The Secret Romantic Guesthouse Full Review: A haunted Inn, a lost Prince, and twists and turns aplenty
- Aug 3
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
A missing prince, a watchman, and a man with a plan walk into an inn...
Title: | The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023) |
Platform: | Viki, Hulu |
Episode Count: | 18 |
Genre: | Period (Joseon) Romance/ Action |
MDL: | |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Violence and Blood, brief torture scene |
Staring:  | Shin Ye Eun as Yun Dan Oh (Female Lead/FL) Ryeo Un as Kang San (Male Lead/ML) Kang Hoon as Kim Shi Yeol Jung Gun Joo as Jung Yoo Ha Jo Hye Joo as Hong Ju |
The Cast:
From Left to Right: #ShinYeEun (Jeongnyeon), #RyeoUn (Twinkling Watermelons), #KangHoon (A Time Called You, #JungGunJoo (Way Back Love), #JoHyeJoo (My Demon), #HyunWoo (Law School)
Synopsis: Yun Dan Oh is the daughter of a noble family fallen on hard times who struggles to keep her inn afloat as its reputation is drowning in rumors of a ghostly maiden haunting its halls. But "luck" finds its way to her door when three handsome scholars training for the civil service exam check in, but there is more than meets the eyes to these aspiring applicants. When Dan Oh is pressed to pay a debt or forfeit her home, she and the scholars find themselves trapped in a web of intrigue involving the lost prince, Lee Seol, as long buried secrets come to light.
The Characters:
Left to Right: Yun Dan O, Kang San, Kim Shi Yeol, Jung Yoo Ha, Hong Ju, The King (Lee Chang)
Checking In
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse, both in the drama and in real life, suffered from inaccurate marketing and a terrible name. The drama is not about dalliances, nor is it a love square like the promotional material made it out to be. That is a shape no trope needs to be stretched to. Instead, the drama follows the search for the son of a deposed Prince by an innkeeper struggling to stay afloat while hiding a deadly secret, diving into themes of identity (hidden and societal) and loyalty.
The drama was unexpectedly good. It scratched an itch in my brain that I didn't know I had. It's suprisingly lighthearted, and never takes itself too seriously, steering clear of angst and complex politics. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse is booked with a cast of likeable characters, some flashy sword fights, and romance. Speaking of romance, it was done so well; the secondary couple actually stole my heart. And you know what, they can keep it. They were so cute, I don't mind.
As the title suggests, romance is a big part of the storyline, but the mystery is the driving force. The drama isn't shy about red herrings and layers intrigue nicely. Kim Shi Yeol was a standout character and the drama is worth a watch for him alone. If you enjoy dramas like The Tale of Nokdu, I would highly recommend!
___________Beware Mateys: There be Spoilers ahead!_______________
A Watchman, A Prince, and A Royal Relative
OMG. This was such a fun part of the show. The drama leads viewers in a merry round of Guess Who? by means of the three "scholars" at the inn, as we learn early on that each one could be the lost Prince. I caught on pretty quick to Kang San, mainly because I've watched too many K-Dramas to be fooled into thinking the "chosen one" isn't first man on the billing (lol), but also because it would be too obvious to make him the watchman. I didn't think the watchman would be Jung Yoo Ha, but the way it was revealed to be Kim Shi Yeol was so cool! He is the best character of the show! He's guilt ridden, but dedicated to his job, playing the jestor to stay next to his King. And he really went at it with the sword; he's like the period drama John Wick lol. I totally thought he and Kang San were in on it together the whole time, but San's ignorance added to surprise of it all.
The half brother situation was fine-- I didn't love it, but I'm glad it resolved the way it did. Jung Gun Joo (Jung Yoo Ha Actor) did a great job playing a noble scholar who protected his values and understood the common people. I was slightly salty on behalf of Kang San, but it never made sense that he would become the King. Jung Yoo Ha had connections, defined goals, and the proven ability to lead, while San had just been trying to survive and kill the tyrant.
The Childhood Couple
I am so tired of this trope. It has become inescapable. It was a weak tether and a lazy excuse to tie the main leads together, and felt like another version of insta-love that cheapened the bond of the two.
But Yun Dan Oh and Kang San did make for an adorable couple. Yun Dan Oh's antics were a little annoying at first, but through her relationship with San, she really grew as a character. Shin Ye Eun is not a strong actress and she was definatley the weakest link of the bunch. When her sister was leaving for the nunnery, her fake tears made me lol. Give the girl some onions to chop. For the love: Emote! Despite a lacking actress, the character had a good heart and a cheerful disposition, and it was cute watching the two leads in love. Except apparently they were already in love (?) because they had met once as children.. ugggghhhh.
I couldn't really picture her taking on the role of the Queen, so I'm glad the pair bounced.
I felt a little sad for Jung Yoo Ha that he didn't find his special someone, and I admit I swooned a little over all the nice things he did the FL, but like Kim Shi Yeol said, more time doesn't make a difference if there is no spark to work with. Yoo Ha was so straight laced and too perfect soI knew he wasn't going to win the FL's heart. It does make me laugh that both he and Kim Shi Yeol ended up as her brother in law.
The Watchman and The Ghost in the Annex
These two crazy kids were my FAVORITE part of the show. The drama was doing the most in the marketing to convince us that Kim Shi Yeo would be a potential suitor for Dan Oh, but I thought it was obvious real quick that he wasn't actually interested in her. I loved Kim Shi Yeo's character and I also loved Hong Ju. This poor girl was trapped in an annex for who knows how long. Seriously though. The timeline doesn't make sense. We know it's after the funeral, but how long after? It truly beats me. And how old is she supposed to be? So many questions...
Anyways, she was engaged to the son of the Chief Administrator (most likely between the ages of 14-20 years old), and engagements/betrothals in Joseon were paramount to quasi- marriages, as there were heavy legal, societal, and moral ramifications involved in forming and breaking those agreements. And as the traditional provber goes: "It's better to tear down a temple than break up a marriage." Once a contract is exchanged, it's essentially a done deal, which is why the Chief Administrator considers her to be his daughter-in-law and demands she act as a "virtuous widow" and accompany her "husband" in death. Because she has no son and no social standing with the death of her father, she is left powerless.
This brings us to the annex where she is forced to hide herself from the world, not unlike Kim Shi Yeol who can't openly be himself and must hide his identity and live as a "shadow". While snooping around, he forms a friendship with Hong Ju and even though his affection for her came suddenly, as his character unfolds, you can see the dots connecting. He has a sense of empathy and kinship for her suffering, and though he can't relieve his own, he does his best to help her out of her shell and reenter the world of the living. She is the physical embodiment of his inner turmoil and that connection provides understanding and release. Tears. Way better than a childhood meet cute.
The drama has a thing for shoes if you watch carefully. Kim Shi Yeol met Hong Ju after loosing a shoe at her door, which was a great indicator of his role in helping Hong Ju leave the house, as shoes are associated with journeys and "running away" in Korean superstition.
As the drama continues, Kim Shi Yeol realizes the harm he's caused his beloved and breaks up with Hong Ju. This time, she loses a shoe, symbolizing that she can't continue on her journey of their relationship or on her self improvement; She's stuck. Before Kim Shi Yeol departs to wander, she runs outside barefoot, which was a great visual clue that she was not running away from him, and its later revealed that she had already come to terms with past events at that moment. Shoes are also used with Yun Dan Oh and Jung Yoo Ha, as he hesitated to gift her the pink flower shoes to express his affection, which is fitting because they ultimately turned out to be an expression of emotional release, allowing her to "run away" from him to Kang San. There were little hints all along.
Hong Ju and Kim Shi Yeol were star crossed lovers, and although the looming elephant in the room was unbeknownst to them, there was an underlying tension as a viewer knowing that he axed her former fiancé and is the "reason" she had to hide in the annex. Although, it was totally the Chief Administrator's fault, but I digress. Their storyline was a treat and it was nice to see Kim Shi Yeol have a chance to engage with the plot, instead of just watching from the outskirts.
I'm glad there was a time jump at the end because it made their reconciliation seem more believable. Her anger at him was completely justified and she needed time to heal, just as he needed some time to find himself. But I was so glad they got married!
If you want to see more of these two, the actors are reunited as love interests in the contemporary drama, Dear Hyeri.
Random Thoughts In No Particular Order
When the prince was a child fleeing from pursuers with his mother, those ladies were taking their sweet time lol. They needed to hustle their bustle.
The ML has very V shaped brows and slender fingers.
The ML must have never heard a cat before. That "Meow" was giving Seven Bride for Seven Brothers (1954).
The Eunuch and Left Minister were snakes, but I guess the garden variety in the end? The Left Minister bowing to Kang San at the end was a great moment.
Yun Dan Oh's expressions in Episode 16 cracked me up when she was getting hit with revelations left and right, with the identify of the Watchman and that the owner of the Brothel is Jung Yoo Ha's mother.
The King nailed the crazy eyes.
Checking Out
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse isn't some grounded political masterpiece, nor a Bachelorette in Hanbok, but it is an excellent lighthearted period drama with complex side characters, adorable romances, and some quality twists. I was in it to win it the whole time, which is a rarity. A 10/10 time.
RBTS Overall Rating: 4.4/5 Stars | ||
Story: | 4.5 | Very unexpected, but so fun with good pacing. |
Acting: | 3.75 | Fine. The FL is not the strongest actor. Give me an onion, and I could outdo her lol |
Production Quality: | 4 | Fine, very similar to The Tale of Nokdu. |
Ending: | 4.5 | No Complaints. Literally. Not even one. |
Enjoyability: | 5 | I dunno, it spoke to me. I was enganged from start to finish. |
Trailer:
Director: #KimJungMin (Queen: Love and War, The Princess's Man)
Screenwriter: #KwonEumMi (Killer Queen, Woman with A Suitcase)
*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual.
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