Best Romantic Historical Korean Dramas (Pt 2 of 2)

Hope you were pleased with the recommendation in Part 1.  Here's the second half of the list.  Enjoy!

Healing Crystal Natural Rose Stone Heart

(6) Mr. Queen (2020)
A chef from modern-day Seoul falls off a hotel balcony and into a pool. When he comes out of the water, he is in the body of a queen during the Joseon Era. It seems that at that moment a few hundred years ago, she had jumped into a lake because she was trying to commit suicide. Somehow his soul entered her body. He was in shock when he looked in the mirror and in even more shock when he realized he had to sleep with the king! His first thought was how to avoid the king's bed until he noticed the king didn't seem to be interested in him … uuuhh? … her. So then he turned his focus on how to get back to his time period and back in his own body.

Meanwhile … he had to learn to live as the queen, which meant he was drawn into all of the palace scheming, conniving, corruption, and treachery. He had to learn the queen's friends and her enemies, and how to get along with her father. The fun part of this time-travel/body-swap misadventure was using his chef skills to prepare dishes and win over the king’s enemies. Even though the chef's identity and personality remain in her body, the queen’s identity and personality gradually become dominant.

The chef's memories get replaced with the queen's memories and the reason she tried to commit suicide became clear. But by that time, the romance between the king and the queen develops because the king also understands her reason. The king was mistaken about her true intention and her love for him. He believed she was part of her family's corrupt plan for power. The queen learned the tragic story of the king's childhood and that her father had knowledge of how his family died. They became closer to each other and fell in love. Their love story is beautiful and triumphant. Best time travel romantic comedy ever!! [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: Global, CJ ENM. “Mr. Queen.” YouTube, Video, 12 Dec. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1vplUsGDoI.

(7) Lovers of the Red Sky (2021)

Hong Cheong-Gi is the main female character and also the name of a real historical figure who was the only female painter accepted into the Korean Royal Academy of Painting during the Joseon era. The leading male character is Ha Ram. She is the divine painter and he is a divine astrologer. They first meet as children; she is born blind and he is a child with special power. The children get separated because Ha Ram is chosen to participate in a rain ritual. On the day he performs the ritual, he loses his eyesight and is possessed by a demon. At the same exact time, the blind girl gains her eyesight. When they grow up, they meet again, and their bond of friendship is renewed and matures into romantic love. However, their love and lives are endangered because they are caught up in two webs: the political power games in the human world AND the eternal power struggle of good versus evil in the spirit world. This Viki Original series is a delightful historical fantasy romance. [Where to Watch]

(8) Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist (2022)
A royal physician who works in the palace and is called upon to treat members of the royal family has such extraordinary medical skills, he is given the title “Divine Acupuncturist”. But others hatched a plan to murder the king and frame him. He is not aware that performing acupuncture would cause the king's death. Consequently, he is accused of murder and thrown into prison. The murderers hoped he would receive the death penalty and their crime would be hidden. But the crown prince set him free because he believed he was innocent and that he was also the only one who could prove who had murdered the king.

He went from working as a royal physician to working in a village hospital. But he was so traumatized that he could no longer perform acupuncture. He met a young woman and trained her to be an acupuncturist. When she first saw him she had to talk him out of committing suicide. When he met her again, she a trying to commit suicide. Not only did he have to treat her “heart”, he uncovered that she was a victim. Her mother-in-law was trying to convince her to commit suicide so her family would receive the Virtuous Widow Honor.

The royal physician who was no longer able to perform acupuncture started a new life and developed a new skill. The physician changed the way he treated patients by diagnosing both their physical sickness and determining how to heal their troubled minds. He became a “heart doctor” and he also fell in love. This K-drama has 2 seasons. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: Global, CJ ENM. “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist.” CJ ENM - YouTube, 18 Aug. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc2Nr-1AYBc.

(9) The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023)

The daughter of a nobleman owns a guesthouse left to her by her father. In addition to being a guesthouse, there are also secrets and romance. There are three flower scholars are her guests.

• One is already paying for a room before the other two guests arrive. He hopes to win the heart of the owner.

• The second guest came to town to take the civil service exam for martial arts and hopes to become a member of the king's royal guard.

• The third guest has no money but he did try to help a damsel in distress. Since the damsel is the owner of the guesthouse, he arrives there and tells her she should repay the debt by allowing him to stay there.

Two of the scholars have a secret identity and are on a secret mission. The owner also has a secret and tells all of the guests they are not allowed to go near the guestroom located at the back. It's haunted.

When the owner was a young girl, she protected a young boy who ran into her yard and hid in the dog house. That boy was the crown prince but he did not tell her his true identity. Thirteen years passed and one of the guests is that prince and he' gong to fall in love with him. This is a Viki Original series. [Where to Watch]

(10) Missing Crown Prince (2024)

A royal physician was told that if his daughter married the crown prince, he would die young and she would become a widow. His plan is for his daughter to become the future crown princess so he kidnaps the crown prince. They are both drugged and spend the night together, lying side by side, technically making them a married couple. He further plans to eliminate that crown prince and replace him with another crown prince and get him to marry his daughter.

Before he was kidnapped the crown prince was investigating her father. He had information that proved he was having a secret affair with the Queen Dowager and might be responsible for the death of a court maid assigned to the queen dowager's palace.

The best laid plan usually doesn't work out. The daughter wakes up and helps the prince escape not knowing who he is. He also does not know that she is the daughter of the royal physician he was investigating. The other prince the father had hoped his daughter would marry was very close to the crown prince. They grew up together and had a strong bond. But that strong bond might be broken because both of them fell in love with the royal physician's daughter. This K-drama series is a spin-off of “Bossam: Steal the Fate”, another Viki Original which was released in 2021. This is a Viki Original series. [Where to Watch]

Original source

Best Romantic Historical Korean Dramas (Pt 1 of 2)

Need some recommendations for binge-watching historical romantic Korean drama?  Here is a 2-part list.

Heart Sticky Notes

(1) Dong Yi (2010)
A true story: a real-life love story between Dong Yi and King Sukjong. A concubine with a heart of gold, who suggested to the king that there be a law preventing a concubine from becoming queen (according to the TV series). She saw and experienced the cruelty of the “palace flowers” toward each other and the lengths they went to trying to eliminate their “competition”. In the actual history of Joseon, the strict Confucian social hierarchy and the established court protocols did make it difficult for concubines to rise to the status of queen consort. Dong Yi, who was the king's favorite concubine, was elevated to the status of Royal Noble Consort Suk-bin and became the mother of King Yeongjo. [Where to Watch]

(2) Shine or Go Crazy (2015)

Set during the period BEFORE the Joseon Era when the country was called Goryeo. Wang So is the Prince of Goryeo who is kicked out of the palace because they believed he is cursed. When his future was read, it was determined that he was born with both a light and fire, meaning he will either shine bright like a star OR he'll be a crazy man. Shin Yool is a princess from Balhae who survived her country's destruction and is included in a prophecy concerning Wang So. The prophecy said she would help a prince of Goryeo ascend to the throne and become king. They met each other in a most unusual way. They were both in a foreign country and she was trying to escape an arranged marriage.

Wang So was a random man she saw on the street and she persuaded him to participate in a fake marriage. When they met she was living as a successful businesswoman. She didn't know he was a prince and he didn't know she was a princess. Separately, he returned to Goryeo and she came to Goryeo later to do business. She recognizes him when she sees him but he didn't recognize her. This time, not only did he not know she was a princess; he didn't even know she was a woman. Shin Yool disguised herself as a man because her gender would prevent her from doing business in Goryeo. They met again and would fall in love, neither realizing that their relationship a part of a prophecy. “Shine or Go Crazy” is based on a novel of the same name. [Where to Watch]

(3) 100 Days My Prince (2018)
Yul is a young prince befriends Yi Seo, a nobleman's daughter and told her that he would marry her when they grew up. Unfortunately, his weak-minded and wicked father authorized the slaughter of her family because they were preventing him from ascending to the throne. He bravely helped her and her brother escape. His father became king and he became the crown prince who forced into a loveless marriage because his father-in-law wanted more power. His father-in-law even tried to assassinate him because the crown prince was simply getting in the way of his power plays. The assassination attempt failed but in the process Yul lost his memories.

Yi Seo had been adopted and raised by a loyal servant from her father; household. There was a royal command that all of the spinsters in the villages had to be married. Since her father knew that Yul had amnesia, he told him that he a his daughter's fiancé and they were to be married. Yi Seo was about to be flogged for disobeying the royal command. Just like that! Yul had inadvertently married his first love, the young girl he had promised to marry. Only they did not recognize each other. This series is based on a webtoon. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: TV, Viki Global. “100 DAYS MY PRINCE - OFFICIAL TRAILER.” YouTube, Video, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LxsJGR7DgU.

(4) Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019)
During the Joseon era, women were very limited in activities they could engage in freely. Goo Hae-ryung's older brother who raised her had decided that it was time for her to marry. He had out it off long enough. At the same time, the king decided to authorize the hiring of female historians. It was a first! There had never been female historians but there was a critical need. It was not to ensure that history was properly recorded. It was a way for the king and his corrupt officials to be able to gain access to the areas in the palace where only women could go.

The king and one of his corrupt court officials wanted to snoop on the queen, the queen dowager, the crown princess, the concubines, and any and all women in the palace. They wanted a record of people who met with the “flowers in the palace” and what they discussed. Hiring female historians was the perfect solution to “their problem”. Goo Hae-ryung believed being hired as a female historian was the perfect solution to “her problem”, i.e. avoiding an arranged marriage and remaining independent free-spirited woman. She passed the test and became a part of the group of the first female historians in Joseon. Once inside the palace she met and fell in love with a prince. Their romantic relationship hit a few roadblocks. There was no way to avoid the palace intrigue and treacherous schemes. They had to find a way to overcome them. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: K-Content, Netflix. “Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung.” YouTube, Video, 8 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqaGhUJ9Vgs.  

(5) The Tale of Nok Du (2019)

Nok Du is a prince who thought he was a commoner because his adopted father kept his true identity a secret from him. Why? Because his own father, the king, tried to kill him to thwart a shaman's prediction of his future. Nok Du was content to be a commoner. He had a happy home with his father and brother on a beautiful island with friendly villagers. But one day female assassins showed up at his house. He overpowered them so they tried to escape. Nok Du chased after them and he was relentless in his pursuit. He followed the assassin into a widows' village and … they beat him up and kicked him out!

Nok Du needed to know why assassins showed up at his home and he knew the assassin was in that village. There was only one way to get inside that village. He dressed up like a woman and pretended to be a widow. In the village, he met a young woman, Dong Dong Ju, who dressed up like a man whenever she left the community. Dong Dong Ju was not a widow, but the head of the village allowed her to stay there. It was a safe haven for her because members of her noble family had been killed. Dong Dong Ju was on a mission of revenge. She planned to kill the man responsible for the death of her family members, i.e. king, Nok Du's father. They end up sharing a room together in the village, and she learns he is a man. They fall in love but it's gets complicated. [Where to Watch]

Original source

Historical Period Korean Drama: "Queen for Seven Days" (2017) ~ For Fans of Park Min Young

"Queen for Seven Days" is a Korean drama series released in 2017, with 20 episodes, categorized as Romance, historical period, sageuk, costume and period; and streaming on Viki. It is based on a true Joseon queen who only lasted on the throne for literally 7 days. 

• SUMMARY: A dramatization of the life of Queen Dangyeong. TRUE STORY: Shin Chae-kyung became Queen Dangyeong. She married Grand Prince Jinseong. In 1506, when Prince Jinseong ascended to the throne, he became King Jungjong and Shin Chae-kyung became the queen. Just seven days later, she was deposed and expelled from the palace. Her father, Shin Su-geun, was implicated in a coup against King Jungjong, which led to her deposition. She remained deposed until her death in 1557. Her title was posthumously restored, i.e. she was honored with the title of Queen after her death.

♦ Based on the True Story of Queen Dangyeong

In “Queen for Seven Days”, Shin Chae-kyung is the daughter of the king's most trusted official. That official is also a relative of the queen and is well-connected in many ways. Even so, he did his best to hide his daughter in the countryside and she doesn't know why. She thinks her parents are ashamed of her. However, her parents were told a prophecy. If their daughter married into the royal family, there would be a bloodbath. Her mother and father believed that. (Although, truth be told, during the Joseon Era, weren't there always bloodbaths in the royal family?) Nevertheless, Shin Chae-kyung overheard servants talking and saw that an important document was supposed to be delivered to her father. She stole the document, dressed up like a young boy, and traveled from the countryside to Hangyang to visit her family's home. It would be a surprise! Surprise? More like a SHOCK!

Before she finally reached her home, she had a few misadventures.

• First, she accidentally met Grand Prince Jinseong, the boy who would become her husband and would also become the king and she would be his queen. Having never been to Hangyang or the palace, she was clueless and thought he was just a rude child of a nobleman who acted like a gangster.

• Second, that important document that she was carrying to give to her father was stolen by a pickpocket. She wrongfully accused the grand prince of stealing it. That misunderstanding led to more misunderstandings.

• Third, she thought she was chasing after the grand prince but crossed paths with the current king, the older brother of the grand prince instead. Once again, she was clueless, not realizing that she was interacting with her future brother-in-law.

By the time she finally reached her home, her mother and father were meeting with the royal family, discussing her marriage to the grand prince. She was standing outside the door and could hear her parents making all kinds of excuses about why she was not a suitable match. The grand prince noticed that someone was eavesdropping and when he pushed the door open, she fell down. Her parents were shocked and yelled out her name in the form of a question. “Chae-kyung????“ It was their turn to be clueless. What was their daughter doing in Hangyang? That was their question. Her question was why were her parents saying such terrible things about her? She was a suitable match for the grand prince and she was going to prove it!

Shin Chae-kyung had no idea about the prophecy. She also had no idea that the document she was bringing to her father was the “secret order” of the late king. It was that king's will that the grand prince ascend to the throne. Grand Prince Jinseong was also clueless about these matters. They were both innocents who had unintentionally walked directly into a fire, a hotbed of treachery and treason, and a bloodbath. They would eventually marry but Shin Chae-kyung would not survive?

• If only that young innocent girl had remained hidden in the countryside and/or her parents had told her about the prophecy.

• More importantly, if only the Joseon noblemen, government and court officials, and the royal family didn't always engage in politics based on treachery and treason!

Would her history have been different? We will never know.

Main Characters:

• Shin Chae-Kyung (played by Park Min-Young)

• Lee Yeok (played by Yeon Woo-Jin)

• Lee Yoong (played by Lee Dong-Gun)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.6 out of 10 stars

• My Drama List: 8.2 out of 10 stars

• Dramabeans: 9.3 out of 10 stars

• Google users shared a rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

• Viki viewers have rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Park Min Young has had a loyal following ever since “Healer” but “Marry My Huband” made her even more popular. Fans may want to visit or revisit some of her earlier work like “Queen for Seven Days”.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

FirstImpressions: “Queen For 7 Days” Delivers Sweet Puppy Love AndIntense Family Drama | Soompi

Queenfor Seven Days Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses

SevenDay Queen Finale Review | I Dreamed A Drama

K-Drama Review: "Queen For Seven Days" Reigns With Emotional Love Picture & Standout Portrayals | Hello KPop

5 K-Dramas to Watch If You Enjoyed ‘Marry My Husband’

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“Queen for Seven Days” is Available on DVD

♦ (Original source)

Tomorrow With You ~ Can a Time Traveler Change the Future?

“Tomorrow With You” is a 2017 drama series, with 16 episodes, and can be categorized as Time Travel, Romance, Comedy (Rom-Com) and Fantasy or Supernatural.

• SUMMARY: Suppose you meet someone on one day and that chance meeting saved your life. Then on another day you see your lifeless body being a carried away and the lifeless body of the woman who saved your life is also being carried away. Since you have the ability to time travel, maybe you can go back and sever the relationship you have with her. That should be fix everything. Right? That might work IF ... the ability to travel through time also gives you the ability to change the future. But if it doesn't ...

Image credit

♦ Life is Shorter Than You Think

Yoo So-joon is a handsome, young and wealthy CEO. You could say he has it all. What more could he ask for? Love? Well, that's obvious. But what else? How about the ability to travel through time? That wasn't exactly something that Yoo So-joon had on his wish list. But one day while riding the subway train, he felt a terrible pain in his head. The next thing he knew he was in a different time period. As soon as he got off the train he met another time traveler. The time traveler told him he'll have to get used to going back and forth between past, present, and future. But the most important rule is to never be in the same time period with yourself. He can't be with his present self and his future self at the same time. That's bad!

OK! Important safety tip! But guess what happened? Yoo So-joon saw his dead body being carried away on a stretcher. There was also a woman who had died and her name was Song Ma-Rin. Yoo So-joon wondered if it was possible to change the outcome of this tragic event. He time traveled again and it turns out he and Song Ma-Rin were married. In another time period, he and Song Ma-Rin were both on the same train. They got into an argument with each other and got off the train. While they were still arguing, the train blew up! Yoo So-joon had intended to stay on the train that day. If he had, he would have died.

Somehow the timelines of their lives were intertwined. In one period, she saved his life. In another, they both died together.

Song Ma-Rin is unaware that Yoo So-joon has already seen her future. She is barely managing to live in the present because her past keeps getting in the way. Song Ma-Rin used to be a child star but when she grew up she did not pursue an acting career. The problem is reporters keep writing articles about how she has not accomplished anything since her fame as a child actress and this gets in the way of her moving forward. When she met Yoo So-Joon he gave her this advice: "Life is shorter than you think. You shouldn't be hung up on the past.” He could say that, since Yoo So-joon already knew her future.

Yoo So-joon decided to traveled back in time to see if he could break their connection. If he could somehow sever their relationship, they wouldn't be together, they wouldn't fall in love and get married, and they probably would not die in a terrible accident. But does having the ability to time-travel also give you the ability to change your future?

Main Characters:

• Song Ma-Rin (played by Shin Min-A**)

• Yoo So-Joon (played by Lee Je-Hoon, “Chief Inspector 1958”, “Taxi Driver 1 and 2”, “Move to Heaven”, “My Paparotti”, “Time to Hunt”)

** Shin Min-A is a Korean actress who popped up on my radar in “Arang and the Magistrate ”. She stars in several Korean dramas that are still on my watch list: “Diva”, “Chief of Staff 1 and 2”, “Oh My Venus” (award-winning), and “Hometown Cha Cha Cha”. Have you watched any of these?

• Where to Watch: The Roku Channel and Tubi TV

Viewership and Ratings:

• IMDb Rating: 7.4 out of 10 stars

• My Drama List: 8 out of 10 stars

• Dramabeans: 8.3 out of 10 stars

• Letterboxd: 3.6 out of 5 stars

• Google users public rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List.

This Kdrama series had mixed reviews. Some did not give high marks for the acting or the script. Others said it was underrated and thought the chemistry between the couple was great.

I am always interested in how a scriptwriter will spin a time travel fantasy / love story. In “Tomorrow With You”:

• The female lead had a difficult time trying to get away from her past, so that she could live productively in the present.

• The male lead was trying to get away from his grim future that had her in it.

He felt should she could easily fix her problem if she just wasn't hung up on her past. Whereas the best way to fix his problem was to get her out of his life, because she is the problem!

I had to see how this was going to work out.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Tomorrow With You | Korean Drama Review (“A beautiful, languidly romantic time traveling story,...”)

Twelve (12) of the Best Time Travel K Dramas And Where To Watch Them | TODAY

Lee Je Hoon: An Actor Review | Drama Homebody

Tomorrow With You ~ Can a Time Traveler Change the Future? https://t.co/qMhn9txwm3 #kdramas #Koreandrama #allthingshallyu #entertainment #popcornworthy #fantasy

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 10, 2024

WATCH TRAILER:

Ani-Hongo. “TOMORROW, with YOU (2017) - TRAILER.” YouTube Video. YouTube, March 28, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=824cd8uXz8Y.

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Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019); An Award-Winning Korean Drama

"Angel’s Last Mission: Love"

Kim Dan is an angel who knows the rules of the heavenly realm. He must never touch a human. If he does, he'll disappear, as in “cease to exist”. He doesn't want that. He wants to go to heaven. But even though he knew the rules, the female was badly injured and pleading for someone to save her. Lee Seul-hwa was blind but she could hear that someone was there at the accident and they were close enough to help her. She used to be a prima ballerina, but while performing on stage one night there was a terrible accident which resulted in her losing her eyesight. People are afraid to be around her because she is an angry, bitter, cold-hearted former ballet dancer who takes out her frustration on everyone else, as if it's their fault. What is even worse is that the Fantasia Ballet Company that her parents built for her to inherit has almost been stolen from her by greedy relatives.

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So many times Lee Seul-hwa had wanted to die. But now that she might actually die, she's begging to live. Her pitiful pleas were too much for Kim Dan and he yielded to temptation. He broke the rules and touched a human to save her life. When Lee Seul-hwa woke up in the hospital she could see! Meanwhile Kim Dan was getting ready to receive his punishment. But wait! He didn't disappear! Why does he still exist? It's true, he does exist, but no longer as an angel. Now he is a human who is being given a chance to re-earn his wings. This will be his last mission. If he fails he can forget about a heavenly reward. What's the mission? LOVE. He must find true love for Lee Seul-hwa. Even though she is no longer blind, she is still disgruntled, angry and a terrifying person to be in the same room with.

Lee Seul-hwa has so many emotional scars. She is afraid to love because all of the people she loved have died. Loving someone is too painful so she avoids becoming vulnerable. Kim Dan starts trying to play matchmaker, but starts to develop genuine feelings for her and unintentionally creates a love triangle. This wasn't supposed to happen. Aren't angels only supposed to love God? Will he be punished for loving Lee Seul-hwa?

Genre: Romance and Fantasy or Supernatural

IMDb Rating: 7.7 out of 10 stars

My Drama List: 8.4 out of 10 stars

Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

AWARDS: This delightful Korean drama won several awards at the 2019 KBS Drama Awards ceremony. Shin Hae-Sun won Top Excellence Award, Actress. Kim Myung-Soo won Best New Actor and K-Drama Hallyu Star. Together they won Best Couple Award.

Main Characters:

• Lee Yeon-Seo (played by Shin Hae-Sun, “Welcome to Samdal-ri”, “See You in My 19th Life”, “Mr. Queen”, “Don't Buy the Seller”)

• Kim Dan (played by Kim Myung-Soo, “Dare to Love Me”, “Numbers”, “Royal Secret Agent”)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

4 Heart-Fluttering Fantasy K-Dramas To Enjoy During The Fall | Soompi

9 Entertaining K-Dramas That Involve Multiple Worlds |Soompit

Winners Of 2019 KBS Drama Awards | Soompi

WATCH TRAILER:

Viu Singapore. “Angel’s Last Mission: Love 단, 하나의 사랑 TRAILER | INFINITE’S L, SHIN HYE SUN.” YouTube Video. YouTube, May 23, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TSA7zVmmx0.

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"Angel’s Last Mission: Love" ~ Finding Love for the Unlovable https://t.co/VzPlpPb7an #kdramas #Koreandrama #allthingshallyu #entertainment #popcornworthy #fantasy

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 10, 2024

Chuno (The Slave Hunters) (2010), 24 episodes

Fans of Jang Hyuk will enjoy this intense action-packed historical period Korean drama series.

Lee Dae-gil (played by Jang Hyuk) is the son of a noble family, who fell in love with Kim Hye-Won (played by Lee Da-Hae), a slave. Her brother destroyed his master and everything he owned. He thought he had killed Lee Dae-gil. The brother destroyed the slave ownership papers and created a new life for himself and his sister.

Since Lee Dae-gil had lost his family's wealth, he became a slave hunter. Mainly, because he was searching for the woman he loved, assuming that she was still a slave on the run. He would capture slaves, collect the reward, and then help them escape again but this time to freedom. Lee Dae-gil is also hunting for Song Tae-Ha (played by Oh Ji-Ho). He has been labeled as a slave but he is a brave and noble warrior who will one day reclaim his honor.

To continue establishing his reputation and wealth, Hye-Won's brother arranges a marriage for her. On the day of the wedding, she runs away. She is about to be attacked by bandits but Tae-Ha rescues her. Their relationship grows into romance, all the while she believes her first love, Lee Dae-gil, has died. Eventually, Lee Dae-gil finds her but realizes that she in now in a loving relationship with the man, the slave, he has been hunting. From there …. (NO SPOILERS!)

Source: Historical K-Dramas That Slipped Under the Radar (Pt 1 of 5)

Perfect Marriage Revenge: 2023 VIKI Original Korean Drama Series

Perfect Marriage Revenge Could Easily Be Turned Into a Korean Soap Opera That Could Go On and On and On and …

Perfect Marriage Revenge is a 2023 VIKI Original Korean Drama Series with 16 episodes. The scriptwriters should consider stretching it out to 160 episodes. Loaded with hostile family drama where the relatives dream up ways to plot evil against each other, and then spend their waking hours making their dreams a harsh reality. You pity the children born into their homes because they are raised to carry on with the family traditions of performing acts of malice. Without a doubt, Perfect Marriage Revenge could be the best Kdrama soap opera ever!

“Perfect Marriage Revenge” is a romance/drama that tells the story of Han Yi-Joo, a young girl who was adopted into a rich family but never accepted as a part of the family. Meanwhile, her little sister is showered with love and spoiled rotten. Yi-Joo is constantly reminded by her “mother” who adopted her that she is “fake” and her little sister is “real”. Meaning that she should be thankful she was adopted and never try to receive all the wealth and property that should go directly to her little sister. Growing up in that home was hellish for Han Yi-Joo! Someone even tried to poison her, but they failed.

Han Yi-Joo was a gifted artist. No doubt she could use her God-given talent and create her own wealth. Instead, her mother convinced her to “copy” the originals of famous artists. Her mother told her the copied paintings would be donated to orphanages as a charitable donation. However, she sold them as “originals” to make money. 

One day her mother's fraud was exposed. She told Yi-Joo to submit a false confession and go to jail. Yi-Joo was so upset she jumped in her car and drove off. Sadly she got into a car accident and almost died. While hanging between life and death, she prayed for a second chance. If she could only relive her life she would not make the same ignorant and foolish mistakes.

Her prayer was answered. Instead of waking up in a hospital bed, she woke up in her own bed. When she checked the time she realized that she had gone back one year in the past. She had been given a second chance and now had the opportunity to change her past. But she only had one year to accomplish this.  She overheard her little sister say that she wanted to get married to Seo Do-Kook, a man who was one of the heirs to Taeja Group, a Korean conglomerate. Han Yi-Joo made up her mind that getting Seo Do-Kook to marry her would be the perfect marriage revenge.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

• Han Yi-Joo (played by Jung Yoo-Min)

• Seo Do-Kook (played by Sung Hoon)

This Viki Original Korean drama series is based on the webcomic “Wanbyeokhan Gyeolhonui Jungseok”. But in my opinion, it was the best soap opera ever!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Exclusive: Sung Hoon on Perfect Marriage Revenge … | Web Series | Hindustan Times

• Perfect Marriage Revenge (Webcomic) | TV Tropes

• Nine (9) 2023 Viki Original K-Drama Series to Binge-Watch | PopGeeks

K-Drama Series: King the Land (2023)

King the Land is a modernized Korean version of Cinderella, a fairy tale written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697.

• Cinderella is Cheon Sa-Rang (played by Im Yoon-ah)

• Prince Charming is Gu Won (played by Lee Jun-ho)

Revisions to the Old Cinderella Fairy Tale

• Instead of Cinderella having 2 wicked stepsisters, she had 2 BFFs (best friends forever) who always had her back. It was Prince Charming who had a wicked half-sister.

• Instead of a fairy godmother, Cinderella has a wise, industrious, and generous grandmother who teaches her valuable work and life skills, raises her to be independent, gives her good advice, and supports her endeavors.

• It turns out that Cinderella and her 2 best friends all work for businesses owned by the King Group. The supervisors where the friends work, don't do anything to help them achieve success. Each supervisor acts like a wicked stepmother.

• Initially, Cinderella has a jerk for a boyfriend, but Prince Charming replaces him.

These changes or revisions do not make the love story of this Cinderella and her Prince Charmin any less enchanting.

My personal rating for this K-drama series is 8.4 out of 10 stars.

Café Minamdang | Comedy Korean Drama Netflix Series

Café Minamdang is a K-drama series based on the web novel titled Minamdang: Case Note, written by Jung Jae-ha. This series is 18 episodes, released in 2022, and currently streaming on Netflix.

Nam Han-joon (played by Seo In-guk) worked in law enforcement as a criminal profiler but was framed for a crime he did not commit. After being released from prison since he could not return to his old job, he decides to become a shaman.  

• Nam Hye-joon (played by Kang Mi-na) - Nam Han-joon's sister, who is a former NIS ace (NIS=National Intelligence Service). When it comes to electronic technology, she knows everything!

• Gong Soo-cheol (played by Kwak Si-yang) works as a barista during the day at Café Minamdang and at night he's a homicide detective. He is also is Nam Han-joon's best friend.

• Jo Na-Dan (played by Baek Seo-Hoo) is a part-time employee and every once in a while he gets recruited to work with the shaman on “special jobs”.

• Lieutenant Han Jae-hui (played by Oh Yeon-seo) aka “Han the Ghost”, is a homicide detective assigned to the Major Crimes Investigation Division Seven as the Team Leader.

In addition to performing her duties, Han Jae-hui is quietly investigating the death of her brother who served as a prosecutor. She suspects Nam Han-joon of being involved in criminal activities. What she does not realize is that the people responsible for her brother's murder are also the ones who framed Nam Han-joon.

Initially, she thinks Nam Han-joon's shamanic shenanigans are interfering with her investigative work. But actually, both of them have crime-fighting goals. Eventually, they agree to coordinate and work together on an investigative effort.

Café Minamdang is 18 episodes, released in 2022, and currently streaming exclusively on Netflix. The IMDb Rating is 7.4 out of 10 stars. I agree.

Our Blooming Youth: Historical Period Korean Drama

Our Blooming Youth is a historical period Korean drama series, released in 2023. It’s 20 episodes and currently streaming on Rakuten Viki.

• Crown Prince Lee Hwan is played by Park Hyung Sik. It was rumored that the crown prince murdered his brother so that he could take his place on the throne. Because of this wicked act, he was sent a “ghost letter”. Supposedly a ghost wrote a letter that said he is cursed. The curse has several parts to it. He will never be king, he will be betrayed by those he trusts, he will cause many people to die, and finally, he will die all alone with no wife and no children.
• Lady Min Jae Yi is played by Jeon So Nee. She is the daughter of a nobleman who is also the master/teacher of the crown prince. In addition, she is engaged to be married to the prince’s best friend. It was rumored that she betrayed her husband-to-be by engaging in an illicit affair, and murdered her entire family in order to run away with her lover. She’s a fugitive on the run, a lady in distress.

Read the full review on Medium.com.

Korean Drama TV Series: The King Loves (2017)

This Viki Original series is binge-worthy: “The King Loves” (or “The King in Love”) (2017). This series is based on the novel of the same name and is set during the Goryeo Dynasty historical period.

• What's the major theme of this series? Simply put, IF you have to choose between power, friendship and love, which would you choose?

There are very intricate relationships that were developed in this series: between parents and their child, between BFFs (best friends forever), and between people who fall in love. You know what? It doesn't matter if you're a seriously wicked and evil scheming conniving person, or a ruthless murderous assassin, you still have a heart and there can still be room for somebody in your life that you truly love who can reach your “tender spot”.

The 3 main characters are:

~ Wang Won (played by Im Siwan), the Crown Prince, heir to thr throne and future king;

~ Wang Rin (played by Hong Jong Hyun), his BFF since childhood, who is also of royal blood which means he could be chosen as king, instead of the Crown Prince, if the conniving power-monering people who plot and scheme behind the scenes have it their way; and

~ So Ha also known as Lady San (played by Yoona), the woman who completes the love triangle.

Of course, Wang Won and Wang Rin are both fall in love with her.

Image credit: Soompi

Crown Prince Wang Won's parents are King Chungnyeol, 25th king of Goryeo (played by Jung Bo-Suk) and Princess/Queen Wonsung (played by Jang Young-Nam). The mother is Chinese and she is the daughter of the Chinese emperor, Kublai Khan. The royal marriage was clearly arranged to form a strong political alliance between the kingdoms of Goryeo and Yuan.

• (REAL HISTORY NOTE: I had to do research to understand the significance of the royal marriage. Kublai Khan (Born  1215 – Died 1294), was also known by his temple name as Emperor Shizu of Yuan. He was the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire, reigning from 1260 to 1294. He founded the Yuan dynasty of China in 1271, and ruled as the first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294. From 1231 - 1273, Goryeo (Koryo) was invaded six times by the Mongols. Goryeo became a tributary of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty ( 元朝) in China. Goryeo was under Mongol Rule but this ended in the 1350s when the Yuan Dynasty itself began to disintegrate and King Gongmin of Goryeo seized the opportunity to begin to reform the Goryeo government by removing pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers.)

The Crown Prince's parents make the mistake that most royal parents make. Instead of loving and nurturing their son like any parent should, they use their child as a pawn in a power play. It does not make for a loving parent-child relationship and the very objective they want to accomplish, i.e. raise their child to one day become a great ruler who cares for and protects the people, gets lost in all the vicious palace intrigue and infighting. Interactions between either parent and the child were always INTENSE!!

So! Here's the PLOT. The Crown Prince is a HALF-BREED!! A child born from the union of a Goryeo king and a Chinese queen. Some of the folks in Goryeo don't like that! There is a clear divide. Those who will be loyal to the monarchy no matter who reigns as long as it's a good person who cares for and protects the people AND those who want a “pure-blood” Goryeo person to be the leader of the nation, as if only a person born without mixed heritage would possibly be the best person to rule the kingdom. Their excuse is that they fear the land of Goryeo will be taken over by a strong foreign power, Yuan, and they will cease to exist as “the true people of Goryeo”. That means they need to get rid of Wang Won, the half-breed. But how do they do that? Can it be done using:

~ Plan A: Place a pure-blood king on the throne without incurring the wrath of the Chinese Emperor and causing a bloodbath ... OR ...

~ Plan B: If they do make the Emperor angry, can they stand against him with their own military might? There will still be blood … but it will be worth it in The End because it will result in a Goryeo nation free from Chinese domination.

The series is 20 episodes. Definitely binge-worthy. I agree with the rating of 8.8 out of 10 stars reported by Viki.com viewers. To be honest, even though the king is the main person, if it were not for the character, Wang Rin, the king's BFF (best friend forever), I would not have been interested. From the moment of being introduced to this character, I wanted him to be my best friend forever! I liked him that much! So I had to follow this series through to The End because I needed to know what was going to become of him. Was he going to be killed OR would he survive the power struggle?

OFFICIAL TRAILER

What others have to say about “The King Loves”.

((WARNING! Some of these content links contain “spoilers”.)

• The King Loves (Series) - TV Tropes

• The King Loves Review: When Loyalty to Friends and Family is Put to the Test - The Silver Petticoat Review

• The King Loves Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses

• Final Review: What “The King Loves” Did Right And Where It Missed The Mark | Soompi

Original Source

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