Secret Royal Inspector & Joy

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

Ra Yi Eon is a nobleman, who wants to live an easy-going life. As he doesn’t want to get married, he choses to pass the state examination and thus becomes a secret royal inspector. He then meets Kim Jo Yi. She has a progressive mind and wishes to get a divorce. Both get entangled in a case.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

To be honest, Secret Royal Inspector & Joy really came as a surprise to me. I generally quite appreciate historical dramas, but I tend to rapidly be disappointed with the plot. Most events and characters look alike in all of them, so there is little room for innovative and fresh narratives. Yet, this drama proved me wrong. I really enjoyed watching it. The plot outside the palace and the sort of adventure made for an agreeable scenario. The only part that I less liked was when the story moved to the capital and the common palace intrigue, hence my grade of 8/10. Otherwise, I really laughed a lot and the squad is just so amazing!

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Goodbye stereotypes and clichés: The drama takes the opposite road when it comes to the scenario. Instead of picturing the usual and expected stereotypical events present in most historical dramas, Secret Royal Inspector & Joy introduces modern reflections and behaviors.

Here are some unexpected twists that make the drama so enticing to watch!

The romance of the second leads over that of the main leads: Secret Royal Inspector & Joy follows the adventures of 3 men and 3 women, who try to uncover the evil scheme of a nobleman. The squad is led by Royal Inspector Ra Yi Eon (Ok TaecYeon) and by Kim Jo Yi (Kim Hye Yoon), who fall in love with each other. Even though they could have been the only couple of the drama, second leads Gwang Soon (Lee Sang Hee) and Yuk Chil (Min Jin Woong) actually get their fair share of romance. Indeed, Gwang Soon and Yuk Chil seem to be embodying the usual red thread of romances that pictures two people of distinct background falling in love, a clumsy man wooing a reluctant and strong-minded woman, an almost impossible marriage due to their social conditions and a lot of ups and downs throughout the drama, punctuated by clichéd reunions. Interestingly, they somehow take the lead on the romantic stage, while Yi Eon and Jo Yi investigate. As for their love story, it is related to the background. This atypical inversion reminded me of Extraordinary You, in which first leads become second ones. Moreover, this inversion allows for hilarious scenes, in which the worst stereotypes generally present in dramas are displayed.

Gwang Soon asks for marriage: As if the reversed roles were not enough, the plot is also built on modern-time mentalities. This means that it is not that big of a deal if a noble woman such as Gwang Soon were to propose to her former-slave lover Yuk Chil. Due to their social status, both can’t seem to have their well-deserved happy ending. Therefore, all their friends suggest a rather atypical solution: To have them tandomly (or not that randomly) meet at night in front of a temple in the forest. This encounter would precipitate their marriage, since such a meeting obligates the man to marry the woman. In the end, it is Gwang Soon and not Yuk Chil, who takes the lead in that matter. Once again, this is an unexpected twist, and marriage proposal, for a historical drama.

Happiness over marriage: Yet the best twist of the story lies with the main leads’ decision not to get married at all. Indeed, Kim Jo Yi is divorced and wants to live her life free of convention as a seamstress. Meanwhile, Ra Yi Eon has never showed interest in marriage in the first place. That’s why he decided to pass the state examination. It was either that or marriage according to her grandmother’s ultimatum. Ra Yi Eon is not keen on holding a position of power at court either. He has always had one humble and simple aspiration: To become the best cook of Joseon.

After their adventures, both Yi Eon and Jo Yi wish to find a safe heaven, where they can both be free, surrounded by their friends and do what they like most. They don’t want to follow traditions and get married, because marriage for them is not necessarily associated with happiness. Thus, they just choose to live according to their own definition of happiness. One that doesn’t include marriage in it.

Divorce granted: The beginning of the drama relies on that crucial element that forces both leads to meet. Kim Jo Yi wants a divorce. She has a progressive mind, that pushes her to put her interest forward. Indeed, she never wanted to get married in the first place, but was forced by her father. Just like Yi Eon, the idea of marriage has been imposed on her. By the way, this could be one of the reasons why they are so reluctant to go through with it.

Matters are worse for Jo Yi, who ends up tied to an angry and mean mother-in-law and a gambling addict for a husband. Her cup is full at some point and Jo Yi is fed up with her situation. She eventually “files” for divorce and gets it thanks to Yi Eon. To have a character in a historical drama first thinking about divorce, then asking for it, then having it, is definitely a fresh turn of events!

All of these open-minded and progressive characters lead to an innovative, original and fresh narrative. Instead of the usual palace intrigue and power games, there is a lighthearted tone to Secret Royal Inspector & Joy that makes it agreeable to watch. On top of that, most of the intrigue happens outside, far away from the capital, allowing for a variety of situations to arise. Something that would not be possible, if characters were imprisoned in the palace.

3 atypical trios: What I personally appreciated about the drama is that it is mainly centered on friendship and partnership. Even among the “villain squad”, there is trust, synergy and affection that bind members together.

The women Gwang Soon, Bi Ryeong and Jo Yi: Starting with the female trio, it is very interesting to see that Gwang Soon, Bi Ryeong (Chae Won Bin) and Kim Jo Yi come from different backgrounds, have had distinct life experiences but still unite and find a common ground. Gwang Soon is the daughter of a former doctor. Bi Ryeong used to be a slave before she escaped and Kim Jo Yi used to be the “slave of her in-laws”, while her mother was taken to Qing to become one. The three women unite first against a common enemy Cha Mal Jong (Jung Soon Won). Then, they discover that they wish for the same things: To have an ordinary life (one as a doctor, one as a shaman and one as a seamstress). What they get in the end, once they have managed to get rid of all of the hurdles on the way.

The men Ra Yi Eon, Yuk Chil and Gu Pal: While our female trio met by chance and comes from the same background, our male trio distinguishes itself by the behaviors and attitudes of its members. Ra Yi Eon is a nobleman, whereas Yuk Chil and Gu Pal (Park Kang Sub) are slaves. Yet, their bond is strong because they grew up together, are all immature and clumsy. But mostly because Yi Eon considers them his friends above all, not his slaves. He actually frees them at the end so they can live as commoners. Even if Ra Yi Eon is the leader of the trio, the two others constantly manage to take the upper hand and abuse his kindness. It is always done in a lighthearted way and never with bad intentions, but surely proves that the synergy between these three, obsessed with food, is no joke.

“The villains” Park Tae Seo, Cha Mal Jong and Ji Maeng Soo: Park Tae Seo (Lee Jae Kyung), Ji Maeng Soo (Kim Hyun Joon) and Cha Mal Jong, later replaced by Kang Han Ki (Park Shin Ah) when he dies, represent the “villains”. Although the circumstances of their friendship and encounter remain unclear, there is a certain unity between them. They share a common goal and have similar values (greed, power thirst). Yet, I couldn’t help but think that their evil deeds somehow created a certain loyalty among them, an unbreakable bond that only death at the end destroys. Even for a group of villains, I really appreciated them individually. I could see that external circumstances are the reasons why they acted that way in the first place and that they wished to redeem themselves at the end of the drama.

Comedy at the heart of the drama: If I had to describe the drama in one word, I would definitely choose “comedy”. From beginning to end, there is not a single scene that strays away from that genre. Despite the seriousness of some scenes, there is always one element that disrupts the heavy mood. In a nutshell, characters are funny, they have far-fetched plans that always seem to work. They are also clumsy, if not completely silly sometimes. Still, they constantly manage to get themselves out of the worst situations, and win at the end. Despite the challenges, all characters have a clear set of values and principles on which they never bend. The perfect example would be Ra Yi Eon, who is willing to pursue Park Tae Seo, Park Seung (Jung Bo Suk) and Park Do Soo (Choi Tae Hwan) until the end.
The plot may be simple, with linear characters who have one line of desire, still it remains quite entertaining to watch. Secret Royal Inspector & Joy is a positive drama that sheds light on friendship and family (Jo Yi and her mother for instance). So laugh to your heart content and enjoy the ride!

A fake villain: When I say that this drama is positive, I mean it. Indeed, even the villain’s attitude (that of Park Tae Seo) is understandable. I truly empathized with him in the drama and felt for him. Park Tae Seo is supposedly the illegitimate child of Park Seung (what we discover to be false). His father always rejected him. He humiliated him and used him to his advantage, when all Tae Seo ever wanted was affection and recognition from him. He desired to be loved and approved. Period. Considering that, we can’t help but like Tae Seo and wish for him to free himself from his father’s influence. Sadly, he dies the moment he starts walking away from his ungrateful father. Such a shame, but a necessary end to make Park Seung’s suffering even greater.

The real bad guys and their punishment: If Park Tae Seo and his friends are seen as the bad guys at first, we rapidly understand that behind the scene stand Park Seung (Tae Seo’s father) and his son Do Soo. These two are the real enemies and villains. Although I clearly respected Park Seung’s love and devotion towards his “legitimate child”, he was clearly drunk on power and greed. He thought his behavior normal (like the murder of the Crown Prince) and didn’t seem to repent much for all his bad deeds. His punishment at the end of the drama is as cruel as he has been towards others. After having been demoted, Park Seung learns that Tae Seo was his actual legitimate child. Indeed, Do Soo’s real mother switched babies at birth. Thus, Park Seung realizes that not only has he raised an illegitimate child as an actual one, but he is also responsible for his death/murder. Now, he has to live in eternal torment, as a “ghost”, forgotten by all and riddled with guilt and remorse. As for Park Do Soo, who has always lived a sheltered life, is now confronted with the harsh world as a slave.

The last “bad guy” who is indirectly punished in the last episode is naturally the King. Throughout the drama, Ra Yi Eon discovers that the King has played a part in the Crown Prince’s death. Due to his position as monarch, there is nothing that Yi Eon can do against him. No worries, karma always comes back in your face. In the finale, we see the King unconsciously poisoning himself with aconite (the same poison he used to kill his son). Indeed, he eats supposedly “medicine” that was given to him by Park Seung. What he doesn’t know is that his Councilor poisoned them beforehand. We can only suppose that the King dies in the end because of that so-called “cure”.

The funny names: Finally, I think characters’ names are worth analyzing too. As far as main leads are concerned, their names actually match quite well with their personalities. Starting with Kim Jo Yi, it is clear that hers sounds like the English word “Joy“. It fits pretty well with her bright, positive, optimistic, outgoing and energetic personality. On top of that, she definitely brings joy to those around her, whether it’d be her friends, her mother or her lover Ra Yi Eon.
Speaking of him, Ra Yi Eon also sounds like another English word: “Lion“. On that matter, we can clearly associate his determined and fierce personality with his name. He may be childish and clumsy most of the times, but he is not afraid of challenges. When he sets his mind on something, he definitely goes all in and doesn’t back down in the face of danger. He attacks, ruthlessly, even the King.

Finally, Yuk Chil and Gu Pal respectively mean 6, 7 and 9, 8 (literally the numbers). Of course, this corresponds to the fact that they were born slaves, so it’s normal that they don’t have meaningful names. Still, these names emphasize the comic of the drama, knowing that these two are like twins always making mistakes, but really endearing.

P.S.: Did you catch the reference to Squid Game’s hide-and-seek in the last episode? Hilarious!