Comic book artist Sophie (Zhang Ziyi) is a sweet and carefree girl brimming with creativity. She and her handsome surgeon boyfriend of two years, Jeff (So Ji-sub), are the perfect couple. After his marriage proposal to her in front of her family and all of her friends, Sophie is the happiest person in the world.
The four siblings in the Gung family were named after precious jewels: eldest daughter Bi Chwi (Jade), eldest son San Ho (Coral), second daughter Ryu Bi (Ruby), and the youngest son, Ho Bak (Amber). Like an assortment of beautiful gems, their colours may clash and their sharp edges chip away at each other. Using an analogy of a bowl of rice with assorted ingredients to illustrate the workings of a family, the key to a great dish is using the right balance of ingredients in order to create a good mixture. Assorted Gems tells the story of the different lives of the family members and how they learn from their clashes to find the perfect balance.
Princess Hours (Korean: 궁, Hanja: 宫, romanized as Goong and also known as The Imperial Household, Love in Palace, Palace Love or Palace, its literal translation and alternate official title) is a popular soonjong manhwa (Korean girls’ comic) by Park So-Hee. It was adapted into an even more well-known live-action comedy/drama series, which had its first season run from January 11 to March 30, 2006. It was distributed by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, which ran episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week until the show’s completion. The original manhwa (which, as of January 2009, has run for 17 volumes in Korea, and by 2012 17 in America) is being published in English as Goong, while the drama has been released on DVD in North America as Palace by YA Entertainment.
