The Story

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung is a romantic, historical drama set during the Joseon period.  It tells the story of a royal historian, and her relationship with the prince.  The feel of the show is lively and colorful, although some dark themes do run in the background, particularly as the drama progresses and the characters dig deeper into the past.  The costuming and scenery are well done.  This drama focuses on a strong female presence, and while the characters are not always realistic, it’s fun to see some modern values portrayed through the historical lens.  It gives the drama a unique, modern perspective without having to rely on time travel as an explanation. 

The Characters

Goo Hae-Ryung

Shin Se-Kyung (Bride of the Water God, Black Night) plays the title role of Goo Hae-Ryung.  She is a free-thinking, independent woman who was raised by her older “brother” to be educated and progressive.  She runs away from the marriage her brother arranged for her and takes the exam to become a royal historian in the palace.  She and three other young ladies pass the exam and become the first-ever female historians.  Hae-Ryung gets assigned to report on the life of the prince in an isolated area of the palace called the Nokseodang.  Unfortunately, he spends most of his life either reading or writing books, so there isn’t much to say.  Her first day, she fills the pages of her book with the sentence, “The prince turned another page”.  Over the course of time, she and the prince develop a relationship, that moves from friendship to love. 

Hae-Ryung’s sense of pride makes it impossible for her to not stand up for the truth in any situation, regardless of the danger to her as a person.  Of course, in a palace full of rumors and secrets, this is bound to get her in trouble at some point.  She begins to uncover the story of a shamed historian who was executed twenty years ago, and how that historian was involved in the dethroning of the king during that time.  As she digs deeper into the incident, she uncovers a truth which is much closer to her own life than she would have ever imagined. 

Hae-Ryung’s character is lively and relatable, which is unusual in a historical drama.  She has a strong sense of loyalty and justice, that make her someone you can’t help rooting for.  She is also not won over simply by the prince’s status.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  Her growing feelings for him require her to overlook his role as royalty and accept him as a person.  Shin Se-Kyung portrays the role well.  I found her performance believable.  She is quietly elegant, while staying determined to do what is right. 

Prince Dowon

Cha Eun-Woo (Gangham Beauty, Revenge Note) plays the role of Prince Dowon.  For reasons he has never quite understood, he has been exiled to a quiet corner of the palace, away from everyone except his eunuch and a few maids, who take care of him specifically.  Because of this isolation, the prince has learned most of his human interactions from reading books and writing romance novels, and a little coaching from the eunuch, Sam Bong.  Maybe it is his lack of experience in human relationships that makes the prince instantly drawn to the quirky historian.  He begins to look forward to her arrival every day and slowly wins her over.

 The prince is plagued by nightmares that often leave him sleepless.  As he starts to uncover the memories behind these nightmares, with the help of Hae-Ryung, he discovers the secret to why the king has always hated him and his hidden family lineage.  The prince sets forward to right the wrong done to the former king who had been deposed and executed to make way for the current king and his allies. 

The prince’s character is not especially deep, maybe because Cha Eun-Woo is still learning how to become a deep actor.  The prince is intelligent but naïve, and he tends to be simple in his emotions.  There is not much nuance or subtlety to his feelings.  He has spent his life striving for an approval that he has never been able to get, which gives him a childlike need for affection.  He is not cold or dismissive, as many royals are personified.  He is just awkward and inexperienced in how to relate to others. 

Secondary Characters

There is a large cast of noteworthy secondary characters in this drama.  The brothers of the two main characters are both supportive and admirable. The team of female historians who form a bond while working against the male dominated profession of royal historians.  The male historians, who start out with a harsh disregard for their female counterparts, but eventually risk their own jobs and lives to stand with them.  And the servants of each main character, who often act as surrogate parents to them.

Crown Prince Yi-Jin

Park Ki-Woong (Return, Monster) played Crown Prince Yi-Jin.  He carried the role of dignified royal well and managed to balance it against his character as obedient son and loving brother.  I enjoyed his performance and found his character sincerely likeable.  Although he is married through a political arrangement, he is careful to avoid any relationship with the crown princess.  He does seem to develop feelings for the royal historian, Song Sa-Hee but this relationship is never fully defined and the Crown Prince is always careful to keep an appropriate distance, out of respect for both women. 

Min Woo-Won

I also enjoyed Lee Ji-Hoon (Your House Helper, Band of Sisters) as Officer Min Woo- Won, the fair and uncompromising historian.  In the beginning, it looked as if he might be set up as the second lead, but instead he was the moral compass for all of the other historians.  He managed to play this character as upright without being overly stuffy. 

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The Ending

This drama ends with the triumph of truth and everything being put back in the proper place.  The secrets of the past are revealed and those responsible have been punished.  Prince Dowon learns that he is the son of the former king, and thus the only rightful heir of the throne.  And both his father and Hae-Ryung’s are proven innocent of any crime.  The flash forward gives us some insight into what happened in the aftermath of all of this.

Woo-Won’s father, the Second state councilor, has obviously been put to death, since both Woo-Won and his sister are dressed in mourning clothes.  Woo-Won has stepped away from his position as historian during the mourning period, but his fellow historians show up to bring him back to court.  We also find out that his sister, the Crown Princess, is no longer married to Yi-Jin.

While Prince Dowon is the rightful heir, he has handed his position to the Crowned Prince, who has been properly trained to do the job.  It is unclear exactly what happened to the King, but Yi-Jin has stepped into his role. 

The female historians, with the exception of Sa-Hee, are still working at the palace and have received promotions.  Sa-Hee has left the palace to teach children, and is receiving gifts from Yi-Jin, which hints at a growing relationship between them. 

As for our main couple, Hae-Ryung has continued to put off marriage.  She is working at the palace, while Prince Dowon, is traveling and writing travelogues about his journeys.  They spend all their time together between his trips and their servants are sure that they will eventually marry, but for now they are happy just being together when they can.  Again, this progressive approach to life isn’t overly realistic for the time period, but it does make for an interesting and satisfying story. 

Should I Watch

This is a good historical drama with a brighter feel than a lot of others, which is nice for a change of pace.  Shin Se-Kyung is fun in the role of Goo Hae-Ryung, and if you are a Cha Eun-Woo, it goes without saying, that you should definitely give it a go.  I enjoyed the themes and it has a solid ending that ties up most of the storylines.  I give it 8 out of 10 ramen.

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