4 Things We Loved And 3 Things We Hated About “Grand Prince” Episodes 5 And 6

We’re only on Episodes 5 and 6 of historical drama “Grand Prince,” but there’s already plenty of romantic and political conflict to keep us on the edge of our seats. The drama broaches new territory for sageuks with its quick pace and risqué scenes this week, but also doesn’t fail to give us some classic K-drama tropes. So let’s review what we loved and hated about this week’s episodes!

Warning: this article contains spoilers for “Grand Prince” Episodes 5 and 6.

1. Loved: Fast-paced sageuk romance!

Some K-dramas tend to draw out the romantic process to the extreme, until half the show has gone by and you’re still waiting for the lead couple to confess to each other. Not so with “Grand Prince.” Only three weeks in and our OTP is diving headfirst and head-over-heels into some serious romance.

And we can definitely say it’s refreshing to see a romantic plot that isn’t moving at a snail’s pace for once!

2. Hated: Underwhelming first kiss

That being said, we must admit that Sung Ja Hyun (Jin Se Yeon) and Prince Hwi (Yoon Shi Yoon)’s first kiss was rather disappointing. For a couple that is so passionately in love, this closed-mouth, open-eyed, passionless affair was not what we were expecting.

3. Loved: Bromance and womance

Some of the best moments this week came from Prince Hwi’s bodyguard/friend Park Gi Teuk (Bang Jae Ho) and Ja Hyun’s maid/best friend Kkeut Dan (Moon Ji In). These two offer hilarious moments of bromance and womance with Hwi and Ja Hyun respectively, and there’s something so amusing and affectionate about their knowing smiles that we can’t get enough of. Like when Gi Teuk totally knows that Hwi and Ja Hyun had kissed:

Or when Kkeut Dan is certain that Ja Hyun has a secret up that big hanbok sleeve of hers.

Because best friends know all!

Equally as cute is when these two work together to help their friends’ romance blossom.

Can they have their own romantic plot, please?

4. Hated: K-drama clichés

As with any drama, “Grand Prince” doesn’t fail to deliver some good ol’ classic K-drama clichés for us. The king, of course, is ill:

Why is the king always ill?

The queen is overly scheming and frighteningly stoic:

And, most frustratingly, Ja Hyun creates a whole unnecessary problem with Hwi by simply refusing to listen to him. Sure, he didn’t tell her he was a prince.

But isn’t she being a little overdramatic by trying to cut him out of her life entirely? Shouldn’t she try talking to him first? Can we get some common sense up in here?

Thank you, Kkeut Dan!

5. Loved: Risqué sageuk moments

“Grand Prince” really proved this week that it’s not afraid to get a bit steamy, and the rapid pacing of Hwi and Ja Hyun’s romance is only one example of this; there were risqué moments all around! At its best, this results in hilarious flirty scenes like the one between Ja Hyun’s parents:

Is this our new OTP?

6. Hated: Excessive provocativeness

But at its worst, the risqué results in moments that leave a sour taste in our mouths, and feel like an overt display of provocativeness. We will admit that, in light of his childhood, it is very in-character of Prince Kang (Joo Sang Wook) to go around taking whatever — or whoever — he wants. Be that in the form of aggressively undressing gisaeng Cho Yo Kyung (Choo Soo Hyun):

Or forcefully kissing his wife (Ryu Hyoyoung) — who, to be fair, is evil in her own right.

But it still doesn’t make us feel any less gross watching these scenes. One thing is for certain: we’re not used to this much skinship in a sageuk!

7. Loved: The sweet relationship

Finally, we have to admit how sweet and pure Hwi and Ja Hyun’s love for each other is. Hwi has such a refreshingly perfect ideal of what he wants from a relationship, and it’s clear that he holds Ja Hyun in extremely high regard.

Which leads to, finally, a real kiss!

As well as a heartwarming private wedding between the two.

We’re hoping this blissful love lasts through Hwi’s stint on the battlefront, but we know there are probably plenty of roadblocks ahead for these two. Because while a lot has happened so far, it’s still only the third week!

Catch the first episode of “Grand Prince”:

Hey Soompiers, what did you love and hate about Episodes 5 and 6? Let us know in the comments!

hgordon stays up way too late on weeknights marathoning K-dramas and trying to keep up with the latest K-pop releases.

Currently watching: “Master in the House” and “Grand Prince.”
Looking forward to: “Mr. Sunshine.”
All-time favorite dramas: “Scarlet Heart: Goryeo,” “Goblin,” and “Hwayugi.”

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