio? I’m not sure whose bright idea that was, but it only served to make it harder for him to come out as himself when the time came. Also - *spoilers ahead* - why on Earth would he wait a whole year to tell Geu Rim what was going on? She already knows the secret, so why not pick up the phone, say I’ve been found out, I’m taking a break from school, but hey want to catch a movie sometime? It just didn’t make sense. I’m glad they fixed it up quickly, but it was certainly surprising.

Hate:

1.Lip Syncing!

If this show had one major flaw, it was how poorly Geu Rim was lip syncing when she was supposed to be singing. Her voice was obviously auto-tuned into next year. I’m willing to forgive this egregious error, since the actress is so good.

So:

So… if you’re looking for a quick watch of a light romance, this one is perfect. It’s not overly cheesy, while still being sweet. Something I was still in the mood for after my Love in Tokyo excursion. It’s a slightly original twist on a usual storyline that’s just pleasant and fast to watch.

Final Grade: B+

JDrama Review: Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo

Having watched many shows based on the wonderful manga Itazura Na Kiss, I will be doing frequent comparisons in this review. To aid in that, I will shorten the Japanese Version (Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo) to JV, the Korean version (Playful Kiss) to KV, and Taiwanese Version (It Started with a Kiss) to TV for ease. I haven’t watched the 1996 Japanese version and won’t factor it in.

The Gist: Determined Aihara Kotoko (Honoka) has never been considered smart or talented, but that doesn’t stop her from confessing to the star student, the icy Irie Naoki (Furukawa Yuki). After Naoki refuses to even take her letter, Kotoko is resolved to move on with her life. That is until a small meteor hits her family’s new home and destroys its fragile structure. With nowhere else to go, Kotoko and her father (Tanaka Yoji) move in with his long lost friend. When Kotoko and her father move in, she realizes that this is the home of Naoki and their fathers are childhood friends. Kotoko’s resolve to forget Naoki are shaken living in the room next door, especially when his energetic mom (Nishimura Tomomi) takes a strong liking to Kotoko. All this only serves to frustrate Naoki, who doesn’t know what to do with the total mess that is Aihara Kotoko.

Love:

1.Positive Changes!

The recipe for a great remake really consists of two things: bold changes that make the show its own entity and maintaining the integrity and spirit of the original work. I think the JV does a fabulous job at both of these things. I loved the decision to hold back the letter and that Kotoko had the foresight to proofread her letter to death so she doesn’t suffer the same fate as her characters in the KV and TV (aka getting a failing grade from Naoki). Also, holding it back meant that when Naoki finally read her letter, he actually got to soften towards her and get to know her a bit. I liked the stronger emphasis on Kin-chan, which I will talk more about later. I love love love the rewrite of the hospital episode where Yuki falls ill. The pairing of the apartment stay over is less forced in the JV and they actually get a chance to really talk before a sweet and revealing close. I also liked breaking Yuko (Mori Kanna) and Sahoko (Takada Riho)into two characters. It took me by surprise, though I’m not sure how it is in the original, as Yuko gets the fiancé position in both the TV and KV. I think this worked better for me as Hera and Baek Seung Jo are actually a pretty good match in the KV.

2.Coffee Scenes

My, my, what a small thing that left such a strong impression on me! This is a little thing that the JV adds for its own flavor. Around episode 2 or 3, there’s a great moment, where Naoki walks down the stairs after staying up all night helping Kotoko study and she’s making him coffee. The viewer sees her from Naoki’s POV and with the sunlight around her to perfection, she actually glows a little. It’s the first time Naoki (and the audience) sees her as a little less neurotic and an actual woman. This thread is pulled through as Naoki asks her to make him coffee again and she leaves him some after their stay over in the hospital episode I mentioned before. Lastly, when Kotoko finally goes on a date with Kin, Naoki’s sitting in his room, ruminating over a cup of coffee. We didn’t get any flashbacks, but my mind at least flashed back to all their morning coffees and it was a subtle, beautiful touch.

3. Naoki and Kotoko

I’ve seen a lot of mixed feelings about these actors, but I liked them tremendously. People are mentioning that Honoka isn’t as pretty as other installments, but I thought she was adorable and completely likeable, which is perfect for Kotoko. People come down pretty hard on Naoki, saying he’s the most stoic of the versions. While the TV’s is very emotive and the KV’s not so much, I actually thought that the JV’s was surprisingly transparent. You don’t really see Naoki’s jealousy so early in the other series, but the JV makes a point of showing Naoki watching Kotoko with Kin, which set a strong foundation for their tipping point at the end of the show. Also, I think he’s a lot more open with Kotoko, I found myself surprised at some of the things he said to her as I expected him to be more reserved. So, yes, Naoki doesn’t smile as much as the TV and KV characters, but it’s obvious when he’s annoyed, jealous, happy, or completely miserable (as in his engagement to Sahoko). Top that off with a great chemistry between our leads and it’s a winner.

4. Kin

Played by Yamada Yuki, we finally have Kin we can appreciate. Jin is lovely in the TV, if not totally desperate, but oh boy is Bong Joon Gu ridiculous in the KV. Kin’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s actually cute and 100% supportive of Kotoko. As much as he loves her, he’s surprisingly willing to recognize her feelings for Naoki as long as it keeps her happy. Other reviews I read mentioned that Kin and Kotoko actually develop a friendship and I too found that a strong positive force working in this show. It’s a little bit sad that we don’t get to see more resolution for Kin, as fans of the story will know he goes on to be a happy and loved fellow.

Meh:

1.Casting

This might seem a tad misplaced as I’ve mentioned how much I like our three main characters, but I think a few of the side characters didn’t work as well in this version. For starters, Naoki’s mom is a character I cherish in this story, but boy does she really push them. It’s fine if she thinks that Naoki and Kotoko should be together, but when it’s overriding her son’s feelings and actually pushing them apart, that gets to be a tad annoying. She’s a bit crazy in all the version, but it’s dialed up for this one. Second, Aizawa Yuga’s Irie Yuki is cute, but I don’t think you get the range and bonding that shines through in the KV (it’s much better than the TV shudders). I think Kotoko’s friends Jinko (Fujimoto Nanami) and Satomi (Yamaya Kasumi) could have used a bit more character building, but the JV is the shortest, so I can understand needing to cut some of it out.

2.The Ending

Don’t get me wrong. This ending had me squealing like a middle school girl as it just has that raw emotion that is so satisfying after all the trouble. That said, with how well the rest of the show was paced, the ending was certainly rushed. *SPOILERS* While I don’t mind them ending on a wedding (it’s no surprise to longtime fans), I think it would have been better to just do a jump ahead in time rather than having his mom throw together a last minute surprise wedding. I mean, sheesh, give them a second to be engaged and plan things out their way. Still, I liked this wedding best of all. It didn’t have the awkward comedy of the TV version and Naoki actually acts like he wants to be there, not like the KV, where Baek Seung Jo just sort of grimaces the whole time.

Hate:

1.Shooting Star?

Really? That’s the route we’re going with? Her house got hit by a FREAKING METEOR? It was already hard to believe when the KV and TV series had her house collapse from an earthquake, but this is just stretching the realms of believability. Not to mention the effects are bad. I think if they were going to change things up, this was not the way to go. I guess they were trying for a romantic vibe, but it’s a swing and miss.

2. Too Short!

One of the things I love about JDramas and I’ll say it all day long is their brevity. It gets in, gets out, concise and to the point. So, at 16 episodes, this show’s about as long as most Korean shows, and it still felt too short. I tore through these episodes like I didn’t have anything else to do and I could have taken more. If they do a second season, it will be more than welcome in my book. It’s not like there’s a shortage of material to work with. The KV had a few specials to round things out, but only the TV’s two season approach really left me feeling like the story was fleshed out (though that had its own problems).

So:

So… I’m surprised and not at all that I just adored this show. I powered through it and it still has that spark of shows that are exceptional. It’s possible I may just love this show in any iteration, but I felt that this one had some strong merits of its own. While it seems silly to have the same story twice in my top ten, this one is right up there with Playful Kiss as one of my all-time favorites and I’m sure I’ll be watching it again sometime soon.  

Final Grade: A+

EDIT: SEASON 2. It happened! And it's wonderful. Read more here....