Coffee Prince () is a 2007 South Korean television series starring Yoon Eun-hye, Gong Yoo, Lee Sun-kyun, and Chae Jung-an. Based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi, it was aired on MBC's Mondays and Tuesdays at the 21:55 (KST) from July 2 and August 28, 2007, consisting of 17 episodes.
The drama portrays the story of an unlikely romance between a tomboyish woman, who dresses like a man in order to get work, and a young food empire mogul. It contains homoerotic elements, as the man does not initially know of the tomboy's true sex. Hailed as a hit for its high ratings, the drama received positive reviews from critics and won multiple awards.
Synopsis
Choi Han-gyeol (Gong Yoo) is the grandson of chairwoman Bang otherwise known as the "Goatman of the town" (Kim Young-ok) of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han-gyeol is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo-joo (Chae Jung-an), who only sees him as a friend. Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family. When Han-gyeol and Eun-chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother.
After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han-gyeol takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo-joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun-chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.
Soon, feelings start to develop between Eun-chan and Han-gyeol. As Han-gyeol is unaware that Eun-chan is a woman, he starts to question his sexuality and is thrown into turmoil.
Cast
Main
A cheerful, friendly girl with a large appetite, she works multiple jobs to support her family. With her short haircut, baggy clothes and flat chest, Eun-chan resembles a boy and is often mistaken for one.
The grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dongin Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He is an intelligent man but is fiercely independent and abhors the thought of being tied down by one career in his life.
A talented record producer and Han-gyeol's cousin.
Han-gyeol's first love, and Han-sung's ex-girlfriend, a talented professional painter.
Supporting
Coffee Prince waiter. Strong and sweet-natured but not very smart, he is slavishly devoted to Eun-sae, who treats him with disdain, and is the first to discover Eun-chan's true gender.
Coffee Prince waiter. Outgoing and hot-tempered, he is fond of Eun-chan.
Coffee Prince chef. A taciturn half-Japanese heartthrob, he is recruited to make his popular waffles at the cafe.
Coffee Prince co-manager. His cafe is failing before Han-gyeol is ordered in to clean it up and relaunch it.
A stern and powerful woman, she is the head of the family and threatens to withdraw her financial support of Han-gyeol unless he proves he can run a business and be responsible.
Eun-chan's younger sister. Eun-sae has dreams of becoming a rich and famous music star.
- Park Won-sook as Eun-chan and Eun-sae's mother
- Lee Han-wi as Mr. Ku, a butcher who is infatuated with Eun-chan's mother
- Kim Jung-min as DK, Yoo-joo's ex-boyfriend
- Ban Hye-ra as Yoo-joo's mother
- Choi Eun-seo as Ha Da Young, the girl who wants to learn to make waffles
- Nam Myeong-ryeol as Myung Jae, Han-gyeol's real father
- Han Da-min as Han Byul
- Yoon Seung-ah as girl playing cards with Han-gyeol on the plane (bit part, ep 1)
Production
Filming locations
Many of the scenes filmed on location in Seoul are as follows:
- The "Coffee Prince" was an old coffee shop in Hongdae area, which was remodeled for the filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened after filming concluded with the wall flowers painting by Han Yoo-joo and other props from the drama on display.
- Seoul Animation Center at the foot of Namsan in Yejang-dong, Jung District: The roof top was used as the exterior terrace of Choi Han-gyeol's house. You can see this rooftop garden thoroughly from this scene Coffee Prince, 17ÃÂÂ, Sweet Scene
- Yeonhui Matgil (or Yeonhee Street of Flavors), Yeomni-dong in Mapo District: the location of the Chinese restaurant where Han-gyeol and Eun-chan ate.
- The jogging course at Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway, Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno District: Where Han-gyeol goes jogging; and where he met Yoo-joo and Eun-chan who brought competing packed meals for him.
- The interior and exterior of the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre: Where Han-gyeol buys books on coffee to encourage Eun-chan to become a barista.
- Hongdae Playground (or Hongik Children's Park) in Hongdae area: Where Han-gyeol bought Yoo-joo a hat from a street vendor (along Wausan-ro between the playground and Hongik University).
- Stone wall road between Duksung Girls High School and Pungmoon Girls High School, across the road from the start of Insa-dong Street that runs from Insa-dong to Samcheong-dong in Jongno District: Where Han-gyeol helped Eun-chan in the rain, when she encounters a bully on her way home while carrying bags of dolls for sewing work.
In 2011, the Hongdae area and the coffee shop were featured in a National Geographic Channel-produced documentary on the Korean Wave titled Seoul's Got Soul.
Original soundtrack
Ratings
Source: TNS Media Korea
Awards and nominations
International broadcast
It aired in Japan on Fuji TV beginning August 11, 2010 as part of the network's "Hallyu Alpha Summer Festival."
It aired in the Philippines on GMA Network from January 1 to March 19, 2008, and received high ratings during its run. The series was re-aired with English subtitles on Animax Asia in 2010 and on GMA News TV from September 19 to October 14, 2016, at 11:00pm.
It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 beginning April 19, 2008.
It aired in Indonesia on Indosiar & Global TV.
The series aired in Malaysia in 2010 on Animax Asia with Malay dub and English subtitles.
It aired in the Middle East on MBC 4 beginning December 8, 2013, dubbed as Makha al amir.
It was dubbed in Tamil and aired in India on Puthuyugam TV beginning October 2014.
It aired in Chile on ETC beginning September 2016.
Remake
In 2012, the TV series was remade in Thailand and the Philippines (for the latter, see Coffee Prince (2012 TV series)).
In 2017, the Malaysian remake of Coffee Prince directed by Michael Ang was aired on Astro Ria.
In 2018, a Chinese remake of the series titled Prince Coffee Lab, directed by Kang Shin-hyo of The Heirs, was aired.
References
External links