A darker plot unfolds as a power-hungry man named Kim Cha Un (played by Jo Sung Ha) launches an attack to overthrow the current king, killing all the king's supporters. Overnight, Kim Cha Un succeeds in placing Yool's father as the new, puppet king of Joseon, and Yool as the crown prince, while laying down the grounds for himself to become the powerful advisor of the king from the shadows. In return, Kim Cha Un arranges for his daughter Kim So Hye to marry Yool, establishing a line for her to eventually become queen. Discovering that his father and Yool worked together to achieve this coup d'etat, the once carefree child Yool becomes traumatized, harboring mistrust and blame toward his father. Furthermore, a fatal mountain accident leaves Yool bitter with the loss of his mother, and no more loved ones left. 

Right around this point is when the grown-up Yoon Yi Seo (played by Nam Ji Hyun) is introduced to the story. Yi Seo has adopted a new name as Yeon Hong Shim, living with a foster father. Yi Seo and a group of unmarried men and women are called on by the government officials, blamed as the cause of the ongoing drought, and ordered to "partner up with one another" and marry immediately. While Yi Seo's friend hurriedly weds another unmarried man from the town, Yi Seo refuses to accept the order, lying that she has a fiance named Won Deuk.

Episode 1 of '100 Days My Prince' does a fantastic job in introducing the two main characters of this story in a way where viewers can't help but sympathize with and cheer for them. The transition from the adorable child Lee Yool to the grown-up, snobby crown prince Lee Yool was very good, zoning in on the key moments leading up to where a child's life is turned upside down and taken away from him by those seeking power. Similarly, the lovely child Yoon Yi Seo matures smoothly into a woman whose life has also been taken away from her forcefully, but who still hasn't given up hope in the search for her lost brother, despite living in hiding. 

We got to see a flurry of glimpses of the various other small and big characters. Since the drama focused on establishing a firm foundation with the two main characters in episode 1, it's understandable that the other characters only got minimal screen time. But I'd like to point out that many of the best dramas become good stories because of the roles of their side characters, not just the main characters. This is something of an expectation to have diving into more episodes to come; How well this drama manages to tell a complex story revolving around many characters, not just two main ones. 

The one character who makes a huge impact even with only a few minutes of screen time in episode 1 is the black assassin. I'm going to pitch a little crazy theory about this guy here: I think he's Yi Seo's long lost brother. I know there's not a lot of evidence to prove my theory right now (it's episode 1, after all), but just the dramatic way he bumped Yool's shoulder as he made his casual escape, really caught my eye. 

With that long summary, my final thoughts regarding '100 Days My Prince' is just some good expectations for what's to come next. Episode 1 impressed with some solid storytelling and great choice of key scenes and transitions. While looking forward to more of the plot and character developments, I will also keep an eye out for the overuse of historical drama cliches. It's easy for historical dramas to become too standard and just like every other one we've ever seen, with there being a certain limit to the settings, outfits, decorations, and props which can be used to tell the story. I think what viewers will be looking for in '100 Days My Prince' isn't something dramatically different or innovative, but just factors here and there to set this drama apart as an individualistic, unique piece from the scores of other historical romance dramas in the past. Stay tuned for episode 2.