Alli
Canada
So, post-Splash Splash Love, I needed to find a new drama to watch. Something similar, but perhaps with a more satisfying, happier ending. Along came Queen In Hyun's Man. I'd heard of QIHM before, had thought about watching it way back in the day but never did. I was a fan of Yoo In Na from the drama's The Secret Message and Goblin, so I decided why not. I didn't have anything to lose.
I loved it from the very first second. Not even one episode in and I knew QIHM was going to become one of my absolute favourite dramas. There was so much that I loved about it, that the little inconsistencies or plot holes didn't matter - it was so easy to look over them and just fall in love with these characters and their world.
Choi Hee Jin was a bit of a Mary Sue, but it didn't make me hate her like it's done with other characters in the past. Instead she's a breath of fresh air, fiery and spontaneous, fighting for what she believes in but struggling to see how smart she really is. Because she is NOT dumb, not in the slightest. She may lack some confidence, but she believes in herself. Even when her mind tells her something else, when everyone around her gives her a different story, Hee Jin trusts her instincts. Yoo In Na did a great job portraying her, she showed an excellent balance between Hee Jin's vulnerability and stubbornness, her moments of heartbreak had me feeling like my heart was breaking too.
Kim Boong Do, I found to be just as wonderful as Hee Jin. Loyal to a fault, brave but also very afraid, a man who wants everything and in the end almost loses it all. Boong Do surprised me; at the start I thought he might be one of those stiff, rude characters who treats that girl as property, but all he ever wanted was the best for Hee Jin. All he ever wanted was the best for Queen In Hyun and Yoon Wol. He smiled A LOT which was such a nice change as men in kdrama's seem to always be the embodiment of a Byronic Hero. Also, watching his culture shock was so enjoyable; a Joseon scholar trying to survive in modern day Seoul led to many interesting and hilarious situations.
Together, Hee Jin and Boong Do were adorable. Definitely a couple to root for. They solved issues that they faced together, and always tried to do what was best for one another. And while sometimes they BOTH did stupid things, they didn't throw a fit. They understood, they talked it out. Nothing was over dramatic for them, they merely fell in love and they worked to figure it out. Thankfully, I didn't have to suffer through a horrible love triangle. It's just these two - but believe me, there are plenty of heartbreaking moments that will have you balling your eyes out because of them (*cough* the letter *cough* the hospital scene *cough*).
Finally, the plot. An interesting blend of historical and modern, QIHM successfully brings the past to the present. At times it can be confusing trying to keep track of the changing timelines and the butterfly effects. Other times, Boong Do's sudden switch from 2012 Seoul to the Joseon era can be confusing, but honestly it is 100% worth it. The split second moment of confusion is worth the drama and the acting as a whole. While the side characters were brutal (Han Dong Min I'm looking at you), it wasn't on behalf of the acting. Their characters were just so wretched, the way they treated Hee Jin at times was if she was merely a means to money or more fame. But hatred for the secondary characters aside, it's still worth it. Watching Hee Jin and Boong Do grow and fall in love, watching them find one another time and time again, will just fill your heart with a never ending feeling of joy.
Trust me when I say watch this drama. Give it a chance. It will honestly surprise you with how wonderful it is.
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Highly entertaining, Splash Splash Love was one of my few forays into the historical genre. I liked how the drama brought the present to the past through Dan Bi and her technology. I liked how Dan Bi and the king started as friends before blossoming into something more. Everything felt natural and lighthearted, making it something I will definitely rewatch in the future. But it wasn't without its moments of drama - thankfully, said moments were done tactfully and had purpose. Nothing felt as thought it were merely being done to fill up time (something I find to be far too common in most k-dramas).
The characters were enjoyable - Dan Bi especially. She had very real worries and very real reactions, and her culture shock was adorable to watch in a way. But it was also great to watch her grow into someone who could face her problems head on, who was no longer as afraid of failure as she once was. Likewise, the King's character development through meeting Dan Bi was palpable and nice to see. He blossomed into someone better because of his relationship with her. The side characters were nice, although a little unmemorable. I wasn't as attached to them as I was to our leads.
Plot was confusing at times, but that may have been on account of the subs I had. Overall though it was fairly straight-forward, something you didn't have to wrack your brain to understand. A few little consistencies here and there - but again that may have been my subtitles. Really though, the plot wasn't all that important, the 2 hours of adorableness were more what I was focused on.
The ending is bittersweet, so if you're a fan of entirely happy endings than this drama isn't for you. Although, I think it's important to remember that Dan Bi is 18, she had a family and life in the future. Not everyone meets their soulmate at 18 and decides to stick with them. It was much nicer to watch these two simply grow together and find a young love; it never needed to last forever. However, the little twist at the end was nice and open-ended, and I did spend a bit of time afterwards contemplating what would have happened next.
Overall, give this adorable drama short a watch. It's 2 hours of your life that you won't regret spending.
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