[K-drama] Goong (궁)

Title: 궁(宮)
Also known as: Palace|Princess Hours|Imperial Household
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 24
Broadcast period: 2006-Jan-11 to 2006-Mar-30

Rating:


Well since Goong was my first drama I watched (I'm not counting Bishojou Senshi Sailor Moon, because that was just pure crack) I thought it would fitting to make it my first review on here too!

Summary:
Goong is based off the the manhwa by Park SoHee. It takes place in current day Seoul, but has suspended reality with the royal family still ruling. The crown prince, Lee Shin, marries a commoner, Shin ChaeKyung, because of a promise made between the king and ChaeKyung's grandfather. There are some problems in the way other than their dislike for each other. One is Shin's Min HyoRin, Shin's girlfriend at the start, who he proposed to, but got turned down. The other is Lee Yul, Shin's cousin, who was orginally the crown prince before his father died and wants his place back as well as ChaeKyung. The story follows their relationship as they get to know each other better.

I first watched this over six year ago and to this day it is still one of my favorite dramas. As you watch more Korean dramas you find that most of them follow the same basic plot of the "love-hate square", as I like to call it, there is the main couple then the guy who likes the main girl and the girl who likes the main guy. While Goong follows this thought, it is played out differently since the main couple is married and doesn't really have a choice in the matter.
But because of the suspended reality, there is a more classic feel to the story. You are pulled into the traditions of the royal family as ChaeKyung has to learn to behave like her new family.
Goong has a great mix of comedy and drama and romance. Though it focuses on ChaeKyung and Shin's relationship it is not the only part of the story, because they are forced into the situation and dislike each other the majority of the show follows them becoming friends before lovers. Which I appreciate so much!

Characters:
Yoon EunHye as Shin ChaeKyung
Joo JiHoon as Lee Shin
Kim JungHoon as Lee Yul
Song JiHyo as Min HyoRin

Shin ChaeKyung is in the art department of the high school, she's carefree and has a mind of her own.
One reason I love Goong so much is because of ChaeKyung. Unlike most Korean dramas, ChaeKyung is not a weak female character and speaks her mind ALL the time, even when she really shouldn't. She puts up with Shin as much as she can, but when he it too controlling she doesn't hold back. Throughout the series she has kicked him, slapped him, tackled him, and more. Even though she isn't the smartest and has the smallest attention span, she tries her hardest to make the best of being forced into the role of the crown princess.
I instantly fell in love with Yoon EunHye as ChaeKyung. She's a great actress and always plays strong roles. This was one of her early roles, so her acting isn't the best. But she captures ChaeKyung's character and I couldn't see her played by anyone else.

Lee Shin is in the film department of the high school, he's demading and overbearing at times but is also lonesome.
At the beginning of the drama, Shin comes off as a spoiled brat who gets everything he wasn't, but still isn't happy with it. And I can say every time I watch this over I can't stand him and always wonder why I like him. As the times goes on however he gets much more tolerable, he starts to trust people thanks the ChaeKyung. Even though it doesn't excuse his character, you see just why he's a brat from the beginning. One thing that make him become more likable is his vulnerability, he trust people and because of that is betrayed quite often. And his transformation to what he is in the end is very smooth and visible, unlike a lot of male leads in Korean drams that are horrible one moment then the sweetest thing ever.
As for Joo JiHoon's acting, fr being his first role he did an AMAZING job. He felt comfortable and genuine from the beginning though to the end. Joo JiHoon is a natural at acting and is great at playing both the jerk and the sweetheart.

Lee Yul is Shin's cousin and transfers into the art department after returning to Korea from England, he's very sweet but does whatever it takes to get what he wants.
For me Yul was he complete opposite of Shin in the beginning, he was so nice to ChaeKyung when Shin and the rest of the royals ignored and criticized her. But around the point when Shin starts to become nice, Yul starts to turn into the jerk. I've found that in most dramas the second guy tends to stay nice so you wonder why the girl would go for the jerk-turned-nice guy. Yul, however, becomes so caught up with reclaiming his spot as the crown prince and getting rid of Shin that I really hated him. I can understand why he would want to have his rightful place back, but he goes about it all wrong, mainly because he wants ChaeKyung since she was 'supposed' to be his.
Yul was played by Kim JungHoon and he did a pretty good job. Sometimes he was a bit robotic and emotionless, but I thought the emotionless part kind of worked for Yul's character.

Min HyoRin is in the dance department of the high school, she's very quiet and sad.
I personally never liked HyoRin, from the start I disliked her. She was always too negative and could never really see what was right before her could make her happy, instead she keeps holding on to all the things that she's lost and it just makes her depressing. Now I know her character is supposed to be the one that you dislike because she interferes with the main couple, but she was just too much. Shin was her boyfriend before he married ChaeKyung and HyoRin broke up with him because she didn't want to be a princess. Yet as soon as Shin is married, HyoRin suddenly changes he mind and decides its better to give up her life dream and chase after him, even though she knows it's fruitless(aka she'd rather be his mistress then become a balirina). I just disliked her mindframe, her actions, and just find her so annoying.
I've never actually seen Song JiHyo in anything else, that I can think up off the top of my head, so I can't really compare her acting to anything else. But I thought she did a pretty good job, I was just too annoyed at HyoRin to really notice her acting.

Other than the main characters the Queen, played by Kim HyeJa was up at the top of my list of best characters. She as so cute and cared so much for her family! ChaeKyung's friends were also so amusing, they never ceased to make me laugh.

Theme Song:

The theme song for Goong is "Perhaps Love" by Howl. I fell in love with Howl's voice in this, and he's one of my favorite ballad singers. It's a very beautiful and emotional song. I never got tired it hearing it play in the background.