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dramavixen · 2 years

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Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (South Korea, 2021) – A Dramavixen Review

Beware of spoilers!

Imagine that you are a parent. If you are a parent, even better. Now imagine that all the dramas you have watched are your beloved children. You have the intelligent one who’s diligent and at the top of their class, the one who’s lacking in the smarts department but has a heart of gold. And then. You have that one kid who—if they just put in the effort—could excel in whatever they want to do; but they decide that cooping themselves up in your basement and leeching off your faith in them will suffice.

Please greet Secret Royal Inspector & Joy – the disappointment of the drama family.

Fragmented Scoring:

It’s Story Time (plot; weight of 40%) = 6.5/9

Who Even Are You? (characters; weight of 40%) = 6.5/9

Technically Speaking (production; weight of 20%) = 7/9

Extra; Read All About It (extraneous; extra-credit weight of 10% when applicable) = 0/9

Nine-Tailed Total: 6.5(.4)+6.5(.4)+7(.2)+0(.1) = 6.6/9 (73%)

It’s Story Time (6.5/9)

To be accurate, I’m not sure that it’s entirely fair to call this drama a “disappointment” considering how I didn’t have many expectations in the first place. No part of this show’s marketing depicted it as anything that one should be taking seriously. That was also the reason why I decided to watch it: due to my parents’ hankering for a drama that both doesn’t require much brainpower but also isn’t insulting to whatever brainpower you exert in watching it, I opted for this one.

In spite of my small (read: big) disagreements with this show, I still think that I made the right decision. We had a great time sinking into Secret Inspector’s satirical and fusion elements. At no point did it ever try too hard to be deep or smart. It was what it claimed to be, and was satisfied with that.

But I, the overly demanding parent, am not satisfied.

The reason this drama ultimately grew into its role as a “disappointment” is because it started giving me hope. At first, I just found it hysterical; but then I found myself growing intrigued. I adored the idea of an indolent king whose ultimate goal is to laze around and do anything but his all-important duties. The male lead’s desire to sell dumplings and not go to work at his office job is equally relatable. When it was revealed that the king was actually behind the death of his son, I was floored because this meant that somehow, the writer had to hold him responsible for it. A historical drama? Holding the big boss responsible? Well, color me interested.

And...it was a letdown. Every time I got my hopes up, something would happen that wrestled me back to the floor. Developments come off as terribly lukewarm and convenient, depending on where the plot direction “needs” to go. Plot holes dig themselves all over the place. Characters are rotated in and out in a haphazard manner and then dismissed and/or killed off as necessary. The political conspiracy is watered down a lot, I’m assuming in order to accommodate the lighthearted comedy genre; a sad fact, considering that the conspiracy is actually pretty interesting. Look at this dysfunctional Park family, with a father using his sons as pawns to climb the ladder. Look at these ladies, trading overseas and shooting shotguns and putting disobedient men to sleep with the fishies. How does a story with these elements turn out as draggy and tame as it did?

Major issues come in around the ending: did I understand that Tae Seo was most likely going to die? Yes. Did I expect that he would meet his end so pointlessly? Hell no. Why would a law enforcement officer like Yi Eon permit a major witness (not to mention three major witnesses, heavens almighty) to go by himself to turn himself in? With zero guards or precautions or anything? When everyone involved in this case is getting murdered left and right? Hello? Brain cells?

No one even buried him or the other two sacrifices. Just adding insult to injury, I guess.

And I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that our lowly protagonists can’t touch the king with their peasant hands, but is it really my fault for expecting something when the entire drama is centered around being forward-thinking? The confrontation between Yi Eon and the king is very, very lame. It doesn’t feel anything like an encounter between a man and his nemesis at all. It is, however, oddly reminiscent of how I speak to my mom when she tells me to do something and I dare to rebuke her. So if that’s what they were going for...success?

Also, this is a nitpicky detail, but I really despise when shows about criminal justice turn the tables and abuse the suspects/perpetrators. In terms of time and setting, cruelty in the context of interrogations fits, so that’s not what I’m complaining about. But that short scene at the end when Park Do Soo is being taken away and the guards decide to shove him down and kick him? Why is it portrayed as if that treatment is what he deserves, as if we in the audience should feel satisfied seeing that? Is it really okay for those in power to abuse criminals, especially when they’re already going to serve out their sentence? Sorry, I don’t see how that’s anything but a different form of tyranny and injustice.

I do think it’s unwise of me to have so many expectations of a show that’s meant to be fun. And while I found a lot of it entertaining, it certainly lacks the depth needed to be memorable.

Who Even Are You? (6.5/9)

Aside from Tae Seo, I wasn’t in love with any of the other characters. The only thing sustaining the dead weight of these poor characterizations was everyone’s acting, and even then...there’s only so much an actor can do.

I’m going to first rip off the Band-Aid that is Park Tae Seo, who is by far the most compelling character, yet ends up being slaughtered by the writers like an ox that’s grown too old to pull carts anymore. The moment that it was revealed that he backed out of murdering the Crown Prince after bearing witness to this royal family member’s kindness...ah, I was filled with dissatisfaction. That gave him too much promise far too late.

Oh, the places we could have gone with him. We literally could have had it all. Then he just got stabbed on the beach, twice. Okay.

Imagine an alternate universe where Tae Seo is the main character. There is no world where that wouldn’t have been a far more interesting drama to execute. Anti-heroes are appealing precisely because they don’t subscribe to traditional goody-two-shoes moral values. They feel human. In comparison to the protagonists of this show, Tae Seo is the one who truly struggles internally. His horrific actions weighed in counter to his desire for equality and acceptance could have been such an amazing focal point of this show, but noooo. Apparently, villains aren’t allowed to fully redeem themselves. Because reasons.

While we’re on the topic of Tae Seo, his “mother”—who turns out to be his kidnapper, in essence—really gets off so easy in this show that it offends me. I feel like everyone in the show tries really hard to excuse the fact that her initial swapping of the Park babies directly caused the suffering of both children. Tae Seo’s struggles becoming ones of laughable irony; that delivers a powerful message, yes. But are they going to pretend that her biological son, growing up under supposed “nobility,” is literally the most mentally unhealthy person in the entire cast? She had a hand in that. The moms in this show are really such a mess, but under the guise of dispelling inequality, they get a free pass.

Ugh. Anyways.

Protagonists exist, right?

I think Taecyeon did a fine job portraying Ra Yi Eon. That said, this character is fantastically boring. See, when the summary of the show classifies him as a guy whose “dream is to buy a small dumpling restaurant and run the business. He wants an easy going life, but he is smart enough to pass the state examination that he has just taken;” I thought that meant we were going to see his growth from an obsessive foodie into an obsessive foodie who learns the value of justice, truth, and wielding his power and abilities to keep those ideals alive. (synopsis credit: Asianwiki)

And what did I get? Some dude who happens to cook pretty well and starts off in the first episode with an unstoppable desire to solve murders. In that moment, I saw my dreams of character development evaporate into nothingness. Oh, the pain is still fresh.

Does it need to be said that Taecyeon’s face brings this role a lot of value? Wait...get yourself together! Looks aren’t everything!

The death of the Crown Prince is a rather incendiary catalyst for personality change, and it could have gone one of two ways. One: Yi Eon is severely disillusioned by the nation’s lack of ability to protect those who strive to truly better it, and hence absorbs himself in cooking to avoid all political involvement. Or two: Yi Eon, knowing how much the Crown Prince wanted to improve the conditions within the country, takes it upon himself to use his own intelligence and capabilities to rise in the ranks and change the system from the inside. The first option, as I mentioned, is a path to greater character development. The second is more traditional, but is a stable way to portray a revenge story.

What did Secret Inspector do, instead? He’s a “secret” inspector, yet he announces his identity within, what, the first two episodes to catch a small fry criminal? That’s what I’d call “unprofessional.” He loves food, but he visits a whopping grand total of zero (apologies for my poor memory, but I think this is an accurate count) nice restaurants to eat, and all the scenes in which he cooks...well, the food doesn’t look all that amazing, either. That’s what I’d call a “letdown.” And in the end, after shutting down the people behind the string of murders and the death of his friend, he still decides to quit and live happily ever after, supposedly. Even while corruption is still running rampant up in the palace. That’s what I’d call “unfulfilling.”

I understand that the central focus of this show is on the individual: Yi Eon shouldn’t have to justify his personal dreams, nor sacrifice his life to serve his country if he doesn’t want to. Admittedly, I don’t buy into that philosophy too much. While I think it’s important to preserve self-identity, I also think that if your nation is rotting from the inside and you have the ability to mitigate that problem...you kind of have an ethical responsibility to do so. But what do I know. I’m just a salty audience member.

Onto the female lead. Kim Jo Yi’s entire character revolves around the importance of finding your happiness, and in the way that you define it. Her married life is not torturous, but it doesn’t have to be for her to request a divorce. Agreed. But I really don’t find her character all that interesting, either.

Jo Yi, in the beginning, is charismatic because she knows what she wants, and she’ll do it alone if she has to. She blackmails a government official into fulfilling her request for a divorce, even while scared to death. Then, in the latter half of the show, her presence wanes to the point that you’re not really sure what she represents. For one thing, she gets a house for cheap because she has a capable friend who (lo and behold) is romantically interested in her. Granted, he doesn’t use his feelings against her, but his existence is still awfully convenient, isn’t it? Meanwhile, she’s very good with textiles and clothes, and those talents are displayed...like, one time. I really don’t think that this character was written well enough, especially if she’s supposed to represent the female population that desires independence.

She peaked at her divorce trial. That was in the first two episodes.

And I don’t want to come off as a Debbie Downer, but I don’t think that Kim Hye Yoon’s acting skills were capitalized on in this drama. Jo Yi is extremely similar to Hye Yoon’s role as Dan Oh in Extraordinary You, but that bubbly, happy-go-lucky character doesn’t work in this one. It’s fun, but it eventually becomes dry when she doesn’t seem to grow beyond that – especially in a historical setting.

In theory, this idea of a woman attempting to get a divorce in a misogynistic era should create a lot of tension. Even if we’re talking comedy like Secret Inspector, the writers have to give us something to look forward to. But...where is it?

Let’s be honest here, this show does a very halfhearted job of getting you on-board with the characters’ dreams. This applies to Jo Yi, but also to Yi Eon. Gosh, this couple is just...really meant for each other, huh?

Admittedly, I do enjoy height differences. Is that enough to trick me into seeing chemistry? Ehhhhhh no. Maybe I’m just a jaded single woman.

I never feel either character’s intense need to chase after what they want in a world that is supposedly setting them back. It always just feels like they’re prancing along in their life, and expecting life to go along with their desires. If life were that simple, would I be the way that I am? No; the answer is no.

I imagine that most people can speak to how suffocating it feels to be forced to do something you don’t want to do, especially when you’re young and have that fight in you. I didn’t get any sense of that inner turmoil; and yes, I understand that this drama is a comedy. But comedies shouldn’t be shallow in order to be funny.

Technically Speaking (7/9)

Standard scoring here; nothing to brag about or rag on. I did rather enjoy the Wild West-esque music though. That was quite a nice touch. Would I have been more entertained if they’d attached spurs to their cloth shoes and whipped out those giant guns that Jo Yi’s mother possessed at high noon? Maybe. Would’ve been an entirely different show, though.

Extra; Read All About It (0/9)

Y’all really thought I’d be dishing out extra credit points just because 2PM had a big role in my teenage days? Hah!

Close call, actually. Almost got me.

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Altogether, Secret Inspector is a fun casual watch. Unfortunately, I take things very seriously.

This is one of those shows that’s not horrible, but not one I’d recommend to others. The Asian drama is rapidly expanding, and there are just so many dramas out there that are better worth our time.

#secret royal inspector and joy #어사와 조이 #scribbles*#*#my resolution is to not watch as many dramas this year #so that ironically means i might write more reviews which i'm up for #this is in honor of the anon who reminded me that i haven't written a full-length review in over 2 years #thank you

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