Top 5 Reasons “Young Lady and Gentleman” is a Must-See

By Jae-Ha Kim
KOCOWA
November 2, 2021

Did you all hear the latest news? “Young Lady and Gentleman” (신사와 아가씨) is a bonafide hit! Episode 10, which aired on October 24, recorded 30.4% viewership in South Korea, according to Nielsen Korea. If numbers aren’t your thing, look at it from this perspective: it beat “Running Man” in the ratings, and currently ranks as one of KOCOWA’s most-watched K-dramas.

“Young Lady and Gentleman” revolves around Young Guk (a wealthy widower with three young children) and Dan Dan (a twentysomething woman who is hired to become his kids’ live-in tutor). Initially, things are pretty much all business. But as they spend time together caring for the children, Dan Dan becomes an older sister/mother figure in the household, and the couple slowly begins to have romantic feelings for one another.

If you haven’t started to watch (or binge?!) this series yet, here are five reasons why you should give it a shot.

1⃣ CHARISMATIC STARS

You’ve already seen Lee Se Hee before in a variety of K-dramas (“Hospital Playlist 2,” “My Roommate is a Gumiho” and “Let Me Introduce Her” — where she played a maid). Here, she gets to really shine, showing off a range of emotions that make her character relatable and likeable. (Fans may stay in touch with her via her official Instagram account.)

Ji Hyun Woo is the former lead guitarist for the indie rock band, The Nuts. His acting credits include “Queen and I,” “Risky Romance,” “The Good Thieves,” “Trot Lovers,” “Wanted,” “Angry Mom” and “My Sweet City.” Is his character a hot ajusshi / 아줐히? You betcha and we’re loving it. (Hyun Woo also keeps fans updated on his work on his Instagram feed.)

2⃣ GIRL POWER

Dan Dan is fiercely protective of the children in her care. She not only teaches them academics, but also shows them that she will unconditionally defend them. And, when she catches the perpetrators in the act, she announces herself as the children’s protector who will do everything in her power to keep them out of harm’s way.

3⃣ THE CONTROVERSY

There was a little hullabaloo even before “Young Lady and Gentleman” made its premiere. When Korean netizens saw the trailer for the series, some of them found it distasteful to depict that the lead characters initially met when Dan Dan was only 13 and Young Guk was already a grown man of 27. They wanted to know why the writers did that, instead of introducing the two when Dan Dan was an adult — a young lady — rather than a child.

Do you recognize the actress in the video above? That’s child actress Kim Min Seo, who plays the younger version of Dan Dan. She was featured in a viral segment on YouTube’s ODG channel, where she was very excited to meet IU. The singer and songwriter returned the love when Min Seo began shooting “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.” IU sent a coffee truck filled with treats for Min Seo to share with the cast and crew of that hit K-drama.

4⃣ ADORABLE CHILDREN

Kim Min Seo isn’t the only talented child actor in this series. There are three youngsters who portray Young Guk’s children. Choi Myung Bin plays Jae Ni, the oldest daughter. Her two younger brothers are portrayed by Yoo Jun Seo and Seo Woo Jin.

Little Woo Jin was caught up in his own controversy last year when he co-starred as Kim Tae Hee’s daughter in “Hi Bye, Mama!” Netizens criticized the casting of a boy to play the role of a girl, saying that it would cause gender confusion. But his real-life mother said her son (who was five years old at the time) knew he was just playing a part, just like every other acting job he had done previously. (FWIW, the showrunners selected Woo Jin for two primary reasons: he was the best child actor they auditioned and he bore a striking resemblance to Tae Hee.)

5⃣ TRUE LOVE

“Young Lady and Gentleman” offers a hopeful message that no matter how much you miss someone, you can still hold them dearly in your heart, while you move forward with your life without them. Each of us has an infinite amount of room to love and be loved. When Young Guk’s wife was dying, she told him to take all the time he needed in mourning her death. But she wanted him to take good care of their children and himself. She wanted him to fall in love again, re-marry and not feel the survivor’s guilt that many spouses feel after losing their partner. Without this blessing, I don’t think Young Guk would’ve been able to open his heart to Dan Dan.

This 50-episode K-drama has only aired ¹/₅ of its episodes so far. (The finale is slated for March 13, 2022.) So, there’s plenty of time to catch up if you haven’t started watching yet. Let me know what your favorite elements of this K-drama are and how you hope the series will end. Are you envisioning wedding bells? Or maybe a clean breakup and a new pairing for both leads? Let me know in the comments below!