Queen In Hyun's Man (Korean Drama)

A Total package of fun, excitement, romance and total cuteness.

Queen In Hyun’s Man (Korean name :  In Hyun wanghu-ye namja) is a romantic-action-historical-fantasy Drama that aired in 2012. This Drama is basically a love story between a man who lived 300 years back in Joson Era, and a girl in present time.

Time travel and fantasy themes are not really a new concept in K-Drama world. There was ‘Secret Garden’ and ‘Rooftop Prince’, and ‘Faith’ and some others. But unlike them where the fantasy and magical happenings kept a limit, in ‘Queen In Hyun’s Man’ it doesn’t keep any limit. You should be prepared to be blown over by the magical happenings in this Drama. The magical happenings run wild and we get to see situations that might be a bit complicated to digest, like the time where everyone forgets the past and a new time has developed starting everything from new and all. Even if some people might find it a bit wild or too much, I really liked this turn of events where the magical happenings have gone to a limit where no other works (Movies, dramas, books, stories), have ever reached to.

So the main point of ‘Queen In Hyun’s Man’ is the intense fantasy where things go beyond our imagination. It’s totally a new experience.

The refreshing newness doesn't stop at the fantasy level. The editing is done in a quick cut way, also using lot of frames side by side at one time, giving it a new and kind of cool look. The colours used are really eye-catching and gives a feel of freshness. There is a red telephone booth, a lot of rain and greenery. It gives a feel like world is so beautiful and just freshly out from rain feel.

Also the thing is, you can’t stop laughing while watching this drama. Too funny. The best funny thing, is where Choi Hee Jin’s best friend, Su-Kyung asks the same questions to Kim Bong Do three times after the memory lapse. Also that Han Dong Min says the same thing to the Director and co-actor after the memory lapse. Also where Choi Hee Jin cries in the café saying “Someone I know died 300 years ago. SO I am really sad”.

Even each expression on the actors are so perfectly funny. Three of them – Yoo In-ah (Choi Hee Jin), Ga Deuk Hee (Jo Soo Kyung) and Kim Jin Woo (Han Dong Min) just by their presence on the screen sets a laughter on people who are watching.

 Choi Hee Jin is so cute, loveable and innocent that we can’t help but love her. The way she just say innocently to Kim Bong Do – “I don’t think you are either dead or dreaming. In my opinion maybe you are just too much drunk”, is really so innocent. The instances where she ends up changing clothes in a corner where Han Dong Min see, and when her phone falls in to a drainage, and she yells “Thanks you, Director”, to the drainage, sitting in the side of a busy road, is so funny… Also, how she is quick and passionate and tries to kiss Kim Bong Do using silly excuses. Too cute… Never have seen a much cuter and loveable female lead like this. You know, she is like a doll that you would like to take home or something.

The character of Jo Soo Kyung is also something that gives a new level to a side character. Ga Deuk Hee, the actress is excellent. I don’t really know another word. The expressions that comes on her face feel so much real and hence it’s funny. She portrays a concerned, irritated real manager so well. When her best friend cum actress she is manager of, pulls out totally nonsense situations and where Kim Bong Do arrives out of nowhere claiming to be Choi Hee Jin’s boyfriend, that too three times. The friend that is put in a really absurd situation, is conveyed really well by Soo-Kyung. The best part was when Soo Kyung comes to the shooting set after helping Kim Bong Do to buy a car, and her reaction to Choi Hee Jin, giving the expression of puking, suffocating herself, and going mad and comes saying, “I don’t know how to express the situation. To say it’s a good thing, or that I envy you, or that I am worried about it, or to stop you or encourage you…” :-D That was a total ROFL moment.

Also even when Han Dong Min is really irritating at moments his character is also really lovable. He has the personality of a kid and a honest nature despite doing things according to his wish. Maybe it’s from the part where he kiss Choi Hee Jin, spontaneously without giving her a warning and runs away to his van and says to his manager, “Hyong, my heart is beating really hard after a long time”, that we starts liking Han Dong Min. Also he seriously like Choi Hee Jin, and does things to help her, though it might not turn out the way he wants it to turn out. But whatever it is the things he does turns out to be fun and laughter.

And ya, another best past in the drama is where Kim Bong Do locks Han Dong Min in the bathroom, and says “it doesn't mean goal won’t go in if there is a goal keeper”, the Joson Man saying this line, was totally funny. (There is a similar case in ‘Rooftop Prince’, where the Prince and Bak Ha goes to Han River, and the court men pulls the blanket of Prince’s bed, and see only pillows and Song Man Bo says ‘Oh My God’ in English.)

Then there is Kim Bong Do. You know, when Prince and the court men came to present world in ‘The Rooftop Prince’, they were confused, scared and totally lost in the new world. But Kim Bong Do, the topper in Sungkyungkwan, the one with a photographic memory and really wise brain, comes to the present world, he adapts so quickly. That part gives an exciting newness to the whole story, and we would respect and like Kim Bong Do and his smart brain. Even his ‘player’ side that doesn't mean to be a player intentionally is really cute. Anyway, Choi Hee Jin is right to call him ‘player’.

Coming to romantic side of the Drama… The chemistry of Yoo In Ah, and Ji Hyun Woo is so perfect and lovable. No wonder these actors fell in love during filming and started dating in real life. ‘Queen In Hyun’s Man’ Drama is filled with heart-raising kisses. Sweet yet passionate ones. The romance is so innocent, and sweet and heart touching. The scene where Kim Bong Do buys Choi Hee Jin a car, and their talk and kiss afterwards is the most memorable scene in the drama I think. How Choi Hee Jin says, “it would have been better if you were just a conman, it’s better than being from an entirely different era.” And when she ask, “There is no reason for you to come back here any more, right?”, and he replays, “My lover is here. Then why is there no reason?”  And the kiss in the car was like perfect.

There is also a lot of excitement and mystery going on in the story, where the Minster Mi Nam in Joson Era is trying to Kill Kim Bong Do and also Queen In Hyun.

Even though there are several song in the OST most of the songs go unnoticed, but that doesn't mater as one song exceeds everything, and makes a presence through out the drama and hence stay in mind. The song is 'going to meet you' that goes 'sangsang soge khuro jotton...'. It's a really catchy song that is also romantic.

Romance at its best. Comedy at its best. Excitement at its best. Also fantasy exceeds expectations in all level. Isn’t that a perfect combo of entertainment then??

Characters :

Yoo In Ah as Choi Hee Jin : A model that wants to be an actress. She gets her first acting job in a drama, and her role is to play Queen In Hyun. She is a totally cute and innocent person. Spontaneous and a bit reckless too. But honest about her emotions. 

Jee Hyun Woo as Kim Bong Do : A man living in Joson Dynasty, 300 years ago. His family was killed by conspiracy of Minster Mi Nam, and his life’s aim is the fall of Minister Mi Nam. And hence he protects the exhaled queen, Queen In Hyun, even risking his own life. He is a wise man, and was topper in the Sungkyunkwan academy, and adapts to situation well.

Kim Jin Woo as Han Dong Min : Choi Hee Jin’s ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her. Now he has become a top-star and Choi Hee Jin and Han Dong Min meets again at the auditions for the Historical Drama ‘New Lady Jang’ and Han Dong Min wants to start dating Choi Hee Jin again. Han Dong Min has the personality of a spoilt kid and always does anything that he wishes to do. But is actually a caring personality.

Ga Deuk Hee as Jo Soo Kyung : Choi Hee Jin’s manager and friend. She is like a stressed out caring friend who have had enough trying to manage the totally nonsense kind of life of Choi Hee Jin.

Jin Yae Sol as Yoon Wol : A giseng in the Joson dynasty who is pretty close to Kim Bong Do and is trying to help him in his mission of exposing Minister Mi Nam. She is really talented in playing ghayagam, and hence she doesn't want to stop being a giseng because being a giseng is the only way she can achieve her dreams and be free.

Uhm Hyo Seop as Minister Mi Nam : A Minister in King Suk Jong’s court. The bad guy who wants to kill Queen In Hyun and Kim Bong Do.

Story line:

Kim Bong Do is A man living in Joson Dynasty, 300 years ago. His family was killed by conspiracy of Minster Mi Nam, and his life’s aim is the fall of Minister Mi Nam. And hence he protects the exhaled queen, Queen In Hyun, even risking his own life. He is a wise man, and was topper in the Sungkyunkwan academy, and adapts to situation well.

In the present time, Choi Hee Jin is a model that wants to be an actress. She gets her first acting job in a drama, and her role is to play Queen In Hyun.

When Kim Bong Do gets hold of a letter written by Minister Mi Nam, in which he has ordered to kill Queen In Hyun, Kim Bong Do starts off to the palace to see the King and tell about this. On his way he stops by the giseng house and meets his friend giseng Yoon Wol. Yoon Wol, who is concerned about his life, hands him a talisman saying that the talisman was written by the high-priest and it will protect his life. Although the wise Kim Bong Do, doesn't believe in this, he takes the tails man, just to keep Yoon Wol’s sincere emotions.

That night, in the place, when Kim Bong Do requests to meet the king, he is asked to wait in the library. And there he gets attacked by Mi Nam’s Henchmen, and he is about be stabbed by a sword, when he disappears to thin air. Kim Bong Do opens his eyes in the present time (year 2012), and see the shooting going on inside the palace and meets Choi Hee Jin, to who he asks if he is dead or dreaming. To this question Choi Hee Jin innocently answers, “in my opinion, you are neither dead or dreaming. Maybe you are too much drunk.”

Kim Bong Do takes out the tails man from his pocket and reads it and at that time he vanishes from the present time, and goes back 300 years back. He again resumes his mission against Minister Mi Nam.

Even though Chaoi Hee Jin gets the role of Queen In Hyun in the drama, her ex-boyfriend and now a top-star, Han Dong Min, who is also the co-star in the Drama, comes seeking for her at her home, and  says he doesn’t approve of her being Queen In Hyun, and ask her to enact the script. In the middle of this he ask if they should start dating again, and kiss her without any warning and run off. This just makes Hee Jin pissed off.

On the press conference day of the drama, Hee Jin again meets Kim Bong Do, who travels time when he is shot with an arrow by a man who is chasing him. Kim Bong Do kills the man who chases him, and the man’s body vanishes to ashes, seeing this Hee Jin faints. In the chaos where Hee Jin is lifted away to hospital , Kim Bong Do’s tails man is pushed in to Hee Jin’s purse by a filming crew and Kim Bong Do is left with Hee Jin’s cell phone.

Hee Jin wakes up in hospital and then try to go find Kim Bong Do. Kim Bong Do who quickly grasp the dressing style of present time people, steal a backpack and dress in a jeans, t-shirt and jacket. And then he meets Hee Jin, and they go to the hospital room to find the tails man. On the way, Hee Jin is told that Kim Bong Do is from 300 years back.

In situations Kim Bong Do and Hee Jin helps each other, and Kim Bong Do tries to travel back and forth in time and does things to expose Minister Mi Nam in the past, and read the history of his time in the present. While helping Kim Bong Do, Choi Hee Jin is oddly attracted to him, and she can’t help kissing him giving a lie as excuse that that is the farewell etiquette in present times…

Situations gets a bit more complicated when they keep meeting and Kim Bong Do has to act as Choi Hee Jin’s boyfriend in public… But eventually they fall in love, and promise to be together…. But the 300 years gap still stands between them.

This drama is one of the best that I have ever seen, and will certainly come in my top 5 favourites... It's totally cool. 

So My ratings of this Drama is : 10/10

Share this post