Yoon Doo-joon (left) and Kim Seul-gi (right) in a still from ‘Splash Splash Love.’ Photo: MBC, courtesy of Viki.
Splash Splash Love (2015) reminds me of this beautiful line I once read: “A small puddle of melted ice reflected the sky.” It’s crazy how sometimes something as ordinary as a puddle on the ground can suddenly feel like a moment of magic. The “melted ice” speaks of change—something solid turning liquid, as much as the fleeting reflection in it that a gentle breeze or a raindrop can ripple away in seconds. That’s just like life itself, a flow of fleeting moments—and that’s exactly where the magic of Splash Splash Love comes into play, where on a rainy day, jumping into a puddle totally flips Jang Dan-bi’s (Kim Seul-gi) life, mystically transporting her into a different time and space. In that surreal transition, you realize, much like the tiny puddle reflecting the sky, sometimes even the most short-lived moments can lead to grand experiences rich with emotions—akin to this adorable 2-episode K-drama replete with smiles, sorrow, fantasy swirls, swoony romance, and things in between, connecting two different timelines.
In the beginning, we see senior high school girl Dan-bi, tense about her approaching college entrance exam, thanks to her struggles with math. On the scheduled exam day, it begins to rain, unravelling like a downpour of disappointments, panic, and a strong urge to escape the pressing anxiety Dan-bi’s been going through. In a frazzled state, she spots a puddle revealing a mysterious vision of people pleading for rainfall. She leaps into the water, getting pulled through the flow of time and landing in the royal courtyard of the Joseon era, in between a drought relief ritual taking place. In her modern school uniform, standing out against the regal hanboks of the palace people, a perplexed Dan-bi is quickly identified as an outsider by those around her, including an intrigued King Lee Do (Yoon Doo-joon), poised yet visibly curious about her.
Dan-bi piques Lee Do’s curiosity further, calling herself a “gosam,” meaning “high school senior” in modern Korean, but back then, the term also referred to a type of eunuch. However, as she learns more about him and helps him navigate his troubles, she gradually evolves into his trusted confidante. Lee Do is as charming as he is clumsy with numbers. For him, ruling Joseon gets tough when math doesn’t add up. Dan-bi’s arrival at this point proves a blessing as she cracks his math problem. She becomes his personal tutor, teaching him modern math and science, which helps him find ways to fix the long drought bothering the kingdom. In essence, she becomes a catalyst for the greater good, turning the royal court’s confusion into delightful chaos and bridging two worlds apart in time, setting the stage for a thrilling romance between herself and the king.
Their growing chemistry blossoms through tutorials, simple conversations and subtle moments, underscoring that love needs no grand gestures; sometimes just your presence and small acts of kindness matter, they can create ripples in the heart. And as Dan-bi’s stint in Joseon’s royal court unfolds, she keeps making small blunders – her use of modern slang, her weird eating habits and struggles with royal protocols confuse Lee Do, triggering hilarious moments highlighting cultural differences, while also gently deepening her bond with the king.
But then Splash Splash Love is way more than just that. Beyond its fantasy and rom-com sensibilities, it’s pretty deep in its implications—self-discovery, empowerment, and what really counts as real ‘success.’ Dan-bi doesn’t jump into the past for some epic adventure; she’s basically running away from that super stressful college entrance exam, relating to the extreme academic pressure in South Korea, where everyone’s freaking out about performing well. It’s about finding your value. While in Joseon, everything Dan-bi believed was her weakness becomes her greatest strength. Her little knowledge of modern math and science, for example, makes her a total genius there. This realization significantly boosts her confidence and helps her understand that her worth is not solely defined by excelling in one exam but by embracing her true self.
The drama draws a fascinating parallel between Dan-bi’s personal anxiety and Lee Do’s political burdens. Both have heavy responsibilities and fear messing up. It indicates that such pressures are universal, regardless of where or who you are. The rain in the beginning episode acts as a powerful symbol connecting them—the past and present—while also representing change and new beginnings. Dan-bi’s journey becomes one of finding purpose and belief in herself, which in turn inspires others, like Lee Do, and pulls him out of his rut.
In the end, Splash Splash Love leaves you with a sense of hope that the seemingly ordinary can hold extraordinary possibilities. It suggests that love comes with its own math and operates according to its own unique logic—sometimes unpredictable, sometimes messy, but often beautiful.
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