K-Drama Review #1: Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency

 Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency is a 2019 South Korean Television Series aired at JTBC network starring Kim Min-jae, Gong Seung-yeon, Seo Ji-hoon, Park Ji-hoon, Ko Won-hee and Byeon Woo-seok. It is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Kim Yi-rang who also wrote the series.

(Upper part from left to right, Kim Min-jae, Gong Seung-yeon, Seo Ji-hoon.

Lower part from left to right, Park Ji-hoon, Ko Won-hee, Byeon Woo-seok)

The Members of Flower Crew

  Flower crew is consist of three young male matchmakers who deemed to be as beautiful as flowers. Ko Young-soo (Park Ji-hoon) is the cutest member of flower crew. From clothes to shoes and accessories everything he puts on gets sold out. He is like a fashion trendsetter in Joseon. He's also the one who takes care of the bride and groom's clothes for the wedding. Do Joon (Byeon Woo-seok) is the one who lives just for today. A good looking wandering minstrel who enjoys life. He is always surrounded by women. He is the one who takes care of gathering informations needed for matchmaking, most of the time he uses he's face to fish information from women. Ma Hoon (Kim Min-jae), the smart one. You better not mess with him because he's just way too smart. He's the quiet one among the three and also the leader. He's the one who formulate plans for matchmaking.

(Gae-ttong/ Yoon Soo-yun)

  Gae-ttong (Gong Seung-yeon), a wild and carefree girl. She has a stubborn personality and does many jobs to survive. She is eventually hired as a member of Flower Crew after the disappearance of her groom on their wedding day.

Verdict

  The plot seems similar to another 2018 Kdrama that I have watched. The female protagonist got separated with her elder brother when they were young and reunited again after many years and also fell in love with a man who's not in her level. But they also have differences and I like them both for being different because it makes them unique. 

(Ma Hoon, Yoon Soo-Yun, King Lee Soo)

  Now,  let's get in to the real score. The newly crowned King Lee Soo, who was once the son of a blacksmith who happens to be his royal guard, hires the flower crew to arrange his marriage with Gae-ttong and make her a noble woman. Instead of arranging the wedding of the King with Gae-ttong, who's pretending to be a noble woman in the name of Yoon Soo-Yun, Ma Hoon falls in love with her and the same thing goes by for the lady. 

(Ko Young-soo/Chil Nom)

   What I like in this drama is it's sometimes predictable and unpredictable just like the character of Ko Young-soo who is also pretending to be a noble man. Before, he is a peasant who is forced to perform the punishment for criminals, which is death. The day of his turn to persecute a criminal he accidentally swing the sword to the soldier and with that he became a criminal and chased  by the authorities. He met Ma Hoon in the storage room where he stole and eat apples to mend his hunger. Because of Ma Hoon's kindness towards him he accepts his offer to  became a nobleman and a matchmaker. His loyalty towards his friends is tested. He needs to choose between the safety of Ma Hoon and Gae-ttong. He then make a tough decision to blow up Yoon Soo-Yun's real identity. You can clearly see that he is a good man regardless of what he did. He still have a conscience and feel bad about what he did to Gae-ttong and to her brother. I really appreciate Park Ji-hoon's character and acting here. For me, Ko Young-soo/Chilnom added more spices for this drama. This character is not only showing what a real friend can do for his friends, but also showing an example of a person who don't  want to do bad things and they are just being forced to do so because there will be at stake if they refuse to. If I am not mistaken this is his first drama where he is one of the main cast. I am so happy for Park Ji-hoon because his acting is so great that it blends well with the acting of other veteran actors. 

(Do Joon, Kang Ji-hwa)

  As expected  Do Joon's character he likes the attention of women around him. Although he seems to be the cassanova in the series he is loyal to his love Kang Ji-hwa. He is sensitive when it comes to a topic about mothers living behind their family for another man but he eventually realizes that his mom didn't abandon him but it's him who abandons her. I think Do Joon's ideal girl is Kang Ji-hwa, an ambitious woman who knows what she wants and will get whatever she wants by hook or by crook.

  All in all the drama itself is worth to watch. From costumes to the settings of the drama you can clearly see that they put so much effort to it. They really pay attention to the timeline where the drama happens, al though it is just a work of fiction. Honestly while watching this drama it kinda feel similar to other K-dramas that I have watched before. I don't know, maybe I am just so used to this kind of plot but I am happy with the ending that the female protagonist didn't end up with the King or Prince or any Royal blood man. It's too cliche right? Poor girl marrying a prince or a rich guy.

  Flower Crew Joseon Marriage Agency will also air here in the Philippines under ABS-CBN network next year on January 6, 2020! 

Ratings: 9 out of 10