This review may contain spoilers
Princess Hours - Goong Honest Review
Everyone talked about this drama and I know it was apart of the Korean Wave, and a huge hit in Korea so I greatly anticipated in watching it. This is a slow burn love story, mainly b/c of the fact that the ML and FL were in away forced into marriage overtime Shin fell in love with Chae Gyeong I want to say around the episode when the Royals wanted a baby, both being in immature and stuck in their ways, Shin was always unable to properly execute his feelings toward Chae Gyeong so it came out in the weirdest ways. I think overall Shin and Chae Gyeong had a solid story, they truly grew to love each other through time. Shin started liking Chae Gyeong but hid it, plus the only thing that truly bothered me about this series was the fact that Shin and Chae Gyeong didn't talk things out after Yul's birthday party she assumed he still liked Hyorin and Shin never made Chae Gyeong secure in the relationship. Especially with the Hyorin drama she was truly a B****, I couldn't stand her character, in the end she turned it around but I didn't like that she kept budding in! All in all, they tied the story up very smoothly, I liked the twist that Shin's sister became Queen, his parents basically retired, and now Chae Gyeong could become a designer and Shin could also find what he loves to do which was hinted in film. Another thing I did not like in this drama Yul's mother was so sickening and selfish and let her son take the fall for her actions. I am glad they returned to the UK, that was their best bet. Yul at first I really cared for his character then towards the end I didn't. He kept influencing and manipulating Chae Gyeong's decisions. You'd think he would have advised her to talk to Shin about Hyorin during the party but instead kept telling her he still liked Hyorin when that was no longer the case, and he still believed after all that, she would just up and leave and runaway with him. Chae Gyeong made it clear he was always ever a friend and it wouldn't go any further than that. Another thing that annoyed me towards the end of the drama was Chae Gyeong getting pregnant! That came out of nowhere I am being honest it's just my theory, I think they consummated their relationship in the palace, perhaps somewhere before Chae Gyeong left. I know it had to have been before perhaps they had something before they both left. Since they would be apart so long, but this is just my theory. I was happy to think that their fantasy of them raising children and being happy living a normal life was now a reality. The main song in this dram Perhaps Love was beautiful and really fit the personality of the show. I am not sure about rewatching it perhaps I would and skip to my favorite episodes. But it was a long emotional journey but the ending tied the story up so nicely I have no complaints.Was this review helpful to you?
An all time favorite Kdrama
One of my all time favorite Kdrama, and among the first I've seen. Watched this masterpiece through a DVD as a kid and didn't even realize what I did with my mom back in 2006 was called "binge watching"... watched the whole show straight from the afternoon to dawn the next day. Now that I'm an adult, I have rewatched the show atleast twice and I still listen intently to their dialogues and get giddy about scenes like watching it the first time. I love the slow burn romance which only peaked towards the end (and made the lead's every interaction even more intimate) with the secondary characters attempting to break the inevitable bond between the lead to no avail. The families character's especially the prince's grandma or the mother queen is also a favorite as she's always been an ally to the protagonists from the very start. Typing this note still makes me smile and I'm glad I found MyDramaList to share my admiration for dramas. #FirstEntryWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Am I the only one who hates the SML? // you need patience for this drama!!
First Impression: I came across this drama on mydramalist, while searching up princess or something related into the search bar seeing what I would find. I came across this drama and started a few weeks later when I was on holidays in France, because I had internet all night. I binged watched the first 10 or so episodes very fast. It was when I came into the second part of the drama, that things got so slow! I had to make myself finish this, but dropped it in the end. I have had mixed feelings the whole time I was watching this drama. I can't tell if I like the main couple or hate it, or like the male lead or not. I liked the interactions between the queen and queen dowager the most. (probably because I prefer historical/saeguk kdramas over modern ones).This drama is based off of a manhwa which I was going to get, but seeing that is has more of an open ending, I didn't really want to waste my time with a bunch of drama. NOW BACK TO THIS STORY.
Story (till ep 18) :
Set in an alternative universe, where south korea is a monarchy.
The Grandfather (the king at that time) of the Crown prince (ML) and the grandfather of an ordinary girl (FL) were friends and for her grandfather helping his, He says that his granddaughter will marry the crown prince.
The FL's family has problems with debts and loan sharks , So she agrees to marry the crown prince to help her family. They get married, but the ML is in love with another girl. They don't get along at first. I'd say their relationship is on and off. When you think they finally get together, something interferes. Also the sml shows up too much. The FL starts to fall in love with the ML first and eventually by the last episodes, the ML finally starts accepting his feelings for her.
So I did watch the last scene in ep 24 when they get married for real. and i've seen other scenes on youtube, but I don't really have the patience to finish this drama. But I might eventually try and finish it.
Cast/Performance/Characters:
- I HATE the yool guy. I feel like the whole drama wants me to feel sorry for him, but he's just a whiny little btch. He's like that Jacob or Keita (from Itakiss) character in so many of these arranged marriage dramas. Why do smls always go after the married ones! (not always lol). Anyways I've seen many people feel sorry for him, but I don't get it.
- Now the Main Male Lead. So to be fair I feel like both the male leads in this drama are crappy, but atleast this guy has his looks going for him. Throughout most of this drama I've been waiting for him to finally make up his mind between Hyo-rin and Chae Kyung, cause it gets so frustrating when you think he's giving up on hyo rin and likes the FL but then some more problems between them happen. I mainly just don't like his attitude. Like nothing he did was wrong.
- Now the Second Female Lead: Hyo-rin. So in episode 1 the ML who has a crush on her, proposes to her so that he doesn't have to marry some stranger. But she REJECTS him (remember this part). Afterwards when he's married she acts like he's the one who rejected her. I don't really like her, but she's not the worst character.
- Now on to Chae Kyung (FL) I liked her. I don't know how she put up with the ML for so long, before he finally started caring.
I think their acting was good enough.
Music: was decent, but nothing all that memorable except for maybe one song.
So do you think I'm looking to much into this drama and should just watch it for what it is?
hmm maybe..but idt so..
edit: this didn't have to be 24 eps long.
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One of the reasons why I readily fell in love with the series was because of JJH and YEH playing as Shin and Chae-kyeong. I really, really love their pairing.
Seriously, I've been loving it ever since it was aired in 2006 and until now, it's still the best Kdrama for me... ^^
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This...will be a Rant.
I hate this drama. It's been years since I watched it, and I still feel the same fiery passion of hatred for it as I did then. I was a new drama viewer in those days, and I didn't believe in quitting dramas. Every drama I started, I had to finish, even if I didn't like it. What if it got better? What if I missed something important? What if, what if, what if?! That is truthfully the only reason I finished Goong. I kept thinking it would get better.
The drama does get off to a good start, with tropes at their most enjoyable and crackling character chemistry and great story antics and so much potential. There is very much a reason why it was hugely popular when it came out, and why it still has a following today. But it quickly turned into hours of literal torture (this drama would make a supremely effective torture device) with a mean, selfish, practically impossible to like male lead, a conniving, malicious second female lead, Royalty rules designed to break the female leads spirit, the female lead losing all of her spark and determination, and angst so heavy you could cut it with a piece of paper. And I'll say it again, there is a reason it was so popular when it aired and why it still has a following today. Some people just enjoyed being tortured, apparently.
In my estimation, Goong is 100% the thing an inexperienced and naive teen girl would think is romantic. Which is why I'm glad I watched this after I was already an adult, because I could already see through all the nonsense. Totally upfront here, I am an unabashed fan of female characters who are feisty and spunky and upbeat and give the male lead a big ol' kick in the tooshy and are adorable while doing it. These kinds of female leads are considered passe now, offensive, relegated to the dark ages, but I love them and always will. So I loved the female lead at the start of this drama. She's got all of that plus that naive awkwardness that comes with being a teenager. And while the male lead is absolutely a turd, the purpose of these sorts of stories is for him to grow and change as a consequence of meeting the female lead. And I'm equally as big of a fan of that sort of story as I am this sort of female lead. Call me deluded if you want, but I believe in the power of redemption, especially as a consequence of love, and I enjoy watching it play out on my screen.
But (a massive turd-sized BUT), we never see this change in the male lead. We never see him grow, never see him acknowledge his behavior, never see him attempt to change. It's not even until the final hour that he actually admits to having feelings for the female lead, by which time, she wants to start having her own life. Which, of course, the drama conveniently finds a way to keep from happening because we can't have That. Clearly, the writers didn't know how to convey the scared, distrustful aspects of the male lead. He's supposed to be this closed off, insecure young man who doesn't know how to express himself and is afraid of being close to anyone but also desperately wants to be loved, hence why he's constantly pushing the female lead away and then pulling her back. If the writers had more of an attempt to convey that to the audience, I might not have such intensely negative feelings about this drama.
Ironically enough, I have been attempting to track down the original manwha this drama is based on, as despite how much I can't stand this drama...the overall story still pulls me in, and I want to see if it's improved in book form or not. Books are able to do something film can't, and that's let the reader in to the characters inner worlds so that we can understand them better, and something tells me this story would Greatly benefit from a peak into the male lead's inner world. I'm also just all in for characters who struggle in their relationships and with overcoming their own hang-ups. Fingers crossed reading the manwha is a better experience.
To anyone who loves this drama, more power to you. I'll just be over here sending Goong death glares.
Original Review:
No.
(I hate this drama so much I would rate it a zero if I could.)
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And yet, I had my reservations about this. I just didn't find the synopsis or plot interesting enough to make me want to watch it. It wasn't until after I watched "Boys Before Flowers" (and found every second of Koo Hye Sun's screen time annoying) that I figured nothing could live up to THAT particular disappointment.
Story: What girl doesn't fantasize about becoming a princess? The money, the attentions, the pretty dresses? And of course, the insanely hot prince charming who seals the deal? At the beginning, Chae-Kyung wasn't interested in that life. She loves her family too much to leave them and can't imagine herself as a princess. You're shown from the start that she will do anything for the people she lives- even if it means marrying some jerk-face and moving into the palace. Of course, once she enters this life she is swept up in the material parts of it, but later on she realizes that money or wealth isn't enough for her to trade what she wants the most- freedom.
Yeah, I got lost there too. The whole "I feel like a trapped bird" arc came out of flipping NOWHERE, but it wasn't unfounded. I just wished that there was more background to that conflict so it made more sense.
Of course, the romance arc was predictable. Shin was a jerk every step of the way and Yul was sweet, but we all know which one the girl always chooses. *Bangs head against wall*
Acting: The acting wasn't anything special in my opinion. Everyone seemed new to the business, so I couldn't exactly judge them on it. Still, everyone was believable in their roles and managed to more or less bring their characters to life.
Music: Music was nicely used in this drama, emphasizing the more dramatic parts of it. I wouldn't go back to listen to the OST all over again (not exactly my type of music), but it was nice.
Rewatch Value: "Princess Hours" has a few sweet moments and a scattering of funny moments that are worth rewatching. The romantic-square was tragic and very dramatic, and I go back to watch those scenes every now and then.
Overall: I think the only reason I'll remember "Princess Hours" is because of how popular it was back when it aired and how big of a following it had. If it weren't for that, I would probably just force "Princess Hours" into a box and shove that into some dark corner of my mind to gather dust. It's not wholly forgettable, but it's not amazing either.
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My only problem with this drama was the length. Though I did like it a lot, this drama probably could've been 20 episodes and would have still been good. A few issues and misunderstandings were dragged out longer than should have but that's what you get with Korean dramas.
I loved the whole cast. I felt that Eun Hye's acting at time was a little..much but it was necessary for Ji Hoon's character, so i couldn't really be annoyed. I think my favorite actor was Kim Hye Ja (Queen). She was so adorable! Her sweet attitude and voice was perfect for such a role. Supporting cast was great too. I thought everyone was casted perfectly.
Music was fine, Perhaps Love and the instrumentals were nice to listen to ~
I still do rewatch this drama from time to time (since I have the DVD) but I don't think I could sit through episode 1-24 without skipping parts. One full time was enough for me. But I feel this is one of those "classic" dramas most drama watchers come across at some point, so at least give it a try!
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This review may contain spoilers
Didn't live up to the hype
Watching this drama felt like being a donkey chasing a carrot stick. The whole setup was promising, but boy, did it fizzle out in the end. You know what really grinds my gears in romance dramas? The scarcity of actual, meaningful romance. And guess what? This one was no exception. The main characters hardly spent enough time on screen to even convince a goldfish that they could be a couple. And quality time? Ha! That's like spotting a unicorn at a shopping mall.Let's talk about these two lovebirds. Flawed is their middle name. Sure, they've got their good sides, but did I see them bonding like peanut butter and jelly? Nope. Chae-kyung was basically Yul's personal confidante, even when it was about as appropriate as wearing a swimsuit in a snowstorm. And Shin? He's like a clam that swallowed a porcupine. Closed off, prickly, and full of inner turmoil. He pulled some pretty questionable stunts, but Chae-kyung waltzed into his life and started demanding love and attention like it's a drive-thru service.
What I had my hopes up for was a slow, delightful transformation—like watching two caterpillars turn into butterflies together. Shin, at least, became a smidge more bearable by the time the curtain fell, but Chae-kyung? Not so much. I mean, how in the world did she magically level up in maturity overnight? She started off as a total mess and stayed that way most of the show. Her kindness and quirks were drowned out by her tantrums and me-first attitude.
And their baggage? Oh boy, it's like they tried fitting an elephant into a carry-on bag. All those hurtful things, hardly talked about or resolved. Just slapping an "I love you" sticker on it doesn't fix a thing.
I won't lie, there were some gems in there. The early episodes had me hooked like a cat with a laser pointer. But did it leave me satisfied? Not even close.
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The headline for this review refers to the Female lead of this show. She cries ALL THE TIME. Seriously...she could fill a bathtub with all her tears. That's probably the only thing that bugged me about this show. SO MUCH CRYING. It's not that she doesn't have just cause at times, but sometimes it just seems a bit overboard.
I still really like the drama though and I recommend it.
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Any downsides? I've tried to watch this again and I end up skipping a couple of episodes in the middle because seeing certain parts frustrated me, appart from that it's brilliant!
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