The King: Eternal Monarch Drops in Episode 3 Ratings to Single Digits and Feels Like a Faded Facsimile of a Kim Eun Sook Drama

Oh boy, this is not looking promising. Episode 3 of SBS Fri-Sat fantasy epic big-budget big name cast K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch arrived like a tree falling in the forest with no one around. Was that a thud or no sound, I don’t know because it was sooooooo boring. At least the first two episodes had interesting things happen even if it was frustratingly left unexplained. Fundamentally I cannot believe this was an episode of a drama written by Kim Eun Sook, the dialogue had no bite, the story had no grip, and it was just like Lee Min Ho‘s King Lee Gon walking around like he knew everything but no one believing him because it was so unbelievable.

If Kim Eun Sook had a compelling story in her mind, she’s doing a terrible job of telling it to her audience so we feel swept up as well. Call it good idea bad execution if you will. Domestic viewers agree as episode 3 ratings dropped from the opening weekend down to 7.8% and 9.0%. It’s not beyond saving but the good stuff better happen in episode 4 or else I fear the mainstream viewer will move on leaving only the diehard fans of any of the cast or of Kim Eun Sook’s writing left watching. Lee Gon is too regal and otherworldly to connect with and female lead Jung Tae Eul is annoying me with her “sass” and disbelief towards Lee Gon which is just so repetitive with no upside.


Comments

The King: Eternal Monarch Drops in Episode 3 Ratings to Single Digits and Feels Like a Faded Facsimile of a Kim Eun Sook Drama — 135 Comments

  1. KGE cannot bring in ratings. Her acting in dramas is bad and she has no charisma and screen presence. She should stick to movies.

      • Exactly. Both leads are not giving good acting performances, not just KGE lmao. And why blame her for not bringing ratings when her co-star is supposedly the actor with the greatest star power according to his fans lol.

      • It’s TRUE that the drama ratings have fallen due to the unlikeability of the plot the actors are doing fine I think the drama will improve as more episodes come .. so all the fans should take it slow on criticising the leads.it can be quite burdensome, there are always ups and downs

    • I blame writer KES more than the actors. I think the actors are doing fine but it is tiring seeing them both playing similar characters to previous dramas.
      The cast talents are being wasted.

      • Somewhat agree. The story is so repetitive. And… the actors failed to deliver the characters. Totally mess in every single aspect. Gotta quit watching it.

      • @yui
        It’s pretty horrid but I’m committed to watching unless it becomes a train wreck due to my bias for lee min ho. There’s holes on my ship already, wish me good luck LOL ?

      • I agree, the writing is terrible, and so as the directing.

        But the two leads LMH and KGE obviously have their faults. They kept choosing to play similar characters and playing safe (by choosing the star-writer KES’ drana) and yet not improving in their acting.

      • @alexa
        I think you’re right. I hope they choose roles that challenges them more in the future. I want to see Lee Min Ho to follow Park Seo Joon career route.

      • Laura. I really cannot see LMH able to remove his shirt acting as a fighter like PSJ in FMY nor cut his hair very short like PSJ in IC nor cry like PSJ when thinking about his father in IC. LMH is now too look & image conscious, he must comb his hair perfectly, wear nice clothes and pick the same boring chaebol character. I would much prefer him picking a poor working class character as a comeback project but it is too late now. He is too type casted by KES unfortunately.

      • I super duper agree with koala. Sharp assessment, straight to the point.

        @laura
        I agree with you. The script is dull and long winded

      • @ Kelly
        I’m praying for a career resurrection haha I think he has potential, let’s wait and see his next project .

      • I think, it’s time to KES to take a break even for one year. Viewers already have enough of her repetitive drama formula.

      • Absolutely correct..writer instead of giving good story is banking on leeminhos acting already same old scenes and iam sure he is more capable of .still love him so much.

    • i find KGE as a mediocre actress, i dont know, probably she is not just my cup of tea. i watched her in Goblin and cheese in the trap but i did nt really like her acting. i did not resonate with me at all.
      I stopped watching The king at Episode 2 because i just find it boring.

      • I like KGE in cheese in trap but she was overshadowed by gong yoo, lee dong Wook and yoo in na in goblin.

      • KGE is good in her previous films but after Goblin, she have been accepting downgraded roles. Her being whiny highschool student desperate for BF and playing aegyo in Goblin is so cringeworthy.

    • I can’t wait psycho but it’s ok Kim Soo hyun ?? I don’t care about Lee min ho her acting skills is not enough to give the good ratings on her own dramas. ? Like her last drama legend of the blue sea 1st episode already 20% ratings. Because of Jun ji hyun and not because of Lee mim ho??

  2. A whole lot of nothing happened in episode 3. I’m incredibly sad that writer KES is wasting the cast talents esp my bae Lee Min Ho. Chemistry is like a myth or folklore for this drama, it’s like almost unattainable. I don’t get it.

    If things don’t turn around, writer kes winning streak is going to end. Even the mighty Rome empire collapse much less a mere human writer. It’s like she made this project as a career review of her entire work portfolio. She mixed together some of her old leading stars and added some imitated certain scenes and cliches from her past dramas and regurgitate this boring product. It’s pretty but it’s empty inside. I’m so disappointed. Maybe things will be better when kge alter universe character Luna comes out, her story sounds interesting in the articles.

    • Laura + 1,000,000

      With a messy script even for a good actor like Park Seo Joon, I think it would be An Upheaval task to save the entire show. So I am not gonna blame LMH

      • Rei. I am VERY SERIOUS here. Do u think PSJ will take a cheesy king role? Look at him in IC. DO NOT BRING PSJ into this drama discussion. I am serious!! PSJ is 100 x better in IC. Butt off! Gals, PSJ has worked very hard to get to his status now, with no nice clothes, no nice hairstyles!!! What’s with you all here trying to bring PSJ into this discussion. Leave him alone. Do not mention PSJ!! Get it?!!! And don’t give LMH any more excuses.

      • @ kelly and jenny

        I don’t think Rei is dragging or looking down on Park Seo Joon. He’s a phenomenal actor, great in every project! She’s just trying to say that no actor may it be PSJ or even the best actor in the world could save this drama. She even stated that he’s a good actor.

        Just miscommunication between friends haha

      • Laura. Thank you. I was over-reacting and I apologize. I don’t think comparing PSJ with LMH is fair to PSJ who has worked so hard to get to where he is now.

      • @ Kelly
        No sweat, and by the way I loved Park Seo Joon since A Witch Romance. He’s a winner.

        Keep it low key but there are days I pretend that he’s my boyfriend hahaha

      • PSJ is such a good kisser in Witch Romance. I totally sound like an oppa fan girl now…. I should rewatch Witch Romance again.

      • @kelly
        LOL I watched it thrice. It’s one of the few times where I wished I was older than him, a noona because of that show hahaha He sang one of the ost for that drama, his voice is heavenly. I almost had a heart attack when he walk into the party wearing a formal suit haha

    • Rei. I think you have crossed the boundary. If you are a fan of LMH, state it. Do not drag any other actors into this drama!

  3. Everything is wrong in this drama. From the directing, writing and down to acting. This is the second time after Heirs that a KES’ drama did not meet buzz in ratings for the first three episodes. Not to mention that LMH starred in both dramas. Hoping The King will catch up soon. I guess KES has something to bring in our table. So, patience is thr key.

    • The heirs got the high rating after my love from another star ended. Bcuz i’ve watched those dramas at the same time and following per episode.

      But agree, this one is meh. Totally meh.

      • No you’re wrong. The Heirs aired BEFORE MLFTS, it was literally on the same channel (SBS) in the same time slot (Wed-Fri).

        The Heirs was overshadowed by another drama – the underdog Secret Love.

      • Just so y’all know, Heirs aired after Master’s Sun (in the same time slot), so it could’ve benefitted from that show’s ratings.

      • Ah i was wrong, sorry, thanks.

        But i saw in asianwiki that the heirs got higher rating than secret love. And i watched secret love too. Jisung oppa ???

        But the heirs was also very popular back then. But comparing to this one, i guess the heirs got more attention with the ending episode got 25% rating.

  4. I won’t write this off just yet because it is KES after all but epi 3 was extremely boring. Nothing happened and the acting was dull by everyone but the directing was worse. the lack of bgm in most of the scenes is ruining the mood of the drama.

  5. Good lord I want to like this drama so much but I can’t. I agree that KGE is overacting and it’s frustrating because I loved her in Cheese in the Trap and think she is capable of more, but she’s not cutting it in this role. The two worlds don’t seem to be well intertwined for a drama of this genre. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t have to be connected; but they need to have a link, and I’m not seeing it here. KGE and the entire police crime squad seem to belong to another drama from LMH’s. There’s absolutely no spark between the leads. Everything feels so forced. The writing and directing is all over the place. I hope things get better in the next few eps because I have never been in a star-studded drama that is so boring.

    Oh and before anyone chimes in to agree with me that the FM is miscast, that is NOT what I meant. I don’t advocate blaming a boring project on the FM (why does the FM always have to take the blame?) The lack of chemistry comes from both actors and KGE has played a rough character quite nicely before (Coin Locker Girl) so I think the problem here lies in both the acting and directing departments.

    • I enjoyed the first episode but episode 2 & 3 reversed my good feelings. It’s definitely a misdirection, all shots were misfired. Everyone did play a role on how mediocre this project is becoming. Although I blame the writer more, I do admit now the actors do play a part, they should be able to transcend the horrid scripts given to them and make their characters at least somewhat like-able. Their characters are getting on my nerves with each episode. The editing is barely passable. It’s unbelievable since this drama is pre-produced, so they should have had plenty of time to edit perfectly.

      • Tell me about it! -__- That’s the downside of pre-produced dramas I guess, since these fatal mistakes cannot be remedied when the show is running. Let’s just hope the editting can do a better job in the next episodes, and not suck the very little liveliness left out of some assumedly romantic scenes.

    • Yeah the lack of chemistry did bug me a lot. And the actors can atleast work that out even if the plot is sloppy (which I believe not). The script so far is still holding my interest.
      I don’t know if anyone has seen or not but the drama “My Princess” had a really crappy plot. But the characters played by KTH and SSH had such a great chemistry that people didn’t give a damn about the plot. So I believe it is upto the actors to make their romance believable. Confessing your love without a proper reason and that too with a bland expression is not enough to convince the viewer of the budding romance .

      • I watched my princess, I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. Chemistry depends on the actors not the scripts.

  6. All of the character in this drama are poorly written on top of that poor execution. Drama is bound to be doomed. Neither the character or the actors have charm to carry this drama.

  7. lmh had awesome chemi with park shin hye . i think main issue otp dont have much chemistry to top it with boring direction and story, the police friend is only person looking gud .

      • This drama is the definition of boring … it’s all too bad as I was looking forward to this drama 🙁

    • I’ve only liked Secret Garden from her, I couldn’t finish The Heirs, Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, A Gentleman’s Dignity etc. All her dramas are the same with a rich/powerful male lead and a poor/less powerful female lead that he teases and/or looks down on for 16 episodes with a bunch of cheesy immature lines. Anyway, Koreans finally have had enough of it.

      I hope her writing will grow from the negative feedback she’s getting.

    • I haven’t watched Mr. Sunshine and I heard it was great. But DOTS was super cheese and overly patriotic for me. Barely managed to finish using ff.
      Goblin was a little better as the second leads were superb, so was the comedy and romance.The only problem was that the main leads story made no sense to me. I got bored midway and especially the thought of a high schooler dating an Ahjushhi was….ewww.Everything else was really good. However I like KGE’s acting in The King.

      I read somewhere that KES started the idea of MR. Sunshine in around 2008 and took some time to finish writing it. That was the time she was writing sensible dramas and not trying to do only fanservice.

      • Secret Garden was also a meh !! for me .Maybe because I watched it almost two years ago and it aired when the dramas were focussed on different styles. Didn’t like the FL there . Infact found the cameo by SYJ much better. Don’t get me started about the main character who was a pushover and stalker.The whole 20 episode was a torture. Thats why I never tried to follow Binnie’s work again. But oh my.. CLOY changed my perception… Forgive me..?

      • Mr. Sunshine is literally my fave KES’ dramas. 2nd would be SG, dots, lovers, lovers in Paris, on air and goblin. The heirs.. em.. so so. The rest, not bad. But city hall was a no no for me. Preference.

      • My favorite from KES is Secret Garden. (just my preference) Give Mr. Sunshine a try and you’ll end up glued to your screen. The lead actor and down to the supporting actors, (they gave their characters justice not to mention the chemistry) the plot, ost, and cinematography just awesome. The thing that I love Korean Drama and especially this drama is the word exchanges there’s meaning to every line, the little nuances and the intensity of just a simple skin contact just catch your attention or should I say can take your breath away.

      • When Secret Garden was airing, it was my favourite drama. I love the ost “that man” so much. Because of CLOY popularity, some Hyun Bin works appearing in my YouTube recommendations. There, I try to watch the clip of Secret Garden to bring back memory. To my surprise, I really can’t bear to watch them. I was like was I really liking it back then.

  8. Maybe people are already tired seeing LMH and KGE for another KES drama. I think it’s about time for KES tap other actors and actresses. It is so refreshing to see the likes of Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Jong Suk, Kim So Hyun, Son Ye Jin doing a KES drama.

      • These good actors won’t ever sign up for a cheesy drama. True actors don’t need to work with a con.

      • @Joker So LBH and GY aren’t true actors then? And you forgot that JJH did LotBS with LMH. I doubt it was really a masterpiece.

        You know, you remind me of those movie actors’ fans who think so highly of their faves..saying they will never downgrade themselves by working in dramas but lately more movie actors are coming back to dramaland. KES may not be the best writer but she has a lot of popular dramas under her belt and not many actors are willing to turn down a chance of being cast in a popular drama. Well unless that actor is WB.

      • @Nad – when has JJH ever worked with KES? LBH wanted to reverse his cheater name and to get all the awards when he signed up with KES. GY has turned down KES repeatedly before finally agreeing on Goblin. After this flop, do you think many good actors still want to work with her? I am referring to cheesy drama!! Read again.

      • @Joker I was just giving you an example since you said those good actors (JJH included) won’t ever sign up for a cheesy drama. LotBS, KES dramas…they belonged to the same standard imo.

        Well the fact is someone as good as LBH opted to star in a KES drama. Regardless of his reason. I’m not a fan of KES..but seeing people underestimate her power to cast good actors is really hilarious tbh. Unless your fav is WB, you can’t confidently say they don’t wanna with her. You don’t speak for all of them.

  9. I always cringe heavily whenever LMH confess his feeling and want to make KGE his queen. Like, how is that coming from when they only met several times, moreover there is ZERO chemistry and no romantic reason whatsoever. No one in the right mind gonna buy it. The scenes are absolutely utterly unbelievable…

    • I agree with you Evi , what happened to the sexy passionate Gu Jun Pyu from BOF? I have watched Heirs and seen LMH transformed into a pretty boy who bears no resemblance to the man from the past. I am a great fan of LMH but he needs to be in a gritty drama now that he is a grown man. There is no chemistry between him and his co star in The King E M plus too many long drawn out scenes that have made it so far ,very tedious to watch. I will watch the rest of the series, but it is not addictive like BOF, LMH was so charismatic in that and his huge talent is wasted ,both in Heirs and The King.

  10. But KES is not best writer since ever. Sometimes her drama is so cheesy, plotless in the middle. She depend much to her actors more than her own script. People watch her drama for chemistry, visual, etc. The plot will be the number 2.

  11. If you want chemistry, watch Hopital playlist. Great friendly chemistry . It . Mixing popular or big names doesn’t mean great chemistry. That’s why casting is one of the most important part of a production( dixit Alfred Hitchcock ). But here ,KES should have write another genre of drama.

    • Oh man. I read a comment before about whether people are rewatching Hospital Playlist on Netflix Korea coz it’s trending #1. I am in India and I cannot stop rewatching it. Fabulous casting and chemistry between the main and the supporting cast. Not to mention my fave writer-director duo.

      I am sure people watching the show are rewatching for the nuances and details if not for the OSTs.

      I loved Goblin, but TKEM is not doing it for me 🙁

  12. I thought KSE and LMH Chemistry was better this episode. But yes! I agree that KSE’s character of disbelief and arrogant sass was annoying too! I fast forward the bad guy part; they should have hired a minor actor, so they don’t have to feel obligated to put him in so many scenes. Too much going on with the back story. Jumping back and forth and boring dialogues. I just want the writer to focus on the relationship between the main characters.

  13. Apart from ratings i Think twofm have overtaken it in terms of international buzz at least from what i see on Twitter which is quite suprising cause i thought it will be more popular internationally given that it also on Netflix.
    Anyways will still continue to watch to see how the plot progress and of course for LMH.

  14. so funny , just because the rating is going down people are already certifying is as a bad drama lol. And I am sure lots of people tuned in to world of married cause the rating was going up every week. Just tells how fragile people’s mindset is when it comes to liking a drama. If the rating was increasing I bet you guys would say oh it’s a phenomenal drama, KES has repeated history again. 😀

    • @sky. I disagree with what you said. You’re saying everyone here is shallow and only go with the flow. In other words, incapable of reasonable opinion. I don’t like ep3 esp coz the female lead exaggerated her acting. She was so overacting and got really annoying. I was so distracted by her sloppy acting that it became difficult to follow the story. It is bland.

    • I agree with Mindy. I think it is a stretch to suggest that critical viewers here are incapable of forming their own assessment of the drama. Their feelings about the drama are as valid and legit as yours. There is no need to downplay others’ opinions just because they do not share the same sentiment as you.

      Please also bear in mind that most viewers here enter the drama (eps1&2) without knowing the ratings for those episodes, which (the ratings) were actually decent and suggested a good start. Then again most watch ep 3 without knowing the rating would drop. Their evaluation of the quality of the drama is therefore based solely on their watching experience, independent from rating influence.

      I for one don’t give a rip about ratings. It does nothing for me at all and is not the first thing I look for when deciding to watch or continue watching a show. I personally find all these bickering and competing about ratings very childish to say the least. It seems to happen when a fan of a certain show is miffed when their beloved show is getting criticised, and they can’t give other reasonings to refute those criticism and must borrow ratings to defend their drama/ feelings. If you like a drama then you like it. Period. Others disliking it should not mean that you are less of a person for liking said drama. It’s not like they dislike YOU for liking a drama, so why the defensiveness and passive aggressiveness?

      • hye mi cause if you look at most of the comments they are bashing the actors, they are just playing their part. It is more the screenplay they should comment on, not the actors particularly. Saying KGE’s acting is over the top or Lee Min Ho cannot show expressions that is personal opinion, and very subjective. Just because someone thinks that way, does not mean it should be the case.
        Also they are working hard for the drama, I think we should not undermine their efforts and just comment in a derogatory manner.
        Also to be honest , I do not want to even go to the script, cause KES’s scripts always have some hidden symbols so if you are not paying close attention it might look like the script is sloppy and cliched. If you want a better analyses of the scripts , you might go to this website where the blogger has done some detailed analysis of the show so far. ‘www.bitchesoverdramas.com’. Here is the link to the first episode impressions, ‘http://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/04/20/the-king-eternal-monarch-first-impressions/’. You might look for more if you are interested.
        I am bit pissed since people ‘are’ biased by collective opinion. Whether you agree it or not. I personally think the script is good. The problem is with the direction and also editing maybe. KES’s previous director lee eung bok knew how to handle these type of shows with grandiose. I think many things are happening in king the monarch and the editing has been disjointed so the director is not being considerate with which scenes need more times. Like in episode 3, 15-20 minutes were spent on shin jae, which I personally thought was unnecessary. But lol anyway the blogger that I mentioned before thought everything is quite well planned.
        If you have any interest you can take a look at that website. I do not have any personal opinion about anyone, but imo, KES always have been able to build this type of fictional world with success. She is talented and I think it takes a creative mind to be able to come up with something of this big scale each time. I feel like people are being too hard on this drama. Maybe we should bear with the progression of the story and not being too harsh at the actors.

      • @ hyemi

        Very solid! People shouldn’t downplay other people views just because it doesn’t align with their own opinions.

    • I’ve watched ep 1 and 2 excitedly bcuz i am a fan of KES’ writer nim. I have nothibg against the actors as long as they CAN ACT WELL. But unfortunately, after the first two episodes, the story was dull and repetitive, the acting was meh, the chemistry was nowhere to see. So, the rating of ep 3 and 4 were as expected.

      We’ve got some different opinions on this drama, but didnt mean i hate the actors or became the antifan of kes.

      Your fragile thought only saw one thing that different opinion and criticism are hatred. No.

      Kes has many popular dramas under her belt, so yeah, it wasnt wrong when we expected something from her. Especially her previous Mr.Sunshine was an amazing drama.

      Even SG or dots claimed high ratings but some people in here didn’t think they were the best. Cuz it’s called PREFERENCE.

      If you like this drama so much, keep praising it without being butthurt with others’ opinions.

  15. Episode 1 was boring. Episode 2 improved. But episode 3 went back to mega boredom. I blame the script first of all. The conversation is stilted and the scenes overused – a mishmash of scenes and dialogues from Goblin and Secret Garden. It seems KES was depending highly on her lead actors chemistry and charisma to sell her script, but they are underperforming. LMH is no Gong Yoo who can convey a myriad of expressions simply by blinking and staring into space. KGE has a lot more chemistry with KKN than with LMH at this point. The drama is like watching beautiful scenery – lovely to look at, but nothing much happens. I can’t help wondering that if KES had worked with a different director, maybe he would have been able to get a little extra oomph from the actors to bring life to an otherwise totally boring story. Cause it’s not that the premise is bad – it’s just that the execution is slow and disjointed. We’ve all seen parallel worlds handled much better in W-two worlds, and time travel dramas like Queen Inhyun’s man, Splish Splash Love, or Signal. In the hands of better writing, directing and editing – it could have been and still be a hit drama.

  16. Why even watch k dramas if all you do is pick them apart.
    Try watching some American sitcoms and I guarantee you will be giving king an Oscar.
    What other wonderful dramas are on now? I for one will sit back, enjoy and be glad I don’t have to share a tv couch with 1/2 of you!

    • You can not compare K drama watching to any of the American shows. You have to conceive a totally different mentality. Guess you will never be able to understand unless you immerse yourself into enough K dramas. Rule #1 – We do not share couch when drowning in K dramas, so at least you are at a good start. ?

    • Plz don’t be so dismissive of an entire genre… That too of a different country. And if you want good dramas, watch TWOTM or Hospital Playlist. A lot of people here are disappointed coz of the big names names involved in the project. But that doesn’t mean we’ll lap up any boring mess served to us

  17. Tbh, I’ve always felt that KES’ dramas are all hype and very little substance. The only exception being City Hall, which took 4 episodes and turned into an enjoyable & memorable drama.

  18. Sadly, I have to agree. Ep 3 was such a letdown. Nothing happened, but at the same time lots of things happened. KGE and LMH have no romantic chemistry. The whole time I was watching them together, I was wondering if it’s possible for them to just stay friends as that’s the vibe I’m getting.
    Some scenes are disjointed, like I’m watching a different drama. The police scenes felt out of place. KGE’s character here is like a slightly grown up version of the character she played in Goblin. LMH’s Lee Gon is a mishmash of GJP and KT.
    Unlike some, I dove into this drama with no bias towards any of the actors. I simply liked the visuals and the plot was interesting. I’m hoping that the lackluster ep 3 was simply a fluke and that the pace and story improve from there on. I’ve got to temper my expectations since this is also from the writer of DOTS – the drama that banked on its stars’ fame and forgot that it was supposed to deliver a plot.
    I’m still giving King a chance. If I could stay through all 16 episodes of Hi, Bye Mama despite its poor writing, I could do the same for King. But if Maximus gets killed, then that’s it for me.

    • Same here, will still watch till episode 4. If it doesn’t improve, I will drop it. The difference between hi, bye, mama and tkem is the acting. Actors in hbm gave their best out of the material that were given to them. As much as I like the actors in tkem, they are not emoting well for me.

  19. LMH is alright, I mean it doesn’t get on my nerves but KGE, holy hell, stop talking.

    I didn’t quite like her in Goblin and I think she is too juvenile but then it probably one time but no, she is the misscast, seriously, she gets on my nerve

  20. Time to change the Director, or else KES drama writing career will end. This drama is by far the most boring of all her works. At least Heirs has enough side characters to stir up some fun. This drama is just plain boring.

    • Maybe the producers and director expect people to be dazzled with Lee Minho’s charms and good looks that they forgot about the casual viewers who are in this for the plot, visuals & execution.
      So far, I’m liking him as King Lee Gon within the kingdom. He seems levelheaded and mature, but I hated how he regressed when he crossed over to the republic.
      I’m annoyed with KGE as Ta Eul. I’m hoping I would grow to like her when she crosses over to the kingdom.
      With 4 episodes in, it’s still early and I’m hoping that it’s going to improve.

  21. I never liked any of KES drama, in fact i only completed the heirs which i think was ok not great.. i dont uds how DOTS, goblin, secret garden got so famous maybe because of star power.

    Lee minho is charming bt he always play the same character frm BBF, the heirs, legend of blueseas.. like its so boring..

    I know i shouldnt be comparing, but i think CLOY is the best kdrama ive ever watched from the flow of the story it jus makes people curious and excited for the next episode..

    • You dragged CLOY in a dangerous territory.I know it is ur personal choice to like it.But people will start trolling it endlessly when there is no need and it will ultimately hurt us in the end.So lets not talk about it and start a fan war here cause I m already tired fighting for it .. Unnecessary fan wars will start
      Peace✌️

      On the other hand I m liking The King’s plot so far. Only the chemistry bothers me sometimes whereas the actors are fine individually. I feel really intrigued right now as to what will happen in the next episode. I think there is a lot in store for us so just wait peacefully and give it a chance. It may not be best but quite enjoyable and has the potential to do much better.

    • Agree with Astar. Stay within the topic of KES dramas to avoid unnecessary fan wars unless you really want to start one, then you will forever be blamed. I find KES so overrated, there are a lot more talented SK writers than her cheesy boring style.

  22. Hmm that LMH fan once said that getting single digits indicates you’re a flop with no star power, regardless of other factors like writing and directing. Interesting turn of events for the hallyu king and “actor of his generation” + Superstar writer lmao.

      • lol. I’m sure she’ll show up later to talk about CFs and worldwide trending to cover up for the drama underperforming lmao.

    • LMH aint a king. A king wont get 7% rating especially when other hallyu stars doing so well (hyunbin and Park seojoon). This is the third times LMH drama get overshadow, first Heirs then LOTBS, and now this. KES drama always struggle when she casted LMH, this is like Dejavu.

      • @Maya Agree. Her last 3 dramas smashed in ratings because the male leads and had both star power and acting prowess (Gong Yoo, LBH) or good chemistry (Song Joong Ki). LMH only has star power, and that’s debatable considering premiere ratings weren’t stellar. If KES wants a hallyu star, she should work with Kim Soo Hyun, Park Seo Joon, or even Lee Jong Suk because LMH is the weakest acting-wise of his peers.

      • Yes LMH star power is really debatable, premiere with 10-11% is the same like get 5% in cable tv. If you want to compare with KES previous drama Goblin:6% (don’t forget this is 2016 drama not everyone have TVN in their home) and Mr sunshine:8%, I will says the king is the lowest. To add more about his star power, Heirs average rating is the lowest between all KES drama. Same with King, Heirs was struggle in their early ep. I suprised seeing PSH and KWB even promoting it in running man. I never see any KES drama actor do that before.
        KES start casting their actor when KSH not out yet from military and he decide on Hiatus until 2020, LJS already enlist, PSJ : I guess not in KES radar, but if she really taking PSJ for the king I’m sure it will give more a good result. Until now PSJ always nailed every roles, and he will match with KGE visual.

      • So true lol. I wonder what she would do if that Convenience Store drama ends up doing better since she said both JCW and KYJ are supposedly D-listers (because of single digit ratings).

      • Yup, adyjunjihyun the real estate queen from India. Maybe her tenants cant afford to pray rent thus she has to go back to work. She bashed so many commenters in this blog with her atrocious spelling and name calling maybe ockoala blocked her. Surprised she hasn’t shown up to defend LMH.

  23. There was sparks of good writing back in episode 4, sparks that got doused pretty early on. The problem is all the characters are keeping their motivations to themselves as in from the viewers as well, its one thing keeping your cards close to you in terms of other characters but keeping the audience in dark while you brood while looking good, brood some more while looking pretty works maybe first 1 or two times…not ten times over, that is where you loose audience……Also, Lee Min Ho shows sparks of intensity, then he reigns it in for reason best known to him, I don’t know if it is the director or him or both…..Also Tae Eul sudden change in heart for King Gon went over my head, they did not spend enough meaningful time around each other and Lee Min Ho has zero chemistry with Kim Go Eun… the characters don’t harmonize with each other….that is what is the biggest issue here. Song Joong Ki and Jin Gu…Gong Yu and Lee Dong Wook…Kudo Hina/Dong Mae had instant chemistry…Sunny and Eun Tak had instant good rapport…Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won had chemistry…..nobody in this drama has one ounce of chemistry..they really need to do screen test or cast better actors from now on.

    • The boys in Mr Sunshine got the best bromance. They loved the same girl, hated each others, wanted to kill each others yet… they loved to hangout together lmao…

  24. I like it flaws and all. I am not blind and could see that the editing and directing could have been better. And yes, I did get irked at the female lead but it’s realistic that she would not believe him. Though I do like her in Goblin compared to here. Nevertheless I would continue to watch. There is something to the story that makes me want to continue watching. For me, I’m not even going to compare this to Goblin. I’m just going to wait and see what happens next.

  25. I’m sorry but why are the line deliveries by the main leads felt so….dull?
    Everytime there’s a scene with them together it seems as if all the energy have been sucked out of the scene.
    They’re doing the typical Rom-com bantering that leads do but this is not funny bantering, it’s just boring bantering. Instead of laughing like I usually do when there’s funny banters between leads, I just felt so bored with this one. In fact, it made me kinda annoyed.
    Anyone else find the lack of background music or sound effect quite odd?
    Sure, excessive background music can be annoying BUT appropriate use of sound effect or background music could emphasise a scene well and make it less dull.
    For example they could add a fun background music while they’re bantering which could help liven up the scene and maybe could even make it funnier.

  26. I truly hope that things pick up in the next couple episodes like previous kes dramas because so far, this is the worst start I’ve seen for her work. Acting and chemistry, writing, and directing are all mediocre. What a major disappointment, especially considering TKEM was probably the most anticipated drama this year.

  27. i am so glad i am not alone in my dislike of the lead female charcter. hopefully she starts developing a better personality quickly because that charcters is the only reason i am struggling. i like everything else so far.
    .

  28. A good acting and a huge budget cannot save a poorly written drama. So, I think it is not the actors’ fault if they were acting that way if that’s how they’re supposed to act based on the script. They are actors, neither directors nor screen writers. If the scene is poorly executed, lacks chemistry, feelings, or connections, it is the directors call to cut and re-take the scene. It just makes me sad that this is LMH’s come back series. And this is LMH. And I never thought, he could ever make me feel cringy and I know that this is not because of the acting but because of the script. ?

    • Same lame excuse for KGE poor acting in Goblin. Why didn’t GY, LDW, YIN get the same comment? Now same lame excuse for LMH and second time for KGE… Really lame.

  29. I felt the episode boring but I believe episode 4 will spark a climax. Every interesting book doesn’t start with excitement. Usually you have to endure a bit of boredom before you enter the exciting stuff. So I guess we all have to exercise some patience as good things come to those who wait!lol

  30. Lol perhaps avoid primetime networks next time. Cable is the craze now… This might have come out better if it were aired on TVN or JTBC lol.. They have better quality control dept there, it seems..

  31. I encourage everyone to give it a good chance! LMH’s natural charm came out in eps. 4 and the story picked up. I love it! I read a lot of these comments and feel surprised by the negative ones! The actress playing the detective seems promising in eps.4. She’s starting to find her footing in her charactor and as she does the flow of the show will improve. It’s powerful and charming! It appeals to deeper thinkers for sure! Great writting with exceptional actors!! LMH’s charisma and range are spot on, believable as always and he does an awesome job pulling you in!! A great treat for this crazy time and quarunteen!!

  32. I’ve just started watching it so can’t comment on it. Though to be honest I do enjoy watching K-dramas. Moon Embrace the Sun I think it’s called, The Last Empress, Jewel in the Palace, Empress Ki, Arthdal Chronicles and few more have been enjoyable to watch. I’m glued to this ?

  33. I can’t wait psycho but it’s ok Kim Soo hyun ?? I don’t care about Lee min ho her acting skills is not enough to give the good ratings on her own dramas. ? Like her last drama legend of the blue sea 1st episode already 20% ratings. Because of Jun ji hyun and not because of Lee mim ho??

    • the kim soo hyun you are even talking about….where has he been???
      if not for my love from another star….will anyone even recognize him….was it not the same jung ji hyun that help him in the Drama…..

  34. all of you writing bad comments about the film….na wa oo
    the drama has not fully started you guys are already criticizing the drama…..you are either criticizing the actors or the writer.
    you guys that are even making bad comments what have you guys even achieved in this life….it is not by force to watch the drama….if it is too boring for you or they still portray the same character leave them like that….no one is forcing you to watch the drama
    pls keep your negativity to yourself
    p.s…. I’m not a fan of lee min ho!!!

  35. If you’re still can’t move on with Goblin, or still can’t get over with CLOY or any other Kdramas at that, then please don’t watch TKEM.period.

  36. Criticisms happen as a result of expectations and it comes in good if it delivers otherwise if it is bad it really will be a bad comment waiting to happen. I waited for this drama and ended up hitting the off button…so yep…me a very sad customer!!!

  37. I don’t know about you guys but I am from the Philippines. Did you not realize that LMH is being watched world wide and not just Korea? Perhaps you need to check your facts regarding TKEM being a flop. Did you perhaps check that the reason why no ones watching it on TV is because they want to skip the ads so they rather watch on Netflix? <> Netflix is one of the largest network of audience in the world today. Thoughts?

    Boring? Perhaps you were romanticizing about the plot for TKEM and since you didn’t get it here, you carelessly tagged it as boring. Or perhaps Quantum mechanics and time travel was confusing for most here who got so used to getting entertainment alone in dramas and not mind boggling like the plot KSE has in this drama. Who would have thought about fantasizing a Kingdom in Korea in the present time. Did you not get curious about how it would be if Korea still had a King and a PM run your country? I would say that is rather interesting. Watching it once wouldnt be enough to get my head wrapped around the plot of the story and what twists there are, dropped hints every step of the way.

    All the cast are doing a great job showing real emotions! None went below the red line.

    None of the 12 episodes I have watched so far is boring or so you call it. Watched it on Netflix by the way and it is number 1 trending in the Philippines.

    Most of the rants here didn’t understand the realm of the story. Having LMH amd KGE as leads is rather a bonus. I think the producwrs are rather being rushed and pressured in squeezing all the story telling required in this story by keeping it short. This really frusttates me because I would have to draw my own conclusions on the turn of events that were skipped because..

    TKEM is daebak! All the casts are superb down the littlest role!

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