Gong Yoo is trending! This means it’s time to tell everyone to watch his best K-Drama of all time: “Coffee Prince”!
“Coffee Prince” is a beloved (and ratings powerhouse) drama that aired way back in 2007, so when you watch it you will really feel the date, but it is worth stepping into this heartfelt and fun world to become a member and have fun with the cutie pie Coffee Prince crew.
“Coffee Prince” is, above all else, a romance, ney THE romance (if you are all about romantic comedies, which I know we all are). The story revolves around a tomboy named Go Eun-chan (played by Yoon Eun Hye), who is often mistaken for a boy. Like seriously, everyone thinks she is a dude. It causes frequent annoying moments made all the more annoying because her little sister is a girly girl, so the juxtaposition of the two makes Eun-chan look even more boy-like.
However, looking like a boy ends up being a lucky moment when she is hired by a chaebol named Han-kyul (played by Gong Yoo) to pretend to be his male lover to scare away potential wife matches his grandmother has set him up with. Eun-chan is the main breadwinner of the family (a common K-Drama trope) and is struggling to help her family make ends meet because her mother is horrible with money (another K-Drama trope) so she is very happy to take on this easy money job.
But the job does not end there! Han-kyul’s grandmother, upset that he got the best of her, locks him out of his condo until he agrees to do something with his life, and forces him to run a failing coffee business. Han-kyul reluctantly agrees but has the great idea to turn this coffee house into a gimmick coffee house, so he hires handsome men to be the servers and calls the place Coffee Prince. Weeeeell, one of the princes he hires is Eun-chan, not knowing that he is actually a she, and she is not about to tell him because this is the best and steadiest paying job she has ever had.
But, what starts off as just a job turns into a strong friendship, and as Han-gyul and Eun-chan spend more time together, a burgeoning romance leads Han-kyul to grapple with his feelings and question his sexuality.
This show was a pretty big deal back when it came out, and the romance is beautifully portrayed with plenty of hilarious and heartfelt moments of bro-bonding that stumble into romantic love.
Also, also, also…the chemistry between the lead actors, Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo, is mesmerizing!
Seriously, how did they not date in real life? I mean, if they did, they kept that well hidden from everyone. This might be for the best because we will always have their adorable pairing in “Coffee Prince”, which I believe is a must-watch K-Drama.
So be sure to get your Gon Yoo fix and stream “Coffee Prince” out on KOCOWA+ right now! And when you’re done, watch behind-the-scenes commentary from the stars in “My Dear Youth – Coffee Prince”!
