Queen Cheorin (2020)

Da vedere assolutamente

Si tratta di una serie che ha saputo fondere con successo gli elementi storici e romantici con quelli della commedia, con abbondanti note di suspense e, a tratti, non poca angst.
Il racconto conosce ben pochi momenti di noia, è decisamente uno dei migliori isekai che ci siano in circolazione. Si tratta di 20 ore di spettacolo durante le quali è difficile non cominciare immediatamente la puntata successiva quando se ne finisce una.

Un moderno chef di successo, dongiovanni impenitente e di scarsa fibra morale, a seguito di un incidente si risveglia nel corpo di una futura regina, intorno al 1850. Cosa possa combinare un uomo in un corpo di donna a corte è fonte di infinito divertimento per noi ma, anche, di frustrazione e disperazione per il nostro povero naufrago del tempo, che dovrà presto fare anche i conti con sensazioni sconosciute e ricordi molesti. I ricordi della vera regina infatti cominceranno a riaffiorare e il nostro si troverà, oltre a fare i salti mortali per sopravvivere in acque infestate dai piranha, a dover gestire sentimenti che gli fanno orrore. Sullo sfondo, ma neanche tanto, intrighi politici e di palazzo tengono viva l'attenzione sulle vicende, condite anche dallo sbocciare e fiorire di una "strana coppia" nelle cucine reali.

La figura del re Cheoljong è stata decisamente romanzata e migliorata in molti aspetti. La storia ufficiale ci rimanda una persona non solo completamente succube della famiglia Kim, come inizialmente appare anche nel drama, ma soprattutto analfabeta e rozza, a causa degli anni di gioventù vissuti in esilio nell'indigenza. Su questo povero infelice, morto a poco più di 30 anni, probabilmente "aiutato" dagli amorevoli parenti acquisiti, è stata costruita una storia che l'ha reso un rivoluzionario ante litteram. E quasi mi commuovo a pensare che, dopo tanti anni, alla sua figura sia stata resa, se non giustizia, una patina di eroismo che l'ha fatta uscire per un po' dal suo stato di insignificante re fantoccio.

Ma la storia non sarebbe nulla se non ci fossero gli attori a raccontarla. In questo caso, l'attrice. Shin Hye Sun ha fatto un lavoro egregio. Vera mattatrice e filo conduttore di tutto il drama, ha saputo interpretare al meglio ogni sfumatura della regina Kim So Yong che, non dimentichiamolo, nel corpo femminile nasconde per la maggior parte del drama l'anima di un uomo moderno.
Anche Kim Jung Hyun, magistrale interprete del re Cheoljong, ha saputo infondere nel suo personaggio tutti i colori che il ruolo necessitava. E, essendo il personaggio complesso, ne servivano parecchi.
Spalle e caratteristi hanno fatto un lavoro sopraffino. Soprattutto il cuoco di corte e la dama attendente della regina Kim So Yong sono stati particolarmente efficaci nel loro ruolo prevalentemente comico ma, a tratti, anche più serio.

Ora, bisogna dire che i drama coreani sono un po' particolari, occorre farci l'abitudine. La recitazione è spesso quella che è, un po' sopra le righe. Spesso, un po' troppo. E' sicuramente una scelta registica, perché in altri momenti l'eccesso di recitazione non si nota. Ma, a prescindere da questo, la prova data dagli attori, in generale, è magnifica, con punte da standing ovation.

Gli attori non recitano nudi in un deserto, per cui occorre parlare anche dei costumi, veramente magnifici, e delle ambientazioni, davvero spettacolari. Le coreografie dei combattimenti sono interessanti e ben eseguite, senza troppi eccessi.
Le musiche fanno il loro dovere sottolineando i momenti topici con la giusta enfasi. Nulla da dire.

Lo riguarderei? Certamente sì. Probabilmente non farò neppure passare molto tempo. Mi ha davvero completamente rapita.

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Sorprendentemente bello e divertente.

lDopo le prime due tre puntate per capire che succede diventa un dramma divertente ma anche coinvolgente che hai voglia di continuare a vedere.
La storia raccontata è un originale con una bella storia d'amore oltre che numerosi intrighi di corte. Il re e la regna sono davvero belli insieme e c'è pure il triangolo amoroso da tutti e due i lati, a tratti si fa il tifo per il second lead maschile.
Divertenti anche le donne di corte e gli amici del re un po' meno quelle odiose regine madri vedove.
Alla fine ha un bel finale per concludere un bellissimo dramma.
Meravigliosi i costumi e anche le ost.
Assolutamente da vedere.

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Divertente e ben fatto

Questo è uno dei pochi drama che sarebnbe da dieci pieno come punteggio, se non fosse per la prima parte del primo episodio e per il final, ma resta comunque molto bello sia come trama che come personaggi. Alto livello di produzione, bravissimo cast e una storia che viaggia alla giusta velocità, con la giusta ironia e alternanaza di intrigo, risate, e andre dramma. Funziona tutto bene, anche graziea lla protagonista che da sola regge buona parte del drama, riuscendo credibile come uomo nel corpo di donna. So che c'è chi non l'ha trovato divertente, ma personalmente ho riso tanto e anche sorriso. Però è più vicino probabilmente a una comità occidentale, meno farsesca della classica comicità dei drama asiatici, che a noi occidentalii sembra troppo. Ho visto questo drama dopo Kingdom e insieme a quello per ora questi sono gli unici draman storici oreani che ho veramente apprezzato. Con altri fatico, ma questo anche se lungo, il tempo è volato. Superconsigliato da parte mia.

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This drama has set the bar too high

How can a drama be so perfect?

SHOWSTOPPING, JAW-DROPPING and just SPECTACULAR.

And this is coming from a highly critical kdrama watcher. I have honestly dropped so many dramas just because they got boring, and the ending felt too predictable. But with this drama, it was different. This drama has set the bar so high that it has become the golden standard for me. EVERYTHING from the humour to the romance and the little plot twists keeps you engaged throughout. There will never be a moment where you get bored. Even in the midst of a scene that you would think to be serious, you will almost always end up laughing. And speaking of laughter, your belly will probably ache at the end of each episode lol.

Apart from the plot, the actor and actress have outdone themselves. They will 100% climb up your kdrama actor/actress list.

The music is on point especially this one song that will get stuck in your head lol.

If you're a picky drama watcher I highly highly highly recommend this.

Have fun watching this :)

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Comparison with Chinese original "Go Princess Go"

Since I watched both the Chinese original "Go Princess Go" and this Korean remake, let me comment on some similarities and differences, and why you should watch both :)

1. Completely different storylines
Other than the "modern playboy's soul enters ancient queen's body" setting, everything else is redone. The Chinese drama was in the early webdrama days and featured an imaginary ancient time, while the Korean actually corresponds to one of the real kings in history. The Koreans took this short-lived king and remade him into a different (more interesting) character in the drama, and based a lot of clan feuds / political conflicts around this time period. This is very different from the Chinese drama, which had much less politics and much more just pure slapstick comedy.
So if you're into period dramas, this one will give you everything you need -- history, politics, as well as a very gripping fight for what is right.

2. AMAZING costuming and set
The Chinese drama was made in the early webdrama days with obscenely low budget, so they took the low budget and made it into one of their jokes. They had one electric fan to do all special effects with, they didn't have money for realistic costumes so they remade a lot of modern dresses, and the set was just ???
(That is not to say the Chinese drama is poorly made -- as I said, they took the low budget and they ran with it; and they made SUCH A FUNNY DRAMA from it that the historical inaccuracies can be ignored)

This Korean one, on the other hand, is made with a standard drama budget, so they really made the whole scenery so much more exquisite. Standard period drama costuming and accessories, and standard period drama sets... etc. Pretty clothes, pretty backgrounds -- what's not to like?

3. The comedy is just as existent!
You'd think that with the politics and the real costumes, that the Korean drama would be much more serious and boring. Not true. Thanks to the scriptwriters' cleverness and the actors' amazing acting/adlibbing, we got just as funny of a story (if not more so). From the wild (history-friendly) re-explanations of common modern words in the "Queen's Dictionary" to the facial expressions and physical comedy, Mr. Queen will have you laughing on the floor and screenshotting all those ramyun references :0)

Basically you can treat Mr. Queen and Go Princess Go as two completely separate works. Both have their perks and charming points. Both are entertaining to watch. One requires a little bit more brain power than the other because of its extra enriched storyline (Mr. Queen), but the complexity is also what made this drama do as well as it did.

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In Love With Mr. Queen!

This drama really exceeded my expectations. As a person of being choosy regarding comedy genre who would have thought this drama had so much potential! Surprisingly I enjoyed It throughout. But the results are soaring with high ratings making it the 5th highest rated TVN drama and 7th highest rated cable drama. Can't be happier!

South Korean chef Jung Bong Hwan finds himself transported into Kim So Yong, the queen of Joseon era. While Joseon is beset with corruption Cheol Jong is a king for namesake. Queen Dowager Sun Won and brother Kim Jwa Geon are the main power holders and the root of corruption. But things are not as they seem. King Cheol Jong is a capable king but in disguise.

After the soul transfer, the antics of the queen will surely entertain you. The twist and turns are so satisfying. The intriguing struggle to gain power gives another dash of emotion. The plot itself is interesting.

The cast did a brilliant job. The King and Queen were adorable. I loved how they portrayed the friendship between the queen, courtlady Choi, Hong Yeon & another trio Prince Yeongpeong, Hong Byul Gam, Kim Hwan. Courtlady and Royal Chef Man Bok's romance was another thing. The ending was good. At least it did not have a sad ending like the parent story "Go Princess Go!". Although I felt sad for Kim Beong In, he loved & protected the queen till his last breath.

The OST's deserve separate appreciation. I personally loved Xiumin's "To My One & Only". It was so soothing. Others including Kim Jong Hyun's tracks were also good. They captured the essence.

I can't get enough of this drama. The lines of Jang Bong Hwan "You can make a change in the world by changing yourself" was adept. I'm gonna now keep myself busy in the spinoff. Hope 2021 gives us more dramas to binge.

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It was one of a kind

This drama is a shining diamond. It is one of the best dramas I have watched so far and I have no regrets. I would most definitely watch it again. I think the story of the drama was unpredictable, it had many twists and turn. Now we all know that the comedic element in this drama is beyond funny and I love it, but it also made us cry big time. AND I KNOWW!!!! for anyone who watched it had SLS. I personally found the 1st episode kinda long and boring, it literally took me 3 MONTHS to finish one episode.But I pulled myself together and decided to give it a chance and I loved it. So this is a sign to y'all out there who are hesitating to watch it.

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Best 20 hours of my life

Never would have thought there could be such a storyline. The clueless acting of the ml was Oscar worthy and I am sure fl won the hearts of many people. Shin hye sun(fl) I had watched her in a lot of other shows but this character was just built for her.
The music for the show was spot on, especially the outro song at the end of each episode was so good. Plus all the music or sounds at funny moments made those scenes even better.
All the supporting characters where making this already awesome show even better.
I don't know who the author/writer of the shows but you can definitely tell I am gonna check out his other works until I die. I just want to thank all the people who where responsible for this show , amid all the covid-19 problems you guys kept me happy. Truly best 20 hours of my life
Ps. I am a picky guy , I find fault in everything but no mater how much I tried for some reason I can't think of any. This feeling is certainly wonderful.

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What a fun ride!

I never enjoyed any drama as I enjoyed this from the very first episode till the last episode. It was a roller coaster ride for me filled with so much laughter. I don't think so that any drama can be this hilarious with perfect execution, script, cast, and everything, I loved every aspect of it and surely Mr. Queen has become one of my most favorites.

I was hooked from the first episode. It didn't leave its track even for one episode. It was consistently good and hilarious until the very end. It was a beautiful journey which I enjoyed very much. I guess it had set up pretty much high standards for Korean historical for me.

Hat's of for the Shin Hye Sun I don't think that anyone could have done a better job than her. She was perfect for this role she nailed it. The whole cast was amazing everyone did a great job portraying every character, the acting was excellent and top-notch. It couldn't be this better without this cast. All dynamics of every character were great and three-dimensional even the villains did a great job as I hated them with whole my heart. The King's character was really great though it was a bit confusing in the start things got clear later The changes we did see in Queen in every episode her journey was phenomenal. The chemistry between leads was amazing it was the perfect pairing. I also loved side characters and their interactions as well.

The story was indeed well written and executed. The soundtrack and ost were perfect and the cinematography was brilliant.

Overall it was wonderful drama though it's not everyone's cup of tea if you like historical and comedy then definitely give it a try. It was a wonderful experience.

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Masterpiece

Story: very good ;
well written , comedy was smart while using very well the grotesque.

Soundtrack: very good ;
Not once i got bored by it, it helped the story perfectly.

Visuals: very good ;

Empathy to characters: very good;
It's not every drama these days that manage to get me attached to the characters.
In this one, i felt some attachment even for side characters.

Casting: very good ;
Everyone did well, but Shin Hye Sun stole the show, she is perfect.
P.S: Bae Jong Ok as queen dowager deserves an award.

Realisation + direction; very good ;

Pacing: Good

I'm not giving it 10, because i never give 10, but it came as close as possible.
I don't know why i waited so much to watch this.....

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i've never felt so sad i finished a drama before :(((

Absolutely loved the story and the acting. i loved the actress, how she portayed the gestures of men and her facial expressions so easily that we can clearly see when it was the man, or when it was the woman taking over her body. i enjoyed this drama so much i stalled it so many days in fear of parting with it too early...and the actor i;ve seen him before in another drama but in here he excelled his role. Really good acting.
And the music was so good. The transition between dramatic to funny moments was so enjoyable with the accompanying music. Really such an excellent k drama. No one should miss it.

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