Customer Reviews

Palace

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was one of my favorite dramas. If you are a fan of light hearted comedy then this is the drama for you. The quality of the DVD is excellent and the english subtitles faultless.
I loved how they created a palace life in the current century.

This is an amazing drama, and it was a happy accident that I stumbled upon it. I had to purchase the box set and spent many spleepless nights watching this incredible story unfold.

I purchased this drama three years ago. It is still one of my favorites (along with Winter Sonata and Hotelier). "Palace" is also known as "Princess Hours".

Palace is a very expensive, long and honorable attempt at creating a multi-faceted story involving a monarchy in Korea. It's a rag-to-riches story in one sense, a love triangle in another and quest for power in still another. Was it all worth it? To be honest, I was left a little disappointed.

The monarchy's young prince is required to marry a commoner chosen by his grandfather as part of a promise. This average girl played by Yoon Eun-hye also by coincidence goes to the same private school that the prince goes to. How her poor family can afford it is beyond me.

After the marriage, the girl moves into the palace and does her best Lucille Ball impression. This creates many funny, and sometimes not so funny situations involving all those at the palace. Of course, things get more interesting. Someone else has their eye on her and basically becomes obsessed with her. This particular situation is probably the most unconvincing crush I have seen on TV. Not that he doesn't try with some good acting skills, but it's so obvious that they are not right for each other from a casting perspective. Kim Jeong-hoon who plays Prince Lee Yul has a bright future in my opinion, but he seemed a little out of place in this series.

On top of all this we have a quite interesting story among the elders. Yes, adults actually get to do something in this series. There is a battle for power, a secret relationship from times gone by and the eldest mother trying to keep everything from blowing up.

The situation with the elders turns out to be the most interesting part of the series, and at one point I was hoping the young princes and princess could finish up their business so the show could just concentrate on His Majesty's issues. Look into his wife's eyes, and you can see her longing for true love without having to say a word.

The acting of the adults in this show was quite superb, and I also enjoyed the performance by the young girls mother who sees everyone as a potential insurance client.

I am not saying that there was never an interesting or heartfelt moment between the young leads. I sure cried a few times. They just came all too infrequently, and with a series this long, we get the stuff that all soap operas are guilty of - FILLER! That stuff that's there to fill time but really is not necessary to the story.

There are also some continuity issues. In one, the princess is scolded every which way for leaving the palace without anyone knowing where she is. She cried heavily and promised it wont happen again. So, what does she do after all this? Yep, she gets in her car and leaves the palace without telling anyone. It had to be done because it sets up a potential scandal later in the show.

All in all I would have to say that I cannot recommend that you purchase this series, but if its on TV or as a rental, give it a try. You might find it more entertaining than I did.

I rented this drama based off the high ratings on this page. Maybe I got my hopes to high with all of the high ratings, but I just can't recommend this show.

The basic plot: Korea is under a monarchy and due to some deal made by grandparents, the prince has to marry a commoner girl. Interesting enough. I love a marriage of convenience that turns into true love. Unfortunately, all it is is the prince staring stoicly into space and the girl vacilating between hamming it up with her foolishness or crying because the prince is such a meanie. I liked her in the beginning but as the show went on she just became annoying.

The actor who plays the rival for the girl's affection (the prince's cousin) was really good and brought a lot of heart to what could have been a stalker-like situation.

The most interesting part of the series were the power plays and love stories between the adults in the show- and all of their acting was top notch. If that had been the focus, the show would have been a lot stronger. I would groan every time I had to be dragged back to the bland conflict and chemistry of the main couple.

The sets and the outfits were all beautiful, but I had to struggle to finish this.

My friend told me that two dramas with beautiful costumes and couples with a lot of chemistry are Lovers in Paris and My Princess. I think I'll check those out instead.

Great drama, one of my all time favorite. Been debating for a long time whether I should buy this DVD or not, and it turned out to be perfect! worth every penny I spent. The movie was great, the packaging was so special makes it a good collection. two thumbs up!

I like Korean's drama. With this one in particular,is important to me, because my husband is not a fan to watch TV, and he doesn't like soap operas or how we say in Spanish "novelas". But this drama he love it. He was in front of the TV everyday just to watch the drama. This was the 3rd drama that I saw, and one of my favorites. In total I thing I already watch between 5 to 8 Korean dramas. I just love it!!!

Honestly, I'd give this ten stars if I could. This is a beautiful show. This is the second kdrama I watched, and made me like the actress Yoon Eun Hye. A lot of people did not like her role in this because she was whiny and selfish, but I disagree. Look at who she attempted to become close to. A cold-hearted selfish prince. But if you like a good love story, you'll like this.

Goong/Princess Hours/Palace , call it what you will (I like Goong best, Princess Hours doesn't really make sense to me as a title and Palace is just the English word for Goong) is a Cinderella story. It is based on the premise that Korea does actually have a monarchy. Prince Shin goes to an arts high school along with our heroine, Chae Kyung (Yoon Eun Hye, who I had watched in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince). It is amazing to see her breadth of skill as an actress to play the exuberant and feminine Chae Kyung in this and the tom boyish and awkward Go Eun Chan in Coffee Prince.

Prince Shin's father is sick (something the public doesn't know) in an effort to prepare the prince and the public for his impeding ascension to the throne it is decided the best PR move they can make is to marry him off. Solidifying the monarchy and all that. He tries to get his secret girlfriend to marry him unsuccessfully, she wants to be a ballerina. This leaves him with the arranged marriage his grandfather set up. Lo! Who might that be but the klutzy Chae Kyung, who up until this point has only been a minor annoyance to Shin (She dumped dirty water all over his shoes--a bit of Cinderella reversal there and overheard his attempted proposal to ballerina girl).

Chae Kyung upon hearing what is in store for her refuses to agree to the marriage and can't understand why Shin would agree to it. Enter the plot device: parents that don't know how to handle their own money. Chae Kyung concedes to the wedding when she and her family have to fight off mobster collection agency thugs (her dad clearly made some bad investments). If she sacrifices herself her family will be safe and solvent.

She has no idea what she is getting herself into though. It isn't just a wedding. She has to have princess lessons. And here is where I really wish I knew Korean, or at the very least there was a better way to subtitle their language in English. English does not have the levels of formality that exist in Korean (or even in French). Relaxed common speech isn't allowed in the palace, but Chae Kyung has no experience speaking anything else. Her relationships with Shin and other members of the royal family and the palace staff are represented in which level of formality her speech and theirs takes on.

As the wedding is taking place Shin's exiled cousin returns to Korea. Yul was the original crown prince, but due to scandal he and his mother were expelled from the country by the king (Shin and Yul's grandfather) effectively removing him from the line of succession. Yul is charismatic and instantly drawn to Chae Kyung. At fist he keeps his relationship to the royal family a secret, allowing him to develop a friendship with Chae Kyung. In other words, he is Shin's exact opposite. Shin is stiff and often resentful of Chae Kyung. Yul is probably my favorite second male lead. He is set up to be the villain but it becomes obvious he is just as much of a pawn as the others, his years of exile and his bitter mother have given him better coping mechanisms when dealing with the politics of palace life than either Shin of Chae Kyung have.

Yul develops feelings for Chae Kyung at the same time Shin is melting towards his bride. Chae Kyung is blissfully unaware of both, but being as pure at heart as she is she clings to the hope that she and Shin can somehow make things work, if nothing else get along. Chae Kyung represents the kingship to both of them now, because her original betrothal was to Yul--as he was the original crown prince (and with his mother's nagging is slowly entering the ring to win his throne back). Both guys have a claim to her, but her marriage is to Shin.

There are a few really fun things in this series. The primary one being Chae Kyung, she is fun and bubbly watching Yoon Eun Hye play her and comparing her work in Coffee Prince you can really see what a master of physicality she is. The wide shots that show her goofing off, say with a hula hoop do more to convey who Chae Kyung is than many scenes with dialogue. Shin and his teddy bear Alfred (who has little still photos at the end of each episode, reenacting or foreshadowing key events of the story-- I'm guessing this is where Mischievous Kiss got the idea). He is emotionally stunted and only really relates to the world through the bear on any emotional level, something that Chae Kyung comes to understand. And Yul.

I did have to fast forward through scenes with Yul's evil mother after a while, I just didn't care about what she was doing, the politics of the story that were used as a contrivance to get the romantic triangle going really just aren't that interesting and their stakes aren't anything I am invested in.

Overall still worth watching, but it has its slow moments. It isn't my favorite, however, I still enjoyed it for the most part.

The premise of this Korean Drama is that Korea exists under a modern-day monarchy. Because the King is ill, Prince Shin is required to marry while still in high school - although the marriage will not be consumated initially. (So what is really the point in marrying him off this young???) He has been dating a ballerina steadily for two years and they love each other. However, she responds incredulously when he asks her to marry him. She tells him that they are too young and that she has many dreams to fulfill as a ballerina. By the time that she returns from her auditions, Prince Shin's marriage has already been announced. He is to marry a commoner named Chae-Kyung, whose family is desperate for money. Her Grandfather saved Shin's Grandfather - and as a result she has been promised to his Grandson (Prince Yool)in marriage since she was very young, but has been unaware of it. However, this Prince Yool is forced to leave the palace when very young when his father dies and the engagement falls to Prince Shin.

First of all, Prince Shin is a jerk throughout the majority of this series. I don't think he is going to change and I feel sorry for anyone who is married to him. Second of all, Chae-Kyung is really immature for being 19-yrs. old. I get that she is a free spirit, but it has her sucking her thumb in her sleep, etc.

The nicest guy of the bunch was Prince Yool. I have never rooted for someone as much to "get the girl."