Read Episode reviews for:
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 1-2
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 3-4
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 5-6
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 7-8
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 9-10
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 11-12
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 15-16
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 17-18
Rooftop Prince--Episodes 19-20, Finale
Contains Spoilers for Episodes 13-14
After Park Ha and Yi Gak's big kiss, the fabric of spacetime begins to warp, literally. The Joseon sidekicks find that they are less corporeal than before--for a second, their hands pass right through objects. This is interesting because previously, the time-travellers hadn't been anything but 100% real. Now we have serious stakes to worry about, since our boys could just cease to exist if they don't solve their mystery soon.
No, Not the Sidekicks! We Can't Lose Them!
Meanwhile in Villainland, Taemu is freaking out because the real Taeyong is probably alive--he's been found in a hospital in America, but not a hospital in New York, like you'd expect after he had that drowning accident in New York.
To give the prince some space since he's planning to marry Sena anyway, Park Ha moves away from the rooftop apartment. But Yi Gak shows up at her new workplace just to hassle her and give her a hard time. You couldn't go a week without showing your love by bothering her? How juvenile, yet how cute. Park Ha has to have a company dinner with Yi Gak where she's obliged to treat him with deference as a guest of honor, which is funny because she has usually been the one holding the upper hand in this relationship.
Emotionally Vulnerable, But Still a Boss.
This surprise visit does provide one good opportunity for the couple--they both learn that the plane ticket to America that Park Ha thinks was sent by Yi Gak as a way to get rid of her, was really a mistake. A mistake Sena might have orchestrated. The Prince is only just now discovering that Park Ha has a sister and he still doesn't know it's Sena. I forget how little he knows about them. You gals and your secrets.
Yi Gak thinks Sena is lying to him, but he doesn't know how or why yet. When he confronts her about the plane ticket, Sena concocts another big lie and he buys it for awhile, but then Yi Gak follows her and sees proof of her deceptions! He also sees her hugging Taemu. That's right, Yi Gak. Your fiancee is still in cahoots with Taemu. CAHOOTS.
He Is Now Thoroughly Undeceived.
And then it's like a quintuple reveal as Yi Gak follows Sena to her mom's house and discovers that she's Park Ha's sister! AIIIIeee, yes! Now that he knows Sena's purely nasty, he has to ask himself about his mission to marry her and solve his wife's murder in the historical era: "Should I keep doing what I've been doing, or should I choose another fate?" Ah, so maybe he can change his destiny. I like that possibility. He cries over Sena's betrayal, not so much for Sena who he never bonded with, but for his wife who was probably also deceiving him all his life.
Yi Gak tells the sidekicks he won't marry Sena. Yi Gak and Park Ha reunite. Taemu and Sena reunite. Yi Gak puts his sidekicks on investigating Sena and Taemu, who are still doing the corporate takeover attempt thing. Soon we'll have birth secret revelations.
Can You Keep Up With All This? The Prince Can't.
Taemu now has a scheme to pass Sena off as Rich Lady's missing daughter Park Ha. But Rich Lady already knows that Sena is her other missing daughter, so she wonders what's up with this weird move. Then before the episode ends, there's an anticlimactic moment when Yi Gak figures out that Park Ha is Booyoung from the past--something I thought he figured out in episode 8.
Things I Loved:
1. The Lurrrrve. There's not enough time to focus on it, but Yi Gak and Park Ha know that they care deeply about each other, now. Park Ha finally says outright that it would be great if he would stay here with her in the present. She doesn't want him to go back, yet she knows it's probably impossible for him to stay in the present.
Fated to Be Together?
2. The Funny. Just when you think Park Ha and Yi Gak couldn't get any funnier, these two super-competitors get in a three-legged race at a kindergarten fun day. And they win. Oh yeah.
Complaints:
1. No Payback: Some of Sena's evil deeds have been exposed, but she hasn't been punished yet. I require retribution! But I'm guessing we'll get bigger, better payback later on.
Really Needs to Be Incarcerated.
Themes:
Food As Love: Even the omurice omelets Park Ha makes for the boys have become a metaphor--Yi Gak says that no matter how many times she makes it, he always wants more. Aww. And the sidekicks even ask for omurice the first time they see her in her new place. Later, during a seafood dinner, Park Ha defiantly gives all her boys a clam in their stew, except for Yi Gak. It kills him to be left out of the affectionate food distribution.
Cultural Observances:
Hwaeshik/Noraebang: A dinner with co-workers quickly descends into happy chaos as a totally sloshed Park Ha and her equally sloshed coworkers sing to Yi Gak at noraebang. It's terrifying.
Jimjilbang: When it's time for group relaxation, this is the only place to go.
I Never Get Tired of These Uniforms.
Bbali tarrawa is "Quickly, follow me"
Episode Evaluations: Mmm, it's okay. Something 's missing that keeps Rooftop Prince from having its full punch. It may have something to do with Yi Gak rediscovering truths he already discovered three times before--it's like the plot isn't keeping track of what's happened.
Shakes fist!! Yes everyone needs retribution!
ReplyDeleteAh, just typed a comment only to get hit with error 503. Oh well, such is life.
ReplyDeleteI too believed that Yi Gak had realized Park Ha was his sister-in-law from the past when they went to the school and had the discussion about her name; if not then then when he rescued her from the fire and saw her face half hidden by the magical hanky. That he only figured it out now is odd.
I don't see how Tae Mu's idea of having Se Na pass for the long lost daughter could possibly work. Considering Jang lady knows said daughter was missing for years when Se Na spent her whole life in Korea. The DNA test is supposed to be conclusive and keep her from prying too much into it but it is way too easy to unravel the whole thing.
The irony is that Se Na would receive all the shares if only she did nothing at all. And speaking of villains, I am beginning to sort of like Tae Mu.
I think the whole disappearing Joseon people was pushed to the side a bit too easily. It's not the last we hear of it but it boggles the mind how they fail to immediately report it to Yi Gak and how they just rationalize it and get back to business as usual.
And Tae Yong is actually alive. I saw it coming but now we know for sure. Poor guy, he sure is unlucky.
I agree with you that something is missing. It might be that there is so much intrigue and lying going on that we forget just who knows. The viewer is introduced to facts rather early on and is led to believe a few cast members know fact A only to be baffled by a grand reveal of said fact. Like it happened with Park Ha/sister-in-law.
So sorry! I lost a couple of giant comments myself yesterday--Wordpress blogs don't like my comments. :-)
DeleteThe villain ironies are pretty awesome, considering that Taemu and Sena could have everything they ever wanted if they just stopped lying and struggling to grab it for themselves. I like Taemu's actor--I want to see him in other shows.
Yes, the poor Joseon boys were like, "We're disappearing! Oh well. Back to the paperwork." It's a difficult-to-manage plot feature, having your characters lose their corporeality for short stints, then regain it.
The next episodes do get better. There's less repetition of the same old facts and conflicts.
Taemo's actor also appears in playful kiss. But I think taemo is much better here. :)
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