Of Swords and Parasols

Grand Prince is the first of this year’s sageuk offerings, and based on the first three episodes, definitely the sageuk you’ve been waiting for if you’re exhausted by all the youth romance sageuks from the last year and a half or so. The initial descriptions did make it sound like another of the same, with an ambitious prince trying to win a woman his brother was also in love with, but the creative team-Jo Hyun Kyung, the writer of Maids, and Kim Jung Min, the PD of Joseon Gunman, The Princess’ Man and the recent-ish Hometown Legends revival-gave plenty of reason for hope. The more information that came out, the less concern there was for a rehash of recent romantic triangles (thankfully-I watched a bit to most of all those and none were actually shows that I thought were particularly good), though I know most had a good deal of popularity with international internet fandom, with the trailers showing a different show than early teasers, and the first 3 episodes are an even more different show.

Grand Prince features fictional characters loosely based on historical ones. The core basis for the story is the conflict between Grand Prince Suyang (later King Sejo) and Grand Prince Anpyeong over the former’s political coup taking control and power from their young nephew, King Danjong, and eventually exiling him. In history, Grand Prince Anpyeong is exiled and later put to death, and King Danjong is successfully supplanted soon after that, and also poisoned not long after. Plenty of other political murders and exiles and executions also happened along the way. Despite the ruthlessness of his methods of becoming king, King Sejo ended up an apparently pretty able and competent king, as such things go.

How much history Grand Prince will use beyond the general inspiration is up in the air, but I suspect the show intends to primarily do its own thing. This world’s version of King Sejong is long gone and has only warranted a couple of mentions. Instead, the palace is effectively (and efficiently with a side of ruthlessness) ruled by Park Mi Kyung’s Queen Shim, who serves as her son’s advisor and aide and her grandson’s regent, long after her historical counterpart died. In addition, the little king is only three when his Unnamed-After-Three-Episodes father dies, as compared to King Danjong’s ten years old. Joo Sang Wook’s Lee Kang, aka Grand Prince Jin Yang, is our representative for Prince Suyang. At this point, I’ll be surprised if he becomes this universe’s version of King Sejo, as the drama is pretty consistent about his being a terrible person. He’s also a strong argument for the existence of self fulfilling prophecies, as most of his nastiness revolved around having been banished from the castle as an infant because he would bring bad fortune to his older brother (bad fortune that the third prince apparently wouldn’t bring) and kept from his family. Growing up a seething ball of abandoned and neglected (as much as a prince sill kept in a nice house with servants can be) and ignored by most of his family until effectively being turned over to an uncle who apparently lives off of bitterness over his own younger brother, the then-current king, being chosen over him. I mean, Kang probably would have turned out somewhat bad regardless, but all that is just begging to have someone grow up to be an angry ball of resentment. Yoon Shi Yoon’s Lee Hwi, aka Grand Prince Eun Song, is our representative for Prince Anpyong. Unlike his historical counterpart, Hwi has no apparent ambitions, for the throne or otherwise, and spent his childhood through early adulthood being a lighthearted ball of fluff adored by his parents and oldest brother, and just going around making lovely paintings and calligraphy, and trying to convince himself that Big Bro Kang loves him as much as he claims even though he kinda knows better. To be fair, I doubt even Kang knows how much actual affection is mixed in with the jealousy and resentment.

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