Rooftop Prince: Character Introductions

by: Raine

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Welcome to Rooftop Prince, a second collaborative recap project between MadDino and I. Here are some choice tidbits about our characters that we will continue to flesh out as the drama unfolds. Thanks SBS website for having info in English!

character introductions

Lee Gak/Tae-yong

Actor: Micky Yoochun/Choi Won-hong (Young Lee Gak)

Nicknames: Panda Prince, Panda, His Pandaness, Tae-panda, Tae-potato (as Tae-yong)

After mourning his wife’s passing for 5 days, he decides to investigate her death. During the search, the Crown Prince of the Joseon era  accidentally travels to 2012 Seoul with his entourage. When he introduces himself as such to the denizens of 21st-century Korea, he is not well-received.

He and his entourage of three are found by Park Ha who allows them to stay in her attic. And here he earns the drama’s title, “Rooftop Prince.” He experiences “hardships” for the first time as he finds himself completely useless in modern society. Despite a quick wit and deep intelligence, he is weak, tactless and quite a know-it-all.

And then he bumps into her doppelganger, Hong Se-na. He is ecstatic to reunite with his lost Crown Princess and is sure that traveling to the future is how he will solve the mysteries behind her death.

He has a doppelganger of his own, Yong Tae-mu’s cousin, Tae-yong, the heir apparent to the CEO of Tae-mu’s company.

Even though he’s found his “love”, Tae-mu continues to fret over Park Ha and her fate if he should return to Joseon.

Park Ha/Bu Yong

Actor: Han Ji-min/Jun Min-seo (Young Park Ha/Young Bu-yong)

Nicknames: Peppermint, Pond Lily, Lotus

Our plucky, rather simple heroine who is the champion of hardships. She is a bit accident prone, tough on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. This chick drives a drunk. Oooooh yeah! *honk honk*

When Park Ha was four, her father remarried and she gained an older step-sister with whom her first misfortunes occur. A divorcee then adopted her and moved to the U.S. where the witch proceeded to abandon her.

It makes sense that Park Ha’s dream is to make enough money to reunite with her father.  In order to make it, she drives a truck around a Manhattan market place. She only knows menu English, but managed to penny-inch enough money waitressing to return to Korea after twenty years – she had discovered her fathers whereabouts. But upon her arrival, she discovers he’s passed away.

In Korea, she gets back into truck driving. She has a knack for cooking although she’s untrained and that knack includes a good eye for picking the best ingredients – which she then delivers to restaurants via her awesome truck. Yes, I’m loving that she’s a truck driver.

When she bumps into a guy claiming to be the Crown Prince of the Joseon Dynasty, she’s a bit shocked. He’s rather testy, but he can grow on a gal – especially if he looks like Micky Yoochun…

Anyway, she feels lonely when a day goes by and he hasn’t picked on her. Again, I blame it on the fact that he looks like Micky Yoochun…

Joo Se-na/Hwa-yong

Actor: Jung Yu-mi/Kim So-hyun (Young Joo Se-na/Hwa-yong)

Nicknames: Evil step-wench

A beautiful, scheming, compulsive liar. Wait…that sounds like a second lead…

Oooh! It IS a second lead.

Meet Park Ha’s step-sister who is as lovely as a porcelain doll and as greedy as the Grinch. She meets CEO Kang while caring for him in the hospital VIP lounge and cheats her way up the social ladder (fabricating her alma matter, family ties and such.) She even secretly dates Kang’s grandson, Tae-mu to get into Kang’s good graces.

Lo-and-behold, she runs into her crazy, truck-driving step-sister who can ruin everything. Her optimism is also annoying because it makes her feel small and petty.

However, Se-na figures out that the strange man who stalks Park Ha and lives in her attic is the assumed dead grandson and rightful heir to Kang’s company. She decides to go after him instead.

Yong Tae-mu

Actor: Lee Tae-sung

Nicknames: Wannabe, SMID (Sexy Murderer Idiot Doppelganger)

The second male lead who is, dun dun dun! A charming playboy! But since it’s Lee Tae-sung, I’m game. Bring it on, baby!

He’s the a classic handsome, work-o-holic, uber uber uber well-dressed, goal-oriented managing director of a company. *cough*chaebol*cough* He’s got the women at the office nicknaming his snazzy dressing.

He’s got manners and swagger, but *gasp* he’s aloof. He, like his father, struggles not to be second best. His cousin Tae-yong was number one in everything and Tae-mu, too, tries to always sit at the top. When Tae-yong went to NYC to study art, Tae-mu studied business to contribute to the family and not disappoint.

When Lee Gak turns up looking exactly like Tae-yong, Tae-mu panics because his position at the company is rightfully his cousin’s, but he’s determined not to give it up. Especially  because he  loves Se-na.

And there is something fishy about that Tae-yong…he’s not quite like himself…

Song Man-bo

Actor: Lee Min-ho

Nicknames: Green ahjussi

He’s the prickly genius AKA Lee Gak’s tutor.  He is an uptight, difficult to please brilliant mind that memorizes all numbers, writings and drawings at first glance. This stick in the mud guides prince and seeks the way back to Joseon. In the 21st century gains more knowledge daily as reads all books related to science, history, arts etc. His personality is rather suffocating to others due to his lack of social skills.

Woo Yong-sul

Actor: Jung Suk-won

Nicknames: Blue ahjussi

If you couldn’t tell from the photo, this is the entourage’s “Macho, Macho Maaaan!!!” He’s, obviously, the Crown Prince’s guard who is always alert and ready to protect his royal Mickyness. He’s all stud at six feet zero inches and hotblooded to boot. He’s totally daebak: the best swordsman in Joseon and faster than the wind!

Although he swears his life is only to protect the Crown Prince, but becomes a large, cute, adolescent who blushes in front of the girl he loves – a girl he meets in the 21st century.

Do Chi-san

Actor: Choi Woo-shik

Nicknames: Yellow ahjussi

He is a eunuch…seriously? A man who looks like that? You poor, poor soul. He’s also apparently the first vegetarian…ever. And he’s loud. A place is never quiet when he’s around.

Woo-shik is the hands and feet of the prince and a street savvy guy who isn’t above petty tricks.

His eunuch powers come in handy though as he communicates well with the ladies; hey! he can even pass as one to collect bits of information.

President Yeo

Actor: Yong Dong-man

Nicknames: Grams

She is Yong Tae-mu’s “grandmother” although he never calls her that because they aren’t related by blood. She is the president of the company who hopes to pass it on to blood grandson Tae-yong, not Tae-mu.

Yong Tae-mu’s father

Actor: Yeo Hee-jang

Nicknames: Daddy Tae-mu, Daddy Yellow Teeth

The illegitimate son of President Yeo’s cheating husband. She looks down upon him and his son for this reason. He’s a jerk and a schemer.

Wang Seol-hee

Actor: Park Joon-geum

Nicknames: Aunt Wang

Evil mommy from Secret Garden! Well, she’s not evil here, but hysterically quirky. She is Grandma Yeo’s younger sister who dresses super tacky and makes a big deal of everything.

Pyo Taek-soo

Actor: Lee Moon-suk

Nicknames:  Nostacio

A former employee of the home shopping company who is now a guard and raises dogs. Aunt Wang keeps coming to find him and bring him back, but he refuses.

Gong Man-ok

Actor: Song Ok-sook

Nicknames: Step-mom

The coolest step-mom ever. She treats Park Ha very well and truly loved her father.

Lady Mimi

Actor: Kang Byul

Nicknames: none

Quirky webtoon designer who is roommates with Becky and likes Man-bo. She’s quirky and looks like she should be a fortune teller.

Becky

Actor: Guzal Tursunova

Nicknames: none

A foreigner and new tenant, Becky’s roommate.

President Jang

Actor: unknown

Nicknames: none

She is the president of …I think the homeshopping company and owns a quarter of the shares. She may be Park Ha’s mom. She also calls Man-ok unni, which Man-ok doesn’t like at all.

Park Ha’s father

Actor: Maeng Sang-hoon

Nicknames: none

Park Ha’s father who adored her and married Man-ok. He died just before Park Ha returned to South Korea.

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Production Details

Episodes: 20

Broadcast network: SBS

Broadcast Period: 3.21.12 to TBA

Air Time: Wednesday & Thursday Night 21:55

Director: Shin Yoon-sub

Screenwriter: Lee Hee-myung

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Recaps of episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20