Disappointing!
I rarely give low scores and I love classics but I couldn't stand watching this drama. 20 episodes and I watched all episodes by skipping. The FL character is so lame, clueless and cries when there is no need to but is projected as a leader who deserves to be a scholar.. I was bored but I don't drop dramas usually so finished it! There was talk about pride when it wasn't needed. She didn't seem manly either. Actually all the characters felt lame to me except for Song Joongki's character. Upto 15 episodes, I felt story had not moved. It was slow and a very disappointing drama for me. Overall, it was an unappealing drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Things about it that bothered me was that Park Min Young in no way looks like a guy and it is weird that not every guy at Sungkyunkwan new she was a guy. Not that Park Min Young didn't do a good job acting, but she is just really feminine.
The ending was AWESOME!!! Which is good in my book and I put the rewatch at a 10 because I rewatched it!!! ;-)
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I'm not that fond of cross dressing shows/dramas (Hana Kimi, Ouran, etc..) Not even Coffee Prince was that great to me, I guess You're Beautiful and now this have to be the exceptions. However I don't want to compare it to You're Beautiful since the storylines are completely different, despite it having a girl dressing up as a boy.
I loved Park Min Young in City Hunter, and just randomly started watching this drama because she was in it. In my opinion, this drama is one of the best that there are, even if it is not known as much as Boys Over Flowers or You're Beautiful.
All the actors were GREAT!! This drama introduced me to amazing actors which I will continue to watch from now on. The characters stayed in my heart, and I wish I could have seen even more... "Hey, I'm Gu Yong Ha! ;) " I'll never forget that line or his cute winks. I'll miss Geol-Oh's hiccups and his charm. Yeorim... So lovable.. Funny and silly, yet smart and caring too. I'll miss him.
Lee Soon jun and kim yoon hee's romance was really great, and I loved how it all progressed. I loved the pace of the story, for me, not draggy at all. The romance was great as well, even though prioritizing other important things in the story. (Which I found very interesting, the whole Geum Deung ji sa) I loved the character development of each character (especially Lee soon jun. His character may have started off a bit dull, but he turned into a very epic person :D ) The literature was beautiful (the writings, quotes and sayings stated) and I'm a big literature freak so that was inspiring for me. *.* I learned a lot about Korean history too.
The ending scene was hilarious!! I can just say that xD Though I wanted some more things to be cleared up, I still liked it. Recommend this drama if you're starting of to Historical dramas, like light romance, depth scenes and lovable characters. Definitely going to re-watch this drama in the future, and now, I look forward to watching Rooftop Prince to see more of Micky Yoochun's acting. ^_^
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However, the ending kind of felt hurried and some characters who I\'\'d like to know more about (like Chosun and Ha In Soo) have been left in the dark. There should have been another episode so the last episode could be expanded to cover more characters :(
Anyway, good job Sungkyunkwan Scandal!! :D
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The above explains why I watched it haha generally Im not a masochist & drop a drama quicksmart if I dont like it.
OK my views on the drama itself the main couples chemistry I didn’t find convincing also the so called second lead Yoo Ah In I hardly saw him languishing away for his lost love he was too busy running around on rooftops with his red letters lol….
The story wasn’t compelling enough to hold my interest over 20 episodes perhaps if it had been condensed into 16 episodes it might have been more punchy. Don’t get me wrong I am a fan of sageuks & loved Iljimae, Chuno & The Princess Man – SS just wasn’t in the same vein & I found it disappointing overall I still gave it a 7 out of 10 though.
The best thing about the whole drama was the lovely Song Joong Ki his mannerisms & way of speaking I found totally captivating. I also found his love for YAI endearing he truly cared for him! I found THAT story more fascinating than the main couple & I like Yoochun as well, maybe hes got the same problem as Kim Hyun Joong who doesn’t come across well as an actor either although to be fair to Yoochun I have only seen him act in SS & KHJ I have seen him “act” in a couple of dramas & I remain unimpressed.
I know plenty of people loved this drama & it was pleasant enough just not exciting or angsty enough for my tastes…as I say each to their own.
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Why did I say it was “sort of modern type”? Let me give you a clue… does Hana Kimi ring a bell? Or maybe Ouran High? To make things more simple what about You’re Beautiful? Or Coffee prince? Well, the last one was sort of a far fetched drama concept throw in but what makes it the same with the first two dramas? Ignoring the fact that 1st and 2nd were Japanese and the last one was Korean? The third one has a better resemblance since it is also Korean but it’s still has a different story line than this.
Got it???
Yep! It’s a cross dressing drama all over again. Throw in one girl in a lot of hot boys, make her dress up and pretend to be a boy, that’s exactly the concept of this drama. Then again, I have to remind you that THIS IS a saguek drama setting. A setting of the korean’s joseon era. An era where girls are unacceptable to hold prominence in schools or royal standing unless they get married to the prince, or kings or nobles. If they are caught associating in high ranks like Sungkyunkwan (Joseon’s most prominent ALL BOYS university) they get executed as an imperial order.
If that’s not interesting enough for you to watch, I don’t know how to convince you anymore. All in all, this drama is one heck of a show. With all those hot young actors to boost your esteem and the OST that’s very much modern to listen at but with a taste of sageuk and most of all the natural setting of Joseon with young boys + girl running around… YOU BETTER WATCH IT. Or you’re missing half of your KDRAMA life in it’s youthful state.
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In Short: Gender-bendy fun with endearing characters. Could have done with fewer episodes, as I found myself fast-forwarding past most things without Yeorim towards the end.
Pros: Great cast of characters, epic bromance and fun comedy.
Cons: Would have liked a more spunky female lead, and a more satisfying ending for our characters. Time skip was unnecessary here.
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I have seen a few girl-dressing-as-a-guy dramas, and this follows a similar story line in terms of the girl trying her best to hide it and someone finds out.
Let me tell you, Song Joongki's character carried the show for me. I was hooked onto what he was going to do next. That was one of the reasons I did not drop the drama.
I rarely write reviews, but I chose to write this to show someone that has a slightly different opinion on this show. ANd sorry for my review being all over the place.
Also P.S. there is Second Male Lead Syndrome in this.
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It's a university/college drama: sageuk style, with all the ingredients for a good watch. It has comedy, a touch of mystery, an interesting plot, good characters, romance, and friendship. For all 20 episodes it maintains its quality, and is so binge-worthy.
I also cannot stress enough the chemistry of Yoon Hee x Sun Joon. It's as slow burn as it gets but the PINING is amazing. It’s the same struggle as ‘Love in the Moonlight’ where the guy is so in love and is in a constant battle with himself, all ‘nonono I can’t be gAy, nOooOOO i am NoT’
Tfw you like someone so much you’ll even like them despite the fact it is the biggest taboo of the time period. Get you a man who falls in love with you even when he thinks you’re a guy, he’s just THAT attracted to you.
I should also mention one of my favourite things about Sun Joon's character (minor spoiler! - but it is one of the best parts of the drama for me) - - is when her gender is revealed, he is so CONSIDERATE of her. Anyone who's seen any drama ever when the male lead finds out the big secret the female lead has been hiding from him, all hell breaks loose (some examples 'I'm Not a Robot' or 'The Secret Life of My Secretary'). But for once, when finding out some big secret, he DOESN'T shun the female lead and we don’t have to deal with that angst for ages. He is is so kind and asks her ‘so…for how long did you wear men’s clothes? …you don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable’ (my heart!!)
The only flaw for me is the ending, in the way that it felt rushed. The plot of the final episode is something that should have been given more focus and more time! There were also so many unanswered questions (not to mention the all-important-something™ the mains spent the whole drama looking for - ultimately made no difference in the outcome)
I should also warn you that as much as I love the romance in this, they have as much physical love/skinskip as a Studio Ghibli movie lmao. The magic is in the yearning, the emotions in their eyes!! I... must admit I wished for more, but hey it's still a beautiful love story nonetheless. 'Less is more' as they say.
Many said they got second lead syndrome from this drama but I didn't feel that way at all. Sun Joon's character is so charming, and fits so well with Yoon Hee. They are both intelligent, share the same views, and are the source of each other's smile. But also in the way opposites attract, and made each other better people. From the beginning she was a pessimist who only knew of the cruel world she grew up in as a peasant. The only way to support her family and use her talent was to disguise herself as a man, otherwise she would only be sold off. While HE was overly idealistic and grew up in a privileged home with strong ideals of a good world. But both of them had things to learn from each other, and gave each other courage. Need I say more?
Overall, I'd highly recommend it
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First off, I must say that the actors are exceptional. From their acting skills to the characters they portray to their looks! O man, I could stare at their faces all day. <3 Goo Yong Ha and Moon Jae Shin!
Music is good, I love the ending song.
It's pretty ordinary and predictable, story wise. It's a historical drama with an all too common modern twist: Girl in a guys school. Therefore unlike other historical dramas such as Dong Yi and Yi San, it is less political and adapts a more light hearted pace. If you like Hana Kimi, Coffee Prince or Your're Beautiful and are not bored of dramas like those, then this is for you (:
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