Capital Scandal: A scandal was never this funny

Welcome to life in 1930s Korea, there's a Japanese occupation, resistance fighting, assassination plots, political schemes and ... Snazzy dancing?  That's the world created in the 2007 KBS drama Capital Scandal.  It's amazing that a drama set in the same torturous and antagonist time period as Gaksital has such a completely different vibe to it. 

This drama had lots of beautiful and artist elements to it, but I think what I found the most appealing was the  opening sequence of episode 1.  It's always important how a drama begins, because it needs to pull its audience doesn't it.  In the case of Capital Scandal, there is a simultaneous presentation of a secret underground club in the capital, where a group of dapperly dressed men enter and begin dancing the night away.  While they are having a ball, outside in a wooded area, an assassination by resistance fighters is taking place.  It was a brilliantly written and directed piece of cinematography that immediately pulled me in.  

The other bonus of this drama is of course the actor Kang Ji Hwan.  He is someone that I could watch in dramas over and over and never get bored.  I find that no matter what role he plays, he tends to brings his trademark comedic, suave and deliriously charming character into his drama persona.  It kind of reminds me of how American actor Will Smith does the same.  The persona he established in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air still seems to seep into any role that he plays.  Just as it works for Will Smith, it works for Kang Ji Hwan.  While some may disapprove, I honestly don't see this as a bad thing, in fact I love it.  From the time I saw Kang Ji Hwan in Lie to Me, I had to find everything else he was in.  This led me to Be Strong Geum Soon, Exhibition of Fireworks, Coffee House, My Girlfriend is a Secret Agent (movie) and of course Capital Scandal.  Watch all of them.  I will (eventually) review all of them, since it is Kang Ji Hwan, but even without my reviews I am telling you, if you like Kang Ji Wan go watch them.

Ok, enough about the man Kang Ji Hwan, on to his character of Seon Woo Wan. So, sit back and buckle in, it's going to a be a long review ride.  FYI:  There will be SPOILERS in this review.  So do the usual and AVOID if you don't want to know what happens in the drama.

Woo Wan is the son of a wealthy Korean businessman.  Due to his father's support of the Japanese, they have retained their wealth and position of power in society.  In essence, his father is a collaborator.  Woo Wan doesn't take life seriously, and is an obvious playboy.  We meet him first entering the underground club dressed to the nines out for a night of dancing.  This scene however, is taking place in the future, so we get zapped to the past to see how we got there. 

We find ourselves a week earlier, in Busan, shrouded in a Casablanca like farewell scene at a train station, with Woo Wan professing his love to a woman, but his need to leave her.  Why?  No matter how much he loves her, the fight for Joseon's independence is more important than love.  So he will not return to her side until Joseon is liberated from the Japanese. There is a dramatic farewell, but once on the train we see that his entire tale has been a load of crap.  It's his playboy excuse to love them and leave them.  It's actually quite brilliant and you can't help but smile at the genius of his plan. 

Upon his arrival in Seoul, one of Woo Wan's conquests is lying in wait for him, so in order to escape her, he attaches himself to a passing female.  She is Na Yeo Kyung (Han Ji Min).  Yeo Kyung is on what seems to be her first assignment as a freedom fighter.  She assumes that Woo Wan is her contact and begins to do the secret password exchanges.  She is obviously very green in the area, because even though Woo Wan doesn't answer the codes as he should, she still assumes he is the contact.  She hilariously takes Woo Wan's luggage thinking it is the package she is meant to receive and saunters off, while he is busy tying his laces.  Woo Wan is unable to pursue her because now, his admirer has spotted him and she begins to give chase.  The most hilarious part of the situation is that upon the admirer yelling "Woo Wan oppa" about four or five other females turn around.  Clearly they were all searching for him.  Even more ridiculous is that we then get a wonderful shot of him fleeing down the main street, while being pursued by a bevy of women of almost twenty women. HA HA HA.  I love it.

Woo Wan heads to his office, which is a gossip newspaper, and informs his boss that he has lost the luggage.  They are all clearly worried about it, and sit in fear that the police may turn up to arrest them.  Was there really resistance material in the suitcase?  Meanwhile, Yeo Kyung hides the suitcase in her book shop, but soon the police come to take her away.  They find the suitcase and she claims that teaching materials are inside them.  At the same time, while Woo Wan and his co-workers worry about the contents of the suitcase being discovered by the police, ironically Woo Wan's ever diligent butler, decides to report his luggage stolen and the police require him to come down and file a report.

At the station, there sits Yeo Kyung looking despondent and worried at the thought of the Japanese police discovering the resistance material.  Woo Wan arrives to file a report just as they are about to open the suitcase.  He screams loudly "DON'T OPEN IT!!" But of course it's to no avail.  The suitcase is opened and inside we see...PLAYBOY magazines.  LOL!!!!  As if we needed further proof that Woo Wan was a dog.  HA HA.  Could you get any funnier drama?

Yeo Kyung hangs her head ashamed, but obviously she is safe from prosecution.  The two leave the station and Woo Wan turns on his typical charm to introduce himself to Yeo Kyung, but she is in no mood to deal with this prissy playboy.  He begins to blame her for his lost merchandise and she punches him leaving him flabbergasted.  

A visit to Woo Wan's home shows that his relationship with his father and step-mother is not a rosy one and rather than staying with them he prefers to go elsewhere.  How cool is it that he leaves his parents house and heads straight to a gisaeng house.  The women there are not even surprised to see him, since his residing there seems to be a common occurrence.  Playboy, playboy, playboy.   

Interestingly, the gisaeng house reveals a great deal about Woo Wan.  It turns out that his best friend is the most famous gisaeng in the capital- Cha Song Joo (Han Go Eun).  Somehow I think it fitting that the most desired female in the city and the most desired male in the capital are best friends on a strictly platonic.  It's a beautiful example of birds of a feather flock together, but more importantly it gives both of them a humanising factor.  They both need someone who can understand their perspective and that is what they are for each other.  And how much do I love that she teases him about being punched by a woman.  HEHE.

Meanwhile, Yeo Kyung receives a visit from one of her students crying bitterly.  We then find her at the gisaeng house looking for Song Joo.  Apparently, Song Joo has "stolen" the weeping girl's boyfriend.  Yeo Kyung goes to confront Song Joo, who is poised and relaxed and basically teaches Yeo Kyung a thing or two about male and female relationships, and that her friend was part of a "kissing game" not a real relationship.

Woo Wan overhears the conversation and finds out about the "kissing game" from one of the other gisaengs.  He publishes the article about the latest scandal which leads Yeo Kyung to get on his case.  She comes to confront him at his office, however, he and his friends are out celebrating the success of their latest article and dancing the night away, leading us back to the events that began the drama. 

After dancing their hearts out, Woo Wan and his co-workers are busy discussing Woo Wan and his skills of prowess, with him proclaiming that he can seduce any woman.  Men and their bragging.  What is it that they say about pride again?  Clearly, he needs to revisit that little adage and tone his pride down a bit.  They tell him that he can't succeed with "Jo Ma Ja".  It's the nickname they have given Yeo Kyung due to the fact that she dresses in the traditional black and white hanbok to symbolise that she believes in traditionalism, rather than adopting the western and more modern way of dressing.  Woo Wan of course, being the silly playboy that he is, has no idea to whom they are referring and becomes more irritated at their suggestion that he cannot seduce her.  So what does a drunk playboy do?  He makes a bet of course.  He will seduce the woman they name and if he doesn't succeed, he will not only forfeit his car, but become a national freedom fighter.  LOL!!! Really drama?  Is that how we are going to make him a freedom fighter.  LOL!!

From this point on, the drama takes us on a hilarious journey of a very serious time period.  We watch as Woo Wan pulls out all his moves trying to impress the insurmountable challenge that is Yeo Kyung.   As Yeo Kyung works her way deeper into the secret world of resistance fighting, Woo Wan also finds himself heading into that world.  Slowly becoming a freedom fighter himself along the way.  I also find it immensely telling that Song Joo joins in the bet in favour of Woo Wan seducing Yeo Kyung, yet her particular bet has a twist.  She believes that even though he'll win it, he will become a freedom fighter.  It says a lot about how close their friendship is, allowing to see through all his playboy facade, recognising the potential beneath.

Capital Scandal also has a great deal of intrigue and mystery linked to the plot.  The appearance of the suave and mysterious head of Japanese police Lee Seo Hyun (Ryu Jin)- a Korean working for the Japanese- helps to add those elements to the drama.  He and Woo Wan have a complicated past, bus so does he and Song Joo.  Add Yeo Kyung to the recent interactions and we have a square of mixed emotions resonating from episode to episode.  

I think one of the reasons that I enjoy Capital Scandal is because it finds the humour in a very tense situation.  Yeo Kyung is so intent on being a part of the resistance, but is so very bad at it, primarily due to the innocent life she has led.  While Woo Wan is utterly opposed to being part of the movement, but he is a naturally skilled in undercover activities and subverting the enemy, since he has done it for years in his interactions with women.  

Looking at this drama again, after watching the torture fest that was Gaksital, I still find it unbelievable that both dramas are depicting the same time period in Korean history.  This is where the beauty of genres lie.  While Gaksital is a melodrama through and through, Capital Scandal is most definitely a romantic comedy.  Therefore, there is no need to compare the two dramas as they are based in completely different hues and I can love each of them for different reasons.

Capital Scandal is a drama that kept me laughing episode after episode.  It was fun, exciting and enjoyable.  More importantly I loved the fashion.  Kang Ji Hwan in 1930s suits was a dream come true.  Of course, since it deals with an independence movement there are some sad moments, but as is the case in all K-dramas, there has to be some kind of melo placed in the script.  As I've said before, melo is a K-drama stable.  For keeping me amused episode after episode, and my insane love of Kang Ji Hwan, Capital Scandal gets 4.5 stars on the Bel Scale.  

According to Bel: It's the scandal that rocked the capital.