Need a break from Yanxi Palace? Check out this popular new K-drama

Need a break from Yanxi Palace? We found a Korean drama you might like.

Historical K-drama Hundred Days My Prince (also known as 100 Days My Prince) follows the story of a crown prince (Lee Yool, acted by Exo's Doh Kyung-soo) who, due to palace politics, was attacked and lost his memory.

Overnight, he went from prince to pauper with no recollection of his past. Before the accident happened, he had ordered all singletons above the age of 20 to get married by the end of the month.

In a twist of fate, he took on the identity of Won Deuk and was forced to marry a spinster from a village, Yeon Hong-shim (acted by Nam Ji-hyun), who happened to be his childhood sweetheart - whom he had no recollection of, obviously.

Spoiler alert: Hong-shim was the daughter of a noble whose was killed due to a power struggle. She managed to escape and has been living incognito ever since under a different identity. She also didn't recognise him as Lee Yool because they had been separated for a long time.

Sounds complicated but interesting? You bet. The show has enjoyed high ratings since its debut in South Korea, claiming top spot in ratings among all the other programmes shown in that timeslot.

Here are more reasons why you should watch it.

1. The acting abilities

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We all know that unlike modern dramas, the royalty historical dramas don't have extravagant gestures and can only emote using subtle nuances on their faces. The Exo member, who made his acting debut five years ago, nails it with subtle eyelid twitches and smirks. In fact, every cast member is a great actor, although Ji-hyun is the only one with prior sageuk (historical drama) experience.

2. Kyung-soo's comedic side

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Imagine a pauper acting like a prince - it's no wonder that the people around Won Deuk are frustrated! If you've watched Kyung-soo's previous works, you'll realise that so far, his characters have been brooding and anguished, so through this drama, you'll get to see his funnier - and even ridiculous - side. But if you prefer a cool Kyung-soo, don't worry, Crown Prince Lee Yool is very much cool. And cold.

3. Hong Shim's can-do attitude

Despite coming from a noble family, Hong-shim works hard for her money and has a can-do attitude for everything. She's also witty and can think of various ways to rein Won Deuk in when he causes trouble.

4. The evil schemes in the palace

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We don't want to spoil too much, but this is not just a rom-com. There's a lot of scheming (and murder) that goes on in the palace. And the more frustrating thing is, you know who's the bad guy from the get-go BUT YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

5. It's fast-paced

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If you hate draggy dramas, you're not alone. The good news is, the drama is pretty fast-paced, and this was attested by the cast themselves when they did a special interview on VLIVE app. In fact, Kyung-soo says this was one of the reasons he accepted the role.

Hundred Days My Prince is available on Hub Drama First (StarHub TV Channel 860) from 30 September. Hundred Days My Prince premieres on 30 September, every Sunday, 9.45pm on Hub VVD (StarHub TV Channel 855).

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore