The King : Eternal Monarch (2020)

I'm confused...

I was so excited for this show and it honestly was an incredible disappointment I love a sci-fi and fantasy show like any other nerd but this was the most confusing thing I have ever seen. I want to say that the plot doesn't make logical sense but I'm not confident I understood it enough and I'm not planning to rewatch it to be sure.
The things that carried me thought this show was the need for chicken, fancy drinks and a creepy face masks. There were so many sponsored, like most of the plot or the shots in the show were based on sponsors, It felt like I watched a very long
perfume commercial.
There are two thing I can give to this show, the first was the acting...I love the actors and they did a great job with the hot pile of garbage they were given. The second was the cinematography, at least I know were all the sponsor money went.
In conclusion, don't watch it.
P.S OTS!!!!!!

Lire davantage

This drama did not leave the same impact on me as KES's work Mr. Sunshine . The story was all over the place, full of cliches, and felt unorganized. For the most part, if a drama has a bunch of cliches, cringe scenes, not so great story, as long as it has something to keep my interest, I won't complain much about the flaws. It felt like I was forcing myself to watch this drama and it took me a long time to finish this drama cause good dramas I usually finish in 3 days but this one took me 10 days. I was hoping that maybe that the start of the drama is slow and boring and it will get better in the middle but it wasn't till the last 4 episodes that actually brought back some of my interest.

The Characters /Acting & Story (spoilers start here)- Let me start this off by saying that in the main cast I have only seen LMH previous dramas & KGE's Goblin. I'm unfamiliar with the other actors.
This drama had the potential to be better, the idea of the story of a parallel world was a great start. There were just too many things that confused or angered the audience.
For example, the blatant advertising angered a lot, I found some of them funny but annoying at the same time. Most kdramas I watch always show the actors going to Subway or something and I know that it pretty much looks like Subway's sponsoring the drama, but at least time and dialogue are not wasted while trying to advertise the place. This drama had LINES promoting products. I saw LMH mention about 3-4 times about bbq chicken's being the best or another product being the same as his country blah blah. That is so unnecessary & unrelated to the story in a way. That time could have been used to explain more about the plot or have lines relating to the drama.
Now for the confusing part:
This whole parallel universe then third dimension with everything frozen along with time traveling could have been kept straightforward but the way they decided to deliver it throughout the drama was confusing. You get to know this parallel universe exists and it takes a few episodes to find out how it works and why time stops and for how long and then its meaning behind it a few episodes later. And then even more episodes later you find out sorta about why some of them have burning scars on thunder-storming nights. Then near the end you find out they can go back in time and multiple universes. I get they're trying to use the common method of slowly giving you answers which in most dramas I don't mind but it made me bored and only interested in the end to see how it ends. Another thing is they start off the first episode in a scene and in the last episode we're back in that same scene. I didn't mind that either. But then to do the same within episodes is triggering. I would start the next episode wondering if I skipped an episode cause it was not in order. They would randomly start somewhere and go back to connecting to that scene later on in the episode or next episode. And some scenes were never gone back to clarify.

WDH made his parts enjoyable to watch whether he's Eun Sup or Yeong. He was able to perfectly act out two different characters of the parallel world. I wished the directors/writers gave him more scenes/screen time. He's one of the reasons why I gave this drama a higher rating than most average reviews. He pretty much carried the drama by bringing "life" into his characters so I overlooked the fact that not much is known about these two characters. I wished they'd show some romance between him and KYJ instead. I'm sure they would have a better story and pull it off than the main couple.
As for JEC, I can't even say anything about her acting. She had minimal scenes with almost no impact. We know so little about her character in the drama as well. All we know is she's an ambitious person with a hunger for power and she's willing to do anything to reach her goals. The writers make us assume that she's like this because she wants to climb up in the social status ranking because she has this inferiority complex that she started out at the bottom with nothing. That's a very typical reason and at first she's shown out to be a strong female character but turns out its the men in the story (her husband, advisor, etc) that helped her to get that far in the social ladder. Then they show how Lee Lim also wanted to use her and it seems like she just gets outsmarted by every guy in the story. They imply that she cares for her mother, but there were no scenes to feel that mother-daughter relationship to begin with. And we know nothing about her doppelganger character at all.
KKN's character was somewhat better. I could feel his affection with his mother & Tae eul. Although there are some things I do question about the writing of his character. The villain was a flat character. Not going to go into depth in the review it will be too many spoilers already.
As for the main couple everyone had this criticism regarding their chemistry. I feel like they would have better chemistry but because of the crappy writing and the flow of things it wasn't pulled off well. I think this couple would have been better if the writing/story was adjusted a bit. But my critique is regarding their characters. I will admit watching KGE in Goblin made me question if it was her acting that's bad or the role given to her. In this drama, she did a lot better. It's true she didn't pull off the two characters differently in the way WDH did. Luna's way of talking and Tae eul was pretty much the same. One just had different tastes in clothing and hair than the other. I also hate how this drama portray its women (complete opposite from Mr. Sunshine in that sense at well). It's already tiring to see every media whether Western or Eastern portray women like this. They show Tae eul as a police detective with a black belt. She's admitted at times to be scared, but have to be brave and she wasn't afraid to get to the bottom of something or hunt/run into somewhat dangerous criminals. But in that one scene where she gets stabbed, they show her not using her skills as an officer and black belt user. As an officer, I'm sure you will be aware of what dangerous situation you're in and you have to be on watch. They just went from showing a strong female to a weak female in a situation like that. I would get if she's outnumbered. But in another scene she was strong enough to get herself away in an outnumbered situation as well. I also felt like she would play a major role in the drama and contribute to helping Lee Gon out, but they even take that away from her. She's basically shown in investigations and as the love interest of the male lead. I don't mind seeing a FL in love with the ML but at least showcase her strengths often and make her more useful in the story.

Overall, the production was high quality and music/OST's were amazing, but there were countless flaws in the story. If you can overlook these flaws in the story, and watch for minimal entertainment and some action then you'll be fine. Although for me this only got interesting near the end when things were going to be tied up and supposedly explained clearly. This drama makes you end up crafting theories for multiple things.

Lire davantage

Love the acting - plot a let down

I am a huge fan of the cast and waited for forever it seems like for Lee Minn Ho's next show after his military service. And the creator of Goblin!!! Very excited and the leading cast had me setting the alarm bell on Netflix and binge-watching the entire season. The series has a strong start, the beginning plot was great but then it started to go downhill in the middle. It seemed so rushed and the storyline lost its luster and became predictable and honestly, I almost didn't finish it. I was disappointed with the ending but even though it was not as good as I had anticipated if you are a fan of great acting and wonderful production it is worth watching. Just don't get your hopes too high on this one.

Lire davantage

BEST DRAMA EVER!

I have watched a lot of dramas but The King: Eternal Monarch has by far been the best.

I loved the acting.
Lee Min Ho's acting was spot on. The way he portrayed his character was so life-like. The emotions he displayed were so on point that I often found myself tearing up in the sad moments and laughing in the playful ones.

Woo Do Hwan's acting was absolutely perfect. His acting was superb. His acting as Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Sub was so great, that I actually had to research to see if Woo Do Hwan had a twin brother. He portrayed both characters expertly. He gave each character their own personality and behavior. I could just make out who was who.

Kim Go Eun's acting was done amazingly. I don't think anyone could have done a better job. She captured the emotions just right and I felt as if I was really there watching them instead of sitting on my couch.

The OST was epic. I really have no words to express how perfect it was. The OSTs set the mood. If it was romantic scenes, heartbreaking scenes, happy scenes, or action scenes, the OSTs captured it perfectly. It was so great that I downloaded all the OSTs

This drama I can positively say was a work of art. Everything, to the acting, OSTs, the professionalism of the different sets made the drama more realistic and enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone and everyone. It will make you want a season 2!

Lire davantage

As most people, I was really excited when the trailer dropped. Parallel worlds? Star crossed lovers? Both tropes I really love. I waited for the drama to finish before binging all episodes. I was aware of the low ratings and reviews (that shocked me and almost made me not watch it) but still decided to go in with a much more open mind. I was actually surprised that I liked TKEM more than I thought I would.

TKEM starts off with a strong footing. It reels you in with really good world building of the Kingdom of Corea (which is one of the major things I liked about this drama), and the mysterious manpasikjeok that allows it’s holder to travel parallel worlds.

The first few episodes were a bit slow in terms of the major plot but seemed rushed with the romantic relationship of the leads. I personally didn’t have that much problem with how the romance developed but I guess I can see where it might seem rushed. The romance time frame was a bit badly executed and would have been better if their time together and apart was more implied. The story also expects the viewer to know some basic concepts on time travel / parallel worlds which allows the story to focus more on the major plot. It is not that hard to understand what was going on as almost everything comes into place at the end. The story really picks up by episode 11 (may also be due to the change of directors) and I rarely had a hard time in enjoying the whole series. Perhaps the minor issue I can think of in the script is how the product placements were given that much dialogue. It would’ve been better for most PPL to have been just on display or have the characters use them. The PPL didn’t really bother me as I just thought of it as a comedic relief.

When it comes to production and technicalities, TKEM does not fall short. The costumes were amazing and I appreciated that it fits the color grading of the drama. The cinematography was good but camera angles in some scenes of dialogue could’ve been improved. Camera angles play a major part on how the delivery of dialogues will be interpreted by the viewers. There were times when emotional scenes could’ve been shot more closely because they felt so far off you can’t feel the emotions that well even if the actors portrayed it well. There were also times in the earlier episodes when banters felt a bit awkward because of lack of sound effects that were thankfully fixed in later episodes. The OST was really fitting and the instrumentals were no joke (just take a listen to My Love And... —an orchestral take on My Love by Gummy and it is amazing).

The characters in TKEM had good chemistry. Some side characters could’ve been removed to make way for more of the plot but it was still a delight to witness them interact with the leads. The absolute scene stealer in this drama is Eun Sup / Jo Yeong played by the wonderful Woo Do Hwan. Every scene he’s in, he acts it out in full. Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho also portrayed their characters well but might have suffered through the seemingly premature development of their romance which made their characters a bit flat to some. I also loved the strong personality of Tae Eul that complimented Lee Gon. As previously mentioned, time was not that implied in the drama which made every reunion of the leads translate to Tae Eul being “too weepy” and the exact opposite of her established characteristic (which I do not agree with). Another issue I have concerning character development was of Prime Minister Goo. Her character seemed pointless. She could’ve been more utilized, really. I personally had no major issues in understanding the motive of the main villain but some viewers may not spot it clearly when it was show vaguely.

Overall, TKEM has flaws that can be overlooked when getting into it. I personally enjoyed this drama and never skipped a scene (which is saying something as I always skim and skip through dramas I’m watching). It needs to be watched continuously and with an open mind. It’s far from the best but if you are looking for a grand fantasy drama that requires a little bit attention to detail, this is for you :)

Lire davantage

If you love a good story and a good romance, this isn't where you will find it

This is probably the most overrated drama i've seen that not only disappointed in every trope it dipped it's hands into, but made me question if i should give up on kdramas altogether.

It has a lot going for it if it wanted to make it work. be it the sci-fi aspect, the crossing over worlds aspect, the "i broke the world for us" aspect, the secret identity, the villain who crosses over for the hunt aspect-- all of this has incredible potential but i truly wondered if the writer wanted to achieve anything at all story wise except make the audience confused because none of the premise is ever followed through on.

The male lead is insufferable. i have tried to think of other words for him but this is truly the only word that describes him best. even a sad backstory is no excuse for the attitude he has and he is so underwhelming as a character all together. meaning he himself has no defining traits that set him aside or make him a believable character. the female lead is a cop who is a self-proclaimed flat-earther and while she tries to present herself as smart strong female lead, the things she does is far from it. Not only do the main leads not have any chemistry, their 'romance' is so sudden and out of no-where that it genuinely makes no sense. Not even the excellent cinematography can make you believe their is anything worthwhile between these two in the entire sixteen hours of your life you waste on this show.

The only redeeming factor this drama has is Woo Do Hwan, who exhibits incredible variety as an actor as he plays a dual role, switching almost seamlessly from a stoic bodyguard to a mellow confused fellow who takes care of his siblings with his whole heart. I hope he moves onto better projects where he can showcase his talents better because if you want to watch this drama for him alone, you can. But the rest of the story will leave an incredibly bitter taste in your mouth.

Lire davantage

Can Lee Min Ho be more handsome!!??

Lee Min Ho was an handsome king and that is a fact...he was born for this role but.... Story was SHIT ....I get what writer wanted to say, but screenplay was to raw, forced, predictable and characters were not good developed. Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho are not good match at all... there is no chemistry between those two! Kim Go Eun is great actresses but she couldn't do much better since screenplay was Shit! Her character was rude and without empathy to the point that I hated that girl. Why king fell in love stayed mistery to the end.... End of story is a pure shit in a much higher level they stayed together forever in different universums.... Crap! All in all cast was good , OST and production but in the end when story is bed only bitter taste stay in your mouth.

Lire davantage

Disappointing

Story :
The scenario and all the characters were very badly organized, I hardly understood anything :’) Nothing was logical and nothing was explained. The concept is good but it has not been exploited well enough...

Acting :
Kim Go Eun was very good, she's a charismatic actress.
Lee Minho was also good of course but we all know that he's not versatile, his facial expressions were the same as usual so i was a bit disappointed by his acting.
Woo Do Hwan was amazing, the two characters he played are very different and he pulled that off really well.
I discovered Kim Kyung Nam with this drama, he play very well and I had a second lead syndrom T-T

Overall :
Despite all that, there is action, suspense and humor so I watched everything pretty quickly and I had a good time, surely the reason why I put this note while this drama deserves less objectively.

Lire davantage

Fantastic story captivating actors

This is one of my favorite K-dramas, I've watched it 3 times already. and each time added clarity to the complicated story. Will probably watch it again to figure out a few more characters. This is the first time I watch actor Lee Min Ho, and he is captivating. His portrayal of a King is eloquent and perfectly measured. A King's face may be taught to be stoic, but his feelings can't hide from his eyes. I ended up searching all his works on Netflix, Prime, Viki and YouTube and seem to watch him grow up from the time he was a teenager. What a delightful performer and actor he is. I look forward to seeing all his future work. The leading lady, Kim Go Eun, is naturally beautiful, she can show such strong raw emotions. I had delayed watching TKEM due to seeing some poor reviews, but I'm totally fascinated by this powerful fantasy movie. I saw many reviews saying the love between the King and plain Detective to be rushed and not believable. But I can understand why she would have developed caring and protective feelings for a King who had been orphaned from childhood. She, herself, having lost a Mother at age 5, would definitely have soft feelings for another soul who lost a parent at an early age. Perhaps some viewers just saw a powerful King living in a rich palace, but she would’ve seen a sad soul who had to appear strong, but had all the hurts and loneliness of being an orphaned child, as only those who have experienced it would know. Had you seen him from that angle, you would’ve given him a loving hug and understanding as well. She Immediately loved him, because they understood each other’s pain behind their masks. As a King, he must hide his feelings. As detective, she chose to be brave to hide her inner hurt as well.

For me, the concept of parallel worlds and existences was fascinating. Imagine if Korea fought off its aggressors in the 1800’s, avoided being colonized, and maintained its Kingdom till modern times. How different a world that may be. Why was it even compared to real world as we know? Who is to say how this fantasy world should be like?

We all think of other worlds and existences in various forms. I found it fascinating !

I am a retired from the US, with plenty of time to rewatch this drama, and others that touch the heart !

Lire davantage

If you want to actively feel your brain cells deserting you as you watch, this is the drama for you! OR watch for a lesson on what happens when you rely on star power, ppls & production value over TELLING A GOOD STORY.

The plot is frustrating, the pacing is all over the place, the hate for powerful women is strong, the chemistry between the leads is about as fire as a wet fish (despite being super cute off-screen???), god this drama is bad. It also has one of my personal most hated tropes of introducing a supposedly badass female lead only for her to descend into crying damsel by like... episode 2. I KNEW it would happen but damn was I unhappy to be right.

There might be a few reasons to watch this drama. Woo Do Hwan having crazy chemistry with himself is no.1, Jung Eun Chae being beautiful is no.2. But other threads like Kim Kyung Nam’s storyline which has the potential to be good or Luna or even our main villain - are all so sidelined in favour of the boring romance & making Lee Minho look cool that I was just frustrated waiting for the interesting parts instead of looking forward to them.

Also if you watch on mute you can be dazzled by the gorgeous cinematography & production value. Plus, the OST is amazing as I find the OSTs of trash dramas tend to be. (Why is this such a common kdrama trend?)

Anyway, I’ll be waiting for wdh x jec to receive justice by starring together as lovers in something else bc they have chemistry just by glancing at each other & meanwhile enjoy myself via the rants of people hate-watching a dragging every other second a ppl appears to the dirt.

Ps. Writing this review was extremely cathartic, thankyou @myself for the rant I needed it.

Lire davantage

Personally I don’t understand why people didn’t like this , I loved it. At first I thought that it would be a typical drama with a long so it wouldn’t be as interesting but then once I actually got into I loved it. I’m so sad that this has ended because I became emotionally attached to this drama. The chemistry between the main characters was so real which made the scenes between them so beautiful, especially everytime they met each other. It was also funny when it needed to be and the plot had the right amount of twists without making it too predictable or unbearable. I loved the romance and friendship between them because it felt so real. The music is on another level for me, I loved all the OSTs from this drama and it made me like the drama even more since the songs were thought out well. The only thing I was sad about is that eun sup and yeong didn’t meet again like they’d promise each other and I wanted to see know who the little boy actually was. I know the ending can seem to be a bit unrealistic as they do end up together but it’s a fantasy drama for a reason, and I would have the ending any other way. Apart from that, I know it can be kind of confusing but you will not regret watching this. It’s one of the best dramas I’ve watched and I’m going to have a hard time getting over it.

Lire davantage

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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