The King: Eternal Monarch Mired in Eternal Single Digit Ratings as Episode 5 Brings in 7.6% and 8.6% Even with a Random Kiss Scene
I…..am at loss for words. Like, how is it possible that The King: Eternal Monarch is written by Kim Eun Sook. I have watched EVERY SINGLE drama she has written and I’m not even talking about her recent year trendy hits like Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, Heirs and Secret Garden. She wrote my all time favorite K-drama City Hall, and I loved loved loved On Air (sniffles Park Yong Ha!). On Air is one of her most underrated K-dramas and probably her most personal, Song Yoon Ah played basically Kim Eun Sook as a fictional drama screenwriter and now I’m wondering if the real Kim Eun Sook has that many young screenwriters doing her heavy lifting that once they left she’s churning out superficial, disjointed, and emotionally devoid drama like The King which remains totally flat in delivery in episode 5.
Episode 5 could and should change the course of the drama, it brought female lead Jung Tae Eul to the Kingdom of Korea and removed all reasons for her blustery disbelief. And yet we spend an entire episode of her still insisting none of what she is experiencing is true in the most annoying ways (aiming a gun at the King, wandering around Seoul asking cops if they remember her, and calling to ask stupid questions), I have never wanted to bitch slap a female lead this much, and also double up with the same slap to the one-dimensional second female lead. Sure Kim Go Eun is acting like she’s never ever acted before (she sucks here) but her character is fundamentally the bigger problem. Lee Min Ho is fine, he’s just a beautiful King and that’s all he is and that should be enough normally other than there is nothing else or no one else to like in this drama so if all we have is a blank sheet then it’s even glaring that there is nothing here. It’s like the Emperor has no Clothes and the ratings drop to 7.6% and 8.6% on SBS reflect what the South Korean viewers think as well.
The laziness in the writing of this drama coupled with the heavy-handed directing continues to be a one-two punch of fail. The ending of episode 4 showed the two leads riding pell mell through the bamboo forest and then jumping through the portal and instantaneously landing on the other world. That was hammered home by the female lead closing her eyes and opening it in the other side. Then in episode 5 we see they actually meandered through a rainbow hued walkway that connects the two worlds so why bother with the dramatic feint earlier.
The same goes with most of the interactions in this drama, it doesn’t need to be there to move the story forward. Kim Gon has a country to rule and a throne to protect, and hopefully find a woman he loves to marry and make babies. His antagonist uncle is a threat to all three. That’s a conflict. Jung Tae Eul and her persistent refusal to entertain that Gon is a King from a parallel world is fine until she willingly went with him to his world and then got more than enough proof within the first 5 minutes that he was telling the truth and there were things she cannot explain but also cannot deny. That we spent an entire episode with her trying to disprove him STILL is beyond frustrating, and if we cut out every scene of her trying to do so the drama would still move forward and make sense, hence bad writing.
Let’s not forget there was a kiss in episode 5 that probably deserves a place in the pantheon of Dead Fish kisses in K-dramas. Kim Go Eun looks like she’s screaming “I forgot the take the laundry down and it’s raining outside oh no!” or “When is this going to end, I want to start the next episode of Tiger King” or “I’m firing my agent when I finish filming because this is not what I signed up for when my film career took off!” or “PD-nim, is this the expression I’m supposed to be making, I’m doing what you told me to but it make no sense because this dude even if he’s crazy is super hot so I should at least be okay with with a surprise peck”.
Someone who appreciates On Air! It’s indeed an underrated drama. I love it! And Park Yong Ha….that was a sad day. May he rest in peace.
On air so underrated . I highly recommand ‘a man’s story” for the younger ones who don’t know who Park Yong Ha is . Cith Hall is a very good drama and the chemistry between the leads was incredible.
For me, KES has lost her touch since The Heirs .
I don’t watch her dramas past On Air
Everybody feels like,we can rewrite this drama.I feel to bad for KGE and LMH,the storyline,everything else could be better.They do not show exactly what they should be.How can you hug someone already knowing you dont know anything about her but only her face.Tvn could have done better.Goblin is one of my favorites and KGE knew her character and all the characters did well.Already watched ep 6 but still feel really bad and disappointing.Still goint to watch though because they are great actors.Still believing,they could do better.
I agree strongly with the comment, that actress has either a bad role for her or she needs to take some acting classes
She’s a good actress. She did well in her past dramas Cheese in a Trap and the very popular Goblin. She even has a movie called My Muse where she did great. I really think it’s the King’s bad writing and directing. Her talent was put to waste 🙁
I dont think she got bad acting or need any lesson. I’ve admired her acting skills on every drama she is in.
agree
On Air is my all time fav kdrama. Very underrated but it did have a cult following on Soompi forum….I miss those days. I haven’t liked a drama that much ….I am still looking for a drama to make me feel like that.. So much nostalgia….after all these years PYH’s suicide still hurts …I know time never healed it….I just got used to the pain.
This is a good drama but had a bad press. All the actors are good in may opinion its just many are having si muvh higher expectations. Just wait
As with any drama I let my imagination take full command. I follow lee min ho and he definitely embodies the character of the King. I look forward to the release of each episode as well as hos next gig
Oh relax you guys! The picture is nice, music too. And how can you tell which emotion should a character show if as it is also in the reality… It is up to the person… Much better to have a frustrating look when being kissed than the fake “oh my God!” as in all the other Dramas. I enjoy watching it… And you can too… If stop comparing it to some cheesy Dramas.
Go Netflix & chill and don’t waist too much time on expressing your negativity. ?
Couldn’t have said it any better. This drama is kind of slow but I continue to watch because I truly like and admire KGE’s acting. She has tremendously evolved in every project she has undertaken if you’ve followed her career. She is a very good actress but more so a beautiful soul when not in front of the camera.
I’m reading the review, yes.. I’m not eager to continue watching since I’m annoyed with the acting of the lead female actress. Mismatch for Lee Min Ho.
I agree with everything about the bad writing but I don’t agree with how people Bush the actors, they are doing the best they can with what they have been given. I like the show because is a fantasy and I am so tired of the latest dramas, they have so much violence in them that is crazy. So for me an easy drama is welcome. Definitely they should improve their chemistry, and improve the kissing.
I haven’t watched this drama nor do I plan to but I just wanted to say that City Hall is my all time favorite drama of KES and in the top 5 favorites of all Kdrama. City Hall is super good.
I love city hall with every fiber of my body.
I love how she fought corruption and won the hearts of so many. She is korean Wonder Woman ?
I think we’re watching a show produced in a parallel universe. It is written, produced, acted by the same name people but they’re not. Hahah! That’s how this show has become, so unbelievably stupid it takes your breath away – in a really bad way. Each time the female lead shows up, I wanna physically remove her from the screen. Hahah! So very, very frustrating.
Goblin’s success is Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wok! I agree with the comments- the girl needs to improve her acting skill. She looks blank (just like her acting in Goblin) or maybe the role is not fit for her. I can’t feel the chemistry between her and LMH. I only watch it bec of LMN.
I agree that the actress acting is flat, idk why “some korean drama” in kissing scene they put it that way. ? she should alteast show emotion its wheather shock, surprise, or she can close her eyes after a second or two their lips met. I know shes popular actress but id rather watch sandara park in her *missing korea *we broke up *dr.ian and *break up playlist many times than her dramas, im just watching king etenal monarch because of lee min ho… He’s one of my biases to get parnert with sandara in dramas or movies. ?? hoping the soonest it will happen.
They have good story line about two different world and the uncle want to take the throne but the script are really flat and the female lead trying so hard to fit the image of a police officer, totally lost interest in this drama after the 4th episode
All that LMH has done in 5 episodes is walk around with his hands behind his back making observations and speaking in math. Not that KGS is any better. Both characters just wander around doing things that make no sense. All of this is made worse by the lack of background music. Does the director hate music?
I agree I’m so dissappinment the roles are not demonstrating the best acting of Lee Min Ho and the lead Actress . Bad writing and directing
omg i cannot agree more with u. i keep thinking okay there is going to be a moment where this drama is going to really take off and bring us somewhere blissful. but no no no it remains so undesirably flat and unbelievably monotonous i gave up aft ep 3. or was it 4? omg it’s such a disappointment…such a waste. i had high hopes for KGE
Agreed on every point Except it’s classic KES but just sooo watered down. Mostly she writes cheesy dialogue and irrational scenes but usually the directing is on point so you are blown away or the leads are so on fire, you are blown away. All these are missing here sadly.
The directing is very bad. It’s not stylish and lazy.
The 2 worlds are badly badly defined.
There’s so many way to showcase the worlds and they chose the laziest and most boring way.
Secondly; LMH is doing ok I agree – I kinda like him more in ep5 but this is so far away from what one expect from him. Sorry fans but I conclude sadly he lost some spark which is understandable if you have gone away for 2 years. he’s fortunately warming up but it’s ep5 already! My take is this is a wrong comeback role and he is just not as sharp as he was. It’s time his team realise he must have more than handsomeness (or do they even believe that he has more than that?) because I sure did like him not just for his looks, he was someone who rocked gu Jun pyo crazy hairstyle and added soul to a crazy role.
That is already kind because I have harsher words for the female lead/ omg KGE is just so one dimensional i don’t understand. Her chAracter annoys me and that’s classic KES, she writes terrible female leads for some reason. They always do irrational things or do not behave logically. Why would she kiss LMH , oh just because she’s blown away now that he’s king. That’s so superficial I just can’t. Why does she not respond to the kiss well then. I mean if she’s nuts just go ahead with it and at least make it funny or sensual or whatever. Because there was nothing about the kiss other than being random or completely unromantic.
Which brings me to the most important point about why the drama is failing for me: where’s the humour?
KES drama may have the most mediocre directing or the most psychopathic male lead on paper – Think Secret garden Hyun bin. But because you laugh so much right from ep1, you know it’s bad but you can’t help to watch. Comedy is always the way to bring characters to life and make them relatable to the audience. Yes there some skill needed from the actor but you need the scenes the dialogues. There’s just so many ways to charm and make us laugh in this Premise of 2 worlds where each world is just too much to believe for either leads. We didn’t get any comedy from fish out of water King is modern Seoul, which is just terrible because we missed our comedic timing that could bond the leads but that’s ok if we have to go with the view that he’s ultra smart and straight stiff. But what about the female lead in monarchy Korea??? That’s unforgivable – that won’t be how I behave if I went to a parallel world. That’s just so so much comedy to milk but we got very little. It’s just sooo lazy and sad because there is just so much potential. I just don’t get it, if you go for dramatics this drama doesn’t have the style for it, if it’s comedy it’s completely absent – so what is it? How can a KES drama be so devoid of style!
You need to choose a vibe for a drama – it’s ep5. It’s unbelievable that they couldn’t elevate this drama by now. SMH.
That is true add a little humor in it that will make the audience tickle and more romantic .In Crash Landing all the episode of Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin got higher ratings because of the chemistry and humor between them.I think that’s what it need…..
I am still waiting. Hopefully this is the calm before the stormy, involved, passionate drama I have been waiting for. Yes this does seem over directed. Metaphically speaking I am underwhelmed at this point but I have glimmer of hope.they could have left the balloon out and it would have been ok with me. .
I’ve lowered my expectations and just decided to enjoy this drama. LOL
Same! Came with zero expectation because I haven’t really enjoyed any of the writer’s recent works. I’ve decided that I wouldn’t bother with the clanky world building and just enjoy the show. The real world is bat shit crazy right now and I honestly don’t want to overthink anything.
So yeah, I acknowledge that the show is really bad, and the actors too (all of them!). But I’m still gonna watch cause I’m still having fun. Heh!
Me too
Me three! I’ve already lowered my expectations, but it’s still painfully boring. I sit watching and anticipating something happening or hoping it would, but it’s a long hour of absolutely nothing happens.
I am just getting frustrated watching, fast 4ward button is good. Its like a skein if will thats knotted and frustrating to untangle. The main actor is great, and the series has potential but its not really there yet. Which is a shame, to many characters
Lol this. I still like it regardless of it’s downfalls.
I was reading the last article and someone said that the drama should drop the flat earth theory, hahaha
I’m cringing so much seeing the dead fish kiss…I thought Park Shin Hye in The Heirs was the worse lol.
The writing and directing is mess… I thought cinematography is the only saving grace of this drama BUT seeing the rainbow pathway made me sigh with poor CGI effect.
I thought Park Shin Hye’s kiss in Heartstrings was the worst. Lol. But ya Heirs is bad too.
I agree I new this drama was doomed I just do not enjoy dramas written by this person. Her writing is confusing and her Actors lack chemistry during her scripts. I feel bad that LMH come back was written by her ??
I totally agree. This kdrama is so frustrating.
OMG! Thank you for saying this. I am so tired of seeing these dead fish kisses, ugh!
I am oki with their acting but KES’s The King does not hook me anymore. I do not get why the King fell in love with him when in fact he was so young. I may understand that he may be so grateful that he would showered him with gratitude to the point that they fall in love…. Hahah… I am going to rewrite the drama…lol… I just got annoyed with the plot of their love story… Hope they will just track down their enemies…lol and less romance…
Perhaps rewrite with “I Can Hear Your Voice” for inspiration, since it did better with making sense out of a boy’s infatuation with a heroic stranger turning into romance. In that drama, a child ML had an idealized image of the older FL who saved him and he barely knew her but promised to protect her. Despite his disappointment with her when they met again, he stood by her while readjusting his imagined image of her to her real self. Falling in love in the longer process.
Something similar (although not exactly) would’ve worked better for this drama.
Exactly ..even I was also comparing it with “I can Hear Your Voice”. In it we can clearly see how the young lad was preparing himself to protect the girl throughout his years and searching for her. He had a memory that she was pretty but it wasn’t love at first site. Infact he was quite shocked by seeing her personality when he found her.
There is zilch chemistry between these two in ‘The King’ it’s very disappointing !Also why does LMH suddenly look like a 16 year old after the charismatic man he was in BOF ? The role of Gu Jun Pyo made him but perhaps now it is time for him to cut ties with these juvenile soaps and branch into some things he’s truly worthy of.
Exactly! Zero chemistry. LMH’s acting is flat and monotonous. He’s just regurgitating lines with no real emotion. I’m only watching for KGE.
I am not sure why others didn’t like it. I am actually interested to know how these 2 worlds would end up. I love how the story is unfolding. I also don’t think the female lead in the drama is a damsel in distress, I think she can handle herself just fine. I love it. I can’t wait for the next episodes!!!
Can someone explain to me the significance of the red balloon? ?I don’t understand why he released it in the pathway between two worlds?
Koala is really spot on with more reasons why I don’t like Tae Eul. I can’t be friends with her in real life, she will always try to prove that she’s right about everything even if it’s a scientific fact embraced by 99.9 percent of the world (earth is round). If I tell her we need oxygen to breathe, she will probably hold her breath until she enters a coma. If I tell her she has two eyes, she’ll carve a path between her two eye sockets to prove that they intersect as one. I can’t with this girl. Does Lee Gon really want to be with a girl who never accepts her faults? Good luck bro LOL
speechless.
To think I thought this drama would hit even 30% …. what a huge disappointment this drama has been …. I’m shocked treat this is the same screenwriter for Goblik like how
TBH not 30%,even MLFTS couldn’t get that. 30% viewership wont happen these days.
but I was hoping for 15%-20%.
currently I wish the drama chin up to double digits at least!
yeah I’m disappointed too :C
I like the heroine. I don’t think she asked bad questions. What she’s living it’s completely crazy. It’s normal to question everything in this situation. I like she doesn’t act servile suddenly like everybody in KOC. The “I’m the King”, “It’s a royal order” or “You will be beheaded” are pretty boring after a moment…
I was happy to see more WDH! So handsome and manly 😀
KKN needs a banbogi!
Even Vagabond’s ratings were slightly better for the 5 th episode: 7.4,8.9,11.5 for the three parts??
And VB was so called a flop. In fact it has exactly the same format as the King, being in Netflix shortly after it aired in Korea. But it did achieve double digit throughout, which till now I will say it did better than the King.
Vb average was single digit in the end. So no theroughout. Dividing in 3 paŕts isnt gonna cut it lmao n vb is no where kings overseas success. It was ranked lower than love alrm in the end lmaoo
TEA. And it did without the need for superstar writer or being mediaplyaed as the blockbuster drama of the year lmao.
Lmaoo initial is star power. Lee seung gi brought 8% but atleast lmh brought double digit. Ur fave cant bring initials nor overseas profit. She need men for her career
The fact that they got 3 episodes in one day is already a huge disadvantage but they still get 13%…which is never done before.
The drama also not so many sound background and more quiet (not interesting). I do love the hero & heroin. But the drama, i’m sorry, i have to admit that it was quite worse. What just happened to the production & scripwriter? Please, both are good in acting. But yeah, let’s wait to another episode. I hope it will change fans hope.
So true, I’m a big fan of KGE. Been watching all of her projects drama and movies. People been downgrading (especially international fans) her as an actress because she is not your typical big eye, double eyelid and super long legs actress. She crushed all those stereotypes with her past acting project but now people keep on downgrading her acting skills from only this drama. And yes there’s a lot of part that have been too silent and awkward to see. Why came out with a lot of ost but then you only play it at the end of the drama. The heirs, ,goblin and dots have a legendary background ost at the most dramatic part and yet the King is not. Hopefully the production team can work a bit harder on that..
I feel sad for KGE for all the bad remarks she doesn’t deserve.
I couldn’t watched 1st 3 episodes so I skipped them. I did try to watch but each time I just cringed and couldn’t continue. Felt the show was overly pretentious. But I tried watching ep 4 and thought it was quite enjoyable. I caught ep 5 too and it’s alright. Don’t mind watching. Honestly don’t think the acting of both leads are bad. The FL is a little over the top in some scenes but their chemistry is warming up. I feel the confusion lies in the story telling and directing but it’s not that complex even though I missed the 1st 3 ep.
I don’t know why people even bother overthinking a Kim Eun Sok show. Her more recent works are ridiculously stupid that the only way you can truly enjoy them is either you really really like the actors or you’ve decided to have no expectations and just dive in. Now that the real world is bat shit crazy, I actually had it in me to watch a show like this. And viola! I’m having fun!
It may not be your cup of tea unless you enjoy fantasy drama.
Yep, I’m also into a fantasy drama/ books. So, I enjoy this and I think its quite logic giving a fantasy genre type haha.
Yeah, didn’t quite get where all those characters lead to… lol
Honestly, i don’t think this drama is bad at all. I quite enjoy it.
Well, I actually indifferent with KES and never liked her drama even since I’m a newbie Korean drama watcher who like Hong Sister kind of drama. (But right now, If I watched that drama again, I might end up disliking all of them). Mr Sunshine is the only think I liked (Lee Eung Bok and the casting did wonders to that drama) . That’s why I don’t understand why everyone is dissapointing and has high expectation with KES’s writing and writing thousand of an essay in the internet of why this drama is not working?
Well, Sorry I can’t relate.
That’s so true! I never bothered watching Goblin and DOTS after seeing the first episodes of both. So when I decided to dive in to this one I knew what I was getting myself into. So I checked my brain out the door and enjoyed what I can. And I’m happy to report, episode 5 wasn’t that bad. I’m having a blast! ?
Interesting that @Koala mentioned the writing room. I was actually wondering if KES allowed her writers to basically ghost write this. There are a lot of famous writers who get sick of pumping out a book a year and start either co-writing or obviously having a lot of “help” writing their novels. I just wonder if Mr. Sunshine took it out of her and she’s resting on her laurels. No drama writer is writing everything on their own as they have a team. Just a theory.
I was thinking the same thing, that along with serious drama/problems behind the production of the drama that we are not aware of.
The Knetizens mentioned that KES use “supporting” writers to write good drama like Goblin or Mr Sunshine. They now left to write their own – ex: Search WWW.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised why this drama flop b/c she is stuck in her times while her “supporting” writers left her.
The drama has serious issues, i think What’s happened overall is that KES needs a sabbatical and is more checked out from this drama and has given over the drama to the secondary writers who are just not good. This is not a mediocre drama in general, there’s ALOT of parts that are just really off with the writing, directing, sound production, acting, almost everything except cinematography. I would not be surprised if there are serious issues behind the scenes that the public is not aware of yet.
There’s still glimpses of an interesting drama poking out here and there and there’s maybe some Hope this could develop into something good. Anyway about the kiss scene, is the FL showing any signs that she likes the king yet? I’m thinking it’s probably why she reacted blankly to reflect how much she wasn’t feeling or expecting the kiss but who knows…
This is just plain bad seriously… I am amazed at how bad the directing and editing is, I mean if this was with a small budget I’d understand but to deliver something like this with such budget is disappointing. Am pretty they made enough from the drama already cause I hate it when there has been so much work put into a project by so many people but they end up losing money.
I have never liked Kim Run Sook’s drama except for City All (I never watched Mr. Sunshine) so I don’t get why she’s so popular but I watch it anyway because of the noise that comes with it only to be disappointed again and this time there’s no difference. This is so disappointing and I am dropping it, better luck next time Kim Run Sook
*Kim Run Sook
After watching this I should say KGE should stay away from KES as much as she can. That woman is always after her to offer the worst female leads??
So true and accurate!
So far I enjoyed the 1st 5 episodes. I just found the story of Episode 5 a little bit dragging. However, I’m not expecting much. Let’s see what this drama will offer next.
Anyway, as an overall assessment, this drama is fine with me. I’m still interested to watch the next episodes.
Kim Go Eun acting is perfect. It seems that you just dont like her.
She’s a wonderful actress. I enjoy all her dramas including TKEM
Replace the Female Lead,She is ruining the drama. The casting team should be sacked for doing their job poorly.
why did you have to cast her in the comeback project of Lee min ho. she is more annoying now that she was in Goblin.I cant look at her. if i could only fast forward everything that shes in. i am only watching this for lee min ho.
Annoying Kim Go Eun.
Hey I used to like her until I watched this. In Goblin her character was written badly but she still acted well. But here she is doing badly. What’s bad is bad. I like her in all her movies ,CITT, Goblin but I can’t bring myself to say that she is doing any good. And its true that KES totally ruined her reputation. I am just saying that she stay away from her. The only flaws she has in her resume are the 2 KES dramas she did
True…Her no reaction in the kissing scene is just but right. Who would enjoy a kiss with a person who’s strange to you? You don’t know acting!!
That kiss…my God, 0 Chemistry…
Zero chemistry! No lies detected in your assessment.
Amiga date cuenta. She’s not good.
The combination of a poor script, zero chemistry between leaders and bad actings it’s a not working drama. .
I’m watching it for the cringe factor…. lol
I still believe we need to give this drama a chance.
Let’s see where its going before we voice our opinion.. I still have hope that it will pick up..?
I actually enjoy this drama. It’s not the best but definitely not the worst. I am however also sick of the dead fish kisses. For crying out loud, if your going to kiss then kiss. At least make it watchable and not laughable.
Yes i totally agree with your analysis to this drama.i dont like the character of the girl.she is to brash and sarcastic to Lee mIn ho’s gentler character. Not much chemistry. For me, the goblin drama of Gong Yoo is the best kdrama ive seen ever. Great actor,handsome,sexy and suave.
The 2 female a just needs to box it out. They are so both bitchy, stubborn and flat. The PM lady I don’t get her role, is she suppose to be more powerful than the king? I didn’t want to watch cuz of the PM she really has issues in terms the casting for her is off she doesn’t seem to fit in, I’m only watching cuz of Lee min ho which he’s doing a great job with accent. I hope this is not going to bomb like arthdal or blue seas lol plssssss
Park Shin Hye in Pinocchio was the worst kiss ever.
What is Park Shin Hye got to do with this drama,are we comparing or analysing a drama.PSH may be a little behind in kissing scenes which has improved with MOA but all her dramas are blockbusters
Her kiss improved in MoA? I think I’m in a parallel universe…..
That being said – even LMH “deproved” he’s a much better kisser in all his previous dramas.
Right. Her kiss in Heirs was unexpected. At least they had chemistry.
Seriously we what do you want here ?? Bringing shin hye in this article why ??
Pinocchio best drama and her kiss was the best just find something else to talk about
Totally agree … I love all her dramas??
So this is the power of “actor of his generation” LMH? lmaooo
Apparently user here said getting single digits means you are a flop with no star power. Well I guess he is considered biggest flop with no star power then since he even has a superstar writer at its helm lol.
He brought initials amd 30% profit for 32 billion drama pre aiting ur fave cant bring those. That is lack of star power. If stpry n direction is bad he cant do a thing
He will always be bugger star than ur fave. No lee seung gi to save her in next dramam n9 wonder she needs 6 star movies to save her career
6th episode is double digit. So dont worry about him! Worry about ur fave!
Superstar wriyer failed to deliver. He brought initials! Ur fave initials were single digit bcoz of lee seung gi!
LMH has enough star power to bring double digit ratings for the premier .But yeah after that it depends on other factors as well to which even fans will accept that script and directing is actually lacking. That’s why it is facing difficulty in keeping the momentum..
However you can’t blame LSG for single digit ratings for Vagabond. That guy did his best while working on a sloppy script .His acting and stunts were good but the fl along with an annoying screenplay led to its downfall.Ask anybody all will complain about the script only. LSG is my bias and I was eagerly waiting for Vagabond as it had been delayed many a times and was pre-produced. Although being his fan I liked Vagabond but the general masses can’t overlook the problems associated with it. I was quite disappointed with the ending though.
To be honest King’s latest episode ratings are almost similar to Vagabond’s corresponding episodes. However unlike Vagabond,King is not pre-produced so it still has got chances to fix its flaws and not end up like Vagabond.
I am not blaming hin. I m saying about woozie who vanked on lsg and nation son in law brough whatever inituals. Woozie has no role in it
She banks on men to save her caree.r look at her movie roles. No a list actress will sign such flowerpot. That id despo
@ Ady just checked in Wikipedia.
Vagabond’s premier episode did touch double ratings for the last part . Please don’t forget King was not only associated with LMH ,many people tuned in to watch KES’s writing as well. That’s why its pilot epi had higher ratings. Of course I m not saying LMH is not popular but you can’t just compare the premier ratings of the two dramas cause KES name was also involved.
Also epi 6 for King: 7.4, 10.3
Avg= 8.85
Epi 6 for Vagabond: 7.2, 10,11.3
Avg=9.5
See the actor is not the only factor.
Seriously I was so disappointed when heard Suzy was about to star opposite LSG. Because of her I dropped a LSG drama for the first time(Gu family book). But still atleast in Vagabond she was little bit bearable due to the genre and lack of romance.
I can compare astar. Vagabond was promoted fir year and 2as in shoot since 2018. Wih rumored cameos of jun ji hyun etc. Lee seung gi is koreas something.
Still vagabond maaged single digit average for first episode bcoz of lsg and sixth episode is on script not on star.
Still second half increased by 3%. So lets c how it goes forward. Lee mi ho brougjt so kuch advertisers on board for drama.
Anyways fact remains kinf average was dounle digit opening weeknd where as vagabond wasnt. That is star power. Vagabond have some repsectable open8ng bcoz of lsg not woozie. Who has no star ppwrr
And vagabond was split split 3 parts. King highest touch eas narly 15% at onr point. So we can go that way too
star power of Lee Min ho. lmaaaaao
Ur fave star power is 1% lmaoii
You can keep your opinion to yourself the drama just start and you’re already condemning it na was oooo
There is no need for all this badmouthing, if you don’t like the drama don’t watch it, its not mandatory..And stop spoiling other peoples minds..no matter what you say this drama will still be a hit…its a sure thing
Correct
I don’t understand all the hate to this drama. I really like it. LMH seems to not age. I started to like KGE only in this drama though I’ve watched Goblin. I think it’s only right to be confused when suddenly you became an Alice in Wonderland. Even in our lives, some things can be surreal! Try putting yourself in JTE’s shoes. I’m excited of the plot twists, about who really is Luna and who really saved the king when he was young. Is Luna really from Kingdom of Corea? Or is she JTE from another timeline (we’re talking quantum mechanics which also the Avengers’ Endgame also used to travel time). Did JTE really saved the king or is it the king himself?! dressed like City Hunter and travelling through time! Really excited how the story unfolds.
True
I’m not to keen on it either, its poorly written and poor acting,I love the horse though, and the story line so boring.
I legit only skipped to woo dohwan and Kim kyungnam scenes because I couldn’t stand watching the 2 main leads anymore. Lol
There’s just no chemistry between them and I just couldn’t care less about their illogical and forced romance. & to add on, their characters are written so poorly. You know it’s bad when your audiences couldn’t care or relate to your characters at all.
Agree with all disappointment comments since the episode 1 until episode 5. In the beginning of this drama, I fall slept twice before able finishing to watch ep 1. I just continue to watch this drama, just to kill the time without any higher expectations. I also got disturbed with side track ideas for science i.e. the earth is not round and just flat, etc. Why want to waste time watching on trivial matters? It is very disappointing,far from most of K-drama standards that i watched entire my life.
not to thrill about this the king … dont see the chemistry on this two lead, even the kiss ..nahhh no matter how much I tried to get into this monarch show just ZzZzzz to me if music background is added hmmm may just maybe will be a different perspective
I admired LMH but not on this one , please enlighten his character to make me watch the rest upcoming series , I’d rather watch the Heirs over n over
good luck though
Episodr 6 was amasing and story is set now. Second half saw 3% raise and ended with 10%. Heirs picked up after episode 6 as welland last scene is on fire on naver. People loved this episode. The corea japan war scene shouldnt be missed. Episode 6 was worth it
Koalas will say episode 6 is bad toi when it is amazing. First half suffered bcoz of episode 5 but second half crossed double digit. With corea japan war scene and their meet back in korea at end. Plot is set!
The story is getting better as the story goes.
I agree that there alot mistakes happening recent episodes. But still for me its still worth watching. The whole concept is new and interesting about the parallel universe. There are plenty of scenes where there is no logic which is the kiss scene, scene in between 0 and 1 etc.
I am still waiting for the next episode.
Plus am lee minho admirer.
So guys criticize but dont give harsh comments.
I am not a Lee Min Ho fan, but I am giving this drama a chance. However, Kim Go Eun’s character needs to really rein in the rudeness, bitchiness, and utter cynicism that it’s already getting really annoying, and it’s so unrealistic that a king would fall in love with someone so unrefined like her. And Lee Gon needs to stop walking around with his hands behind his back all the time! It’s like he’s trying to force his “regalness”. It actually makes him look like a wuss instead of being an authoritative and strong leader. And enough with the damn fish kisses!!!
I’d just like to say that the star that’s definitely a joy for me to see in any episode of this drama is Kim Young Ok aka
Lady Noh Ok Nam.
Her facial expressions when bantering with the king, or having a conversation with someone she disapproves of is priceless.
I’ve always enjoyed viewing this actress in any role she has taken on throughout her career.
They have good story line about two different world and the uncle want to take the throne but the script are really flat and the female lead trying so hard to fit the image of a police officer, totally lost interest in this drama after the 4th episode
Brilliant dissertation. Completely agree about the kiss. How sad.
For whatever it is worth, the negative assessment or feedback of the show, i am always excited to wait for the upcoming episodes…nothing can prevent me in seeing and enjoying this show.
I feel like Lee Min Ho doing the same type of character thoughout his career, he has his this one tone facial expression. But I’ll give it a go.
So disappointed in this lackluster drama! Huge fan of LMH, but whoever cast the female lead really dropped the ball. Absolutions chemistry between the two. The end of Episode 6 was encouraging as she finally showed emotion and ran into his arms! Story line is confusing to me and the directing is awful. But….why is the King so interested in her??? Have been looking forward to this for a year and even joined Netflix just to each it….?
Am I the only one who got confused about the FINGER PRINTS in ep 6? The bad uncle death report said that the finger print is MATCHED (eventhough the dead body is from the other world). But why LMH and KGE fingerprints cannot be traced in the different world? And they don’t have the same fingerprint with the dopplanger (ex: Jung Tae Eul with Luna)
Since it’s parallel world, Lee Rim’s dopplanger has the same fingerprint so it matched. Remember that scene when his uncle (Lee Rim) killed a boy? I think it’s LMH dopplangerin the other world so JTE can’t find a trace of him cause he’s dead.
Maybe ljna trackrecord isnt in corea and korean lee gon was killed hy eveil uncle at young agem thats why
I watched King Eternal because of Lee Min Ho. I like him.
Watched only 2 Episodes & was rather confused.
I thought it was slow moving.
I like historical dramas, action, thrillers & romantic comedies like CLOY.
The lead actress is not suitable for Lee Min Ho. Also poor thing, not his fault though, suppose the script was such.
From advertisement reviews they tried to up the chemistry.
Agreed the lead actress looked blank.
The story is good but they do not have chemistry…
Also did the lead actress audition for it or given the role? She is a plain Jane.
Perhaps the drama should carry on with its story & cut off the romance. Let it be a story of it’s own & with action.
It is not necessarily that lead actors must fall for the lead actress on screen.
Apology just my candid opinion.
I waited so long for Lee Min Ho to return to acting.
Not only is she unpleasant to look act but her acting leaves much to be desired. She’s just lacking in so many ways and always makes the shows she stars in full and lackluster.
Kge just ain’t quite a seasoned actress yet. Kes & sbs made a mistake casting LMH & KGE foe this drama when people all over the globe has been clamoring for a reteam of Park Shin Hye & LMH. Serves KES, SBS & KGE & LMH right!
Since it’s parallel world, Lee Rim’s dopplanger has the same fingerprint so it matched. Remember that scene when his uncle (Lee Rim) killed a boy? I think it’s LMH dopplanger in the other world so JTE can’t find a trace of him cause he’s dead.
Why so negative remarks? I love the two lead stars. I hope future kisses would show more warmth not one sided so much! My friend ms and I enjoy watching K dramas. Love this one too. Let’s be more positive!
I think you are all too harsh. I am enjoying it this show! The kiss from her side I admit was bad, but I find sooo many K-dramas are like that. Why???!!! Please give it more time. They are laying the plot. “Let the plot thicken”!
Its lavishly much to showcase the wealth of the king.. It turned out like ” hey watch me, I owned alot of this luxury”. Lee min hoo is just adorable playing the role of the rich in his previous dramas. But right now i think they fucos too much of showing his wealth as a king and less on what was the story all about.. Well see on the next episodes to come. Maybe the story really evolved in the possession of the king and not in the misery behind the parallel world.
I find it intersting to watch. The actors are great. The story requires an intelligent viewer to analize the situation in every scene. I quest it has alot of twist that The viewers will not expect. I love it and have waited for every episode to come.
True
Totally agree. Bad writing. Bad directing. I wouldnt watch it if not for LMH.
One of the shittiest drama I ever watched and I didn’t even finish watching the 1st episode. The rest of the actors and actresses except the lead actress can do much better.
KGE is doing great
I maybe wrong but I don’t think the drama is bad at all. The lead roles too were pretty OK.
The king when he went to the other side automatically tot he will be welcomed with warm hands but realized he had to stay woke,where the female lead was in her element here bcoz of home advantage.
Then U flip it in the next episode,she’s a cop who deals with evidence,yes!! She pulled a gun on the king but which one among anyone of Us won’t do worse if we were thrown into unbelievable situations?
So she closed her eyes even after being in between but have U people considered that it could be an effect of the jump from and into each world.
OK the king’s balloon, what’s wrong with it? He left his balloon to prove something people after all he’s a scientist.
Y’all should give the drama a chance. I don’t have issues with it though maybe bcoz I read a lot of fantasy and watch a lot of those too.
Y’all are looking for sappy love stories,or some action fantasy but U are not ready to wait for it.
The kiss wasn’t lame, it just showed indecision from the lady
Your sappy came from the end of episode 6.
I enjoy most dramas..given that’s what they are. I love King.
I find it quite humorous that all persons who dislike this drama, writer of this article included, has watched every episode to tear it apart, condemn the actors and generally help the ratings go down.
Just don’t watch the damn show!
And then quit your day jobs and write, direct and produce excellent dramas yourself
Can’t do that. Didn’t think so.
the writing really is crappy. the story is chopped up. I am a huge fan of LMH so I watch even if it was Campus! but I am getting super annoyed by some elements of the show.
Never had a liking for kim go sun’s syyle of acting. Cold and stiff in every drama she’s ever been casted in. Pity producers seem to have a thing for her.?
so true. absolutely not a fan since cheese in the Trap days
Thank God someone else was like wtf is this! I am a huge LMH fan and oh man am I disappointed. The only redeeming feature right now is how hot he looked in his purple jacket… seriously I am so tired of bad writing. We have had his supposed evil uncle roaming around with nothing more then random kills. there is absolutely no explanation to how he is funding his potential koo other then oh yea you have it bad. come go kill ur dobblsganger and be on my winning team. I am an amateur writer meself and I am too annoyed at the poor story telling. ahhhhhh. and dont get me started on the land between 0 & 1. they cut scenes in such a poor way that you cant tell if it’s a world between the two worlds… or just the rabbit hole in his world. yikes
I know that theres a lot of flaws in this series. But… what woman in her right mind did not get a thrill when LMH walked out on that ship in full uniform. I got an extreme patriotic thrill when all the men saluted the king. I agree that this actress is sleep walking her parts. That kiss could’ve had more impact if the actress had put more effort.She has acted with LMH before. I p.an to continue watching until the end. I AM A HUGE LMH fan. I love the concept. I think the cinematic views are wonderful. I think the ratings are too low. I give it a 8.4. Love you LMH
I find this drama too boring just because I even dont understand what’s going on though I have been watching since it started. The random death of king, the search for the girl who was already so much older than the prince hit me into Coma for a second. I think there’s nothing wrong about actors and Actress but the writing and directing is so poor that I dont think of continue watching. I feel like waiting week is just a waste coz there’s no sense in story line.
Please do justice to LMH and actress.
Go Eun is a very good actress. I’m also frustrated about this character of hers but it’s just the story and the directing. She’s doing what she’s told. Her skills are being totally wasted here. It’s very infuriating to watch but we can’t hate on a talented artist just because she got a lousy annoying character :\
I want park min young will do cameo on this drama. I really miss there otp since city hunter is done…
I dont think they r on good terms
Kge just ain’t quite a seasoned actress yet. Kes & sbs made a mistake casting LMH & KGE foe this drama when people all over the globe has been clamoring for a reteam of Park Shin Hye & LMH. Serves KES, SBS & KGE & LMH right!
I watched the first half hour of The King and quit: WAY too much Satanic images for my taste. WHAT was Lee Min Ho THINKING? A devil character comes out and twists a broken flute into a child’s neck, with blood everywhere? Disgusting! Who wants to watch that in the time of a pandemic? Those of us who have watched Korean dramas for two decades know what is junk and what looks like the next masterpiece pretty quickly. I knew this was garbage in the first thirty minutes.
I loved On Air and Park Yong Ha too but I really wanted his character with Kim Ha Neul’s at the end, not the mousier second female lead. His date of death for its 10 year anniversary is coming up June 30th, I hope So Jisub and Seung Hun Song both visit his grave to pay their respects with food and drink, as is the Korean custom. I will be disappointed if they don’t make the time.
I found that theres little chemistry between Lee Min ho and Kim Go Eun. The interactions seems a bit awkward if not strange. The kiss part is one of the cringiest scenes ive ever seen in k dramas. It seemed a bit pushed. I hope this drama will improve as the series continues.
Sixth episode was good
This is the MOST biased and hateful review I have ever read. Why TF do you even bother to watch? And the HATE you’re giving KGE … absolutely childish. Who TF wrote this? Some anti-fan of both KGE & LMH?? I am not a big fan of either one of them, neither am I a fan of KES – I didn’t even bother to watch DOTS & I only watched Goblin 4 years later after Touch My Heart. And yes, this drama suffers from poor editing and the CGI was off for that Red Balloon Place … BUT your review is utterly infantile.
The op used to make homophobic comments during heirs day on lmh
I am so glad someone wrote what I was thinking. I am so disappointed in this drama…
Estou amando nesse dorama ….atores maravilhosos …..casal sensacional.
I am just getting frustrated watching, fast 4ward button is good. Its like a skein if wool thats knotted and frustrating to untangle. The main actor is great, and the series has potential but its not really there yet. Which is a shame, to many characters can br confusing
While there are other issues that I initially had gripes with for this drama (the opening sequence CGI architecture borrowed from Japanese temple structure & the fact that they got LMH’s scar on the WRONG SIDE of his neck), I have to chime in and disagree with most of the points from this article.
The author claims “lazy writing” and points at KGE’s “unnecessary feinting” when they cross the worlds and also posits that her exploration of the parallel Seoul was due to her extended skepticism.
However, she’s not shook by the fact that they “arrived” – she only looks confused when she sees the kingdom’s version of Eun-Sub. By the time KGE arrives at the palace and meets Noh Sang Goong, she already believes in the new reality – she even tries to use honorific towards LMH, and he even comments, “Huh, so now she believes.”
As for KGE’s exploration of Seoul in the kingdom, she doesn’t go around meeting cops to see if they recognize her, or visit her home out of disbelief or skepticism. KGE clearly explains that she was looking for her late mother, to see if her late mother exists somewhere in the parallel world, and to see if she could even catch a glimpse of her, since she never got to really meet her. She goes around, hoping that people she knew from her world would at least recognize her and provide her with clues to where she might find her mom – her last resort being where her home address, asking the lady if she’s ever met any older woman who might look just like herself. This adds to KGE’s backstory, since up to this point, we don’t really know what happened to her mother.
The fact that she’s looking for her dead mother not only shows that she fully believes this world to be a parallel world in which LMH is the king – it also pushes the narrative forward because it got KGE to be in Seoul, allowing for her first encounter with the 2nd female lead, Prime Minister Goo and thickening the unrequited love subplot (and potentially building up momentum for her romantic antagonist role?)
Yes, the blank stare while LMH kisses her was kinda weird? But I think it was probably the most realistic reaction tbh – I mean, LMH the King himself (lol) is kissing you. And I also agree with the conflation between feelings of gratitude and love – and the fact that LMH from the start feels a bit rushed. But to call the drama “lazy writing” feels a bit unjustified, especially given the clarification I wrote above – go back to episode 4 and look at those moments / dialogues again.
As for the low viewership, it might have to do with the initial gripes and bad publicity the drama got during its pilot launch (Japanese architecture, which still hasn’t been fixed in the opening sequence, and the scar location mix-up, which could’ve easily have been fixed by horizontal flip for that scene?) – but beyond those (rather glaring) technical mishap, the acting, the plot, and the writing are pretty great, and I feel like it the “eternal single digit rating” will change soon. Or at least it deserves to.
It was aired together with “A world of married couple” and people were craving for a more realistic approach since the show has nerve wrecking, heart wrenching scenes you definitely cannot wait to watch for more. Im a huge fan of leeminho but i found it boring to understand the connection of parallel universe and its fantasies when i had something cringible scenes in married couple.
At the same time the hype, the excitement, the roller coaster of emotions from all other kdramas available online where peopel can stream right away have created a huge or high expectations from The King but sadly, i hate it i still had to wait for it in a week its not that cringable why waste my time thinking about it if there are other kdramas out there?
I literally just read comments since i left that drama to make my own fantasy world with maximus and the king. That is the end i know especially now that first impressions indeed last. This drama for LMH needs to be his practice run and he ought to be given justice on his next role and so given that i bank on writers to write a better story for him. He deserves better. To say the least as a message to his management to please refrain from choosing a story based on the name of the author. Have the tenacity to read the story and be able to understand what the fans and audience want to be happy with. Consider that and all will go well. Gone are the days when just because it is a famous author we bow like commoners. It is the new age and we know what we like to see and that is a fact. Not because it is a known brand that sellers expect it will be bought like a simple pan cake. Duh!!!
Don’t want to critise this drama.. As they are really good actor. Very entertaining..more enjoyable than Alice in wonderland, enjoy this drama..
Srsly i hope this drama to be the good upcoming one but it becomes weird and not make sense the more i watch it. I don’t feel the tense of excitement when i watch this drama compared to both cast previous drama. But still, eventhough this drama was not the best, i still watched it to support both cast. Ps still love them.❤️✨
Not taking this up.
Yawn since ep 1
which I never finish watching.
No offense meant to all LMH fans. I also like him but he needs to do some versatility role. No need for elaboration about this , i think he is a good actor but can he stop doing rich roles. I’d rather want to see him as NIS agent or sociopath, or a mentally disable person, and the likea of that role that will challenge his acting ability and will add to his genre of filmography. Mianheo!
I love the drama and am doing my best to feel what they feel, think what they are thinking. I love both LMH and KGE and love their parts. I believe they are thinking deeply about what the characters would feel. Not everyone who gets a kiss, reacts with acceptance, maybe KGE is thinking ‘ where possibly can this relationship go, we are from 2 different worlds” ( he is king and cant leave his world forever, do you think on the 1st kiss she is thinking I’ll leave my Dad forever and come to this parallel universe? I can see what might be her thoughts ) I think they’re doing an amazing job! I was hooked from the 1st episode. Maybe this drama is for a deep thinker! ??
I actually think it is a good tv show and should not be shamed on by you, he is a king with a scarred background and she is a cop which means she is always questioning everything, I think it makes perfect sense and is very good