When I went home for winter break and saw The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog broadcasting on television for the twentieth time since its first airing in 2005, I still felt the nostalgia that only certain dramas can evoke in me. The plot is quite cliché and unrealistic at times, but it is one of those classic dramas that unknowingly makes you accept the impossible for the hour that it broadcasts just so you can immerse yourself in the romantic fantasy of the drama.
As expected, The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog revolves around the love story between a poor girl and a rich man – you know the gist. But their relationship is actually much more complicated than you think, with Shan Jun Hao, the CEO of a hotel chain, constantly getting into accidents and losing his memory and Ye Tian Yu, an ambitious gold digger, falling in love with the contrived identity she gave Jun Hao when he first loses his memory. Not to mention, Jun Hao was already engaged with his childhood friend Fan Yun Xi when he falls in love with Tian Yu after Tian Yu takes care of him while he remains clueless about his own past. And then there’s Xu Zi Qian, the man with an unrequited love for Yun Xi and the one who helps and supports Tian Yu when she is in despair – for the most part anyway…
Okay, I admit, based on this summary, there really is no reason for anyone to like this drama so much, as my sister and I both do. But you really have to see for yourself how funny and cute Tian Yu’s naivety is, how ideal Jun Hao’s character is, and (spoiler alert!) how heartbreaking it was when Tian Yu promised to go on a date with Jun Hao, because she knew that the two of them were not supposed to love each other and thus planned to bring him back to his real home after the date without him knowing.
And I have to say – the interaction between the main actor Ming Dao and actress Chen Qiao En, both of whom create my favorite Taiwanese drama couple of all time, is my favorite part of the drama. They actually acted together in another drama as well – Ying Ye 3+1 – and even there their chemistry is undeniable. I really ship the two in real life, and even though they both deny harboring any sort of romantic feelings for one another, claiming they are just really good friends, I continue to dream that they will date for real one day and maybe even get married to each other.
The soundtrack of this drama is, as always, amazing as well. During the time that the drama was filmed, both Ming Dao and Qiao En were in idol groups, so it was expected that their songs would become the OSTs for the drama. Ming Dao, for instance, was in 183 Club, which was named after the members’ height, and together they sang “Enticing Trick,” “Magical Smile,” and “Pure Love,” the last of which is the ending theme and my favorite OST (no English subtitles again, sorry!). Qiao En, on the other hand, was in 7 Flowers, and they sang “Bye! Boy” and “All I Want.” 183 Club and 7 Flowers also collaborated and sang “Call My Name” together.
The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog is probably the drama that defines my childhood. I highly, highly recommend you all to watch it, and I promise that you will not regret it.
Vicky Chou is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a self-proclaimed EXO-L despite initially despising the overratedness that is EXO, and hopes to become famous one day so she can meet various K-pop idols outside of her dreams. She is afraid of trying new things and thus tends to only order a mocha frappuccino at Libe Cafe. Vicky’s blog appears on alternate Mondays this semester, and she can be reached at [email protected].