REVIEW: Coffee Prince
Coffee Prince is a very popular 2007 Korean drama series. It follows the story of a young woman named Go Eun Chan who is mistaken for a boy by the owner of a coffee shop.
| Title | Coffee Prince |
| Male Lead | Gong Yoo as Choi Han-gyeol |
| Female Lead | Yoon Eun-Hye as Go Eun-chan |
| Writer | Lee Jung-ah and Jang Hyun-joo |
| Episodes | 17 Episodes | 60 Minutes per Episode |
| Release | July 2 to August 28, 2007 |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy Drama |
| Language | Korean |
| Origin | South Korea |
Storyline
The owner, Choi Han Kyul, is a wealthy and handsome young man who is under pressure from his family to settle down. His family wants him to marry a nice, traditional Korean woman. Han Kyul is not really thinking of marriage yet. Pressure from his family makes him agree to go on blind dates. Han Kyul has a quirky practice of only hiring good-looking male employees. His family heard rumors of him being gay. He decides to use that to hire Eun-chan to pretend to be his lover believing that he is male.
Mistaken for a Boy
Go Eun Chan played by Yoon Eun-Hye is the main female protagonist of the Korean drama Coffee Prince. She is a hardworking and determined young woman. Eun Chan has short hair and a tomboyish appearance. People often mistake her for a boy. Despite that, she is strong-willed and unafraid to challenge societal norms. She is not afraid to go after what she wants. Go Eun Chan is kind-hearted and loyal. She cares deeply for her family and friends.
Eun Chan need to support her family after her father passed away. Thus, she is forced to take on various part-time jobs to make ends meet. Choi Han Kyul hired her as a staff in his coffee shop unaware of her true gender. Eun Chan need the money so she felt she had no choice but to take the job. She soon finds herself developing feelings for Han Kyul.
Throughout the drama, Eun Chan struggles with the challenges of keeping up the charade of being a man and hiding her true feelings for Han Kyul. She faces difficulties in her relationships with her family and friends. They do not understand her choices and sometimes resent her for not being more traditional. Eun Chan remains strong and determined. She ultimately learns to embrace her true self and find happiness and fulfillment.
Young Business Owner with an Identity Crisis
Choi Han Kyul played by Gong Yoo is the main male protagonist of the Korean drama Coffee Prince. He is a wealthy and handsome young man who is the owner of a coffee shop that only hires good-looking male employees. Han Kyul is under pressure from his family to settle down and marry a traditional Korean woman. However, he is resistant to the idea and prefers to live a carefree life.
Meeting Eun Chan was life-changing for Han Kyul. He hires her to work at his coffee shop and the two of them begin to develop feelings for each other. Their relationship is complicated by the fact that Han Kyul is unaware of Eun Chan’s true gender. He initially thought Eun Chan was a boy. Eun Chan for her part, id deeply conflicted with wanting to tell the truth and wanting to cover it up at the same time. While she is also developing feelings for Han Kyul, she was also afraid of getting caught because she needed the job so badly. She was torn between telling the truth to clear up the mess.
Throughout the drama, Han Kyul finds it very difficult to deal with his own feelings. He finds himself confronting his preconceived notions about love and relationships. He is also torn between his loyalty to his family and his growing feelings for Eun Chan. As the story unfolds, Han Kyul learns to let go of his fears and open his heart to love.
The world’s not that easy that you can do wahtever you like.
Choi Il-hwa | Han-Kyul’s Father
Growing Unexpected Feelings
As Eun Chan and Han Kyul spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for each other. Their relationship is complicated by a misunderstanding. Han Kyul is not aware that Eun Chan is actually a woman.
Throughout the drama, Eun Chan struggles with the challenges of keeping up the charade of being a man, as well as the difficulties of hiding her true feelings for Han Kyul. Han Kyul, meanwhile, must confront his own feelings and come to terms with the fact that he is falling in love with someone who is not who he thought they were.
A person who loves you doesn’t lie.
Han-Kyul
Complex Relationships
As the story unfolds, the characters must navigate their complex and often tumultuous relationships with each other, all while trying to find their own happiness and fulfillment. Coffee Prince explores themes of identity, love, and acceptance, and ultimately tells a heartwarming and emotional tale of self-discovery and love.
Charming Supporting Characters
The drama has charming and likable characters. Each of them with their own unique personality and story. Go Eun Chan is a strong and determined young woman who is not afraid to challenge societal norms and go after what she wants. Choi Han Kyul is a complex and conflicted character who must learn to let go of his preconceived notions and open his heart to love. Han Sung is a kind and loyal friend. He had feelings for Eun Chan. However, he also wanted to stay loyal to his friendship with Han Kyul.
An Inspiring and Entertaining Story
Coffee Prince is a well-written and beautifully-acted drama that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. Its engaging and emotional story will keep you hooked from start to finish, and its lovable characters will stay with you long after the final episode. Whether you are a fan of Korean dramas or just looking for a heartwarming and entertaining story, Coffee Prince is a drama that is sure to impress.
Binge Star Rating – 8 Stars
Coffee Prince is one of the older classics that has a beautifully written storyline of mundane life ironies. The series has introduced me to contemporary Korean culture. Lifestyles and events that happen every day. The reality of having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Eun Chan has a dysfunctional family but has no choice but still, love them despite their incompetencies.
The series tackles societal norms. We grow up believing that we have to behave in a specific way. How we look and act, what we do with our lives, and most importantly, the partners we choose. Han Kyul did not want to get married yet. He was still “living his life” so to speak but he is being forced into a life that he did not want at that moment. Coffee Prince has challenged many norms and has shown the intricacies of Asian cultures and how it affects the lives of people in specific social classes.
Coffee Prince is a story that teaches you to be true to yourself. It teaches you to be steadfast in times of hardship. Because one day, you will be glad you did.
Re-Watch Value
If you like this drama and get over the fact that the leading lady looks very boyish and is not the typical woman in most dramas, then you might want to revisit and re-watch it once in a while.
Where to Watch
Watch all seventeen episodes of Coffee Prince on You on Netflix with full English subtitles. What do you think about the series? Did you like it too? Drop your comments in the comments section below. I’d love to know your views, please let me know what you think!
Check out the Coffee Prince Reunion
In September 2020, the cast of Coffee Prince had a reunion special after 13 years since the show aired. They had a fun time recounting memories of when they filmed the series. The reunion was produced by MBC and entitled Youth Documentary 20 Again. They filmed in the locations used in the original Coffee Prince.
Watch the reunion HERE!!!
Coffee Prince International Adaptations
The series became so popular worldwide producing international adaptations in different markets. Thailand and the Philippines both released their versions in 2012 using the same title. While a Chinese remake called Prince Coffee Lab was released in 2016. Kang Shin-Hyo directed the adaptation. He is one of the directors of The Heirs, another hit Korean drama series. Michael Ang directed the 2017 remake in Malaysia.
Read about your favorite stars on KDB Spotlight.
DISCLAIMER: The images and videos used are not my own. They are from promotional materials released by their production company: Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. These images may be subject to copyright. No copyright infringement intended. This blog is for entertainment purposes only. [Last Update 04252024]
