[Drama Review] 'My Sassy Girl' - Episodes 9 & 10

AKP STAFF

Jungshin, Joo Won, Oh Yeon Seo, Shim Hyung Tak, Kim Yoon Hye

Let's start this review off with the true main character of this drama...

The identity of the mysterious man under the tree, Min Yoo Hwan, has been revealed! Yes, there was a bit of guesswork for viewers to mull over while trying to associating the jade ring with a piece of Princess Hyemyung's (played by Oh Yeon Seo) mother and with a former lover, but fortunately, we didn't have to wait long for the answer. Min Yoo Hwan is a former palace official who has been searching the whereabouts of Hyemyung's mother, the former queen! According to Min Yoo Hwan, the former queen is alive. However, it's been 3 years since Min Yoo Hwan first showed up under the tree and gave Hyemyung the jade ring, something precious which belonged to the former queen. It seems the mystery behind what truly happened to the former queen after being kicked out of the palace will have to wait until further in to the story�

(Note: when you see 'OM' in the following review, it stands for 'original movie', referring to the 2001 'My Sassy Girl' movie.)

The tree from the historical drama remake.

The tree from the original movie.

What's important here is that finally, we have a clear vision of what path Gyeonwoo (played by Joo Won) must take as the hero of this story. While in the 'OM', the Gyeonwoo played by Cha Tae Hyun took on the task of helping Geunyeo overcome her loss, in this drama, we have a Gyeonwoo whose goal will become to help Hyemyung endure the emotional and situational struggles of searching for her lost mother. However, there's another component to the drama that the 'OM' lacked, and that lies with royal guard officer Kang Joon Young (played by CNBLUE's Jungshin). The officer has been tasked with the important mission of protecting Princess Hyemyung through any and all threats. The drama has now established for us a clear motive for each of the main characters to follow after, as well as a neatly placed love triangle - an element we did not see in the 'OM'.

Dawww, don't cry honey! Your pick on 'Produce 101' season 2 will definitely make it in the top 11! (Wait, what...)

Let's also bring back the discussion of how the time period restricts Princess Hyemyung from being as direct and liberal as Geunyeo of the 'OM'. As punishment for leaving the palace in secret, the King puts Hyemyung under house arrest. It's not unlike the 'OM' in that even in the movie, Geunyeo's father was very protective of his daughter and forbid the 'OM's Gyeonwoo from seeing his daughter. The father of the 'OM' never served as an antagonistic character in the movie in any way. Rather, he was a very representative embodiment of how women in the society of the time had responsibilities as not just independent women, but also as daughters. In this historical drama remake, the situation serves the same type of thematic statement. Princess Hyemyung has a responsibility to be a good daughter and a good royal family member in the land of Joseon. While the circumstances may be different, this element of episode 9 & 10 drew a nice comparison line between the 'OM' and the drama.

Time to bring out my secret weapons from my Doraemon pouch... (Note: Actor Shim Hyung Tak is known for being a huge fan of Doraemon.)

Lastly, we have questions to pose as we wait for the next two episodes, but our questions now have to do a lot more with answering mysteries within the plot than with thematic and technical elements of the drama. This is a good thing, because as a viewer, I'm finding that I pull back from the drama's story and plot less and less, just focusing on each moment and scene rather than worrying so much about finding good or bad similarities and differences from the 'OM', or noticing oddities in the actors' performances, and so on. It still took awhile to become adjusted to the drama, so for now, we'll continue to withhold full points in the pacing and performance categories, but the plot has made great advancements in these latest two episodes. So, what will happen to royal guard officer Kang Joon Young, who has been injured by the enemy? What exactly are the royal advisory board members plotting against the princess? Is the former queen still alive, and if so, what role will she play in this story?

Let us know how you felt about episodes 9 & 10 of 'My Sassy Girl' the drama below!