K-Drama 
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So many layers - such a good story
9.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television drama spanning 20 (60 minute) episodes. After the Crown Princess is seemingly murdered, Crown Prince Lee Gak (Yong Tae Yong) is transported to modern day South Korea along with the three individuals he retained to help him solve the Crown Princess's drowning. Park Ha (Han Ji-min) is a cheerful person who is surprised when her calm life is disrupted by the arrival of four unseemly guests who "land" in her rooftop apartment. Through a series of strange and hilarious events Park becomes the guardian of the four as the only person who knows them at all in the modern era. The Prince considers it is his mission to discover what happened to the Crown Princess and senses destiny when he spots, Hong Se Na (Jung Yoo-mi), the reincarnation of his dead wife. The Prince is the reincarnate of the son, Yong Tae Yong, of a wealthy family whose son and heir went missing in the United States. This twisted who done it tale has many hilarious hijinks as the Josean Power Rangers (called that because they are color coded in track suits) learn the changes that have occurred in 300 years, sometimes the hard way. Can the Prince figure out not only who murdered the Crown Princess but figure out what happened to Yong Tae-Yong? Who will he love?Spoiler 🚨 I laughed so hard in so many parts of this one. The Prince's power rangers which I thought of more as minions were hilarious. They got in many crazy situations and their reactions to things was beyond amusing. I am going to quit being offput by titles because I paused on this one with the title making it seem "silly." It wasn't silly but it was very funny in a good way. But it also had other aspects such as suspense, mystery, drama and action. I would have rated this even higher but there was a sad/unfinished aspect to me. It is unreasonable but I want all the characters I like to end up happy so it diminishes a bit for me if that doesn't happen or if all the loose ends are not tied up. This is up at the top of my list when I recommend things to watch for others. Fully enjoyable.
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unique plot
Spoiler Alert: The only annoying thing about this show is the complete gulliabilty of the lead female character. Her sister screws her over a dozen times, and she keeps trusting her. Even the lead male is slow on the uptake. he is fooled just as often. It was really irritating, since both know their enemies are out to get them. When the hero gets shoved out of the way from a car driven by his foe, the lead female stands there for an eternity. all she needed to do was shout a warning! But no, she's chooses to shove him out of the way and gets hit by the car instead. While I loved the unusual story, and the actors, the writer's made them both unbelievably stupid.Was this review helpful to you?
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BRIEF review on likes and dislikes
I watched this drama for the first time in 2025, so I kept in mind that it originally came out 13 years ago and naturally might not hold up to the same standard as newer releases.The Positives
The overall concept and plot really drew me in. A crown prince and three of his royal subjects are transported into the modern day to solve the mystery of the princess’s murder—that setup is instantly intriguing. Their clumsy attempts to adjust to the future were hilarious, and I appreciated that the show didn’t rush their adaptation. Unlike in other dramas where characters seem to adjust overnight, the slow, messy process here felt more believable.
The OST was another highlight. By the end, I was singing along—seriously, that main vocalist had an incredible voice. And the drama carried that nostalgic, feel-good energy that’s so distinct in older K-dramas. The classic melodrama style—with its slow-mos, replay shots, and dramatic flair—definitely gave it charm.
The Negatives
Now, onto the parts that frustrated me. My biggest issue was with the crown prince’s acting. When he was playing his “present” self, he did well, but whenever he slipped into his Joseon-era voice, it grated on me. Every line was delivered at the same loud, flat pitch, to the point where I started skipping those scenes. I’ve watched plenty of sageuks (historical dramas), and I’ve never had this problem with other actors, which made it stand out even more here.
The ending was also a huge letdown. The evil sister essentially got away with everything—her toxic behavior was swept under the rug just because she donated part of her liver. No real consequences, no satisfying payoff. Her entire arc left me frustrated.
Then there were the three royal subjects. They had so much potential, and the show set them up as if they’d be crucial to unraveling the mystery. Instead, their roles were sidelined, and they never contributed meaningfully to the resolution. It felt like wasted characters.
Final Thoughts
While the premise was strong and the drama had its nostalgic, fun moments, the weak execution and lack of payoff dragged it down. If you’re looking for a solid time-travel drama, I honestly wouldn’t recommend this one—it doesn’t make the most of its setup, and the ending leaves you more annoyed than satisfied.
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First of all, I got interested in watching this because of Jung Yoo Mi, she is one my favorite actress in Dong Yi, and I really love her cute features and her being an antagonist just makes me feel weird in the beginning. But actually, even I like her, the character she portrays just makes my angry which is really good, but there are times I can't help but to think about her cute features doesn't suit her being an antagonist but well, she actually did well. Actually, that was a good idea, her looking so cute and pretty yet has evilness in her can really be a deceiving character. And almost the end of this, for her character I was like seriously, why evil people can be forgiven easily just because they do good thing for only once. But thankfully I get and ending for the antagonist that they actually deserve. Well, we never know what happens but at least. an ending that they go to something that is actually a punishment of what they do. I'm gonna talk about the ending-historical, the killing with sword; it feels really weird. So bland it pisses me off.
As for the plot, I mean the murder case in 300 years ago, I didn't think much of that cause there are a lot of problems in the present, but actually it's cool, but I already expected all the moment park ha got into an accident, and even at the beginning, even I don't think about it that much, I already know it is boo young, I think everyone who watch already know, and ecpected park ha to be in an accident for it all to be resolved.
I know it was just 20 episode so there's know time for unnecessary scenes, like the ending when Tae Yong just suddenly there, I'm curious about the life of Tae Yong, the younger sister of his grandma and the guy who help Lee Gak, I need more. But even if I need more, there are some scenes that for me is boring that I need to fast forward.
Park Yoo Chun and Han Ji MIn, I feel inlove with their characters especially Park Ha, like seriously, I like how she can be strong at times towards Sena, I really hate when the main is being so weakling like please fight, but still even though she kinda stood out for herself. There are scenes that she keeps getting deceived like so naive, I know maybe she have desperations well that's for the plot, it won't be executed well if she didn't get deceived, but for now I'm satisfied with the character of park ha now being too good for her own good.
Btw, there are some scenes that I was like is that even possible? Even fantasy won't accept that kind of scene, in fact it is a real world scene even you have fantasy in your genre, I don't think anything is possible.
The three guys was really amazing, without them, this movie would be kinda bland, they give some flavors to eat. The comedy was just for the beginning episodes expecially for Lee Gak, but with the three, until the end they keep being the hapiness of this series. especially choi woo sik, jung suk won was this serious but will make you laugh, and Lee Tae Ri's character is a perfect blend to complete the trio. I can't say four cause in my mind i is "Lee Gak as Tae Yong ft. the Trio" I honestly enjoy the trio than the main, just kidding!
Lee Tae Sung as Tae Moo just makes me stop or pause watching not because he is a bad actor, he actually did so good and just by seeing him ruins my mood the entire series, I want to punch him, make him suffer, I literally cry out of anger because of him, he did so good, not just his character's evilness that makes me anger, his facial expression keeps running in my mind that I was shaking in anger. Good job too him, sorry cause I want to ruin his face I almost forgot he is just a character cause he seems so real to me, his face's facial expression suits tae moo's evilness.
The story is good but actually the main mystery is already expected and there are scenes that I don't think is acceptable. I still stay cause well the characters, there are still good reason to stay. ost is good, i'm not sure if I would rewatch this, maybe for the beginning, cause I had a good laugh on those, we never know if I'm actually gonna miss this.
I think I would have a better watching experice if I know korean and the difference of the modern and the old way how people in korea speak, I mean I definitely have an idea but still it would be better for koreans or know korean watching this, I envy them.
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Frustrating plot full of holes
I saw an advertisement for this show on YouTube and it had an interesting premise—a Joseon era prince going to the modern era to solve a mystery around his murdered princess. But aside from that, this show was a whole nothing burger for me. There were so many cringy filler scenes that didn’t move the plot along, if you removed them the real content is like 10 episodes but they padded it up to 20. I can’t sit through minutes of people walking around sadly with melodramatic music playing in the background, or running around looking for each other when you can just make a call.The main cast’s acting is pretty good, and they have good chemistry. The villains are well played, very easily detestable. Some of the side characters are really cringy, but I guess that’s for comedic purposes.
One of the most frustrating thing for me is how the protagonists make really stupid decisions and have 0 sense of self-protection. At the beginning they are naive, OK that makes sense. But as the plot progresses, they know what they’re up against and they still make foolish naive choices. And the lack of communication between the protagonists omg. It’s an insult to the viewer’s intelligence.
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True love that trancends time can crack reality in a entertaining way
Even though my favorite genre are thrillers, after watching “Rooftop Prince” I am more convinced that time travel dramas capture my attention more deeply than other genres.“Rooftop” IMO has it all, Comedy, romance, intrigue, betrayal, fantasy elements, and a blend of historical and modern culture. I will start with the setting. Time travel. Mixing the Joseon era with modern day times or characters are not new. But most of them that have been made have been successful. What captured and kept my interest was the characters. This unit was great. Not perfect, but great overall.
The idea of not only the crown prince travels to the future, but a few of his scholars and security followed along with him. The travel element just doesn’t have them transform for general purpose. There are auras of reincarnation after a tragic death and vow for revenge.
Noted performances –
Park Yoo Chun as Crown Prince Lee Gak. The guy lead with a serious tone mixed with comedic and leveling undertones. His three assistants provided a hearty comic relief after some tense and sad moments. They were pivotal in reminding us how one may act or adjust to life 300 years in the future. (Toilet bowl LOL) Just to name a few.
- Han Ji Min as Park Ha. Han Ji Min’s performance was adorable and convincing.
Her various emotions throughout the series were heartfelt. Her character was so likable. I wanted the best for her. Her character was “dragged through the mud” at times. Even though some situations are fueled by her own gullibility. I did find this a little frustrating. Mostly because I wanted her to lock in at critical moments. Overall, it was the performance. One she won a few awards for including the SBS top excellence.
The Antagonist or villains were okay. Hong Se Na and Tae Mu were just as crooked in their past lives. Hong Se Na got on my nerves on many occasions. Later in the series she foils chances to leave it all behind, but she chose to make dumb heartless decisions after another. I found the lack of karma for all of her devious moves throughout the series unsatisfying.
Ha’s friends Becky and Mimi were a nice small addition for supporting characters. IMO, they made the right number of appearances. Not too many, just enough to make a small amount of “supporting” impact. If that makes sense.
The story involving the truth and the disappearance of Tae Young was okay. The side story of Chairman Jang’s quest to find her missing daughter was also okay but drawn out too long.
I feel the series at times played out like a soap opera. And that is not a terrible thing, knowing it was produced over 14 years ago. However, the OST (for me) was average. The loud singing at times where an instrumental may have made a deeper emotional impact was evident. However, there were at least some OST choices that were on point.
Obviously, many of the elements kept me engaged. But it was the interaction between Prince Gak and Park Ha that sealed it. Their relationship wasn’t forced; it was a slow burn. One that was not easy to come by. But the chemistry was there, even with the “idiot” bickering lol. Maybe because I was so engrossed with Park Ha’s character, I knew that being with Gak would make her happy.
Each episode after about episode 10, (after the oops! Text message) I could not help but wonder “how is this going to end?” There was no way Park Ha was traveling back with him, right? So, I geared myself up expecting a letdown at the end. What I got was wedding vows of love and a heart wrenching realization that more of a miracle would be needed.
Overall, despite some small nick picks, I enjoyed “Rooftop Prince” It motivates me to seek out other gems I have missed over the years. I realize some do not like it, while others adore it as much as I did. It is all personal preferences. Example - I had issues with “Destined with you” (My rating 4.5) Another fantasy type series. While a few others loved it with 10’s. But at least I even wrote a long review of why and how I would fix the things that made me rate it so low.
If you are open about fantasy genres with a comedic historical twist, I highly recommend “Rooftop Prince.”
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Ending :not satisfying enough
SO firstly : if you like, want, need a traditional happy ending that's straight forward & doesn't confuse you & make you have to use your imagination to get to that happy place, then PASS on this drama!Sadly, I did not take the the disgruntled & tepid reactions of some other reviewers to the ending seriously !!!!
The end is confusing :
Even by super imposing my own speculations on what actually happens- it didn't work, and it most definitely wasn't enough payoff for the viewer as the end of the romantic, emotional roller coaster this drama puts us on.
*Will put spoiler at very end in case you need convincing.
If you decide to proceed to watch this drama-Keep these 2 sentences in your head :
Do keep in mind that the female lead does most emphatically say that she wants someone nice (so be honest, IS the prince "nice" ?)
Also: the prince is quite taken with the intelligence & wit of his princess's younger sister (so be honest, IS the lead female intelligent & witty ?)
On to the review:
This drama struck me as Very similar to the drama :"Queen & I " which also came out in 2012 !! (BTW : For the most warm fuzzys in that drama :stop watching at the end of ep.14)
Rooftop Prince is much sillier in tone and has a MUCH less satisfying ending than Queen & I.
Speaking of silly :
They went really cheap on the Wigs .The long hair wigs on the guys are SO glossy & also So obviously wigs that you want to cringe when you see that other dramas done around the same time had more realistic ones.
All the sudden the Josen guys can drive cars(where did they even get an ID ??
Things not done well :
Tourism pitch for sight seeing was pretty obvious.
Classic trope : multiple break up/ get back together again (must take into consideration that this WAS released at the peak time of this trope's introduction)
Do the leads have Chemistry ?
Well: they fight like siblings. The female lead is at turns effervescent & vibrant. The male lead is a scene stealer & sells the whole "I am a prince" bit with his voice & mannerisms. (plus he emotes impressively).
But DO they have romantic Chemistry ? They try. The writers, director, cameramen, however have not done a great job for them to make it completely work though.
Take for instance, the kisses:
They are a fail. SO underwhelming & awkward. Can we blame it on a bad director/bad cameraman? I would. They have Him kissing her chin, pursing his lips in a stage kiss & then just a lip press. Nothing of any heat ,(not even later where they are actually able to finally get the lip location right, & are trying to "go at it". -there's just no warm fuzzys.
I
The lead's relationship: Considering what ending we are given-they take thier relationship too far.
The drama should have been 16 episodes & they should have kept the couple at yearning to be a couple but never becoming one.
Side complaint : When they started out in Joseon, it was somewhat believable (set wise) .When the drama returns to Joseon, it is obvious that it is just local places in modern Korea- the lighting, the colors, the location, it was like a re-enactment & looks fake.
***********Spoilers**********
The prince does not actually seem all that upset once he's back in Joseon !
Thankfully they do not consummate thier relationship, but I still say that they took it too far because in the end you have the male lead seemingly stuck in the past with his beloved dead & his wife in exile. There is no indication that he will die & be whisked into the future or that there is any other resolution /portal open to him.
The female lead is presented with what Looks like a substitute for her prince husband in the form of the newly revived CEO that was in a coma but even though he is not wearing his signature glasses, he's left a portrait drawing on a postcard, asking her to meet him. (but come on ! Why did he confidently smile at her even though she ignores him if he does not know her any better than he did when he saw her in the U.S. ?!)
when they do meet up, he suddenly changes appearances: from modernly dressed CEO to robed Joseon prince.
WHAT is that supposed to mean ? we are left to self interpret the short cryptic dialogue as they meet.
SO : in the last shot he looks like the prince
But : since we have never known the prince to draw-who drew the picture on the postcard ?
Can you have 2 souls in one body !? Sorry, that just doesn't work for me.
{the test would be for him eat crabs } !
_______________________________________________________
What other reviewers said that should have been the cue for me to pass on this drama
"bittersweet" / "sort of" happy ending, rather than a traditional happy one. While the main couple does end up together, it's with the understanding that the Crown Prince character is gone, replaced by his reincarnated modern-day self, Tae Yong.
doesn't that make her cheating on her new husband & also short changing Tae Yong as she is just using him as a substitute (though of course you assume he will eventually win her over, being the reincarnation & all)
Me : rolling eyes
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Rooftop Prince, a drama that will make you laugh with its crazy situations!
Rooftop Prince is a very successful drama. The plot is very well developed, especially why the four protagonists find themselves teleported to a world they don't know. Concerning the teleported characters, knowing nothing about the modern world, they will have to adapt to this new life, helped by Park Ha. It is through this adaptation that each situation is extremely funny and moving at the end, although sometimes uncomfortable. The acting of these characters is very well played even if there are some scenes that are overplayed. Otherwise, I also got attached to the other character, namely Becky (Guzal Tursunova), except Se Na (Jeong Yu Mi), who is unbearable at the beginning of the drama but who improves later. I much prefer her ancestor, Princess Hwa Yong. In terms of the OST, it corresponds very well to the comic atmosphere of the drama. In short, it is a very good drama that is very offbeat!Was this review helpful to you?
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What in The Disney Channel...
I really should have been writing things down because I have so much I want to say about this drama. I’m going to start with the reason for my review title. Warning: major spoilers. Sena is an absolute irredeemable character, and the fact that the writer dared to suggest otherwise is absolutely disgusting to me. Not only did she try to steal her sister’s lover (twice!) and tried to never let her meet her mother (btw, can we talk about what a useless plotline that ended up being?), she sabotaged her and Tae Yong at every turn and felt absolutely zero remorse for it. She’s an absolute sociopath who played with people’s feelings only for them to let their guard down so she could do it even more. The fact that she had some sort of redemption arc is absolutely hilarious to me because she was FORGIVEN by Park Ha for “saving her life” after Sena was literally the #1 REASON why Park Ha was on the brink of death to begin with. The Disney Channel “villain redemption arc” was terribly done and absolutely laughable after everything Sena had done. She doesn’t deserve anything she has and you can’t convince me otherwise. Park Ha is incredibly stupid as a character. This ties into my short rant about Sena and the fact that not one person on the planet could ever survive if they were as nice/idiotic as Park Ha. Like, girlie literally went to see Tae Moo the DAY after he stuck her in a freezer and tried to kill her, and yet she didn’t do anything about it. She forgave her sister because of a stupid liver transplant and even before that never really hated her for all the bullshit she put her through. All I need to say about Boo Young is that she’s a stupid idiot who ate persimmons straight off a plate instead of taking the whole plate with her and dumping into a river. That’s all I will say about that. Perhaps my biggest turn off about this drama was the odd romance development and the absolute mess of a toxic relationship that the leads had. Like, cmon, ML literally berated the FL and screamed at her whenever he didn’t get his way all the damn time, and half the time she screamed back while the other half she stared at the manchild with lovey dovey eyes. The relationship progression was just odd and it felt like the romance kind of came out of nowhere. Chemistry was absolutely absent and I honestly didn’t really care about the relationship nor “feel” their love for one another all the way until the end. This drama is also simply too long. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining enough and was pretty nice to watch in the mornings before class while I got ready, but at some point all the plotlines were being reused, they were just ~slightly~ different, and the show became an annoying drag. It was always either Sena doing some stupid shit and sabotaging Park Ha or Tae Moo making moves against Tae Yong in their stupid business. Not only were the plotlines super generic and very much the exact same as the plotlines in other 2010 type kdramas, they were just reused constantly to drag out the screen time. Now for my final grievance (as far as I can remember at least) : that ending. What. The. Absolute. Hell. Of. A. Monstrosity. Did. I. Watch? Not only was the ending weirdly vague (which is fine sometimes but I usually don’t enjoy it), it also seemed to contradict itself and didn’t lend itself to any solid interpretations. I could only see myself making “partial cases” for Tae Yong having Lee Gak’s memories and Tae Yong not having his memories at all. Any of the clues that the viewer was given to puzzle out whether Lee Gak’s consciousness traveled through 300 years did not add up, and if you found yourself arguing for either side, you would come across plot holes that would blow your theory out of the water. I would’ve been more content with either a sad or happy ending (or bittersweet) and the writer utterly failed trying to create an ending that’s “up for interpretation” by leaving way too many clues that all contradict one another. Random point, but why did everyone seem so OK in the end? Nobody was bawling their eyes out, nobody was depressed, they all kind of missed each other and got a BIT sad, but that’s totally not how I would react if I lost the love of my live. Everybody was just so damn calm and logical the whole time. Like what?PHEW. If you read this far, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, and I hope you learned that this drama absolutely does not get my seal of approval. It was entertaining enough, but I’d definitely think of this show as one of those “it’s so bad it’s ALMOST good” shows that I will absolutely never watch again but will sometimes think of fondly as a mildly entertaining waste of 20 hours of my life. Ciao!
PS: contrary to popular belief, I absolutely hated the last 4 episodes :D
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