Absolutely Lovely
I have just finished watching this gem and let me tell you, I loved it. I loved it so much I am sitting here now, feeling empty, and staring at the wall, not sure what to do with myself now that it's over.To preface this: Yes, I have watched Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I liked it a lot. It has been a while, but I still dare to say that this one is just as good, at the very least.
It's definitely cheesy. The kind where someone gives an emotional argument and people around them are so moved, they start clapping. Does all of it make sense academically? No, but it doesn't have to. It's exactly the kind of fun, moving, found-family genderswap story it says on the tin. Personally, since that is what attracted me to the whole thing in the first place, I got exactly what I wanted.
The heart and soul of this show are definitely Wen Bing and his friends. Yes, they're all phenomenal eye-candy – every single one of these characters is so beautiful, I'd watch them wash dishes for hours. But more than that, their relationships grow so organically and deeply, they look out for each other, protect each other and care for each other. It's heartwarming, it's moving, it's a wonderful escape from reality. The gradual unveiling of everyone's secrets and backgrounds, and how they just end up accepting each other without question and having each others' backs is just wonderful to watch.
The supporting characters are just as great. I can honestly say that by the end of this show, I loved all of them. There are fights, there are antagonists, there is character growth, there is redemption, and it flows incredibly well.
Apart from being beautiful to look at and heartwarming to watch, the show has clever, quick dialogue and organic interactions between people that truly endeared it to me. While the storyline and the conflicts were a little cliché at times, the show pulled it off well.
I have seen people complain that they could not accept that Wen Bing is supposed to look like a girl. I have thoughts on this, but they are probably too long for a review. That said – yes, even dressed as a man she looks feminine. I believe that the producers did that entirely on purpose. She is supposed to always be recognizable as the female love interest, of course (probably related to reasons to do with heteronormativity, but we don't have to go into that). That said, if you cannot stretch your suspension of disbelief a little, this show might not be for you. But then, that goes for almost all genderswap/girl disguised as guy stories.
If you can accept that people think she is a dude for a good long while, this is what this show offers: Heartwarming friendships, a lovely execution of the found family trope, exciting, diverse fight scenes with moves bordering on the ridiculous, moving scenes where you think "that makes no damn sense – compels me though", very sweet teacher-student interactions, in general a lovely execution of the university setting, gorgeous costumes, gorgeous people, gorgeous houses, settings, accessories – you name it, character development, comedy, some heart-wrenching scenes but nothing that would leave you clutching your chest in agony. It feels like eating ice cream on a summer day with the breeze blowing through the trees. It's a sweet, refreshing show. As long as you're alright with the occasional plot hole or questionable character actions, you're in for an absolute treat.
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Light Hearted Entertainment
This is a light hearted drama with a good cast. The actors did a great job in their roles and jived well.There is eye candies for everyone in the drama and long with some serious tracks. The arrangement of the tracks is what sets this drama a part from the intense category.
I was rolling on the floor at the boys trying to cover her identity for her, oh my. Hilarious and cute, too cute.
I am going to stop here. I do recommend this drama if you just want to enjoy watching a show without too much engaging that you feel exhausted at the end - kick up your feet and just relax.
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Waste of time. FEMALE LEAD IS NOTHING SPECIAL
WOW! This drama is a something else. The Female lead is in a class of her own alright. A class of ignorance and stupidity. There were so many time in this drama where I question direction of this story and the Female lead's lack of intelligence.Don't get me wrong. I don't mind if the female lead is idiotic or simple minded, or a bit slow . The problem with her character and the synopsis of this story is that the female lead is suppose to be a genius who along with the other three male character become the Emperor aids/advisors, however I don't feel like any of these character are wise enough to become the Emperor advisors.
This drama was very hard to watch, because the story is just so badly written. I really wanted to like this drama because the Two male leads were such talented actors. But the story is so......badly written.
For started when the FL was going to get kicked out from school, she did not think about the consequences of her actions while going to school under her brother name and how that would blacklist him from entering any other school in the future. Her constant indecisiveness and inability to do anything without getting help from one of the other three male lead drove me mad. She made a lot of bad decision repeatedly throughout the drama. She never learns from her mistake. I keep hoping that she will get smarter as times goes on, but she never does. GOSH her character SUCKS.
The First MALE lead is boring, but he is the smartest of the four. But his character is just so bland. He is not interesting. It's is already episode thirty can he still does not know that the FL is a woman. WOW. Tell how much thoughts had been placed into making this drama, given that there is only thirty-six episodes.
The Second Male lead starts out well, very strong character and very different but he character began to digress when he become confuse and lost. A Pity because he is my favorite character and his unique outlook of life made this drama very enjoyable until the development of his character changed.
The third male lead is crazy. Originally he started this nightly protest to allow more poorer people to become scholar but then he goes and almost get the FL kicked out of school. Does that make any sense given that she is the only poor student in the school. You think that he is a man with high moral fiber, but no he is just trying to solve his brother murder. But not in an intelligent way. I don't understand how or why he got away with some many of the things that he got away with. He father was not in a high enough position in my opinion to get him out from all the trouble that he made in that school. He just doesn't make sense.
Yea, it's a pity that despite the talented male actors in this drama, it just isn't good. Very disappointing. Don't waste your time. The FL was dumb in episode one and is still dumb in episode thirty. She does not think of the consequence of any of her actions.
There is also a hint of romance between the FL and ML that was not properly developed. There is also the instant where the FL get upset with him but it doesn't make sense because he still does not know that the FL is a Woman and she being super passive aggressive for no reason. It just doesn't make sense.
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Great cast but boring to watch
Should you? Would you? Could you?You should watch this one (NO! )
You would recommend this to others. (PROBABLY NOT!)
You could watch this again. (NO!)
Ending: Happy
I have fast forwarded and seen this one in 2 days only because I was hoping it would interest me at some point. The cast is so impressive. Major eye candy and their performances are good too. But the story and its execution lack a lot. It’s got a lot of unnecessary scenes and dialogues which beyond a point get frustrating. I also found very little chemistry between the main lead. In fact there is more chemistry between the female lead and the second lead (Yu Le Xuan).
What I really liked about this drama is the banter between the 4 friends. This is what makes it worth watching if you want to.
This was just not my cup of tea.
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Ok let me point out why i wouldn't recommend this:
(1) No chemistry between the main leads. ML's acting have always been the same for all his dramas aka. boring
(2) FL is too cutesy for a gender-bender show.. although I know it is meant to be like this
(3) 2nd ML character overpowers ML's role, he is more interesting to watch (ok maybe this is a pro)
(4) Predictable plot, remake of Korean SKK scandal which was better
(5) Took forever to reveal the FL's gender
Saving grace for this drama would be that there are no annoying characters
FINAL VERDICT: not a good gender bender drama - i recommend 'the heiress' 女世子 if u are looking for a good gender bender drama
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ML 1 is a wooden post, you should have left ML2 a brother and friend, ML3 ;) we love you Bi Wen Jun
ok, but with a cast full of extremely talented male actors (who were just as beautiful), why did they have to choose the acting wooden block Song Wei Long as the male lead? Bi Wen Jun was absolutely incredible and loveable. Please let it have been him instead! Even the villain, Wang Rui Chang was an absolutely incredible actor.Of course we cant forget Ju Jing Yi herself. She and the other three male leads made up for the wooden Song blah blah, but STILL. Ugh
Also, the love "triangle?!" I wish it had just stayed with Zexin as a brother figure. He was the perfect brother, I felt the brotherly
the storyline was beautiful and the brotherly affection went beyond acting. Having him "in love" with her ruined his character and it just ruined the last couple of episodes, though I'm glad that it was barely there ( though it was bad plotting on the scriptwriter's part). It was amatanormative, it was unnecessary, and it was short-sighted. Really, none of these words do justice to how disgusted and disappointed I feel.
The only other thing is, I wish she could have become a functionary or something equally prestigious rather than a role "befitting" a woman like teaching or wife. I mean I wish the goal of all this series wasn't marriage as if that is the highest of goals a girl can wish for completely wiping out any of the progress the story made in convincing the audience and characters of a women's deservability to belong in the Yun Shang Academy.
7.75? an almost 8 but Mr. Wooden Grrrrrrrrrr and all this protection shit. hasn't she shown already she can protect herself? Treat her as an equal you fense, you post, you pot-a-potty - nah, a port-a-potty has more character than him.
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Sungkyunkwan Scandal vs In a Class of Her Own
WARNING: This is going to be very long! I have posted the same review on both dramas.This review is mostly a comparison of the two. So, for people that have watched one or the other and wish to decide whether to watch the remake or the original, this may be helpful.
To begin with I would like to point out the differences in how I watched the dramas. I am Chinese and can understand the language a lot more than I can Korean (but I am not fluent, so I still need subs). I am also more familiar with the Chinese entertainment industry, therefore discovering In a Class of Her Own first. I watched that drama within about a week. However, with Sungkyunkwan Scandal it took months to complete, and I watched it at a much more staggered approach. The only reason I had retained the plot in my head was because I had watched In a Class of Her Own. This does not mean that I preferred the remake – it is just that I took different approaches to watching the versions.
The Quartet and the Korean or Chinese equivalent
Kim Yoon-Shik/Hee (Park Min Young) and Xue Wenbin/xi (Ju Jingyi)
Lee Sun-Joon (Park Yoo Chun) and Feng Chengjun (Song Weilong)
Moon Jae-Shin (Yoo Ah In) and Lei Zixin (Wang Ruichang)
Gu Yong-Ha (Song Joong Ki) and Yu Lexuan (Bi Wenjun)
For those who are interested in the drama…
Is the plot compelling or interesting? Which to choose?
The plot is not particularly out of the ordinary. Sungkyunkwan Scandal came out in 2010 and there have been plenty other stories before and after this, based on the tale of The Butterfly Lovers, that involve a female crossdressing as a man to join an all-male school. If you are looking for a political and romance drama, then I would recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal. If you are looking for a more light-hearted, comedic drama that highlights friendship over romance, then In a Class of Her Own would be better. In both, it shows the bonds that people can make no matter the class. A huge positive of the dramas is the friendship between the main 4.
If you can’t decide whether you want to watch the remake after watching the original, then I’ll say that plotlines that were less developed in the 20 episodes of the original are almost all further explored in the remake. The Chinese version is almost like a fan service remake for Sungkyunkwan Scandal, simplifying the original plot and satisfying the fans by focusing on points that were less explored.
Characters:
Kim Yoon Hee and Xue Wenxi
I don’t have a big opinion on our female lead. She is a rather typical female lead who is independent and will do anything for those she loves. Kim Yoon Hee is more straightforward in her ambitons and goals as well as with her romantic feelings towards Lee Sun Joon, and I believe she is smarter, which made her have a bigger impression on me.
Does she look like a guy?
You may find this a weird query to have but you would be surprised as to how many people commented on this matter. I personally didn’t care whether she actually looked like a guy – sure I occasionally thought ‘It’s so obvious that she is a girl!’ but it didn’t bother my viewing of the dramas. I watched both dramas on Viki with the timed comments on and lots of people repeatedly pointed out the obliviousness of the guys on the fact that the female lead was clearly a girl. So, I will simply say: Park Min Young looked more convincing as a man than Ju Jingyi. This may be due to the difference in quality since one aired in 2010 and the other in 2020, or the costuming and the makeup. Ju Jingyi has very ‘feminine’ and ‘delicate’ features, she’s tiny and it doesn’t help that the three other leads are practically giants (she’s 1.59m and the actor playing Yu Lexuan is 1.87m). Another point would be that Ju Jingyi’s makeup was very obvious, her skin is naturally really pale, and they made her lips red with pink eyeshadow on her lids, which stood out a lot.
Lee Sun-Joon and Feng Chengjun
Sorry to lovers of our male lead but I found him to be quite a bland male lead in comparison to the supporting roles in both adaptations. In my opinion Lee Sun-Joon was more tolerable and appealing compared to Feng Chengjun. But the character overall is just not that interesting, purely for the fact that he is too perfect. Some may find that extremely appealing for a character, however I needed him to have a flaw which he didn’t. He’s good academically, he’s good at sports (archery), he’s nice, rich and can fight. In most dramas he would be the perfect second lead but, in this case, they tried to make the male lead have all the characteristics that people love of the second lead and not execute it well. Lee Sun-Joon had a few flaws which were slightly fleshed out, but Feng Chengjun had practically none. Both actors played the character the best they could. I personally preferred Park Yoo-Chun’s version over Song Weilong’s.
Moon Jae-Shin and Lei Zixin
Our second leads, who everyone roots for but unfortunately doesn’t get the girl. Both characters are similar in the versions. Lei Zixin is more aggressive than Moon Jae-shin and is far more hostile and protective over Wenxi than Jae-Shin was over Yoon-Hee. This is largely due to the more prominent role of second male lead that Zixin had. The bl aspects between him and Lexuan/Yong-Ha that were in the original were less obvious. In the Korean original, Moon Jae-Shin is secretly actually very smart whereas Lei Zixin is less intelligent in the Chinese remake. It’s as though most of his intelligence went to Yu Lexuan’s character in order to make Yu Lexuan a bigger character role. I would choose Yoo Ah-In’s Moon Jae-Shin over Wang Ruichang’s Lei Zixin.
Gu Yong-Ha and Yu Lexuan
They are the third male leads (???) if you can count them as that. I am biased over this character as Yu Lexuan was what introduced me to the Chinese adaptation, as he is played by NEXT’s Bi Wenjun. This character is probably my favourite out of the four leads. The two versions of the character are quite different. Gu Yong-Ha is more flirtatious and carefree- almost ditzy at times, whereas Yu Lexuan is mysterious, sly and intelligent. Yu Lexuan is a more developed character compared to Gu Yong Ha and has a larger role in the drama than the original. However, I can’t choose between the two on who I prefer. The character as whole was my favourite so if I had to choose between the amount of screen time, then Bi Wenjun’s Yu Lexuan had more than Song Joong-Ki’s Go Yong-Ha.
Differences in Plot – Things I liked and didn’t like:
How each of them found out she was a girl?
Before watching SS, I hadn’t considered that they would change the order of how they discover that she’s a girl in the remake. Different people discover who she is in different ways. A large factor for the change was because of the more significance Yu Lexuan had in the story in comparison to Go Yong Ha.
The first discovery was when Moon Jae-Shin sees Kim Yoon-Hee bathing in the shed. Go Yong Ha had directed her to bathe in the shed claiming that ‘no one went there’. This was a comedic scene since upon discovery Moon Jae-Shin did his best to try and prevent the other two from entering the shed whilst Kim Yoon-Hee was oblivious to the lengths he was going to prevent them from going in. This comedic scene was different in In a Class of Her Own, where Yu Lexuan is the one that catches her bathing. Lexuan too goes to lengths to prevent people from the academy from entering the shed during their ghost hunt. However, he also considers revealing that she is a girl to the student council president in order to save his reputation. Both end up helping the female lead from discovery behind the scenes.
The next discovery is when Lee Sun-Joon saves Kim Yoon Hee from drowning and as he is about to do CPR, he notices… the boobs. We have the two classic ways of discovering that your friend is actually a female, both involve seeing the other’s body rather than a direct and honest reveal. In the remake, it is Lei Zixin who does CPR on Xue Wenxi. I am not sure who’s I prefer in this incidence, since both suit the context of their own drama. Lee Sun-Joon was full on questioning his sexuality at that point and the relief he feels when he finds out she is a girl is like a weight lifted off his chest (bc homophobia). With Zixin he is coyer and doesn’t actually reveal to Wenxi that he knows that she is cross dressing which makes it comedic in the aspect that he has to keep her secret whilst trying to act normal and hiding it from everyone - even Lexuan who already knows.
The final discovery is not included in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Go Yong-Ha is probably the first one to actually figure out that she is a girl but never explicitly says so, or is it shown when he finds out. He just provides a lot of hints and jokes whilst saying ‘I’m Gong Yong-Ha’. Feng Chengjun is the last one to find out the real identity of his ‘Bin-di’ in ‘In a Class of Her Own’. His was a rather cheap way to find out, it was like the writers had forgotten that the male lead hadn’t yet found out the true gender of the female lead and they just threw it in there. He finds out after overhearing the conversation between Wenxi and her kidnappers.
The reveal of Yu Lexuan and Go Yong-Ha’s background
This was a change in the remake that I preferred. Their background is generally the same they are both from non-wealthy families in comparison to the ideal for the scholars. The difference lies in how it was originally hidden. Go Yong-Ha’s family had been added to a minister’s family genealogy after they had gained land owned by his family. That way it was hidden from everyone. Yu Lexuan is from a poorer family which is excused when first discovered since Wenxi was also like that. However, he was also a child born out of wedlock which was not allowed in the school. How his background was hidden was actually through the School Council President Han Shengzi (Korean: Ha In Soo), who had known his background but helped him into the school and from there Lexuan would have to be in his debt. This I preferred because it not only explained Lexuan’s actions but also added depth to Han Shengzi.
The Han/ Ha family
This is my favourite change that In a class of her own made. Both the school council president, Han Shengzi and his sister, Han Shumin have their redemption. Han Shumin is much more independent and strong-willed after the rejection from Feng Chengjun, then Ha Hyo Eun. Although Shumin is still annoying at times, she still decided to study and tried to make herself a better person.
Han Shengzi was way more pitiful and less evil then, he was in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. As a school council president, he had more depth in terms of his friendship with the council members and Yu Lexuan. Also, there was an actual explanation on the relationship between him and the courtesan, Mu Xiaoman, which made his hatred for Wenxi more understandable.
Overall, I would say that both dramas have the flaws and their differences. The original is of course the original - it’s more serious whereas the remake is light-hearted and modernised. It depends on preference for which is better.
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gender bender boring ass drama
This drama is horrible! I can;t believe someone would rate this a 10.1) lack of story development. There really wasnt miuch story development besides the fact that she is a female that goes into an all made school. There are some slightly interesting parts like when they had the archery competition.
2) If you want to know what the drama is about literally read the summary , its the whole movie
3) How can it take 31 episodes to freaking realize she is a girl ? come on male lead. Even the side characters knew like 4-5 ep before him..
4) Song Wei long is handsome , but his character, like other reviewer said is super bland. He's like the goody two shoes , he doesnt particularly stand out ( because there are two other males)
5) However I like their friendship that they form. Its just like f4. They are doing things together.
6)Female lead is super cute. But i'm like how do they not think she's a girl.She's so pretty and feminine.... lol the guys at the school must be blind >_<
6) the overall setting isnt interesting , there isnt a complicated background of the male or female lead. it just kinda bland. There is storyline but its behind the second and third male lead, about them trying to figure out what happen. to their families.
honesty really wanted to like this, but I couldn't stand it. I wouldnt not recommend. skip please !
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Slow build but good.
Story: The story is a lot like Sungkyunkwan Scandal (SK drama) but this is newer and feels fresher (probably just me). I don't have a lot to say on the story besides that there are all the cliques you'd expect and it's not anything new. This doesn't mean it is bad though.Casting: Honestly, I watched Go Ahead and wanted to watch something else that had Song Wei Long in it, so here I am. I also had already seen Sweet Tai Qi(Chi?) and I liked it, which had Bi Wen Jun in it. The actors played their parts well. I like Wang Rui Chang's character the best for a variety of reasons. Overall, the guys carried this cast in my eyes (granted there's really only one main female) because of all the different personalities their characters brought to the story.
Music: Nothing memorable but it's not like I was plugging my ears because it was bad.
Rewatch: I don't know if I'd spend the time to watch it again. Its a bit long and I don't know if I would like it as much a second time.
So there's my unsolicited thoughts, do with them what you will.
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Oh this was Sooooo Good.
I don't run into lots of dramas involving the "Girl in Pants" trope. I wish I did. I have loved it since I was a young girl myself. It's especially refreshing as a C-Drama with Ju Jing Yi. It's largely a trope that works in a historical setting of some kind. And that's the case here.First, let me say the cast does NOT disappoint. Seriously, Ju Jing Yi is genius. The rest of the cast were also really, really good. But she just nailed it. She and Wang Rui Chang especially. And Zhu Sheng Yi was absolutely precious! Bi Wen Jun was sexy and funny and very human as a mechanism in this. And of course Song Wei Long was just such a perfect knight/hero.
I even enjoyed the villains of the piece. Seriously, from the brave to the obsequious to the cunning, the character acting in this was wonderfully entertaining. And the support cast made this rock and roll. All of them.
Now for the plot. There were no plot holes. This NEVER HAPPENS. You cannot imagine how excited I was by a world that while it had the staple elements of any historical C-Drama with hints of wuxia mixed in for fantastical effect, the plot was solid and definitely politically driven. Even the villains had consistent motivations.
I want to thank the writers for this one. It had everything. Mistaken identities, complex politics, tragic backstories, heartbreak, hidden agendas, love and romance, redemption, and action! And somehow it was all balanced with humor as well. It was laughable that it took dressing as an actual girl to get the hero to see the heroine for what she was, but the fact that no one thought the tiny, girly little man with delicate hands and porcelain skin was female was part of the fun. The almost ridiculous levels of willing suspension of disbelief is what makes the "Girl in Pants" trope work. It's also part of what makes it fun.
The archery contest was my favorite. The build up, the delivery, the comradeship, the tension. This whole story just was full of win. But the archery contest had a little bit of everything in it. It was like a shrunken down view of the entire plot. The villains, the heroine struggling, the heroes heroing, the politics a-brewing.
The music was nice. It was pretty and had good tension to it. But it wasn't amazing. It was the one area where a little more could have been thrown in to make it perfect.
The set was adorable, high quality and it swept you authentically into this world. So I can't really add any criticism there at all. The costuming was fun. The cinematography was on point. The production values were something to be proud of.
Do not pass this one up. Really. If you are at all a fan of Ju Jing Yi, or "Girl in Pants" stories, sit down and expect to have your mind blown. I have watched this drama front to back 4 TIMES! I have also re-watched my favorite parts standalone enough times that I forgot the number. You will love this.
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Great Remake Drama
I binge-watched this when it reached 18 episodes. From the first episode, I directly know this is a remake from a Korean Drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal.The Storyline
Negative:
- Too draggy.
The original packed up in 20 episodes, while this version in a total of 35 episodes. Like the archery plot, while the original only takes 1.5 episodes, this one spends almost 5 episodes.
- Too many unnecessary additional episodes
This version even adds 3 episodes just to show how brilliant Wen Bin is as a novelist. I find this kinda unimportant because they can pack it to 1 ep only, or just delete it
- Slow romance development
While in the original Seon Jun already has a glimpse that he is in love with Yoon Sik at eps 3, even crazy enough to confess his feeling at eps 6. I'm disappointed that the romance start at episode 26.
- Change some cute romance point
They deleted all the sweet things between the FL and Second ML.
Also, the point that Seon Jun is in love with Yoon Sik while he does still not know about Yoon Sik's real identity. But in this drama Cheng Jun in love with Wen Bin after he figured out that he actually a woman... not special at all :(
- Change some cute remarkable details
The most famous thing from the original is the bromance between Yong Hwa and Jae Shin. This version both Le Xuan and Lei Ao is just a childhood friend, no bromance at all :(
Not to mention Jae Shin's woman allergy, Yong Hwa's womanizer..., too many good details got deleted
- No second lead syndrome
Seriously, I wonder why they deleted this part. In the original Jae Shin and Yoon Sik has some cute scenes together and I really feel Jae Shin is better than Seo Jun. But this version gives zero opportunity to Lei Ao. I really feel sorry for Lei Ao
Positive :
- Draggy but still interesting
Some plots make this version better than the original. Like the plot when Wen Xi and Lei Ao were almost expelled due to bar fight. The writer has a lot of time to pictured their effort to be able to stay in the academy.
- Complete some missing parts
In the ending part of the original, Cho Sun just turned out to be an assassin from the Ha's family... where this is all come from?? This version already told that Mu Xiao Man is looking for justice for her father's murder and secretly meet someone in order to do so.
- All characters ending are well explained
In the original, I really wonder what happened to Yoon Sik's family, how's the punishment for Ha's family, how's the rest of the Ha's will do since their father committed some serious crimes, etc.... this version gives good ending for everyone. Even Wen Bin could get his health back
- Love Story between Ha In Soo/Han Zhi Sheng and Cho Sun/Mu Xiao Man
The romance between these two in the original is a bit weird and I feel something missing. But this version portrays it better and the reason why Mu Xiao Man always rejects Zhi Sheng becomes clear and makes sense.
I want to compare the big 4 lead characters
In terms of acting quality, in my opinion, all cast did quite an amazing job. They all create their own version of the character instead of copying the Korean.
Lee Seon Jun and Feng Chen Jun
I can't say much since both characters totally the same. I love both actor's interpretation. In terms of physical looks... I prefer Song Wei Long XD
Kim Yoon Sik/Kim Yun Hee and Xue Wen Bin/Xue Wen Xi
I have no concern about both actresses acting. Both of them did well in playing the character. But, regarding the character, I choose Yoon Sik as the winner. I admitted that I hate Wen Bin sulky personality until the middle part of the drama. At first, I was OK, but then I can't help but feel annoyed. Her sulkiness often put all her friend in trouble.
While Kim Yoon Sik tries her best to hide her identity as a girl, Wen Bin weirdly kinda tries to show her interest to Chen Jun. She even asked some silly questions like "Do think of me as a girl?" What kind of man asked that to a man. Just reveal your identity, silly!
She can accidentally just stop talking and avoid Chen Jun, leaving Chen Jun in complete confusion. If I were Chen Jun, I will just leave this annoyingly sulky friend who seemingly loves to stop talking and avoiding me for no reason. I can't see why Chen Jun treasured Wen Bin because he gains no benefit in being his friend. I even had a thought that Chen Jun insists to be Wen Bin's friend due to his weird desire to befriend with the commoner
Moon Jae Shin and Lei Ao
Jae Shin is my fav character, In the original, he is the youngest child from a strong Noron (noble) family with amazing fighting skills and smartness. He is soo strong but extremely cute, protective and dependable. This character even brought Yoo Ah In to be an A-class actor in Korea. Sadly, I feel nothing special in Lei Ao. He just an ordinary character.
Gu Yong Hwa and Yu Le Xuan
Gu Yong Hwa is also a protagonist character from Noron side. He is a narcissistic womanizer with the famous line "I am Gu Yong Hwa", which means there's nothing he can't do because he is Gu Yong Hwa. Yong Hwa is cunning (in a good way), cute rascal, and strategist. This character also the one reason that made Song Joon Ki as famous as he is now.
Sadly, again in this version, I feel nothing special on Le Xuan. I don't care if the writer made him is a fake noble... I just don't understand why the writer destroys this remarkable character. Despite that, Le Xuan is a great friend and senior, also a great negotiator, he's still lost if got compared to Chen Jun... so, it does lose its special side.
Overall, this is an interesting remake and I would like to rewatch this again
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