Il Re e la Spia (2024)

Pretty Good

While starting this show i did not have high expectations since the cast was quite unfamiliar for me (i have only seen one of shin se-kyung's drama's "Run On") but i was utterly mesmerized in the first few episodes.

Pros:
1) The biggest pro for me is the ml's acting skills, his eyes are so expressive and his line delivery is impressive, i found myself rewatching his dialogues because they were so powerful
2) The struggles of being the king was described really well and the king's predicament was also well written
3) Wave by Taeil which is one of the main osts of this show was soo good, its very melancholic and the tune was stuck in my head for days
4) I also really liked the fact that court lady dong was not a one dimensional villainess who always conspired to do evil but rather had feelings of her own
5) The queen's story was quite tragic and im glad that they didnt portray her as an obstacle to the main couples relationship but rather as a noble girl that got unlucky and her relationship with the grand prince was also really cute

Cons:
1) The ending didnt really feel like a proper ending, after seeing it i felt like i was seeing the second last episode rather than the last episode, i had certain hopes for what their relationship would end up as and i was sad that none of it came true
2) It got very fast paced towards the end and very draggy in certain parts as well
3) I remember being so annoyed when the fl kept having the deer in front of headlights look for every scene and the fact that she kept going back to revenge when the ml was baring his his heart out to her
4) I still dont see why myung-ha's character was necessary to the plot
5) I dont know if its the bad/biased writing but the fl's scenes were so unmemorable, on one hand you had the ml's POWERFUL line delivery and emotions and the fl consistently had the deer in headlights look and her lines were just not IMPACTFUL enough

Overall i would say that its a pretty good show, the first few episode were easily a 10/10 but the later episodes changed my mind. All in all if you like angsty romances with very less skinship but a lot of meaningful looks then this show is definitely for you. I do think that i liked this show more due to the fact that i waited every week rather than binge watching the whole thing since the wait at the end of every cliffhanger and the numerous predictions i cooked up were definitley a huge part of the experience

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Under satisfying end to an across-the-board amazing drama

This drama had all the factors going for it, an interesting plot, a believable reason for revenge and a consistent amazing acting quality from its cast. However, the way that my interest in the storyline declined in the final episode was astonishing. A lot of plots and reunions were missed in the drama, that I felt would've made the ending more impactful and added a lot of clarity to the reasonings behind people's actions. In fact, the reunion that they did explore at the end was extremely under satisfying as a watcher who was very engaged in their relationship. However, despite my nit-picking, this drama was across the board amazing. I loved watching it, and I would probably watch it again.

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DECAYED CAPTIVATION

this historical drama bases its title on 'captivation', a kind of love/hate dellusional state... it sounds amazing, but did it hold the bar???

without spoilers, the show definitely start with a BANG !

At least the first half is definitely worth it for the unmatched quality: the plot, dialogue, characters, concept, the pace! loved it all!

SPECIAL MENTION: the ML truly held the bar from A to Z till the last minute of the show. HIS PERFORMANCE puts him in the top actors in my view! it's also my first time seeing a show of his!

now for the things i liked less:
-the show looses pace & same quality after the first half, petty plotting takes over unfortunately...

- the FL performance was underwhelming. mainly her passion & strongheadness. In her defense, she had a multilayed character as she would disguise as a man to play baduk. the gender disguise trope has been done in other historical dramas, and many people compared the starring difference in performance. I think the production did not help the FL in solidifying her character ( ratio of women vs man disguise scenes) and historical context to show the limitations of women in the social sphere that pushes her 'stronghead' character... in other scenes, we had to assume her passion for justice or her emotions as it was not clearly vehicled in her performance. i like this actress a lot, but ubfortunately it was a stark contrast with the main actor performance...

- many unecessary dialogue scenes between ministers that can be a little boring.

-LOVESTORY: if you were expecting a passionate love story, this will not fall under your expectations! while it wasn't a bad thing per say, just know the lovestory part starts as an intellectual love and soulful more than emotional as the main characters are portrayed as geniuses that expect the same from their ideal partner.

All in all, i think this show is worth STARTING for a great captivation of the ML, and the amazing lines/plots of baduk geniuses ( ML & FL) where they may be planning 2-3 steps ahead of everyone.

REWATCH value: since i watched it as it was airing, i'd often rewatch a few scenes from previous episodes because the writers carefully put clues & hints in trivial things which i enjoy a lot! it's stimulating!

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Not bad, but not what I hoped

I agree with what most others are saying.
The ML was the best character and I found myself excited whenever he showed up on screen. It's hard to put this in words, but he is the most "king" character I have ever seen. He felt truly terrifying at times when people got on his bad side, but truly kind at heart. This dynamic made him really compelling. It's also one of the few times I've seen the power dynamic in these historical dramas to really play out. Most of the time, I felt like the FL was far too afraid of him. He gave her good reason to be, but I never felt like we really got over that well enough. At least on her part. I was fully "captivated" by him way sooner than she was, but I'm not the FL.

All in all, if you like political games, this drama has plenty of it to keep you interested, but if you want romance, there is very little of it. The king waists no time in letting the audience know how much he cares for her, and we feel it whenever he looks in her direction, or even just at the sky, but she seems really passe about the whole thing. She didn't even want to tell him that she returned from Qing and was going to leave quietly?! WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO SEE THE MAN YOU LOVE?! That was pretty disappointing.

The rest of the characters are fine. I have a soft spot for Lee Shin Young (Myungha) and Yang Kyung Won (Yoo Hyunbo), as they are my boys from Crash Landing on You, but especially Yang Kyung Won. I will watch him in anything, he's a great actor.

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An european view

I am European, Italian, and I watch K-dramas in the original language, with subtitles.
I certainly miss a lot about Korean culture - which nevertheless fascinates me - and in particular about ancient Korea. So my review will have many flaws. I didn't know the two actors before Captivating the king.

Indeed the actress seems a bit stiff but I think it depends on her character: even though she has become her lover, she cannot behave with too much confidence. Look at the reluctance of her gestures even after the first meeting, and how they change later, when she is now convinced of the king's sincere love and of her real intentions towards the Crown Prince. Of course the king has more freedom of maneuver. But, I repeat, I don't know of any other performances by the two actors.

The historical setting takes many liberties, but overall it draws quite clearly on the events of the second Manchu invasion of 1636 and King Hyojong of Joseon.

In short, overall I watched this series with interest - and I rewatched a few episodes back, to better grasp the different nuances, and it didn't seem so bad to me.

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A Beautiful Start with a Wish for More Romance

Captivating the King began on a beautifully high note, setting the stage for what promised to be an engaging and visually stunning drama. The initial episodes did a fantastic job of drawing me in with their elegant set designs and costumes that perfectly captured the essence of the period. The storyline centred around the complexities of court life and the intrigue of royal politics, was compelling and richly layered.

However, as the drama unfolded, I found myself wishing for more romantic scenes to develop between the leads. Given the strong chemistry between them, there was a missed opportunity to delve deeper into their relationship and provide viewers with those heart-fluttering moments that make historical dramas truly memorable. While this drama excelled in many areas, including its storytelling and production values, a greater focus on the romance could have elevated the drama even further, making it an unforgettable experience for fans of the genre.

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Not enough steam to last until the end

This drama starts off in a powerful way but by the middle of the 16 episodes, there is not enough meat to the story to sustain it until the end. The female lead's "revenge" story has nowhere to go because the audience already knows that the king is not the true villain of the story. Perhaps more importantly, the character lacks any real personality to make her scenes compelling to watch, much less make her romance with the delightfully complex male lead at all convincing.

The king (male lead), on the other hand, has a true story to tell in this drama. His journey from Grand Prince to exile in Qing and back to Joseon and ultimately the throne is thrilling, and Jo Jung-suk plays him with so much pathos and intensity. The show could have ultimately benefited from minimizing the romance and female lead's role and focused on the king with a shorter number of episodes. Alternatively, a more interesting romance or more complex political storyline could have justified the full 16 episodes.

I was hoping for more from this beautifully produced show, hoping for a really satisfying, dramatic sageuk. There are some really great moments throughout, but by the end, I was fast-forwarding more than actually watching. I feel as though an 8 is really generous from me - but some of the performances (including the younger child actors) are really terrific and lift up the show. Something to check out for those who love period/historical dramas, but it is no masterpiece.

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APESAR DAS CRÍTICAS...

A maioria das pessoas não gostaram desse drama, mas eu particularmente amei! Me prendeu desde o primeiro episódio apesar da história não ser muito inovadora, mas a atuação do Jo Jung-suk é muito maravilhosa e ele é um ótimo ator. As pessoas costumam falar muito da atuação da Shin Sae-kyeong mas eu não acho que nesse drama ela deixou muito a desejar. A química entre os protagonistas é muito boa e para mim esse é um dos melhores desse ano até agora. Algumas coisas que deixaram a desejar na minha opinião, foi as poucas cenas de romance dos protagonistas e principalmente o final. O final poderia ter entregado muito mais do que realmente entregou, mas fico feliz pois teve um happy ending pelo menos. Mesmo com esses poucos defeitos, eu realmente gostei e não entendo porque as pessoas massacram tanto essa série.

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"Captivating"

I joined this site to voice my opinion about this drama. I can not believe the bad reviews it is getting. Captivating the King is the number one kdrama of 2024. Note: I am cynical and critical and not easy to please. I also do not speak Korean, so I give up watching (reading) quickly. However, with this Kdrama, I could not wait for the next episode to come out. I sat in front of the TV with expectations every Saturday and Sunday. One weekend, I was out of the country in a small village in Africa, and I went on the bus and used precious minutes to watch the episodes. I have not been this interested in a drama since Alcamy of the Souls Part 1.

I am also shocked that Queen of Tears is getting a rating of 8.9, and the male lead got Best Actor. For what crying? The best episodes of Queen of Tears were the last two. The others fell short. The emotional connection between the two did not come until the end—the last two episodes.

Captivating the King was, in one word, "Captivating". I only watch romance dramas, but Jo Jun-suk was so good it tempted me to watch him in the Hospital. Shin Se-kyung's performance was also spectacular. She exemplified humility as a woman of that day but was a mastermind. What a contrast to pull off innocence and intelligence. I also applaud or, shall I say, "bow" to the writers and the directors. In a romance, you must establish chemistry between the couple and the audience; this was done in the first episode. I also liked that they did not wait until the last five minutes to give you "meat" (a substantial interaction between the characters). They ensured that you had enjoyable substance throughout. The supporting cast was good. They not only one villain but two. The love of father and daughter, the sacrifice for King and country. It was a well put together and thought out.

My family can tell when I like a movie because I will watch it again as soon as it is over. I have watched this (read) 5 times already. I could go on and on, but I will stop here. For those who have not seen the movie, please do not listen to the bad reviews. Watch it for yourself. If you like "Something in the Rain," "Crash Landing on You," "Alchemy of the Souls," or "Business Proposals," you will love this.

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