Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)
Grade:
B+
20 Episodes
Kim Yoon Hee is forced to impersonate her
own brother as a means of obtaining income for their family. Yoon Hee
learned much of the classics by eavesdropping on her brother's
lessons when her father was still alive, so she is talented enough to
take small jobs at the local book shop. There is an urgent need for
something more lucrative, however, when the noble who paid for her
brother's medical expenses tries to take Yoon Hee as a concubine to
pay off their debt – something completely within his legal rights,
since women were property at this time in history. Out of
desperation, Yoon Hee agrees to be a stand-in for someone attempting
to earn entry into the prestigious Sung Kyun Kwan academy by
attending the entrance exam in someone's place. Upright Lee Sun-joon
catches Yoon Hee in the act, but instead of turning her in, he
challenges her to take the exam for herself (thinking she was her
brother, Yoon Shik). Yoon Hee earns entrance to the academy – but
will she be able to keep her secret while living in a school full of
young men? What will she do when she learns the truth behind her
father's death?
*This
is the VERY FIRST historical drama that I have even remotely enjoyed.
It has decent pacing, well-written characters, and even the music is
engaging, with a good balance of variety and familiarity among the
musical themes. I did not enjoy the gisaeng element, as it hearkens
to a time in human history where women actually aspired to be
glorified sex slaves since it often meant a more comfortable
lifestyle, but luckily it is not the main focus of this drama. It was
fun to watch the reactions of the guy friends as they found out, one
by one, she is actually a girl and how they handle it afterwards. Gu
Yong-ha played by Song
Joong-ki was probably my favorite character overall, and while all
the guys were fun to watch, the ending is somewhat lacking. The
search for and buildup over the fabled document that would help the
king reform Joseon wasn't resolved very well, and the series ends
with Yoon Hee basically forever impersonating a man – not affecting
any real change in their world, except from the acknowledgment of
those few who agree to continue keeping her secret. I would probably
watch this again, and I definitely recommend it to others.*
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