Goong

Started Strong, Then Communication Failed

I started watching this for Ju Ji-hoon after finishing Trauma code , and honestly, the first few episodes were really good! I was excited and hooked. But then… things started to get unnecessarily complicated

The biggest issue? Lack of communication. Seriously, half of the problems could’ve been avoided if the characters just talked to each other properly. It’s frustrating to see them go in circles over misunderstandings.

And about the second leads... I get it to some extent. The female second lead was actually in a relationship with the male lead once, so her lingering feelings make some sense. It’s not fully justifiable, but still, it’s not completely random. But the male second lead?? He knows she loves the ML. She even tells him. Yet he still clings to her and acts like he has a chance? Why?

Also, the female lead opens up emotionally to the second lead more than the male lead. That’s where things go off. If she had communicated with the ML the same way, so many things could’ve been solved early on. But then again, the ML isn’t innocent either. He’s no green flag—he’s aggressive and emotionally closed off a lot of the time, which doesn’t help.

And don’t even get me started on that one scene—if you’re going to eavesdrop someone’s convo, at least stay till the end! Why walk away halfway and cause even more confusion???

Overall, I loved the vibe of the drama at first. I really wanted more sweet or happy moments between the leads, but those barely happened. It turned into a series of misunderstandings.

As someone who’s watched hundreds of K-dramas over the years, I do feel like older dramas have a special vibe—something about the aesthetics and the OSTs. I genuinely love them for that. But story-wise, many of them feel way more complicated than needed.

I think if I had watched Princess Hours when it originally aired—or if it was my first ever K-drama—I would’ve loved it wholeheartedly. It would probably have become my all-time favorite. But now, watching it with more experience and perspective, I just can’t fully justify the characters’ actions. Still, I get the nostalgia.

Read More

Watched it the 3rd time and no plans to rewatch it all over again.

Soooo, when it was aired on Philippine TV some years ago, I will definitely give this a 10. I thought the main leads and the 2nd leads were great from visuals to acting.
But... if you have grown and matured 10 years later, and after several kdramas under your belt, from my POV of 3rd time seeing this, I have come to realize that both main leads acting are so cringe and lackluster.
However, my admiration for their costumes will remain the same, especially YEH's outfit when she became the princess was so cute and fashionable.
The love triangle as usual remains cliché and nothing new.
I have also loved the OST. One of my faves actually.

Read More

TRIGGERS PTSD

19yo HS student forced to marry a 19yo crowned prince. She was isolated from her family, from society and forced to live within prison-like rules within the palace. She developed affinity towards a narcissistic crowned prince who does not accept faults and finds a way to blame everything to the FL. I find it inconsistent for the FL to fall for a mean guy. She lived in a harmonious family and she has many friends. Unlikely that this kind of personality would want to have the high drama a narcissist brings.
All throughout the show, she wants to feel accepted by the ML. She gears towards an abusive relationship with ML's detached and self-centered personality.
I know she's making a great mistake and totally understandable because she's a child. If there will be a season 2 where they are middle aged person, I know for sure FL and ML would have already separated and high hopes that the FL finally learned what's good for her.

Read More

Kinda disappointed

Usually i'm easy to please when it comes to watching dramas, but i got so bored of this plotline. I watched to the end thinking maybe the storyline would fall into place but it was way too messy. Literally half of story could've been solved if the characters were honest with each other. also the love hate relationship between the main leads was so confusing one minute they like each other and then the next they hate each others guts.
Another key part of the story that confused me is when the scandal about the crowned princess was out and the family find out that it was Yool she was with that night, why did she not tell the truth and say that it was one-sided when the king ha asked her whether she had feeling or not it literally makes no sense.
I get that this is an older drama and a lot of things were excused back then but the relationship between the main leads were so toxic, especially the way the crowned prince treated the crowned princess.
However it is a classic loved by many and there were also many parts that i did enjoy. One of these being when the main leads did get along, their relationship was really cute and i wish that their was more of that because they never really held that for longer than an episode to which something would get in the way of it and they dislike each other again. Another one is one of the characters being the great late queen, in my opinion she had to be one of the best characters in the story. She was the only one true to herself throughout the show and never really drastically change her character. I also like how she wasn't displayed as a clique of the bad grandmother and was more of a lighthearted character who tried to see the good of all the characters.

Read More

THIS IS MY REVIEW Whew… where do I even start?

This drama had potential — I’m talking serve me royal romance on a silver platter potential. The first few episodes? Cute. Promising. And then? It tripped, stumbled, and face-planted into messy plots, childish schemes, and characters making decisions like their brains were on airplane mode.

Let’s break it down:

First up, the Crown Princess. I don’t even know where to begin with her. She’s out here acting like the world’s against her, crying in corners, yet REFUSING to help herself. Girl, it’s not character development if you just stay stupid the whole show. Not once did she think, “Maybe I should speak up for myself.” Nope. Just tears, whining, and questionable choices.

And the Crown Prince? He’s emotionally constipated, sure, but he at least tries in his cold, awkward way. I’ll give him half a star for effort. But she? She’s busy emotionally bonding with the OTHER prince like she’s not a whole married woman. And then has the nerve to get upset when the Crown Prince breathes near another woman. The math ain’t mathing.

Don’t even get me started on Second Female Lead Syndrome. This girl is the president of Delusion Nation. If you wanted the man, SAY YES the first time. But no, you chased status and now you’re salty because someone else has what you didn’t want when it was offered. Girl. Heal.

And the palace schemes? Please. I’ve seen elementary school drama with more depth. How are the royal adults THIS clueless? I’m embarrassed for them.

Now, for the fun part:

Kokowa Drama Starter Pack Checklist:

✅ Doormat Female Lead with Negative Self-Esteem

✅ Emotionally Damaged, Cold Male Lead with Hidden Feelings

✅ Clingy, Whiny Second Male Lead who needs to sit down

✅ Delusional Second Female Lead living in her own K-Drama fantasy

✅ 99 Misunderstandings for absolutely no reason

✅ Love Confessions happening at the worst possible moments

✅ Passive-aggressive tea drinking scenes

✅ Dramatic wrist grabs (because apparently words don’t work)

✅ “I heard half the conversation and now I’m mad” plot devices

✅ Rich people making poor decisions with royal-sized egos

✅ Female lead tripping over air and falling into someone’s arms (mandatory scene)

✅ A random fever to force an emotional bonding moment

✅ Schemes so obvious even a goldfish could connect the dots

✅ Second Female Lead blaming everyone but herself for her poor life choices

✅ Petty jealousy as a full-time job

✅ Parents ruining everything just for fun

✅ THAT ONE CHARACTER who exists only to deliver bad news dramatically

I finished it, but only because of the actors and my pride that refused to let me be defeated by bad writing. It’s camp, it’s chaos, it’s Goong — a drama that could’ve been iconic but instead said, “Let’s drown in stupidity for 24 episodes straight.”

The actors were good — they did what they could with that chaotic script — but they deserved better. Honestly, I stayed for the cast and the aesthetics, but the writing? Maximum drama with minimum sense . NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WHATEVER.

NO CAP for real how did the Queen Mother survive palace life that long with the IQ of a decorative pillow? Sis couldn’t see through the simplest schemes or a fake smile to save her life. But sure, let’s blame everyone else while she sips tea like they aint all apart of the problem. The math is not mathing.

And don’t even get me started on the ending — they really had the nerve to roll credits without anyone realizing the ex-Crown Princess was the real villain. LIKE??? It was right there. Peak clownery. 🤡

And that whole mess with the King acting like a discount villain — sir, you’ve got the audacity to point fingers when you’re out here doing dirt yourself? They really missed a moment to humble him properly. All that wasted potential makes me want to sue.

Read More

A classic that is still so amazing after a long time!

Maybe to many, the 24 episodes were a drag, but I felt that everything that led up to the happy ending was worth the wait. In the story plot, the ML and FL are 19 years old who were forced to go into this arranged marriage when they are still high school students. In these 24 episodes, we saw 2 19 years old teenagers grow together to protect and love one another in all the turmoil of traditions, politics, school and their differences.

ML:
The ML was secretly dating but was rejected by his girlfriend (SFL) and suddenly, there was such a huge change in his life as he was arranged to get married. I saw many negative reviews on how he is cheating and hesitating a lot but as reflected in the later episodes, the ML admitted to the FL that he initially did not like her as she just suddenly came into his life and made him question his life but it was also her that successfully opened him up to how a life should be lived and with all the things that FL has brought to the ML's life, he found himself falling harder for her. This was then reflected in their live broadcast interview where he admitted the FL's shortcomings and good qualities and how he ended up falling in love with her. The ML did not cheat on the FL, the SFL went to Thailand intentionally to meet up with the ML and he did not even know. He basically just met her as a friend since they were both in Thailand and got filmed by paparazzi. The other redeeming point was that the ML had a clean cut with the SFL and told her to close their chapter as he knew that he has already fallen in love with his wife (the FL).

FL:
The FL is young and naive and is easily swayed but despite the portrayal of her character to be ignorant and naive, she still possesses certain good qualities such as how she keeps giving in to the Crown Prince (ML) not just because of love but because she knew that a divorce would end up with her family suffering too. It was only till the end that the ML may have disappointed her with the Thailand incident and the SML liking her and trying to brainwash her to think that divorce is the best for her to free that she was swayed into saying nonsense during the interview. But we all knew her heart is always with the ML since the earlier episodes, she has always expressed herself very openly on her feelings to the ML as well which the ML probably try to think that she is not being serious about it since she is always hanging out with his cousin (SML) which obviously have feelings for her but she just sees him nothing more than a good friend.

SFL & SML:
I would say they are both broken souls with regrets from their childhood or past. For the SFL, it is obvious that she regretted rejecting the ML's proposal but at the end of the day, she finally realized that this just was not meant to be and decided to let go for good. For the SML, being someone who just returned from overseas and only having the Crown Princess as his very first friend back home and having someone who cares about him after a long time is probably the reason why he thinks he likes the Crown Princess (ML being a cold cousin did not help at all in this situation).

Other notable characters include the Empress Dowager Grandmother, she is so cool and dope, and also Crown Prince's sister who returned from overseas (who would later become the Empress), she has a very refreshing take on everything due to her overseas exposure which makes her so modern and interesting!

I can't deny that watching this as a 12 years old in 2006 gave me the SML syndrome, I was shipping the FL and SML back then but revising this almost two decades later as a 30 years old who have been through some life experiences, I felt that the SML is manipulative and brainwashing the FL. The ML on the other hand, despite his initial hesitation, was just being very cautious with the FL so as not to trigger any potential pitfall in their blooming relationship. Although he has difficulty in expressing his emotions for the FL, but his action spoke so much louder than words - he was always covering up for the FL, bring her out to play and was always there to protect her from behind the scenes.

In conclusion, revisiting this drama after two decades still feels amazing although there are some things that are dated and not as relevant in this era. And, even till today, I still hear "Perhaps Love" being played (be it in South Korea or Singapore), that just shows how a classic this drama is, not just to the Koreans but to people internationally like myself!

That aside, I'm glad to see that most of the 4 main actors/actresses in this drama have moved on to better dramas/films/variety shows etc. I look forward to seeing the FL (YYH) back to the drama scene soon with a new project, hopefully one day she and the ML (JJH) can reunite for a romcom since their chemistry here was so natural.

Read More

Top of its genre, classic young love story

I watched this drama YEARS ago when I myself was closer to the age of the characters. Let's just say this drama had me by the chokehold when I was 16 and it was one of those dramas that kept me up thinking about the characters and the couple's love story. I haven't rewatched this drama is years but I feel that it doesn't warrant an entire rewatch for me to write a review of it.

This drama is in my opinion top of its genre meaning that if you are a sucker for a teenage/high school, cinderella love story, this show is for you. The charm of Chaekyung is timeless to me (can't believe I still remember the FL name 10 years later). Yoon Eunhye also does a great job bringing her energy and sorrow onto the screen- my teenage self was so charmed by her! This drama had funny parts, heartwarming parts, and parts that made me cry. It's a very straightforward cinderella love story. The chemistry between Chaekyung and Shin could be felt through the screen as well and the OST is a classic! It has classic Korean ballads that we associate with Kdramas pre 2010.

This drama still has the charm it had in 2006 even though its target audience has grown into full adults. If you are an adult above the age of 25 watching this drama, don't expect any earth-shattering soul stirring love-- it is a high school love story that touches on your teenage heart that is timeless and pure.

Read More

DRAAAAAGGGGS but I still enjoyed it

I'm late to the game on this, by 17 years. But in case anyone else is ready to watch this in 2023 here are my thoughts.

First off, the movie poster makes it look like a light-hearted comedy. It is not. FL actress is loveable in her portrayal of a charming lively girl pressed down by what she believes to be a loveless arranged marriage. It will make you think of Princess Diana a lot. Ther are many references and comparisons to Camilla and Prince Charles. 2ML actor does an excellent job portraying his heartbreak and longing. I could feel his pain and anguish in every scene. Even though many of the scenes were excessively repetitive and I fast forward some of them, I watched every single scene of 2ML's -- sometimes twice. He was riveting. The ML's mother is very well done, as a strict seemingly heartless queen, who is carrying pain and loss but trying to hold it all in.

I felt the heartbreak and hope of all the characters. I felt empathy for even the "villains". They are fleshed out and you can see the motivation for their feelings and actions. No one is all good or all bad.

the music is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect. I could listen to it every day.

Parts I hated:
Completely and utterly repetitive. Completely and utterly repetitive. Completely and utterly repetitive. You get where I'm going with this....Maybe even 4, 5, or 6 of the same scene would work. But there were dozens of repetitive scenes. We get the point. Move on, already. Could have cut at least 3 hours out of it by an editor tightening up the script.

The ML. I know it's from 2006, and the stiff, unfeeling, cold and heartless prince was probably in fashion at the time. Does he like her? Doesn't he? I totally get why he likes her. But not why she likes him. Since this is what they were going for, ML actor does a wonderful job. But back to the perplexity of why she likes him. Yes, he's attractive. She says grows to love him because she watches him and starts to understand him, and it makes her love him more. But so far (on episode 20) there is little character growth from him. You can see he cares about her, but mostly while she's sleeping. So, very little basis for her growing to care about him. And the FL reaction to his many insults: holding her tongue and taking it. Late into episode 18, 19 and 20, they could have cut 3 episodes out just by her telling him what he did to upset her. And why is he meeting with the 2FL ALL the time if he doesn't like her anymore and cares for his wife? And it doesn't make sense that he is so giddy happy with his sister, but does not let his affection show with his wife, who he has clearly grown to care for. EDIT: ML was rigid, cold and lifeless, but when his emotions finally broke free near the end, I could see how well the actor did in his portrayal. It was writing I had disliked, and not the actor's portrayal.

TINY SPOILER: and you don't have to give your old photos of your EX back to them! You can just toss them! That's another hour and misunderstanding that we didn't need. We get the idea. END SPOILER.

Overall, I'm glad I watched it. But be prepared to fast forward after the 8th time the scene repeats.

Read More