Simple light comedy sageuk.
Remember seeing the poster and telling my friend that this drama will be a no-brainer and it turned out to be exactly like that. Although I thought there will be certain amount of seriousness, which is indeed there, but even they carry the comic elements to some extent.It has a simple story. There is a secret royal inspector who sets out on a journey to discover corruptions by the Govt. appointed officials. On his mission he encounters a lady, who due to her situations, joins along the journey. They are accompanied with 2 servants of the inspector and 2 friends of the lady. As these six people move ahead to solve different cases, they unveil tragic truths behind the crimes and corruptions made by local authorities as well as seemingly big figures behind them. As everything becomes clear, rest 40% of the drama is how they bring forward the truth and establish justice.
Ra Yi Eon (Ok Taec Yeon) is the secret royal inspector, who initially had a simple dream of making a dumpling shop and living a simple life. But due to family pressure he appears the state civil service exam to become a inspector. Kim Jo Yi (Kim Hye Yeon) is a free-spirited, quick-witted and brave lady who believes in woman independence. Oweing to her will to beat the societal norms, she strongly supports women opting for divorce, as well. Park Tae Seo (Lee Jae Kyoon) is the son of left state councilor Park Seung (Jung Bo Suk), both of them are corrupt. Duk Bong (Bo Jong Ok) is the head of Tail Island shelter.
Some popular faces in minor roles are Yook Chil (Min Jin Woong) & Goo Pal (Park Kang Sub) as Yi Eon's servants, Ra Kwang Soon (Lee Sang Hee) & Bi Ryung (Chae Won Bin) are Joyi's close friends. Cha Mal Jong (Jung Soon Won) is a trader and Park Do Su (Choi Tae Hwan) is Park Seung's son. Lee Joon Hyuk as the crown prince and VIXX N as Choi Seung Yul are guest, yet key characters.
Acting in overall from the entire cast was okay-okay. Taecyeon has come way long and his skills can be used in better way. I'm not a fan of Kim Hye Yeon, she always has the same annoying character, who only knows to cry well. Lee Jae Kyon did unexpectedly well as an antagonist, loved his acting and expressions.
I didn't really mind the plot development bcs I watched purely for the light comedy but technically it's not a steady and proper one and I think their intention was that. Introductory episodes were slow but decent. As the show progresses, the gradual improvement in premises setup and script quality, constantly grow up. It wasn't exactly good but not unlikable either. However, that lasts till 8th episode, i. e. The 1st half of the show and as soon as the 2nd half starts. Everything comes to surface by the 10th episode and the last 6 are dragged to a great extent just to fill the quota. So, things become exaggerated and repetitive in the processs. The ending was smooth and I am happy the comedy elements were retained till the end.
In another opinon, the drama should have been a 10th episode mini series and made into a good story with flawless technical aspects, even with the light comedy. There were few things of no essence, unnecessarily added to the script, regarding the individual lives of the leads, I didn't like them. Those elements made the mood of the story inconsistent and unsteady.
Director Yoo Jung Soon might not be a rookie but he's not very experienced though I liked 2/4 of his dramas. Morever, it's his first historical but given the premise of the drama and the genre, the overall execution was up to par. It could have been better in terms of representation of elements, organization and connecting of events, etc. but I don't mind since it isn't a typical sageuk.
Writer Lee Jae Yoon is in the industry for a quite a while though the only memorable drama they've written is "The Undatables" The script written by them for this drama isn't something really good but if they had intended to keep it simple and light, I think their purpose has been served. However, the potential conspiracy plotline, which is mandatory in any sageuk, didn't feel steady and engaging. The entire effort to reveal the truth has been fragmented and dispersed throughout. The drama doesn't create great impressions at any point of the story, except for the chemistry betweens the leads.
I watched till 7th episode with normal speed and was quite enjoying the light comedy but when I realized it had started becoming slower and uninteresting, I had to fast-forward the rest at 1.5×. I had intended to increase it to 2.0× later but somehow I couldn't, because it actually not that shabby and boring.
The OST composition by Dalpalan is so good I swear and there are 3 OSTs, which are very likable. He's definitely one of the accomplished composers of Korea and he knew his homework for the drama well.
"Let's Get It" by sEODo is trot track, giving a perfect mood according to the comical mood of the drama. "Need Your Heart" by ONF Hyojin is a cheerful romantic track. Kim Sawol's soulful vocals in "At the End of My Day" is very heartfelt.
Things to like in the show:
#1 Comedy elements are the best thing about the drama. The entire show is full of comedy; in fact the king and ministers were parts of it, as well. I had a good time laughing out loud. Taec was obviously the funniest, it felt like watching the real Taec through this character. All of the characters were able to deliver the comedy through their acting.
#2 This is probably one of the sageuk with least involvement of the Royal affairs. Even though all the activities are indirectly related to the Palace and there are lots of political personnel associated, I was happy that most of the runtime was shot outside the premise.
#3 This drama aslo emphasizes on Women empowerment. The FL in here is not a typical Joseon lady who's either a assassin or only the ML's love interest. She's free-spirited, educated and promotes women rights. She even supports divorce and believes in overcoming taboos set for medieval women.
Overally, "Secret Royal Inspector & Joyi" is a drama average watch: average plot, average story and average execution. It could have better in some aspects but I don't wanna complain a lot because this drama, in no way, demanded to be judged wrt the technicality though I will be fair with the ratings. It's a simple and light watch which you can binge during leisure.
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Binge for maximum enjoyment
This is a drama that you must binge to fully enjoy, if you think too deeply about each episode you will find it hard to ignore the mediocre writing. But if you binge it, you will find yourself having a lot of fun.THE STORY:
Honestly, there is nothing particularly special about this story. Ra yi eon is a noble man who is chosen to become an inspector. He meets Jo yi a newly divorced woman who wants to find her mother who returned from Qing.
They work together and eventually focus on bringing justice to the late crown prince, yi eon’s best friend who died unjustly.
What I appreciate about this story is that it contains some of the most ridiculously funny moments I’ve watched in a long time, meanwhile it never undermines the severity of certain situations, such as how woman and children were suffering due to the war.
A criticism is that the actual inspecting wasn’t believable. Most of what happened was due to either luck or the other sides oversight.
Another issue with the story is that it doesn’t give proper attention to a specific plot line. They are always sidetracked into talking about other things. Because if this, the drama began to feel more like an everyday family type drama, with multiple things circulating at once.
THE ACTING:
There was nothing wrong with the acting, the main cast and the villains played their roles as they should. No complaints there.
The heroines felt like heroines and the villains felt like villains (Do soo was particularly creepy I must say).
My favourite character was Tae Soo, he was given the most detailed character set up, from his villain origin to his redemption. His story received lot of the attention from the production, and was seemingly going to play a large part in the final retribution of the main villains, however it just didn’t. That was majorly disappointing and pretty random.
THE MUSIC:
The timing of the music was great to add to the comedic aspect. The OST itself was weirdly entertaining and I definitely liked it.
Good points:
- The chemistry of the whole group was great and so enjoyable to watch. In my opinion, this is what made the drama so entertaining to watch.
- the comedic timing of the whole cast was perfect. I found myself howling in laughter on many occasions.
- I loved how unconventional the characters were. Jo Yi and Yi Eon both new they liked each other however they both saw no need to be married, in fact Jo yi was adamant on not getting married as she enjoys her freedom as a non married woman and Yi Eon seemed to just simply not want marriage. Despite this they still planned to live together as life partners. Although this mindset it pretty unrealistic to the time period it was nice to see.
- There where important conversations about the way women and children had to suffer both with being taken to Qing as well as how they where ridiculed on their return.
- rather than having the big showdown and only seeing a short happy ending, we got a full episode worth of a happy ending. Episode 16 was dedicated to closing loose ends and seeing everyone thoroughly happy.
WARNINGS:
- I already mentioned this but the ‘inspecting’ looked like child’s play. Yi Eon was pretty much always one step behind the villains so realistically he’d never have won.
- The downfall of the big villains was ok but not satisfying enough if that makes sense. They suffered and definitely paid, but it feels like something was missing.
Story wise this drama should be a 8.0/10 or a 7.5/10 if you’re feeling harsh, however the enjoyment and laughter I experienced makes me feel it deserves a bit of an inflated rating.
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Applaud the intention, not the execution.
On the day the release date of this drama was announced, I marked it in my calendar and remained giddy until the first episode aired. I’ve watched many dramas of both the leads before and absolutely adored them in their roles, so I was incredibly excited that for their combined project, Royal Secret Inspector and Joy. Perhaps it’s because of the massive hype I had built up in my head, but so far, this drama has been a considerable let down for me.There are a lot of role-reversals in this drama, gender-wise, and I appreciate the intention of bringing to light the way women are treated after they receive a divorce (even now, unfortunately) and other issues. I also really liked a lot of the FL’s dialogues during such parts , as well as the relationship between the main lead and the crown prince and the dynamics of the apparent antagonist with his father and brother. However, everything else…not so much.
The plot is simple enough, but there are a few random elements mixed in which throws me off-guard. The visual cinematography didn’t impress me and neither did the pacing. I found myself skipping parts way too frequently. Majority of the time, the humour here felt immensely forced and the banter did not feel as natural as it should. A lot of the side-characters’ “quirkiness” felt more annoying than charming.
The ML is supposed to love cooking but honestly, it isn’t exhibited in as exceptional of a manner as say, in Mr Queen, where one can tell that they love the art of cooking and everything that accompanies it.
I know that Ok Taec Yeon is a brilliant actor. I’m still in awe of his performance in Vincenzo and I also know he has great comedic timing and chemistry, like in Let’s Fight Ghost. Similarly, I was blown away by the spectacular acting of Kim Hye Yoon in both Sky Castle and Extra-Ordinary You. But as I watched this, I was mildly disappointed. It’s definitely not their best performances, in my opinion, but it’s not entirely bad; just disappointing, especially since I know they can do much, much better.
I’ll probably give this drama a few more episodes to see if it gets better. If not, I’ll most likely drop it.
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Just watch it, don’t take it too serious.
I waited long time for this drama and personally, it never disappointed me. I love to read about history but I don’t like to watch historical drama with too many costume. But this drama caught my eyes since the beginning until the end.Ok Taecyeon is really awesome! He proved himself is a good actor. He can be serious and he can be funny also.
I love everything about this drama. I laugh from the start until the end. From the leading actor/actress until to supporting. Even the villains also very cute. And the soundtrack also are good.
Thanks to the director. You make my life happy to the max especially when 2PM song ‘My House’ suddenly pop out and when they played squid game.
One more thing, I know this is just a fiction and not true so if you watch this drama, don’t take it too serious. Just enjoy the script and the way they are acting.
Anyway, like 2PM lyrics. 10 out of 10! Sibjeom manjeome sibjeom! Enjoy watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong woman Kim Jo Yi
Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this rates a “liked” and quite possibly a “loved” but for some inconsistencies.After re-watching Vincenzo I had to rewatch this one because of Ok Taec Yeon. When I first watched Secret Royal Inspector and Joy, I would have rated it a “liked” but upon rewatching it, it…almost became a “loved”.
Things I liked:
As the title implies, I found this drama to be all about strong women. Women who defied the conservatism of their times; women who went to hell and back only to be victim-blamed and ostracized by the very people who should have welcomed them back; and even women who did bad things but did them because they were human, not due to some cop-out trope like irrational jealousy over a male lead. I liked that this drama showed the harm and hypocrisy inherent in patriarchal societies. I liked the FL and ML’s relationship. It was gradual, strong, and mutually supportive. I like that she was defiant in front of his grandmother nor was she interested in marrying again because it, once more, made her the property of someone else. I liked the FL’s friends and the ML’s servants. I liked the strong friendship they all formed. I liked that the ML and FL were pretty consistent throughout the drama. She stayed strong and intelligent and did not suddenly get weak and stupid so the ML could rescue her.
Things I did not like so much:
Not really sure what they were trying to do with Park Tae Seo’s character. He seemed a little inconsistent like they could not decide if he should be a sociopath, a conflicted and abused child, or a criminal genius. I don't really see how one person could be all three. And they kept taking his plot nowhere in particular. For example, he plans to kill the monarch but then nothing came of it—don't write a scene that predicts something that goes nowhere and never even remotely happens! And his poor, anti-climatic ending! If we were supposed to sympathize with him then at least give him an ending where his father realizes who he is while PTS is still alive and able to give him the bird.
The ending. Took way too long and departed a little too much from what seemed to have been relatively faithful to
historical reality (though the food influencer scene was funny!). They never seemed to explain why the crown prince died (as in why the king did that) and, for that matter, who replaced him. The “triumph” over the evil guys felt incomplete and a bit hollow. Why did Ra Yi Eon wait until the last episode to free his slaves? Couldn’t he have done that at any time then? (I did however like the very end with [a seemingly pregnant] Joy. Based on her hair they either got married or she was fine being a concubine…?)
Questions remaining:
Hair. Why did Joy wear her hair down after divorce if her friend always wore hers up? Of the two, Joy was the only one who had been married before. What was with the braid guy’s hair? Is that some sort of tribal dress/costume? I’ve never seen that style before in a KDrama.
Mothers. Why, if in patriarchal societies like Joseon, women are denigrated and considered to have no role in society, does it f****** matter who your mother was!? Why were the children of concubines reviled? 99.9% of the time, I bet the concubine had zero choice about her status. If being a man was all that matters, then how does who your mother was make a difference? (Those are rhetorical questions.)
I would recommend watching this despite inconsistencies. It gave me “joy”. :D
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SHOWED PROMISE BUT FELL FLAT
This k-drama started off well but later fell flat. By the second half, I didn't find myself excited enough to watch each new episode as soon as they aired.There was a mix of mystery/intrigue, comedy, and romance but eventually, the intrigue began to lose its pull, the comedic parts just weren't funny enough and the romance lost its charm.
I first started watching this thinking it was about a secret inspector who really wants to be a dumpling restaurant owner but his passion for cooking just appeared in a handful of scenes. It's more to do with him being a secret inspector but as soon as it all comes out in the open, the drama starts to lose its suspenseful appeal. As for the romantic parts, they were a bit too immature and cheeky. Others say it was "shallow" and I also agree. Some of the lip-pucker scenes were a bit too childish and repetitive.
Regarding the ending, it wasn't that it seemed rushed but just lacking. Some people died uselessly and as for the villains, the punishments were like "ya' whatever" kind of endings. Also, the "happy endings" felt like they were still missing that extra "something".
This is a light drama in all areas. This is something to watch on the side as you watch other shows because if you try to binge-watch this in one go, you may find yourself tuning out. I'm a fan of OK Taec Yeon but I think this wasn't a strong enough role for him and this is probably because I had higher expectations of him. I think that the actor who played the FL's childhood friend, Seung Yul, played by actor "N", had better chemistry with the FL and maybe would've been a better ML, (only because I think OK Taec Yeon was too big for this role).
Unfortunately, I say that overall this show leaves a lot to be desired.
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LIGHT COMEDY IN A SAEGUK DRAMA
I watched this drama because of Kim Hye Yoon and not only that, I continued watching because this is the first time I’ve seen Ok Taec Yeon in a Hanbok and it looks so good on him! THE VISUALS! OMG!STORY (8/10): As a fan of historical dramas, this is the first time I’ve watched a light comedy theme set up in a Saeguk drama. This may not be everybody’s cup of tea but I think it is refreshing and is fun to watch. The drama focuses also on resolving different problems as inspector on each episodes. Ok Taek Yeon, the now secret royal inspector is joined by Kim Hye Yoon together with the other supporting characters.
I just wished that the build-up of romance between the ML and FL was focused on to increase the chemistry between them. Due to lack of these, whenever they are onscreen and does the romantic scenes, it comes off awkward, at least, for me.
ACTING/CAST (10/10): I think Ok Taec Yeon and Kim Hye Yoon did a great job on the characters. They are known to be good actors based on their previous work. Comparing with Let’s Fight Ghost, again, Ok Taek Yeon is joined by 2 friends/sidekicks. I hope they stop doing this T_T
As I’ve said, I wished the love line had a proper build up. Here I am also hoping they’d pair up again in a romance genre. LOL.
Overall, this is an 8/10 for me because I am all for romance and these are my biases. However, if I was ask to recommend this one to a KDrama newbie, this won’t be on my list. HUHU
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Is that a damsel in distress?! No, it is Super Damsel™!!
I started watching this show quite by accident and it was an "interesting" experience. ;)Surprisingly, the Show’s timeline was not the usual “sometime during Joseon” but is pinpointed quite precisely. It was set several years after the end of the Qing Korean War which is dated to1636. However, a good deal of the show is subversive of the ideals of the day and this is not your typical sageuk.
The cornerstone of the show is the character played by the FL. She may be small in stature, but she gives off a big aura with her personality and attitude, she is definitely a force to be reckon with. To compliment her is a noble scholar that is about as righteous as you can get but he is not cold and heartless. In fact, his heart was quickly captured by the unique qualities of the FL. I’m quite happy with this pairing, not only because of their nice chemistry but also it allows them to be partners and not just the usual ditzy FL clinging onto the strong arm of the ML. The intelligence of the FL does come to the fore and gives the ML a run for his money. In fact, this show is quite female centric with strong female characters forming the nucleus of several subplots.
In terms of acting, it is good from most quarters. Some roles are a bit over-the-top, but the actors put in the efforts, and it shows. I’m particularly pleased with Kim Hye Yoon. She is a dynamo with an infectious smile. It was also good to see Ok Taec Yeon in a nice, good guy role where he can do some comedy as well as playing it straight. One surprise is the “illegitimate” son of the main antagonist. This character seemed straightforward at the beginning but grew more complex as the show progressed. Lee Jae Kyoon portraited him well and gave the character depth.
Now we must address the elephant in the room, historical accuracy. If you are a sageuk aficionado, then give this show a miss. This show is all over the place when it comes to history and its interpretations. The core premise might be based on an actual historical event, but the Show just ran hard and fast with a lot of plot ideas, and it can border on irreverent at times.
Another issue is the tone of the show. It really can turn on a dime. One minute we are watching slapstick comedy and then without much preamble we are in the midst of tortures and murders. It can be disconcerting when you are not really sure if the Show wants to be a light-hearted romcom or a serious drama.
There is also more than a passing nod to spaghetti western movies with both its OST and some set pieces. I dare say to really enjoy this show you must firmly affix the rose-coloured glasses and stop worrying about plot holes and questionable storylines. Yes, it is a hot mess of storytelling at times but you cannot deny that it is also swoon-y, cheeky and entertaining so caveat emptor.
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Lighthearted and fun
I started watching this during its weekly episodes release and didn't find it interesting enough to pursue. I recently revisited it and found it much more entertaining and fun to watch. Some shows are just better when you binge on the whole series and this is definitely one of them. It's easy to ignore the sinister parts of the story and enjoy it. It's full of silliness, but it somehow makes you settle into that and start seeing the humour. I imagine it was a lot of fun to make and it seems that way from all the outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage shown at the end of the final episode. The ensemble complimented each other and is a touch of genius to assemble. I could definitely revisit this again if there is a drought of good tv shows.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute
So after my obsession with Ok Taec Yeon in Vincenzo I had to watch this. It's nice to see an actor can be so versatile.It was cute, quirky and fun. It had enough drama that you won't get lost in the cheesy random romance and seemed to balance everything out. This is a recommended show to people who enjoy a good family flick.
Unfortunately, I feel it fell flat in some random places. Certain parts of the story/plot got stretched out and then slammed together like a rubber band, not really making any cliffhangers but I would've liked a bit of "what happens next?'
Overall I enjoyed this and I think someone looking for something light and fluffy will too.
Enjoy...
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This review may contain spoilers
Great cast, thin material
I was looking forward to this because of Ok Taec Yeon, who always delights.He created a slightly silly character here that was fun to watch. There were several standouts in the cast - Min Jin Woong is great fun to watch, Jung Bo-Suk was wonderfully evil as the father of two swapped sons, and Choi Tae-Hwan was excellently, although tiresomely, demented. I did not care for Kim Hye-Yoon; her voice is grating and the character never felt like there was any depth to her. As a result, the romance fell a bit flat and unconvincing.The plot (you can read it in great length elsewhere) felt like it had been cobbled together from a selection of other saeguks. I even recognized a set or two. So overall, it wasn't exciting. It's pleasant enough, but if you want something you can get deeply wrapped up in, this is a bit shallow. Watch it or miss it, it won't make much difference.
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Drama Falls Short in Story and Character Development
After reaching episode 7, I decided to stop watching this drama. The main reasons for this decision were the lackluster elements of the story and characters. Despite the potential, the plot felt underdeveloped, failing to draw me into its world. Additionally, the dynamics between the leading characters lacked the depth and chemistry needed to truly engage an audience.As an admirer of Ok Taec-yeon, it was disappointing to see his talents not fully utilized in this project. While he has shown exceptional skill in previous roles, particularly in 'Vincenzo', this latest endeavor didn't seem to match up. It's my hope that future projects will better showcase his abilities and provide more compelling storytelling.
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