L'affetto reale (2021)

WHY DID THE STORYLINE CHANGE AFTER EPISODE 4?

The drama is good, but since the drama started off so strong, and with a focus on politics in the monarch, I was expecting the storyline to move that way but it totally flipped around. WHY DID THE STORYLINE CHANGE AFTER EPISODE 4? =/

Before reaching episode 5 I wondered why the reviews for this drama was so low because the first 4 episodes are worthy of a rating of a 10. However, after episode 4, the storyline turns from political to romance. However, the romance was not as well crafted as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, it's good but just not great. It is full of common tropes, and slow motion side effects when the female and male lead just so happen to mistakenly find one another in each other arms. Note: After episode 6, it recovers and is back to being great again!

Btw, the female lead actress did a wonderful job acting. The second male lead (Mr. Dimples) is super cute!

Okay, I'm back with an update after watching episodes 7 and 8 and the political part of this drama is good but the romance scenes are horrible. I don't think the writers and director did a good job at trying to convince me that the romance in this drama could work; they should have stuck to a political historical drama without romance. I have to lower my rating from a 9.0 to a 7.5.

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Great watch!

Even though it's not up there with Mr. Queen, it was a great watch and I looked forward to new episodes every week! ROWOON is so cute to look at and I love his non-conforming male behavior. I think he played a bit more of the feminine role here but it complements the female lead who has to play the male role! I felt the plot is unique and interesting. It's simple as in other than the villain we already know, there's not a lot of misunderstanding or evil side schemes that comes between the major evil scheme. There are some minor flaws in the plot but what drama doesn't have flaws? All the supporting characters played their roles well. The ones you should love and the ones you should hate. The dad and male lead had a complex relationship but it worked out. The supporting female characters were lovable. I enjoyed the last episode as it was true happy ending, not a half-@$$ed 5-min cut of an implied happy ending.

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4th time

I for one loved this drama enough to watch it for the 4th time. I will probably watch it again. It's a great story and I loved all of the main actors' role in the drama. It entertained me, made me laugh and made me cry. I am an incurable romantic.

Watching Korean dramas is something I started watching about 6 months ago and just love the majority of what I have viewed. I watch them every day and binge watch when a drama really catches my interest like King's Affection. The first time I watched it I binge watched. Dramas I really love I will normally watch them numerous times since I have to read the English subtitles and will normally miss something. I always watch the behind the scenes as well. To me it personalizes the actors. Great Job!!

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One of the best worth watching Historical Drama

Am very satisfied with every single aspects of this wonderful drama. Personally historical is my favourite genre. Thanks to Netflix for taking its streaming rights because of that we got an amazing visually grand historical drama. The story was very interesting from the Beginning, when i first read the plot i thought this will probably follow the same pattern of love hate and love triangle boring patriotism and politics till end. For love triangle there were several people in that cycle, but i desperate to watch mainly because of my favourite actors Rowoon and Park Eun bin.

I don't enter into the plot because you can read it on mydramalist website, but in short a girl pretending to a king and she has to live her life with this secret, sounds very interesting and so as the drama also very beautifully narrated with a good screenplay. 20 long episode, i don't felt any dragging at all ( binge watching experience may different). After every episode by episode it kept going very nicely. Eun bin was nailed it with her outstanding performance. It's not an easy task to transform into a men, but her appearance was quite impressive, There was so many characters and the screenplay is well balanced. Also not much love triangle, but still there some. But they give less space for that which was good actually.

Even the finale episodes were very satisfying, all the emotional moments with some beautiful osts played a big part to make this drama worth watch. Highly recommended if you r a historical drama lover. I enjoyed a lot.

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beautiful and sad story ..much sad

I really liked the drama! It’s a pity that it ended so quickly, it would have been better if there were more episodes, I think the storyline could have been continued.. after Lee Hyun became a king.
About the actors! Great cast! I really liked the joint game of Park Eun and Rowoon, Nam Yoon, Choi Byung Chana and Yoon Je Moon as well as the courtiers Kim Sang Gung and Eunuch! They all played their roles very harmoniously! They ( directors ) , chose the actors very wisely, I would say it turned out as if it really happened! ( how they played ! So realistic ) Exciting !
Scenario .. it’s sad that they decided to kill a twin and considered it a bad sign, on the contrary, it would be beneficial for the royal court to have twins in case of illness, one of them (since it comes to usefulness to the state and the people)
There are a lot of cruel scenes against children (I didn’t expect this from the script from Jung Seok Jo (the children could have been spared, especially not to kill the twin without figuring out who it really is - king or his sister) and in front of his son.. not very a good example of “serving His Majesty” .. that was really sad .. and how could Jung Ji Woon forgiving his father lately ? (In lasts episodes) I think his father deserved punishment because many innocent children died because of him and people , “to please” Han Ki Jae the king’s grandfather ..
Here is the grandfather (Han Ki Jae), he really wanted to rule, so why didn’t he take the throne himself? Why was it necessary to intrigue and make puppets for yourself if you could already rule yourself and let the twin girl (Dami Yi) and her brother live in peace?!
So many people suffered for him!
And yes, why did his daughter (queen) and even King King Hyejon himself listen to him? In my opinion, a weak monarch who had absolutely no control over the court and was literally a puppet in the hands of his wife’s grandfather..
Throughout the drama, I wondered why Lee Hwi / Dam Yi didn't give up everything and run away? But she could! And she would have lived in peace, then she would have found Jung Ji Woon and they would have been happy.. she didn’t owe it to anyone to become queen, especially to people who wanted to get rid of her. But she coped very well with her role as a king; it must have been difficult to hide the fact that she was a woman for so many years! Even her fear of her grandfather passed over time.
It’s not clear why in most Korean historical scenarios, kings fulfill the wishes of their subjects more than the subjects listen to the king... this is probably another difference from chinese dramas where everyone obeys the king (rather than the king constantly focusing on the opinions of his subjects)
I was amazed by the devotion of Prince Lee Hyun, who knew from childhood that the king was a woman but hid this secret even though Dam Yi loved another (especially his friend)... you need to have strong restraint so as not to harm the person you love and your friend despite jealousy and love.. I admire him! It would be cool to have a “parallel scenario” in which such feelings would be mutual and in the end the queen would marry the prince (unless, of course, this does not contradict blood ties and this is not a brother), well, so that the hero of such a plan would win at least once scenarios))
What was also amazing was that they all - Queen Lee Hwi, Jung Ji Woon and Lee Hyun - remained friends in the end! This is the most wonderful ending!
I also liked the performance of Kim Ga On, a handsome actor and a wonderful performance, it’s good that he was left alive according to the script and he eventually took the side of King Lee Hwi despite the offense towards the late king (although in fact the king’s grandfather, whom everyone obeyed, was to blame).
I didn’t like the “gender intrigue” scene where rumors began to creep in that the king prefers men, it felt like the screenwriter was clearly trying to shoehorn a scene or a hint of bl where it had no place at all! I don’t really understand how there could be bl in korean dramas or a hint of it! Well, this doesn’t fit at all with korean conservatism! Especially in a historical drama where it was even stricter with this than now! There was an unpleasant aftertaste..
Yes, and Dami Yi could have long ago confessed to Queen Noh Ha Kyung that she was a woman and lured her to her side.. and everyone would have been happy and no one would have been offended.. but somehow it turned out strictly, Dami Yi was very careful..
Some things are not difficult to predict or how events will unfold. By the way, I knew that Dami Yi would poison her grandfather! And the pill that she took before drinking the poisoned tea was 100% an antidote that she didn’t know about but which saved her in the end! But her grandfather didn’t expect it, he thought that he would continue to carry out his intrigues on the sly! Well done she!
Of course, I thought that she would have her own army and she would be able to defend her rights without losing the youngest prince, but apparently not in this drama.. it’s a pity for the little one (prince Jehyeon), he was not guilty of anything at all and only wanted that if they left him alone.. the best solution would be not to leave the palace for him.. it would save him..

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Okay, despite the bad reviews I've seen, let me tell you this.
I think the genre most fitted to Yeonmo is royalty and slice of life, with maybe a bit of drama.
We are shown how life is at the palace, how a young royal live their life against the harsh palace and grow up to be a benevolent and wise leader. It is serene, graceful, sometimes intense and filled with delicate schemes.
The cinematography and coloring is exceptional. Yeonmo uses a lot of flower and tree sceneries, bright and warm colors, and takes up a rather slow pace. A lot of the actors and actresses are young and new talents, but their characterization and chemistry are so good on and off camera! It's really refreshing to see.

Also! This is one of the dramas that portrays the purest definition of love. I absolutely loved it, you have to watch and see for yourself.

That being said, I think this drama is best watched one episode or two at a time, not to binge. There are minimal violence, I think, and no adult scenes (if you exclude kiss scenes which every K-drama have). Totally recommended!

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Exceeded expectations, loved it

I started watching this assuming it was going to be another mediocre or boring show, but I was very wrong. There is so much suspense in every episode, I couldn't stop watching because I was desperate to see what happened next. The story is interesting and well written except for maybe a couple of plot twists that felt odd or out of place or didn't fit (like when they kidnapped hwi back to the palace) and a maybe a couple plot holes, but other than that it was very well done. The comedy is good too and it made me laugh. This is definitely one of the better dramas I have watched.

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This is a great romantic historical drama where the leading couple has very good chemistry and well delivered romantic scenes. Although there are several other people leading into love triangles, it was great that not a single one of them turned out to be selfish and destructive toward the leading couple. The story is interesting with a good number of antagonists. Even that the storyline was about the affections of the King (Lee Hwi / Dam Yi), especially toward her beloved Jung Ji Woon, the King excelled in making righteous and calculated judgments toward those that lived their lives carrying out injustices for their personal gains, and Jung Ji Woo was equally ethical. The cast did a very good job delivering their characters but I must stressed that Park Eun Bin excelled on her portrayal of both the male and female characters that she played; also there is Yoon Je Moon, who marvelously portrayed the lead antagonist Han Ki Jae(Left State Councilor), the master conniver; and last but not least, Bae Soo Bin as Jung Seok Jo [Ji Woon's father], Han Ki Jae’s borrowed sword with a very conflicting personality that did all the wrong things in order to keep his family safe. . Overall, this drama is very entertaining, apart from a good storyline, it also has a beautiful and steadfast romance, good performances, beautiful costumes, good actions scenes, and great cinematography. Enjoy it!

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Perfection!

Please don’t listen to the reviews saying it’s dragging and too slow-paced. I am very glad I didn’t look at any reviews before I started watching because I might’ve passed on a drama that is now one of my absolute favorites.

It wasn’t too slow or too long at all! I was glued to the screen for every second of these 20 episodes and binged the whole thing in two days, with only one break for a few hours of sleep.

I generally love the crossdressing trope but I think it is only done right, when the other characters don’t find out for a long time, which this drama did perfectly. I have seen a few shows where the love interest found out way too soon, which takes away the whole thrill of the trope. The King’s Affection does an amazing job at keeping up the thrill and only slowly revealing parts of the truth. The characters are all well-written and three-dimensional and make you care for them and worry about their fate, so no scene feels like a bore or filler. Even with the length of 20 episodes, it never felt like it dragged on for too long. It was exactly the right amount of time needed to tell this beautiful story.

Park Eun Bin did an exceptionally great job, portraying the Crown Prince. I love that the writers made Dami become a fierce, badass Prince instead of a damsel-in-distress trying to pose as a man. The way she acted and held herself made her the most believable man I’ve seen in a crossdressing drama or movie. I’ve seen some people say she looks way too feminine to pass as a man, which I find funny cause I could list at least 6 idols who could pass as a woman and fool everyone, so why is it so unbelievable that a man could have her features? Effeminate men exist.

I really fell in love with the whole cast, but especially Nam Yoon Su, who played Hyun - his fate was the one I was most anxious about because he was just so charming.
And of course, the child actors also did an amazing job, especially Choi Myung Bin in her double role.

There are quite a few parallels to Sungkyunkwan Scandal but it didn’t bother me. Both dramas are amazing.

Seriously, please give this a watch, it’s amazing.

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Sizzling romance, well acted, interesting plot...what's not to like?

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Historical Romance Drama with 20, 70 minute episodes.

During the Josean era, the birth of twins was considered an unfortunate sign. To disguise the event, the king sends a message to kill the infant girl and everyone who attended the birth. The mother, the Crown Princess Constort, had the twin infant secretly snuck out of the palace to save her life. After years of living at a monastery, Dam-yi, the girl twin, winds up returning to the palace as a maid. It is not long before her brother, the young Crown Prince, notices their remarkable similarity and gets her to pretend to be him so he can go on a mission outside the palace. Unfortunately, due to mistaken identity, the young prince is killed and the Crown Princess Consort realizes her daughter was disguised as her brother. To save the life of the only child she now has, Dam-yi's mother requests that she continue in the role of the Crown Prince, her brother. As the years pass Dam-Yi (Park Eun-bin) yp keep people from discovering her secret she maintains both physical and emotional distance from others earning her the titles "the five step prince" and "Ice Prince". When her first love, Jung Ji-woon (Rowoon), is brought to the palace to tutor the "Crown Prince" she finds that the womanly feelings she had buried for so long start to emerge. Now Dam-yi must not only keep her true identity secret but also protect those around her in an environment where many factions seek the crown.

I loved the premise of this. The reason she had to act as her brother was both logical and believable. The interactions between her and all of the characters around him/her were interesting and engaging. The love story between the two main characters was well paced and heart warming. There were multiple villians and they were very much love to hate. It had a Mulan sort of feel to it overall. Spoilers** The only slight detractors were I felt we never found out what happened to her cousin who was mortally wounded in the end. If he lived and there was a possibility that he would although unlikely, he would come for the crown again. I thought the young prince being killed was unnecessary. It was very disheartening because she had told him he would be okay. Hyun never expressed any interest in the crown and they did not explain how it came about that he wound up being the one to ascend to the throne. I mean he was more or less the last in line that they talked about but still there was no mention of how he felt about it. In general the monarchy was portrayed as weak, they did whatever their vassals wanted to the point of maids and the eunichs somewhat bossing the royals around. I am sure some of that went on but it seemed to be very prevalent in this one. She is very petite and feminine to "buy" that she was a man. That is not unusual though, every one I have seen with this trope you have to allow artistic license and just "play along." I mean if the queen seemed to buy it, and the rest of the royals who would question it? I don't expect movies to match reality - they are movies. People generally cannot bound between two buildings, jump out of moving cars, take on 50 guys, but we accept all that in action movies. So, I didn't mind that she was a very "feminine" looking man and that those around her bought it. Overall I loved it though and those minor points were very minor. I loved how strong her characater was and all the things she had overcome. I would watch it again and totally recommend it to anyone that likes this genre. Very well done. The acting was amazing, costumes were beautiful, settings were eye candy, and the characters had a lot of depth and development.

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