thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (Korean) -- shipper status update

This article contains spoilers, but mostly opinions; proceed at your own risk.

I had not intended to continue posting thoughts about this particular series until the end, but I couldn't resist writing down some notes while watching. So here we are now, with a full out article -- involves Episodes Eleven and Twelve, to be specific.

Why not?

Reporting the Post Open-Mouthed-Hot-Kiss Shipper Status Update:

While the Cha Cruise Liner tempted with luxury, beauty, and ended up becoming quite an exciting experience that makes all women of the world fluster, we ended up hitting some bumpy service and security issues. All aboard have abandoned ship and pulled onto the Pillar Inc. Rescue Boat. We will continue to drift alongside the Cha Cruise Liner until all seems secured and fixed.

Yes. I know it happened all too quickly even after claiming that I would remain on that luxury cruise for the rest of the ride. But really, can you resist a guy who not ONLY takes care of his love interest, but also looks out for the welfare of his love rival like a father would his child? Cue big sigh here!

Besides that, Captain Chi Soo isn't exactly in winning territory right now. The waters are only getting more dangerous because I don't know what's going on within them. Anyone can see that the little punk is attracted to Eun Bi. And while I got excited because Chi Soo was excited about his little confession speech, by the time he was done, I was on Eun Bi's side, "Did that really seem like a confession speech to you, you cheeky little bastard?" Setting the cuteness of his descriptions with use of physical ailments aside, "This woman who's less attractive than me keeps appearing in my eyes. So stay by my side. Until I come to my senses."

Just like Eun Bi, I'm running for my life jacket already and gauging the distance it would take to jump from this luxury cruise onto the safely following rescue boat.

Setting romance lines aside, is it strange that I actually found that comically awkward moment following a hot kiss kind of adorable rather than strangely out of place? We have Chi Soo stuttering while trying to figure out what just happened, not mattering that HE'S the dude who dragged Eun Bi out of her date and planted his face onto hers. Some serious moment just came to pass (which is why we left it as a cliff hanger from last episode), but here we are traversing that line between hilarity and The Cute without missing a beat. I totally LOVE it!


Anyway, back to the Shipper Status Report...

For only about a millisecond did I wonder what the heck Kang Hyuk was doing, stepping back so easily. For his charm? To look cool? For sympathy points?

Well, buddy, it worked. Because after that millisecond, not only did I find him to be an extremely Perfect Oppa type, but also a very loving, caring (and hot) Big Daddy Guardian figure (okay, maybe that sounded a bit wrong). But what I'm seeing is that Kang Hyuk seems to acknowledge a lot more things in the bigger picture than we as the viewers are probably seeing concerning Eun Bi and Chi Soo. So I'll let you off the hook this time, since Chi Soo's ignorance started grating on my nerves again.

Anyone can see that Eun Bi wouldn't be able to accept the kid's selfish, whimsical feelings. And when he showed up, practically DEMANDING that Eun Bi accept his feelings, rather than letting her decide for herself, I jumped ship (the subsequent Caviar Date also did not help his case).

It's a given that Chi Soo likes her, but now his new assignment is to learn how to properly "love a woman" rather than just demanding that everything fall into place for his sake. He's going crazy because he's never felt emotions before and in order for him to have peace of mind, he needs Eun Bi to reciprocate as well as remain with him until he can figure out what's going on. And so to her, this pretty much just sounds like he's got a thirst that he can't quite satiate without her around, but there is no knowing when or where he'll finally have drunken enough to "come back to his senses." So it's ridiculous to her that she should even entertain ideas of being together with someone who could potentially leave her just as easily as he's confessing to her, all because he's not quite sure what's going on with his mind, heart and body at the moment.

The kid's like a bomb that could explode at any moment, really.

And so herein ties the deal for our beloved Pillar's rescue boat being much more desirable:

My heart went "Aww...!!!" upon his confession that he saw Eun Bi kissing Chi Soo and riding away with him. Poor, soft-hearted big guy... he's like a teddy bear.

Cue speech time:

"You don't have to put any effort into grabbing onto me. I'm always going to be here like a pillar. That's why the boss left me this shop. He said there needs to be a place that you can come back to at any time. And without a word, making you a bowl of ramyun... He said that there needs to be at least one place in the world to do that for you. That's why... The shop and I will always be here without changing."

Oh swoon!

And then he tops it off with: "So games and such... I don't care how much you play it. But I would like it if you didn't fool yourself. [...] Don't force Cha Chi Soo out."

Oh geez, is he actually suggesting that Eun Bi try to accept Chi Soo's feelings because he recognizes that she might be attracted to the little luxury cruise liner as well? I'm all "Awws" now and don't know what more we can do for the sake of our softie Pillar-ssi. Because even as I continue to hopscotch between ships, I know that I'm merely biding my time and waiting for the cruise liner to finally reach it's proper destination at Eun Bi Island.

And so I feel bad for Kang Hyuk, because we ALL ultimately know where Eun Bi might end up. If only there were a non-forced, non-awkward, potential love line for Pillar-ssi to have at the end of the series. But then we'd end up following through with that dratted "Couple Curtain Call" that so many series are known to use as an ending device, and THAT would just ruin the series' entire feel-good pacing.

As Episode Eleven's reporting comes to an end, the Cha Cruise Liner seems to have gone through some extensive repair and security measures have been placed in more effective positions. Traveling alongside the ship on our Pillar Rescue Boat, we give a sigh of relief that things look like they're going to be looking better, but we continue to remain on the rescue boat just because it's still warmer and safer.

At least until we all realize that we're heading into more unstable waters, but this time it has nothing to do with the bumpy love line. In fact, we find out that there might be a possibility that the cruise liner and the rescue boat were both manufactured by the same company, even if the president is a different person.

Oh... Em... Gee...

Now there's a new plot twist all of a sudden and I'm about to fall off of the boat.

This is literally what I expressed within those last few moments of Episode Eleven:

Yes, my art skills are a bit lacking...

But really, did we have to go there for this one? I already like the mentor hyung and growing dongsaeng dynamic without there being any "big secret" tying it together. Kang Hyuk makes an excellent father figure to Chi Soo where his own biological father seemed to have failed (because while I'm glad that we have a doting father figure rather than an evil-harsh one, let's face it, Chi Soo wasn't raised normal because Daddy Cha pampered him too much). So let's hope that this new discovery isn't going to get blown out of proportion.

Turning the two love rivals into half-brothers really DOESN'T help get rid of that randomly recurring cliche device that K-dramas seem to be guilty of using often. We don't need more complication, and somehow I smell a Noble Idiocy moment coming around the corner and it's got me a bit worried.


Finalizing this Shipper Status Update:

The tides are starting to turn once again now that the Cha Cruise Liner has steadied itself. Starting with Episode Twelve and our newest revelation, I'm preparing myself to give a teary good-bye to my Pillar Rescue Boat once again.

Yes, I know I'm wavering too quickly and too easily. And it's really interesting to me how, by the end of the previous episode, I will be totally shipping Chi Soo as the main love interest. But then the next episode begins (the first of the week's two episodes) and I'm finding something terribly wrong with Chi Soo and instead have jumped ship to Kang Hyuk. And then we remain there for an indeterminate amount of time before Chi Soo suddenly does something that makes me literally DIVE head long back onto his cruise ship. These boys are REALLY driving me crazy. I don't think I've EVER wavered like this in the face of a love triangle before from one corner to another (outside of the Ouran Host Club manga, in which case it was more of a love pentagon and I'm not including Hunny and Mori). It just goes to show that this "equal strength" love rival thing is really obvious in Ramyun Shop and both boys are holding there own extremely well. And both corners of the rivalry are HOT to boot!

And also, when was the last time that I actually followed a series so closely that I started posting about it by the episode (even though I'm really doing it two episodes at a time). I usually DON'T do that because I'd rather just wrap up my thoughts at the end and call it good. Episode by episode postings require a lot of work and I'm not too proud to admit that I'd rather take the lazy way out and just watch a series and write a quick (or ten page long) review about it.

Anyway, moving back into the progress report:

By the end of Episode Twelve, we have officially re-boarded the Cha Cruise Liner. Why?

Two reasons.

First, the highly anticipated Kimchi Kiss that netizens have been raving about that I didn't get to see yet until now. The kiss itself wasn't another full-on open mouthed experienced, but it was still HOT has hell and had me completely blushing and flustered. In the words of esteemed recapper girlfriday, "I'm pretty sure you're gonna need more than a shower to rub out that memory." And I'm pretty sure that I'm going to need a few more showers to rub out that memory... and I only got to witness it on T.V. screen. Oh... Envy...

Although, I must say that the little pouty Chi Soo version of "Oppa-Wiggle-Pout" (which would be renamed as the "Noona-Wiggle-Pout-Hotness" but with less wiggle and with more pout and more hotness) was really what got me to smile first before the all too breath-taking Kimchi Kiss. And even BEFORE the kiss, there was the "sucking of kimchi seasoning off of finger" scene that REALLY started getting me all "SQEEEEE!"

And that's how I felt.

Okay. Reason Number Two.

Chi Soo cooking his first bowl of ramyun. This was by far the sweetest scene in the series involving Chi Soo and the love line. It shows a certain level of growth in him, even if it's only about a nanometer of growth. Because he's working so hard and being so meticulous, probably for the first time in his life, all for the sake of proving to Eun Bi that he CAN be a man she can fall in love with. The moment that he eagerly awaits her verdict about the bowl of ramyun, he just looks so adorably expectant and shy. It made me wonder what he was more excited about -- having accomplished making a bowl of ramyun on his own, or doing it for the sake of his Eun Bi.

And so you know what I've been neglecting to acknowledge? I totally swoon for men who can cook. This is a known fact and has probably been playing a huge part on my growing interest towards Kang Hyuk, but since Jung Il Woo is just so sparklingly Pretty, I've been kind of distracted. However, there is no doubting my constant ship-hopping because of so many other aspects of Kang Hyuk, uber cooking skills included.

And now we're making Chi Soo a would-be-potential-great-chef with a sense of perfect taste?

I think that the drama is trying to kill me. Eventually I'm going to miss one of my jumps or lose balance and fall into the ocean. I ALREADY LOVE Chi Soo despite and in spite of his world (and I mean huge universe) of flaws. This new cooking thing (forget that I found the new plot twist a bit disconcerting) is probably going to put me over the edge.

And so this has been the Shipper Status Update on Flower Boy Ramyun Shop.

As we speak, this blogger has happily taken a nice lounge on the deck of the Cha Cruise Liner and am thoroughly enjoying the view despite the newly formed tumults of unstable territory we are heading into. As for Pillar Rescue Boat, he continues to drift alongside the cruise ship, and it seems that he's more than happy to watch over us readily. How do I NOT continue to love you too?

On a final note: Yes, Ba Wool IS still my favorite Flower Boy. How much do I love his platonic devoted love for Noona? And how much do I love his innocent So Yi oriented heart? And also, lots of cheers for him finally getting his revenge on the girlfriend, cause it looks like So Yi's starting to get a taste of that jealousy over Ba Wool's "a noona I know" ordeal. Happy LULZ!

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Related articles:
first impression: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- mid-series thoughts
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- episodes 9 & 10
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- the end is near
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- finale on the horizon
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- the final showdown (sort of)

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thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (Korean) -- mid-series thoughts

This article contains spoilers, but mostly opinions; proceed with caution.

Regardless of whether or not this series will be slapped with an extension, Episode Eight is where the intended central turning point seems to be located. We are well on our way into the Flower Boy Ramyun Shop's (official shop title now) business success, and our characters all seem to have reached some sort of climax in their development. Then again, I might be looking into it too much and really just want to be able to blog about this series in the middle, so I'm reaching for significance.

And yes, the above picture isn't from Episode Eight, but there's something giddily amusing about the way that Eun Bi is silently analyzing the two items, symbolically representing the two men (boys?) entering into her life.

But anyway, one thing IS for sure: Even if no one else will admit it (Cha Chi Soo included), our Pretty has finally come to the conclusion that he is indeed physically attracted to Yang Eun Bi and has developed feelings for her. I don't know if Eun Bi has picked up on this, but there's no doubt that her column of a "husband", Choi Kang Hyuk, has figured out as much. And so we now let the little love triangle fall into place.

I love how this series deals with plot devices and story arcs, as well as all the symbolism and dialogue. While there's a very hilarious, almost comic tone on the surface, the heart of this series' emotion and meaning is very well conveyed at all the right times. Plot devices wrap up quickly without being drawn out for too long and so the pacing and editing is fairly awesome; we get right to the point and then we keep moving right along -- there are no unnecessary fillers or strangely awkward details forced into it. ALL of it is purely story line and the transitions from one mood to another aren't at all forced.

For example, Cha Chi Soo's demand to see Eun Bi immediately because he's starting to hallucinate again (comedy) is cut short by Eun Bi's run in with her ex-boyfriend (melodrama) which then leads to resurfacing memories and eventually the angry confrontation between Chi Soo and Eun Bi (angst). Following, we get a little glimpse of the impending love triangle between the three main characters as they all reflect on their own thoughts (melodrama and romance). And all of this falls right into place without seeming too awkward.

It's a very smooth ride from the highs and lows of our mood, coupled with a very extreme hilarity and nonsensical devices that just seem to work for this story line.

While the main base plot of the ramyun shop took some time to build-up (about six episodes), everything that went into it was rather essential to the rest of the story line. Because even though the ramyun shop is what will eventually bring us all together, there is so much more to the series than just the ramyun shop alone. But we've incorporated so much backstory (that doesn't feel like backstory at all as we watch developments) into the necessity of both Yang Eun Bi and Cha Chi Soo to be a part of this ramyun shop despite the entire concept being out of their own elements.

Eun Bi has spent her life trying to distance herself from the ramyun shop because not only does it conflict with her wish for a "normal" lifestyle, it also brings back painful memories of her childhood. Her days as the scary "Eun Bi Spike" volley ball player is viewed as something unfeminine to her coupled with her anger driven strength that seems to scare most men away. Her mother's death, she even ties in as a woe of the ramyun shop because she felt that her father had cared more for business than for family. But the death of her father seems to instill some sort of clarity in her life and she begins her development early, giving the ramyun shop a chance to be in her life again.

Cha Chi Soo has lived in a delusional, second-generation chaebol world wherein his questionable upbringing by an overly doting father has rendered him... well, incapable of being a "normal" human being with "normal" human compassion and thought processes. He's arrogant, spoiled, and extremely silly to the point that it's hard not to feel frustrated with him, but at the same time adopt an adoration for his egocentric ignorance. As much as a jerkface as he is, I hate him AND I love him, but most importantly, I feel sad for him. Because of this, I'm most drawn to Chi Soo's comically outlandish behavior. The boy thinks that he's refined and mature, but he couldn't be more far from it.

I totally don't mind that he's a little badass because he does it so hilariously. And it really DOES just make you want to see how he turns out in the latter part of the series. Is it strange that I find his wildly immature behavior kind of adorkable? And this has nothing to do with the fact that Jung Il Woo is the resident Pretty of the characters; the character of Chi Soo himself is just so layered in depth that it's hard not to pay attention to him. It's like he has some sort of switch where he goes from one mood to another, almost too quickly but naturally.

Being the first series I've seen with Jung Il Woo, I have to hand it to him and all of his fans; he definitely knows what he's doing with this role and he definitely knows where he's taking Chi Soo's character. His comedic flair is strange and loud, but not in a scene stealing way; for the type of person that Cha Chi Soo is, the level of noisy and funny tantrums are just right. But at the same time Jung Il Woo can switch Chi Soo's insane outbursts, hallucination scenes, and strange logical deliberations into the depth of vulnerability and seriousness you would have never expected from Chi Soo's arrogant persona. And it works -- at the push of a button, you see the deep thought and the sad struggle and it all goes right with Chi Soo's characterization.

I've found my new fangirl obsession. Jung Il Woo does it all excellently!

The best part about Cha Chi Soo is that he can easily go from a character you want to hate, but almost immediately change into one that you can't help but love. He isn't the resident jerk face main male lead only because his world and his logic are so skewed as a result of his upbringing. He doesn't intend to be a crass asshole; the way he acts just makes sense to him even if it shouldn't make sense to any normal person. But he seriously doesn't understand why it is that his actions are bringing about so much hostility, while at the same time he recognizes that hostility.

It's like he's still having trouble making that connection no matter how much he wants to get there. The vulnerability in Chi Soo's ignorance doesn't stun me at all, though. Because while I'm frustrated with his second-generation chaebol delusions that money can solve all problems and people shouldn't take feelings too seriously, at the same time, you kind of pity him. I mean, his logic makes sense to HIM.

So I guess that it's high time that he finally starts to learn what real life is all about. Maybe this is why I'm loving this series so much. It's more of a journey for Chi Soo (as well as Eun Bi) in a sort of twisted self-discovery type of plot device. It's a sadder process for Chi Soo, mostly because the rough treatment he's receiving isn't undeserved; he's been quite the brat after all and needs to be taught a good lesson. But the wounded look on his face really DOES make one ache for his ignorance and wish that he would change soon, or that someone will at least give him the benefit of a doubt and understand where he's coming from.

Tough love is hard, so it's a good thing that everyone is being so difficult for him; hopefully they can all be standing on the same plane soon.

Finally: How much do I love the more light-hearted happenings in this series? How much do I just adore every single character in this series? And how much do I absolutely LOVE Cha Chi Soo's deduction of his feelings concerning Eun Bi, trying to make that connection between his logic and these new emotions he's developing? It's awesome, hilarious, AND heart-filled all at the same time!

Kang Hyuk's tendencies to be lazy and outworldly strange, while at the same time showing so much more depth in his mind's workings in a sort of "all-knowing being" way has started growing on me. I didn't really care for him at the beginning despite his already saintly presence; there was always something awkward about him that bugged me. I also didn't take to his claim on Eun Bi as his wife (without her knowledge) as well as his cohabitation with her (also without her knowledge). It almost made it seem like Eun Bi wouldn't have a say in her future, and if this wasn't a comedy, I'd call it creepy stalking. But now, he's coming off adorably sweet, and frankly, I think this is going to be a tough triangle to battle with.

On the surface, I'm rooting for Chi Soo just because of everything I've said about him already, faults included. But deep down, I know that Kang Hyuk is the better man and I wouldn't be surprised if Eun Bi develops any sort of attraction towards him -- or has her own struggle. I hate triangles... but sometimes, they're not so bad, I guess.

Kim Ba Wool is by far my favorite "Flower Boy" if only for his off-character cutesie childishness when dealing with the people around him. His relationship with Eun Bi is a wonder that I love watching, just because you rarely get to see this type of dynamic between a non-blood-related-opposite-gender sibling pair. People always assume that men and women cannot be "just friends" but these two radiate all sorts of noona-dongsaeng goodness without even remotely tying themselves up with complicated romantic tendencies.

The scene in which they are both begging Kang Hyuk to comply with their desires by clinging to his arm and pouting like children -- Golden Moment!

The only unfortanate deal with Ba Wool is his wussiness giving in to all of Yoon So Yi's "OPPA-WIGGLE-POUT" (a term coined at Dramabeans) actions. Yoon So Yi is still an enigma to me (as well as to many, many other viewers, I'm sure) with her somehow managing to convince herself that two-timing is for the greater good. Yes, she's a big fat "huh" in terms of her strange logic, even IF she's starting to grow on me only because I'm not quite sure how to file her persona. She IS quite cute, if only I can get passed her strangely blissful ignorance the same way that I managed to accept Chi Soo's immature behavior. This girl pretty much lives in a book of her own logic, which somehow, she manages to promote levelly, but no matter how you look at it or over analyze it with references, none of it makes ANY sense. A team of politicians couldn't get around this one at all.

Lastly, I totally love how Chi Soo can't seem to fathom the slightest about why he's so fixated on Yang Eun Bi. I mean, yea, obviously the kid's never been in love before (but I haven't either and I'm sure I could recognize feelings better than he can). HOWEVER, to have somehow concluded and convinced himself that he's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to rough treatment by Intern... It's just interesting how the more logical reasoning of having developed feelings WASN'T his first conclusion (nor his father's) while every other person around him has probably figured out that he's attracted to Yang Eun Bi. This is such unique and classic new territory that it's just fun, fun, fun! I totally love, love, LOVE watching him struggle like this! (I know, I'm sadistic, but it's cute.) It's so silly and bizzare and Jung Il Woo hits all of Chi Soo's tantrums and hallucinations and strange ideas so, so perfectly.

(Standing ovation!)

Here's looking forward to the rest of the series now that we're rolling right along. The ramyun shop is open for business, feelings are coming out into the open, the aggressive triangle has begun to settle into place, and our story has thankfully scooted the "ex-boyfriend returns" plot device through resolution within two episodes with a rather amusing conclusion to it. The fast pacedness of the telling is so great that I'm sitting on the edge of my seat in excitement waiting for what happens next.

When was the last time I was so engrossed in a series? Oh yea... City Hunter.

Drama series, don't fail me now! Please wrap up cleanly and wonderfully without regrets; because you're moving along oh so well right now that I'd hate to walk away feeling unsatisfied when it ends.

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Related articles:
first impression: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- episodes 9 and 10
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- shipper status update
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- the end is near
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- finale on the horizon
thoughts: Flower Boy Ramyun Shop -- the final showdown (sort of)

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intro info: Sungkyunkwan Scandal (Korean)

성균관 스캔들 - (Seonggyungwan Seugaendeul)

Park Min Young as Kim Yoon Hee
Micky Yoochun as Lee Seon Joon
Yoo Ah In as Moon Jae Shin
Song Joong Ki as Gu Yong Ha

For more details: Sungkyunkwan Scandal @ dramawiki

Park Min Young leads the story of Sungkyunkwan Scandal, an historical romantic comedy about a girl who disguises herself as her brother in order to get into the highly revered Sungkyunkwan University where government officials are educated.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal is allotted in the fusion historical genre, which, to my research, means that while it is set in a historical period, it also contains the atmosphere of more modern times; character creation, social events, comedic antics, and the like will be more relative as a form of modern telling rather than serious historical tale. And so Sungkyunkwan Scandal was not meant to be taken in a serious light, but to be viewed purely for comedic and warm-hearted enjoyment.

While tagged as a romantic comedy, and basing its story line around the same cliches and plot devices as a typical romantic comedy with a girl pretending to be a boy, there is no doubt that the series is so much more than just that. Sungkyunkwan Scandal did not promote itself as anything more than just another entertaining love story, set in the historical era of Joseon Korea during the reign of Emperor Jeung Jo. And so while mulling over the idea of watching this series, I don't think I expected to get out of it such an unpredictably meaningful journey of one girl's plight from her need to survive life with her family and into her gradual development into dreaming for a life much bigger and better than she could ever be allowed to have.

While pretending to be a man, Kim Hoon Yee's characteristic
adorable personality still comes to surface readily.

Kim Yoon Hee (nicknamed Daemul) is an intelligent and duty-bound young girl who starts off the series presented as a young man who sells literary knowledge in order to make a living. The viewers are quickly shown that this young scholar is no more than a young girl dressed in men's garb, struggling to earn money for her family. Due to her family problems -- a dead father and an ill brother, leaving two women who cannot make a living otherwise -- Yoon Hee has unhesitatingly donned her brother, Kim Yoon Shik's persona in order to work for money and living expenses. And so our female protagonist actually starts off the story line already having been using the guise of her brother to make ends meet for her poor family.

This character is very similar to Park Min Young's most recent role in City Hunter, Kim Na Na, where the girl is also struggling to support her poor livelihood. And so it's a bit of a challenge for the actress to figure out how to portray both characters (both of them strong women in their time) without creating a repeat. At the beginning, it almost seemed like Kim Yoon Hee was an exact replica of Kim Na Na, except in two different time periods, but as the series progressed, there is no doubt that I began to see differences and separate both female characters from one another fairly easily. While not quite sure how to word it, there is a certain quality to each of the two characters that makes them different.

And to be totally honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Kim Yoon Hee much more so than the Kim Na Na from City Hunter. There is an evident main lead embodiment in Kim Yoon Hee as opposed to the "static female background lead hiding behind the male lead" atmosphere that is projected by Kim Na Na, even despite the level of admiration I have in her irrationally brave and kick-butt character.

Back to the series...

Brother: Yoon Shik (left) and Mother (right)
What to do as a poor family with no rights and no form of survival...

As stated in later episodes, Yoon Hee had been living her life as her brother ever since a very young age after the death of her father. Highly intelligent and witty, it was up to her to help her family survive life since the real Yoon Shik was unable to work and women were not allowed to do anything at all except for marry and have children and raise children. And so this story doesn't take a girl and suddenly throw her into this cross-dressing dilemma, this story only starts her off where she needs to begin her newest journey.

Due to her brother's illness, the family is still stuck in a massive debt that needs to be paid off soon -- otherwise, Yoon Hee might find herself being used as a means to cover that debt. And so with money being the most important factor for survival, Yoon Hee has no other choice but to continue pretending to be a man when the chance comes for her to become a student scholar at Sungkyunkwan University, which will eventually help solve a lot of her financial problems.

Within the first entire episode of Sungkyunkwan Scandal, the viewer is already introduced to the much deeper plot device of the series aside from the love story: the injustices of historical monarchy during a time when aristocrats are clearly using their power and their money to make life even more miserable for those of lesser privileged statuses while they continue to prosper for themselves. Kim Yoon Hee is a woman who has no faith in her own country's government and politics, knowing that the only way to live is to rely on herself; because the ideal Joseon that people talk about does not exist in her eyes. After all, a country that allows the common man to suffer poverty and death without a fighting chance, but who allows those with money and power to continue prospering without worry... this is a country that Yoon Hee has come to hate.

Several different subjects are touched upon during the entirety of the series and in doing so, Sungkyunkwan Scandal ends up being a much more insightful and much more meaningful story than anyone would have ever expected simply from brief summaries or even the light-hearted promotions used to advertise the series. Between the social injustices to the political intrigue of fighting factions and finally a few mysteries that need to be investigated, Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a gem of a story that has been overlooked and under-hyped.

Aside from the story line itself and the intended romance between the main couple, Kim Yoon Hee and Lee Seon Joon, the series also depicts a very heartwarming friendship between four men -- well three men and one woman disguised as a man -- as they come together and learn to like each other as well as learn to work together.

The upstanding citizen, Lee Seon Joon, looking his proudest and best.

Lee Seon Joon (nicknamed Garang) is the son of a high ranking official, leader of the powerful Noron faction. While he is an upstanding citizen, a righteous young man with dreams and ideals, he is also the stereotype "stick-in-the-mud" who has learned his ways from books and laws and his father's teachings and so he is rather arrogant and stubborn in his ways. What this young man lacks is a sense of realism which is brought to him when he meets Kim Yoon Hee (in the guise of Kim Yoon Shik) and finds out the hard way just how wrong he has been about his ideal world of law-abiding citizens, prosperity, and harmony among all the people. He's like the proverbial caged-bird who would probably die at the hands of any wild cat due to his ignorance of the real world. Slowly, but surely, this extremely optimistic "ivory-tower" prince begins to learn how to see the world without his books and rose-colored glasses and realize what he truly needs to do to help the country become a better place.

In contrast, Kim Yoon Hee has always seen nothing but the devastating injustices of life among the common people. She sees no future for Joseon and so can only ever believe in survival for the present. But meeting Lee Seon Joon and through his optimistic ideals, she learns to believe that there CAN be a better world for her and for generations to come after her. Life may not be as well-balanced as it is in the present, but there are certainly hopes that can be dreamed for. And so through Lee Seon Joon's constant pushing, Yoon Hee not only becomes hopeful but also learns how to develop and improve upon her own person, become stronger and better fit to help bring about the new Joseon that everyone dreams about.

It's a great fit for these two to change each other for the better; as other reviewers have mentioned, Kim Yoon Hee and Lee Seon Joon share the "you complete me" relationship wherein they both seem to be able to push the other to improve and change.

Manly and Crude Geul-oh (Moon Jae Shin);
even HE becomes a soft teddy bear in fascination
 when faced with his beloved Yoon Hee

Moon Jae Shin (nicknamed Geul-oh) is a son from a lower ranking official of the Soron faction, a crude and tragic hero who has suffered loss so grave that it has torn him and his father apart since the beginning of the series. His need to avenge that loss brings him to the forefront as a secret rebel against the current government power as well as an immediate enemy of any and all people in the Noron faction. Mainly keeping to himself with only one close friend, Moon Jae Shin, through the encounter with Kim Yoon Hee and Lee Seon Joon slowly begins to change his views on the idea of harmony between factions. While hating Lee Seon Joon in the beginning, Moon Jae Shin learns to set aside his hate and start forming a bond with this person he views as an enemy, realizing that he alone cannot help change the future.

Yeorim... There are no words to describe that adorably inebriated smirk.
Gu Yong Ha is our omniscient god!

Finally, we come to Gu Yong Ha (nicknamed Yeorim), the son of a merchant who starts off the series as a bored yet flambuoyant young man, always looking for something to keep him excited and always trying to butt himself into matters that pique his interest. With a little fancy twirl and the words, "I'm Gu Yong Ha," there really is no other way to describe this fun-loving, outspoken gem of a young man. Consistently watching the action from the sidelines, it is the forming of one unit with the former three that begin to bring him into the heart of the action rather than just remaining in the spectator's zone watching everyone else butt heads or reading his adult picture books. But Gu Yong Ha proves to be a very significant asset to his three companions, almost as an omnicient being who seems to know exactly what is going on, when it is happening and why it would occur.

The lovely personality of our beloved and gorgeous Yeorim -- which literally means "forest of females" -- is the glue that keeps our heroes together after they form their four person, historical boy group, the Jalgeum Quartet. Extra "bromance" and the sensitive love and care that Gu Yong Ha gives to his three friends can only be experienced in full force, portrayed with the utmost excellence by adorable and pretty Song Joong Ki.

In the forthcoming review article of Sungkyunkwan Scandal, please excuse me as I gush fangirl heart eyes at Gu Yong Ha's god-like presence. Whether he's playing around or during his rarely seen serious moments, Song Joong Ki manages to captivate and steal the spotlight from the rest of the group so easily that he has come to be my most favorite of this so dubbed "Joseon F4."

Modern boy bands step aside;
the Jalgeum Quartet will show you how it's really done!

One thing I would love to point out is the excellently planned unification of the Jalgeum Quartet, consisting of people from four different social status with four fairly different, yet at the same time quite similar personalities. Lee Seon Joon is from the Noron faction, Moon Jae Shin is a Soron, Kim Yoon Hee is stated to be a Namin (a southlander), and Gu Yong Ha belongs to no faction as a simple son of a wealthy merchant. Collectively, these four bring together the ideal of harmony among people from different backgrounds while at the same time striving for a similar cause.

In this group of four, no one is the ultimate leader, no one has a specific trait that stands out among the rest and no one is specifically assigned to any particular category. Because setting aside their factional backgrounds, the four of them are simply three men and one woman who have joined in friendship through their trials and continue to develop and grow and improve upon each other. They all have their obvious strengths and defining character flaws, but the series naturally smooths out these descriptions so that none of the four are isolated as a certain character type (as would normally happen in other romantic comedies with a group of main leads). Things like "The Pretty One," "The Manly One," "The Smart One," or "The Leader"... These don't exist in our beloved Jalgeum Quartet, because if they did, then the series' concept would ultimately isolate each of the four individuals into a static personality. And, of course, we don't want that to happen; we want to see normal character development and watch as our heroes all improve and change for the better.

It isn't simply the romance of the series or even the action or the political intrigue that makes Sungkyunkwan Scandal such an inspirational hit. It is the bonding of the four main leads and their fight for the ideal future and a better life that makes this series so wonderful from the beginning until the very ending -- from the moment that the four meet each other, to their constant fighting and bickering, to their unification due to circumstances, until finally they sincerely begin to care about one another as true friends.

I personally really enjoyed Sungkyunkwan Scandal, if only for the friendship and the comedy. The chemistry between these four, whether as the actors or as the characters was so great that you cannot help but give a little cheer the very moment that they finally form their four person group. You learn to fall in love with each of the Jalgeum Quartet as their story lines come to surface, and because of this, Sungkyunkwan Scandal becomes a so much more amazing epic journey.

Is this series completely perfect? No, it isn't. There are flaws, just as there will always be flaws. But the underlying concept and the overall series as it's complete, wonderful self has made the series an outstandingly memorable experience to follow along with.

I don't even care that a lot of angst had taken place or that supporting antagonists were ever-present. The other girl who was love rival to Kim Yoon Hee didn't even really seem so significant when you look at the bigger picture. Political intrigue and social scandals only served as a support to the four person unification, but nonetheless, were well-thought out. Investigations by the Jalgeum Quartet were thrilling to watch and the ultimate truth behind them were amazingly momentous. Supporting characters were nice to have around as comrades, friends, fellow scholars and the like, however minuscule their roles seemed to be.

And it also helps that there are the three dashing young men and Park Min Young's extremely adorable portrayal of Kim Yoon Hee to bask upon.

Having expected nothing more than a simple love story filled with the usual antics of a typical romantic comedy, I was pleasantly surprised by the much more amazing story that I received from this series' and its' presentation. With excellent actors, wonderfully created characters, beautiful scenic backdrops and a riveting story line to follow, I would totally recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal to anyone looking for a meaningful, humorous, action-packed and exciting journey.

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Related articles:
news: Sungkyunkwan Scandal movie!

thoughts: Sungkyunkwan Scandal - *coming soon* - Look forward to a more in-depth look at this series in discussion

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news: Sungkyunkwan Scandal movie!

I saw this article today and thought that I really had to share it, if anyone is interested, that is:

QTV to Air "Sungkyunkwan Scandal: The Movie" at K-Pop Express

This news got me a little excited since I became a huge fan of Song Joong Ki for his role as Gu Yong Ha in this series, a bored, witty, and flamboyant young scholar who is probably the most adorable thing to grace Korean drama (at least in my opinion).

As the K-Pop Express article states, this movie will be a remake of the twenty episode series to mark the one year anniversary of it's broadcast. Consisting of three good looking men and one very elegantly pretty girl who were combined into a unit of close camaraderie, the series was a huge hit among fans as well as a gem of a series. I certain had a lot of fun watching it over and over again just for the laughs and the insights and the fun as well as the lovable Yeorim's (Gu Yong Ha's nickname) cuteness, coolness, witticisms, and loveliness all in one excellent Song Joong Ki package.

It sounds like the movie will simply be a retelling of the original story line, so there won't be anything new to look forward to, but I'm still anticipating it just to see how the producers will fit the entirety of SKK Scandal into a few hours. Also, it is mentioned that there will be interviews of our cast and some behind-the-scenes footage and NG scenes to enjoy.

I say, the more Jalgeum Quartet, the better!

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Related articles:

intro info: Sungkyunkwan Scandal

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intro info: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradise (Japanese)

Horikita Maki as Ashiya Mizuki
Oguri Shun as Sano Izumi
Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu Shuichi


One of many romantic comedies depicting a girl cross dressing as a boy for her own reasons, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradise, is a spin off of the shoujo manga of the same name (minus the Ikemen Paradise) written by Hisaya Nakajo.

The story of Hana Kimi is fairly straight forward (like any other romantic comedy). Ashiya Mizuki, while living in America, sees footage of a boy named Sano Izumi doing a high jump. Feeling inspired by how beautiful his form looks and taking to heart his words of encouragement to young people all over the world, she is determined to meet this person for herself. And so with the mindset of a crazy fangirl girl in love, she goes to Japan, enrolls in an all-boys school disguised as a boy, simply to fulfill her dream of meeting and befriending her high jumping idol.

That is the original storyline of the manga, which then continues on to detail the life of Ashiya Mizuki as she struggles through life as a boy in an all boys school, living in the dorms with boys, eating with boys, going to class with boys, and trying to avoid showering with boys.

Ikemen Paradise takes this straightforward plot and throws in a spin of it's own. While with similar concept, much is changed making the Japanese live action adaptation a stand alone series capable of shining on its own.

Ashiya Mizuki, in this version, goes to Japan for the same reasons, except this time, her goal from the beginning is convincing Sano Izumi to return to high jump. Because while in the manga, Sano's withdrawal from the sport was due to his pressure and a car accident, the reason in this version is much different. While at a competition in America, Mizuki is attacked by a gang of young men, and in order to save a complete stranger, Sano ends up getting hurt thus causing him to back out of the high jumping arena. While his injury was not enough to keep him off of the field forever, his reasons for leaving were very much on par with the reasons given in the original manga version: he felt pressured into being the best high jumper by his father of whom he already had terrible relations with.

The story takes off from there with a lot of difference from the original story, but having it's own episodic side plots on top of the ultimae base plot. Our team of boys continuously jump into dorm competitions lead by the three dorm leaders and involve themselves in strange activities courtesy of the school's planning. Other changes include a female version of photographer Hara Akiha who shows up for every event in the entire series, and a much more involving adult presence in the form of Sawatari whom I assume is just the principal's assistant who jumpstarts each and every event for the boys.

And so Ikemen Paradise, while taking from it's manga base, presents a whole different story line concerning the blossoming romance of our main couple as well as the road to discovery, both for Sano Izumi as well as Ashiya Mizuki.

The series itself is full of fun and hilarious antics surrounding the boys of Osaka Academy. With a bigger comedic tone than the original manga, the series was a laugh fest of entertainment and enjoyment. While I personally preferred the sweet love story of the original manga more, the live action version did not really pale too much in comparison. It had it's charm, filled with hilarious comedic moments, inspirationally cheesy monologues, as well as a spunky new type of Ashiya Mizuki and the acting god who is Ikuta Toma-sama as Nakatsu Shuichi.

It is unfortunate that the series did not develop the blossoming love story between Sano and Mizuki that made Hana Kimi so special; but the change in characterizations and story line really DID help to make the series a separate entity from the manga itself. In contrast from the manga, I found that I ended up loving the character of Nakatsu Shuichi so much that I instantly became a fan of Ikuta Toma. This series was made for him, allowing him to carry the show all the way until the very end despite his character being supporting to the main couple. But to my dismay I really didn't care for the love story between Sano and Mizuki as much as I had in the original manga version. Instead, I often times found myself wishing that Mizuki would turn her attention to Nakatsu; ultimately, this is taboo for a fan of the Hana Kimi love story.

But I stand by my own opinions. Ikuta Toma's big break as Nakatsu Shuichi in this series left a very deep impression.

The series itself was wonderfully fun to follow along with. Japanese humor still stands as some of the best and I wouldn't mind rewatching this series over and over again -- even if only for the Nakatsu Shuichi wonders.


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thoughts: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e: Ikemen Paradise (Japanese) - a more in depth look at the series in discussion

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