✿ CoFFeE PrINCe ✿

A good friend of mine recently recommended to me to watch korean drama. So I started of with watching a drama titled " Coffee Prince" which was made in the year 2007.

Also known as: 1st shop of Coffee Prince
Genre                                       : Comedy, Romance
Director                                   : Lee Yun-Jung
Main Casts                              : Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan, Gong Yoo as Choi Han Kyul, Lee Sun Gyun

                                                     as Choi  Han Sung, Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo.

Running Time per Episode  : 60 mins

Total Episodes                        : 16 Eps 

♥ Synopsis:

Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is the hardest working part-timer tomboy in Korea. Eun Chan splits her time between waitressing, sewing on doll eyes, cracking chestnuts, teaching taekwondo, waitressing, being a milkman, and delivering food. The 24-year-old Eun Chan works nonstop to support her sister who has informed her family that she plans to enter college and her mother who is a shopaholic. Eun Chan has no time for herself, instead of pursuing her own dreams, she seems to be caught up in the drudgery of day to day life.

One day she delivers food to the apartment of a handsome guy in a towel. This handsome guy in a towel is Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo), the heir to a food conglomerate that specializes in selling coffee beans. When Eun Chan walks in, she is shocked, whereas Han Kyul thinks nothing of it, because he mistakes Eun Chan for a guy. Eun Chan is often mistaken for a guy, due to her hair cut and wardrobe. After delivering food, Eun Chan rushes out of Han Kyul apartment extremely embarrassed.

However, that is not the last of Han Kyul. Han Kyul has just returned from abroad and is getting in touch with all of his old friends, including a woman he has had a crush on for nine years, Han Yoo Joo (Chae Jung Ahn). Unfortunately,  Yoo Joo dated his cousin Choi Han Seong (Lee Sun Gyun). Yoo Joo has also returned to Korea, because she has finally realized that Han Seong is the one after leaving him heartbroken. Despite knowing Yoo Joo’s true feelings, Han Kyul cannot give up on Yoo Joo. Han Kyul continues to hang out with Yoo Joo, even though he knows he has been friend-zoned.

One night while Han Kyul is out with Yoo Joo, a robber tries to snatch Yoo Joo’s purse. When the robber appears Han Kyul is not around. Fortunately, Eun Chan is on her motorbike, see the robbery, and chases the robber down. Eun Chan reclaims Yoo Joo’s purse, but ruins her bike in the process. While taking down the robber, Eun Chan realizes that the robber is Hwang Min Yeop, a guy that has a crush on her sister. Min Yeop explains to Eun Chan that he is trying to get money to pay for Eun Chan’s sister’s music classes. Min Yeop then conceives a plan to make it look like Min Yeop escaped her grip.

In the meantime, Han Kyul has reappeared and watches the act that Min Yeop and Eun Chan put on. Yoo Joo is thankful for Eun Chan’s help, but Han Kyul sees right through it. Han Kyul says that he will pay for the repairs to Eun Chan’s bike, if Eun Chan admits that the whole thing was a set up. Eun Chan rejects his offer and leaves disheartened. Since, Eun Chan no longer has a bike, so she is out of a job.

That loss in income is a real problem for Eun Chan and her family. Now, Eun Chan is forced to choose between money and her dignity. If Eun Chan takes the money from Han Kyul, she will be admitting that she is a schemer, but if she doesn’t her family will not be able to pay the rent. Eun Chan succumbs to Han Kyul’s wishes and admits that it was all a set up. When Eun Chan finally meets up with Han Kyul he gives her less than what she is expecting, but provides he with another offer. Han Kyul, who is still under the impression that Eun Chan is a guy, asks Eun Chan to act as his lover, so that his family will not set him up on anymore dates.

Han Kyul is almost 30 and has never had a real purpose, therefore, his family is fed up with his lack of direction and wants to get him settled and participating in family business as soon as possible. Han Kyul is trying to avoid the life planned by his parents at all cost. Han Kyul wants to use a gay lifestyle as an opportunity to prevent him from following his parent’s plans. When Han Kyul makes the offer to Eun Chan, who is now desperate for money, it is an offer she cannot refuse. Nonetheless, Eun Chan has no clue what she is in for.

While Eun Chan is acting like Han Kyul’s boyfriend, she starts falling for him. Eun Chan is torn and has no one to talk to except for Terry, the dog who stays at one of the houses on her milk route. Terry’s owner happens to be Han Seong, Han Kyul’s cousin and Yoo Joo’s ex-girlfriend. Eun Chan and Han Seong eventually meet and bond as they discuss the problems that they are having in their relationships, leading to a new love line.

Furthermore, Han Kyul’s family has not given on up on Han Kyul’s future outside of love; they still see him as the successor to the family business. Starting small, Han Kyul has now been tasked with the mission of running a coffee shop to sell his family’s coffee from. When Eun Chan learns of Han Kyul’s plan to open a coffee shop employing attractive males, she volunteers herself for the job. Seeing Eun Chan’s work ethic, Han Kyul hires her.  Min Yeop also finagles himself into the Coffee Shop, along with a cast of other intriguing characters.

Questions: Will Han Kyul parents finally be proud if the coffee shop be a success? Will Han Kyul fall for Eun Chan, despite the fact that he thinks he is a guy? Will Han Seong ever get back together with Yoo Joo, despite the way she left him? Will Eun Chan ever pursue her own dreams?

♥ Review: 

Honestly, I was having double thoughts if I should or not watch the korean drama's.  At that time, I truly did not value all of the factors that it had going for it. Most good dramas have a few ingredients that make it stand out, but not enough to watch it over and over and over. My doubts may have been a result me believing that there really was not much meat left to the story after Han Kyul discovers that Eun Chan is a woman, but I was so wrong.

I have watched so many drama's in many different language, but seriously , Coffee Prince has the the best cast I have seen in drama. The interplay between the characters makes you feel as if the cast was really a family and that they took pleasure in coming to work everyday.

Hwang Min Yeop (Lee Eon) is the not so smart loveable younger brother to Eun Chan and turns into her protector. No Sun Ki (Kim Jae Wook) is the waffle making japanese immigrant who is too wise for words because he has his own tragic love story. Jin Ha Rim (Kim Dong Wook) is one of Han Kyul’s good friends who is the quintessential player and a guy’s guy. Although, Ha Rim thinks that he may be batting for the other team when he is love struck by Eun Chan’s cuteness. Hong Gae Sik (Kim Chang Wan) is elder statesman, the barista, and co president of the shop. Mr. Hong indirectly challenges Han Kyul to become a better person. During the scenes where the princes play basketball, perform at the concert, and go on the trip to the orchard, the audience can tell that there is a tight bond between the actors.

Secondary Love Line: Yoo Joo should be hated, but it is almost impossible not to love her and overlook her selfishness. Han Seong really loves Yoo Joo and admires her, he always makes clear his intentions with her. However, Yoo Joo wants to be free and like every stereotypical artist, her career comes first. In her 20s, Yoo Joo believed that Han Seong wanted to possess her and would force her to give up her freedom. However, in her 30s Yoo Joo realizes that Han Seong was really offering her support and understanding. When Yoo Joo comes back, Han Seong is unwilling to take her back because he knows that he loves her more than she loves him as exhibited by her leaving him. Han Seong would never do that and sees himself in Eun Chan through her love for Han Kyul. The way that Yoo Joo and Han Seong reverse roles when Yoo Joo sees Han Seong with Eun Chan was unexpected. The plot really made me believe that the writers could have made a whole new drama from this storyline. The pain in Yoo Joo’s heart when she realizes that Han Seong no longer only thinks of her makes viewers empathize with her character. Yoo Joo’s resolve to get Han Seong back by becoming a better person is admirable.

Gong Yoo as Han Kyul: Han Kyul is more complex than the average male heir to a conglomerate. In the beginning of this drama, Han Kyul is the one soul searching. Before Han Kyul meets Eun Chan he is floating through life. He doesn’t want to grab onto anything, but when he sees Eun Chan’s hardships he decides that he wants to hold on to him/her. Eun Chan is the first person that Han Kyul can talk to and Han Kyul asks Eun Chan to be his sworn brother. Eun Chan also teaches Han Kyul about responsibility, how to become a man, and how to take care of a family. Han Kyul finally gets serious about life wanting to make his father proud. Han Kyul is at odds with his father based on a lie from his past. They have not really gotten along, since he found out that he is the son of his father and his mistress. Although, over time, Han Kyul discovers all the sacrifices his father has made and continues to make for his happiness and to protect Han Kyul. This realization only adds to Han Kyul’s ambition and his quest for happiness.

Yoon Eun Hye as Eun Chan: At first I didn’t understand why she would not tell Han Kyul that she was girl, but then when you don’t know what to do you just become silent. There were many times that I shouted in my head to Eun Chan to tell Han Kyul that she is a girl and the misery for both of them. Nevertheless, going back to standing, the audience understands why Eun Chan feels like she is being backed into a corner. Eun Chan would rather live with him as a man, then without him as a woman. Eun Chan is in a vulnerable position, because she is the breadwinner, lost her father, did not go to college, and really needs her coffee prince job. In Eun Chan’s eyes, she could lose the best job she has ever had, her looks are not good enough for Han Kyul, and her background is not good enough for Han Kyul’s family. So when Eun Chan cries over the fact that she does not know what to do, the audience feels her pain. This whole plot sounds funny, but Yoon Eun Hye made this comical scenario surprisingly turn into a tearjerker. It only gets harder when Eun Chan tells Han Kyul and he doesn’t accept her. Then when he does accept Eun Chan, Eun Chan realizes that even though she lives for Han Kyul, she also has to live for herself. I really appreciate the writers  effort for making this drama deeper than most would expect.

Am I gay?: At several points I felt that Eun Chan was torturing Han Kyul. Han Kyul tries so hard not to fall in love with Eun Chan, but can’t help himself. It is so sad, when Han Kyul asks Eun Chan to be his sworn brother, because he knows that it is as far as his relationship can go with Eun Chan. Soon, Han Kyul realizes that sworn brothers is not enough. The scene where Han Kyul and Eun Chan are on the beach and he wants to hold her as she goes to sleep, but resists because he knows that's a tragic. He was willing to scarifies everything in his life just to love Eun Chan as who she was ( despite the fact she was a guy in his eyes). Then when Han Kyul finds out Eun Chan is a girl infact, viewers were able to accept Han Kyul’s motives for pushing her away. Han Kyul felt betrayed by Eun Chan, because she lied to him for such a long time, even she knew he was falling for her.

♥ Overall Opinion:

Seriously good , a very funny, entertaining and at times melodramatic drama.  One couldn't help but admire the heroine's hardwork and dedication, and even self-sacrifice.  You could watch this again and again, and yet enjoy it all the more. ♥♥♥♥♥