Royal Family

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Drama: Royal Family
Revised romanization: Royul Paemily
Hangul: 로열 패밀리
Director: Kim Do-Hoon, Kim Sang-Hyub
Writer: Kim Young-Hyun, Kwon Eum-Mi
Network: MBC
Episodes: 18
Release Date: March 2 - April 28, 2011
Runtime: Wed. & Thurs. 21:55
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Han Ji-Hoon overcame an underprivileged childhood to pass the judicial examination and become an elite prosecutor. Kim In-Sook lives in the shadow of a Chaebol family, but finally becomes the head of a large corporation.

For Han Ji-Hoon (Ji Sung), Kim In-Sook (Yum Jung-Ah) is the woman who made his difficult life tolerable. Ji-Hoon grew up in an orphanage. He once became the prime suspect of a murder just because his teddy bear was found at the scene of the crime. During that time, Kim In-Sook sent the best lawyer to take up his defense. Ji-Hoon was cleared of the charges. Without Kim In-Sook, Ji-Hoon's life would have been destroyed. Instead, Ji-Hoon eventually became a star prosecutor after he caught the criminal who committed the murder in which Ji-Hoon was the first suspect.

Kim In-Sook has lived in the shadow of the powerful JK family for 18 years. She is the daughter-in-law of a chaebol family, but ignored by her in-laws. Making matters worse, her husband died in a helicopter accident. In-Sook's mother-in-law, Kong Soon-Ho, planned a conspiracy to make In-Sook appear incompetent and take custody over her son. The end result would have been Kim-In-Sook's expulsion from the JK family.

Ji-Hoon watched In-Sook at her husband's funeral. He was stunned to see In-Sook's beaten down appearance. Furthermore, Ji-Hoon learned of her mother-in-law's scheme to oust her from the family.

Ji-Hoon then set the goal to make In-Sook the head of the JK family. While he struggled to accomplish this goal, Ji-Hoon realized his feelings towards Kim In-Sook wasn't from a sense of pity or compassion. Rather, Ji-Hoon was in love with In-Sook. Finally, he accomplished his goal of having her become the president of the JK group.

But at that time, Ji-Hoon learns of a homicide involving a black male. As he digs up more information on the case, the cluse all point to one person - Kim In-Sook. As he gets closer to the truth, the more he doesn't want to know the truth ...

Notes

"Royal Family" takes over the MBC Wed. & Thurs. 21:55 time slot previously occupied by "My Princess" and followed by "The Greatest Love" on May 4, 2011.

Cast



Yum Jung-Ah	Ji Sung	Kim Young-Ae	Cha Ye-Ryun	Jeon No-Min
Kim In-Sook	prosecutor Han Ji-Hoon	Kong Soon-Ho	Jo Hyun-Jin	Uhm Ki-Do



Jeon Mi-Sun	Seo Yu-Jeong	Ahn Nae-Sang	Kim Jung-Hak	Dok Ko Yeong Jae
Im Yun-Seo	Yang Ki-Jung	Jo Dong-Jin	Jo Dong-Min	Kim Tae-Hyeok



Dong-Ho	Kim Young-Pil	Ki Tae-Young	Lee Ki-Young	Jo Sang-Ki
Jo Byeong-Joon	Jo Dong-Ho	Kang Choong-Ki	Kang Il-Sik	James Dean



Ryu Dam	Kim Hye-Ok	Lee Chae-Young
Kkak-Chi	Seo Soon-Ae	Park Min-Kyung

Additional Cast Members:

Kim Hyun-Sook - Yun-Seo's sister
Jeon Soo-Kyeong - Carrey Kim
Min Joon-Hyun - adviser
Choi Yoon-So - Yoo Shin-A
Choi Eun-Suk - gangster
Jung Yi-Do - U.S. military investigator
Lee Chang - team leader
Park Sung-Kyun

Teaser

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Teaser 2

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Episode Ratings

Date	Episode	Nationwide	Seoul
2011-03-02	1	NR	NR
2011-03-03	2	NR	NR
2011-03-09	3	NR	9.3 (14th)
2011-03-10	4	NR	8.5 (16th)
2011-03-16	5	10.6 (9th)	13.8 (3rd)
2011-03-17	6	11.4 (6th)	14.4 (3rd)
2011-03-23	7	12.1 (5th)	15.7 (3rd)
2011-03-24	8	11.9 (8th)	15.6 (4th)
2011-03-30	9	11.1 (7th)	12.8 (6th)
2011-03-31	10	11.1 (8th)	13.8 (5th)
2011-04-06	11	9.7 (13th)	11.9 (6th)
2011-04-07	12	10.1 (15th)	12.1 (9th)
2011-04-13	13	9.0 (12th)	10.6 (7th)
2011-04-14	14	9.5 (14th)	11.9 (8th)
2011-04-20	15	10.0 (9th)	12.8 (5th)
2011-04-21	16	10.3 (7th)	13.2(5th)
2011-04-27	17	10.4 (11th)	13.3 (6th)
2011-04-28	18	10.8 (6th)	13.9 (3rd)

Source: TNS Media Korea

Awards

Special Award (Kim Young-Ae) - 2011 MBC Drama Awards - December 30, 2011

Comments

Park Min Feb 09 2023 9:30 pm The obvious highlight of this drama is Ji Sung the man is just too good! The drama was planned to be 16 episodes but then got an extension of extra 2 episodes which made the last chunk of episodes just too messy. The writer didn't know in what direction to take and how to rearrange the events accordingly. The story and its pace were problematic, it's pretty monotonous after the cast was introduced in the first 2 episodes. Also, meh ending.

Jack Jun 14 2021 11:24 pm one of the best kdrama ever . sometime I think the ending was rushed , sometime I think it was perfect. spoiler: about open ending ,80% of hints point at their death but these hints annoy me to death ; like I'm sure of their death but why did they make these hints too . 1- Hyun-jin knew about her mother plan , there was no way she didn't do anything about it base on her personality 2 - who was the guy that was watching Richard guy from stairs? 3- at the beginning of last ep we didn't see the outcome of Hyun-jin conv. with Ji-hoon ; she said she didn't want her family became murderers and only her and Ji-hoon can end it. 4- Hyun-jin was serious yet so relaxed at her ending scene considering of her once having feeling for Ji-hoon. 5- the letter 6- Ji-hoon learning to fly 7- the book in his suitcase & their last conv. (search about it & saint exupery ) the more annoying thing is that even these hints can point at their death too. only the new plot gonna be Hyun-jin as an evil person. please debunk this for me , so I can sleep again. lol !

JC Nov 25 2020 8:21 am Ji Sung played his role very well. Drama is always good with Ji Sung. Do not like In Suk. Jung Ah is not suitable for the role, I cannot imagine that at her age in the role as acted so cute when suddenly she gained the trust of her mother-in-law. At her age in the role, she must act her age, mature and compose not trying to be cute when she could not write the speech until Ji Hoon helped her. Secondly, the writer should not make Ji Hoon to have feelings for someone who is so much older than her. I really dislike the kissing scene Ji Hoon and In Suk. So fake because of In Suk age and because she supposed to hold the big sister role.

Young Ae is not really suitable for her role, Her emotion and expression showed someone not so capable but stressful. Such a powerful person must be very fir, dalam and able to hold her composure when under pressure. How can A person with so low calmness is expected to lead an empire of organisation. Someone like the lady playing the role of the politician wife who is a close friend of In Suk in charitable work is more suitable. Her emotion showed a strong character and calm.

Jung Ah is not my favourite actress though I watched one of her drama where she played a long lost daughter married to a lousy man and a bad mother in law. She played well in that role. In Suk , act as a mature adult not someone at an older age trying to have feelings for Ji Hoon.

Simglo Oct 09 2020 3:40 pm The story is well told and well directed. Add Ji Sung and you have a winner. Really Ji Sung is the best thing about this drama. Also, I love, love, love that Jeon No-Min finally plays a character I can love and not hate. I love the actor, but usually hate his characters, especially Hong In Bang. Also, Ki Tae Young is adorable in this.

Like I said, this is a well told story; the plot, how it unfolds, it is all fascinating to watch. It pulls you in and won't let you stop watching. Even people who hated this drama couldn't stop watching it.

The only thing I didn't like about this is the main actress. She is a good actress and she played her part well; but I actually began liking the hyungnim character more than the main character. I believe if the two actresses had switched roles, I would have enjoyed it more. I had only watched Yum Jung Ah before in Sky Castle, but frankly I didn't like her character in that one either. I don't know if she purposely picks unlikeable characters to portray or if she is what makes them unlikeable.

L May 08 2016 7:36 am Is that L as younger Han Ji-Hoon????

Nive May 07 2016 7:58 am Gonna watch it only becoz f Ji sung !!

SHT Mar 12 2015 12:35 am Jesus, Lee. She's within her rights when she acts within the restrictions of the law. What you listed is plainly illegal.

Lee Jul 26 2014 6:25 pm it was basically enjoyable. but near the end i thoughtt the writers put in a deus ex machina element which seemed a bit much -- blackmail to achieve a desired seemed to me, to be cheating and not really a legitimate way for the heroine to "win".

also, except for a few instances of ruthlessness -- fabricating mental illnes, forced detention, and plotting a murder, i thought the chairwoman, while not a nice human being, was well within ber rights in terms of her actions. it was her money and fortune and she had a right (within the bounds of the law) to bestow on whom she chose.

Lee Jul 22 2014 1:47 pm BTW, the rest of the Korean cast is excellent..

Lee Jul 18 2014 11:10 pm kim yong pil -- he seemed to have exactly one facial expression whenever he was onscreen - "frozen". not a good quality for an actor to have.. it made it hard to empathize/connect with him as a character..

JC Feb 18 2014 10:37 pm Royal Family was such an amazing and intense drama! I decided to watch it because of Ji Sung as all his projects are among my favorites but once the story began, it caught my interest right away and it only kept getting better. The drama was full of suspense and plot twists that really keeps you engaged throughout the series. Though I started watching it because of Ji Sung, every cast member played their role excellently.

For me, I feel that a drama is good when it leaves you with a deep impression after it ends, making you miss the journey and sad that it has ended, so I highly recommend this drama.

Sally Jan 24 2014 6:36 pm I just finished watching this drama and i loved it! It is so deep and intense. I am sure many viewers won't be able to handle the depth and subtleties of the fight of good and evil and the world of karma. Heavy drama. Great writing and acting. I even liked the end... it made sense to me to end it that way. South Korea you really impress me with your intelligent and deep K-dramas. Thank you

Clarkdale44 Jan 08 2014 11:42 am What am i supposed to write for such drama...Firstly it was not my type but as Ji Sung was in it, i thought i should at least try. I must warn all, from romance prospective i don't think there is any in this.. All are talking about how to gain profit and become the heir of their company. I have never seen such a family, every member talk like they have their own country or something and others can't step on. It was stupid of me to watch it i wasted my 15+ hours on this shit for nothing. I told myself lots of time that i should stop watching it but somehow i kept on my streak. Casting was superb by both Yum Jung-Ah and Ji Sung, Casting is the only thing i liked about this drama. The suspense level of this drama is too much... There were many times when i wanted to smash my head on the wall, but i kept going and going until final episode. The conclusion is this drama was not for me, there is no romance. Waste of time for me. It is for those who likes suspense, and who doesn't care about romance.

Don't read further if you have yet to watch the drama. I just don't believe how could someone have so much hatred like this grandmother. She betrayed her own son to give up his own shares of JK Medical. I simply cannot understand the whole family. I am regretting why i watched it. Even if someone gives me money to watch it again... I would not do so. All this drama has is this stupid mystery. The ending is even more weird, well i knew the grandmother has something up on her sleeves, as she stated she won't die alone, she will take K with her.. After K and Ji Hoon flies back to see grandmother, they goes missing.. Well i think they died, (That Richard guy must have done something to the helicopter) what else can be said...! I am coming to this conclusion because there is no way K would leave her son Byeong-Joon just to live happily with Ji Hoon after becoming the president of the JK Group. I also didn't found any chemistry between K and Ji Hoon, i also don't think K has any special romantic feelings towards Ji Hoon. She just treats him like a Noona.

I will give it 6/10 (For casting only)

CICI May 03 2013 4:39 pm I just finished watching "Royal Family" and I thought it is one of the most suspenseful dramas I've seen in a long time. It kept me guessing and intrigued until the very end. Many of the actors & actresses are favorites of mine from other shows and I think Yum Jung-Ah and Ji Sung were magnificent. I highly recommend watching this.. I hope the ending was preparing us for a sequel. I'd definitely love a "Royal Family 2" with all the same people.

mememe Dec 19 2012 12:43 am omg i honestly loved this drama wished they showed more cute romantic scenes though :)

p May 06 2012 3:52 am is there a happy ending?

setare Feb 27 2012 11:41 pm only love ji sung!!!!!

Ayumii x Sep 16 2011 10:03 am Dong-Ho ! I only watch that because of you ^^ You are so handsome, cool and cutee ;p Saranghaeee ! <3

Lis Jul 13 2011 8:41 am Amazing plot, amazing story. Every episode has an interesting twist. Good work to all actors and actresses!

kiara Jun 22 2011 8:19 am I think the author in the middle part have been forgotten, The film shows several scenes Johnny with his teddy bear Even the prosecutor review of airport security files But Ji Hoon is still accused Second, how formal it is common in Korea the kids love men and women that they support them The age difference does not matter I think the pure incentive is destroyed when it involved in sexual relationship. so pity of these actors.

gottalovehae Jun 04 2011 5:35 am one of the interesting dramas i've seen. very emotional, powerful-- great performance from the actors.

however i'm quite disappointed with the ending. the writers botchered it. :(

but it's a nice drama overall. i like some of the scenes especially those between yum jeong ah and jeon mi seon, or kim young ae. the three of them are indeed great actresses.

Metaverse Apr 14 2011 1:05 am The best K-drama I've ever seen! Ji Sung is a very good actor, love to see him playing prosecutor Han Ji-Hoon. I hope he will get an award for this role!

jmhadl Mar 26 2011 3:11 pm i love the first episode i hope someone will sub the rest episode to english... im looking forward to watch the other episode

External Links

Official Website

Royal Family

Contents

User Rating

Profile

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Teaser

Teaser 2

Episode Ratings

Awards

Comments

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