Rooftop Prince

The Korean drama, Rooftop Prince, is a television show that has effortlessly captured the attention and the hearts of many. It also has a great cast backing it with stars such as Park Yoo-Chun, Han Ji-Min, Lee Tae-Sung, Jung Yoo-Mi, Lee Min-Ho (not to be confused with Min-Ho of such dramas as Boys Over Flowers and Heirs), Choi Woo-Sik, and Jung Suk-Won as the main cast members. The series aired on the Seoul Broadcasting Network (SBS) from March 21 to May 24, 2012 and has a grand total of 20 episodes to its name.

Plot

It is during the Joseon era when this story begins. Crown Prince Lee Gak (Park Yoo-Chun) is happily married to his Crown Princess, Hwa-Yong (Jung Yoo-Mi), and also enjoys spending time with his sister-in-law Boo-Yong (Han Ji-Min). One night, the Crown Prince wakes from his sleep to discover his Crown Princess is missing and that his usual servants are nowhere to be found. Upset, he quickly leaves his lodgings and finds that his Crown Princess has drowned in the pond, leaving him heartbroken and seeking justice for whoever has killed his beloved wife.

The Crown Prince seeks out the best people to help him on his endeavor. He chooses Song Man-Bo (Lee Min-Ho) for his mental strength to help solve the case, Woo Yong-Sool (Jung Suk-Won) for his incredible swordsmanship to act as his personal bodyguard, and Do Chi-San (Choi Woo-Sik) for his ability to pick up rumors quickly. When the group believes they have found the person who murdered the Crown Princess a few days later, they are chased by assassins and, after jumping a cliff on horseback, they seem to mysteriously vanish into thin air.

Fast forward 300 years and more than 300 miles away to modern New York City. Park Ha is an average girl, with a tragic past she can't remember, who was adopted from Korea and is trying to make ends meet by working at a fruit stand and at a local bar. Yong Tae Yong (Lee Gak's modern day counterpart) is the grandson of a Chairwoman back in Korea who wants him to take over the business, however, Tae Yong is more than content with his art and traveling as he pleases. Tae Yong notices Park Ha by coincidence and draws a small picture of her on the back of a postcard, admiring her as he does so. The following day, Yong Tae Moo (Lee Tae-Sung) sails upon a boat with his half-cousin Tae Yong, trying to convince him to come back to Seoul to take on the business, but after a scuffle that leaves Tae Yong knocked out and in the water, Tae Moo decides to leave him for dead and returns to Korea.

Park Ha has returned to Korea for the chance to re-meet her birth father, but discovers that he's already passed away when she arrives. Two years have gone by and Park Ha has remained in Korea to begin opening up her own small fruit store. Though one night when she returns home, she finds four strange men in Joseon era costumes sitting in her living room. After misunderstandings and a series of hilarious events, Park Ha is now in charge of Crown Prince Lee Gak and his three underlings, helping them adjust to modern day life while they continue to tackle the mysterious murder of Crown Princess Hwa-Yong, as well as the numerous incidents that come their way. Throughout it all, Lee Gak, who begins to pose as Yong Tae Yong due to their uncanny resemblance, slowly starts to fall for Park Ha, who resembles Boo-Yong from Joseon time.

Overall

This Korean drama has been a pleasure to watch. The characters are written and portrayed beautifully, the scenes the show provides are stunning and are hard to look away from, and the emotion that you feel from simply watching is breathtaking. The show makes you laugh, makes you wonder, and even makes you cry. Everything about it is perfect. Each episode leaves you with anticipation for the next and there are endless twists and turns that you leave you dumbfounded. I cannot put into words how much of an impact this show has left on me, but I can proudly say that Rooftop Prince is a show that will not disappoint. I highly recommend this drama to anyone to watch, whether you be a fan of Korean dramas or not.

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