The King: The Eternal Monarch (2020)

A Mind bender but Complicated to Watch Drama

"The devil is in the details " because this was one hellish movie to completely enjoy. Week after week after week the viewer is challenged to remember intricate details of the lives of multiple characters in two dimensions and in two kingdoms. After 13 episodes the drama seemed too complex and convoluted and the temptation to drop or give it a low rating was in my heart. However, I realized that the questions I kept asking were "Who is this character?" " What Dimension or Kingdom? " and "What Time frame Is This ?" This is the quandary I was in and it needed to be asked constantly. and while watching it was often unanswered. The writer had brilliant ideas but the execution of them were lost -- first in translation (simple translation notes or aides would have helped the viewer understand what as going on each week. Helpful also would have been a refresher summary since the drama was so convoluted. Having criticized the production and visions of the director I must now explain why in the end I found enjoyment in the drama.

The Acting - A+ The expressions and chemistry were extremely good for the leads and supporting actors did an excellent job. Many had to play dual roles in two worlds and had to exhibit different character traits to carry out the distinctions of the two worlds. Kudos for their efforts.

The Story -- B- Unable to follow consistently. I had to binge watch (rewatch) after 7 weeks. I also needed to use other websites to find reviews and recaps to try to follow each episode during the rewatch. I also needed to read several comments to try to find hidden meanings and clues to the stories progress throughout the drama. Basically could not watch without a CHEAT SHEET

Once I had my Cheat Sheets and Techniques -- well the drama felt like I was watching Inception. Time twisting, parallel universe, mathematical principles and theories all were worth researching in an attempt to understand this jewel in the rough. The only question as a future viewer (if you haven't seen this drama) is - are you willing to research and study recaps to get a full understanding because the editing the story just makes you frustrated. Living on the rewind button during the rewatch to understand was no fun.

For the Future Viewer -- Watch - it is a beautiful drama and a good romantic drama. The ending was satisfying.

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The mastery of unfolding.

Contrary to what I have expected The King has definitely highly exceed my expectations and even above that, it is definitely one of the best dramas in 2020, even in the last few years. Wonderfully written, brilliantly produced and masterfully executed.

Let's start with the story and plot. Complex, intriguing and most importantly engaging. I don't think I have watched a drama (for a while at least) that urges me to think about the plot in deeper ways, questioning every single scene and input. And actually thinking while watching. I wasn't just brain-pausing. I worked, but it was so enjoyable and I didn't want it to stop. This drama has received some critique, I haven't seen a lot, but most of them were about how they did not understand the plot. I disagree completely, it's not that I am smarter, I was just very attentive and invested. I do have to add that the first 4 episodes were rocky for me, but the moment Lee Gon brought Tae Eul to the Kindom of Corea the hype hit the rooftop and I was starting to get very interested. And up until then everything just got better. What shook me the most about this whole creation, is the UNFOLDING of the story. Not revealing much, but just enough for the viewer to understand, IF they watched carefully. The world building was done so damn well, like it is not an easy task to build a world as complex as this. And double that cause there are technically two worlds. Praise the director and writer. I appreciate the happy and lighthearted ending, this drama has been heavy from the first episode on and it feels very reasonable to end it like this. Also why did I knew that they'd add the old hands, it's beautiful but heartbreaking. A part of me definitely wished them to stay in either of their worlds and marry and have kids or whatever, but I guess they can't because of their counterparts. What I wanted to add as well, is the fact that these people did not just sell the plot. They sold the emotions of the characters that were in this world. It was the emotions and ambitions that carried the show. Things didn't just happen, they happened with an action and there was a reaction. And I could see that every single character was so emotionally scarred and involved in the happenings.

The production is insane. The money that went into this... I couldn't even imagine. The cinematography wasn't just gorgeous, but also purposeful. They didn't just decided to choose that angle, that cut and that grading. They choose while thinking about the narrative and feelings they wanted to portray. And you can see that, which I appreciate so much. The music. I mean I don't quite like the songs tbh. Not gonna lie, they don't stand out much, but DAMN those BGMs (I mean the instrumentals, the orchestration). Especially "If you..." or "My love and..." that melody will forever be stuck in my head. It will remind me of the feels of every time they played this. Every time Gon and Tae Eul had a heartbreak to endure, an obstacle to fight. It represents the drama in every way. Beautiful, glorious, majestic, endearing, heartbreaking, bittersweet and hopeful. I am a bit obsessed you see... you hear! In conclusion this BGM is superior and a masterpiece. It fits so perfectly and underlines the emotions of the scenes, I dare to sa enhances them, I couldn't ask for more.

Last but not least the characters. What I just realised in the last episode, was the fact that there are no kdrama tropes in this. If I would illustrate a kdrama it would be some kind of shape, any shape depending on the drama, but most of the time there is this deformed saggy part. That annoying character who just doesn't make any sense and in the end they try to justify this character with some whack redemption arc; that annoying car crash; that annoying memory loss; that annoying misunderstanding (triggers me every time); and so many more I can't even think of them. What I mean is, that saggy part is undeniably a part of the whole thing, but not pleasant and just unnecessary. But The King doesn't seem to have that. Everything is finely tuned and written for the whole story, everything fits without being awkward and that includes the characters and their actions. I can't despise them for any personal reasons, because... they didn't annoy me. They made sense and just acted on their beliefs, which always seemed legit. Praise the writer. I loved: Lee Gons intelligence and kindness, but strictness; Jeong Tae Euls bravery, trust and quick-witnesses; Jo Yeongs loyalty and friendship (and everything else about him, especially that hair, and those clothes); Jo Eun Seops jokes, childlikeness and love for his family and siblings; Koo Seo Ryungs ambition, strong headedness in a mainly male dominated industry; Kang Shin Jaes good heartedness, his silent love for Tae Eul and his sacrifices.
It was indeed very nice to see them again, with a different destiny, living their lives as they should have. Luna as Seo Ryungs police sister and again as Shin Jaes junior. Lee Gon in the marine, Shin Jae still living on the edge of between a cop and a gangster. And Jo Yeong with siblings (I lost my heart when he passed out, it looked like dying i was dying ok).
I gotta say with all honesty. I am not a fan of Lee Minho, never have been, I just think he is incredibly overrated for what he serves, and his visuals are definitely not my style. But damn, I never said that he can't act, but he SERVED as Lee Gon. Especially his emotional scenes were excellent. I can't imagine anyone else than him as Lee Gon. Well done!!
Kim Go Eun, as always. Amazing on screen. She just acts and acts and it's just perfect. Her crying and clinging on to Lee Gon, her fighting scenes, I mean she's just brilliant. (Btw her hug scenes with Lee Gon were the best I've ever scene, I could feel that damned pain and love) I am rooting for you! Waiting for the next drama hihi.
Well, here comes my bitch, or more like I am a bitch for him. Woo Do Hwan. Might just be the main reason I pushed through the first 4 episodes. I probably would have watched this because of Kim Go Eun anyways, but the moment I saw him in the trailers I just couldn't wait. And oh, my boy did not disappoint. He literally stole the limelight, I am sorry to everyone else, but he shined, both as Jo Yeong and Eun Seop. This role was just perfect for him! He deserves more recognition for his amazing acting. Damn, the way he sobbed as Eun Sup when he and Yeong said goodbye to each other (gosh I was sobbing too), and that passing out scene in 1994, that TEAR synced perfectly with the camera movement and the music. Satisfaction level reached. His voice also, AH. Plus, that face. I have fallen under his spell long before, but I am even deeper after this drama. I am so glad he got the chance to do this role, it's just perfect.
The cast has made this story to what it is today.

The King: The Eternal Monarch is a show to watch with attention, and only then will you be able to comprehend the magic and brilliance the production team has created. A wonderful and adventurous story, with a heart wrenching love story, strong and loyal friendships. The story of waiting, trusting and finally accepting your own fate and quote: "decide to be happy with our fate". It tells its story excellently and I don't want to change anything about it.

PS.: Y'all act like the ads are the majority of the whole drama, also they aren't always in your face. And don't act like there aren't any in other "amazing" dramas. And also, I really don't understand how people have so much to criticise I just don't see it.

PPS.: After a few months I still think this drama is better than people make it sound like, but I do agree that it had more potential and could've been done better, but if they lived up to taht potential it would've been l e g e n d a r y.

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#TKEM is a 2020 kdrama and one the most viewed in Netflix. I decided to watch it because of the big stars first team-up Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun (whom I adore so much) and they never fail to amazed me, because this drama is a masterpiece. l super love the plot and every episode was just mind blowing as in you need to work-out your brain to solve a puzzle hahaha ? cinematography and visual effects is so Daebak and it makes me fantasized everything.

The sweet/sad romance amid King Lee Gon and Lieutenant Tae Eul is refreshingly distinct, no draggy romantic cliches here, their relationship is straight to the point, no push and pull, considering they perceive they may not have eternity together but chose to acquire their fate for the moment.

The cast are all did a great job but who catches my attention was Woo Do Wan ? it was like a love at first sight feeling hahaha... I already watched his previous projects like #TheDivineFury and #MyCountryTheNewAge pero ala kami spark (char ?) second lead lng xa or kontrabida but here in TKEM his delivery in his characters as Yeong and Eun Sup is so plausible for me and he is one of the highlighted character here.

I also have to commend the writer Kim Eun Sook for doing this masterpiece. I've seen her oast projects The Heirs, DOTS, Goblin, Mr. Sunshine and lastly The King: Eternal Monarch all of them has amazing storyline FOR ME.

I'm just so happy that TKEM ended with a happy ending because I am so inlove with their characters. ??

PS: Before watching the final episode ako gi-rewatch ang episode one para mrecap lng hahaha...

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I'm happy i decided to give this drama a chance this weekend. I wasn't going to watch it because of all the negative reviews i was seeing but i was bored and i thought I should watch one episode on Netflix but I ended up watching the whole episodes.
The story is nothing new but it is refreshing, the drama is fast paced and every episode leaves you wanting more.
The actors all did what they had to do and they brought their 'A' game.
The cinematography is one i haven't seen in a kdrama before and it just makes everything more beautiful.
Also, those saying the FL isn't pretty or cannot act can suck it because that lady actually acts well and I'm not even one of her fans but that lady is good especially the way she played her part as Luna.

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BEST KDRAMA OF 2020, ITS NO WONDER ITS TOP 10 WORLDWIDE

i have watched quite a handful of Korean dramas and only few seem to have my attention like this and The king is definitely one of them . The story is totally unpredictable,very different from Goblin and it has the right amount of comedy, the king actually flirts in science which is totally new and cool to me because it tells me he is going to use his brain as a mathematical and science genius to solve the problem in the kingdom . i also love the way the leads acts with their eyes, that where the chemistry between started becoming visible to me and i can see its building up although the king seems to have fallen harder. UPDATE- the chemistry is currently on fire as at episode 12, they almost burnt my screen, thankfully its SBS and not TVN because its definitely rated 16/18.

Th evil uncle is also working behind the scenes like he is building an evil army and i really cant wait to see where that leads, how will they eventually close the door of the parallel world, can they survive in each other's world and eventually be able to stay together while solving the problems created by evil uncle Lee rim.

its been a while that i watched an asian drama that challenged my brain like this and gotten me all excited. the dramas these days have predictable plot with the usual cliche scenes which is okay but shouldn't be grossly overused to avoid cringiness or the dramas has so much toxicity that drains me even as a viewer.

But this drama 'The King Eternal Monarch' just gives me hope and refreshing feeling and i hope it lives up to my expectation.
Episode 1-15- i am short of words, the story is amazing, the chemistry is ridiculously NATURAL,almost too real to be acting, this drama is a must watch, its just too explosive to explain, but not without its faults which i will definitely overlook because this story entertains me.

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I so desperately wanted to like this show. I am such a huge fan of Lee Min Ho and while Kim Go Eun is definitely not my favorite Korean actress I was willing to give her a chance. She is good at crying ? I just found her to be so annoying by the end of the show I could barely watch her. I am such a fan of his though that I tried to bear with it but found myself fast forwarding thru their scenes together. It is so sad that there was , in my opinion , zero chemistry between them. The saviour of the whole series was Woo Do hwan and his characters. He was so good in his dual roles. I know that the writer is famous and I have enjoyed a few of her other series but this one was a huge disappointment. While all the pieces may have been great they did not fit together well. If one is bored by all means watch it but do not expect anything special.
So I finished episode 16 full of hope that it would some how change my mind about this drama and make me like it. Unfortunately it did nothing of the kind. It was one hot mess. I watched it three times just to make sure I was not missing anything. Wow what a let down!

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A story of tangled loose ends

The glaring ads didn't bother me. The cringey prince-charming-saving-Cinderella-in-a white horse-holding-a-sword-while-the-enemies-are holding-guns made me cringe too, but did not daunt me. I gave this series a chance after another, but the unrealistically happy ending was the final straw. I think a sad and tragic ending would have made more sense.

After all the mess that the broken flute had caused, I thought LG would come to realize that the previous kings had good reasons for not playing God. Gon could have tried to do what’s right and seal the road to parallel worlds forever by leaving the flute in the baloon dimension, making sure no one can abuse its power down the line again. He could have decided to do that after finding Tae-Eul and fulfilling his last promise. Sure, he would be left heartbroken, but he would be making a decision bigger than himself or his royal family woes, and that would have been an amazing character redemption, no? Because in the end, if he doesn't choose what's best for eternity's sake, then his focus on killing his uncle and getting the flute would be nothing but a personal vendetta which would have made him somewhat of a narrow character with nada development.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what he has become. In the end, he chose to use the flute for his own selfish reasons, even if that reason is love, ignoring the fact that him and Tae-Eul couldn’t live like teens on a road trip forever, what with him being a king with the responsibility of sustaining the royal lineage by finding a queen in his world who could provide him with an heir.

Holding on to that note, here’s another flaw: if the children have the same parents in RoK and KoC, it goes to say that the worlds have ‘mirror’ couples too. Therefore, the hint that Luna and Hyeon-min could end up together while LG and Tae-eul are gallivanting through dimensions is breaking the series’ own set of rules.

In an alternate ending, I’m imagining Tae-Eul wandering the streets where she met LG for the first time, still teary-eyed and wistful, when a grown Ji-hun walks by. Only this time, she dropped her ID that she was holding as she was intently staring at his face, and Ji-Hun stopped to pick it up, looking at it first and then her face, before saying her name out loud and returning it to her with a smile…. While in Corea, Gon’s life is again in trouble due to some terrorists or another coup. Yeong was busy protecting him from the front, when a bullet was shot from behind. Luckily, a police officer shielded him from this bullet, who turns out to be Luna. If you think about it, Gon's obsession with Tae-Eul started with the thought that she had something to do with saving his child self. In a fixed timeline, Luna was actually the one meant to save him, and Ji-hun was the one meant to pick up Tae-Eul's ID.

All along, Tae-Eul is apparently fated to meet Ji-hun in her world, and Lee Gon to Luna. LG and Tae-Eul’s meeting was a result of the the strings getting tangled and mixed up, so when the flute got fixed, so does their fate and timeline. Finally tying the loose ends. Not a happy ending, but way more realistic and would make the title "Eternal monarch" more befitting.

Needless to say, I am sorely disappointed in the loose ends and lack of character development that I have created in my mind a more sensible ending while watching. They set a lot of rules, yet in the end, they fail to abide by the rules. And that, for me, is the most annoying of all.

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A wise person once said, "Understand the plot then skip to Woo Dohwan's scenes."

That person was me.

Anyway, I'll be speaking about 4 main points.

1. The Pacing
2. The Villain
3. The Romance
4. The Plot Convenience

There are minor spoilers in here. If you watched 2 episodes then you are spoiler free from this review.

[ The Pacing ]

You can't feel emotionally attached to any of the characters. The author had created TOO MANY plotlines to focus on. The parallel universe, the romance, the investigation, the doppelganger, the villain, the side characters, the side character's side story, add all that and you get a messy execution. The pacing is all over the place.

Since this whole drama is written to center around romance, they could have simplified it by giving us less characters and unnecessary scenes. Characters like the Prime Minister (second female lead) held no importance to the plot. She is neither a good enemy nor a good ally by the end which makes her pointless. All that screentime, for what exactly? I love women in power but she didn't impact the story in any shape or form. She doesn't change anything. I don't understand why I had to watch all that set up just to come up with NOTHING!

This happened again (but much BETTER) with the second male lead. He had a good build up but he ended up being flat too. They should have connected his storytelling without the long gaps (to keep it heartwrenching) and gave him a more satisfying ending. He is one of the characters that you expect something from but it never gets delivered. The author just wasted all his potential by playing the self pity card.

Which brings me to another point. The investigation scenes are meaningless too. It was like running in circles. This author have learned the "show not tell" technique wrong. The male lead finds out all what the detectives found beforehand which makes me wonder why am I even watching them solve this case? Nobody cares about the flip phones, okay?

Anyway, I just wanna add this personal opinion but it would have been nice if the two worlds were more different.

[ The villain ]

Probably the most frustrating character in the whole drama because he's NOT supposed to be like this. He is evil for the sake of being evil. One of the worst villains we have seen in dramaland. He is an ABSOLUTE IDIOT! How did he succeed in creating a coup and gain followers is beyond me. His wickness is almost cartoonish. It's like I'm watching PowerPuff Girls. The amount of dumb decisions he made caused me to facepalm. The author didn't even try with him. He is smart when convenient and an idiot when convenient. His character exist to create tension and make our hero seem heroic. His plans were pretty smart and if he played his cards right, he would actually been a great threat but the author wanted a justifiable reason for the romance to happen. If the antagonist (involved in politics) have an IQ less than your average viewer then don't write him.

[ The Romance ]

The romance failed before it even started. IF it had a good setup, a lot of people wouldn't have called it forced. The problems started when our king here got the good ol' "saver complex" symptoms. Someone saved you? Instantly in love with them! I gave up on the romance from that moment. Everything about her is destiny or fate... he said "Be my Queen" in the 2nd EPISODE! MY GUY, YOU JUST MET HER IN THAT VERY EPISODE, DAFUQ YOU TALKING ABOUT? QUEEN MY ASS!

Where is the development? Moments that brings spark? Funny bickering of them trying to work side by side? Moments where they realized their feelings? Learning to understand each other? Make us wish they are together because they are cute to watch? We skipped all that. We got a girl who's uninterested, a one side bickering that isn't amusing because she is annoyed and a man, who apparently isn't interested in romance, suddenly in love with a girl over a badge photo. The chemistry doesn't build itself. It needs presentation.

[ The Plot Convenience ]

I wrote it in the comment of this review AND in the general comment section because it contains HEAVY spoilers. It hard to talk about plot convenience (and plot holes) without pointing out WHICH one were they. If you didn't watch this drama, I wouldn't recommend reading it. It won't make sense, trust me.

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I recently finished Minho's new drama.
First of all, the story : since the first episode that was released, I was fascinated by the amazing sci-fi story. It was a complex story, but not that complicated for my way of thinking. For this new, unique kind of story, I gave the show 10/10.
Then, the actors : since the first meeting of the main characters, I could really feel the great chemistry between the characters. Everyone did a great job while filming the drama. For everyone's acting, I decided to give the show a 10/10.
The whole series had an impressive sound track. The best one, in my opinion, was Hwasa' "Orbit", a song which matched with the story. For music I gave another 10/10.Hand down to everyone who composed and sang the ost.
I consider that this show is the best one I've seen in 2020, and that's why I gave 10/10 for everything including the staff, crew, script, actors, composers, singers.
I'm really glad that Minho had such a good drama after coming from the military enlistment. I also became a fan of Kim Go Eun, because she's really good at acting.

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I love this drama

I love this drama, I don’t know why I see lot of google news about this drama saying it not good but I love it I think that’s the best 2k20 drama I have watch so far, I highly recommend this drama. It’s different from Most Kdrama because most kdrama are about triangle love, CEO and famous stars I think Kdrama fans need to open up about those kind of story and appropriate them more because it rarely to see drama like this. I personally think most Kdrama have the same storyline but this drama help me to see new side of kdrama and fans need to support the Actors because they choose to act in a drama for a reasons and We also need to support the writers because they also working hard to satisfy the viewers and come up with new storyline. Don’t always expect love story between rich CEO and poor female lead. The king eternal monarch is a great drama, I started to watch it because of my Favorite actor Lee Min oh but I feel in love with it the drama , the acting, chemistry, storyline and everything. Again I highly recommend for someone who have not yet watch The king eternal monarch .

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[[[[[[[[[[[warning] Spoilers at the very end, but the review has none. ]]]]]]]]]]

THE WRITER:

I have watched two of Kim Eun Sook's dramas; Goblin and Mr. Sunshine, and I went into this drama with high expectations. As I was watching the first episode, I definitely got the feel of both of those dramas...however, the overall brilliance was not there.

THE SOUNDTRACK:

I have every song on this soundtrack on repeat. I listen to Hwasa, Yongzoo and Paul Kim almost five times a day. I know every word and its translation. I cannot find fault with this soundtrack.

THE ACTING:

They played the characters to the best of their abilities and I applaud them for their hard work. That being said...

A coin toss for Kim Go Eun, Lee Jung Jin and Lee Min Ho; I either loved them or found them awkward to watch. Never in-between. Especially their scenes with each other. They were not able to deliver the emotions they were supposed to when the moment came. However, KGE and LMH had one scene that spoke to me and gave me chills*.

70/100 for Kim Kyung Nam; I would give him 100 but he did not have enough screen time or a well-rounded character. He was incomplete. KKN's character in Come and Hug Me had me in tears. I cried when he cried and I felt every emotion he felt as he portrayed them on-screen. Whenever KKN would widen his eyes (in CaHM), I could not help but get sucked in. In KEM, I felt that his character was missing a lot....

100/100 for Jung Eun Chae and Woo Do Hwan; they brought the sourness and spice and the sweetness and laughter whenever they were onscreen, respectively. JEC was a fashion icon who, had she set her sights on another poor soul, would have been my favourite female character. WDH was a scene stealer and a joy to watch. Their characters were more whole than KKN, but I wish WDH would have gotten a bit more screen time as well.

THE STORY:

Goblin - 16 episodes, 1 hour 30 minutes
Mr. Sunshine - 20 episodes, 1 hour 20 minutes
The King: The Eternal Monarch - 16 episodes, 1 hour 10 minutes

Had all of these dramas been 1 hour long each; Goblin would have had 8 hours/episodes of extra content, Mr. Sunshine would have had 6.6 hours/episodes of extra content and KEM would have only had 2.6 hours/episodes of extra content. I am not say the lack of runtime in the drama is the sole reason I did not enjoy it as much as I did the other dramas.... however, I am saying that, had they lengthened the drama, it may have been better.

This is the first time I wanted any drama to be longer. It felt too short. I felt empty after having finished this drama. Even after watching the 30 second HEA in Eternal Love I had felt more whole and happy than I do now. KEM does not feel complete. There are so many unexplored elements in this drama that a longer runtime could have made better.

OVERALL:

I have seen Goblin twice and am currently rewatching it for the third time. I am about to restart Mr. Sunshine and spend another 20+ hours of my life, happily, being mesmerized by Lee Byung Hyun's acting.
I cannot say the same for KEM. I got through it once. I believe once is enough.
I did enjoy this drama, but it is not one of the best that I have seen.

















THE SPOILERS:

I need to talk about this scene:

One of the best scenes in kdrama history (in my opinion).

*When Tae Eul was in the middle of the road, holding a gun with only two bullets, facing the on-coming cavalry (not knowing if she was going to live or die).*
I have never cried as much as I did. My tears came from deep within and I had to pause to calm down and catch my breath.
*Then Lee Gon comes racing in on Max screaming, "Protect Your Queen!"*
I. Broken. Down.
I will never forget this scene.

That is all.

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