100 Days My Prince (2018)

Comfortably uncomfortable

"Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable?" - Crown Prince Lee Yul

At first glance, it is quite uncomfortable that several Kdrama cliches are present here (amnesia, long-lost first love, fake marriage, and palace politics). I'm a viewer that doesn't necessary hate cliches, but hates when these are not executed well, and after the first episode, I realized that maybe there is something intriguing about this Kdrama.

Right off the bat, 100 Days My Prince is not a traditional sageuk. I may still be learning Korean and not be able to grasp contexts in coversations without subtitles, but I have a somewhat passable knowledge about the language used in the royal court as seen on other sageuks. So I was surprised that there were "modern" words/phrases scattered throughout the show, and assuming that we follow the year on which this was set (1450), this shouldn't have been the case.

Now going to the plot. Despite with the cliches, I liked how the story had a steady build-up especially when the crown prince Lee Yul (Do Kyung-soo) now had amnesia, had to change his name to Won-deuk and was "forcefully" married to Hong-shim (Nam Ji-hyun) because of a decree that the crown prince himself introduced which was funny and ironic. Since the crown prince was unfamiliar with the village life as opposed to what he was used to, it was entertaining to see him adjust and assimilate which was basically the bulk of the story. Other than that was the typical palace politics with the scheming of the queen for a new crown prince, and the antagonist (the vice premier) trying to cover up the supposedly murder of the crown prince while there was a weak king in the background, not knowing what to do with the chaos brewing. That was the gist for the majority of this kdrama. There were times that I was bored especially in the midway, but I just couldn't fast-forward it since I was curious as to what will happen next and how it will happen.

I think my interest started declined when the crown prince now came back to the royal palace. It would've made more sense if the reveal was more makjang-y as there were now many cliches, why not add more. The reveal could've been more impactful but in this case, it was more like "okay, moving on" vibes. The relationship now kinda plateaued on episode 12-13 and shifted to a build-up on the evil plans by the vice premier. I said to myself "okay, maybe the finale would be more on the palace stuff since the direction was now going towards it", and was assured that it was the case, but then again no. Also, the subsequent episodes were now longer than usual and now had filler scenes.

The finale was divided into 2 parts: first is the rushed resolution with the vice premier's plot. He shouldn't have met his demise easily and put in trial instead that would result to a hefty punishment. The trap that the vice premier prepared for the crown prince in the form of an "invasion" was weak story-wise, and was basically forgotten after he was dead aside from one battlefield scene. I was curious as to what happened to the instigators of said "invasion" and how did it ended. The second part was even more ridiculous with Hong-shim playing hard to get (when it was too obvious that they both love each other) because of guilt of her brother trying to harm the crown prince, when in fact, it should've been him that feel guilty in behalf of his father, the king which played a part on Hong-shim's real father's death. The fluffy fan service was not unneccesary, but instead of the too long "hard-to-get Hong-shim" scenes, it could've ended with a grand royal wedding with Hong-shim's friends and adoptive father given a chance to wear "noblemen's" clothes, all of them having a good fluffy ending. Side note: it was too foolish for the very pregnant Kkeut-nyeo to be also on the roof while throwing cherry petals to the leads on the last scene, but then again, it was purely for the fan service and not for the logic.

Pacing-wise, I was not sure how the story wanted to go especially on the penultimate episode. The build-up of the 2 main plots were pleasantly paced all thoughout the show, but their respective conclusions at the finale were rather botched. There were also some inconsistencies with the year and age (or maybe the subtitles were wrong?). The saving grace here was the acting of both leads as well as the other characters. It may be an unpopular opinion but I actually felt more chemistry on the second leads (the crown princess and Moo-yeon) and their story, despite being tragedic, was more emotionally-investing than the main leads maybe due to it being a cliche.

"Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable?" was basically the catch phrase of the crown prince all the time. It can also be said when reading the synopsis of this kdrama before watching it as it has full of cliches, just placed in a traditional historical setting (will not call this a sageuk). That uncomfortable feeling could've been replaced by its opposite, yet after the finale, it did not. For this, I feel comfortably uncomfortable.

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Sweet Little Drama

First and foremost, if you're looking for something new and revolutionary, this drama is not for you. There is no reinventing the wheel here. It is chock full of tried-and-true tropes that pop up in many, many K-dramas. Amnesia? Check. Secret identities? Check. Villain out to destroy the leads? Check. Shared childhood between leads that haven't seen one another since said childhood? Check. Powerful/rich male lead falls for poor/lower class woman? Check. Childhood trauma that follows the leads into adulthood? Check. Dead parents? Check. Love triangles? Check. Second-lead syndrome? Check.

But just because it follows all the expected tropes doesn't mean this drama isn't worth the watch. The story focuses on (reluctant) Crown Prince Lee Yul (played by EXO's D.O., Do Kyung-Soo) and Yeon Hong-Shim (Nam Ji-Hyun), an assumed-dead noblewoman living in hiding in a rural village with her adoptive father. Being a victim of palace intrigue and backstabbing all his life, Lee Yul is mistrustful and cold to the world around him, even those closest to him. While he performs his duties as crown prince and excels in everything he does through hard work and effort, he loathes nearly everyone around him for their weakness, deceitfulness, and/or treachery. He's trapped in a loveless, arranged marriage with a woman he doesn't like and can't even touch or stand the touch of. With a father-in-law (Jo Sung-ha as Kim Cha-eon) who killed his mother and a wife (Han So-hee as Kim So-hye) pregnant with another man's baby, it's no surprise when Lee Yul becomes the target of a plot to eliminate him before he exposes the betrayals of those around him.

Hong-Shim, meanwhile, falls victim to a decree made by Lee Yul that demands all individuals of a marrying age find a partner to marry in the hopes that the weddings (and the resulting baby boom that is expected to follow a bunch of people getting married) brings rain to end the drought. Fiercely independent and self-sufficient in her own right, Hong-Shim tries to delay her inevitable pairing off by insisting she's engaged to a soldier from a neighboring village, Na Won-Deuk. Her lie can only take her so far though, and just when it seems like her life may be over for defying the Crown Prince's orders, her father discovers an injured amnesiac in the woods that he insists is his daughter's long lost betrothed. Little does anyone know that amnesiac is none other than Crown Prince Lee Yul after a botched assassination attempt.

The setup is obvious, but that's okay! There's nothing wrong with obvious or predictable. The true charm of this drama exists despite the predictability. Lee Yul/Na Won-Deuk is a man out of place in the rural village, struggling to cope with what feels "right" to him (fine goods, plentiful food, talking down to everyone, not getting his hands dirty, literally and figuratively) and what he's told he likes and does (manual labor, simple foods made of rather disgusting ingredients, a simple life). Hong-Shim is struggling with wrangling a loose-cannon of a husband while trying to survive in a world and system that has little to no regard for the lower class. She's left trying to clean up Won-Deuk's messes, while also trying to make life better for herself, her family, and her neighbors.

As a viewer, nothing can really compare to watching the two gradually win one another over. The pair set boundaries galore from the moment they were married, yet those barriers begin to lower as they find they might actually like or even love the person they are married to. Watching them come together and ultimately be torn apart is heartwarming and heartbreaking. Each struggles with who they are, who they want to be, and an immense amount of guilt and responsibility on their shoulders. You can't help but root for them to find their way through the dizzying maze they're trapped in by birthright, betrayal, and the actions of others.

While I've talked a lot about the leads, this drama wouldn't be half as good as it is without the supporting cast. Songjoo village is full of characters that will make you laugh and despair simultaneously. The characters in this series tend to be pretty black and white. The "good" characters are just that; they're loyal, loving, friendly, forgiving, and generous. The "bad" characters are greedy and heartless criminals with no qualms abusing their power and wealth while always on the search for even more power and wealth. There are very few gray characters in this series. For the most part, you're going to love or hate (in the way you're meant to) pretty much everyone you're introduced to. What makes that especially beneficial is there's not a lot of filler. Since you'll have pretty strong feelings about everyone, all scenes feel relevant and important to the overall plot, regardless of whether they're light or heavy.

The acting in this series is top notch. Everyone is believable in their roles, sometimes frustratingly so. This is the first time I've watched D.O. act and in the first few episodes I was a bit turned off by his performance which felt very clinical and mechanical and dry, but after a few episodes it became clear it wasn't bad acting and was instead Lee Yul's cold, detachedness. As Won-Deuk begins adjusting to Songjoo village and his place within it and opening himself up to others for the first time, a new side of Lee Yul/Won-Deuk begins peeking though, and that side is only expanded upon once he regains his memory and place within the palace. By the time the series comes to a close, the mechanical Lee Yul is gone, so if you start the series and have a similar experience of not connecting to/with Lee Yul... just keep going! D.O.'s performance actually ends up being one of the best parts of the series.

Personally, I'm not usually one for period dramas. I don't care for the class system, palace intrigue does little for me, there are a lot of formal roles/positions within the palace and society that I don't really understand or care to research, and the costuming can be as distracting as it is beautiful. Most of the period dramas I've started I've lasted an episode or so before I move on to something set in the modern era, but 100 Days a Prince easily hooked me.

The music wasn't anything especially memorable or noteworthy. The score was overall there as a background character, supportive and present, but not especially key or necessary to what was unfolding in front of it. I always love when the music is a character in and of itself within the drama, but this wasn't that. When I purchased the soundtrack after finishing the series, I was disappointed to find there were only a few singles released. "Erase It" by Gummy and "Cherry Blossom Love Song" by EXO's Chen are the highlights and worth a listen/purchase.

I will definitely rewatch 100 Days My Prince again in the future. It's not one I want to watch and rewatch back to back, I feel like it's one that needs to breathe a bit between viewings, but it definitely has rewatch potential. The characters are easy to grow fond of and the story is tried and true.

Overall, this was a really sweet drama with likeable leads that have tons of chemistry and charisma. Give it a try! You won't regret it.

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Dissapointing

So lets just say I really enjoyed the ML. I thought he was great. I have in the past enjoyed the female lead but really disliked her character in this show. She was not a nice person. She was a deceitfull liar who did actually use the ML for her own ends. For those who say the ML and FL had chemistry I did not see it. Her father even knew he was someone special but buried his clothes and never said anything. The magistrate was creepy and a stalker. The female leads brother made no sense. He went to work for the man who killed his family and fell in love with that nasty Crown Princess who was just a disgusting human being. The ending was ridiculous. A waste of time all around and the stars I gave were for the ML only. Do not waste your time. I certainly will never rewatch the series.

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I almost finished this series, but didn't, I got bored. But! I will say: it's NOT because of the actors. Literally every single actor in this show does a really really good job. Especially the villagers and the leading lady.

I think this show was a little overhyped, I can understand it because, well, EXO fans. However, I think it was a really really good show despite that. The only reason I didn't finish it is because the story to me wasn't all the captivating. I think it was really well thought out, and I appreciated the writing, but I just couldn't get myself /so/ into it that I was like "OH MY GOD I HAVE TO KEEP WATCHING." I sort of just watched because I felt as though I was "missing" something that every one else seemed to be experiencing about the show.

Now that I think about it though, I feel as though it was just a lot of hype and reactions from kpop fans, seeing that D.O. was doing well in the show (we already knew he was a good actor though) and really wanted the show to be successful for him, to support him.

It's a good show, but the story isn't really anything that hasn't been done before, and done better. I would watch for the actors if I were you.

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NOT DA AMNESIA

When this first came out and I was seeing the previews, I had high hopes. However, a few bad reviews kept me from fully watching this which is why I am only now able to see it.

Sad to say I should have kept those reviews in my heart because this show is really a bit of a disaster. I started actually liking the premise and the storyline. The humor wasn't bad I had moments where I literally fell out laughing. Until... the dreaded amnesia plot. Why oh why do they continuously do these stupid memory loss scenes.

The minute I realized I was going to drop this, but I told myself there's no way they would keep this in long, so I kept going. But then episode after episode kept going by with no real development. I was halfway into episode 13 when I realized there are three episodes left and the Prince still had no memories. To make matters worse he was now being used by the bad guy due to his memory loss. It was so frustrating. I immediately had to stop because I seen this all before. At the end I was sure it would be a rushed he remembered and closing.

Which from me searching the end, it was exactly that. They gave him his memories back and he got back with the female lead and whippie kie yay. -_- Amnesia plot aside......

My other grievance would have to be the character portrayal. I understood why the Prince was cold and hateful when his character was introduced due to his sad backstory. And I still understood during the amnesia plot when he treated everyone like they were beneath him. He may have forgot who he is but the mannerisms were engraved in him. Which was fine, until the main leads fell in love. He still felt cold and at a distance from her. Sure he would say endearing words but it was always in the same deadpan look that I couldn't tell if I was really supposed to believe they were falling for each other. Even in moments when he smiled with her, they didn't have me feeling the love or the intimacy. A majority of the moments with the leads really fell flat. So when they had to be separated I honestly felt nothing nor could truly understand why they had so much heartache.

The female lead's character was okay at best but I didn't really see the development of her liking the lead. At least the Prince would be honest on his feelings, but she never was really direct when it counted. Additionally, too many scenes were wasted on fluff when it should have progressed in a manner that moved the story along. Honestly, very disappointed in this, I couldn't even continue on to the last three episodes for how slow and boring the show was becoming.

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It's one of the best korean drama . As a foreigner, saguek dramas won't get to me . But this is filled with good talented actors who did their absolute best . Actors chemistry were the highlight . Namjihyun as always shined along with DO . She is the chemi goddess. She acts brilliantly and make us feel all the emotions of character. She plays a strong , cool,independent woman of voice . Kyungsoo acts wonderfully and his voice is so manly even a single word gives the heat. Hats off to cinematography and direction. The story is an emotional rollercoaster . Only drawback was the ending . The story was so good that all viewers wanted more so the ending felt in completed.

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This is the second time I watch this drama. The first one was back when it aired. I didn't hate it. I just couldn't understand the hype of it. There were extremely good reviews and others not so good. At first I was very hesitant to watch this again as I remembered I didn't like it enough to rewatch it. Made a bet with a friend to watch this and she would watch one I liked but she didn't like, fair enough. We had one month to watch it and it only took me a week. I was hooked after episode 3? I cursed nonstop 18 year old me for not liking this back then, I just ordered a few minutes ago the director's cut.

Definitely the most remarkable thing about this drama is the male lead's acting. Kyungsoo is delightful to watch! And no, I'm not an EXO fan before you tell me I'm being biased, I used to be a whole anti when I was 14 (mind you, I'm 20 now and those days are forever gone). This was his first period drama and he really did an amazing job, he's a natural! As Yul or as Wondeuk, he owned those characters and he showed a different side of each. Can't wait until he comes back !! The rest of the cast deserves to be praised too! Our female lead was fantastic, never disappointed by Jihyun! The royals, ministers, the people from Songju Village, they were all splendid.

One could say the story is very cliche, memory loss, hidden identity, lovers since childhood, etc etc. While that is true, and I do hate cliches myself as well, they all worked for me! I liked how they were both nobles but for their own reasons were living as commoners, loved how the love triangle was not a thing here and that our "second male lead" preferred his friendship with him over the girl, loved how the minister and the Queen weren't working together this time, loved how the political conflict was developed, loved how some events were carried out and were taken from cliche to something unique.

A strong 5 stars to this drama and hope I can watch it again in the future (not a near one tho I'm still missing them)

Note: Remember this is my own opinion and you're very much allowed to disagree, of course. However I do not wish to discuss about my opinion with anyone else. If you disagree, keep it to yourself please, or idc reply to this but I will not answer.

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A great sageuk with D.O. as ML, Nam Ji Hyun as FL and Kim Seo Ho as ML2.

A great sageuk with D.O. as ML, Nam Ji Hyun as FL and Kim Seo Ho as ML2.

PLOT: The FL, daughter of a nobleman killed after being accused of treason, has been hiding for years in a small village. The Crown Prince discovers that the Crown Princess, daughter of the Minister who really governs the kingdom, is pregnant even though he has never touched her. The famous minister decides to kill the Prince. But he survives thanks to FL's adoptive father, even he has amnesia. All the bachelors having received the order to marry, the FL marries the man taken in by her father, the ML-Crown Prince.

PROS:
+ Addictive series, with D.O. who is absolutely masterful in this role.
+ All the actors are excellent.
+ Well-written story, with constant suspense
+ Dynamic and intelligent production, with very beautiful sets, costumes, framing.
+ Well suited OST.

## The kings of Joseon are often shown as weak, powerless, or even stupid. The ML's father, here, is no exception...

CONS:
- Some lengths on the last part.
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TB sageuk avec D.O. en ML, Nam Ji Hyun en FL et Kim Seo Ho en ML2.

PLOT: La FL, fille d'un noble tué après avoir été accusé de trahison, se cache depuis des années dans un petit village. Le Prince héritier découvre que la Princesse Héritière, fille du Ministre qui gouverne vraiment le royaume, est enceinte alors qu'il ne l'a jamais touchée. Le fameux ministre décide de faire tuer le Prince. Celui-ci survit grâce au père adoptif de la FL, mais il est amnésique. Tous les célibataires ayant reçu l'ordre de se marier, la FL épouse l'homme recueilli par son père.

PROS:
+ Série addictive, avec D.O. qui est absolument magistral dans ce rôle.
+ Tous les acteurs sont excellents.
+ Story bien écrite, avec un suspense constant
+ Réalisation dynamique et intelligente, avec de très beaux décors, costumes, cadrages.
+ OST bien adaptées.

## Les rois de Joseon sont souvent montrés comme faibles, impuissants, voire stupides. Le père du ML, ici, ne fait pas exception...

CONS:
- Quelques longueurs sur la dernière partie.

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Who doesn't love Kyungsoo? I guess others too, the same as me, watched this drama because of him. And.. *slow clap*

The plot. The plot is not what I expected at all. It's not overwhelming or underwhelming. Everything's just right and perfect. Everything's timed correctly. I loved the emphasis on the chinese proverbs (I mean as it should be). I loved how unexpected and exciting things were from the first episode. The flashbacks were at the right moments. It was funny to watch as the story unfolded bit by bit, which was not only uncovering the past, but we got the present and some moments letting us know what the future will be for the characters of the drama. The only disappointing thing for me were the moments right before the ending. The battle between the Crown prince and the Vice-President Kim was underwhelming. I've guessed it all. However it was really nice to see that a villain who wanted all the power and riches even after death wanting only good for his children. This was a really nice detail to the story. I guess they wanted to show that even a monster like Vice-President Kim was a human being and cared about his children.

Acting/Cast. Oh let me tell you, the cast for this drama is amazing. I did like D.O's acting in Hello Monster. After that, I never saw anything else, any dramas or movies with him, so this was surprisingly good! I really like the aura he gives off, it fits the Crown Prince's character so well. Also the chemistry between Nam Ji Hyun and Kyungsoo was amazing. She's an amazing actress and I was surprised at how well she acts. From the other actors, I really liked the acting of Han So Hee, Kim Ki Doo, Jo Sung Haa and others.

Music. Spot on. I guess it's hard to miss with music since this is a historical drama. Keeps up the mood of the situations.

Rewatch Value. I already rewatched this drama as I'm writing this. So it's truly worth rewatching. I wouldn't say it's for everyone, but I like to rewatch movies and dramas, so I watched it again and I fell in love even more.

Overall. If you're looking for a drama that makes you think, has a great love story and in general a plot with some comedy elements - this drama is for you. You don't have to like history to like this drama as it's more based on the relationships rather than the politics only (politics are included in the drama but not emphasised. However, social status is emphasised a lot knowing this IS a historical drama). Good drama to watch in your free time, amazing drama to make you fall in love with the actors, music and the story. One of the best ones I've watched.

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Does this make you uncomfortable?
Taking a break from all my Chinese drama historical marathon/reviews to finally review this drama. This is probably Kyungsoo's first historical drama so I had to watch it. I was a fan of sageuk dramas before I enjoyed watching historical Chinese dramas.

STORY:
This is a story of a crown prince, Lee Yul (Do Kyungsoo) who is cold and perfectionist that doesn't really get along with everyone in the palace due to him opposing what they say and telling them what's on his mind. He is intelligent that even though he kind of is rude, the can navigate his way out of trouble by using his wits against them. People who didn't like him attempted to assassinate him and he survived (no surprise there). He then loses his memories and there he meets Hong Shim (Nam Ji Hyun). They met when a law was passed for all unmarried me and women should find their spouse or else will suffer the consequences. Fortunately since he lost his memory, Hong Shim concocted a plot to let Lee Yul marry her not knowing that he is the crown prince. With that they lived as husband and wife in their village which was hilarious. And as stories go, they fell for each other...of course. Since this is a historical drama, politics will once again play a role in the story. I liked the premise as well as the ending although I would've liked to see moments of them as an engaged or married couple.

ACTING/CAST:
I know how good Kyungsoo is so this isn't much of a surprise. Though it's funny that his character here appears to be close to his real personality. The drama is also well-casted and this was the first time I've seen Seun Ho in a drama and I could say that he's adorable and likeable. Nam Ji Hyun also is okay in this drama. This is the second drama I've seen her act.

MUSIC:
Unfortunately, I did not recall any OSTs of this drama so I can only review the music used as the background in the scenes and I guess it's okay.

REWATCH VALUE:
You can rewatch this if you like, you can also pass.

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Do Kyung Soo Shines In His Role

I watched this drama after putting it on hold for a long while. Decided to go into it as I was running out of shows to watch. I also like actress Nam Ji Hyun as she is one of my favorites after seeing her in Suspicious Partners.

100 Days had a fairly good story line of love in the Joseon period. The costumes, the production good quality and I appreciated it's OST and music which fell into all the right moments. To me, everything was just fairly entertaining in this drama. The only thing that truly stood out for me was Do Kyung Soo who acted as Prince Lee Yul/Won Deuk. Together with Ji Hyun (his beloved Hong Shim), they both managed to carry the drama throughout.

I would not miss this drama if I am a fan of D.O and for those who are not, you will find him a really good watch in this drama.

Cheers!

K-drama forever!

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