Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung (2019)

Had a soft “woke” ending

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean historical romance with 20, 60 minute, episodes.

Goo Hae-ryung (Shin Se-kyung) is unique among the Ladies as she is more interested in reading books than she is in getting married. This has led her to be nearing the age where she will be forced to wed. When an opportunity arises to become a female historian and avoid the bounds of marriage she gladly takes it. Yi Rim /Prince Dowon (Cha Eun-woo)
is the only son of the dethroned King Huiyeong Yi Gyeom. What Prince Gowan does not know, is he is the rightful heir to the throne. Living within the palace but exiled both from public and even inner palace life, he is content for his uncle and cousin to rule (who he regards as a father and brother) while he works, in secret, as "Maehwa," the author of many popular romance novels. The Prince claims to want honest feedback on his novels but when Hae-ryung gives him some harsh feedback without knowing he is the author and the Prince he is both insulted and intrigued. As a historian, Hae-rung faces many challenges as the royals do not always welcome having their activities recorded. Things intensify even more when both Hae-rung and Prince Dowon become interested in what they were told were treasonous events in the past. They both suspect the event was not told entirely nor truthfully. Not all is as it seems nor is everyone on the same path they started on. As the two grow feelings for each other can they survive palace politics or will the past they both are tied to end their love and even their lives for good?

Spoiler alert!! I liked learning about historians and what their role may have been in the past it made me curious if they really were somewhat like they were portrayed. I loved prince Dowon and his brother, the Crown Prince. It was a cute love story with a lot of mystery around the events that happened in the past. There were even some side occurrences that kept you engaged and interested and let you get to know a lot of the characters better. I was disappointed a bit in the ending though in that the male and female leads did not get married or have any kind of long-term relationship. This happens a lot in current American romances and I think it’s part of the movement that is supposed to show that a woman doesn’t necessarily need to be married or be with a man to be happy. it makes me wonder how much of the story is influenced and written for American culture since it is a Netflix production. I don’t expect perfect historical accuracy but I do not even like that element in current American romances. I was also disappointed that Prince Dowon did not take some position in the royal family because even though he liked to write, the fact that there was so much buildup around him being the rightful heir, it was a let down that he gave it up. Prince Dowon was writing travel books which meant he did not get back to the type of writing he really liked which was the romance books. That also felt like Hae-rung had an influence on him when she ridiculed his romance books. Just like I don’t think the woman should have to change everything about herself to be with someone, I also do not think the man should have to completely change who they are either. Overall I felt like he had to change a lot and she basically stayed very much the way she was. Despite the small disappointments, the series was still good and I highly recommend it.

Leggi di Più

Solid plot, charming romance, well-timed comedy and enough political intrigue to chew on

This was indeed a well-executed show with a sophisticated and witty script. Good content filled each episode and the show balanced between political intrigue, romance, comedy, and drama nicely. The hilarious moments were well-timed, and using the OST and interesting sound effects, the show almost always hit the right dramatic notes while transitioning smoothly to more light-hearted scenes. I liked the OST, all of it, the songs and the instrumental pieces.

I appreciated how the writers realistically weaved in the theme of female empowerment without using the cross-dressing trope. The women legitimately proved their intelligence and worth, ending up as historians in the palace after passing the civil exam. The show also handled the inclusion of various thought-provoking topics perfectly, like the clash between the Western and Korean cultures and religion, the embrace of modern ideas like science versus traditional beliefs, and gender and class inequality.

Shin Se Kyung mesmerized me throughout the show. She acted well as our plucky heroine, plus she is so lovely to look at, and I quite enjoyed admiring her gorgeous features, especially during her close-ups. Her voice suited her character, Goo Hae Ryung who was thoughtful, intelligent, well-read, brave, observant, and rational. Her rationality could be considered a point of frustration for our male lead, Prince Dowon, since Hae Ryung usually did not have a romantic bone in her body. That why I was pleasantly surprised that she initiated the first kiss while quoting a romantic phrase back to Prince Dowon.

The noona romance was another plus point for the show. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable, and the show was clever to leverage the age gap and shaped out the characters in a believable way. Cha Eun Woo portrayed the handsome and naive Prince Dowon perfectly, an adorable young romantic who wore his heart on his sleeve. His micro-expressions were on-point, from being love struck to showing determination and courage when confronting his antagonists. It was endearing to see the character growth of Prince Dowon and, through his coming of age, evolved into a man who consistently stood up for his beliefs, principles, and his love for Hae Ryung.

While I enjoyed watching the romance between the two leads, I did suffer from SLS. I honestly would not have minded if Hae Ryung ended up with Officer Min. For me, he was an excellent match for the FL - a mature, intelligent, principled man would have been a perfect partner for Hae Ryung. I first saw Lee Ji Hoon in "Dinner Mate", but he really caught my eye in this show. There was a certain charisma that I found attractive. I felt the same way about Park Ki Woong, who played the Crown Prince. Those two men totally rocked facial hair.

The downer for me was the dynamic between the Crown Prince and the historian Song. There was just something about the character, Song Sa Hee, that turned me off, and I did not want to see the Crown Prince develop feelings for her. So I ended up fast-forwarding through some of their scenes. This is the reason why I did not rate this show a perfect 10.

The whole cast did well, and even though there were over the top characters, they fitted well into the story. There were no superfluous characters; each one had a purpose and lent to the story.

Overall, if you are looking for quality production, a well-written story with a strong female lead, and a charming romance, you might want to give this show a try.

Leggi di Più

The cutest and lightest Joseon Piece I've yet seen. When it isn't dealing with the throne it shines.

I keep giving Joseon pieces a shot. It seems they are a right of passage or actors aren't taken seriously unless they have been in at least one. There isn't a single star I have come to like or follow that doesn't have one of these history tales on their resume. So, I keep watching these weird hatted (I mean why are they mesh, they neither protect from the rain or sun, why are we wearing them?) medieval stories that unfortunately tend to all be carbon copies of each other where everyone is vying for the throne.

I have asked in comments if there are any Joseon stories that do not deal with Kings, Princes, succession, and cementing power through Queens marriage, to deaf ears (Err Eyes). This seems to be the only reason to ever write one of these things. There is always at least one, sometimes warring, politicians that are part of the court which always somehow have more power than the kings themselves and are always evil. There more often than not is a son of one of these politicians who is morally ambiguous, who "hates" their corrupt evil father but likewise does nothing to stop their dastardly deeds even while knowing how awful they are, at least until we reach the climax. There is always a forbidden love. The list goes on and on.

Rookie Historian is no different. All of the plot points above are found here as well. The constant recycling and repackaging of Korea's Joseon entertainment is alive and well yet again. However, I will say this time round, the actual tag of comedy can be proudly proclaimed, as there are actually many funny bits throughout the entirety of its run. There are characters and stories that remain light, cute, and fun for almost the entire duration. Their is a soft happiness to the entire production and though the story always has to dig into tragedy and ultimately a large dramatic finish, this time round it refrains from becoming totally horrific.

This time the "fresh" take on the story is by angling from the view of Historians, those that walk and skulk silently in the rooms of the palace writing everything they see to create a written record and truthful history that no one is allowed to read, except other historians apparently. This angle is narrowed when it focuses on the sudden reintroduction of women historians who haven't been used in centuries. Their job is to follow the everyday lives of the royals in their bedrooms and homes instead of the political meetings and public events like the men historians. Thus, the story injects a fresh shot of female empowerment and equality.

Our lead actress Shin Se Kyung plays Goo Hae Ryung, a headstrong, forward thinking, noble woman, with a somewhat mysterious past. Se Kyun is strong in the role overall. She brings both softness and strength to the character, as well as beauty. However, the character seems to not hold the resilience and grit the story early on claims our heroine has. As the tale progresses she gives in to the pressures around her for a stint, especially when it comes to her love. She begins to be the whole tortured female with an empty face, tears behind closed doors, suffer in silence publicly female character that is so commonly written. While she will ultimately spring to action for the end, there will be a whole section of episodes where you will just roll your eyes at her and feel like she just gave up. I suppose the plot needed this to happen at the expense of her character.

Then there is our male lead Cha Eun Woo who plays Prince Do Won. No one can argue that Eun Woo isn't beautiful. He is. Maybe he is a great performer and singer, I do not follow Kpop. But, I can say he isn't sturdy or balanced yet as an actor. It isn't that he is straight bad as an actor, there are moments here where he pulls off some good work. When it is time to be cute, playful, flirtatious, and smitten he does well enough. It is endearing and fun to watch. Him and his female lead have a cute chemistry, not screen blazing, but good enough. Even in the end when things take a more serious turn and Eun Woo is asked to pull off some more dramatic and tearful moments, he actually comes to shine and be very strong here. However, all the rest of the time, while he is acting jealous, contemplative, arrogant, suspicious, mischievous, and the story is having him as a moving part between the power struggle of the others in play that he becomes awkward, stiff, unnatural, and well shows he is acting. His facial expressions are not varied, but a constant repeat. He looks constipated a lot, or just simply blank. His smiles seem disingenuous. The delivery is just simply off. It doesn't ruin the show, but it does show his weakness compared to everyone else on screen. He is the weakest link here.

Our other male lead Park Ki Woong as Prince Yi jin is the powerhouse. You enjoy him when he appears and are drawn into his wide smiles or unwavering stares. His manliness smoulders and his acting is intense and well delivered. While I was dismayed by the ultimate path this characters takes, getting there was a treat to watch and yes Ki Woong's turn here in this role has made me a fan. Park Ji Hyun also appears as our second female lead Song Sa Hee, and as always does a great job as a morally questionable character who does everything in her own interest. She is detached and a lonely wolf, a character that she should feel right at home in by this point.

Lee Ji Hoon is also a lead as Officer Min, the second in command of the Historians and the morally ambiguous son of the "big bad" I mentioned at the begging. He is the male version of Ji Hyun's Sa Hee here. Detached and stoic he holds steadfast to the rules and doctrine of the Historians to a fault, letting the rules of his work, that historians document but do not take part in nor change the outcome of events not matter how horrible, corrupt, or atrocious the events might be, excuse his inaction regarding his father and those around him he knows are perpetrated wrongs against the crown and Joseon itself. I found it hard to like his character, there is too much he allows to happen, too much he could have stopped or helped with and he just doesn't. He knows there are historians being spies, and he allows it. He documents his father controlling the crown and watches the secret meetings in his family home, and tells no one. He is at fault in the backstory of his wife that you will come to learn, again because of his father. The whole Korean idea that children accept their parents as monsters just because they are their parents is not something I stomach well, yet it is a prevailing plotline in a large swatch of Kdrama (Joseon or not). While of course he is also a noble character who at times goes-to-the-mat for others in the show and if rules are broken ( I found it weird what rules he would not allow to bend or break considering what other stuff he lets slide). He also starts to realize his faults and issues when faced with our female lead who refuses, most-of-the-time to sit idle. Thus, he is put on a redemptive arch.

When the story is playing with its characters it is a great watch. When the story is dealing with medical backstory, or the writing and censorship story line it is engrossing. When it brings up social issues, injustices, equal rights, and takes on the unwillingness for society to change or allow anything different to grow Rookie Historian shines. When it is playful and cute and letting our leads fall for each other it is heartwarming and charming. When it wants to be funny, for the most part (some parts do fall flat or become old and repetitive), it is.

But ultimately all this originality, interesting concepts and explorations, and light hearted enjoyment caves in to the prevailing King/Prince/Throne/Power Grab story that can be found in EVERY JOSEON TALE FROM HERE TO THE MOON. This repetitive, stale, boring, and paint-by-numbers plotting that has not a single moment of originality or surprise ends up the main focus for the end and everything else is trimmed away. Oh well.

I had more fun with this than the last 5 or so Joseon tales combined so it was a surprise for me. While I wish someone would just lay the succession storyline to rest, I wasn't dismayed to have sat through this as I was for other Joseon pieces that claim to be comedies like "Flower Crew" for example. Rookie Historian is ,for the most part, a wining fun watch.

7.5/B/3 3/4-Stars. Shows its flaws but remains strong, likely to be enjoyed.

Leggi di Più

A good length period drama

It has the typical conspiracy, treason, revenge plot that you would expect in a period drama. I am glad that it is only 20 episodes (I watched on Netflix) long so not as draggy as those that are truly 40 episodes and above. I can't pinpoint what exactly made me stay throughout the show. The costumes were beautiful , especially Prince Dowon's. I had favourite characters (and the actors who played them):

Prince Dowon, Yi Rim - Cha Eun Woo did really well in this drama. I think he is a good actor, he was believable. He went from being silly, in love, serious. He cries prettily too LOL. Kidding aside, I think he did well and does not suck as an actor like some of the comments I've read here.

Goo Hae-ryung - Shin Se Kyung, I like her character here. I like her banter with Prince Dowon and how she always manages to stump him. I like how she doesn't play innocent and dumb. In her subtle way she shows how in love she is with Prince Dowon - and his reactions are so cute. Oh I skipped all the parts wherein he had to have an arranged marriage with someone else - I didn't care, didn't want to know and didn't want to go through all that.

Officer Min Woo - such a straight arrow. He somehow gave me comfort that no betrayal to the historians would go past him.

Crown Prince Yi Jin - I liked his smile what can I say. I like how he treats Yi Rim and was super scared that he would turn out to be a villain - glad I was wrong,

Heo Sam Bo and the 2 court girls - a fun trio

The Historians - what a wacky bunch. I thought they would be bullies and would make the female historian's live hell throughout the show. They actually turned out to be a loyal lot where it counts. One historian, Hyun Kyung Mook did annoy me ;-/

All in all it was a good watch. The ending was fitting. I did wish for more though........ :-)

Leggi di Più

I'm loving this drama to bits. Everything about it is good: the story, the cinematography, the cast...
The story and its characters are quite original (this is historical fantasy after all), but all of them blend together very well and you will be immersed in their world in no time. The female lead is an icon for strength and independence, and the male lead is sweet and soft but has also shown that he has a lot of potential as a king (if we add how handsome is CEW, you have the perfect combination for swooning non-stop over the prince)...they are super-cute and will make your heart flutter with their scenes together.
I also love that there are strong bromances and sismance going on. This drama is full of adorable and righteous characters and you will be rooting for all of them in no time. Fortunately the bad guys are minority and I expect they will be overruled soon.
It's also nice that apart from all the romance, fluff and comedy, the drama is tackling more serious topics, like science, education, politics and even the anti-vaccine movement. I find it very entertaining and a perfect summer watch. :)

Leggi di Più

A show full of strong,smart and intelligent woman

This story starts off as a rom-com set in joseon era, with so much potential and great portrayal of woman as strong,intelligent and smart people. Woman who are not scared to speak up and always stand up for what's right.This is what sets it apart from the other countless dramas.
As the story progresses you see how the issues of Joseon era is still extremely relevant in 2020, the modern world. Woman till this day are still looked down upon and are still fighting for equality in their own ways,this portrayal was really impressive.
This story also touches upon finding yourself. The prince's story was very touching, him finding freedom and happiness was very satisfying to watch. Hae Ryung also finds freedom and follows her dreams which was extremely inspiring.
The relationship between the characters was so refreshing. Especially the female historian characters had such a cute relationship, so refreshing considering how woman are always portrayed against each other. The show also portrays touching relationships between siblings and family.
This show has alot of political elements too which made me aware of so many social issues,was interesting to watch for the most parts. In my opinion some of these elements either shouldn't have been shown or portrayed better. But some issues like small pox,vaccination and western influence in joseon were extremely unique elements that really kept me interested. I had trouble with getting the motivation to watch some episodes it was frustrating,maybe because i dont really watch period dramas much,somehow i pushed on though and it was worth it!
The chemistry between our main couple was super adorable, but there wasn't much skinship between them still they managed to win my heart with just the right amount!
The acting of the main leads in my opinion was average not really up to the mark.Especially the guy who played the king really didnt suit the role, its probably intended,as the king was really bad at his job lol. Overall the acting was average, nothing mind blowing. But I can see that the leads both have improved ALOT from thier previous works! Appreciate that! Some characters were extremely well portrayed though especially lee ji hoon he really did an amazing job, I'm a fan! AND the queen did a stunning job, her accent was so beautiful to hear :)
Overall it's a good watch,kept me entertained for the most part :)

Leggi di Più

First the sets and costumes in this are absolutely gorgeous, not to mention the actors. ;)

Going into this, I wasn't so sure I would enjoy this series after the first couple of episodes. I'm not a big political drama kind of person, they tend to bore me easily.

After the first couple of episodes though, I felt it picked up and the political drama was so interesting and kept me wondering what would happen next.

Alongside this political drama, there is a budding romance of horribly adorable and innocent love. I couldn't help but smile widely when the characters interacted.

Overall, definitely recommend if you enjoy historical, political, or slow burn romance.

Leggi di Più

oh well…

This drama took me forever to finish and really had me going through a Kdrama slump. I usually really like historical dramas but this one just wasn‘t it for me.

The story was rather uninteresting and I feel like 10 episoded would‘ve been enough to tell everything that had to be told. Also it seemed to me as if the plot took several unnecessary turns and tried to tell too many stories instead of focusing on one main plot.

The cast was very good and the chemistry between the lead couple was definitely there, however I would‘ve appreciated a little more depth to Cha Eunwoo‘s character.

The scenery and the traditional houses and Hanboks were beautiful and really nice to watch, however this unfortunately couldn‘t make up for the story to me.

Although not everything about Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung was bad and while the drama had fun and enjoyable scenes from time to time, I would not necessarily recommend it.

Leggi di Più

Mediocrity r us

The drama had enough to create an engaging story and interesting characters, but for me it fell short. The show felt a lot of like a modern workplace drama with characters playing dress up. The plot didn't delve deep enough exploring the difficulties Haeryung faced trying to fit into a man's world. And, the dethroned prince storyline only picked momentum towards the end.

The chemistry between Haeryung and Yi Rim was a bit bland. She was six years older than him and acted more like an older sister than a love interest. They often looked awkward together and weren't convincing as two young people in love. I was very apprehensive to watch this drama because of SSK's abysmal performance in Captivating the King. But, surprisingly, she did a pretty decent job.

The ending was very underwhelming. The drama had a very progressive message for women to pursue their dreams and not being shackled by society's expectations. However, neither Haeryung nor Yi Rim achieved any tremendous heights at the end. They lived together like a married couple, but they weren't married and nobody paid too much attention to that. This was especially strange considering the historical period they lived in. Yi Rim abandoned his princehood and became a nobody while Haeryung blissfully continued to bebop through life as a historian. At the end, they achieved nothing and their so-called "freedom" consisted of them blissfully living in an extramarital relationship. I didn't get anything out of this message except that being mediocre was ok.

Leggi di Più

A more lighthearted look at historical drama

This seemed to me like watching people play dress up in historical costume, but it was actually in current time. For me, that wasn't a bad thing. I typically don't care for historical dramas because they are SO full of angst, often have tragic endings, all the government people look alike and are ALWAYS evil, there is often unrealistic flying around acrobatics going on. That's why this show for me was a breath of fresh air. Sure, the government people still all looked alike and there was a lot of evil to go around, but I was able to get past that because of the lightheartedness that was evident throughout.

Interesting premise for a story and I loved the strength of the women characters. There were quite a few times that got me grinning, especially from the eunuch. Oh, the trials of trying to keep up with a prince!

The two leads were very good. I loved him in True Beauty, and he showed a more playful side to himself here. His expressions were so sweet, and his smiles and mannerisms as he journeyed into first love were a joy to watch. I appreciated that they took the time to show us the development of their relationship, and I could understand why they fell in love with each other.

As usual, giant time skip, rushed ending, but in this case, I was able to get past that because I enjoyed the three quarters of the episodes so much.

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Development of the characters

This was my first historical KDrama I've watched, and I feel I could not have selected a better one. What I enjoyed most about this story was the development of the two main characters. The overall storyline moves beyond the attraction these two have to each other, and shows the joys, the struggles, and the decisions they face within the positions they hold in this historical society. The subplots written into the main plot, bring a rich layer to the overall story that envelopes the viewer and never lets go. Even as the series ended, I found I wanted to see and hear more of Goo Hae-ryung, Prince Dowon, the historians, and characters that made up palace life. An added bonus were the beautiful costumes of the Josean period.

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10/10 binge-ability.

I don't typically enjoy Joseon dramas all that much because the villains tend to suck and painstakingly explain all their awful plans step by step as they plot along. There was quite little evil plotting here, while still delivering lots of drama, so this show was a very welcome surprise!

There were so many different plots happening in short and long arcs that I never got bored. There was a big mystery regarding a dethroned king, there was relationship drama, there were power struggles within the court and also the journey of a group of women trying to find their place and be acknowledged in a male-centric world. The show even took the time to give some backstory to a couple of the other historians, which could have been boring but wasn't because it ended up helping me better understand their actions and motivations.

The cast was huge, and everyone did a fantastic job. This was my first time seeing a drama with Shin Se Kyung and she was absolutely wonderful. And Cha Eun Woo as Prince Rin was just too precious for words. He was so earnest, sweet and pure. I liked the different power dynamic of having the female lead be the older, more confident one in the relationship and her male co-star be the innocent, unsure one. They were great together. And the Crown Prince and Historian Min deserve some recognition, too. Along with the other three female historians, the eunuch that always accompanied the Prince and Hae Ryung's maid.

A wonderful drama all around.

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