THE SHORT VERDICT:
Show took a while to settle, for me, and Show’s chosen ending also isn’t my favorite choice that writer-nim’s made, but by and large, Show had me firmly by the heart during the course of my watch.
Shin Hye Sun is simply outstanding in this, putting in a tour de force performance that makes this show watch the watch, all on its own, and Kim Jung Hyun is fantastic as well, making his character Cheoljong someone that I really wanted to root for, both as a king and as a person.
The chemistry that our leads share is of the deliciously cracky variety, and I found watching their burgeoning connection a true delight.
Aside from this, there are also a nice handful of supporting characters that I found myself growing very fond of, as well.
Not perfect by any means, and Show does require some hefty lens adjustments, but still so worth it, in my opinion.
THE LONG VERDICT:
Sometimes, you just can’t tell how deeply a show will end up getting under your skin – until it’s crept its way into your heart, and suddenly you realize that Show has your heart helplessly in its grip.
Coming into this one, I’d actually felt quite uncertain about whether Show’s brand of humor would work for me, and whether I would take to Show’s fantasy set-up.
At one point, I even wondered whether to start on this one at all, since there was some less than positive feedback floating around during the early part of Show’s run as well.
So color me very happily surprised, at how thoroughly I ended up enjoying myself during my watch, and how wistful I felt, even, as I approached Show’s final stretch.
I guess it’s true that sometimes love shows up in unexpected places?
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Overall, I found the OST tracks enjoyable and quite pitch perfect for our drama world’s alternating zany and heartfelt scenes. I find that I have a soft spot for Track 3, Here I Am.
There’s something plaintive and poignant that really appeals to me, in that refrain “Here I am,” like our protagonist So Yong is declaring this statement out loud, in the hope that others will see her, but also, so that she can see herself.
Here’s “Here I Am,” in case you’d like to listen to it while reading the review. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.” 😊
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS
Your mileage may certainly vary, but here are a handful of things that I think will be helpful to keep in mind, in order to maximize your chances of enjoying this show.
1. Expecting a possibly slow start should be helpful.
Personally, it took me about 4 or 5 episodes to really get into this one.
2. Suspension of disbelief is a must,
..because there are a lot of things in this drama world that wouldn’t be acceptable in a normal sageuk world.
[HIGH LEVEL SPOILER]
For example, it’s hard to believe that the people around So Yong (Shin Hye Sun) are that tolerant of her crazy antics; I feel like in a more serious sageuk world, she would’ve already been imprisoned for lunacy, for good.
But in this drama world, everyone is much more tolerant, and as a result, So Yong gets to flounce around as she pleases, while her court ladies and maidservants wring their hands and shuffle about furiously.
Also, nobody seems to mind too much, that she’s not using courtly language, and is even using modern slang.
Again, that’s not something that would be acceptable in a normal sageuk world, but is par for the course in this drama world.
[END SPOILER]
Being able to roll with it is helpful.
3. Show’s sense of humor leans on the broader side of things.
Also, on occasion, Show likes to dwell on the funny more than on plot movement. Knowing to expect that helps, I think.
4. Show doesn’t spend much time exploring what it’s like for our protagonist to find himself in a new, female body.
So there aren’t hijinks like in 2011’s Secret Garden, where Hyun Bin had to learn how to live in a woman’s body. Calibrating your expectations around that would be helpful, I think.
5. There is a good amount of politicking that goes on in our drama world.
On the upside, the way Show gets us situated regarding the political situation is much more fun than average, since we get Bong Hwan’s (Choi Jin Hyuk) sarcastic droll commentary, as he processes all the information he gets.
I find this efficient and effective, since Bong Hwan basically analyzes everything for us, in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
6. Show keeps a pretty loose grip on the history related to this period.
This might bother you if you have strong feelings about Korean history. I found that it helps to think of our characters as completely fictional; ie, not related to actual historical figures.
I know that some viewers, particularly viewers with personal ties to Korean history, were offended by Show’s irreverent approach, but personally, I thought it was quite entertaining – given the right irreverent lens, of course.
[MINOR-ISH SPOILER]
For example, I found Show’s playfulness around the idea of history vs. reality quite interesting, like with how Cheoljong is represented as something of a sex maniac in the annals of history, but doesn’t seem to be that way at all, in reality.
So Yong (Shin Hye Sun) then categorizes the history books as mere tabloids, ha.
And then later in our story, we see how something So Yong says about Cheoljong’s, er, friskiness, might have actually gotten recorded as fact, in the historical annals.
I thought that was quite a clever twist, which, while irreverent also raises an interesting question about what is actually fact, in the history that we now know.
[END SPOILER]
7. Show is pretty liberal in its interpretation of palace decorum.
[MINOR SPOILER]
For example, it always continued to surprise me, how disrespectful Byeong In (Na In Woo) is allowed to be, towards Cheoljong.
In any other sageuk world, he wouldn’t be able to get away with his audacious words and actions.
[END SPOILER]
Learning to close one (or both!) eyes to this, is helpful.
SHOW’S MANAGEMENT OF ITS FANTASY WORKINGS
I thought it would be helpful to discuss Show’s fantasy workings upfront, because I realize that this is a potential point of struggle for viewers.
I’ve got the two main topics in bold, in this section. If you haven’t seen the show, my suggestion is to just glance at the headings, and then save this section for later, for if / when you need them, because discussing this would entail diving into some spoilers.
[SPOILER ALERT]
1. What happened to Original So Yong?
Show isn’t very clear about what happened to Original So Yong when Bong Hwan takes over her body, and it’s only until much later, in our final episode, that we get some implied answers.
For a long time, I’d assumed that Original So Yong had died, because of circumstantial evidence that Show serves up, like how, in episode 7, we see that while Bong Hwan is back in his own body in the present, So Yong’s body is in a vegetative state, until he returns to the Joseon timeline, which revives her.
This led me to hypothesize that Original So Yong was possibly in a vegetative state while Bong Hwan’s in control of her body.
Show never does confirm or deny this, but it’s implied, with Original So Yong’s changes in temperament and behavior during our finale, that she’d been present all along, and had absorbed at least some of Bong Hwan’s sassiness, in the process of letting him borrow her body.
2. What do we make of Show merging Bong Hwan and So Yong into a single character?
At the episode 8 mark, Show starts to take steps towards apparently merging So Yong and Bong Hwan into a single character.
At first glance, it did feel rather weird to my eyes, because it does feel like Bong Hwan’s losing himself.
At the same time, though, keeping in mind that his body is in a vegetative state in the present timeline, it’s not like there’s any quality of life that awaits him, in his own body. He’d essentially be trapped in his own body, if he were to go back.
Which leaves only two other options: be trapped in So Yong’s body, always being acutely aware of the differentiation between himself and So Yong, or, be merged with So Yong, so that he becomes a new version of So Yong, for real.
Given that we appear to be looking at a long-term outcome for Bong Hwan, it does feel like perhaps it’s not such a bad thing, for him to find So Yong’s memories, skills, knowledge and sensibilities becoming a natural extension of himself. Kinda like, love the skin you’re in.
In episode 11, So Yong’s session with the royal doctor, talking about her struggle with identity, might make some viewers uncomfortable, with her confusion over why she’s feeling certain feelings, and whether those feelings are hers, or are simply an expression that belongs to the body she’s inhabiting, being essentially dismissed, albeit in a gentle manner and with the best intentions.
I think if one were to see this in the light of those who struggle with gender dysphoria and how their fears and conflicts are often dismissed, this would be a scene that doesn’t sit comfortably at all.
However, if we take a simpler approach to this, and just see it as So Yong being encouraged to accept herself for who she is, I think this lands a lot better.
Also, I do think it’s a very valid idea, that we continue to change and evolve over time, and as we do so, it’s important that we learn to embrace ourselves, rather than fight ourselves. And, it’s true that So Yong and Bong Hwan are now in the process of merging to become one self.
If Bong Hwan is to be truly comfortable and content while inhabiting So Yong’s body, he does need to accept his new self, for what it is.
Some viewers feel it’s unfair to Bong Hwan, that he’s dragged into a relationship with Cheoljong (and vice versa), but I think it’s worth something, that So Yong herself – the newly merged Bong Hwan and So Yong that is – does not seem truly grossed out or disgusted at the thought of developing feelings for Cheoljong.
Yes, there’s some initial suspicion and mortification, which So Yong mostly blames on Original So Yong, and which is played for comedy, but by and large, we see that So Yong is curious to explore what this burgeoning thing with Cheoljong is about, like when she jumps on the excuse that she needs to sleep with Cheoljong a second time, in order to verify whether or not the first time’s enjoyment was just a fluke.
[END SPOILER]
CLEVER WRITING TOUCHES
Generally speaking, there were quite a few times when Show served up developments which I didn’t see coming, which I found quite refreshing and delightful.
Additionally, there were also a lot of writing touches that I found pretty great, which I thought showed a nice amount of creativity and careful planning.
Here are a few examples which stood out extra for me.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E9. How clever of writer-nim, to have the boisterous sounds of the royal make-out session give reason for Byeong In to order the guards to retreat from the house and stand watch at a distance, thus giving Cheoljong the space he later needs, to do his snooping around.
I don’t think this was at all in Cheoljong’s plan, so it’s not like he was intentionally kissing So Yong with a view to having the guards retreat; I think it was more like a happy accidental result, for him.
E9. I am suitably amused by how Show redefines modern terms to mean something else entirely, when So Yong finds ways to explain things to Cheoljong.
First, it was “no touch,” and this episode, it’s “fan club” and “anti-fan.”
It’s so incongruous to hear the words used in their new contexts, and amuses me greatly, especially when they’re paired with Cheoljong’s appreciative expressions. “An even more powerful spirit guide. I do not deserve such feelings you have for me.”
Hee. How creative!
E12. I loved all the little notes that So Yong writes to Cheoljong, to explain the dishes to him, so that he can announce it to the guests.
I laughed out loud at her naming one of the dishes MacDonald’s, which Cheoljong completes with an appropriately rational and dignified explanation.
Pwahaha. Freaking brilliant!
The fortune-telling popsicle sticks at the end of the meal, which So Yong uses to send pointed tongue-in-cheek messages to all the schemers, is just icing on the cake. So well done!
[END SPOILER]
STUFF I LIKED
Shin Hye Sun as Bong Hwan / So Yong
Shin Hye Sun is – in a word – magnificent in this show. If you can’t find any other reason to check out this show, this is reason enough, because Shin Hye Sun knocks it out of the park, playing every iteration of So Yong in our story.
Whether she’s playing the gentle, demure pre-body swap So Yong, or the much sassier, brassier So Yong post-body swap, Shin Hye Sun is absolutely convincing, and never leaves any room in my mind about which So Yong I am seeing before my eyes.
For much of our story, Shin Hye Sun plays a modern man trapped in a Joseon lady’s body, and she is nothing short of pitch perfect at it.
I have to admire the no-vanity, all-in way in which she throws herself into every scene, even when said scene includes awkward elements like her character bending over to gaze between her legs, looking for her missing male bits.
Eep. Okay, I did cringe a little from the secondhand embarrassment, but happily, Show doesn’t go too ham on it, and I found myself able to roll with Show’s punches quite well, to the extent that I even began to enjoy the funny around those punches, eventually.
For a good chunk of our story, the funny is enhanced by Choi Jin Hyuk’s ultra deep voiceovers, which directly contrast with Shin Hye Sun’s feminine visuals, and I really am completely and thoroughly impressed with Shin Hye Sun.
The way her delivery matches the tone of the voiceovers is so good that I often find myself forgetting that these aren’t her actual thoughts. Wow. 🤩
[SPOILER ALERT]
E4. So Yong – well, Bong Hwan, in this particular case – is turning out to be a decent person too.
The way he rails at Cheoljong indignantly, telling him that he’s a jerk for thinking that there’s any good reason to kill his wife, and this, while under the influence of the truth potion, says a lot about him too. Bong Hwan’s not as selfish as he portrays himself to be.
He can and does feel righteously indignant on someone else’s behalf.
E4. Ahaha, I’m amused at So Yong’s ability to sweet talk the Grand Queen Dowager (Bae Jong Ok), even after letting slip an unhelpful remark, that it would be troublesome, if the Grand Queen Dowager only wants to eat her cooking – by adding on that it would be troublesome for her, if the Grand Queen Dowager benefits so much from the healthy meals that she starts to look younger than the queen herself.
Ha. I found this very amusing.
E4. While the things that So Yong demands of her palace staff are hard on them, like running with her palanquin, or filling up the lake faster than they feel is reasonable, I do like that she thinks of rewarding them with cool drinks, and I also like that she’s nice to the little girl with the puppy, and that she plays games with Hong Yeon (Chae Seo Eun), and generally doesn’t carry herself in an aloof manner, but feels down-to-earth.
E4. I’m amused that Bong Hwan grudgingly admits that Cheoljong is cool for stepping in to save Hwa Jin (Seol In Ah).
I’m also amused that the reason Bong Hwan steps in to save Hwa Jin and Cheoljong, is because he wants to look cool too, and thinks that there’s nothing to lose, since he plans to leave via the lake, by that night.
While it would’ve been nice if Bong Hwan had stepped in out of a pure desire to help set the record straight, I appreciate that he steps forward, because he could have just as easily just stood by and watched, while things went down.
After all, he’s not invested either way.
I am tickled that in Bong Hwan’s own words, needing to look like the coolest person in the room, is his kryptonite. HAHA. It’s amusing to me, that this is his Big Trigger Button, and it’s so easy to activate, too. Funnier still, is how he’s so perfectly cognizant of it, but falls for it anyway.
Also, how interesting, that besides wanting to out-cool Cheoljong, he also wants to impress Hwa Jin. This is so misguided, but the irony entertains me.
E5. I have to admire So Yong’s ability to see the palace politics from a macro view, while she’s in the thick of it.
For example, in that scene when Grand Queen Dowager is confronting So Yong, along with Minister Kim (Kim Tae Woo), So Yong’s able to quickly ascertain that they’re not actually interested in deposing her, but instead, want assurance that they have her under their control.
I like that quick-thinking, diagnostic sort of mind that So Yong’s got.
E6. Based on So Yong’s findings so far, it does seem like returning to his own body is a fast-diminishing possibility.
If So Yong hadn’t been breathing when she was first pulled out of the lake, it’s quite likely that she’d died by the time Bong Hwan had arrived in her body. And if that’s true, there may be no option for further swappage available.
So Yong’s attempts to circumvent all the various theories around this, are hilarious. Shin Hye Sun is so in character, and so on point in her delivery of Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body, that I simply forget that Choi Jin Hyuk isn’t actually on the inside, acting out her scenes.
E8. There’s a fair bit of comedy around Bong Hwan discovering that he now has So Yong’s memories and skills, and I do find it quite amusing.
The way s/he so casually plays the gayageum, while frowning over the mechanics of regaining So Yong’s memories via the sense of smell, is quite funny.
It’s also quite funny how Bong Hwan starts to feel swooned out feelings for Cheoljong, because of merging with So Yong, only to react with spurts of horror, as s/he tries to shoo away all of So Yong’s soul remnants, so that s/he won’t be afflicted with the feelings.
Ha. It’s ridiculous, and Shin Hye Sun manages the tonal shifts so seamlessly.
Speaking of which, now that we no longer have the voiceovers in Choi Jin Hyuk’s voice, but in Shin Hye Sun’s, she’s got the tone and cadence down pat. I can totally believe that these are thoughts from the same person, just with the voice changed.
E8. It’s quite funny how So Yong’s just being herself, and everyone around her – in this case, Hwa Jin – reads all kinds of meaning into it. So Yong’s advice to Hwa Jin to come clean to Cheoljong, so that he won’t hear the truth from someone else, is received as a threat, but it’s pretty clear that So Yong didn’t mean it as a threat.
All this unintended wrong messaging amuses me.
E10. I really like seeing that Bong Hwan’s a really decent, compassionate person, in spite of all the bluster.
When the Grand Queen Dowager offers to put the Royal Chef (Kim In Kwon) to death for annoying the queen, it’s actually really heartwarming to see So Yong – well, Bong Hwan – being considerate of him, and thinking about the struggles he must have, in supporting his family.
In fact, So Yong looks for an excuse to convince herself to teach him her recipes. And then, while she’s teaching him, she even asks him about himself.
That’s awfully decent and kindhearted of her.
E11. I continue to be impressed by So Yong’s wisdom in managing the political situation around her. When her father (Jeon Bae Su) tries to ask her about any unusual goings on during her visit home, she is quick to protect Cheoljong by being vague, and she is also smart to suggest that her father visit Cheoljong, so that the parties involved can figure things out on their own.
Dad doesn’t take up her suggestion, but I just like her hands-off, understated facilitative approach.
E11. Lol. I’m quite tickled that So Yong essentially gets the highest points for a single shot in the hunting game, just by sitting down under a tree. Ahaha. That’s so like her.
E13. I appreciate the idea that with each regained memory from the original So Yong, our So Yong becomes more strongly empathetic of what she’d gone through, and speaks on her behalf, like the way she responds to So Yong’s father about why she’d first jumped in the lake.
Her words are impassioned and full of hurt, and come out in a torrent of truth and fire.
“You sold your only daughter to satisfy your greed. Why did you always tell me to become the Queen and the pride of the family and you? Why did you tell me that I can do anything if I become the Queen?
To me who was struggling with the guilt about my mother’s death, why did you keep saying your dream? Do you know what I was thinking when I threw myself into the lake? “The life that I thought was mine was all lie.”
“Even the dream I had was not mine.” “I failed at everything.” That is why I threw myself away.” … “The day when your dream came true, I lost the person I cherish the most. Myself. It is you who pushed me into the lake.”
Oof. It’s no wonder her father can’t stop thinking about it, and looks so downhearted.
E14. Dam Hyang’s (Kang Chae Won) our little heroine this hour, not just noticing the danger in the ice cubes, but personally defying intimidation to throw a stone at So Yong’s drink, to stop her from consuming the arsenic.
That takes a great deal of courage, and it’s clear that that courage is fueled by her good feelings towards So Yong.
So ultimately, it’s So Yong’s down-to-earth nature, which had allowed her to bond with Dam Hyang despite others’ efforts to ban Dam Hyang from the royal kitchen, which had ended up saving her.
E15. It’s pretty great to see So Yong take charge and stare down her enemies one by one, with a glint in her eyes.
So Yong taking steps to confront the Grand Queen Dowager, the Queen Dowager, Hwa Jin, and even the guy who’d sneaked into the kitchen to contaminate the water, is entertaining to watch.
She’s not outright hostile about it, but she’s clear in showing them (especially the two dowagers) that she’s unafraid of them and will absolutely fight back, if she’s trampled on.
I love that So Yong does this in a style that is so quintessentially her; it bewilders the dowagers as much as it aggravates them, which I find quite amusing.
E15. I very much agree with So Yong, that she’s a better person than Hwa Jin.
That’s such a great point that she makes, that when she’d fallen into the water before, Hwa Jin had made no effort to help her, whereas here, in the now, So Yong is the one who catches Hwa Jin and prevents her from falling into the water, despite Hwa Jin’s antagonism.
E15. On a slightly different note, I love how So Yong keeps a good handle of the big picture. The way she asks Cheoljong what his goal is, so that she can see where they can align as allies, is very shrewd and intentional.
Most people might not even think to ask the question to have this conversation, but it’s so important.
E15. It’s interesting that So Yong so naturally reaches for a phrase that original So Yong had used, about dying with a smile on her face.
This is a small but effective way of demonstrating to us that the two So Yongs are definitely merging into one.
E16. I love how smart So Yong is. When her father regrets his corrupt actions, she takes the opportunity to not only have him get clean, but also build up his reputation, by giving away the wealth that he’s accumulated.
Not only that, she has him recreate the ledger that was stolen, thus giving Cheoljong ample ammunition to use against his enemies.
And how shrewd of Cheoljong, to have So Yong’s dad help collect evidence against all the guilty parties, so that he can gain merit as the whistleblower, to earn his pardon. I kinda love it.
E16. I was wondering why So Yong would want to attend the royal conference in disguise, but then she goes and basically threatens all of her clansmen that if they continue to make things difficult for Cheoljong during the royal conference, she will take them down one by one.
Oooh. Gauntlet, thrown. And when the Left State Councilor gets taken down by Cheoljong’s hand, thanks to the recreated ledger, all the clansmen suddenly start toeing the line, because the Queen’s living up to her word, heh.
E17. So Yong’s disbelief and dismay at the news of her pregnancy, laced with rueful resignation, is perfectly played by Shin Hye Sun.
It’s so pitch perfect; I can totally believe that this is Bong Hwan, still gruff and shaking his fist, completely blindsided and discombobulated by this new piece of information, yet deeply cognizant of the fact that there is really no way of escaping it.
I do feel rather sorry for So Yong, but remembering that this is Bong Hwan on the inside, I can’t help also feeling a small sense of satisfaction on behalf of all the moms the world over, because finally, a man (well, his soul, anyway) has to face and understand the trials that come with pregnancy.
I guess this counts as schadenfreude? 😝
E17. I’m amused at So Yong’s abrupt change of mood, once she realizes that once her child gains the throne, she’d wield all the power, instead of the Grand Queen Dowager, but more than that, I like how focused and intent So Yong is, in writing down life lessons for her baby.
This is the first glimpse we’ve had, that So Yong cares about her unborn child, and it’s really quite touching.
[END SPOILER]
Kim Jung Hyun as Cheoljong
Y’know, I’d loved Kim Jung Kyun quite a lot in Crash Landing On You, and I’m thrilled to say that I love him in this show even more. 🤩
When Show first started its run, I’d heard some rumbles of discontent around Kim Jung Kyun’s performance; essentially, some viewers felt like (and I paraphrase) he was sleepwalking his way through his role.
I do think that having Cheoljong as a character come across as pretty deadpan, at least at first, is deliberate on Show’s part, though.
From the beginning of my watch, I felt that Kim Jung Hyun plays Cheoljong with an even sense of restraint that I rather enjoy.
To my eyes, it’s a nuanced performance with subtle cues, and Kim Jung Hyun does very well at giving us a sense that there’s more to Cheoljong than meets the eye.
Clearly, Cheoljong’s only playing dumb, and has more complicated thoughts that he’s keeping close to his chest. I actually found Cheoljong’s fake persona quite intriguing; perhaps more so than our queen’s body swapping troubles, even.
And, as we grow to know Cheoljong better over the course of our story, I couldn’t help but love him more and more, not only as a king, or our romantic male lead, but as a human being.
Win, win and win. 🤩🤩🤩
[SPOILER ALERT]
E2. I’m definitely curious to know more about Cheoljong, who’s a clueless king by day, and fierce ninja by night.
It’s clear that he wants to find evidence of corruption so that he can clean up the court, but what is all this about his feelings for his Royal Concubine, and what does Prince Youngpyeong (Yoo Min Kyu) mean when he tells Cheoljong not to let his personal feelings get in the way, with regards to the queen?
I’m curious to know what the real story is.
E4. I kinda love that right away, So Yong triggers some serious introspection in Cheoljong, with her declaration that at the heart of it all, he’s attacking her because she is weaker than he.
I love that Cheoljong takes it so much to heart; his conscience pricks him so hard in the moment, that he needs to leave the room, while his mind whirls.
That does say something very significant about Cheoljong: he’s not one to allow himself to hide behind excuses. Even though Youngpyeong rationalizes everything for him and makes excuses for him, Cheoljong won’t accept any of it. I feel like that’s very honest and decent of Cheoljong.
E5. One of my favorite things in our story right now, is how Cheoljong is basically rethinking everything that has to do with So Yong. He’s questioning all his previous assumptions about her, ready to formulate new conclusions, if he feels they are warranted.
I like this open-mindedness about him, and I appreciate that he doesn’t allow his past assumptions about So Yong to get in his way of seeing in a new light. He doesn’t seem to have that stubborn pride that won’t allow him to change his mind, and I like that.
He strikes me as fair-minded and just, and that appeals to me.
E7. I must say that Cheoljong’s show of intense concern for his queen, when he hears about her condition, is very satisfying to watch.
The look in his eyes, as his processes the news; the way he suddenly takes off running; the way he gathers her up in his arms and asks, eyes blazing, what happened to her; the way he personally carries her back to her chambers, and then chooses to stay and watch over her through the night.
I love how all that concern comes pouring out, and I love that this is a result of So Yong changing Cheoljong’s mind, without even realizing it.
E8. We see more of Cheoljong being a fighting ninja badass this episode, and I have absolutely no complaints about that.
First, the opening, where he goes to spar with his hidden ninjas, and then, when he gives Kim Hwan (Yoo Young Jae) a flying kick to the face, when Kim Hwan dodges Byeong In’s men to approach Hong Yeon.
And then, of course, there’s how he spars with Scar Face (Kim Bang Won), who’s at So Yong’s father’s house to steal something. It’s quite funny, though, how the shadows from the fight look like two people dancing the tango, to So Yong’s tipsy eyes. Pfft.
E12. I felt really bad for Cheoljong when, after the whole ordeal of the fan fight AND the banquet, Kim Jwa Geun defies him in front of everyone and is legit disrespectful, telling him to wake up to reality.
UGH. This was so hard to watch. I really hate that the courtiers in this show are so blatant in their disrespect for Cheoljong.
I also hate that Cheoljong ends up swallowing his pride and going along with Kim Jwa Geun’s demands, in order to save his royal guards who have been falsely accused. Worse, that entire offering of incense turns out to be a legit terrorist attack, with the incense setting off an explosion, which throws Cheoljong to the ground a good number of feet away.
Ack. I so did not see that coming! 😱
I really wonder whether Cheoljong had any idea, when he was offering the incense, that this was in store, and proceeded anyway? If so, then his tears while reading out that prayer for the nation, lands with an even deeper pathos. 😭
E13. With all the investigations going on about the attack on Cheoljong, I’d suspected that it was Byeong In who had planned it all, so color me surprised, that it was Cheoljong himself who had planned everything, in order to corner Kim Jwa Geun.
Say, what? That was a big risk, and yet, he’d taken it boldly in order to create a situation where he could remove Kim Jwa Geun from the court. Let no one say that Cheoljong’s a coward, eh?
And what a fierce, badass vibe Cheoljong emanates, as he comes back in to take his throne, still wearing some of the bandages on his face, and with fire blazing from his eyes. So strong, and so magnetic. Daze. 🤩
E13. Guh. Cheoljong so bold and undaunted, as he stands up the Grand Queen Dowager, before whom he’d always deferred. And the way he presents the situation as a deal that works in her favor, is very clever. Sure, it’s rather sly, but given the scheming, slippery ways of the Grand Queen Dowager’s entire clan, it seems like Cheoljong has no choice but to play their game.
E15. It’s really great that Cheoljong not only saves Dam Hyang, but even reunites her with her mother. Aw. Talk about turning a bad situation around for good.
And I love that Cheoljong takes the trouble to do this – even though it means putting himself at risk, as Youngpyeong reminds him – because he feels it’s important that he’s able to protect his people.
I find that I’m liking Cheoljong more and more. 🤩
E16. I kinda love that even though So Yong and Hwa Jin both attempt to keep up the ruse that it was Hwa Jin who had saved him from the well 8 years ago, Cheoljong manages to see through both their feints.
I really appreciate that he doesn’t make a fuss about it, even though he actually knows that both of them are not telling him the truth. He assumes that they must have their reasons for wanting to protect the ruse, and plays along – at least for a while.
What strikes me most, though, is the kind manner that Cheoljong keeps towards Hwa Jin, even though he knows that she’s been lying to him for 8 years.
Instead of confronting her with the truth and demanding to know why she’d lie to him, he tells her that he doesn’t like her because she’d saved him from the well; that he would’ve liked her whether she’d saved him from the well or not.
That’s so gracious and loving. Wow.
[END SPOILER]
So Yong and Cheoljong together
The connection between So Yong and Cheoljong was one of the biggest highlights of my watch, personally.
From the very beginning, when it’s just a matter of working some kind of truce between Bong Hwan and Cheoljong, to later on in our story, when the connection between So Yong and Cheoljong starts to evolve into something romantic, I found a lot to enjoy in how their growing closeness and mutual understanding is teased out.
Considering the various complications that stand between our lead characters, not least the facts that (a) So Yong is actually Bong Hwan, a modern man who just wants to go back to his own body, and (b) Cheoljong is already deeply in love with his Royal Consort, I feel that Show does a very nice job of parsing through it all, to make the growing connection a believable one.
Of course, this is with the caveat that appropriate lens adjustments are made – but we’ve already talked about that earlier in this review.
I love love love the crackly chemistry between Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun, and my fangirl heart was very pleased indeed, that our royal couple is given so much space to explore their, uh, growing desire for each other. Ahem. 😋
[SPOILER ALERT]
Mutual suspicion giving way to mutual empathy
E2. I found it very entertaining when Bong Hwan pits his player skills against Cheoljong, like during the wedding night, when they try to get each other drunk.
It’s quite fun to see player pitted against player, each trying his darndest to outwit the other.
E3. I realize that Cheoljong being so suspicious of his queen is quite important to our story, because, as a result, he makes it a point to spend time in her orbit, not only having meals with her, but sleeping in her quarters every night.
This definitely creates opportunities for bonding, thanks to the forced proximity, and I’m interested to see what Show does with this. So far, So Yong already becomes privy to Cheoljong’s nightmares, which I’m sure is a very private matter, as far as Cheoljong is concerned.
Will he come to receive comfort from her presence, thus giving rise to bonding?
E5. I have to admit I kinda love the scene where Cheoljong tries to apologize to So Yong, and is completely taken aback by her torrent of angry words explaining exactly why she ought to be mad at him.
YES. I love how articulate and precise So Yong is, in laying it all out, and I love how silently shocked and flabbergasted Cheoljong is, as the ramifications of her words hit him.
E5. That underwater scene, where So Yong tries desperately to bat away Cheoljong, who’s equally desperately trying to save her, is quite funny.
The annoyance and exasperation is so clear, in her arm movements and facial expression, even underwater.
I have to admit that Cheoljong’s look of horror and concern, when So Yong passes out in the water, and the way he grabs her face, before he grabs her around her shoulders to bring her to safety, is quite melty.
At this point, I half don’t care that this is Bong Hwan who’s really got Cheoljong in a twist; I just like the fact that Cheoljong now cares about So Yong, and is showing it.
E6. At this point in the story, the main hook for me, is Cheoljong reconsidering everything he’d ever believed about So Yong.
I love that Cheoljong is openminded enough to do that, especially since So Yong is someone that he’s always regarded as one of the enemy; it says a lot about Cheoljong and what he believes to be just.
I find it funny that all of So Yong’s actions, which are primarily focused on getting Bong Hwan into his own body, are perceived so differently, through the lens of political context.
All Bong Hwan wants to do, is go back to his own body, which is why he’s so intent on filling up the lake and jumping into it. But from Cheoljong’s perspective, it is a very profound statement of how miserable So Yong must be, to be so determined to end her life.
The way he puts it at the end of the episode to Youngpyeong, is a perfect summary of everything that So Yong’s done, from his perspective:
“She risked her life to save her husband, who had tried to kill her, as well as the woman her husband is in love with. Not because she is boundlessly merciful, and not because she has forgiven me. She did it because she could not turn away from the truth.
She never even expected me to apologize or thank her. She quietly did what she thought was right for justice’s sake, and this crisis has befallen her now. So how could I not waver?”
It’s absolutely a deeply persuasive case, despite it being none of So Yong’s intentions, and I love it. I almost feel bad that Cheoljong’s under the complete wrong impression, but somehow, that idea that he’s completely changing his mind about his queen, towards whom he’d had all kinds of misconceptions and prejudices, just gives me a great deal of satisfaction.
I also love that Cheoljong is being more sincere towards his queen than even he himself intends.
What makes it funny, is how So Yong wants none of Cheoljong’s earnest efforts to live in “no touch” harmony. So Yong’s horror at Cheoljong’s sincere attempt to declare that this is their first day of “no touch” is hilarious, and Cheoljong’s confused consternation at her response, makes it even funnier.
So far, Cheoljong says that he doesn’t see So Yong as a woman, but my drama instincts tell me that this is going to change – and it’s also going to make Hwa Jin nervous and unhappy.
Burgeoning feelings
E8. I think Show’s doing a pretty nice job of bridging the gap between Cheoljong and So Yong, by making the both increasingly protective of the other person.
We’ve seen Cheoljong get all concerned for So Yong’s wellbeing, but this episode, we start to see more of So Yong feeling sorry for him, and protective of him, like how she comes out of the room with that fancy chamber pot and tries to smash it on Scar Face to save Cheoljong – only to miss and hit Cheoljong with it instead.
Oops. But at least Cheoljong sees her concern.
I’m pretty sure that kiss at the end of the episode, is not a romantic one, but more of a diversion tactic, to throw Byeong In off (since Cheoljong, is, after all, wearing servant’s clothes). Still, I’m almost certain that this initial kiss is going to give rise to more confused feelings and increased hyperawareness, and I do think that would be quite fun to witness.
E9. Well. The way that closing scene in our previous episode unfolded this episode, definitely wasn’t quite what I’d expected.
Tee hee. I felt like my eyes were about to bug out of my head, with the way Cheoljong and So Yong were so into snogging each other. I totally didn’t see that coming.
But, with the way Show plays it, as original So Yong’s desire for Cheoljong taking over, I can roll with. As for Cheoljong.. well, I’m still certain that he’d reached out to kiss So Yong in order to throw off Byeong In.
And being more drawn to So Yong than he probably realizes, he probably was caught up in the moment and instinctively went with the flow without thinking about it too much, when she reached out and started making out with him in earnest.
The way Bong Hwan comes to, mid-kiss, and starts a fight with So Yong for not controlling her desires, is too funny. I love the way Cheoljong braces himself to be slapped, only to be dumbfounded when So Yong slaps herself.
Ahaha! I didn’t see that coming either.
E9. I’m definitely shipping Cheoljong and So Yong, since I find myself looking for signs that Cheoljong is sweet on his queen.
And so, even though he knocks So Yong out in order to carry out his snooping, I’m distracted enough by the gentleness in his gaze, and the gentle way that he handles her, as he lays her down to rest, to not mind too much.
Plus, there’s the way he touches her cheek to adjust her sleeping position, and then looks at her and quietly tells her to forget her bad dream. There’s almost a tenderness about it all, which I’m intrigued by and want to see more of.
E9. Every time we get a glimpse of So Yong being kinder and more righteous than I’d expected, I find myself liking her more – which is probably what’s happening with Cheoljong too.
The way she flies into a rage at the eating house in defense of the king, because Cheoljong is incognito and can’t fly into his own rage, is so thoughtful and considerate, honestly.
I totally understand this giving Cheoljong pause for thought.
E10. As Show ramps up the story around the political machinations, my interest in what it means for our characters does grow, but I have to admit that primarily, my interest is in the burgeoning connection between Cheoljong and So Yong.
I find the connection moving because it feels pure, in an almost incidental, I-can’t-help-myself sort of way. Cheoljong’s never had any interest in his queen, and So Yong – well, Bong Hwan – has certainly never had any interest in growing closer to Cheoljong.
And yet, as they encounter each other and observe each other, their understanding and appreciation for each other grows, thus giving rise to a sense of protectiveness, even before romance comes into the mix. I love that.
Of course, I am certainly not complaining about the hints of romance, and the indications that Cheoljong is absolutely falling in love with his queen despite his resolve not to.
I’m also nicely amused by original So Yong’s feelings for Cheoljong jumping in and overtaking Bong Hwan from time to time.
Bong Hwan’s disconcerted reactions to that are hilarious, and while I feel a little sorry for Bong Hwan, I’m rationalizing that given time, as his consciousness merges with So Yong’s, eventually these feelings will be organic to him?
Part of my brain niggles at me, on the question of whether this is fair to Bong Hwan, since his consciousness is basically changing and evolving whether he likes it or not, but I realize that if I allow that to bother me too much, there’s basically no way for me to continue enjoying this show.
Also, it helps quite a bit, that Bong Hwan is shown to relish the advantage s/he has in showing up as a perfect queen, with his soul combining with So Yong’s memories.
I mean, if Bong Hwan is finding something to gloat about in all of this, maybe he doesn’t need our pity?
Our early opening scene, where Cheoljong holds So Yong to himself, after semi-waking from his nightmare, is very poignant to me.
From So Yong’s point of view, she’s just agreeing to be a stand-in for Hwa Jin, because Cheoljong’s eyes had played tricks on him, and he’d thought it was Hwa Jin in front of him, and had called out Hwa Jin’s name.
But the reality is, Cheoljong had realized it was So Yong, and then knowingly pulled So Yong to himself, and even opened up about what he’d dreamt about. He knew it was So Yong, and still wanted to take comfort in her presence.
Aw. How bittersweet, that he knows and is acting on his feelings, but she has no idea, and believes him to be thinking of Hwa Jin.
E10. Aw! Cheoljong deals with his nightmares, by self-soothing via creating a dictionary of all of So Yong’s unique turns of phrase?
That is so surprising and so endearing, even though it’s also sad that he suffers from these nightmares so regularly. He’s definitely growing a soft spot for So Yong, regardless of his determination that he cannot fall in love with her.
E10. And what is this about So Yong having sexy-romantic dreams about Cheoljong? I’m absolutely curious to see where this goes. 😆
E11. Aw. It seems that after creating the queen’s dictionary as a way of self-soothing, Cheoljong managed to sleep like a baby through the night.
That’s sweet. The contented pleased look on his face, which I take to also extend towards So Yong, since the dictionary is in her honor, is really gratifying to see as well.
E11. I am very amused that So Yong’s efforts to exchange secret letters with the new concubines turns into a series of uninhibited flirtations with Cheoljong.
Tee hee. This totally gives me “You’ve Got Mail” vibes, where So Yong has no idea that the person with whom she’s having such a great time exchanging secret notes is, is actually Cheoljong.
The difference, of course, is the fact that Cheoljong totally knows that he’s exchanging notes with his queen, and is becoming increasingly drawn to her. I have to admit that I love that.
E12. Cheoljong does cut a fine figure in that fan fight, trouncing Byeong In and all. I like badass Cheoljong. And it was hard to watch Cheoljong’s earnest efforts to assert himself at that event, be faced with obstacle after obstacle.
I really felt the pathos of that, especially since so many other people present are just waiting to gloat over his failure. 😭
I love that So Yong steps in to help Cheoljong by saving the banquet with her creative cookery, even though she advises him to just give up and not fight.
I’m glad for Hong Yeon, for pointing out so helpfully that So Yong’s only saying that because she doesn’t want to see Cheoljong hurt and disappointed.
E13. For a start, it’s not that I didn’t expect So Yong to react to Cheoljong getting injured in the explosion; I just didn’t expect her reaction to be so.. visceral.
Her horror at the sight of injured, passed out Cheoljong, comes across as something that she feels deep in her soul, and her desire to go to him, feels instinctively sincere and very, very urgent.
Her desperation is so palpable that I can’t breathe, watching her efforts to get near Cheoljong. This isn’t the kind of reaction I’d expect from someone who considers Cheoljong a convenient strategic partner; this is the kind of reaction I would expect of a queen for truly cares for and loves her king.
Ahhh! I feel like I’m clutching my non-existent pearls with breathless anticipation.
So Yong’s voiceover rings true; often, we don’t appreciate the miracle of what we have, until it isn’t there anymore. Perhaps the prospect of losing Cheoljong is galvanizing So Yong into becoming more cognizant of her feelings for him?
It’s true that So Yong makes the decision to abandon Cheoljong in order to secure her own safety, but at the same time, it’s clear that she is unwilling to do so, and feels conflicted about it.
With the palace being as dangerous as it is with all the scheming and politicking, and with Cheoljong appearing to be in such a bad state, it does look like, pragmatically speaking, this is So Yong’s better option.
With each step that So Yong takes towards abandoning Cheoljong, though, her concern for him continues to shine through. When she hears that he’s regained consciousness, she immediately goes to visit him, and it clearly pains her to see him all bandaged up like a mummy.
Also, there’s how she’s unable to sleep well, and then makes carrot porridge – a most tedious dish – as a way of doing penance.
I do love that So Yong’s first reaction to hearing that Cheoljong’s recovered, is to literally trip over herself in her haste to see him, hee.
Afterwards, though, we see that she’s actually reluctant to go and instead drowns herself in wine in the royal kitchen. I think that this is because she feels guilty for her decision to betray him, and that’s why she doesn’t feel able to face him.
E13. I’m surprised that Cheoljong only makes the connection now, that the notes at the banquet were written by So Yong, when he compares the handwriting on the notes to the handwriting in her letters.
I’d have thought that he would have recognized her handwriting and roguish style right away, since it’s so distinctive. I’m rationalizing that he was possibly too preoccupied with the issues at hand to make the connection, but honestly, I had expected more from Cheoljong.
Also, what a twist, that So Yong ends up sleeping with Cheoljong, after drunkenly mistaking him for Hong Yeon. 😳
I mean, I’m all for sexytimes between our king and queen, since they clearly care deeply for each other. I just.. feel a little wistful, that So Yong had been drunk and therefore participated while thinking that it was Hong Yeon with her, and not Cheoljong.
That feels.. kinda wrong? That said, another part of me is admittedly quite thrilled at the thought that we are seeing significant progress between our king and queen. Squee~? 🤭
E14. What a fun episode, with our king and queen communicating and getting closer, in spite of So Yong’s every effort to prevent it, heh.
I think how much you enjoy the love scene between Cheoljong and So Yong, depends on how well you’re able to switch off the part of your brain that protests that So Yong technically doesn’t want to take the relationship with Cheoljong any further, because she believes that this isn’t her true self.
I do think that some viewers would struggle with how So Yong’s initial horror and chagrin is played for laughs. But then again, I do think that taking too serious of a lens to almost any kdrama would likely ruin it for you.
I personally find that it’s helpful to think of So Yong’s chagrin as part of her journey of coming to terms with who she is becoming; her journey to accepting and embracing herself for who she is becoming, if you will.
I find that that satisfies my brain enough, that I’m able to just sit back and enjoy the feels, and it all works out to a pretty great time, from where I’m sitting.
I find that I am melting and swooning all over the floor, with the way that Cheoljong’s looking at So Yong these days, particularly in the bed scene, where he caresses her cheek.
The way he looks at her, it feels that he’s almost kind of hypnotized in the moment, like he is entranced by her, and can’t see anything or anyone else.
It’s completely swoony, and I flail.
And, not gonna lie, the way he then leans over her, with his outer robe coming off in swift strokes, is pretty hawt. 🔥
And, the fact that all of this is triggered by a glimpse of tenderness from So Yong, is really gratifying. 🥰
The morning-after hijinks are really funny (once you’ve got your brain on the right setting, like I mentioned), and I really applaud both Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun for their fantastic comic timing. It’s their delivery that takes it from funny to wildly hilarious, and I love it.
So Yong’s horrified attempts to stay away from Cheoljong, while trying desperately to convince herself that she hadn’t enjoyed their sexytimes as much as she did, and Cheoljong studiously running after his queen, completely befuddled, while full of a solemn desire to connect with her, is altogether hysterical. I love it.
I love the scene where So Yong realizes that she’s been writing to Cheoljong all this time, while Cheoljong realizes that he’d been receiving the letters due to a mistaken delivery.
Tee hee. I love that while Cheoljong’s reciting lines from So Yong’s letters, all their attendants think that their king and queen are royally flirting and bickering in their presence.
A love confession
Also, despite the light and humorous way the bickering is portrayed, I appreciate that a good chunk of things get laid out in the open, because of this one conversation.
And, that moment, when So Yong gets all upset with Cheoljong for doing something as dangerous as subjecting himself to the explosion, and Cheoljong responds by taking her in his arms, is so gratifyingly melty.
“All of this disallowing.. is disallowed.”
Somehow, the way Cheoljong says that, with a slight growl in his voice, and a clear desire to be close to her, makes it very swoony.
We even get a love confession from Cheoljong, which feels both natural yet unexpected, at the same time. Credit to So Yong for bringing their entire context back to Cheoljong’s attention, and explaining why original So Yong had told him that he needed to love her.
This isn’t the first time that So Yong has spoken up for original So Yong, and I appreciate that empathy and respect that she shows for original So Yong and her feelings.
Also, it’s interesting to note that in So Yong’s voiceover to herself, as she walks away, she reminds herself that she’s not the real So Yong, and that’s why this love with Cheoljong cannot be.
How interesting. Does this mean that So Yong is admitting that she does have feelings for Cheoljong?
It was also pretty gratifying to see Cheoljong be so concerned for So Yong’s wellbeing. The panicked manner in which he rushes back to the palace, and the way he desperately searches for her, is such a great expression of his care for her.
And how significant, that So Yong reaches for Cheoljong, and earnestly asks him to save Dam Hyang.
This is the first time she’s asked him for anything, and I feel like this open vulnerability in front of him, is very significant.
And what a great twist, at Dam Hyang’s death by poison scene, that Cheoljong uses the crossed fingers sign that So Yong had taught him, to signal to her that all is not as it seems.
Eee! I just love that Cheoljong’s been paying attention all this time, when So Yong’s been rattling off her various turns of phrase and other little quirks of expression.
Now it feels like they are on the same side, and in on the same secret, and I love it.
E15. I love that So Yong’s actively reaching out to Cheoljong to form an alliance. This is a vast improvement over her previous efforts to avoid him all the time. I can’t help but notice that in this conversation, Cheoljong’s first response, at So Yong’s proposal, is that she will make enemies of her clan, if she forms an alliance with him.
I find that considerate; he’s concerned that she doesn’t understand the implications and will regret alienating herself from her family.
Aw. That’s thoughtful of him, yes?
Also, yay for handshakes, the removal of the “no touch” rule, and love shots, hee.
What makes this scene even better, to me, is the fact that once they’ve drunk to their alliance, So Yong’s first order of business, is an honest conversation, to understand why Cheoljong had tried to kill her before.
That’s so healthy! I love that Cheoljong doesn’t attempt to avoid it, but instead leans into it and tells her the truth, and apologizes.
I also love how readily So Yong accepts his answer, and simply tells him that he owes her one, now.
E15. Tee hee hee. I’m very tickled by how the sight of Cheoljong’s bare chest discombobulates So Yong. And it definitely helps, that So Yong’s very cognizant of how attractive she finds Cheoljong, and her main beef with it, is how it hurts her pride. Heh.
Her subsequent attempt to maybe-possibly seduce Cheoljong with ramyun, thrilled to hold onto the rationalization that she needs to try [sexytimes with Cheoljong] again, in order to figure out whether her enjoyment of the experience was just a one time thing because she was drunk or if this is a real thing, is breathily hilarious.
Cheoljong’s confused bemusement is just bonus. Such a great little scene, truly.
And last but not least, YESSS, Cheoljong finally makes the connection that the person who had saved him from the well in his youth, wasn’t Hwa Jin, but So Yong.
I am chomping at the bit to see how this affects both his relationship with So Yong, and his (now disintegrating) relationship with Hwa Jin.
E16. I am digging this new development, that So Yong teaches Cheoljong about the future, because she wants to help him achieve the Joseon that he dreams of – even though she knows that it isn’t the way history worked out, and therefore, the odds are stacked against Cheoljong.
The look on her face, as she thinks the thought, “I want to put everything on the line for this man who is bound to lose,” makes me feel like she’s quite entranced by him. So Yong does love her king indeed.
I love the fact that Cheoljong listens to So Yong’s stories of the future with rapt attention and a serious mind, even though he admits that he can’t quite believe that they are true.
He takes her seriously, and accords her words with deep thought, regardless of whether he thinks it’s fact or fantasy. How swoony is that??
Their regular chats through the night, resulting in them falling asleep right there over the table, is such an endearing thing. It’s no wonder the palace maids are all saying that the king’s head over heels for his queen. 🤩
How meaningful, that Cheoljong makes it a point to return the book from the well to So Yong, this time, with her name written on it.
I love the way he puts it, “You can hurt someone by not knowing the truth. It took too long… for me to return this to its owner. I am sorry… for not recognizing you.”
There’s so much thought and heart in those words. I love that he realizes that his not knowing the truth had resulted in hurt for So Yong.
I also love that So Yong apologizes too, for not being honest with him for a long time. Aw, it really feels like these two are growing in their understanding of each other, and I really like that.
E16. Pwahaha.. I’m quite surprised by this new development, that So Yong’s pregnant. I can see that she’s totally blindsided by this, even though everyone else is jubilant at the news.
How will our reluctant rebel queen deal with pregnancy and all the challenges that come with it, and will it prevent her from achieving her goal of saving Cheoljong?
E17. Even though it’s played for laughs, I find Cheoljong’s happy-tearful response, as he realizes that he’s going to be a father, heartfelt and moving. I love that he’s so happy about So Yong’s pregnancy.
While there’s silly comedy around Cheoljong asking for advice on how to appease his upset wife, I appreciate his conclusion, that he’s the one who knows her best, and therefore, he’s the one who knows how best to make her happy.
Aw. His conclusion, that So Yong would enjoy some time at the royal villa, where she’d be able to revel in a bit of freedom. Cheoljong’s right; he does understand So Yong well.
Freedom really is one of the things that she values the most. Aw.
Also, how cute, that they’re holding hands! So Yong acts all awkward about it, but she clearly does like it, especially given the way she swoons on Cheoljang’s hand and caresses it, without even realizing. 😆
E17. Like I mentioned earlier, I am highly amused at Cheoljong’s and So Yong’s efforts to show public affection, so that they can quench the rumors about them.
I love the fact that both of them are equally proactive in increasing the skinship levels between them, with So Yong even hiking her leg around Cheoljong’s waist, to Cheoljong’s delight – and the blushing awkwardness of all their attendants.
Tee hee. These two can be so flirty with each other. This was great. 🤩
E17. It’s a testament to how much Cheoljong loves So Yong, that he would agree to Byeong In’s demand, in order to protect her – even though he knows that this will put his own life in danger. I hate that Cheoljong leaves without saying goodbye to So Yong.
I mean, was this even a condition that Byeong In had laid out? I rationalize that he’d probably have found it even harder to leave, if he’d allowed himself to say goodbye to So Yong, but.. that’s just too cruel to both of them, no? 😭
[END SPOILER]
Special shout-outs:
Cha Chung Hwa & Chae Seo Eun as Court Lady Choi & Hong Yeon
I absolutely loved Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon; they brought so much extra fun and warmth to our drama world.
Hong Yeon’s sweet, earnest, wholehearted love for So Yong is like a ray of sunshine, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to Hong Yeon’s sweet spirit. And Court Lady Choi’s a delight, with her fantastic comic timing, and her often deadpan expressions of consternation.
[MINOR SPOILER]
For example, in episode 5, Court Lady Choi’s gasping, heaving sobs are so funny, and her wailing remorse over how she’s made the queen miserable with her continuous nagging is so sad-cute; the woman deserves an award. 🤩
[END SPOILER]
Lee Jae Won as Special Director Hong
I really enjoyed Lee Jae Won’s turn as Special Director Hong.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Even though Cheoljong and Youngpyeong are also putting on on a dummy act by day, so that they can ninja by night, Special Director Hong’s ridiculous slacker act is extra amusing to me.
His shallow, petulant act is perfect for causing the people around him to roll their eyes and not take him seriously – especially that thing in episode 3, about how he picked his trainees for their faces instead of their abilities.
Pfft. That kinda reminds of Hwarang, which was a breathtakingly bad idea. 😆
I was also very tickled that Hong Yeon develops a crush on Special Director Hong, and he even gets a garment-swishing slo-mo hero moment, and the heart-eyes to go with. Tee hee. So cute.
[END SPOILER]
Choi Jin Hyuk as Bong Hwan
Generally speaking, I have to confess that I am not a huge Choi Jin Hyuk fan 😅; I find his delivery a little stiff, in general.
However, this role suits him perfectly, and I especially loved his voiceovers; his deep voice provides such a fun contrast to Shin Hye Sun’s ladylike visuals. 😆
STUFF THAT WAS OK
Seol In Ah as Hwa Jin
My feelings towards Hwa Jin went through quite an evolution, because her role in our story evolves quite a bit as well.
[SPOILER ALERT]
From simply being the royal consort who’s deeply in love with her king, we start to see from about episode 5 onwards, that Hwa Jin’s keeping some dark secrets from Cheoljong, and isn’t as pure and innocent as she portrays herself to be.
We don’t find out what that secret is for a good chunk of our story, but in the meantime, as the connection between Cheoljong and So Yong grows stronger, so does Hwa Jin’s evil streak, because hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Hwa Jin has no political agenda for her actions; for her, it really is all about Cheoljong.
I rather like the simplicity of that, but the problem is in how Hwa Jin turns her fury towards tearing down So Yong by any means possible. That was not very endearing at all, certainly.
In the end, Show does give Hwa Jin a redemption arc, which is arguably rather simplistic in the grand scheme of things, but which I much prefer to Show making her outright evil.
I’m glad that Hwa Jin eventually makes peace with So Yong in episode 17 before leaving the palace, and that she also speaks honestly and kindly to Youngpyeong, admitting that she’d knowingly used his feelings for her.
[END SPOILER]
The matriarchs
The scheming matriarchs in our story are basically a necessary evil in any sageuk world. I mean, what’s a royal court without schemers and manipulators, right?
I’m glad that Show chooses to play them kind of large and theatrical, while occasionally being comical. That definitely added levity to machinations that were otherwise cruel and self-serving, and therefore a potential downer to have in our drama world.
Between them, I was more entertained by Bae Jong Ok, whom I feel has got just the right kind of condescending, scheming, matriarchal energy, meshed nicely with some very solid comic timing.
STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH
Na In Woo as Byeong In
For the record, I did not think Byeong In as a character made a lot of sense, honestly.
[SPOILER ALERT]
It occurred to me partway through my watch, that Byeong In feels like a character from a completely different world. It’s like he doesn’t realize that Cheoljong is his king, and therefore, even if he’s a puppet king, he needs to accord him with a reasonable degree of respect.
The way he swears under his breath to kill Cheoljong during the fan fight in episode 12 feels jarring, and I realize that that’s because Byeong In doesn’t actually have his eye on the throne.
In a sageuk, it’s not that kings don’t get killed; it’s that they only get killed if it’s for the throne. And here, Byeong In’s obsession with So Yong feels like such a petty reason to want to kill the king.
I mean, he’d known that So Yong was going to marry the king, and had still harbored feelings for her. What did he expect, that she wouldn’t marry Cheoljong? Or that she’d marry him, but not have relations with him? Or that she’d have relations with him, but not feelings?
None of those options makes sense to me, and Byeong In’s petulance and blatant disrespect for Cheoljong made me roll my eyes quite often.
Suffice to say, I didn’t like Byeong In very much. 😒 Which is why, in episode 8, I actually felt very gratified at the sight of Byeong In’s distress, in response to hearing the sounds of the royal couple boisterously making out and knocking things down all over the place.
The more Byeong In looks like he’s about to lose his mind, the more I gloat, heh. (I’m sorry for being mean!
But also, gloatgloatgloat~) 😆
That said, Show does give Byeong In a nice redemption arc in our last episode, and for what it’s worth, it did effectively make me feel more kindly towards him.
[END SPOILER]
Yoo Min Kyu as Youngpyeong
I don’t have very strong feelings about Youngpyeong, but I just wanted to say that through most of the show, Youngpyeong looks like he’s literally on the verge of tears.
I don’t understand. Is this directed by PD-nim, or is this Yoo Min Kyu’s own interpretation of the character?
Either way, his constantly woeful expression, which consistently makes him look like he’s about to cry at any moment, did not work for me. 🤷🏻♀️
SPOTLIGHT ON EPISODE 18 [SPOILERS]
Dang. That was a rollercoaster of an episode; I.. need a moment.
Even though Show’s general tone and vibe have given me the expectation of a happy ending of some sort, I can’t help fearing for Cheoljong’s life, because, 1, this is a sageuk after all, and people do die in sagueks, and 2, this is a fantasy story as well, so it’s also quite possible that Cheoljong could die (and be somehow resurrected later?
I dunno; I mean, Bong Hwan’s own body is in a deep coma, so I feel like anything is possible).
Because of this, I found that this episode’s initial stretch, where Show is treating So Yong’s worry for Cheoljong with a relatively light touch, I couldn’t really get into the bits that were intended for funny.
I really felt for So Yong as she struggles with her worry for Cheoljong, and that scene where she breaks into tears on the excuse that she’s pricked her finger on a needle, her bright, tear-filled eyes really moved me.
I also couldn’t shake the dread gathering in my chest, as I wondered what had actually happened to Cheoljong.
I found the faking of Cheoljong’s death despicable at every level, and I wish I could wipe the smug look off the Grand Queen Dowager’s face, while all this is going on.
It really seems that it doesn’t matter what the truth is, as long as Cheoljong can be written off as dead, and her regency can be resumed. Ugh.
So Yong grieving for the loss of Cheoljong is so sad to watch.
The scene where she discovers that Cheoljong’s written an entry in the baby diary that she’d started, is especially bittersweet, as we hear Cheoljong promises his unborn baby in voiceover, that he will be there to welcome him, when he’s born. 😭
And, how thoughtful of Cheoljong, to ask the baby to come out quickly into the world, so that he doesn’t put his mother to a lot of trouble. So sweet, and so sad, all at the same time. 💔
I did feel pleased, though, when So Yong starts to realize that all is not as it seems, and starts to investigate. The way she sneaks in to examine the body that supposedly belongs to Cheoljong, and determines – after feeling him up, er, thoroughly – is so like her.
I do love how So Yong’s able to piece the clues together, to conclude that there’s a good chance that Cheoljong is alive. Huzzah!
And, how compassionate of So Yong, to call Hwa Jin out of exile, to tell her the news that Cheoljong isn’t dead. I do find Hwa Jin’s relieved tears, as she kneels to thank So Yong, touching; she does indeed sincerely love Cheoljong, to the best of her ability.
Also, it looks like So Yong might have plans for Hwa Jin to be part of the plan, in bringing Cheoljong back to the palace, though I can’t figure out what they might be.
I do like the idea of So Yong and Hwa Jin finally working together on the same side, though.
I love how gung-ho So Yong is, in sneaking out of the palace to save Cheoljong, because, as she puts it, she’s the only one he has left. How bold of her, to tell Byeong In the naked truth, that the So Yong that he thinks he loves, is no longer there.
I also feel that there’s a sense of indignation in her words, like she’s genuinely aggrieved at Byeong In’s ignorance and thoughtlessness, on Original So Yong’s behalf.
I feel like it’s about time Byeong In gets shaken up, but I’m also nervous at the implication of what his new knowledge might mean, for So Yong.
It’s very cute how Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon insist on going with So Yong to save Cheoljong, and their girls’ adventure is warm and wholesome – until it isn’t.
I’m horrified that Court Lady Choi gets sliced down while trying to protect So Yong, and not only that, Hong Yeon then dives ahead as a decoy, in order to buy So Yong some time. Gah. Did we just lost both Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon, in one fell swoop?? 😭😭
Tell me it ain’t so! I love those two ladies. 😭
While it’s something of a relief to see that Cheoljong isn’t dead, his safety is still in question at the end of the episode, since his rescuer finds him snooping around.
On top of that, Byeong In’s literally dangling So Yong over the edge of a cliff, and I find myself feeling very concerned for the safety of our royal OTP indeed. 😬
SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODE [SPOILERS]
What a solid, solid penultimate episode this turned out to be. Not only do we get a lot of plot movement, we get some surprising turns, lots of feels, as well as a good helping of nail-biting uncertainty, as we prepare to go into our finale. Very nicely done, I thought.
First of all, given how Byeong In’s been something of a loose cannon in recent episodes, I didn’t expect him to give up his life protecting So Yong – whom he’d been trying to kill, just last episode.
But – and credit to Show – his actions actually do make sense, given his characterization. He’s always loved So Yong, to the extent of being rather obsessive about it. And so, when it occurs to him that the original So Yong might still be alive, somewhere in her overtaken body, he chooses to give all he has, to protect her.
I mean, make no mistake; I still don’t exactly like Byeon In as a character, but I do think there’s something poetic and moving, about someone being willing to give up his life, for another.
And that’s what he does this episode, for the woman that he loves, even though there is no guarantee that she is still alive. And yet, he dies for the possibility that she might still be alive. Wow. That’s pretty mind-blowing, isn’t it?
I honestly didn’t think that Show would be able to make me feel sympathy for Byeong In, after all the nefarious things that he’s done. And yet, with this one move, I find myself feeling rather sorry for him, for having lived such a misguided life.
I’ll say that’s pretty impressive.
I’m glad that So Yong and Cheoljong have the grace to give him a proper burial, later on. And, I do think that it says something about our royal couple, that the way they treat Byeong In in death, is so gracious and full of gratitude.
Second, I love how it’s Cheoljong who finds So Yong, because that quells her fears on two levels, at the same time. 1, she is assured of his safety, because she can see him and touch him for herself, and 2, she is now safe, and won’t have to wander the mountains on her own any longer.
Their reunion is so full of emotion; So Yong’s bawling, her eyes bright with tears, and Cheoljong’s palpable relief – just watching them cleave to each other made my heart swell. I’m just so happy that they are together now.
AND, I’m so, SO relieved to know that both Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon are alive and well.
AUGH. Show really had me going for a while there. Part of me wants to give Show a bit of a stink-eye for toying with my feelings like this, but I’m so relieved that they’re ok, that I’ll let it pass.
The reunion of the three ladies is so emotional and so full of warmth and love, that I feel like my heart’s going to burst. I’m just so happy that they’re ok, and they’re together again. ❤️
Ok, so it’s a bit of a stretch that So Yong would feel fine enough to be frisky with Cheoljong after being stabbed in the shoulder by a sword, but I rationalize that her feelings at being reunited with Cheoljong are so strong, that the physical discomfort fades in comparison.
And while the kisses that our royal couple share are full of feeling, to me, it’s the way So Yong cradles Cheoljong face with her hand, and the way that he instinctively leans his face into her hand as she does so, that gets me in the heart the most.
There is so much intimacy and tenderness in this one single moment. So much.. belonging. I love. ❤️
I was hoping that Hwa Jin would continue to act in partnership with So Yong, and I am very pleased to see that Hwa Jin is busily putting up posters everywhere in the city, proclaiming the truth that the king lives.
YES. I love the idea that So Yong and Hwa Jin are on the same side now, and working together for a common goal. 😍
At the same time, I am amused and quite thrilled that our Head Royal Chef feels the loss of the king and queen, and his beloved Court Lady Choi so much, that he quits the palace and ends up finding them in the mountains.
Huzzah! I love this hodge-podge reunion, and I am supremely tickled by all the little romantic moments that he ends up sharing with Court Lady Choi.
Kudos to Show, for making it possible for me to go from mourning Court Lady Choi’s death one episode, to squeeing at her holding hands with Head Royal Chef the next.
The emotional rollercoaster was worth it, I say. 😆
How neat, that Head Royal Chef’s arrival also means that our little rogue royal team gets important intel on the wagons that are allowed into the palace, even when everything else is closed off.
I mean, that took some advanced planning by writer-nim, to make it all seem plausibly organic, and Show pulls it off very nicely. I’m impressed.
When Cheoljong asks So Yong whether this is a fight that he will win, since she says she’s from the future and therefore already knows the outcome, I actually felt a little disappointed, to be honest.
I had hoped that Cheoljong would have a chance to actually change the course of history, simply because in his timeline, he hasn’t lived it yet.
However, Show goes with the more fatalistic way of thinking about things; that there is no way that history can be changed, because somewhere, sometime, it has already happened.
What I do like about this scene, though, is how So Yong tells Cheoljong, without a hint of irony or regret, that even though this is a fight that he loses, she will bet everything on him.
What a long way our Bong Hwan / So Yong has come, and this is all because of her love for Cheoljong.
I also really like how Cheoljong takes her statement about his loss in his stride, and simply focuses on the fact that she’s gone all-in with him, and is heartened enough by her support, to be able to sincerely say that he will do his best, even if he is destined to lose.
There is so much earnest, honest passion in here. I love it, and also, it just makes me want even more, for Cheoljong to defy history and win this thing.
The way Cheoljong and So Yong take the chance to snuggle up while they’re being transported in the secret compartment in the wagon is so full of tension and.. desire.
Ahem. I am amused that our royal couple consistently has the hots for each other, even when they are in an uncomfortable and dangerous situation, ha.
Their whispered flirtations are so suggestive and naughty; I almost expect them to actually start making out right then and there. 😆
How worrying though, that Minister Kim stops the wagon upon its entry into the palace, and is suspicious enough of it, to stab his sword at the false bottom.
Eep. That can’t be good. Will our royal couple be able to get out of this unscathed? 😬
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]
So I’d heard that reactions to this show’s ending have been very mixed, and I’d wondered how I’d feel, when I got to see Show’s chosen ending. Would I be a happy camper like many viewers seem to be, or would I hate it, like some of my friends?
Now that I’ve experienced Show’s ending for myself, I gotta say.. I don’t love it. I mean, I get Show’s rationale (I think), but this is not the ending that my heart wanted. 😭
Let me back up.
First, let me summarize the key events of this finale episode.
Mainly, Cheoljong and So Yong make it back into the palace, and, after they are both shot by Sniping Scarface, Bong Hwan finds himself back in his own body, and original So Yong finds herself in control of her own body again.
So Yong’s learned a thing or two, after having watched Bong Hwan navigate things while in her body, and she’s now stronger and sassier, even while retaining much of her original ladylike essence.
Bong Hwan, on the other hand, finds himself no longer trapped in a vegetative state, because Cheoljong’s managed to change the course of history enough, that Bong Hwan’s reality in the present is changed too.
Bong Hwan is happy for Cheoljong, and smiles fondly while thinking of Cheoljong. Meanwhile, Cheoljong is still madly in love with his queen – and only occasionally feels like he’s lost something. But they still live happily ever after. End.
I.. think I get where Show was going with this, in that, I do understand that this is the path that puts people back in their rightful places, and gives the maximum number of people a happy ending.
This is the choice that allows original So Yong to have her body back, and receive the love of Cheoljong, whom she’s always loved. And it allows Bong Hwan to return to his time, and have a functioning body.
Bbbut.. my struggle is, this means that Show essentially swops out the OTP, in our last minutes, after spending hours upon hours of screen time building up the connection between Cheoljong and somebody else. 😳
This feels like the drama equivalent of being catfished, and I gotta say, it’s not sitting so well with me. 😥
I mean, since Show was already going so ham with playing with history anyway, what would have been the harm in allowing Bong Hwan to continue to live as New So Yong, which Show had already established as a meshing of Bong Hwan and original So Yong, so that they are both represented?
That would have retained the integrity of the relationship that Show’s been working to build over the entire length of our story, and I think, would’ve given us a happy ending that would have felt much more satisfying.
Sure, Bong Hwan wouldn’t be able to go back to his body in the present, but if we see that, 1, he doesn’t have much of a future in the present anyway because of his body’s vegetative state, and 2, he – well, now she – is much happier to stay on in Joseon with Cheoljong, wouldn’t that be enough?
I’m guessing that part of the reason that Show chose this ending, is also to stem any homophobia arising from the fact that New So Yong is part male, but HEY, Show’s already had New So Yong sleep with Cheoljong and be impregnated by him, so what’s the actual difference, honestly? 🙄
For the record, my headcanon says that this is Show’s OTP, and I’m sticking with it. 😑
THE FINAL VERDICT:
A little rough with its takeoff and landing, but so solid in-between, that it’s completely worth it.
FINAL GRADE: B++
TEASER:
BONUS EPISODES – WHERE TO WATCH
The production released two 30-minute special episodes titled Mr. Queen: The Secret, which are designed to be a fun collection of B-side vignettes from our drama world.
If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, you can revisit our characters at Viu here, or on Viki here.
MVs:
WHERE TO WATCH:
You can check out the show on Viki here.
GETTING AROUND GEO-RESTRICTIONS
If you’re geo-restricted, a VPN service would help you get around that. Not only does it provide online safety, it also gives you access to lots of great geo-restricted content.
I personally use NordVPN. You can find my review of NordVPN here.
You can use my affiliate link (here!) to enjoy up to 60% * off, with prices starting as low as US$3.29 per month.
* This used to say 73%, but because NordVPN’s changed the way it calculates the discount, it now says 60%. BUT, it’s the same great price, starting from US$3.29 a month!
An article on why it’s not illegal to use a VPN to access legal streaming content can be found here.
PATREON UPDATE!
The next drama I’ll be covering on Patreon, in place of Mr. Queen, is Oh! Master. I’ve taken an initial peek, and I’m cautiously optimistic! 😄
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great review! I love very much Mr. Queen I thought it greatly deserves awards even years after. The best historical romantic comedy, thriller and drama for all time and the best cast, crew, staff, director, screenwriter and beat OST ever!!!!
Bowing 🙇♀️ to
“No touch”,
FL character,
FL acting (❤),
Entire drama (yet to complete watching),
And ofcourse your detailed and delicious review.
‘m loving it.
Thank you Great Lord for sending this KFG during my era.
FINALLY, I made it through this drama–after a couple of false starts. Thanks for a great review, KFG!
It took me quite a while to acclimate to the humor and style of this drama, but by the time the royal banquet was served, I could laugh outloud at the menu. I was surprised that I could eventually enjoy the incorporation of modern slang in the sageuk setting.
Although I watched the 2 episode encore/secrets show, there were a few a “plotholes” that could have been smoothed over with a little more background: how the evil cousin fall so deeply in love with his cousin, how did the half-brother fall so deeply in love with his brother’s concubine? how did the King go from being a selected adoptee to a puppet Kind? Who was that band of ninjas and what were they doing?
The ending was acceptable, but more could have been done with the chef–like becoming an advocate for women’s rights, etc.
It is worth a watch and totally agree that the female lead was phenomenal.
Hehehe, KFG! I had been really looking forward to this review!..
Mainly because I loved the show and had a feeling you might not have as much, (because of all the potential toilet humor and ‘gay panic’) but phewww! The B++ makes me so relieved and is exactly what I’d go for, too! 😁
This show was a surprise to me in many ways! For one, I never thought SHS, this dainty, pixie-like woman could convince me she has an uber-macho man’s soul inside her. The idea is outrageous, but they completely sold it! She ate it up and left NO crumbs! I also never thought a cheap, campy chinese web-drama could be elevated into so much more, with the magical ‘k-drama‘ touch! A part of it must be credited to the writers who went WIIIIILDINNNN’ with humor! When we said we were confused between the King and Queen’s brothers, they started putting one in blue, and the other in red! AND they decided to parody it, in the easter-egg mini episodes 🤣 Not to mention, they kept taking digs at its predecessor tVN show: Start-Up, and parodied moments from that, not once, not twice, but THREE times. Also, Concubine Hwa Jin was a secret Joseon-era chick-lit writer who goes by the pen-name ‘Cha Eun Woo‘? A Joseon Queen twerking to Du-Du-Du?! What!! 😅 I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. If it was 10 years back, and somebody told me there would be a Saeuguk in 2020 with such scenes, I’d have laughed at them. Now I’m happily laughing at the show, with the show!😆
The first 19.5 episodes really hit the sweet spot and kept tickling my funny bone quite consistently! Hence, I choose to forgive them for the ultimate
I wish the latter quarter hadn’t become as serious, and they could insert meta-jokes about the MC plot-armor more frequently, because some of it was absolutely ridiculous, even for a comedy k-drama!! So far, I hope somebody picks up the idea of a Mr. Queen spinoff, where Hong-Yeon is BH’s adoptive sister and also a Gangnam-real estate owning business tycoon in the present-day! Royal Chef & Choi-Sanggoon get reincarnated as Bong Hwan’s historian-professor parents, and of course Cheoljong is his new love interest who he crosses paths with randomly on the street, and preferably is…. still a man! 😋 Ah, a girl can dream. Producers… are you listening? 😍
Okay, so whoever is not watching Mr. Queen, is missing out some really campy & outrageous fun. And whoever is, I pray, should keep food (and drinks) at bay if they don’t wish their headstone to read ‘choked to death while laughing at Mr. Queen‘ Brilliant writeup as usual KFG!… Thank you for letting me relive the show! ❤
Hi fangirl!
Glad you liked it and I at first I liked it too at least until episode 6 came and then I knew deep down that the writer will screw it up and I had watched the spoilers and recaps, and yeah I’m not going to bother watch anymore. Still, it introduced to me to a new actress Shin Hye Sun and she truly what made the drama shine and be entertaining.
One of the many reasons I stopped watching was because I while I liked the chemistry she had with her co-lead Kim Jung Hyun I didn’t like the way the romance was built and even further with the questionable bed scene that made me turn completly off. I liked them as friends partners but lovers? When he had tried to get her killed? Good intentions or not, I still wouldn’t have forgiven him that easily.
Futhermore the were characters that were grating on me his brother for one was equally annoying as was the second lead as well Hwa Jin. Because all three of them were so boring to watch, and so one-dimensionally written.
Also the more I thought of body-swap thing the more I was bothered by it, I tried to turn it the other way but then I asked was that really necessary? Because in the end the king doesn’t end up with the person he loved and I find that very disturbing.
Some thoughts on the Seo Yong persona. She is the one who gets it on with the king; for her amour is dreamy. Bong Hwan is the No Touch persona. She is the one turned off by the internecine bickering among the families. Bong Hwan sees it as something largely to be played off for survival’s sake. She is the one who is forgiving of even her enemies and compassionate. She is the friend when the chips are down. That is to say, while Bong Hwan gives her panache, she is the one who brings the soul. She is the soul mate. Bong Hwan is wilier, has more panache, is more ruthless, and a better sense of humor. But the idea that Bong Hwan is her whole show seems to miss what Seo Yong actually brings to the table, which is not inconsiderable.
Excellent breakdown of this drama 🙂 I had fun with this one and actually ended up pretty close to you as far as final scores go.
I personally saw the romance quite differently though. I always felt like Bong Hwan was in control, and yes, So Yong’s feeling did influence him, but ultimately, he chose to accept them and then fell for the King. And the King fell for Bong Hwan. I felt like I barely knew So Yong, just like the King, and then he gets left with So Yong as Bong Hwan is whisked away.
Of course, this kind of drama needed a happy ending, so there weren’t a lot of other ways to go about it. I personally would have at least preferred an Oh My Ghostess style inhabitation where the two characters distinctly appear at different times and each develop a relationship with the King. Then it would have felt like he really loved So Yong too, and the ending would have been softened a bit. Still, the drama was a good time, and Shin Hye Sun was stellar. The ending was a minor quibble, hehe.
Binge finished. So…
Let’s get ending out of the way: I was originally thinking having held off reading responses that folks were upset with ending being happily ever after, so to speak, for all concerned, which struck me as a bit silly, as show is distinctly a comedy in the classical sense, utilizing the sageuk genre–court intrigue, political corruption, and so on–as the motif in which the comedy took place. Of course, classical comedy has tragic elements, but it is going to end by and large happily for all concerned. If it had been a sageuk, well, historical events with a great deal of Korean history point in the singular, inevitable direction of tragedy. And in this case to avoid that and come up with the happy ending the trick was the time travel (more on that later).
But I see now the real disappointment had to do with poor King Chili Dog (what, no one was rooting for Bong Hwan? Really, the character who was framed, nearly killed, stuck in a vegetative state, transported to a time two centuries past, and a social milieu even more dangerous than the one he had inhabited, his gender physically completely altered in a society that had considerably more rigid expectations of gender, age, status, and thrown into a literal cut throat game of politics in which folks blithely murdered their own family members? The character who along with the woman with whom he shared a body grew more than any other character in show? This fundamentally decent and funny stranger in a strange land? I dunno, forget the king being catfished, what about Bong Hwan being kidnapped and permanently exiled–catatonic in a hospital bed, police waiting to put him in prison?).
Yes, show could have done a better job at end showing how both Bong Hwan and Seo Yong had grown, how Bong Hwan had really learned a thing or two from sharing not only body but soul with a 19th century woman trying to work her way through the limitations of her culture, not to mention the universal reality of pregnancy and Seo Yong having integrated the bravado and skills Bong Hwan had brought to her, albeit it is true her vocabulary might never be the same. But I did not suppose watching show that Seo Yong was going to go back to being whatever it was she was before Bong Hwan entered into her, and to be honest because show was a happily ever after comedy, I did not really concern myself that much with the King’s fate after story was over. The history book has him posing with that funny look on his face, and one can just as easily imagine Seo Yong demanding he strike that pose for palace portraitist. And, to be honest, one does get from show and specials after, Seo Yong always had a bit of the irreverent about her. Anyway, for me the ending was fine. It made sense insofar as show’s logic was concerned.
Yes, it could have done a better job, I suppose, spelling out how both Seo Yong and Bong Hwan had integrated each other’s personalities into their own, especially given the amount of time it dawdled at the beginning in creating the court world and its conflicts, especially, the much greater flaw, how the whole business about Cheoljong, Seo Yong, and Hwa Jin in the well during childhood was presented. And what the lie was between them vis a vis that well and ledger being down there. It was so muddily spelled out and then only after so many episodes it being raised, as it concerned two of the show’s most essential elements–the argument that led to Seo Yong jumping in the lake to begin with and the record of the Kim family corruption.
And on a minor note, why Hwa Jin was only given the opportunity to post flyers and not the one who shot Goblin/Scarface/Junkie/Assassin with her astute archery skills is beyond me. That would have been so much more satisfying, and given Hwa Jin some redemption points at the end. That oversight bothered me more than the ending did.
Okay. Like everyone I loved Shin Hye Sun, who does as much with the bottom half of court lady fashion of the early nineteenth century as Jang Hyuk did with fans in My Country. Not to mention sitting down or twisting her mouth far over to one side. Unanimous, right? She put that show and her performance permanently on the map. I wish her well, and hope she gets to do roles quickly that allow her to play a woman who is entirely different in an entirely different milieu, but just as complicated. I also hope she continues to do comedic roles. That was a wonder! I liked other elements, mostly some of the support actors, but I watched it for her. And to a lesser degree the way Choi Jin Hyuk’s voice overs and her physical enactment of them so seamlessly lined up.
My favorite support characters, and it was not even close, were Lady in Waiting Choi and Chef Man Bok. They were great, fun to watch with Shin Hye Sun, with each other, and on their own.
Finally, the issue of time travel. As a rule I do not like what I have seen of time travel in K Drama. The recent sci fi series Sisyphus made a horrible mess of it because it was trying to do something that was sort of scientifically based and it was so half baked in doing so and loopy that all the holes of it repeatedly called attention to themselves, abject sloppiness episode after episode. Time travel is not a card that can be played a hundred times per episode because people will see through that. And because it really served no other purpose than being the show itself. I quit both Goblin and Hotel Del Luna because I just could not care.
But in this show it really worked for me because it was the coin put in the slot to get the game going. It allowed for us to see a couple of the show’s best delivered comic themes putting a contemporary, artisanal, hip male player into the body of an early 20th C aristocratic/royal woman.That is, it allowed for the schadenfreudal opportunity for us to witness what such a male might think about being a woman in reality, not so easy, eh bub? And on the other hand also by doing so, demonstrated what is probably men’s oldest complaint about women; ie, they just do not make sense to us, especially in the come here, come here, come here, go away, go away, go away modality, by giving a male voice to the female character having to deal, let alone be sympathetic, with testosterone and its aggressions, and at times narcissitic possessiveness. Time travel in this was the key to show’s ignition, and because it did end the way it ended, show having used time travel sparingly throughout–characters did not jump all around and with one exception back and forth–gave the whole an internal logic that allowed for me anyway to suspend my disbelief. The only place where that was not so was when Seo Yong jumped in the lake and met with the original Seo Yong’s phantom.
I agree with your rating K. B++. For me the rating was that high because Shin Hye Sun gave an A+++++++++ performance in the lead role.
Sorry, early 19th C aristocratic/royal woman
@BE – while reading the first half of your comment, I couldn’t help thinking “Well, if you put it that way, Show did kind of suck”. 😆 But then the last half brought it around that I hit the “like” button. 🤗
@beez: I enjoyed the show, was fine with the ending, loved Shin Hye Sun. The sageuk element for me did not work that well, and I still don’t quite understand the business about the well, the quarrel with Hwa Jin and why exactly Seo Yong was so bereft on the night before her wedding day that she tried to kill herself, but found the comedy was just wonderful. I really liked some of the support acting, others…I had complaints pretty much along the same lines as K. And even though I thought the sageuk element was less than the comedic element, I loved the creativity in the mashup.
About halfway through binging this, and have a few thoughts. First, this is one of the two series in the past year that is an entertainment mashup of absurdist comedy with a specific drama genre, this with fantasy (time travel)/ historical or sageuk drama, Vincenzo with cheobol/gangster drama in which shows to varying degrees utilizing comedy do a wonderful job of leavening a somewhat overly troped out genre producing delightful moments.
At this point (just finished episode 10) in my Mr. Queen watch, I would have to say Vincenzo is a bit more successful, mostly because its lead character is not asked to carry the comedic load. That is, in Vincenzo, Soong Jong Ki is really the straight man to a huge ensemble taking care of the broad humor, whereas in Mr. Queen almost all the heavy comedic lifting is being done by, what appears nonetheless to be an acting force of nature, Shin Hye Sun. We do get some comic bits by Lady Choi and Chef Man Bok, but the rest largely sits on her shoulders. And I would say at least so far the court intrigue is rather meh by contrast with some sageuks in which the intrigue highlights tragic and heroic character studies and profound meditations on governance and society. It is also seemingly muddled. I tend to like and can follow politics in sageuks, and yet halfway through this I still cannot exactly figure out what is going on.
That said, my goodness, Shin Hye Sun.
And one hopes that the success of Mr. Queen and Vincenzo will lead other show runners to upend overused drama tropes in likewise creative and entertaining manners.
@BE I think that’s a sharp observation to pair Mr Queen and Vincenzo in that way; it had not previously occurred to think of them from that perspective.
I enjoyed Mr Queen all the way through to the end (I appreciated KFG’s review and some of the comments to it to understand that my own satisfaction with the resolution at the end was far from universally shared, which was interesting to me). You are correct, in my opinion, that it is absolutely Shin Hye-sun’s show, and she is a wonder and a delight in it.
I continue to be captivated by Vincenzo, and although in some sense I suppose it makes me a less than admirable person, I was enthralled by the ending of the latest episode (ep. 16), and immediately backed up to watch it again. The entire emotional through-line of that episode, leading up to the final ten minutes, just such a masterful orchestration and manipulation by the writer and director, so finely executed by the cast, particularly Song Joong-ki. And now they make us take a week hiatus!
Oh, Trent, I feel equally perverse having found the pigeon scene opening last week’s two episode set thoroughly delightful–what’s this, Magic Realism? And though I find her irresistably evil, my thirst for blood will not be satisfied till lawyer Myung Hee is taken down in some deliciously horrific fashion (the irony of irony being Kim Yeo Jin who plays her is rather famous for her human rights activism and advocacy).
That was my exact issue with the ending! I feel like he was catfished. The person he fell in love with left.. Cos all the things Cheoljong fell in love with had to do with BongHwan and very little of SoYong. He liked that she was unpredictable.
I wish at the very least, SoYong had maintained more of BongHwan’s traits. I know she retained some (like when she cursed and screamed), but I felt sad that Cheoljong knew something was missing. He had lost something and didn’t know what and that’s not fair.
Its not the worse ending I have watched but I didn’t like the ending
I know some of you guys commented on how unrealistic it was that no one around the Queen seemed upset about her strange behavior but ot’s really not when you consider that she’s mostly surrounded by servants. And from what I’ve seen in historical, servants were better off just going along with whatever. Also, besides the fantastical nature of the show, we saw the Queen’s lover-cousin alone with her, in her bedroom, while she slept. THAT is by far the more fantastical moments that it was allowed. Much more so than no one saying anything about her multiple personalities. Although her personal maids really did show concern and comment, just that who do you report to that you think the Queen is crazy? 😆
All good points and I honestly not “looking” for realism in a time travel comedy drama but I feel part of the fun is precisely that “fish out of water” element. It just “felt” weird to me in Mr Queen. Im glad I stuck with the drama though cause I ended up getting into it.
@Drama Fan – I’m so glad you liked it too. I must admit that I watched this for the same reason that I watched Money Flower originally – to see someone whom I know is great at their craft do their thing. (Wellllll, not exaccctly the same reason but very close. 😉)
@Beez – I know that you have a soft spot in your heart for Shin Hye-Sun. This drama has shown me that all your praises were spot on, She absolutely rocked this drama. She was brilliant. I am now going to take a look at My Golden Life as I remember it won a ton of awards.
@phl1rxd – I found Golden Life boring but since I was glad she was on my screen and that the networks were testing her leading role ability, I watched it (and this is in spite of my aversion to the ML even before his scandals). But if you want to watch something that is totally entertaining, check SHS out in Five Children aka Five Enough. That’s where I first fell in love with her. At first her role seems rather small but as the show goes on (after about the 4th episode) her role expands. And the entire show and cast are so good, and the characters so interesting, that after 54 episodes, I still wanted more.
Here’s a fanmade video https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvE2-hpAQD16r3Pfeqcmld3bhr5L
I tried to find it on YouTube but I guess the show must’ve picked up a lot of fans (it’s that good) that there are too many Five Enough video clips on YouTube for me to find it. Luckily, back when YouTube let you download stuff for free, I’d saved it to my personal cloud.
@Beez – I did watch it based on your recommendation and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for that Beez. Yes, she was very good in that drama – so completely different than her character in Mr. Queen. You had to love the macho walk! Your cloud has many saved goodies! 😉😊
@beez: it’s a flat out serious crime and courtroom drama, turning about two thirds the way in on a dramatic twist, her 2020 movie Innocence is about an estranged daughter big city lawyer defending her small town mother suffering from dementia in a murder case, uncovering the tragedy of her own childhood. Shin Hye Sun plays the daughter and Bae Jong Ok, who plays the Dowager in Mr. Queen, her mother. Straightforward and dramatic, both actresses are very strong. And to think they made that movie so close in time with Mr. Queen speaks volumes about the range of each as well.
I just can’t get hooked on historical dramas. Overwhelmed by boredom, I abandoned this after 40 minutes!
Whoo boy. Now there’s all types of rumors regarding Kim Jung Hyun’ and I must admit to being nosy because of my curiosity back when he dropped out of the lead role in Time. I usually try to leave celebrities business as just that – their business but … here we go again. I’m starting to think that no matter what celebrities did in the far past (short of rape and murder) I’m just going to plug up my ears and close my eyes and go “lalalalalalala” or there’ll be nothing left we can watch. 😵
@beez I think I’m kind of tending towards your view of things, especially since that whole Kim Jung-hyun and Seo Ye-ji thing that’s just blown up and is whole big mess, from the look of it. I’m not the huge fan of Kim Jung-hyun that a lot of folks are, but I don’t want my enjoyment of his performance in this (Mr Queen), and especially my enjoyment of Seo Ye-ji’s performance in IOTNBO, to take too big of a hit. Just means I have to work a little harder to separate fallible, feet-of-clay actors from the role they are embodying on screen. Which can be hard! Onward…
@beez: Let’s see, a spate of mass shootings, a surge in covid infections despite vaccinations, huge legislation on federal spending both passed and in the works, withdrawing from Afghanistan after 20 years, voter suppression laws being enacted in more than half of the states in the US, ongoing crisis at our borders, who the heck knows what is happening in Ukraine, China taking over the world, climate events each year more ominous, but hey, A Rod (he did survive the steroids scandal) and J Lo (she did survive Ben Affleck) just broke up and one of our most loony, fringiest congressmen, whoa, is involved in a daily escalating sex scandal.
Im just here to say LOL at your JLO comment BE! 🤣 And @beez Sameeee so much same. Im also applying the “la la la” technique here cause ugh!
@BE – of course, your right. However, S.K. has been selling the tea and I’ve been drinking it! I have come to like my escapist entertainment celebrities cleaned up white washed and sanitized. 😆
Although, truly, I’ve always considered S.K. celebrity “scandals” way over hyped, over reactive, and I usually don’t get my thoughts or emotions involved other than to marvel at it. As for this particular scandal, I think it’s just the result of two actors being young and dumb (So Ye ji being dumb and naive to make demands on Kim Jung-Hyun, and he being dumb and naive enough to follow them (during his first gig as ML at that!).) I’m sure they both regret that nonsense. It only peeked my interest because I remember thinking when he was cast in Waikiki and CLOY that he was not considered a risk because he’d dropped out of his previous drama. It’s not that I’m uncaring (just a bid jaded) that my concern was mostly motivated by my interest in the process of the culture of making Kdramas.
@ beez: Well, I get it entirely. After seeing My Mister, I started to check out IU’s music career. It is nice to find she is so universally liked, a seemingly genuine individual who supports worthy social causes, is so eminently cheerful on one hand and so compassionate on the other, and her affection for her unbelievably large fan base quite touching, although I gather the first couple years she went from being teenage Korea little sister to baby doll sex kitten, while not so scandalous as Miley Cyrus in the US, she got in her share of scandalous hot water, and it does also seem to me a bit sad that anyone has to be so overly concerned with millions of people who do not even know her.
And the story of his marriage does make Jang Hyuk more likeable. Yoon Yuh Jung’s irreverance is so fetching. It is somewhat interesting that Kim Hee Ae does not allow her family to watch her shows, and so on. We want actors who move into our emotional spaces to be folks we like and in the after glow of watching a fine drama, reading about them can add to the enjoyment.
But really I think celebrity to the point of the scandal surrounding these two is ridiculous. I probably could have had a career as a poet if I had put in the effort to promote myself, but during the period when I was on stages with audiences, the scene of poets was so gossipy…it made me feel very uncomfortable and exposed, especially as that kind of gossip intruded into intimate parts of my life. Just one poet casting aspersions about another, and as these things go, failed relationships resulting from being an imperfect person, can be fodder for such, can make life difficult to bear. It is like high school all over again, only amplified. How much more so for national or international celebrities. If there is one element of K entertainment I have a problem with is how sometimes little things are blown completely out of proportion, affecting lives and careers, and how little I really care about other people’s private lives. I may look as I pass an accident on the freeway, but I do not really slow down to do so.
With regard to Mr. Queen, of course I would be disappointed to find Shin Hye Sun an axe murderer, but really, not knowing anything about her except having seen her in something entirely different, a rather morbid tragedy, The Hymn of Death, and not really even noting her much in The Stranger series (paying far more attention to Bae Doo Na), all other pluses and minuses of show aside, what I will remember and not forget was just how absolutely, devastatingly spectacular she is in this, whereas Kim Jung Hyun, the subject of this rather frivolous scandal even as scandals go, I find okay, good, but I can think of a lot of other actors who could play that role just as well if not better (Yoo Ah In, about whom I only know from watching him act, immediately comes to mind, for example) and so somewhat forgettable.
The issue of history and sageuk drama is much thornier and as someone not South Korean, harder to speak to with 100% cred, however.
Watched the Chinese version(Go Go Princess) and loved it. When I found out about the Korean version, had to watch it too. Have to say, with the Chinese version as comparison, the difference in the budgets is very obvious. The Korean version is a lot shinier, but I have a soft spot for the horrendous props used in the Chinese version. I have to say though, I was heartbroken at the lack of Viagra(or whatever the name of the Chinese brand is) PPL in the remake XD(I’m not kidding, they were the Chinese version only sponsor). In the end though, it seems that no matter the version, all of the endings are terrible T.T (China gave us 3 and didn’t manage even a decent one)
@jp – I enjoyed the Korean version so much, and after someone on this blog (it might’ve been @phl1rxd) told me about the Chinese version, I just had to watch that too.
The Chinese version tickled me with all of it’s Kdrama references from the FL sometimes trying “oppa!” to see if it would soften up the ML, her complaints that ML’s wrist grabbing belongs in a Korean drama and that Korean dramas lied when they depict that women can dress as men and no one would realize they’re women. Ha!
And somehow I found it endearing that they film a commercial that would normally be a behind the scenes clip except it happens right in the middle of the show with the filming crew, staff, boom mics, and e’rythang in plain view. Not to mention the actors being given the commercial’s lines on the spot. There’s no effort at all to clean that mess up and it’s a wonderful apologetic mess! (They literally post apologies throughout the drama, especially during the “Viagra” commercial for their small budget.) 😄
I watched Go Go Princess awhile back because I usually enjoy time travel dramas. It seems to me that Mr. Queen has a completely different mood and, of course, a much different ending than Go Go Princess. I think that the Chinese version was not played as much for laughs (although the commercials were very funny). The journey to the past in Go Go Princess felt much more like Zhang’s fever dreams. That scene where those guys danced around in bright green tutus, for example, was just completely and totally insane. And I really disliked the rapey thunderstorm scene in Go Go Princess. But I secretly enjoyed the opening credits where everybody jumped around.
All in all, I much preferred Mr. Queen.
This one is on my watchlist. So not reading the review until I finish. Your reviews are like a fav piece of candy that I have for last, after I finish a show 😁
As to the ending, I felt it was a nice turn considering I expected from the start that there was no way to write themselves out of the corner. Once you’ve seen Come Back Mister where there’s just no way to fix the fact that the two main characters died in episode 1 so you know you’re dealing with an impossible resolution. Yet episodes 1-15 make it totally worth the bad ending to come. Rain’s performance reminds you of his amassing comedic timing and Oh Yeon seo’s gangster trapped in a female body rivalled Yoon Eun hye’s lack of vanity performance in Coffee Prince (while YEH still manages to look effortlessly gorgeous, btw).
So Mr. Queen giving Jin hyuk’s character a different “past-future” really worked for me given the confines of actual history. (As I so often complain “why don’t they just set these stories up in fictional kingdoms so they can do whatever they want with the endings?” (looking at you Shine or Go Crazy).)
@beez I’m with you, beez, in the (apparent) minority that actually found the ending fine.
I’ve actually really appreciated reading the comments about the ending that are responding KFG’s review, because honestly, it never really occurred to me that the ending would be so controversial or disfavored, and I hadn’t followed any fan commentary about it before this. I guess I really had my blinders on!
I mean, I still incline to my own initial reaction and view of the ending, but I’m glad to be exposed to the perspective of those who felt it was a sell out or loss of nerve or didn’t provide them what they were hoping for in the way of resolution.
@Trent – my kinda bored wirh Kdramat perspective is that we could’ve gotten a typical Kdrama ending where they spent episode 19 filled with angst due to a nonsensical separation caused by a ridiculous lack of communication, and then episode 20 would be filled with flashbacks to romantic lovey-dovey times. (Not that I haven’t lived my share of those dramas 😆 but a change up that, to me, made sense (at least as much sense as a fantasy about traveling back to the past and landing inside the buddy of a Queen could make) 😂😂😂😂😂
I agree! I find that Korean dramas often start out with a bang and build up great, imaginative premises and tension, but then start to fizzle out towards the end, straining to achieve a tidy happily ever after, love-is-everything ending. Call me a cynic but love ISN’T everything in a drama ending, as long as the conclusion is logical, natural, and intelligent.
And I’ll add that I appreciated reading the alternative perspective on the ending in the other direction. I’m still disappointed in it (little heartbreak), but see more value in the ending from a dramatic POV. That’s the fun of Kfangurl’s blog, isn’t it?
@Beez – I am OK with the ending as well.
Yay! that you watched and liked this show Kfangurl. How are you?, you have been reviewing a lot of drama this day. I may not visit your blog site regularly but I want you to know that I am always thinking of you and your reviews. Thankfully, there is facebook, where you could give us your updates on your reviews. well, back to this drama review, it’s lengthy as always but it is fun to read. I always admire you for always giving us your insights.
Honestly, I am skeptical whether to watch this drama or not. I waited some spoilers from the group over fb if this is good or not, Nevertheless, I tried and thankful that I did. I enjoyed and loved the OTP of Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jun Hyung surprisingly!
The drama might not that deep and have some craziness over the historical views but the latter ingredient gave me so much happiness as I watched and finished the show. Rarely, you will find in a drama that you truly love the OTP and making you happy as you watch is a BIG plus!. I don’t know about the Korean historically, but all I knew this drama for me is highly recommendable to those who want to be entertained and looking for a character in a drama that will truly amaze you,
Sometimes when you don’t like the otp, you tend to look for the drama’s worth. But this one is different. You will love the OTP and the side characters in this drama. Like what you said the drama will grow on you, this what had happened to me as I finished this. When you are happy with the character portrayal of the each characters in a drama you tend to forget the drama has flaws. You only remember the good things and how the drama made you happy til the end.
Thank you for the review Kfangurl! Best regards to you and keep safe.
I think your overall rating is pretty fair, kfangurl, because of Show’s relatively slow start (though I liked it even from the beginning) and the central tension of the Queen’s identity that remained, to my mind, a little clumsily-handled unless you closed one eye and squinted with the other (which I happily did.) But to my mind, episodes 10 to 19 were brilliant. Solid As, if not A+! They were funny, clever, deftly written, heartfelt, sizzling and surprising. In short, they delighted me! That sustained quality earns a bounce, so my overall rating would be an A-… wanting to be an A. 😉
Regarding the central tension of the queen’s identities – modern/Joseon? male/female? Bong Hwan/So Yong? By about episode 9, I quit differentiating among them and wondering what was going on internally, and just saw a third character, The Queen, who absorbed all of them. That allowed me to lean into, as kfangurl put it, the accept yourself narrative. I put my allegiance with The Queen, and didn’t really care what happened to modern-day Bong Hwan or original So Yong. Letting go of my Bong Hwan/So Yong quandary helped me enjoy the drama quite a bit more. But. Other than using the body switch as vehicle to get us to Joseon and the funny around a Player in a woman’s body, the SHOW’s intent around merging/not merging these identities, was never clear to me. The drama was daring enough to raise some interesting questions about identities, especially sexual, but then proceeded to skirt exploration of most of them. That felt a little lazy on Show’s part.
Which takes us to the final resolution, about which I agree 100% with kfangurl. Show did essentially swop out the OTP in the last minutes. All I could think was how Cheoljang was going to miss his feisty, OTT, passionate, non-conforming Queen vs. the toned-down, lovely version he got. Not the note I want to leave on, and a disappointment after Show was so deftly written in most other ways. But, I’m closing one eye and squinting with the other, so that I can finish the story about a quarter of the way through episode 20, and have my happy, if incomplete, ending. Mr. Queen was a blast.
Great review… It also took me a while to really get into the show but once I did I was addicted and used excitedly for new episodes every week. Never have I been this invested in a show but the ending completely destroyed my love for the show, it just doesn’t and will never sit well with me.
It’s pretty insane how they managed to swoop in Og SY in the end and have her reap all the benefits of the sacrifices and ballsy moves that SB did when she did NONE of the work. It’s low-key as if they wanted to keep the story as “Straight” as possible so that people won’t come for their asses.
This is so frustrating, Weeks after the show ended, I went through a literal sense of grief: all stages of grief as dramatic as it might sound because that’s how much I loved SB and CJ ‘s relationship and the show. Nowadays whenever I think about it, I just feel EMPTY….
As you know through Patreon I loved this show albeit it took me 2 attempts to get through the first few episodes. Shin Hye Sun should win every award! She was beyond amazing. But I was furious at the ending. And you are right we were cat fished😂. The show should have been braver the show is consistent in its writing and then took the easy way out! Two things that made me really mad the first was that Cheoljong without a shadow of a doubt would have known that this wasn’t his So Yong. Also the fact they reference Cheoljong felt something was missing which made me super sad. And was it just me both the relationship between the trio of ladies lost its magic/chemistry as it was more formal? I read that the novel has So Yong and Bong Hwan agree to swap bodies as they are both happier in the realms. Which would have been a much better choice So Yong was a smart cookie and I think she would have flourished and it would have been funny for Bong Hwan’s mother to have the daughter she always wanted.
Did the ending ruining my enjoyment of the drama. Honestly yes it did as I would have had this it at A++ without it but like you I have decided who the real OTP is and in my alternate universe they are together like the novel.
@kfangurl – I’m so glad you reviewed (and liked) this show. As usual your review has made me want to rewatch the whole thing.
I’d like to say as far as Hwa Jin is concerned, I think Show made an attempt to show us right from the start that she was never a bad person. I’m thinking of when her maid knocked over the ink onto Hwa Jin’s painting and the music gave us the queue that this is when usually in saeguk the maid would be slapped and given some horrendous chore as punishment. But instead Hwa Jin smiles and comforts her maid. At that point, I knew I was not going to hate her. I felt her antagonism was in response to some past issues between her and original So Yong. I even felt (perhaps mistakenly) that original So Young must’ve caused the animosity there.
I do like how they handled the King falling out of love with Hwa Jin and growing in love with The Queen. That could’ve had me easily griping about the fickleness of men. (I still feel a little some-type-of-way about it.)
Shin Hye sun’s performance throughout slays me. I’ve liked her for a very long time because she’s just plain likeable. Even when she plays the “evil rival”, you just can’t hate her (Mermaid whatchamacall it with Lee Min Ho/Gianna Gunn and She was Pretty with Screechy/Park Seo joon). Her flirtatiousness with the maids fit a guy who, while falling to his death, takes time – mid fall – to flirt with a pretty girl on the way down. 😆
You did an awesome job in reviewing the weightier parts of this drama but I’d like to point out my two favorite moments – the twerking scene because Court Lady Choi’s scandalized reaction was the same as mine everytime I see anyone do that dance in public. I’m quite pleased that despite SHS’s ability to perfect whatever role she’s playing (violinist, pianist, etc.), her twerking’s far from perfect. (Yay!) But I found it hilarious!😆
The other favorite scene happens in the final episode (or maybe it was the second to last episode) where in the woods as she looks back at her cousin-lover’s desperate, losing battle and she clutches her head — her facial expressions of horror, helplessness and grief were just so real. How do you make expressions like that unless you’ve experienced something tragically horrifying in real life? Maybe she hasn’t and is just plain skilled, but as I’ve said here elsewhere on the blog, giving my highest praise – she’s the female equivalent of Jang Hyuk in my book. There are a very few Korean actresses (or American actresses either) that I respect what they bring to the table. Usually my feelings are any of them can fill most roles interchangeably without affecting my enjoyment of the show (probably since I mostly watch rom coms) but Shin Hye sun has proven she can carry a show on her shoulders alone, based only on her performance with no help from the ML (My Golden Life).
Anyway, as you can tell, I ❤ this show, so much and I’m so glad that you changed your mind about it.🤗
Haha! Screechy and PSJ! I love it and couldn’t have said it better myself!
@Shyama – my son has zero interest in my Kdramas and has never paused to even look at my tv screen when they’re on. But whatever I’m talking about Kdramas he’ll say something about “I can hear all that screeching from the other room!” So I’m afraid that [wait a minute – I gotta go look up her name] Hwang Jung-Eum, has given all Kdrama actresses a bad rap as far as my son is concerned. 😆
And I apologize to everyone but it was early in the morning here and I didn’t feel like looking up the actresses’ name nor the names of the dramas that I mentioned.
@Beez – that was funny – screechy! She is loud but I love that about her. IMHO when she does gets personal (serious) no one does it better. I have often wondered if the directors asked her to screech like that. I loved her in KMHM, She was Pretty and Mytic Pop-Up Bar. I think KMHM was her best project to date.
@phl1rxd – I like Screechy a lot too! Her drama Can You Hear My Heart was my first ever Kdrama!
@phl1rxd (although I doubt every director is telling her to screech) 😆
I loved this drama! And I’m probably in the minority in that I think that Mr. Queen ended well, better than I expected.
I always thought that Bong Hwan would eventually return to the modern world. He took great pride in being a talented chef at the Blue House and he would not have been able to pursue that calling had he remained as a queen in the Joseon period. He also mentions his parents (including his Zumba dancing mother) a few times and I can’t help but think that it would have upset him had he died in the modern world and broken their hearts. Further, the fact that he went after Han’s ancestors showed that he hoped to return eventually. I’m not convinced that that ever really changed. Much of Bong Hwan’s boldness and frankness (and cheek) was a result of him always seeming to have one foot out the door despite falling in love with Cheoljang. Yes, I think Bong Hwan fell in love with Cheoljong and Cheoljong fell in love with Bong Hwan, not so much So-yong. But I also assumed that Cheoljong would remain in Joseon as King because he was the type of person who would never give up his throne or his responsibility to his people in order to follow Cheoljong to the modern world, even if he had been given the choice. Thus if we assume that Bong Hwan must return to his world and Cheoljong must remain in his, then their separation is sad but inevitable. As for So-yong, she clearly loves Cheoljong. Cheoljong may or may not eventually fall madly in love with So-yong (without the Bong Hwan part) but is that really the only thing that matters in life? They work together to institute reforms in Joseon and are remembered as wise, compassionate rulers. Seems like a good resolution to me.
Some people fault Cheoljong for not realizing that So-yong is not Bong Hwan but it was clear to me that Cheoljong realized something was off. He just couldn’t figure out what it was. If I could change anything about the ending, it would have been to add a scene where So Yong comes clean with Cheoljong and explains about Bong Hwan. I do feel sorry for Cheoljong being left in limbo.
Finally, I agree that Mr. Queen would not have been as good as it was without wonderful acting by Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyung.
Perfect timing! I just finished watching Mr Queen last night. I always read the reviews after I watch a show and, as always, yours was the first one I looked for! Was disappointed that it wasn’t there.
Imagine my excitement when your review came out today!!!
I love how you write and I love what you have to say.
I have mixed feelings about the ending too. I feel the king fell in love with the irreverent exuberant queen, not the original so Yung. Won’t he notice the difference and feel cheated? Why couldn’t the integrated personalities have stayed that way!
Appreciate the review, very thorough, as always.
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to, honestly, since sageuk are not exactly my favorite genre (not yet, at least). So I think the fact that there was heavy emphasis on the “fusion” part of “fusion sageuk” is what made it better for me. Obviously, I don’t have the same sensitivities, for better or worse, about Korean history that many Koreans do.
I think you’re absolutely correct about Shin Hye-sun, and it is the first thing I emphasized in my own write-up: this is first and foremost her show, and she is magnificent. Just a very impressive job with a very wide range of emotion to convey, and many tonal shifts, comedic to serious, broad to nuanced, etc. She was so delightful to watch, and I was very pleased to see, just yesterday, that she got the nod for a best actress nomination at this year’s Baeksang Arts awards. (I’ve only seen three of the five best actress nominations, but of those three, I’d have no problem with her winning)(ditto with Seo Ye-ji, who was great in a different way in IOTNBO. I don’t know what Kim So-hyun is doing on the list–nothing against her, she’s a fine young actress, but I don’t think her role in River Where the Moon Rises, which I’ve been following, is anything to write home about).
I have a more positive take on the ending than you do. From the very beginning of the show, I was curious about how it was going to resolve the “modern man in Joseon queen’s body” issue, and honestly, from my perspective, I think the show’s solution was probably close to optimal. Part of the reason I feel that way is that I interpret what was happening in So-yeong’s interior life slightly differently than you do, only in the sense that I think towards the latter half of the show, the fusion of the two souls (for lack of a better way to explain or discuss it) was at a fairly deep level, such that although Bong-hwan was still “dominant” in some sense, “original So-yeong” was present in sufficient measure that we can view her as having some agency, not just a passive, sleep-walking rider in the back of the head. So when Bong-hwan leaves for good, the So-yeong that is still present in So-yeong’s body is still in significant measure the entity that had those experiences we’ve just seen, and who fell in love with the King (well, more in love; she had a crush on him before), and with whom the King fell in love. We see her musing to herself at the end that “that man” has gone back, but speculating that he opened up a “deeper space” within her (that allowed her to swear with abandon…this is still a comedy, after all). And yes, there’s no question that at the beginning of the show, there was a fair amount of “gay panic” as ladies-man Bong-hwan wrestled with the thought of sexy-times with a member of his own gender, but I thought the show actually made significant strides in softening and deepening Bong-hwan’s understanding along that axis as well…again, as part of his fusion with So-yeong, no doubt, but even after his convenient excuse of thinking he was seducing his handmaid when he got drunk, I think we see (as you point out) that he’s much more open to and curious about desire for this person–the king–who he is having feelings for in the latter stages.
Anyway. I agree it’s not a perfect show, but I did enjoy it (I’d probably give it an A-, but B++ is pretty close…).
I enjoyed this show a lot. My favorite parts were Shin Hye Sun as Bong Hwan/So Yong and the character development for King Cheoljong. Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon were great too. I think Choi Jin Hyuk was born to do voice-overs. His voice work in Mr. Queen and Zombie Detective was hilarious and spot-on!
The music was straight out of 1960s spy comedy and fit rather well with the irreverent and humorous tone of the show.
Snow Flower – I loved that crazy piece that played at the end of each episode – Norazo’s Bong Hwan A was pitch perfect. I also loved the title graphics by graphics company Undesigned Museum – that took some time! Undesigned Museum also did the Vincenzo, Sisyphus, Start Up and She Would Never Know opening titles. They have a very talented team. The get up and go opening song is great as well and I want it as a ringtone. I am reading it is from a cartoon but have had no luck in getting a name for this perky piece.
@phl1rxd, the opening credits track is listed as Mr. Queen. I want it as a ringtone too!
@sflower. Loved Choi Jin Hyuk’s voiceovers they just added that extra layer of hilarity. His intonation was fantastic and it just seemed that Shin Hye Sun became him.
This is review is like an extra BONUS to the drama. Thank you so much! I was able to relive the wonderful moments of watching the drama.
Excellent review! My reaction was exactly like yours. I was probably even harsher at the beginning. Your tips for lens adjustment for this one are a MUST! I totally also got almost “upset” lol that her antics were not even questioned by the other characters. But the drama grew on me. I think its rare for me to strongly dislike the start of a drama and end up loving it. It made me a Shin Hye Sun fan and Kim Jung Hyun’s character was so endearing. They had some great, hot and funny scenes together.
Great review Fangurl. I really enjoyed this and I believe we shall see this win some awards at the end of the year.