The historical K-drama “The Secret Romantic Guest House” starring Ryeoun , Shin Ye Eun, Kang Hoon and Jung Gun Joo in main roles have recently concluded on high ratings in the Monday ,Tuesday drama slot.
There has been plenty of historical K-dramas over the years and each one has their own unique plots that makes it stand apart from every other historical dramas. In this article let us check out the review of “The Secret Romantic Guest House” and whether it is worth adding it on your must watch list.
“The Secret Romantic Guest House” is a drama that revolves around a deposed crown prince in hiding for years and a watchman who protects him as his shadow without the knowledge of crown prince. Sounds almost like a same political historical plot right? But what makes the drama exciting and intriguing is the way the story unfolds with mystery of the identity of deposed heir Lee Seol, as each character has a secret of his own. Throughout the drama there are numerous twists and secrets getting revealed that makes it very engaging.
Plot
First and foremost, the drama has a fantastic cast who had done an amazing job of portraying their given roles in a convincing manner.The drama opens up with soldiers searching all over the palace grounds and village to kill the deposed crown prince son who has managed to escape while his entire family had been slayed by his power hungry uncle to capture the throne.During his escapade the little boy hides in a doghouse of a home holding a funeral and a little girl having lost her father that day saves him from soldiers.Story then jumps forward to present the same girl Yoon Dan O( Shin Ye Eun), is now seen running an Inn named ‘Garden of Flowers’ which almost has no guests except for one scholar Jung Yu Ha (Jung Gun Joo) preparing for civil exam. After a few dramatic and funny moments she finally manages to get two guests to stay namely a brooding young man Kang San who always carries a wooden sword with him ( Ryeoun) and a fun frolicking no good scholar Kim Si Yeol (Kang Hoon) at the Inn.
People of the Kingdom suffers from the tyrant king Lee Chang who is paranoid and worried that someday his lost nephew Lee Seol who managed to escape alive, will somehow come back to claim the throne.His constant worry and anxiousness turns him into a monster as he continues his search for Lee Seol who has now come back to the kingdom with a new unknown identity followed closely by his sole protector known as the ‘watchman’, an excellent swordsman who has devoted his life to protect the deposed prince Lee Seol.
Acting Performances
The young and upcoming actor Ryeoun debuts as a male lead in this historical romantic drama (he had previously starred as a lead in a mini web drama) His portrayal of Kang San from an angry young man taking the military exam, to lover boy and to a man with a mission flows smoothly in his acting. Although the drama does not have romance as the main focus, his scenes with love interest Yoon Dan O is sweet and endearing. At times Ryeoun reminds us of actor Park Bo Gum in “Lovers Of The Moonlight” as he has a striking resemblance to him.
Shin Ye Eun as the Innkeeper Yoon Dan O shines brightly in her role. Although in the initial episode she looked clumsy and keeps falling, making you to wonder that she is just another damsel in distress character, she surprises you by being a strong woman who makes her own decisions in order to protect her family.Its hard to believe that this is the same Shin Ye Eun who has played the most cruel and evil bully in the drama “Glory”. This just shows how good an actress she indeed is.
Another surprising actor that will blow your mind away is Kang Hoon who plays Kim Si Yeol, a lazy, jobless, no good prankster who jokes around all day.Although he seems nothing but fun, he is someone with a keen eye who notices things that others miss.His transition from first half to second half will keep you stunned.The story of Kim Si Yeol and Yoon Hong Ju is an added bonus, that will keep you looking forward to their cute romance.
Jung Gun Joo as Jung Yu Ha plays his role perfectly as the sweet, kind and compassionate scholar with an unrequited love for Yoon Dan O. The actor moves you in the emotional scenes and makes you wish Jung Yu Ha to achieve his dreams. The mystery behind his identity adds more twist to the drama in keeping up its pace.
Special mention to actor Hyun Woo, who plays the tyrant king Lee Chang. His acting is so on point that everytime he appears on screen you are reminded of a mad man who will absolutely do anything for being in power. You can feel his apprehension, aggression and pure madness that makes you want to kill him yourself.
Verdict
Overall “The Secret Romantic Guest House” is a decent watch that will keep you invested in the drama. It is not only entertaining but also keeps you guessing about the identity of the men at the Inn.The ending was really satisfying with every character getting a proper closure and happy ending of their own.
On the downside, we feel the drama dragged a bit in the middle with unnecessary dramatic scenes and it would have been much better if it had concluded in 16 episodes instead of 18.
Rating : 8/10
