If you love frilly pastel robes, romantic heroes with angelic faces, determined heroines, symbolic tales, historical dramas, and royal escapades, then Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung is the show for you.
Series Review: Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019)
For months, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung kept popping up on my Netflix recommendations. I thought the title was odd and didn’t think it suited my taste, so I kept ignoring it—and boy, was I wrong.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung is a delightful binge-watch. Spread over twenty episodes set in early 1800s Joseon (Korea), the series follows a pioneering woman, Goo Hae-Ryung, navigating the male-dominated palace bureaucracy as a budding historian/archivist. She faces numerous challenges such as harassment, sexism, internal conflicts, corruption, moral dilemmas, and forbidden love. Throughout the series, her morals and principles are constantly tested.
The show also draws meaningful allegories to contemporary issues like freedom of the press, fake news, censorship, the quest for truth, education, democratic systems, and isolationism.
A Woman in a Man’s World
Goo Hae-Ryung, played by Shin Se-kyung, is a 26-year-old avid reader, independent, and scrappy woman. Her older brother, who hasn’t married her off yet, is her guardian. She has no interest in marriage and longs for a meaningful life beyond the typical expectations for her gender and social status. Opportunities are scarce for her until the king opens up historian positions for women at the palace as part of a scheme by power-hungry ministers to infiltrate the dowager queen’s inner circle. However, things don’t go as planned since the dowager queen has her own agenda.
Hae-Ryung, along with three other women, becomes one of the first female historians-in-training. This places them in a vulnerable position as they face contempt from bureaucrats, courtesans, and male historians. They must continually prove their worth, battle systemic sexism, and navigate palace politics while maintaining their integrity as impartial recorders of history. Over time, they start to earn the respect of their peers.
The Pretty Prince
Hae-Ryung is assigned as the personal historian to the royal outcast, Prince Dowon Yi Rim, played by Cha Eun-woo. Prince Dowon, coddled yet despised by the king, has lived a sheltered life and is a sensitive, emotional dreamer who writes bestselling romance novels under the pseudonym Maehwa. His lifelong confinement has left him longing for freedom beyond the palace walls.
The scrappy Hae-Ryung, always ready with a witty reply, meets the gentle and honest Prince Dowon. His candidness and lack of political cunning make him dangerous to the power players within the palace and emotionally challenging for Hae-Ryung, who finds it hard to resist his noble innocence and angelic looks.
Banned Books, Secret Pasts, and Role Reversals
The core mystery of Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung revolves around a banned book, The History of Ho Dam. Unraveling the reasons behind its ban, the identity of Ho Dam, and the connection to Prince Dowon’s past and Hae-Ryung’s storyline make up the crux of the series.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung is not just fun but also an enriching experience about foreign customs. It offers abundant character development and growth, particularly showing the innocent prince becoming a bit jaded and Hae-Ryung occasionally lowering her defenses around him.
The series features intensely romantic moments, a strong chemistry between the leads, and a full cast of well-developed supporting characters. The balance of humor, quirky bits, and emotional depth makes this series charming and engaging. In the end, the Netflix algorithm got it right.
So if you’re into frilly pastel robes, romantic heroes, determined heroines, symbolic storytelling, historical dramas, and royal escapades, dive into Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung. Binge it now!
Content Note: PG13
Where to Watch: Netflix
