The King : Eternal Monarch (2020)

This series I feel is truly overrated in my opinion..
I guess a lot of people simply give a good score based on star power alone.

The story mostly revolves around a king who is able to travel to a parallel world with the help of a flute that is passed down in the royal family and his close companions. The flute opens a portal that connects to 2 different versions of Korea in two different worlds.

Just like in most other works there is a villain and a heroine. Over the course of 16 episodes, the main character takes care of his business with the villain and the series ends with the main character and heroine hand in hand. Now, this is a tested and proven formula. This type of unfolding of a story is still enjoyed by billions of people including myself even though this same setup has been used 1000's of times. So even though the formula is good the way they put together this formula in this series is utterly mediocre and very forgettable.

The setup has a lot of potential but I think in the end they flushed it down the toilet.

The Story -- I couldn't care less even before halfway through. The series seriously failed to engage me mentally and emotionally. I only finished the entire thing because I hoped that they would turn it around but no. Towards the end, I was watching at 2x speed.

Acting -- The main character felt one dimensional and boring to be honest. the acting was bad and the character itself felt stagnant for the most part. The female lead was good at her role but it is wasted in this crappy drama ( I'm giving a 5 for acting only because of the heroine ). Then there is this other character that is the heroine's long time friend and her work colleague. His character and expressions in the role were so bad and always had that lonely and pitiful look that I wanted to punch him a few times ( No offense to the actor ).

Rewatch Value -- Gonna stay as far away as possible. Don't wanna waste my time re-watching a terrible drama.

Good Things I Can Say About This Drama -- The first few episodes were barely ok. That's about it...

My Thoughts After Watching This -- Why the heck did I complete watching this..... (LOL). On a more serious note and to those that concern, please don't make drama that revolves around the star power and fandom of the actors off-screen...... We get it, they are popular and so you want long shots of their faces, dramatic slow-motion scenes that may not be relevant when you look at the story or the events in the story (Not all the people who watch this are fanboys/fangirls of the actors)....... Instead, focus on creating a solid story and a setting, and the main characters with good character development that drive the story forward ( This is what made these actors the stars they are in the first place ). This is the thing that is going to make the majority of viewers connect with the show on a mental and emotional level and will make the show a success......

This one is a miss guys and gals... Don't waste your time on it... You can thank me later :)... Peace Out Guys I'm done talking.

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A drama that set out to show off to its viewers but ultimately failed to live up to its own hype.

That's the sense I got from the beginning of this show, it felt big headed and self satisfied, "please watch me, I'm so clever" Not.

This show tried its best to dazzle us with the mystery regarding how time can be manipulated and with mathematical wizardry, but unfortunately as the story progressed all of this clever potential was discarded by the wayside and all we ended up with was very poor pacing and inconsistent storytelling.

I consider myself to be adequately well versed in things like music, literature, world events, art, philosophy etc; so as a viewer I really welcome it when a writer presents an unusual and unique story, and I'm quite able to keep up with the events the writer is unfolding. But in this drama I was constantly scratching my head wondering 'what's going on now?" "did I miss something ?" "wait a minute who's that?" all to culminate in this weak ending that rendered all the confusion null, mainly because the huge amount of characters that were introduced came to nothing, were never fleshed out and their stories were minimised towards the end.

This drama took its viewers for granted mainly because the majority of people already loved it even before it began. There was a great willingness on the part of the viewers to forgive some flaws and go with the flow, but I think that the flaws in this show are unforgivable, for example the show has very poor structure and the chronology is all over the place ( I know this is supposed to be explained by the time travel/parallel universe premise) the story is all over the place, literally; As a viewer I was often plunged into scenes without a clue as to the context, thus the head scratching.
In my personal opinion, my real time experience watching this was not enjoyable because as I watched it episode by episode I never got to the point of enjoyment because I was always searching for clues to help me understand the story better.

The acting mention I can give here is for Woo Do Hwan, his scenes are always engaging and he has a depth of delivery that is impressive. I also like Lee Min Ho, he's not a bad actor but in this show, the intention was to make him look cool rather than to act well. Kim Go Eun is the kind of actress that will act according to the quality of her leading man and supporting cast, and I think she failed to shine here; I was also not impressed with how she was written, from a strong, confident police lieutenant to a weak, weeping, lost in love damsel, it was truly awful.
Prime Minister was atrociously written, I can tell she's a good actress but really Jung Eun Chae had no chance with the cards she was dealt in this script, It's a role she should have refused to play; her character's descent into the typical jealous, mean and spiteful spurned woman was so disappointing, because this was a role with so much potential.
Lee Jung Jin as Uncle Yi Rim was a waste of a good actor, he was so badly written with weak motivation and back story, it was sad to see.
Kim Kyung Nam had depth as Shin Jae, but ultimately it all amounted to very little.

This show had flashes of brilliance, the concept is intriguing, unfortunately it was handled poorly.

The rating I've given is mainly for the production value, the cinematography and the few flashes of brilliance, oh and Prime Minister's wardrobe.

I understand the OST is good, but I actually never became too familiar with the songs except for the one by Gummy. The music was not used consistently so that's another lost opportunity to build poignancy because music plays a big part in that.

That's all I have to say, sorry but no.

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This is the drama I've recently finished watching. I expexcted it for quite a long time and I had a high expectations about it.
The story is set in two different worlds- the modern Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Corea. The series' genre is not only a fantasy but also a romance, so the main part of the story is the blossoming love between the King of the Kingdom of Corea Lee Gon(played by Lee Min-ho) and Jung Tae-eul(played by Kim Go-eun), who is a police officer in the Republic of Korea. The other thing in drama is the appearance of Lee Lim (played by Lee Jung-jin) who is the uncle of Lee Gon. He wants to become the King so he kills Lee Gon's father and tries to do the same with his nephew. Unfortunately the traitor manages to escape and go to the Republic of Korea thanks to the Manpasikjeok(a magical stick, which can open a portal between the two worlds). Lee Gon has the mission to stop him in order to keep both worlds safe.The drama has exciting and intricate plot so if you are interested in love stories with fantasy elements you'll definitely like it!The special effects were amazing! I could easily feel the difference between the two parallel worlds.The acting was so on point! Maybe it was very challenging for the cast to portray double images. For example Jung Tae-eul's counterpart in the Kingdom of Corea is called Luna and she is a thief.
All OSTs were good, but my favorite are : Orbit by Hwasa(MAMAMOO), Please Don't cry by Davichi, Heart Break by Gaeko and Kim Na-young and My day is Full of you by Wendy(Red Velvet) and Zico(Block B).
I hope my review is useful and I was able to make you check out this k-drama! Expect reviews on other series soon!

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ONE OF A KIND! ♡

This is definitely a Masterpiece!
There are a lot of reasons why this is undeniably One of the Best kdrama in history.
The Duality of the roles portrayed by the character leads alone showed how amazing the story is. It takes a lot of talent and acting skills for one to be able to fit and perfectly portray dual roles. I can proudly say that all of the casts did an incredible job. Only those who feel how hard it is to transition from one emotion to another can appreciate those part of the story.

This is just one of so0 many reasons why The King Eternal Monarch is One of a Kind. ♡

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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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