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Sungkyunkwan Scandal vs In a Class of Her Own
WARNING: This is going to be very long! I have posted the same review on both dramas.
This review is mostly a comparison of the two. So, for people that have watched one or the other and wish to decide whether to watch the remake or the original, this may be helpful.
To begin with I would like to point out the differences in how I watched the dramas. I am Chinese and can understand the language a lot more than I can Korean (but I am not fluent, so I still need subs). I am also more familiar with the Chinese entertainment industry, therefore discovering In a Class of Her Own first. I watched that drama within about a week. However, with Sungkyunkwan Scandal it took months to complete, and I watched it at a much more staggered approach. The only reason I had retained the plot in my head was because I had watched In a Class of Her Own. This does not mean that I preferred the remake – it is just that I took different approaches to watching the versions.
The Quartet and the Korean or Chinese equivalent
Kim Yoon-Shik/Hee (Park Min Young) and Xue Wenbin/xi (Ju Jingyi)
Lee Sun-Joon (Park Yoo Chun) and Feng Chengjun (Song Weilong)
Moon Jae-Shin (Yoo Ah In) and Lei Zixin (Wang Ruichang)
Gu Yong-Ha (Song Joong Ki) and Yu Lexuan (Bi Wenjun)
For those who are interested in the drama…
Is the plot compelling or interesting? Which to choose?
The plot is not particularly out of the ordinary. Sungkyunkwan Scandal came out in 2010 and there have been plenty other stories before and after this, based on the tale of The Butterfly Lovers, that involve a female crossdressing as a man to join an all-male school. If you are looking for a political and romance drama, then I would recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal. If you are looking for a more light-hearted, comedic drama that highlights friendship over romance, then In a Class of Her Own would be better. In both, it shows the bonds that people can make no matter the class. A huge positive of the dramas is the friendship between the main 4.
If you can’t decide whether you want to watch the remake after watching the original, then I’ll say that plotlines that were less developed in the 20 episodes of the original are almost all further explored in the remake. The Chinese version is almost like a fan service remake for Sungkyunkwan Scandal, simplifying the original plot and satisfying the fans by focusing on points that were less explored.
Characters:
Kim Yoon Hee and Xue Wenxi
I don’t have a big opinion on our female lead. She is a rather typical female lead who is independent and will do anything for those she loves. Kim Yoon Hee is more straightforward in her ambitons and goals as well as with her romantic feelings towards Lee Sun Joon, and I believe she is smarter, which made her have a bigger impression on me.
Does she look like a guy?
You may find this a weird query to have but you would be surprised as to how many people commented on this matter. I personally didn’t care whether she actually looked like a guy – sure I occasionally thought ‘It’s so obvious that she is a girl!’ but it didn’t bother my viewing of the dramas. I watched both dramas on Viki with the timed comments on and lots of people repeatedly pointed out the obliviousness of the guys on the fact that the female lead was clearly a girl. So, I will simply say: Park Min Young looked more convincing as a man than Ju Jingyi. This may be due to the difference in quality since one aired in 2010 and the other in 2020, or the costuming and the makeup. Ju Jingyi has very ‘feminine’ and ‘delicate’ features, she’s tiny and it doesn’t help that the three other leads are practically giants (she’s 1.59m and the actor playing Yu Lexuan is 1.87m). Another point would be that Ju Jingyi’s makeup was very obvious, her skin is naturally really pale, and they made her lips red with pink eyeshadow on her lids, which stood out a lot.
Lee Sun-Joon and Feng Chengjun
Sorry to lovers of our male lead but I found him to be quite a bland male lead in comparison to the supporting roles in both adaptations. In my opinion Lee Sun-Joon was more tolerable and appealing compared to Feng Chengjun. But the character overall is just not that interesting, purely for the fact that he is too perfect. Some may find that extremely appealing for a character, however I needed him to have a flaw which he didn’t. He’s good academically, he’s good at sports (archery), he’s nice, rich and can fight. In most dramas he would be the perfect second lead but, in this case, they tried to make the male lead have all the characteristics that people love of the second lead and not execute it well. Lee Sun-Joon had a few flaws which were slightly fleshed out, but Feng Chengjun had practically none. Both actors played the character the best they could. I personally preferred Park Yoo-Chun’s version over Song Weilong’s.
Moon Jae-Shin and Lei Zixin
Our second leads, who everyone roots for but unfortunately doesn’t get the girl. Both characters are similar in the versions. Lei Zixin is more aggressive than Moon Jae-shin and is far more hostile and protective over Wenxi than Jae-Shin was over Yoon-Hee. This is largely due to the more prominent role of second male lead that Zixin had. The bl aspects between him and Lexuan/Yong-Ha that were in the original were less obvious. In the Korean original, Moon Jae-Shin is secretly actually very smart whereas Lei Zixin is less intelligent in the Chinese remake. It’s as though most of his intelligence went to Yu Lexuan’s character in order to make Yu Lexuan a bigger character role. I would choose Yoo Ah-In’s Moon Jae-Shin over Wang Ruichang’s Lei Zixin.
Gu Yong-Ha and Yu Lexuan
They are the third male leads (???) if you can count them as that. I am biased over this character as Yu Lexuan was what introduced me to the Chinese adaptation, as he is played by NEXT’s Bi Wenjun. This character is probably my favourite out of the four leads. The two versions of the character are quite different. Gu Yong-Ha is more flirtatious and carefree- almost ditzy at times, whereas Yu Lexuan is mysterious, sly and intelligent. Yu Lexuan is a more developed character compared to Gu Yong Ha and has a larger role in the drama than the original. However, I can’t choose between the two on who I prefer. The character as whole was my favourite so if I had to choose between the amount of screen time, then Bi Wenjun’s Yu Lexuan had more than Song Joong-Ki’s Go Yong-Ha.
Differences in Plot – Things I liked and didn’t like:
How each of them found out she was a girl?
Before watching SS, I hadn’t considered that they would change the order of how they discover that she’s a girl in the remake. Different people discover who she is in different ways. A large factor for the change was because of the more significance Yu Lexuan had in the story in comparison to Go Yong Ha.
The first discovery was when Moon Jae-Shin sees Kim Yoon-Hee bathing in the shed. Go Yong Ha had directed her to bathe in the shed claiming that ‘no one went there’. This was a comedic scene since upon discovery Moon Jae-Shin did his best to try and prevent the other two from entering the shed whilst Kim Yoon-Hee was oblivious to the lengths he was going to prevent them from going in. This comedic scene was different in In a Class of Her Own, where Yu Lexuan is the one that catches her bathing. Lexuan too goes to lengths to prevent people from the academy from entering the shed during their ghost hunt. However, he also considers revealing that she is a girl to the student council president in order to save his reputation. Both end up helping the female lead from discovery behind the scenes.
The next discovery is when Lee Sun-Joon saves Kim Yoon Hee from drowning and as he is about to do CPR, he notices… the boobs. We have the two classic ways of discovering that your friend is actually a female, both involve seeing the other’s body rather than a direct and honest reveal. In the remake, it is Lei Zixin who does CPR on Xue Wenxi. I am not sure who’s I prefer in this incidence, since both suit the context of their own drama. Lee Sun-Joon was full on questioning his sexuality at that point and the relief he feels when he finds out she is a girl is like a weight lifted off his chest (bc homophobia). With Zixin he is coyer and doesn’t actually reveal to Wenxi that he knows that she is cross dressing which makes it comedic in the aspect that he has to keep her secret whilst trying to act normal and hiding it from everyone - even Lexuan who already knows.
The final discovery is not included in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Go Yong-Ha is probably the first one to actually figure out that she is a girl but never explicitly says so, or is it shown when he finds out. He just provides a lot of hints and jokes whilst saying ‘I’m Gong Yong-Ha’. Feng Chengjun is the last one to find out the real identity of his ‘Bin-di’ in ‘In a Class of Her Own’. His was a rather cheap way to find out, it was like the writers had forgotten that the male lead hadn’t yet found out the true gender of the female lead and they just threw it in there. He finds out after overhearing the conversation between Wenxi and her kidnappers.
The reveal of Yu Lexuan and Go Yong-Ha’s background
This was a change in the remake that I preferred. Their background is generally the same they are both from non-wealthy families in comparison to the ideal for the scholars. The difference lies in how it was originally hidden. Go Yong-Ha’s family had been added to a minister’s family genealogy after they had gained land owned by his family. That way it was hidden from everyone. Yu Lexuan is from a poorer family which is excused when first discovered since Wenxi was also like that. However, he was also a child born out of wedlock which was not allowed in the school. How his background was hidden was actually through the School Council President Han Shengzi (Korean: Ha In Soo), who had known his background but helped him into the school and from there Lexuan would have to be in his debt. This I preferred because it not only explained Lexuan’s actions but also added depth to Han Shengzi.
The Han/ Ha family
This is my favourite change that In a class of her own made. Both the school council president, Han Shengzi and his sister, Han Shumin have their redemption. Han Shumin is much more independent and strong-willed after the rejection from Feng Chengjun, then Ha Hyo Eun. Although Shumin is still annoying at times, she still decided to study and tried to make herself a better person.
Han Shengzi was way more pitiful and less evil then, he was in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. As a school council president, he had more depth in terms of his friendship with the council members and Yu Lexuan. Also, there was an actual explanation on the relationship between him and the courtesan, Mu Xiaoman, which made his hatred for Wenxi more understandable.
Overall, I would say that both dramas have the flaws and their differences. The original is of course the original - it’s more serious whereas the remake is light-hearted and modernised. It depends on preference for which is better.
This review is mostly a comparison of the two. So, for people that have watched one or the other and wish to decide whether to watch the remake or the original, this may be helpful.
To begin with I would like to point out the differences in how I watched the dramas. I am Chinese and can understand the language a lot more than I can Korean (but I am not fluent, so I still need subs). I am also more familiar with the Chinese entertainment industry, therefore discovering In a Class of Her Own first. I watched that drama within about a week. However, with Sungkyunkwan Scandal it took months to complete, and I watched it at a much more staggered approach. The only reason I had retained the plot in my head was because I had watched In a Class of Her Own. This does not mean that I preferred the remake – it is just that I took different approaches to watching the versions.
The Quartet and the Korean or Chinese equivalent
Kim Yoon-Shik/Hee (Park Min Young) and Xue Wenbin/xi (Ju Jingyi)
Lee Sun-Joon (Park Yoo Chun) and Feng Chengjun (Song Weilong)
Moon Jae-Shin (Yoo Ah In) and Lei Zixin (Wang Ruichang)
Gu Yong-Ha (Song Joong Ki) and Yu Lexuan (Bi Wenjun)
For those who are interested in the drama…
Is the plot compelling or interesting? Which to choose?
The plot is not particularly out of the ordinary. Sungkyunkwan Scandal came out in 2010 and there have been plenty other stories before and after this, based on the tale of The Butterfly Lovers, that involve a female crossdressing as a man to join an all-male school. If you are looking for a political and romance drama, then I would recommend Sungkyunkwan Scandal. If you are looking for a more light-hearted, comedic drama that highlights friendship over romance, then In a Class of Her Own would be better. In both, it shows the bonds that people can make no matter the class. A huge positive of the dramas is the friendship between the main 4.
If you can’t decide whether you want to watch the remake after watching the original, then I’ll say that plotlines that were less developed in the 20 episodes of the original are almost all further explored in the remake. The Chinese version is almost like a fan service remake for Sungkyunkwan Scandal, simplifying the original plot and satisfying the fans by focusing on points that were less explored.
Characters:
Kim Yoon Hee and Xue Wenxi
I don’t have a big opinion on our female lead. She is a rather typical female lead who is independent and will do anything for those she loves. Kim Yoon Hee is more straightforward in her ambitons and goals as well as with her romantic feelings towards Lee Sun Joon, and I believe she is smarter, which made her have a bigger impression on me.
Does she look like a guy?
You may find this a weird query to have but you would be surprised as to how many people commented on this matter. I personally didn’t care whether she actually looked like a guy – sure I occasionally thought ‘It’s so obvious that she is a girl!’ but it didn’t bother my viewing of the dramas. I watched both dramas on Viki with the timed comments on and lots of people repeatedly pointed out the obliviousness of the guys on the fact that the female lead was clearly a girl. So, I will simply say: Park Min Young looked more convincing as a man than Ju Jingyi. This may be due to the difference in quality since one aired in 2010 and the other in 2020, or the costuming and the makeup. Ju Jingyi has very ‘feminine’ and ‘delicate’ features, she’s tiny and it doesn’t help that the three other leads are practically giants (she’s 1.59m and the actor playing Yu Lexuan is 1.87m). Another point would be that Ju Jingyi’s makeup was very obvious, her skin is naturally really pale, and they made her lips red with pink eyeshadow on her lids, which stood out a lot.
Lee Sun-Joon and Feng Chengjun
Sorry to lovers of our male lead but I found him to be quite a bland male lead in comparison to the supporting roles in both adaptations. In my opinion Lee Sun-Joon was more tolerable and appealing compared to Feng Chengjun. But the character overall is just not that interesting, purely for the fact that he is too perfect. Some may find that extremely appealing for a character, however I needed him to have a flaw which he didn’t. He’s good academically, he’s good at sports (archery), he’s nice, rich and can fight. In most dramas he would be the perfect second lead but, in this case, they tried to make the male lead have all the characteristics that people love of the second lead and not execute it well. Lee Sun-Joon had a few flaws which were slightly fleshed out, but Feng Chengjun had practically none. Both actors played the character the best they could. I personally preferred Park Yoo-Chun’s version over Song Weilong’s.
Moon Jae-Shin and Lei Zixin
Our second leads, who everyone roots for but unfortunately doesn’t get the girl. Both characters are similar in the versions. Lei Zixin is more aggressive than Moon Jae-shin and is far more hostile and protective over Wenxi than Jae-Shin was over Yoon-Hee. This is largely due to the more prominent role of second male lead that Zixin had. The bl aspects between him and Lexuan/Yong-Ha that were in the original were less obvious. In the Korean original, Moon Jae-Shin is secretly actually very smart whereas Lei Zixin is less intelligent in the Chinese remake. It’s as though most of his intelligence went to Yu Lexuan’s character in order to make Yu Lexuan a bigger character role. I would choose Yoo Ah-In’s Moon Jae-Shin over Wang Ruichang’s Lei Zixin.
Gu Yong-Ha and Yu Lexuan
They are the third male leads (???) if you can count them as that. I am biased over this character as Yu Lexuan was what introduced me to the Chinese adaptation, as he is played by NEXT’s Bi Wenjun. This character is probably my favourite out of the four leads. The two versions of the character are quite different. Gu Yong-Ha is more flirtatious and carefree- almost ditzy at times, whereas Yu Lexuan is mysterious, sly and intelligent. Yu Lexuan is a more developed character compared to Gu Yong Ha and has a larger role in the drama than the original. However, I can’t choose between the two on who I prefer. The character as whole was my favourite so if I had to choose between the amount of screen time, then Bi Wenjun’s Yu Lexuan had more than Song Joong-Ki’s Go Yong-Ha.
Differences in Plot – Things I liked and didn’t like:
How each of them found out she was a girl?
Before watching SS, I hadn’t considered that they would change the order of how they discover that she’s a girl in the remake. Different people discover who she is in different ways. A large factor for the change was because of the more significance Yu Lexuan had in the story in comparison to Go Yong Ha.
The first discovery was when Moon Jae-Shin sees Kim Yoon-Hee bathing in the shed. Go Yong Ha had directed her to bathe in the shed claiming that ‘no one went there’. This was a comedic scene since upon discovery Moon Jae-Shin did his best to try and prevent the other two from entering the shed whilst Kim Yoon-Hee was oblivious to the lengths he was going to prevent them from going in. This comedic scene was different in In a Class of Her Own, where Yu Lexuan is the one that catches her bathing. Lexuan too goes to lengths to prevent people from the academy from entering the shed during their ghost hunt. However, he also considers revealing that she is a girl to the student council president in order to save his reputation. Both end up helping the female lead from discovery behind the scenes.
The next discovery is when Lee Sun-Joon saves Kim Yoon Hee from drowning and as he is about to do CPR, he notices… the boobs. We have the two classic ways of discovering that your friend is actually a female, both involve seeing the other’s body rather than a direct and honest reveal. In the remake, it is Lei Zixin who does CPR on Xue Wenxi. I am not sure who’s I prefer in this incidence, since both suit the context of their own drama. Lee Sun-Joon was full on questioning his sexuality at that point and the relief he feels when he finds out she is a girl is like a weight lifted off his chest (bc homophobia). With Zixin he is coyer and doesn’t actually reveal to Wenxi that he knows that she is cross dressing which makes it comedic in the aspect that he has to keep her secret whilst trying to act normal and hiding it from everyone - even Lexuan who already knows.
The final discovery is not included in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Go Yong-Ha is probably the first one to actually figure out that she is a girl but never explicitly says so, or is it shown when he finds out. He just provides a lot of hints and jokes whilst saying ‘I’m Gong Yong-Ha’. Feng Chengjun is the last one to find out the real identity of his ‘Bin-di’ in ‘In a Class of Her Own’. His was a rather cheap way to find out, it was like the writers had forgotten that the male lead hadn’t yet found out the true gender of the female lead and they just threw it in there. He finds out after overhearing the conversation between Wenxi and her kidnappers.
The reveal of Yu Lexuan and Go Yong-Ha’s background
This was a change in the remake that I preferred. Their background is generally the same they are both from non-wealthy families in comparison to the ideal for the scholars. The difference lies in how it was originally hidden. Go Yong-Ha’s family had been added to a minister’s family genealogy after they had gained land owned by his family. That way it was hidden from everyone. Yu Lexuan is from a poorer family which is excused when first discovered since Wenxi was also like that. However, he was also a child born out of wedlock which was not allowed in the school. How his background was hidden was actually through the School Council President Han Shengzi (Korean: Ha In Soo), who had known his background but helped him into the school and from there Lexuan would have to be in his debt. This I preferred because it not only explained Lexuan’s actions but also added depth to Han Shengzi.
The Han/ Ha family
This is my favourite change that In a class of her own made. Both the school council president, Han Shengzi and his sister, Han Shumin have their redemption. Han Shumin is much more independent and strong-willed after the rejection from Feng Chengjun, then Ha Hyo Eun. Although Shumin is still annoying at times, she still decided to study and tried to make herself a better person.
Han Shengzi was way more pitiful and less evil then, he was in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. As a school council president, he had more depth in terms of his friendship with the council members and Yu Lexuan. Also, there was an actual explanation on the relationship between him and the courtesan, Mu Xiaoman, which made his hatred for Wenxi more understandable.
Overall, I would say that both dramas have the flaws and their differences. The original is of course the original - it’s more serious whereas the remake is light-hearted and modernised. It depends on preference for which is better.
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