Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Here is the deal, I used to be a huge Yoochun Park stan. I was borderline in love with him, so when this drama was announced I was jumping with joy and dreading the end of my life. However, before the drama started to air, I suddenly stopped loving him, so this is a very biased free review (for once).
Sungkyunkwan Scandal tells the story of Yoon Hee Kim/ Yoon Shik Kim (Min Young Park), a smart and gifted young woman that is forced to dress as a man to be able to work during Korea’s Joseon era. Her path is crossed with Sun Joon Lee (Yoochun Park), a very stick-in-the-mud yet righteous young man. He sees the potential that Yoon Hee/Yoon Shik possesses and forces her to join Sungkyunkwan — a school that educates the future officials of the country, which obviously are all male. She does this reluctantly, fearing getting caught; but the urge to learn and to earn some money for her family are greater.
There she becomes friends with the mysterious, yet grumpy Jae Shin Moon (Ah In Yoo) and the quirky pretty boy Yong Ha Goo (Joong Ki Song). The four bond over the urge to create a Korea that is better and modern.
Sungkyunkwan Scandal is well done and it had a great cast. I’m not jumping all over Yoochun Park here, but he did a great job. Then again, the role of Sun Joon Lee wasn’t a though one. The character was very stoic and not overly complex. As a first time role, it was a great one. No big gestures, not that much drama. Good choice there Chunnie. However, what really stood out was Ah In Yoo and Soong Jong Ki, by no means newcomers to the acting world, but with this drama they won some more recognition.
What worked best for Sungkyunkwan Scandal was its subtle comedy. A lot of funny things are just waiting to occur when a girl dresses as a man and attends a men-only school . They did happen here, but it wasn’t foolish. All in all, the drama was subtle all the way through. Well planned, easy to understand and like. That kind of rom-com that you can’t help but love.
Rating: 
Actually I thought Sunjoon's character was hard to portray. He's character having a very austere upbringing meant he did not show emotions as vibrantly. Now what I felt was hard about that is the fact that Yoochun had to show angst, happiness, sadness, embarrassement , etc, all without much change in facial expression. I take my none existent hat off to him for doing quite a decent job of that.
Something else I absolutely loved about this drama was the way they balanced the serious with the comedy; the two themes weren't at war with each other which really helps when watching a period drama. And of course, Geol Oh and Joongki's bromance hehe .. need I say more? XD
You can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, it had beautiful and vibrant settings, the chemistry between all the actors was amazing, and I honestly learned a lot about Korean history in that period because of it. A lot of the things about the King and his father was true though the actual Geumdeungjisa is still a mystery.
Thanks for the review, I'd definitely recommend this drama ^__^
My first edition of this review was 2 pages long, so yeah had to shorten it a whole lot. I think I dedicated a whole page to just how well Yoochun portrayed this role. But the thing is that well as much as you knew Sun Joon was complex on the inside, well it didn't need be shown. I mean he was so stoic so you know, put on stone face and there you go. But I know it was more than just that. I think that the role fit Yoochun so well, I mean if you compare it to the awful role Yunho got….. *sigh* talk about making a fool out of the boy. So yeah, this role was perfect for Chun.
I enjoyed the drama a whole lot. Thank you for mentioning the war between the two different political groups. When trying to keep it short you forget to add some crucial things hahaha.
Actually I thought Sunjoon's character was hard to portray. He's character having a very austere upbringing meant he did not show emotions as vibrantly. Now what I felt was hard about that is the fact that Yoochun had to show angst, happiness, sadness, embarrassement , etc, all without much change in facial expression. I take my none existent hat off to him for doing quite a decent job of that.
More than the comic elements of the drama, I enjoyed the way the serious and comedic aspects of the drama interwove with each other quite well. Since it's a period drama it's great they did that or it would have gotten either too boring or it would have lacked substance. We can mostly thank a lot to the Geol Oh and YeoRim bromance, they were amazing . hehe
More than wanting a better and more "modern" Joseon, I think they all wanted a more just society, in general. Although the ways in which they were going about it all differed ^_^
You can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this drama; it had vibrant and colourful settings, chemistry between, not just the leads, but even the supporting actors was a joy to see. I also felt like I had come away with a piece of history. A lot of the things to do with the King and his father's death are historical facts although the Geumdeungjisa is known about, whether it really exists or not is still a mystery.
I think the review is good, but it's perhaps too focus on your "not-a-crush" a little too much.
With the description, I don't know why but I immediately thought of Hana Kimi but in a historical setting… and I haven't even seen Hana Kimi! LOL
I love Hana Kimi! Japanese is better in form of acting, Taiwanese in form of keeping true to the manga.
I forgot to add that this is a "gender-bender set in a historical setting with some boy-love undertone". Hahaha
@Amy, Hana Kimi is one of all time fave dramas *O* Well from the few I’ve watched. If no one has reviewed it I want to do it 8D
Loca… who is that dude on the corner of the pic?
Have no idea xD