Princess Hours

Princess Hours (Korean: 궁, Hanja: 宮, romanized as Goong, and also known as Goong - Love in Palace or Palace, its literal translation and the alternate official title) is a Korean romantic comedy/drama, which had its first season run from January 11 to March 30, 2006. It was distributed by MBC, which ran episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week until the show's completion. It was based on the Goong manhwa by So-Hee Park, which has run for 12 volumes (as of June 2006).

Princess Hours became one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong . Overall, the show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, according to TNS media[1]. Due to the success of the first season, a second season has been produced, a rare occasion in the Korean television industry. However, there was controversy over who had the rights to make the sequel, and as a result, two separate parties planned different sequels. Goong 2 is currently being planned, and Goong S started its run on January 10, 2007.

Season 1
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Synopsis

Set in an alternate 21st-century reality where Korea possesses a royal family, this show revolves around the lives of the Crown Prince (Wangsaeja) Lee Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong. The depicted royal family in the show is modelled after the last royal family of Korea, which in reality reigned until the start of the Japanese Occupation in 1911 and was not reinstated after Japanese surrender in WW2.

The series starts off with the news that the King, Shin's father, is severely ill. With the grim outlook on the King's health, the royal family scrambles to find a wife for Shin, so as to allow him to take over the royal throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with another girl, the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin whom Shin initially proposed to (she rejects him to pursue her ballet dreams), Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his late grandfather in an old agreement with the girl's grandfather. Shin marries the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong after Hyo-rin's rejection. Despite initially feeling nothing for Chae-kyeong, love eventually blossoms between the couple.

In the meantime, however, matters are further complicated with the return of Lee Yul and his mother Lady Hwa-Young, who was once the Crown Princess (Bingoong) before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince, older brother of the current King. Yul and his mother were chased out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is later revealed that this was due to the King's discovery of an affair between Yul's mother and the current King who was his father's younger brother. Yul's mother had returned with a sinister motive in mind; to restore her son back to the throne, which would have been his eventually, if his father had not died. A series of events befall the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and is further intensified by the various scandals involving the royal family, which are inclusive of the Shin's continuing relationship with his old flame Hyo-rin, and the budding love Yul develops for Chae-kyeong, his cousin's new-found bride.

The first series ends with Shin giving up his title and allowing his elder sister Hyae-myeong ascend the throne. Shin and Chae-kyeong got married in a Catholic church in Macau, as the series concludes with the possibility that Chae-kyeong is pregnant with Shin's baby; in the end credits, a slideshow is shown with Shin and Chae-kyeong with a baby girl.
Spoilers end here.

Main Characters

Shin Chae-kyeong (신채경)

Portrayed by Yoon Eun Hye, Shin Chae-kyeong is a very effervescent, normal high school girl. She attends the same school as Lee Shin, the Crown Prince of Korea. Her grandfather was best friends with the previous King. To honor his friend, the previous King dictated that Chae-kyeong is to become the Crown Princess, which means that she is to marry whoever is the Crown Prince at the time of the marriage. Although she often seems immature and irritating, she is a kindhearted, innocent, honest person. Often called "Pig" by her younger brother, Chae-kyeong marries the prince to save her family from bankruptcy. Her initial reaction to Lee Shin is one of irritation but she falls in love with him in the earlier part of the series, not knowing that he, in return, feels the same way, until the last few episodes. Although she regards Lee Yul only as a friend and cousin-in-law, he falls in love with her.

Lee Shin (이신)

The crown prince of Korea, Lee Shin, as portrayed by model and actor Joo Ji Hoon, is seen as a smug, indifferent, insensitive young man. After getting rejected by his girlfriend when he proposes to her, he decides to go along with his elders' arranged marriage with Shin Chae-kyeong. At first, he was irritated by her naivete and enthusiasm, but as he recognizes how genuinely sweet she is, he begins to open his heart to her, and falls in love. Throughout the series, it becomes obvious that inside, he is just a lonely, sensitive, warm and kind young man. He also owns a teddy bear, Alfred, the only thing that he can let his guard down for, which is used as a focal point throughout the series. As his cousin re-enters the picture after being forced out of the country many years earlier, the prince quickly butts head with him[a few fist fights], as Lee Yul is a contender not only for the throne, but for the crown princess Chae-kyeong's love. Chae-kyeong does not realize this until later on in the story.

Lee Yool (이율)

Kim Jeong Hoon plays Lee Yool, Shin's cousin. He returns from a long stay in England with his mother, the widow of the former crown prince. The opposite of Shin, he is warm, kindhearted, sweet, and romantic--an instant hit with the girls. Interested in Chae-kyeong, their friendship grows to love on his side, while she remains innocently unaware of it until much later. Although the position of the Crown Prince originally belonged to him, it was given to his cousin when Yool's father died in a car accident and his mother was found to have had an affair with his uncle, who she was originally in love with, but she decides to marry his brother,the crown prince, wanting her son to inherit the title of crown prince. Originally uninterested in the throne, Yool decides to follow his mother's wishes and compete with Shin for the throne after falling in love with Chae-kyeong. In the end, after realizing that Chae-kyeong and Shin truly love each other, he passes up both the chance of being King and having Chae-kyeong as a wife, as he only wants her to be happy with Shin.

Min Hyo-rin (민효린)

Portrayed by Sung Ji Hyo, Hyo-rin is a skilled ballerina. She is beautiful, intelligent, accomplished--basically, perfect in every way possible. In the beginning, she is Shin's girlfriend, and he proposes to her. However, she rejects him, not only because she thinks he is joking, but also because she does not wish to give up her dreams of becoming a star ballerina. When she sees Chae-kyeong and Shin's wedding and how Chae-kyeong is loved by the people (similar to Princess Diana), she regrets her hasty decision, and does everything she can to oust Chae-kyeong from her position. Hyo-rin finds ways to draw Shin back to her, including a "chance" meeting in Thailand, but simply ends up hurting herself, resulting in attempting suicide. Later, however, she decides that Shin does truly love Chae-kyeong, and she ultimately gives him up and decides to just concentrate on her ballet.

Family History

The fictional family history was released by MBC, as follows:

* 광화 원년 1945: After World War II, South Korea's common people wanted the royal family (이) to remain in the country, even as they act as symbols of Korea's past.
* 광화 사십년 1984: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) is married to dancer Seo Hwa Yeong, who becomes the Crown Princess (consort) (황태자비 서화영).
* 광화 사십일년 1985: Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) is married.
* 광화 사십삼년 1987: Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) sires a daughter, named Hye Myeong (혜명 옹주).
* 광화 사십사년 1988: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) sires a son, named Yool (이율). Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) sires a son, named Shin (이신).
* 광화 사십칠년 1991: Shin Chae Kyeong's grandfather dies.
* 광화 사십팔년 1992: Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) dies in a car accident. His brother the Grand Prince Lee Hyeon (대군 이현) becomes the Crown Prince (황태자) upon his brother's death. Meanwhile, Lee Soo's family, the Crown Princess (consort) Seo Hwa Yeong (황태자비 서화영) and his son Yool (이율) are chased out of the palace, emigrating to Great Britain.
* 광화 사십구년 1993: Emperor Moo (무황제), Lee Soo and Lee Hyeon's father, dies. Crown Prince Lee Hyeon (황태자 이현) becomes the next Emperor of Korea, thereby changing the former era name of Gwanghwa (광화) to Inhwa (인화 仁化).
* 인화 삼년 1995: Lee Shin (이신) becomes the next Crown Prince (황태자 이신).
* 인화 십이년 2004: Lee Shin (이신) enrolls into a well-known arts and cultures school in Korea. Lee Yool (이율) 영국 디가인 아트스쿨 입학
* 인화 십사년 2006: Crown Prince Lee Shin (황태자 이신) is married to Shin Chae Kyeong after an old agreement between his grandfather and Chae Kyeong's grandfather.

Cast

* Yoon Eun Hye (윤은혜) as Shin Chae-kyeong (Janelle Shin)
o Crown Princess (consort) Shin Chae-kyeong (황태자비 신채경)
* Joo Ji Hoon (주지훈) as Lee Shin (Gian Lee)
o Grand Prince Lee Shin (대군 이신) (by birth)
o Grand Crown Prince Lee Shin (황태자 이신) (after his uncle's (Yool's father) death)
* Kim Jeong Hoon (김정훈) as Lee Yool/Prince Uiseong (Troy Lee)
o Crown Prince Lee Yool (황태자 이율) (by birth)
o SECOND Prince Lee Yool (대군 이율) (after father's death)
* Sung Ji Hyo (송지효) as Min Hyo-rin (Monique Min)
* Lee Yoon Ji (이윤지) as Princess Hyae-Myeong (Shin's older sister)
o Princess Hyae Myeong (혜명 옹주)
* Jeon Ji Ae as Lee Kang-hyun (Chae-kyeong's friend with glasses)
* Lee Eun as Kim Soon-young (Chae-kyeong's friend)
* Dan Ji as Yoon Hee-soong (Chae-kyeong's friend)
* Kang Nam Gil (강남길) as Chae-kyeong's father
* Im Ye Jin (임예진) as Chae-kyeong's mother
* Kim Suk as Shin Chae-joon (Chae-kyeong's younger brother)
* Kim Sang-joong (김상중), as Lee Soo (Yool's deceased father)
o Crown Prince Lee Soo (황태자 이수) (by birth, the eldest offspring of Emperor Moo)
* Kim Hye-ja (김혜자), as Yool's grandmother
o Empress Dowager (황태후) (current Emperor's alive mother)
* Song Seung-hwan (송승환)
* Shim Hye-jin (심혜진), as Lady Hwa-Yong (Yool's mother)
o Crown Princess (consort) Seo Hwa-Yong (황태자비 서화영) (wife of Crown Prince Lee Soo)
* Yoon Yoo-seon (윤유선), as the Queen (Lee Shin's mother)
o Princess Consort to Lee Hyeon (Shin's father)
o Empress/Queen (황후) (after Lee Hyeon's accession to the throne)
* Choi Bool-am (최불암), as Shin and Yool's deceased grandfather
* Nah Eun-kyeong (나은경)
* Kwon Yeon-woo (권연우)

* more

Production Credits

* Original Work: Manhwa 궁(Goong, Hanja: «宮») by Park So-hee (박소희)
* Production Company: Eight Peaks (애이트픽스)
* Director: Hwang In-Roi (황인뢰)
* Writer: In Eun-A (인은아)

Related Series

The original production team that worked on the first season of Princess Hours, including director Hwang In-Roi, resigned from Eight Peaks (the show's production company) and proceeded to form a new production company, Creative Leaders Group 8. Group 8 had initially announced that it would begin production for the sequel to Goong 1.

However, because rights to the manhwa adaptation belong to Eight Peaks, not Group 8, the new company now faces a crisis as its version of the sequel, renamed Goong S, faces a halt in production due to infringement of copyrights. With Eight Peaks intending to produce the 'real' sequel, there are thus two sequels being planned for Princess Hours.[2]

Season 2

The plot of Season 2 would follow closely the plot of the second Goong manhwa by So-Hee Park.

Eight Peaks has announced that preparation for the sequel Goong 2 is underway, which started in September. The cast of Goong Season 2 is still unconfirmed; however, Choi Kae-yung, an executive at Eight Peaks, has revealed that Kim Jeong Hoon (who plays Lee Yool) and Yoon Eun Hye (who plays Shin Chae-kyeong) will return in their respective roles. The company is aiming to resign the entire original cast for the sequel.

Last year, Eight Peaks stated that they would aim to film Goong 2 in late 2007 or early 2008.[3][4] Since then, there have been no other confirmations about the further details of this sequel.

Season S

The plot of Season S revolves around a young worker at a Chinese restaurant who suddenly discovers that he is a member of the royal family and subsequently enters the palace. Hwang mentioned that he would be looking for Yoon Eun Hye's male counterpart, of sorts.

In October of 2006, Korean pop star Se7en was chosen to play the leading role in the spinoff. He will play the character of "Lee Hoo", while others in the drama's second season include Huh Lee-Jae (who plays Yang Soon-Ae), Kang Doo (who plays Lee Joon), and Park Shin-hye (who plays Shin Sae-Ryung). Many of the supporting cast, including those who played the royal family, are expected to join Goong S. Filming started in November 2006.

The current name for the second season has changed from Goong 2 to Goong S -- Prince Hours (궁 S), due to copyright infringement problems. Filming has continued despite Group 8 facing lawsuits due to the unlawful use of 'Goong' as its film title.[5] However, MBC has looked into this issue with Eight Peaks and have stated that the channel station and original production company both own the rights of the name.[6] Goong S will still be used for this season with the subtitle of "Prince Who". Goong S began broadcasting January 10, 2007, with no cast members returning for this spinoff.

Trivia

* Originally, the cast of Goong was BoA as Chae Kyung, Jo In Sung as Shin, Moon Geun Young as Hyo Rin, and Kang Dong Won as Yul.[7]
* Many fans of the manhwa were rather surprised when new stars were chosen for the series as main roles when fan had wanted more known actors to be in it.[8]
* Yoon Eun Hye auditioned for another role, not Chae Kyung. [9]

source:www.wikipedia.org