Check In Hanyang: Episodes 1-2

by solstices

It’s time to usher our new recruits into Joseon’s finest guesthouse, where lavish luxury and secret schemes await. Deftly balancing the offbeat antics with the political machinations, Check In Hanyang swiftly sets up its central premise with a generous serving of laughter.

 
EPISODES 1-2

Our first introduction to our crossdressing heroine HONG DEOK-SOO (Kim Ji-eun) takes us to a gambling den, where it soon becomes apparent the “D” in Deok-soo stands for “dice expert.” Easily winning with a double-six roll, Deok-soo hustles a gambler out of his prized admission card for Yongcheonru’s recruitment examination. After her friend — and partner in crime — calls the police bureau in, Deok-soo escapes amidst the chaos with the sore loser hot on her heels.

So, what is Yongcheonru, and why is Deok-soo going to such lengths to enter? Turns out it’s the best inn across all of Joseon, located right opposite the palace with top-tier hospitality and premium delicacies. In Yongcheonru, anything can be bought with money. Deok-soo’s dream is to become the innkeeper, and said position is currently filled by the dignified LADY SEOL MAE-HWA (Kim Min-jung).

On the very same street, PRINCE MUYEONG (Bae In-hyuk) chases down a palanquin, only to find himself foiled by a decoy. In his pursuit, Muyeong runs straight into Deok-soo and the gambler’s tussle for the coveted red card. Muyeong doesn’t bother hiding his distaste for Yongcheonru, where wealthy patrons freely denigrate the king by horsing around in royal robes.

To resolve the argument of who owns the card, Muyeong answers with a “fair and just” solution: ripping it in equal halves. LOL. Of course, that voids it entirely, much to Deok-soo’s dismay. Alas, she can’t do much against the swords of both Muyeong and his bodyguard, leaving her seething.

Over in the palace, LORD CHEON (Kim Eui-sung) — the sly and sharp-tongued owner of Yongcheonru — needles the king with veiled barbs. It’s clear the king doesn’t hold much power, and we soon learn why. A chronic cough ails the former crown prince EUNSEONG (Kim Hyun-jin), whose father was poisoned, thus placing Muyeong’s father on the throne as a puppet king.

Aware of all this, Muyeong decides to venture forth into Yongcheonru as an apprentice, in order to find the shadow ledger that the king’s enemies hold over his head. According to the king, two halves of a brass key are needed to open the safe containing the ledger. One half is concealed within Yongcheonru, while Lord Cheon is still searching for the other.

As Deok-soo disrobes to wash herself, we see that she possesses the missing half, hidden snugly within her chest bindings. Back when she was still a young girl named HONG JAE-ON, assassins raided the Hong estate and killed everyone in sight. Entrusting the key to her, Deok-soo’s father cut her hair so she could live in disguise as a boy, warning her never to step foot near Yongcheonru. But right before Deok-soo fled for her life, she witnessed Lady Seol murdering her father in cold blood.

Determined to enter Yongcheonru no matter the cost, Deok-soo forges the red card from memory. On admission day, a haughty lady cuts in line for Yongcheonru’s limited-edition dessert, upsetting a customer who got edged out. That’s how we’re introduced to the righteous GO SOO-RA (DKZ’s Jaechan), whose indignant protests are soundly ignored by the brown-nosing staff.

In the end, it’s Deok-soo’s scheme that wins out: she advises the slighted customer to trick the queue-cutter into letting her greed get the better of her, humbling her with an upset stomach. Observing from afar, Lady Seol notes Deok-soo’s crafty mind with an amused interest.

Next up, it’s introduction time for the suave CHEON JUN-HWA (Jung Geon-joo!), who cajoles Deok-soo into carrying his bag since he overpacked for the two-bags-per-person limit. Sizing Jun-hwa up in all his finery, Deok-soo bargains her way into claiming half of his luxury snacks as payment, then promptly uses his expensive beef jerky as a bribe to pass with her forged card. LOL, she’s certainly resourceful.

While changing into their new recruit uniforms, Muyeong notices the brass key glinting under Deok-soo’s garments, leading to a scuffle. Jun-hwa tries to intervene, but Soo-ra tugs on his sleeve, yelling that they swapped uniforms all while drowning in his oversized robes. LOL. Needless to say, they all wind up incurring demerit points from the uptight TEACHER BANG for being late.

Our troublemakers wind up in the worst possible dormitory room, where they grumble at the cramped quarters and grudgingly introduce themselves. The gears in his head frantically spinning, Muyeong hastily tacks on an extra character to his real name, introducing himself as LEE EUN-HO. He’s not doing a stellar job of hiding his princely manner of speech, though Deok-soo’s also one step away from blowing her cover. When Eun-ho catches her trying to sneak a quick shower outside the girls’ dorms, the pair end up in close proximity to evade notice. It works, but they’re both thoroughly annoyed by it, LOL.

In any case, there’s another pesky problem to worry about. The arrogant number one candidate KIM MYUNG-HO (Lee Ho-won) constantly sneers at our bottom four for their low status, not realizing that Eun-ho is of the highest possible lineage and Jun-hwa puts the “Cheon” in Yongcheonru. (Yep, his dad is Lord Cheon.) Fed up with Myung-ho’s posturing, Eun-ho proposes a wager based on dice rolling. If our squad wins, they’ll swap rooms; if they lose, they’ll leave Yongcheonru.

The bet soon grows heated, with Eun-ho goading Myung-ho and his posse into stripping their shirts to prove they’re not cheating. It’s a ploy to have Deok-soo reveal her brass key, but of course our heroine can’t expose her chest for other reasons. Panicking under the pressure, Deok-soo winds up making a run for it.

Elsewhere, the gambler from the opening scene is discovered dead, his half of the Yongcheonru entry card clenched in his fist. Lady Seol gathers the stoic DIRECTOR JO of management, the vivacious DIRECTOR YOO of hospitality, and the jovial DIRECTOR JANG of food to investigate — and it turns out the latter added honey to the cards’ ink, allowing him to easily identify the forgery with a handful of ants. They immediately head out to apprehend number 30 as a murder suspect, which is just when the half-dressed betting boys spill out from their room. Caught with her number tag squarely on her shirt, Deok-soo nervously meets Lady Seol’s curious gaze.

Oh, this is shaping up to be lots of fun! I actually anticipated some shirt-swapping shenanigans once the boys started stripping, thinking that’d be how Deok-soo slips past this obstacle, so I’m pleasantly surprised to have my expectations subverted. The plot is breezing right along at a brisk pace, keeping me hooked with its reveals even if they aren’t all that unpredictable. It’s all about the execution, and so far Check In Hanyang is keeping it entertaining.

I also love the little seeds of budding camaraderie amongst our main quartet, like Deok-soo demanding that Myung-ho apologize to Soo-ra, or Jun-hwa looking out for his fellow roommates even if they don’t quite reciprocate the sentiment yet. Eun-ho’s fish-out-of-water antics — like entrusting his number tag sewing to his bewildered bodyguard — are a hoot, and I can’t wait to see them all scramble to cover for one another’s secrets.

Of course, the star of the premiere week is undoubtedly Lady Seol, whose elegant demeanor and incisive gaze form a very compelling character. Even more interesting is the fact that she used to serve Deok-soo’s father — she’s the very person who taught Deok-soo the ways of the dice. The warmth Lady Seol extended to little Deok-soo is a far cry from the calculated apathy she displays now, suggesting it wasn’t a double-crossing act. Rather, I’d be more inclined to believe she killed Deok-soo’s father for a greater purpose. Still inexcusable, but far more intriguing.

Lady Seol is clearly accustomed to hiding her true intentions beneath a perfect veneer, biding her time until the pieces fall into place for her to strike from an advantageous position. I wouldn’t be surprised if her loyalties lie elsewhere, and perhaps it might have something to do with that butterfly tattoo on her wrist.

 
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