11 years ago, The First Shop Of Coffee Prince aired on MBC – that was before Gong Yoo becomes today’s favorite Goblin.
Before Gong Yoo slew the ratings in tvN’s fantasy-romance Goblin, he probably used to be your mom and aunt’s cherished “coffee prince”.
Ask any avid K-drama watcher for classic k-drama picks, chances are that Coffee Prince is a recurring favorite.
The First Shop of Coffee Prince immensely helped in the growing popularity of the Korean wave that also solidified Gong Yoo’s bankable lead man status. Yoon Eun Hye scored another memorable heroine performance with her pixie hair as she pretends to be a man so that she can work in an all-male-operated coffee shop.
Coffee Prince Peak Points + Series Musings
The iconic MBC romantic comedy brims with some familiar narrative bend that we are still seeing in trendy dramas such as bickering-turned-romance and flower boy cast. But it is the satisfying love realization of the hero who struggles to reconcile his growing fondness to his office staff whom he thought to be a man, who is in fact a woman, that strengthens the timeless charm of the series.
At the time of its airing, the series bragged refreshing and dynamic storytelling owing to how the conflict circled on the love development of the lead couple. It opted to settle on the hero’s conflicted mind as the core problem thereby not allowing unnecessary filler conflicts to happen.
It also flaunted a strong supporting cast which amplified the focus on the budding romance between the cafe boss and his hardworking staff.
Coffee Prince sprees on cheesy and cliche moments which you can easily relate to rom-com stories that aired in the last few years. But back at the time when it was airing, those were considered a novelty.
It wraps up neatly with how the lead man lets go of his girl for her to pursue her own dreams. And caps off with a strong ever-after finishing kick.
Coffee Prince is a must-watch K-drama classic that will surely not lose its appeal in the near future.
Photos: MBC
