Geol-oh forever!! <3

Geol-oh will forever be the epitome of SLS <3

I actually come to like SJK after this drama. he is hillarious.

It always made sense to me that Yoon-hee would fall for Sun-joon rather than Jae-shin. It was Sun-joon who saw her potential, who pushed her to confront her limits and go beyond them, who helped her achieve a sense of empowerment against all odds. He was the one who was upfront with her and constantly challenged her beliefs about the world and herself, and so the bond felt stronger than with Jae-shin. She resented him but grew to appreciate, admire, and respect him. I don't find it puzzling that such feelings would blossom to love.

As much as I love our Geoloh, he fell into the trap many second leads fall into: playing the silent protector. He protected her and defended her, but he would always cover that up with the bluster of an aloof sunbae. He bonded with her, but he couldn't take that next step that would put him on an even playing field with Sun-joon. He couldn't be honest and upfront with her. And that, for me, made all the difference. What good is the sweetness if the girl doesn't know?

To be fair, Yoo Ah-in was (and is) a far more charismatic and skilled actor than Yoo-chun, so there's that.

But for me, Yoon-hee has always been the main hero and heroine of SKKS. It was her achievements and actions that made me feel most proud and inspired. Her standing up to Ha In-soo and leading the students to oppose him and participate in a protest to free Sun-joon was one of the most empowering moments of the series. She proved, to the world and most importantly to herself, that she was capable and strong. And so, whenever I rewatch SKKS, I will always be on Team Yoon-hee.

Ahh SLS is strong on this one, but Yeo-rim and Geol-oh will always be my favorite thing about this drama!

i remember SJK and YAI got the best couple for this drama. So many fanfic relate to their relationship in youtube i just burst out laughing.

oh damn! .... i just finished rewatching this after i was suffering from YAI withdrawal post chicago typewriter... and i still cannot understand why geol oh was not the lead... and those hiccups - awwwwww ...

i think they dropped the ball on sun joon .. in a bid to make him super principled and idealisitic, they stripped him of all personality. i would snooze when he came on screen .. so even though he loosened up in the end, i didn't really give a damn about his character development

... or maybe its just that YAI is far far better actor than YC and just inadvertently stole the show ... like the scene where SJ says he is gay to save the others from the scandal, had it been done by a better actor, i would totally root for him bec that was kind of awesome .. but i always remain firmly in Geol-oh's corner :)

the thing about Yoo Ah-In as an actor is that from this early on he wasn´t just being directed, but from each pose, each glint in his eyes he knew exactly what he was doing. While Song Joong Ki is more of an intuitive actor, who goes with the momentum, YAI is totally is a calculating one who sticks with his detailed masterplan for the character. and yet, those different styles somehow clicked in place and created the most powerful chemistry anyone has yet to top. It is not a second lead syndrom, but second leads syndrom.

So well written! So eloquently written! I agree that the plot wasn't the strongest, but the cross-dressing hijinks is always fun. I find that what I enjoy most and find the most satisfaction in the dramas that I choose to watch are character developments and growth, and "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" gave that to me, especially when it came down to the principles our beloved Jose F4 had and held onto individually. The only think that irked me the most, was the ending: The Joseon that they all wanted to change, the Joseon that they wanted to make so that everyone had equal access to education and not just the men---- all went out the window when (*SPOILERS TO THOSE WHO'VE NOT SEEN IT*) Yoon Hee chose to return and teach at Sungkyunkwan, alongside Sun Joon, BUT STILL IN HER MALE DISGUISE!! Like, what?!!?!? I guuuuueeeeessssss it's an improvement in itself that they let Yoon Hee return AND let her teach there, all knowing that she's a girl, but BECAUSE of that, couldn't Yoon Hee just GO AND TEACH AS A GIRL??? Sigh Seven years later, and this fact still irks me...

When I watched this, I had no idea who the male lead was supposed to be since it's my first Kdrama featuring YAI, SJK, and PYC. As the series progressed, I honestly thought it was YAI because I liked his character the most. Imagine my surprise when I read the recaps here in Dramabeans and had to re-read everything just to make sure that PYC and PMY are the OTP.

Looking back, I never regretted rooting for YAI, especially to see how he has grown as an actor today. Hopefully he and PMY can star in a drama again and be the ultimate OTP :)

SKKS was the milestone of the jalgeum quartet to be hallyu star ?
Park Yoochun, Yoo ah in, song jongki , and Park min young

One of my all time favorite kdrama. Joseon F4 ftw!

The drama where Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In won Best Couple Award lol

"Does Second Lead Syndrome prevail in Sungkyunkwan Scandal?"

The answer is yes, always yes.

And my YAI love is even stronger now after a splendid heart-tugging, ovary-melting turn as a broody 1930s revolutionary.

I also couldn't warm up to Sun-Joon, as much as I tried. But the bromance between Geol-Oh and Yeo-Rim, that is just ❤️ They deserve their Best Couple Award ? ?

A very well-written piece, lezah! Enjoyed reading your article!

I watched this drama pretty early on in my drama watching days (I could never remember the name so I called it Badonkadonk Scandal) and loved it. Like the writer I loved the bromance between all the characters. I also like that there was a well done gay character. Something that is sadly rare and lacking in kdramas. This was also my first experience with all the actors and I remember immediately falling for Song Joong-Ki's beauty and looking him up online to see who he was. This was going to be a drama I re-watched for this challenge and even though I wont write about it I still think this is a drama that will stand the test of time for me.

I still love fusion sageuks! (That's the term for it in Korea). You know this would never have happened in a historical basis but still love it anyway.

Geol-oh's character was where I first noticed Yoo Ah In as an actor and have been a fan ever since. Ever since the 2002 World Cup (Yoo Sang Chul http://www.mc-plus.net/news/photo/201510/1639_6032_198.jpg), I've been a sucker for dudes with that mane of glory and YAI did not disappoint. Sigh... I may need to go watch this again simply for YAI!

The first time I watched it, I fell completely in love with Yong Ha. It was only the second time I watched it that I was charmed by Geol Ho. I was literally not comprehending how I didn't notice his charms the first time around. o.O

The thing I love the most about SKKS is that it's not a bromance like you see elsewhere, it's explicitly stated in the text that Yong Ha is in love with Geol Ho. Let me tell you it's really rare you see that in a Korean drama!

My love for Geol-oh trancends time... and reason.
He is the main character in this drama...
Shame he didn't get the girl --- but he still got ME <3

Watching this series made fall HARD for SJK & YAI. Each one is magnetic, and to have both in a bromance? In ultra-colorful historical clothes (well, SJK anyway)? I never stood a chance of rooting for the OTP.

I remember being more invested in the friendship of Geol Oh and Yeo Rim, haha! Needless to say, I fell in love with Yoo Ah In and Song Joong Ki in their respective roles (this was my first time watching both of them).

S a m e. I never could rlly connect with Sung-Joon (and still don't really see how Yoon-Hee could've fallen for him), and Geol-Oh both gave me probably my worst case of SLS ever, and really stuck with me as the most memorable (and probably important??) character in the drama. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I used to adore gender benders, and I considered S. Scandal one of the better ones. Weirdly enough, I hated when the girl revealed her identity and everything shifted to romance. To me, such moments spelled the end of rare friendships between equals and the adventures they shared. It was a tomboy's dream to pal around with the guys and fight with them. The heroines in such shows tended to be so much better than the typical K-drama ditzes with Cinderella fantasies. Sure, the sexually confused suitors were entertaining, but I loved the goofy friendships even more.

In that respect, Yeorim and Geol Oh were the best part of S. Scandal. I did like that the heroine was clever and competent, but even she seemed a bit boring by comparison. I think part of me wanted her to be some sort of wise-cracking force to be reckoned with instead of a somewhat girly girl with noble views. How great would it have been if she had shared the sidekicks' personality traits? I liked that the sidekicks appreciated her heroism and I loved Geol Oh's apparent feelings, but I never entertained the possibility that the noble heroine would end up with anyone other than the noble hero. I was okay with that formula because it made sense. In a more melodramatic show, Geol Oh and Yeorim would have been the lovable sidekicks who died for the slightly less lovable, less flawed main characters.

Perhaps we are destined to love second leads and sidekicks because they exist to be outshone by characters with more screen time. They are the drama underdogs, and there is something endearing about being the expendable characters in someone else's fantasy. Can't we all relate to that in some way? Plus, their fleeting moments on screen always leave us wanting more.

Geol-oh along with Chilbong and Sammaekjong (before he became an ass) will always be the source of strong SLS. I am still salty AF.

i love Geol ro and fell in love with Yoo Ah In after this drama but I didn't suffer second lead syndrome
altho i felt for Geol ro I knew the leads were somehow meant to be together dang haha
But Geol ro really shone so bright in this drama
so Yoo Ah in for the win!!

Chill guys, he has his own story on the second book. He got a fourteen(not sure but she's really young)-year-old bride and their interaction is quite cute ㅋㅋ Still, I really rooted for Geol-oh and Yoonhee but yeah Geol-oh and Yeorim would suffice hahaha

Moon Jae Shin aka Guroh aka Crazy Horse is one sexy beast! I watched the fanvideos of GulRim Couple too back in the days :D

Okay, so I know this was written and posted quite a while back and I knowww its terrible that I've JUST finished Sungkyunkwan Scandal for my first time ever (I have one more episode to go), and I have nowhere else to ramble about this show and and and since you, lezah, brought up Geol oh, I just have to give my two-cents *catchesbreath*.

So OMG I KNOW the second lead syndrome hit me so hard here! The only other times I've had it this hard time were in Boys Over Flowers and Master's Sun, and even they were nowhere near as for Sungkyunkwan. But here's the thing with me, I never get angry when the second guy doesnt get the girl. Why you ask? Well if the main girl gets her main guy, and poor beautiful second lead gets no one, well then I guess I'm free to love them all the more and have em be mine. Yea crazy I know ?. In this case, I personally believed Lee Sun-joon was a better match for her anyway since I actually found Sun-joon's stick-in-the-mud idealism and extremely awkward, shy, and lonely personality endearing (I have a thing for awkward, shy guys), especially since I could already see the trajectory his character arc would take and personally felt very satisfied with it.

However Geol-oh. Oh my. I won't lie, I'm actually happy he's alone because he's mine. Yep, thats kakakash logic. It will take me a while to get over Geol-oh. I don't know man, was it the 5 am stache, the hooded bad assery and angst, the protective oppa-role he took for the latter half of the show? Or maybe it was Yoo Ah-in? It was my first drama of Yoo Ah-in, so I was blown away by his (and everyone else's performance; honestly, I believe everyone performed so frkn well...now I'm just going off in tangents). But yess. Second lead syndrome hit me. Hard. And I don't wanna get back up.