Splash Splash Love

Rating: 10 of 10 for quality, PG-13 for content
Content Advisory: this is a really clean drama.  There is one scene involving someone having unknowingly taken an aphrodisiac and another scene where one character attempts to seduce another one, but both scenes are mild and clean.
Black Hats worn in this drama: several.  In Joseon society, court officials all wore black hats.  The most notable black hats for the purpose of this review were those worn by the king- both his court hat and his undercover hat- and Dan-bi's court hat.

Christmas evening my family was winding down from the excitement of the day and starting to go to bed, and I was looking for something fun to watch.  I had been wanting to try this drama for days, and thought, 'What better time to watch something fluffy?'.  What I thought was going to be a pleasant little interlude to Christmas Day turned into me holding my sides laughing, snickering and just thoroughly enjoying this drama.  Korean drama is known for having deeper themes than American drama, but I still didn’t expect much depth from this because it was only a mini-drama.  I was pleasantly surprised at the valuable life lessons that were dealt with in a light but still poignant way.  I finished it with a warm feeling and over 200 screencaps.  Having enjoyed it so much, I persuaded my mother and sister to watch it with me for Valentine's Day.  They thought it was fun and I liked it just as much the second time around.

See, black hat seal of approval:

Jang Dan-bi hates school, math in particular.  She detests her mother nagging at her to make something of herself and she doesn't like not being talented at anything.  She's not clever, witty or creative- basically, she doesn't have anything to recommend her or fit her for a clear future.  On the day of the SAT exams, she decides she can't handle the pressure anymore.  Running away from the test site, she jumps through a puddle; landing in a cauldron of water in the middle of a ceremony asking the rain goddess to break the drought in Joseon- nearly 600 years prior to her own time.

When she introduces herself, the King mistakes the word 'high school senior' for the word 'eunuch', so she is ordered to join the eunuchs who serve the court.  To save her arm from being cut off for being disrespectful, she tells the king she can teach him the math problems and science facts that he longs to know in order to govern Joseon with science instead of superstition.  The King agrees that in turn for her teaching him these things, she may go back home when it rains.  As she waits, watches and teaches, she learns vital lessons about people and herself, while contending with a wary queen, disgruntled court officials, and the enigmatic guard with whom she rooms.

When the rain comes, will she choose to return home or will she stay in the past with the people who appreciate her?

Doojoon, leader of idol group BEAST, did a great job as young King Sejong; eventual inventor of Hangul- the writing system the Koreans still use.  His use of soccer to vent the frustrations of the day was a fun plotline, especially since he only walked during the game, never ran.  (Kings don't RUN, Dan-bi!)  Off the soccer field, the ball did double duty by being thrown at the chief eunuch whenever he entered the king's chambers at inopportune moments (which I laughed heartily at).  Best part of his costume in my opinion?  Those red boots he wears.  Favorite Sejong moment: when he discovered the taste of chocolate, via candy from Dan-bi's backpack.

He also had some of the best quotes in the drama:

 

‘You mean in the future, people voluntarily become eunuchs to study arithmetics?  That’s very incredible.'
‘It’s all right.  This gosam is surely a guy.  I can tell from his hand.'

I had enjoyed Kim Seul-gi's secondary role in Flower Boy Next Door and SSL again showcased her excellent comedic acting ability.  From her gleefully flicking the king when he gave the wrong multiplication answer, to taunting him to chase her on the soccer field, to drawing faces on tangerines; she kept me snickering, giggling and laughing.  By far the funniest moment was when Dan-bi has to ride a horse to escape and manages to stay on by imitating the Horse Dance from PSY's mega-hit "Gangnam Style".  I was laughing so hard I had to cover my mouth with a pillow so I didn't wake anyone up.

Queen Soheon was interesting and as I finished the drama, I found myself wanting to know more about her and wondering if this portrayal was just for the fluff quotient of the drama or if it was anywhere close to historically accurate - was she at any time a lonely queen wishing for a friend?

Guard boy Park Yeon stole my heart from the moment he walked onscreen.  His standard response to disrespect of the King ("Cut his arm off!"), his past with the queen, him knowing so much more than he ever let on... all of them endeared him to me.  I also have costume envy concerning his guard costume.  This was actor Ahn Hyo-seop's first drama but he's already lined up two others and I'm looking forward to watching more of his acting.

The costumes were good - typical Joseon costuming.  Aside from the two things I've already mentioned, no costume in particular grabbed my interest.  The OST had a fun, peppy, modern pop sound blended with the wistful sound of a sageuk.  My favorite song was Kim Hyung-Joong's Splash Into You.

A short story, whether prose or drama, needs to feel complete.  It shouldn’t feel like a prologue or a first chapter, but neither should it feel like an outline.  SSL kept that balance.  While there were definitely areas that could have been fleshed out, it never felt lacking or that something was missing.

Whether you want a fun break from more serious dramas, or you love lighter dramas, or you want something cute and time-travely for Leap Day... or maybe you've never watched a kdrama before and you need to start somewhere - I highly recommend Splash Splash Love.