The Crown Prince Has Disappeared (2024)

"Love, Betrayal, and Politics: The Complex Web of Power in the Joseon Era"

I really enjoyed watching this drama, but there were definitely some strengths and weaknesses worth mentioning. Here's my take:

Strengths:
1. Complex Characters and Relationships: The way the characters were written was impressive. Crown Prince Lee Gun’s journey from a misunderstood prince to someone who truly cares for his kingdom was emotional and gripping. The tension between Gun and his half-brother Dosung was also really interesting, especially since their bond gets tested multiple times as they’re manipulated by others. Watching Gun’s friendship and eventual rivalry with Dosung was heart-wrenching because you can tell they care about each other but are constantly pulled in opposite directions.

2. Intriguing Plot with Lots of Twists: The political intrigue was solid. There were betrayals, hidden motives, and secret alliances that kept me on my toes. The ministers scheming to dethrone Gun, Dosung’s emotional turmoil, and Soo Ryeon’s manipulations made the drama engaging. The twists added a lot of depth to the plot.

3. Strong Female Character: I loved Lady Myung Yoon’s character. She was fierce, independent, and skilled, which is rare for a woman in historical settings like this. Her struggle with the prophecy of becoming a widow added layers to her character. It was refreshing to see a female lead who wasn’t just a damsel in distress but someone who could stand up for herself and others.

4. Emotional Depth: The drama really knew how to tug at my heartstrings. The relationships between parents and children, the love triangle, and the characters’ moral dilemmas were done beautifully. Gun’s emotional breakdowns, especially when he felt betrayed by people he trusted, were some of the most powerful moments.

5. Soundtrack: The soundtrack was beautiful and fit the emotional and intense scenes so well. It added to the atmosphere, especially during the dramatic moments. I found myself tearing up more than once because the music was so perfect for the moment.

Weaknesses:
1. Pacing Issues: The drama felt dragged out in some places. There were times when the story seemed to slow down unnecessarily, especially during certain political plots. Some scenes felt repetitive, and I wished the story would just move forward. There were too many moments where Gun would confront people, only for things to stay the same for several episodes.

2. Unrealistic Fight Scenes: The action scenes didn’t always hit the mark. Some of the fights felt staged and lacked the intensity I expected.

3. Soo Ryeon and Sang Rok’s Love: I struggled to understand why Soo Ryeon and Lord Choi Sang Rok’s love was depicted as something grand. Their relationship ended up hurting so many people, yet they were portrayed as having this deep, unbreakable bond. It felt more like obsession than love, and I had a hard time sympathizing with them, even when the drama tried to make them seem tragic.

4. Dosung’s Foolishness: Dosung, as a character, was frustrating at times. He kept flip-flopping between being a good brother and a traitor, and it got a bit tiring. His decisions were often impulsive and led to more problems. I also didn’t like how easily he was manipulated by everyone around him. He was just too gullible.

5. Rushed and Confusing Ending: The ending felt rushed and silly. So much was built up throughout the drama, and then everything was quickly tied up in the last episode. It was so disappointing. Not the kind of conclusion I was hoping for. The drama just threw in a time jump.

Overall, the drama had its fair share of flaws, but the emotional depth, complex characters, and political intrigue made it a worthwhile watch for me.

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Top drawer story line, directing and acting

I was not sure in the beginning if I would choose to watch this series, but very glad I am. I am enjoying the way several story lines are integrating together, no hasty episodes to make them fit. The actors fit well together! Especially glad there was no casting of a "cute baby talking" female in a roll. Huge kudos for not having singing music in most episodes that over power the acting. Hate that! So far I have not been able to pick out any green screen or studio backdrops in this one. I rated this highly due to the all around professionalism given to creating the series.

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Could have been beautiful but plot missed

Spin off to the popular story "Bossam: Steal the Fate", the story is another political historical fiction cooking through palace dramas.

The opening of any drama plays a significant role in drawing the attention of the audience. In this story, the drama opens at a slow pace. The introduction of important characters was not surprising but cliche. The scene opens through a night, with robed people carefully walking through the palace gate. The director tried to use darkness to intensify the schemes being plotted behind those thick walls. It took a while to shape the story and establish the main aspect. The Queen mother, her immediate hands, and constant plots - all-star players of this drama remained powerless throughout.

There are many historical fiction which have been stealing the hearts of audiences even after many years of release. Call it Scarlett Heart Ryeo or Empress KI- these dramas intrigued audiences through the well-laid plot. This is where The Missing Crown Prince lacked. It failed to generate interest among viewers.

Suho in the titular role tries his best to deliver a vivacious prince who is cheerful and trying his best to survive through the thick and thins of a gruesome palace. His chemistry with leading lady Hong Ye Ji lacks the spice due to the narrowness of the plot. The huge holes in the beginning made the story bland.

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Impressive

My first thought about the drama was as it is 20eps, and historical drama there would be so much lag. But I am impressed at the pace story is going now. I was surprised that the suspense parts are also getting revealed without dragging it. Every charector here are soo good. Main leads Suho and Yeji are sooo pretty and cute together. Every time they are together i makes my heart warm. Nothing is rushed story getting intresting with the flow even the main villains etc are already revealed.

You can give it a try if you wanted to watch a history drama with thriller, comedy, Love with angst, kinda revenge elements in it then Missing crown prince is the best

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Unbearable and painful

Begins with so many promises and good pilot episode but in the end so many plot holes specialy political story lines in this series.

Please for the screen writes or story writers stick on romance drama for your future projects! Please don't mix your future story writing between political drama and romance. This is unbearable to watch.

For the characters, there's no growth on each of them. For the villain itself. I can say that person is s a devil incarnate, but still very weak as a villain very forgettable. The main character is also very weak as a character the good guys are good only simply they are good (?). I understand the story showed falsh backs and memories here and there, but those scenes are not enough to bring the depth to each of characters.. those scenes just simply for tear trigger to the audience.

Its such a waste of talented actors.

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A CRAZYYYYYY RIDE

I love watching sageuks but most of them have one or two boring episodes BUT THIS one (for me) didNOT have any boring episodes...Every episode that I watched left me wanting for more episodes. I know, it had crazyyyyyyyyy twisted characters and a lot of political turmoil, but it was all worth it....
I absolutely loved all the actors and actresses in this drama (SuHo being on the TOP ofc), but I wanna talk about MinKyu playing Dosung...He literally made me love, hate and relove his character. Kudos to him for being an amazing actor.
Our affair couple, ummmmmm, I lowkey thought they were in a toxic obsessive situation but the way writer-nim whitewashed them in the name of "love", not sure if I should be forgiving him or not...
Overall, it was a great story with GORGEOUS actors and actresses...



(am I the only one, who wants to see a drama with our affair couple reincarnated and meeting in the modern day era!?)

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Not So Good, Not So Bad

I had a love-hate relationship with this show, most of the time I was entertained; but there were moments when I absolutely hated it.

If we consider the casting, the show definitely deserves accolades; the storyline not so much. I was pretty miffed that a major chunk of the storyline focused on the unwarranted romance between Queen Dowager Min Soo Ryun & her lover, Choi Sang Rok. The fact that they were cheating was irredeemable. I understood their predicament, the late Emperor separated the engaged pair and made Min Soo Ryun’s life miserable. And yet, I could not reconcile with their regrettable decisions. Though not blood related, King Hae Jong & Crown Prince Lee Gon respected the Queen Dowager as the Elder of their family. She seems to have played an instrumental role in establishing Hae Jong’s reign; if she wanted to leave and live a quiet, untraceable life with Choi Sang Rok, the royal duo would have helped. The unnecessary scheming and plotting made no sense; but without it, the show wouldn’t exist, so there’s that!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/06/19/missing-crown-prince-series-review/#more-953

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