Thursday, May 30, 2013

Coffee Prince: The Most Rewatchable Kdrama?



I have made sweet, sweet blog love to Coffee Prince more times than I can count.

My relationship to this drama has progressed much in the way actual romances do: It started with love at first sight. I watched episode after episode in rapt, starry-eyed euphoria, unable to believe how much I liked everything about them. Then came the honeymoon period. Things were still pretty amazing, but Coffee Prince was starting to edge its way off the pedestal and my obsession with it was becoming more manageable. In the doldrums of our relationship, I came to notice my beloved’s failings: the second half was packed with tension-killing filler, and the concert scene sure was silly. Nowadays, Coffee Prince and I are like the cozy-looking elderly couple I sometimes see holding hands as they walk through the park in front of my office. We’ve been through a lot together, and it’s a comfort to know that my favorite drama will always be there, just waiting for me to hit play.

Although the sizzling passion of our early days has burned itself out, I think I may be better able to appreciate Coffee Prince now, in the advanced stages of our love. When I first saw this show everything about it seemed impossibly new and original. But all the many hours of Korean television that I’ve watched since have given me another perspective: Coffee Prince is actually just as derivative as most other Kdrama romances. It uses the same raw materials as all those other shows, and might have ended up being the drama equivalent of a suburban American mall, a cookie-cutter entity virtually indistinguishable from every other member of its species. But because its creators were smart enough to twist their common elements and use them in unexpected, thoughtful ways, Coffee Prince ended up being something more like the Taj Mahal—it uses the most earthbound of foundations to make something etherial.

Last week I watched Coffee Prince for the fourth (fifth?) time. In honor of another seventeen hours of my life down the drain, I thought I’d try once more to crack the mystery of what exactly makes this drama so spectacularly rewatchable.




The quiet moments. Kdramas don’t spend a lot of time alone with their characters. This isn’t all that surprising—their plots are driven by interactions between people, so any scene that doesn’t feature a number of characters must seem like a narrative dead end to the Drama Overlords. But Coffee Prince shows just how wrong this is. Its characters become three-dimensional, souled beings in the empty places between big moments: Eun Chan delivers milk in the tentative light of early dawn. Yoo Joo fishes forgotten socks from under Han Sung’s bed. Han Sung glides down a hill on his bike, surrounded by silence and the lush green of midsummer Soul.

And then there’s Han Gyul, who is shown being both alone and lonely in practically every episode. Crouched on his deck, he listlessly throws gravel into the distance. After watching as much television as he can stand, he ends up playing with legos while wearing a football helmet. He cleans his apartment top to bottom, then trashes the place because he can’t think of anything else to do.

Han Gyul may be a standard-issue chaebol heir, but Coffee Prince takes the time to make him a living, breathing person who has fallen through the cracks of life—he loves his family but doesn’t feel as if he belongs to them. He bounces from Korea to America and back again. He lives alone in a big, gorgeous apartment that’s ultimately barren. All these in-between times are what let us really understand Han Gyul: he’s a person who has never known a true home, at least not until he meets Eun Chan.

Han Gyul’s car is one of the greatest isolators in his life. A physical embodiment of his family’s wealth, it both gives him freedom and sets him apart from the people around him. It allows him to avoid public transportation and even just walking down the street—in his Mini Cooper, he can zip through the world without really being touched by it. Everything outside of the car is blurred unreality to Han Gyul, just as Han Gyul is blurred unreality to everyone standing outside. But when he allows Eun Chan to join him, they’re suddenly inhabitants of the same dimension, experiencing the world from the same perspective.

All these little moments add up to a drama that feels poignantly real, whether you’re watching it for the first time or the tenth.


The interwoven narratives. Coffee Prince is composed of a number of narrative threads—Eun Chan and Han Gyul are A, Han Sung and Yoo Joo are B, and Eun Chan and Han Sung are C. The tertiary characters have their own threads, too, all the way down to Mr. Hong and his tragic lost love.

The show plays with these narratives in two ways. The first is an extremely well-done version of a trick that is fairly typical in Kdramas: the threads often dovetail chronologically and spacially, such as when Eun Chan finds herself waitressing at the same wine bar Han Gyul and Han Sung are drinking at in the first episode. The second way is a form of storytelling economy: The multiple threads aren’t necessarily obvious. Maybe I’m an idiot, but it took me at least two complete viewings of the show to piece together the fragmentary story of Mr. Hong.

To a first-time viewer, Mr. Hong exists only to provide fodder for gross-out jokes. But when you rewatch the show, you realize that he has his own narrative arc. Spread throughout Coffee Prince’s run are scenes that tell his story—you just have to find them. When we’re introduced to Mr. Hong in episode 1, he’s asking Han Gyul’s grandmother for money and being denied because he abandoned her for some girl. Then in episode 5, Mr. Hong improvises a song about a man who’s still in love with a mysterious woman. And when he gives Han Gyul advice in episode 12, he’s explaining the back story behind his very first piece of dialogue on the show, 11 episodes earlier.

And there’s another reasons why Coffee Prince is so supremely rewatchable: it rewards close viewing with a textured narrative that offers many layers of story.


The heat. Love is a thing of words in most Kdrama romances, which are full of dramatic confessions and lengthy discussions about relationships. This is fine, but one of the great things about Coffee Prince is that it takes love a step further.

There’s plenty of innards-metling sweet talk when Han Gyul and Eun Chan are together, but it’s the sense of physical attraction between them that makes their pairing one for the ages. Coffee Prince doesn’t tell us that Eun Chan and Han Gyul like each other; it uses body language and close-ups to show us.

Their personal gravitational pull is created by a number of things: a pair of actors who have natural, zingy chemistry; lots of casual skinship that both characters seek out and take obvious pleasure in; and the many, many shots of the leads looking at each another. Even before Han Gyul realizes Eun Chan is a girl, he’s always watching her with a mix of adoration and expectant delight on his face—as if he’s sure she’s about to say or do something that will charm him to within an inch of his life.

And instead of saving this sort of physical magnetism for big kissing scenes like other dramas, the creative team behind Coffee Prince interweaves it into almost every moment of the show. No matter what’s happening around them, it always pays to keep your eye on Eun Chan and Han Gyul. The first time you watch this show, there are too many distractions to fully enjoy their simmering chemistry. So of course you have to watch it again. (And again.)



The twist. Coffee Prince is full of Kdrama tropes, from piggyback rides and heads rested on shoulders to daring first kisses. (And isn’t a girl pretending to be a boy a drama trope all of its own?) But the show’s staging of these familiar scenes is always skewed, with Eun Chan acting as protector/aggressor instead of Han Gyul. She piggybacks him, makes the first move when it comes to kissing, and waits for him when he’s too scared to use the outhouse by himself. Han Gyul is just as likely to play the role of drama “girl” as Eun Chan is—he uses her shoulder as a headrest and stress eats when they fight.

After a long string of dramas that feature traditional gender roles—i.e., girls who need help, and boys who give it—I always come home to Coffee Prince, a romance between two human beings, not two exemplars of stereotypical genders.



The relationships—all of them. Eun Chan and Han Gyul are my forever, ultimate, most cherished OTP. But Coffee Prince has more to offer than just its central romance. There are the friendships that develop between the Princes and Han Gyul’s relationship with his cousin. There are loving parents and bickering sisters who secretly love and respect each other. Heck, even Han Sung and Grandma are given some memorable moments.

But my favorite of all Coffee Prince’s secondary relationships is the one between Eun Chan and her mom. One is slightly airheaded, addicted to the color pink, and a member of the longterm unemployed. The other has wash-and-wear hear, an androgynous wardrobe, and works all the hours god made. But instead of hating each other, they’re supportive and thoughtful. The sweetest moment in this show isn’t shared by the two leads: it’ s when Eun Chan crawls into bed next to her mom after a stressful day, just for the comfort of being close to her.

“Children are the map of their parents” is a saying that comes up in some Kdramas, and it feels especially appropriate for Eun Chan and her mom. But Eun Chan isn’t her mother’s duplicate—she’s her complement. What Mom can’t do, Eun Chan can; what Eun Chan can’t do, Mom can. Eun Chan has partly evolved in response to her mother’s limitations.

The more you watch Coffee Prince, the more you see these secondary relationships—they’re waiting to be discovered in the background of every scene.


The details. When a show works on only one level, it almost never stands up to a rewatch. There’s nothing extra to be gained because you’ve seen everything you need to see the first time around. But a great show—a Coffee Prince show—keeps  giving every time you watch it.

This screenshot from episode 12 is a perfect example of all the hidden treats Coffee Prince has to offer. It’s taken from the middle of the big fight Han Gyul has with Han Sung after he realizes Eun Chan is a girl. There’s a lot going on in the scene, so it’s easy to miss one key detail: Han Gyul’s earring. This is a pretty significant piece of jewelry. He gave Eun Chan its mate episodes ago, back when he asked her to be his sworn brother; these couple (ear)rings are an outward manifestation of their relationship. And even though he’s outraged and feels betrayed by everyone he trusted, Han Gyul is still wearing the earring.

This subtle little spot on your screen says volumes about Han Gyul and his feelings about Eun Chan—and good luck catching that on your first time through this show. (Another thing to notice? The many appearances of Han Sung’s ”Ocean Travel” song. You’ll find it in unexpected but meaningful places throughout.)

***
I’ve spent a ridiculous number of words over the past year and a half trying to explain just why I love Coffee Prince so much. With every post on the topic, I feel like I get a little closer to the heart of what makes the show so great, but I’m still not quite there.

Guess I’ll have to watch it one more time. Drat.

42 comments:

  1. Beautifully said. It is interesting to look at those handful of KDramas that stand up to rewatching. Coffee Prince deserves the love you've given it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad people aren't too sick of me rambling on about Coffee Prince yet =X

      I've yet to see a drama that seems as thoughtfully done as this one. I really need to watch Golden Hour, the PD's show from last year. It's not my genre, but if it's this good I wouldn't care.

      Delete
    2. HMart is having a sale on ChocoPies and all I could think of was you :-)

      Delete
  2. Ok, I can't wait to read this when I have a little more time. For right now - I really, REALLY enjoyed scrolling through the pics. I'll spend the next several hours with scenes from Coffee Prince playing in the back of my mind. Isn't it great how just a picture or mention of one moment in a favorite drama can instantly take you back? Kdrama is the like the gift that keeps on giving!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gift or curse, I'm not so sure. Every time I see a Mini Cooper I check for Han Gyul in the driver's seat, and every time I'm disappointed. Sigh.

      Delete
  3. Before I comment, I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your blog. It's kdrama with an intelligent twist. :) I agree with you wholeheartedly about "Coffee Prince." Immediately when I see anything written about it, the theme music begins playing in my head. The music itself was whimsical and fun, in a way symbolizing the growth of a girl - Eun Chan - into a woman (who was a man somewhere in between), and the growth of a boy - Han Gyul - into a man (who was a woman somewhere in between). It was the first drama I watched, and so far, the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind words :)

      I can't decide if Coffee Prince is a good first Kdrama to watch. Everything else is downhill form there, after all.

      And I LOVE the whole soundtrack, but it's a vicious cycle: Every time it pops up on my ipod, it makes me want to rewatch the drama.

      Delete
  4. Watched this 3 1/2 times now, and you are absolutely right about all the little pieces. Sometimes it's the unspoken family ties that hit me in the gut. Like the first time we meet Han Gyul's dad, and they just sit in his office together for a few moments, appeasing the women outside by having a little guy time. They don't enjoy it, and they give us no reasons then about why their relationship is so strained. But you also get the sense that they don't hate each other in standard 'my son won't do what i want him to' Kdrama way. It's so very real. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're so right about that scene. Nobody's flipping tables or throwing water, unlike so many Kdramas, but the silence between them conveys everything you need to know about their relationship.

      I seriously need a Coffee Prince 12-step program.

      Delete
  5. Since it is one of only 3 Kdramas I've rewatched (out of the 120+ I've seen), I'd have to say I totally agree with you. It's not one of my absolute, absolute faves, but I would consider it the single most rewatchable Kdrama there is.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much! I really enjoyed reading this post; I have also watched and re-watched Coffee Prince. It was the first boxed set I bought (one of only three that I own, the other two are Soulmate and City Hall) and I think I could recite the dialogue in parts. I love this show because it has such realistic characters, multiple stories,an amazing lack of easy answers,and a fabulous soundtrack. But you are absolutely right about one amazing thing that sets it apart - and I never really thought about it this way before - and that is how it handles introspection. In most dramas, we never see it (judging by the foolish way characters behave, they never indulge in it) but Coffee Prince revels in those quiet spaces where people reflect or just feel the moment. It makes the drama, and the characters, so much more real.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really loved how Han Gyul looked at Eun Chan. As if she was a miracle and the most precious thing in the world. The drama is perfect, but I loved these glances the most.

    Sorry bad English :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm so with you when it comes to Coffee Pince. I wonder how did my kdrama world look like before I met you? Keep going! ^^
    Karolina

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is really a great review of my favorite drama! Thanks for the insights. I seriously can't get enough of it either.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Amanda,

    Anyone following your blog since I found it knows how much I love Coffee Prince. I've seen it at least 6 times, own the box set DVD and have the entire soundtrack on my iPod. I also read the book that the story was taken from. The most extreme things I've done is buy a Mini Cooper just like Han Gyul's and named it Ji Cheol, which is his real name, and it's my license plate number too. You have no idea how many people ask me what my tag means. I tell them it is romanized Korean for "Wisdom, lack thereof". I also went to Palisades Park, NJ because I found out they have (had, it's now closed) a coffee shop modeled after the one in Coffee Prince and it was named Coffee Prince. The waiters dressed in the same outfits as the Princes did in the drama. It also lead me to go to Korea to see this magical place in person. Of the over 1700 hours of dramas I have watched since 2010 it's the only one that has made such an impact on me.

    I loved this blog. I had such a warm, wonderful feeling reading it. I want to watch it again right now! Thanks Amanda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that is what i would do if i could! i actually did go to to korea and visited the coffee prince shop they filmed it at also! so in love with every minute of that drama!

      Delete
  11. I'm really enjoying your blog Amanda!

    But, what is the scene where he stress-eats because he fights?? I am rewatching now (3rd time) because of you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi.

    I like how you describe Coffee Prince. Its my most favorite drama, just for one reason that it is (also) my most re-watchable k-drama. I love it so much.

    My favorite scene is the park scene after they make up (your fifth picture). Its just so simple and unlike every other k-drama, i don't need any explanation or long narrative that say they're forgiving each other. I just see them together in the park. Han Gyul heads rest on Eun Chan. All is well, yay! I can't describe how much i like that Eun Chan is the one kissing him first and his adorable smile after that. I. Love. It. So. Much.

    Also, the silence, that one thing about not having to talk if you're comfortable with someone. Somehow, this show magically capture that feeling.

    One other thing. After so many dramas, I easily remember Eun Chan and Han Gyul's name. While i easily forget some of the k-drama name I currently watch.

    Now i have to watch it one more time. you're making me miss Eun Chan.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Coffee Prince is right up there with My Lovely Sam Soon. I have re-watched both of them at least 6 times over the last 4 years. They were the first things to make me laugh again after my husband died. I asked my daughter to watch them recently but she just didn't get it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You and I have a lot in common! My Lovely Sam Soon is also my favorite drama right up there with Coffee Prince and, like you, they gave me the best feeling of being light-hearted again after my husband died. My children have been "forced" to watch excerpts of Coffee Prince where the Mini Cooper is featured when they take the drive over the bridge so they can see why it means so much to me. And they don't get it either!

      Delete
    2. I guess it was something we needed at the time, so they just can't understand. All though my daughter doesn't mind my obsession with k-drama because she said it mad her so happy to hear me laugh again.

      Delete
  14. Love the show. Love this post. Love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi there, just happened to see your blog while searching "Coffee Prince". I really enjoyed reading your blog, as I share the same feelings as you. I simply love this series. Simply love the chemistry between all the characters, the acting, the OST, the friendships, everything. Too much feels. CP is a classic and in my opinion, definitely the most re-watchable Kdrama. Now, having said that, I need to go re-watch it for the Nth time.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My entry to KDrama was following kim sam soon in 2010. I found the wonderful world of dramabeans and tried CP at their recommendation. Dropped it after the first ep. Just didn't engage me at first. Tried it again a year later and fell in love with the story and the actors. The only drama I have watched twice, and you are so right, it has lots of depth and surprises the second time around.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i always look forward to your blog entries. you have good rounded insights on lots of dramas. i find myself feeling similarly as you in many of them. coffee prince is probably my most beloved one yet and i have not been able to put my finger on why i love it so, so i thank you for putting into words a lot of what i think my heart feels! :) thanks for the good reads. i look forward to them~

    ReplyDelete
  18. Question: Does anyone know of any kdramas by the same writer and/or director as Coffee Prince?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The show Triple was made by a lot of the same people and even starred Lee Syun Gun, who played Choi Han Sung. Which makes it sound great...but it's one of two dramas that I didn't even make it through a single episode before dropping. The director took some time off, but worked on another drama with Lee Syun Gun last year called Golden Time. Apparently that one didn't suck, but I think Coffee Prince is a one-of-a-kind gem that will never be replicated.

      Delete
  19. I love everything you wrote in this article and agree wholeheartedly that the reason Coffee prince is so great is because of the layers and moments of silence. Makes me want to watch it right now!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great Article! I just finished watching Coffee Prince for the first time and its easily one of my favorites, if not my favorite! I just love the passion between Eun Chan and Han Gyul! Another thing about the drama that I love is the fact that there is no scheming villain. After awhile I just get so sick of watching some evil person in a drama that tries to ruin everyone else's lives. I like how this drama was just about real people and their relationships, not plotting and revenge. Each character had their own strengths and flaws and you could just examine their relationships grow naturally without someone trying to get in the way. I also like that this drama was so light and fun. Sure it dealt with some serious subjects but I never felt annoyed or frustrated watching it. It was simple and easy to watch and had a story that was natural instead of twisted around to create more drama. I loved how the characters acted as real people do. They were gross at times and sad and each had a unique personality which would grow and change. I just finished and I want to watch it again already!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Coffee Prince was the result of all the elements aligning, and we just do not see that often. The actors owned their roles, the budget was there to stop stupid stuff from happening, and the Director was passionate and engaged. I remember reading that Director Lee fought the extension because she believed it would negatively impact the quality of the show. The show could have been so standard-it has so many of the elements of every romantic k drama-4 square leads, rich guy with dysfunctional relationship with a parent and is rebelling about joining the family business, poor girl dealing with relatives that take advantage of her,rich guy's family not crazy about the poor girl, birth secret sort of, girl ends up friends with a bunch of cute guys, poor girl keeping a secret from rich guy which causes a blow up, etc. As you said, they took the time to film it right and to pay attention to the details and allow the characters to flesh out. As the person posted above, it was also nice not to deal with the evil antagonist trope in this one. Also, somehow they got away with having adult characters with hormones and life experiences and allowed the female lead character to be physical. To me this drama is a gold standard of romantic korean dramas. And that Yoon Eun-hye would be okay with the natural short hair and the bare face-not many actresses would have been okay with not appearing feminine-and gosh did she sell the body language. That girl totally owned the character. Such a great drama, thanks for writing about it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for writing out what makes Coffee Prince so loveable; I usually just say thinks like "the romance is awesome!" and whatnot, but I'm not very articulate. I just feel, but I don't always know how to express it.

    One of the other things I appreciate about Coffee Prince is Yoo Joo and Han Sung's relationship. Rarely have I seen in K-dramas (not that I've watched that many) a relationship with actual real people problems, but they're still trying to make it work. And while I'm usually not a huge fan of side relationships (I get so attached to the main characters...), I really thought their relationship was very interesting and realistic.

    I just finished Coffee Prince a few weeks ago for the first time, and I already have plans to rewatch it next week with my best friend (who I'm going to get addicted to Kdramas sooner or later).

    ReplyDelete
  23. Coffee Prince is my quantum of solace. I have to see at least something out of it every week. Or if I am pissed at something then CP bring me back to earth. God knows what it is..I still believe it could have more done in the show...I just can't get enough of it.

    Very aptly said...
    The sound tracks are on my speed list. except few words I do not know understand Korean. I am in love!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Since you're a huge fan of Coffee Prince and I assume obsessed with GONG YOO, I recommend you check out BIG. It's a great series and Gong Yoo is 10x more adorable in it! The storyline is heartwarming and the entire cast is wonderful! Not to mention the fact that Gong Yoo bares his upper body...more than once :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have watched Coffee Prince 3 times and I'm going keep watching it until the dvd is no longer playable.. gosh i can't stop watching it..

    ReplyDelete
  26. I can't even begin to express how much Coffee Prince means to me. I have seen it about 5 times now and it still bring out all these emotions in me. Usually, with that amount of re-watches, my emotions would have been kept in check by now but like Han Gyul's feelings towards Eun Chan, I have finally given up and come to terms with the fact that those feelings will never go away no matter how many times I watch the show.
    Coffee Prince did everything right as far as I'm concerned, Great script, awesome acting, good directing and a killer soundtrack... Gong Yoo's facial expressions alone spoke volumes. Every actor should watch this show just to study his reactions on every scene. With just a look, he was able to express longing/anger/happiness/giddiness/embarrassment/betrayal better than anyone I have ever seen. I also tip my hat off to Yoon Eun Hye. She owned Go Eun Chan and to be perfectly honest, I fell deeply in love with her. All the supporting characters were perfect for their roles. If I had to pick one character to hate, I would chose Eun Sae (the younger sister) just because, like Min Yup, I was in the same exact situation during my youth. Getting strung along to bolster a girl's vanity/ego made me real angry in retrospect. I think what set this show apart from all the other great Kdramas out there was it's soundtrack and the perfect use of it. It made me appreciate bands like The Melody and Tearliner. Sad Thing by AdultChild will forever give me goosebumps every time I hear it.

    Best scenes:

    Scene at the beach
    Han Gyul kissing Eun Chan and confessing his feelings for her and not caring anymore if she was a man or an alien. (Sad Thing playing in the background)
    Han Gyul and Eun Chan consumating their relationship at his place.

    Funniest Scene:
    Eun Chan squatting down then running away while Han Gyul gets the crap beat out of him by his blind date.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nothing can compare to Coffee Prince, even till now.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ah, man, Coffee Prince was the first k-drama I watched, that got me hooked to k-dramas, and now I compare ALL k-dramas to it. I still have to re-watch it, but I do so love it.

    Funny thing? I actually saw it first while I was at gym and it was on the TV there, arabic dubbed, but I was watching it on mute. I honestly thought Eun Chan was a boy. I was on that scene, where they make up after Han Gyul finds out she's a girl, and he puts his head on her shoulder and she kisses him, and I'm like, Woah, Arabic channels are showing a gay show?? (It's not done around here, I'm from Dubai, btw.)

    I took pics, and vids, and sent them to my cousin who knows all about Korean Stuff, and she told me that the tiny one is a girl. Lol, I wondered how I missed them bumps on her chests.

    Theeen, I went home and looked it up, because even in mute it looked like a really interesting drama. And then I fell in love.. *wistful sigh* the end! ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  29. Coffee Prince was just the best k-drama ever. I applaud you for succeeding to put together all the awesome in words! And a little note on details- remember the rings that Han Gyul bought?

    I re-watched Coffee Prince recently, and was incredibly delighted to notice that post-proposal, Eun Chan always keeps her ring on her ring finger, sans one scene at work and one at home (even during their marryfiveyearslater/marrythisyear fight).

    AND when she comes back from Italy, not only is she still wearing the ring on her ring finger, Han Gyul is also wearing HIS ring (but he keeps it on his pinky, for some strange reason. My personal headcanon is that he was so busy worrying about Eun Chan's ring size he ended up absentmindedly buying his ring a size too small, and then couldn't bear to buy a new one and wore it on his pinky instead. XD)

    Anyway, I'd been a little bummed that our last scene of the two was just them drinking coffee, but then on the re-watch I'd noticed the ring-age and sure enough, if you look carefully during the last scene, you'll see a glint on Eun Chan's ring finger and Hyan Gyul's pinky ring (though Eun Chan's ring in the last scene is so hard to see with online vid quality arrrgh I want to buy the dvd so I can see ring in HQ!!). That extra detail just made me so happpyyyy! The ending felt even better than before!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yeah coffee prince is the best Korean drama I watched. Story wise CP is best as well as the background music is fantabulous . emotional scenes are too heart touching. Acting of both the lead pairs are so natural . I watched CP on 29 Aug 2014 and within a period of just 25 days I watched it more than 10 times completely. I am so much attached with this drama that every time when I am free I am reading or watching it.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you so much, thoroughly enjoyed reading this post
    K series (Dubbed version) is being telecast here in India from May 2014.Its very popular in India & I'm a great fan of K series (top fav is CP)
    What i liked most about CP is the way in which they show the internal struggles of both Han Gyul & Eun Chan.
    In Episode 5, after apple plucking task
    that night, after the guys disperse and go to sleep, Eun Chan runs into Han Gyul outside.
    I want to know what Eun Chan wrote on mud but rubs it off before Han Gyul sees it. I guess it must be the name of either Han Gyul Or Han Sung
    I have watched & re watched the fifth cup in you tube n good drama
    but I can’t find the translation. I would appreciate your help in this regard.
    Eagerly waiting for your reply.

    ReplyDelete
  32. There's SHOCKING news in the sports betting world.

    It has been said that every bettor must watch this,

    Watch this or quit placing bets on sports...

    Sports Cash System - Robotic Sports Betting Software

    ReplyDelete