K-Dramas came to the Philippines in the early 2000s. At the time I was not interested despite its popularity on Philippine television. I did enjoy a show or two, but I was never invested. Not even when they started coming up with Filipino versions. It was only when I watched the classic Korean drama Princess Hours that I became a K-Drama fan. In this post, I’ll share my love and review the show that is close to my heart to this day.
 |
| Credit: MBC Korea |
Plot
What if. That is the main plot of the show. What if South Korea still had a monarchy? What if the royal family promised its crown prince to a commoner? What if that marriage was when both the bride and groom were still in high school? What if the prince was in love with someone else? What if the crown prince was not supposed to be the crown prince but another member of the royal family? There were so many what-ifs that would have been confusing if not for the way that the show let it all unfold.
It felt like each of the what-ifs was set up one by one. It moved the story along in a way that kept the viewers entertained throughout its 24 episodes.
The story of the show is about Crown Prince Shin (Ju Ji Hoon) and commoner Chae Kyong (Yoon Eun Hye). The current Emperor fell ill so the royal family decided it was time for the prince to step in as his successor. The first step was to get married to have a consort when he ascended to the throne.
Shin wanted to marry his girlfriend, ballerina Hyo Rin. The problem was she rejected him because of her ambitions to be a successful dancer. Another complication? Shin’s grandfather, the former Emperor, had promised to marry off the Crown Prince to someone. Not only that, but it would also be to the granddaughter of the man who had once saved his life. This granddaughter? Chae Kyong, who happened to attend the same school as Shin and Hyo Rin.
Despite their objections, the two got married and started living as husband and wife. Unfortunately for Chae Kyong, Shin continues to have feelings for Hyo Rin. He was not faithful to their marriage and hoped he could still be with his former girlfriend. This drives her to become close to Shin’s cousin Yul, who develops feelings for her.
Complications arise in the story due to Yul’s mother. She wants her son to become the crown prince and heir to the throne instead of Shin. She argued that it was her husband who was the true Emperor if he had not died earlier than the previous ruler. Yul, blinded by his feelings for Chae Kyong, supports his mother. He believed if he was the true heir, it would mean that he was the one meant to marry Chae Kyong.
A lot of drama due to all the complications later, but things work out for Shin and Chae Kyong in the end. It is even hinted that she was pregnant during the last scene of the show, so everything led to a happy ending.
My Review
I remember watching the show when I was younger and falling in love with the story and characters. It was also then that I became a fan of Yoon Eun Hye, who played Chae Kyong.
The contrast of personalities between Chae Kyong and Shin made their conflicts interesting. I was a little annoyed by how bland the acting of some of the characters were in the show. Since I enjoyed the chemistry of the leads a lot, I ignored everything else. The fact that they were all supposed to be in high school even when they did not look like it was one of those things. I guess if the world ignores it when Hollywood does it, then I can ignore something like that in a Korean drama too.
The first time I watched the show was on TV. When I watched it again online, I noticed more about the show when it came to pacing and the storyline. It seems binge-watching has its benefits. You get to see things in a new light when you're not watching it one episode at a time. As nice as that was, not all the things I noticed were good.
Some plotlines progressed at a snail's pace. Scenes were dragging on too long and parts of it did not even need to be part of the story. It might be something they did to fit into the 24-episode formula. But I wish they could have done more for the show instead of stuffing it with parts that were a bit of a waste of time.
Despite that, the show had a lot of good moments, and the story was still very entertaining. It is one of those dramas that seems to stand the test of time for me. It’s always nice to look back on a classic like this while it’s available online.
Favorite Moments
There were many memorable moments in the show that I enjoyed. I loved every moment that involved the stuffed bears used in the story. I remember wondering where I could get one of them when the show first came out. That Teddy Bear Museum is one of the places I would love to visit in Korea one of these days.
I loved it every time the love theme (Perhaps Love – HowL, J.ae) played for the main characters. I still have this song on one of my playlists and I remember the show whenever I hear it. Although I must admit, listening to the music from the opening credits is a classic thing to hear too.
Every encounter between Chae Kyong and Shin for me was memorable. Their first night together where they were being brats was a funny one that I loved. But it was the scenes with the back hugs that were the best parts of the show for me.
The chemistry between Eun Hye and Ji Hoon was so good, I wished they were a couple in real life. I wish that they could reunite on another project someday so that I can see their chemistry again.
Actors – Where Are They Now?
Yoon Eun Hye
Eun Hye went on to other K-Dramas after Princess Hours. She even became one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry. This changed when she received criticism due to some unsuccessful dramas.
She continued to do dramas and appearances in other TV programs. She has also made her directorial debut with a short film called The Knitting.
She has not done a drama in years but currently has her own YouTube channel. EunhyeLogin is where she vlogs about her daily life and interests. She is also currently active on social media.
Ju Ji Hoon
Ju Ji Hoon moved on to other K-Dramas after Princess Hours and even began acting in movies. He enlisted in the military but after his break, he continued to make movies and TV shows. His recent projects include Along with the Gods and the Netflix drama Kingdom.
Kim Jeong Hoon
He continued to work on dramas and films and even made his Hollywood debut in the movie Pacific Rim: Uprising. It has not been easy to find any other updates on his career past this point.
Song Ji Hyo
The biggest surprise for me was finding out that Song Ji Hyo is on the show Running Man. She has been on the show since 2010 and I did not even recognize her!
Ji Hyo continues to appear in dramas and variety shows like Running Man. Apart from that, there haven’t been any other projects featuring her that I am familiar with.
Princess Hours is such a classic K-Drama that has had a long life. It has already had a reboot on Korean TV and versions in other countries. There has also been a Princess Hours musical that some K-Pop idols starred in.
There has been news of yet another reboot of this in Korea. Korean TV has improved in quality since the original, so I have high expectations for this. I hope it pushes through with a good one. This is a well-loved show with a story that has an impact on K-drama fans worldwide so the new version must be good.
Would it hurt to have a continuation of the story? How about another what-if for the new version? What if Shin and Chae Kyong are now older with their own family? What if Shin needs to go back to being an active royal? Or what if one of their children would become the new heir? I would love to see that. It would be great to have Yoon Eun Hye and Ju Ji Hoon together again!
Does anyone else out there love this show? What do you think of the reported reboot (again)? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
No comments
Post a Comment