"I have fallen for His Majesty "

The Crowned Clown is a portfolio piece for Yeo Jin Goo. He carries the story with an electric energy held up by an excellent cast of staid supporting actors.

The drama feels like a theatre piece, as a viewer you are looking into a diorama. I really loved the costume of the clown, and how as a prop it also becomes a doppelganger.

The lasting message of the drama is a really powerful one- that despite having a generous and kind King everyone is still operating within a feudal system, that in itself is corrupt. So Ha Sun's dilemma about coveting the post is valid. His constant back and forth about wanting to be king- these monologues are performed really well. I don't think I have ever seen a British drama about Royal Family that looks at monarchy in a critical way like this- the dramas are usually about characters and their flaws rather than the system which influence them.

Yeo Jin Geo as King Yi Heon is so convincing as a gaslighter and menace that when I saw Yeo Jin Geo as Ha Sun I almost doubted his sincerity and innocence as a viewer. The actor moves between these extremes with such ease.
The arc with the queen is shown in a very sympathetic way. The journey of building trust is a slow one, Yoo So Woon is vulnerable but also holds her ground. She is no pushover and her quiet and dignified strength is complimented by Ha Sun's admiration for her.

I sometimes wonder if Yeo Jin Geo and Kim Min Jae should have acted in this because their vibes feel very similar and they almost look alike!

I love the running sound for the drama Before Fall Down, it's on my 2021 playlist.

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"Lemon, what happened in your childhood to make you believe people are good?”

Starting my review with a quote from another drama with a Lemon character. Lizz lemon- 30 Rock ;)

Beyond 30 Rock:
Similar to 30 Rock, we have a bright eyed newbie in a corporate world having to deal with a boss who starts off as cynical, conservative, un creative, racist, arrogant, but this is where the parallels end. In 30 Rock Liz was used to humanise Jack who was not at all a nice person. This is not the case with Lu Ji Meng. He is ambitious but also conscious of the responsibilities of the investment field. He is an excellent mentor to Ning Meng and I'm glad that the romantic relationship wasn't based on her total dependence on him. His character growth was impressive- from arrogant to pitiful to humbled.

Working in the Corporate world:
This drama showed me a different side to capital markets and investment- which it goes in details with - without making it seem too wolf of wall street types- atleast that's the stereotype I have of this industry. Even though I am not in the field, I have worked in corporate and Ning Meng's experience was extremely relatable.
I liked the way they show subtle difference in work spaces that are dominated by men and workspaces that have more female workers but who are also supportive of each other. The drama is aware of these social dynamics and is able to convey it without being preachy and obvious.

On Nostalgia:
Interesting how the romantic interests of the respective leads tried to manipulate them with nostalgia. The FL was most pragmatic, she got over her childhood crush but was still easily influenced. Nostalgia is never a critical place, it's purely emotional. Goes to show how easy it can be to control someone using sentiment of the past.

Overall thoughts:
I would have preferred it to be entirely about Ning Meng's journey from secretary to director without the romance element. But I also liked her dynamic with Lu Ji Meng- felt similar to the chemistry of Ming Lan and Gu Ting Ye- they're very comfortable being friends and are almost destined to end up together irrespective of the paths they choose.
I was lost in the middle when Yi Meng was introduced, felt her character was under developed compared to the rest.
Liu Chang's character was also quite two dimensional. Besides dining out and the predictable trope of a spurned lover, he didn't really add anything else.
I lived for the scenes with Shi Ying and Ning Meng, they were each others' fan girls and the chemistry was incredible. Yang Xiao as the secretary was too cute- her banter with Lu Ji Meng was pure comedy.
I haven't enjoyed a similar workplace drama since Rememberance of Things Past which also had a perfect fusion of almost documentary like detail of corporate work life along with drama and romance.
I might do a Tan Song Yun retrospective and re-watch this along with The Sword And The Brocade where she was also phenomenal

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