“Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)

South Korea is at it again, this time with Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding.

Promoted as a historical swindle romance about a brother who replaces his missing sister at her wedding, this Korean BL web drama begins precisely as one would expect. A drunken Ryu Ho Sun falls asleep next to his wife only to realize the following day that he has married his fiancée’s brother, Choi Ki Wan. A comical exchange ensues, leading to an uneasy pact between our unexpected couple. This pact initiates a hilarious series of events that tests them both.

From the onset, it’s obvious Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is meant to be a light romantic comedy that asks viewers to ignore certain realistic aspects. It delivers. Lead actors, Kang In Soo and Lee Se Jin, are brilliant together. Comedy works best when the actors play well off each other’s emotions and expressions, and In Soo and Se Jin do a fantastic job with this. Their chemistry is obvious, the tension between them as amusing as the plot itself. There is nothing original about the story, but it offers a fun, endearing escape from reality.

I am entirely caught in the web Ryu Ho Sun and Choi Ki Wan are weaving. I want to know why Ki Wan’s sister disappeared, and I am becoming increasingly interested in the leads’ growing feelings. It is important to note that it is evident Choi Ki Wan is male. The drama does little to mask that, which is generally the case with gender-bender roles where the audience is privy to the secret, but the characters are not. I tend to like blatant, in-your-face comedies where the other characters should have some clue about what’s going on but don’t.

My only fear is the length. Like the Korean BLs before it, Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is only eight episodes, each episode no longer than fifteen minutes. This length is hard enough to pull off with a modern-based drama, but it feels like a nearly impossible hurdle for a historical one. The comedic aspect may save it from the trenches of disassociation rushed dramas tend to create. I do find comedies much easier to relate to in smaller doses than complex, dramatic plots. However, a comedy based in a historical setting still risks stumbling into the same setbacks when pitted against the clock. Can Kang In Soo and Lee Se Jin pull off the impossible? Can they build a realistic and amusing relationship out of the time-imposed Magician’s hat offered to them?

If the first two episodes are any indication, they have the potential to succeed. I am rooting for them. The entire cast is no doubt having fun with the script, and the touted future appearance of actor Jang Eui Soo (the lead of the Korean BL Where Your Eyes Linger) as a romantic rival has fans full of anticipation.

I am staying positive, but I will admit the length has me worried. If you are looking for a fun, light watch that keeps you smiling from the beginning until the end, I highly recommend starting this drama. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine.

Rating- 3.5 out of 5

Advertisement