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Coffee Prince (커피프린스 1호점; Keopipeurinseu 1 Hojeom; lit. The 1st Shop of 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, the hit series aired on MBC's Mondays and Tuesdays at the 21:55 KST time slot between July 2 and August 28, 2007, consisting of 17 episodes.
The drama tells 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.
Synopsis[]
| “ | Han Kyul gives his family's café a new spin, hiring only good-looking men to work there— plus an androgynous-looking girl he mistakes for a man. | ” |
—Official Description[1] | ||
Choi Han Gyul (Gong Yoo) is the grandson of chairwoman Bang (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 Gyul is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo Joo (Chae Jung Ahn), 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 Gyul 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 Gyul 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 Gyul. As Han Gyul is unaware that Eun Chan is a woman, he starts to question his sexuality and is thrown into turmoil. When Han Gyul finds out that Eun Chan is a woman, he gets angry. But soon, they make amends with each other and the two fall in love again. Eun Chan eventually leaves for Italy to study and Han Gyul supports her.
Cast[]
- Gong Yoo as Choi Han Gyul
- 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.
- Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan
- Lee Ji Wan as Young Go Eun Chan
- 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.
- Lee Sun Kyun as Choi Han Sung
- A talented music producer and cousin of Han Gyul. Despite being in a complicated romantic relationship with Yoo Joo, he develops feelings for Eun Chan as well.
- Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo
- Han Gyul's first love, and Han Sung's ex-girlfriend. She is a talented professional artist who left Han Sung to go to New York with another man but complicates his life by returning to Korea.
- Kim Chang Wan as Hong Gae Shik
- Coffee Prince co-manager. His cafe is failing before Han Gyul is ordered in to clean it up and relaunch it.
- Kim Dong Wook as Jin Ha Rim
- Coffee Prince waiter. Outgoing and hot-tempered, he is fond of Eun Chan.
- Kim Jae Wook as Noh Sun Gi
- Coffee Prince chef. A taciturn half-Japanese heartthrob, he is recruited to make his popular waffles at the cafe.
- Lee Eon as Hwang Min Yeop
- 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.
- Lee Han Wi as Ku Young Shik
- Nam Myung Ryul as Lee Myeong Jae
- Park Won Sook as Kim Ji Hyang Eun Chan's mother
- Yoon Young Ah as Go Eun Sae, Eun Chan's sister
- Eun Chan's younger sister. Eun Sae has dreams of becoming a rich and famous music star.
- Kim Young Ok as Han Gyul's grandmother
- A stern and powerful woman, she is the head of the family and threatens to withdraw her financial support of Han Gyul unless he proves he can run a business and be responsible.
- Choi Il Hwa as Han Gyul's dad
- Kim Ja Ok as Han Gyul's mom
- Ban Hye Ra as Han Yoo Joo's mother
Soundtrack[]
Episodes[]
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Episode | Aired | Average audience share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| Episode 01 | July 2, 2007 | 14.4% (7th) | 15.5% (7th) |
| Han Gyul, the devil-may-care scion of a family of grocery story magnates, meets plucky tomboy Eun Chan, the hardworking breadwinner of her family. | |||
| Episode 02 | July 3, 2007 | 15.3% (7th) | 16.2% (7th) |
| Desperate to end the string of boring blind dates arranged by his family, Han Gyul hires Eun Chan, whom he thinks is a man, to pose as his boyfriend. | |||
| Episode 03 | July 9, 2007 | 18.1% (6th) | 18.6% (5th) |
| Eun Chan is having a miserable day when she bumps into Han Gyul, who reveals that his grandmother has bought him a dilapidated coffee shop to run. | |||
| Episode 04 | July 10, 2007 | 19.0% (4th) | 19.8% (4th) |
| Eun Chan is determined to fit in at Han Gyul's café, the Coffee Prince, for which he has hired male waiters, although her first day holds a surprise. | |||
| Episode 05 | July 16, 2007 | 19.3% (3rd) | 20.1% (2nd) |
| With business temporarily suspended at the café, Han Gyul and his staff go on a trip that turns out to be both stranger and more fun than anticipated. | |||
| Episode 06 | July 17, 2007 | 23.2% (2nd) | 23.9% (2nd) |
| Han Gyul's cousin Han Sung invites Eun Chan to an exhibit by his former girlfriend, artist Yoo Joo, and her unusual feminine dress impresses everyone. | |||
| Episode 07 | July 23, 2007 | 25.2% (2nd) | 25.3% (2nd) |
| Han Gyul spends more time with Eun Chan and is distressed to find himself developing unexpected feelings for the woman he still believes is a man. | |||
| Episode 08 | July 24, 2007 | 26.8% (2nd) | 28.1% (2nd) |
| When Chairwoman Hong is hospitalized, her devoted grandsons' visits to her lead to unexpected entanglements with Eun Chan and Yoo Joo. | |||
| Episode 09 | July 30, 2007 | 25.2% (2nd) | 26.2% (2nd) |
| Eun Chan confides in Yoo Joo that she has feelings for Han Kyul, and during a day together, Han Gyul is even more attracted to his "sworn brother." | |||
| Episode 10 | July 31, 2007 | 25.9% (2nd) | 27.3% (2nd) |
| Han Gyul is so confused by his feelings for Eun Chan that he acts coldly to her, and his actions provoke her to lash out until something big happens. | |||
| Episode 11 | August 6, 2007 | 28.4% (2nd) | 30.8% (1st) |
| Eun Chan is hoping to reveal the truth to Han Gyul, but he has a surprise meeting that rattles him to the core, prompting him to want to run away. | |||
| Episode 12 | August 7, 2007 | 29.9% (2nd) | 31.4% (2nd) |
| Han Sung tries to help Han Gyul and Eun Chan reconcile after Eun Chan reveals her secret, but he also has to deal with his own romantic problems. | |||
| Episode 13 | August 13, 2007 | 29.3% (2nd) | 32.1% (2nd) |
| Han Gyul offers a solution to the problem of his upcoming move to New York and separation from Eun Chan, but more obstacles to happiness arise. | |||
| Episode 14 | August 14, 2007 | 28.1% (2nd) | 30.5% (2nd) |
| When Han Gyul tells his mother and grandmother that Eun Chan is a woman, they react badly, calling her a gold digger who's after the family's money. | |||
| Episode 15 | August 20, 2007 | 27.1% (2nd) | 29.0% (2nd) |
| When Han Gyul and Eun Chan accompany Yoo Joo on a fun day of wedding dress shopping, the festive clothes prompt Han Gyul to ask an important question. | |||
| Episode 16 | August 21, 2007 | 28.5% (2nd) | 30.8% (1st) |
| Eun Chan's resolve to become independent before marrying makes Han Gyul question her love, and Chairwoman Hong interferes in their relationship. | |||
| Episode 17 | August 27, 2007 | 27.7% (2nd) | 29.5% (2nd) |
| It's Eun Chan's last day at the café before she leaves for Italy, and she and Han Gyul have two years of a long-distance relationship ahead of them. | |||
| Average | 24.2% | 25.6% | |
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 11:00 pm.
It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 beginning April 19, 2008.
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 is currently aired in Chile on ETC beginning September 2016.
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, which was remodelled for filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened after filming concluded with the flower painting by Han Yoo Joo and other props from the drama on display.
- The rooftop of Seoul Animation Center at the foot of Namsan in Yejang-dong, Jung-gu was used as the exterior terrace of Choi Han Gyul's house.
- The Chinese restaurant where Han Gyul and Eun Chan eat is located at "Yeonhui Matgil", also known as "Yeonhee Street of Flavors", in Yeomni-dong, Mapo-gu.
- The course Han Gyul takes while jogging in the scene where Yoo Joo and Eun Chan both bring him a meal is located in Palgakjeong on the Bugak Skyway, Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu.
- The place where Han Gyul encourages Eun Chan to become a barista is the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo Book Centre.
- The place where Han Gyul buys Yoo Joo a hat from a street vendor is Hongdae Playground, also known as Hongik Children's Park, in Hongdae, close to Wausan-ro and Hongik University.
- The scene where Han Gyul helps Eun Chan in the rain was shot at the stone wall between Duksung Girls High School and Pungmoon Girls High School across the road from Insa-dong Street.
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.
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Most Popular Actor | Kim Dong Wook | Won |
| Kim Jae Wok | ||||
| Lee Eon | ||||
| Lee Han Wi | ||||
| MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Yoon Eun Hye | ||
| Excellence Award, Actor | Gong Yoo | |||
| Lee Sun Kyun | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actress | Chae Jung Ahn | |||
| Best New Actor | Lee Eon | |||
| PD Award | Kim Chang Wan | Won | ||
| Viewer's Favorite Drama of the Year | Coffee Prince | Nominated | ||
| Popularity Award, Actor | Gong Yoo | |||
| Popularity Award, Actress | Yoon Eun Hye | |||
| Best Couple Award | Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo | |||
| Chae Jung Ahn and Lee Sun Kyun | ||||
| 2008 | 44th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Coffee Prince | |
| Best Actress (TV) | Yoon Eun-hye | Won | ||
| Best New Director (TV) | Lee Yoon Jung | |||
| Best Screenplay (TV) | Lee Jung Ahh, Jang Hyun Joo | Nominated | ||
| 20th Korea PD Awards | Best Drama | Coffee Prince | Won | |
| 3rd Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actress | Yoon Eun Hye | Nominated |
Remake[]
In 2012, the TV series was remade in Thailand and the Philippines.
In 2016, a Chinese remake of the series titled Prince Coffee Lab was announced, directed by Kang Shin-hyo of The Heirs.
In 2017, the Malaysian remake of Coffee Prince directed by Michael Ang began airing on Astro Ria starting November 28.
Trivia[]
- The drama was based on the novel of the same name by Lee Sun Mi.
Gallery[]
