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kdramas

Drama Diary: My Princess Eps. 8-16

March 24, 2013 by Anna N 3 Comments

Here’s my first My Princess post covering the beginning of the series, if you haven’t read it before!

The second half of My Princess becomes more serious as the political machinations pick up and everybody has to deal with Events From The Past, as one does in kdramas. The restoration of the Monarchy is going to go up to a public vote, so the President and other politicians are very interested in the outcome. The President supports the Monarchy on the surface because he owes Hae Young’s Grandfather a great deal, but in reality he is not thrilled about a new ceremonial Korean Monarchy pulling focus from the elected government. The toppling of the Monarchy is aided by the evil Yoon Joo, who gets a willing accomplice in Seol’s sister Lee Dan. Lee Dan manages to steal a royal artifact from Seol’s house and starts claiming to be the real princess. Professor Nam tries to head off Yoon Joo, but isn’t entirely successful. While most of the time in kdramas the evil second woman isn’t particular sympathetic, I thought that Yoon Joo was so irredeemably bitchy that as a viewer I wouldn’t really be satisfied unless she was somehow seriously maimed by a runaway truck at the end of the series. Unfortunately, no maiming of Yoon Joo actually happens.

Please die in a fire, evil lady!

Please die in a fire, evil lady!

Seol and Hae Young are pushed apart by the rumor that his father persecuted her father and caused his death. Seol is dedicated to bringing back the monarchy in order to restore his reputation, and the idea that Hae Young’s father might have caused her tragic early life is very painful to her. One of the repetitive aspects of this kdrama that actually gets a bit wearying as the series goes on is the sheer number of times that Seol runs away from Hae Young, only to be reunited with him a half hour later. Also, it seems like the South Korean government just places travel bans on people willy nilly, as everyone is always fleeing to the airport only to be told that they are unable to leave the country. Seol’s constant fleeing might have decent motivations, but it does make me question her sanity in avoiding a brooding rich diplomat who clearly adores her.

Seriously, would you run away from a man with this face!?

Seriously, would you run away from a man with this face!?

As things begin to get worse for the would be Monarchy, Professor Nam and Hae Young begin to grudgingly work together. One of the most amusing things about this series are the random displays of alpha male posturing when they start arguing over ridiculous things like cuts of meat in an attempt to establish who is doing a better job looking out for Seol.

Who is more handsome!  I am!  No, I am!

Who is more handsome!
I am!
No, I am!

This series manages to last for 16 episodes purely because Seol and Hae Young are each determined to suffer in silence and not burden each other with their problems. While this might be noble, it is a bit infuriating that Seol never comes out and tells the Professor or Hae Young how badly Yoon Joo is bullying her, although both men figure out what is going on. Hae Young ends up solving many problems through his sneaky diplomatic skills, but by putting the Monarchy first, the Princess and the Diplomat might have to put romance aside.

So cute, I can't stand it.

So cute, I can’t stand it.

Hae Young and Seol are one of my favorite couples out of all of the kdramas I’ve watched so far. The actors have great chemistry. The relationship between them has an amusing dynamic, because while Hae Young tends to act in a very high-handed manner most of the time, when Seol decides to get back at him by doing something like pretending to go to a marriage meeting he immediately drops his arrogant pretenses and starts acting overly concerned. I enjoyed rewatching this series, because I was reminded of some of my favorite moments, like Seol trying to erase her slightly perverted internet history and Seol and Hae Young bonding by sitting together in an antique car museum exhibit. The final episode pairs everybody off nicely, and while I would like to see the villains of the series be punished even more, there’s something to be said for the comfort found in happy endings.

Watch now at DramaFever!

Filed Under: Drama Diary Tagged With: dramas, kdramas, my princess

Drama Diary: My Princess Eps. 1-7

February 4, 2013 by Anna N 4 Comments

I don’t often rewatch dramas simply because there are so many other shows out there that I haven’t seen. I have watched bits of Boys Over Flowers more than once, and I seem to need to rewatch You’re Beautiful every couple of years. My Princess is a show I’ve been meaning to write about for some time, and I planned to only watch the first episode, but promptly got addicted to the series all over again.

My Princess

My Princess
has one of the better opening scenes that I’ve seen in any drama to date. There’s a dramatic procession and ritual going on in a historic building. A traditionally attired princess sits in a throne to watch the festivities. Soon some details start appearing that make the scene look a little bit off. The princess is fidgety and bored in a most unprincess-like way. An alarmingly handsome man in a modern suit is talking in an earpiece about ensuring the safety of a “Princess Stella.” Soon we realize that the whole scene is taking place in the modern world, in a very lavish historical tourist trap. The girl playing the fake princess is Lee Seol, a flighty student who has far too many part-time jobs. The alarmingly handsome man is Park Hae Young, a diplomat and third generation heir to a giant Korean corporate conglomerate.

Are they the most adorable couple in Kdramas ever?

Are they the most adorable couple in Kdramas ever?

Hae Young induces Seol to work overtime, but doesn’t carry small enough bills to pay her which causes her much consternation. Seol is like an extremely charming steamroller, somewhat relentlessly relying on being cute to sail through life, but she carries on in such an amusing manner it is hard not to be captivated by her. Her main focus is her obsession with her archeology professor Nam Jung Woo, as she entertains elaborate Indiana Jones style fantasies of how their romance will kindle when they meet in Egypt. When Seol realizes that Hae Young intends to marry her professor’s first love, museum director Oh Yoon Joo, she decides that she has to help the young man with romance by making Yoon Joo jealous. Seol claims to be Hae Young’s girlfriend. Seol treats Hae Young like a slightly dimwitted older brother, but she doesn’t yet realize how their lives are about to be intertwined. In the meantime, things between the professor and Yoon Joo are tense, because evidently museum directors lack basic academic integrity and she has poached on her knowledge of the professor’s research to create professional triumphs for herself.

The proper response to male nakedness....

The proper response to male nakedness….

is to cover one's eyes with produce.

is to cover one’s eyes with produce.

Love rectangle firmly established, My Princess moves into thought experiment territory as it explores what would happen if modern day Korea tried to bring back the Monarchy. Hae Young’s grandfather established his fortune with funds from the royal family, and as he is nearing the end of his life he has decided to give all his money and the royal family back to the country. It turns out that fake princess Seol is actually the last living member of the Royal family! She was abandoned when she was five years old and adopted. Seol’s early childhood memories are fragmented, but she does confirm a few details that show her to be the true princess. Despite her tendencies towards materialism, Seol isn’t actually that interested in becoming Princess, only agreeing to accept the position when she sees false press reports about her dead father. Hae Young is decidedly unhappy about his anticipated inheritance being taken away from him and tries a number of strategies to prevent Seol from entering the palace. Yoon Joo maneuvers herself into a position of Executive Director of the Royal Foundation.

Seol should be Hae Young’s enemy, because if she’s voted in as Princess his life will be taken away from him. With his background in diplomacy, he manages to get himself assigned as her etiquette instructor and goes to live in the palace too. Seol’s only ally in the palace is a young chef who keeps looking out for her. Yoon Joo is a master at passive aggression and goes out of her way to make Seol feel uncomfortable when they are in front of other people, only to come out and calmly discuss her hatred when they are alone. Hae Young isn’t without compassion, and Seol can be terribly charming.

Seriously, how cute are they!?

Seriously, how cute are they!?

There are so many cute touches in this drama. Seol and Hae Young are falsely linked romantically before the truth comes out, and Seol’s mother is almost giddy with excitement over the idea of a chaebol son-in-law. Seol’s dogged pursuit of her Professor is hilarious, but she spends more time on the run with Hae Young, watching the movie Roman Holiday in an open air theater and charging him a fortune to say in her family’s bed and breakfast. My Princess manages to balance the frothy aspects of a modern day fairy tale with plenty of realism as Seol deals with her tough past and the politicians conspire to derail the efforts to restore the royal family. As a couple, Seol and Hae Young are one of my favorite pairings in drama. The actors have an undeniable chemistry that makes watching them so much fun. I highly recommend that you check out My Princess if you are looking for a fun romantic comedy drama to enjoy with Valentine’s Day coming up!

Watch now at DramaFever!

Filed Under: Drama Diary Tagged With: kdramas, my princess

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