Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

Ever wanted to watch a sageuk drama but felt like they are too ”out there”? Sungkyunkwan Scandal would be the perfect introduction to historical Korean dramas – it has a common plot and quirkiness that can be found similar to the popular rom coms, such as "You’re Beautiful", for example. Just when you have got used to the traditional culture - the customs, the clothing and the way of speaking - you get to like it, more and more and you find yourself hooked on the sageuk dramas.

Although the plot that consists mainly of a woman pretending to be a man, is rather used in Asian dramas, it does that freshly in SKKS. Main character, Kim Yoon Hee, is a smart, determined and an independent woman opposite to those clueless girls who just happen to find themselves in a situation where they can not reveal that they have the XX-chromosomes rather than those of XY. Although that our main heroine needs some help time to time it doesn't make herr too helpless or naive. Actually, who wouldn't need some helping hand, as you live as an only woman in a man inhabitant dormitory? The group around Yoon Hee, the upright Lee Sun Joon, the smart playboy Goo Yong Ha and the rebellious Moon Jae Shin, forms eventually a close group of loyal friends who help each other in a need and value and fight for their views of life. It is refreshing to watch the group power that only grows with each episode.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal blends very well many different genres in a one drama: it has romance, drama, mystery, investigation, historical, action, school life and for the most – humor. Still it doesn't feel like losing under the number of genres but continues to surprise after each episode. Unlike the most dramas, it doesn't lose touch even in the very end and you get easily hooked on the flow.

What I loved to follow the most in this drama, was the relationship between Moon Jae Shin and Goo Yong Ha. They are completely opposite but was it then the plot, the direction or the brilliant acting, the viewer gets the feeling of a strong friendship and appreciation between them.

As mentioned about the acting already, I would say that I’m not too convinced about Park Yoochun's and Park Min Young's acting - which was a bit stiff for my liking – but to compensate these actors you get Song Joon Ki and Yoo Ah In who are both gifted with amazing talents.

If I could have changed something in this drama, it would have been those overly acting sidekicks of Ha In Soo and the weird “time leaps” witch leave you with multiple question marks saying “how did THAT happen?”.

Despite these lacks, Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a fresh, warm drama that I don’t regret watching!

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Story 8.5 - The story was full of great little twists that wouldn't let the drama turn out to be boring, even towards the very end. There were couple of moments than just seemed to happen though, against any logical reasoning, and made me reduce some points in this section. The most of the characters, on the other hand, were fresh and really likable.

Acting/Cast 8 - I wasn't that convinced for Park Yoochun's and Park Min Young's acting but loved Yoo Ah In and Song Joong Ki!

Music 6 - Nothing special with the soundtrack. It was not bad but it didn't stick in my mind either. Overall pleasant but not amazing!

Rewatch value 8 - There happened a lot in this drama which is a part of the reason that it wouldn't get boring to rewatch it - on the other hand though there were many things that stirred the excitement to me while watching it and knowing the things that will happen in the drama may make it a bit boring while rewatching it.

Overall 9 - Overall I loved it, despite of it lacks. The characters, the humor, the power of friendship, the freshness of the drama and the brilliant acting (mostly by Yoo Ah In and Song Joong Ki) got me hooked till the very end. Highly recommend!!

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I wasn't sure about watching a period drama but I loved this so much I bought the series. I am laughing right now thinking about some of the most awesome scenes. I am a happy ending girl but I also have to enjoy the story that gets you there as well and I really did with this. I smiled stupidly in front of the computer screen so many times, I laughed out loud, I sat on the edge of my seat calling out stupid, ahh and the cuteness, of course the cute guys helped also. It's not just the lead guy and gal but the other two main guys are so awesome. I loved them almost more then Lee Sun-joon and Kim Yoon-hee. Though I really didn't think that Lee Sun-joon was as cute as the other guys, he really starts to grow on you as the show progresses and though I loved the character Gu Yong-ha it was totally the Moon-Jae-shin character that stole my heart and probably half the show and omg they all had great chemistry. I liked that this was light enough not to stress me out or make me want to kill myself. It was addictive enough to stay up most of the night because I couldn't not watch just one more episode. I finished it in two days and have re-watched it with my mother who loved it and because it has some action in it my brother started getting into it so now he is watching it.

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I started Sungkyunkwan Scandal expecting fluff and eye candy. The pretty cast and brightly colored posters suggested college hijinks with hanboks, and there was indeed plenty of cute, anachronistic fun. What I didn’t expect was solid writing that would use the not so light and fluffy realities of the show’s historical era to poke a sharp stick at Neo-Confucianist ideas about gender, class, sexual orientation and filial piety. The four central characters are given multidimensional, compelling relationships, and while I wish the two leads were played by more dynamic actors, Yoo Ah In and Song Joong Ki are marvelous. The show recognizes that while college in any time period may contain lots of frivolity, petty rivalries, romance, and odd initiation rites, it is most crucially the place where young idealists take aim at the cynicism and corruption of their elders.

Unfortunately though, while the show is willing to raise provocative issues, it’s unwilling to really deal with the ramifications of those issues. A world where being an educated woman or a gay man is a capital crime is hardly likely to provide a happy ending for nonconformists. Instead of confronting this head-on, the drama drifts into fantasy in its final episodes, substituting feel-good platitudes and miraculous solutions for the difficult problems it has so compellingly presented. This allows it to maintain its romantic comedy credentials, but at the cost of what could have been a much darker, but also much more honest show.

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This show was pretty close to a masterpiece. This is definitely the BEST drama I have seen so far.

There are hardly any complaints from this show.

The story line and plot are excellent. I love the whole setting of the Joseon era. It provides gender bender in a whole new perspective. This show is the first ever gender bender scenario I have enjoyed thoroughly.

The show has an excellent cast. I am a very big fan of Park Min Young. She was the one who stole the spotlight as Kim Yon Shik. I have NO complaints when it comes to her character or any others. I think this show is the best I have seen in any language which has such great, over-the-top characterizations. Everything has to do with outstanding writing.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that they are all scholars, but it absolutely brilliant. It has the perfect female, perfect male, perfect antagonists and perfect second and third leads. The actors are equally good who have played their characters so very well. I rate them full where acting is concerned.

The direction seemed to be a bit clumsy at places but considering that this is a periodic drama I have to pat the director's back for the phenomenal settings. I almost felt like I was part of the Sungkyunkwan. I would love to meet such brainy scholars. The show had so many cool riddles that I liked it. Also, they seemed to have used heavy and formal language while speaking. I liked that too.

Not just the lingering mysteries and sub-plots, I was happy with the humor. Every episode had very funny moments, most of them consisting Geol-Oh and Yang Ha. Also the episodes where Lee Sun Joon is attracted to Kim Yon Shik and thinking he is a homosexual were very funny. I really loved the spirit of Kim Yon Hee. She is also one of my favorite fictional characters from tv shows now. I am not fond of females that are pushovers or without pride in stories.

Anyway, this show makes me hungry for more periodic dramas but I don't think any other one could be as good as this one. I would recommend to everyone who is searching for a no-nonsense drama.

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I can't believe I've fallen in love with yet another drama about a girl disguised as a boy. I saw all the good reviews, but still expected it to be another wannabe coffee prince, or the korean version of Yentl. I also expected to be bored by a historical drama with a predictable/cliché storyline, but instead I was hooked from the very first episode.

What makes this drama so great, from the very beginning, is the four lead characters. As much as i loved the romance in Sungkyunkwan Scandal (including what's now one of my favorite k-drama kiss scenes), I still loved the bromance between all four main characters more. Yoo Ah In as the impetuous rebel Moon Jae Shin, Micky Yoochun as the logic driven bookworm Lee Sun Joon, Park Min Young as the inspiringly ambitious "Kim Yoon Shik", and (my favorite) Song Jung Ki as the playfully manipulative Goo Yong Ha, are each outstanding in their role, and have amazing chemistry with each other. There were even times when the chemistry between Moon Jae Shin & Goo Yong Ha rivaled the main couple.

I also have to give a special mention to Kim Min Seo as Cho Sun, who was my favorite supporting character, and played her part expertly. It was really refreshing to see two strong female characters, especially since the story revolves around an all boys school. This is now among my favorite all time dramas, mainly because of the cast. I loved them so much, I was tempted to rewatch the entire drama right after I finished it.

One small criticism I have is that the political part of the plot was sometimes hard for me to follow, since korean history is completely (and literally) foreign to me. This is not really a fault of the drama, but it did stop me from personally seeing this as a perfect 10. It became much easier for me to follow the noron/soron conflicts after a while, but I could still enjoy the drama without being 100% clear. There's a good amount of action, and mystery, which keeps the political plot entertaining.

Another criticism is, as much as I liked the endings for the 4 main characters, there were still unanswered questions, and some supporting characters that deserved better endings.

Overall, there was much more to praise than criticize. I can definitely see myself rewatching this multiple times, even if it's just to see Goo Yong Ha spin. I know there are many dramas with similar plots, but a drama that's entertaining from the 1st to the last episode is rare. I recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal as one of those rare dramas.

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I have been a fan of both Park Min-Young and Micky Yoochun but I would always skip watching this drama as I thought it was boring. My mistake. When I finally gave it a try, I just fell in love with it; the casts, the story, the music. I thought it's now my fave drama side by side Yi San (with Lee Seo-Jin and Han Ji-Min). I think I've seen it 3 times already and the OST's are now part of my music list. I never grow tired watching it. The story is simple, no serious complications or twist that sometimes dragged on until almost the drama is finished. The drama is not perfect but how everything was put together, especially the choosing of the casts, is what made the difference. I may not be good in putting my thoughts in words, but whoever will read this and has the same doubt as I had the first time as to how this drama will fair, just give it a try and I know you will also love it.

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I marathoned this drama with my mdl friend Crazyinlove. I remember all the squeals of delight and tears that we shed over this brilliant story. Although the story isn't unique as there are a lot of dramas out there where girls pretend to be boys. What was unique was the characters and the chemistry that they all had. They made me laugh and cry and seriously pissed off. But I loved them more and more each episode. This drama is one of my personal favorites. Yoo Ah In and Song Joong Ki (or as me and crazy call them "sexybeast" and "peacock" were my favorite pairing. It's just a really good drama to get you out of a slump or to cheer you up on a bad day. I recommend this to anyone!
Happy Watching Everyone :)

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I really enjoyed this drama, the first few episodes I was unsure as to where it would take me and if it would pick up because to me it seemed a little bit slow to start, but it definitely made up for it and pulled me right in without me wanting to skip episodes.

I absolutely loved every character in this drama and the character development for all of them was phenomenal. It really shows that no matter who you are, what background you come from, rich or poor, you can still change the world and accomplish your dreams. It also shows that when there is a will there is a way and power does not make the way.

Absolutely loved it! Gender bender dramas are definitely some of my favorites because of the comedy they bring when the man thinks he's truly gay and will even come to terms with it because of how in love he is.

Very powerful and moving drama, 10 stars! I recommend this to anyone who likes historical, comedy and a good romance drama with a very powerful meaning behind it.

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This was the best drama i have watched yet, it is very addicting. the story has the right amount of suspense in it, and of course the love story of Kim Yoon Shik and Lee Sun Joon was the best, i was smiling all the time when they have scenes together. But this Drama being a Historical one, i think they have toned down the fighting scenes because it was more focused on the love story of Daemul and Ga Rang, which i think is just right. I think this Drama is more like Hana Kimi(Japanese /Taiwan Series) because Both Series have a Girl pretending to be a man and entered a university for all boys and both series has a Doctor backing them up, that's why i can tell that this is series is more like Hana Kimi.. The Character or Gu yong Ha (yeorim)
is very adorable as well... he is like the savior of the day...

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I love the drama because of the characters mainly, the main characters especially geol ah and yong hwa are humorous and awesome characters. I don't want to post spoilers.. so overall if your looking for a drama that has rom com and some action this is the one. . Im reviewing after i re-watched this drama again for the third time and that means that there are good scenes that is hilarious in this drama. and i just love Ah in acting role of Geol ah, his hiccups :D and you might like this if you liked illjimae too because i am total fan of illjimae. Hope this helped and have fun watching.

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Story- Not boring whatsoever! The cliffhangers at the end of each episode makes you want to watch the next episode. There\''\''\''\''s a lot of angst in the show. Which kind of gets frustrating till episode 15. But without the drama it would be boring right? The ending is cute=D

Acting/Cast- This was well casted. The leads had good chemistry and acted well. But I wasn\''t in love with them. I actually fell in love with Yoo Ah In & Song Jun Ki\''s characters. I love thier bromance, too cute. The rest of the supporting cast fit thier roles really well.

Music- Very lovely score. You could really feel the mood. The modern songs were nice.

Rewatch- I could probably watch this once a year.

Overall- For a non historical drama watcher to praise SS, it has to be pretty impressive right? So give it a chance and enjoy what this brilliant masterpiece has to offer!

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This was a real treat of all sorts. Though not entirely original with your typical gender bender genre: girl disguises herself as man, overcomes obstacles in a traditional society dominated by men while falling in love with her best male friend who does not know that "he" is really a she; one will truly root for the main character the whole way through the heartwarming journey.

However what truly made this so special was the beloved Jalguem Quartet which sealed the deal for me, and stole everyone's hearts whether you are Team Yoochun or Jaeshin, while Yeorim isn't left out either getting his fair share of the love though the latter can be debated as an understatement. And of course being amused every single time how the "pretty boy" hat is Park Min Young was doing exactly that in the drama - stealing the hearts of helpless Joseon ladies (and men...I'll say no more) and viewers alike who can not help but root for our daring brainy heroine as she defies tradition and expectations. Looking back now several years later one can safely say is a first real glimpse of what started it all for several stars (who were all about 24 at that time)who have gone on to have established acting careers. The expressive Yoo Ah-In, charismatic Song Joong Ki and lovely Park Min Young, while Yoochun from JYJ is a pleasant surprise for one of his first ever try at this acting thing. The Quartet also got along well on and off set, and the chemistry onscreen shows. For the bromance-shippers of Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah-In, of course this came as no surprise.

I do also want to credit the drama and its writers for making this more than just a gender-bender comedy . For one, even though the drama's premise is that of an empowered female as the clear-cut star I want to thank the writers for NOT making the males into idiots (with exception of few intended ones) which happens a lot for this genre so to not overshadow the female or something. In fact she was surrounded by brilliant men, which makes her empowerment even more credible. And I do also appreciate their touch on a rather controversial issue even by today's standards, but was entirely the taboo of taboos back in those times. It is the first in an ancient drama I've seen, and done ever so gracefully.

All in all, it was a very easy drama to watch, and the characters so easy to fall in love with. This is up there as a personal favorite of mine. Soundtrack and everything else only served to be a nice compliment to all that was going on. I tend to skip with dramas, but did not do so once with this one. Never a dull moment with Sungkyunkwan.

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