It’s almost exactly a year to the day that SBS was supposed to air big budget big name cast action thriller drama Vagabond, which was later pushed back a few months into the fall of 2019 rather than spring. Vagabond aired in the same channel and same Fri-Sat time slot as the currently airing The King: Eternal Monarch and it feels like deja vu for me as a viewer. Ratings for both are interchangeable, Vagabond episode 6 got 7.2%, 10.0%, 11.3% and The King episode 6 was 7.4% and 10.3%. I was highly anticipating both dramas and really liked the casting of the main leads before it aired, I actually loved Lee Seung Gi and Suzy more than Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun, and its sad both dramas turned out to be such disappointments. But apples to apples Vagabond remains one of the stupidest dramas ever written to grace the screen so loving the leads doesn’t negate a fact lol, and The King will have go Simple Jack to borrow from from Tropic Thunder to surpass Vagabond, which went itself there if you ask me in an attempt to be smart hahaha.
I’m also getting this weird vibe that either Kim Eun Sook or someone on her writing team HATES Japan because this is her second drama to put that country the political villain after Mr. Sunshine. Unless the Republic of Korea never had WWII whereby Japan gets neutered of its military force then it’s wholly implausible that it still views Japan as it’s main enemy and not Mainland China.
Anyhoo the King is just boring, like snooooooooozefest waiting for something to happen and 6-episodes in we have the King traveling between worlds multiple times and the female lead doing one trip herself but we still don’t have any insight into the fantasy mechanics, the motivation of the baddie, or any believable chemistry. The best part of episode 6 was a 2-minute flashback scene with Kim Go Eun and Kim Kyung Nam where he acted enough in such quiet measured effectiveness that it makes sticking with this drama worth it. I hope he dies soon and is liberated from this mess.
The final scene of episode 6 where Tae Eul runs and hugs Lee Gon is so unearned, there remains not emotional development through meaningful scenes between the two to payoff such an about turn on her part. But then if she accepted earlier on that Gon could be telling the truth and ultimately is a very odd but handsome, nice, very smart, and calm dude then her slowly falling for him just 6-episodes in could be believable. But the writing and their scenes so far just don’t build that so the jump from A-to-Z just looks good visually without the commensurate emotional satisfaction for viewers.
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"I hope he dies soon and is liberated from this mess."
Lmao I actually hope this won't happen. To me personally KGE seems to be much more comfortable playing her role near almost everyone but LMH, so I need them to be around so there can (hopefully) be still moments where these two leads are not together. Vain hope I know but still.
I do think episode 6 is an improvement from the previous ones and I enjoyed it a lot. At this point I just pretend that the romance doesn't exist in the drama and would go along with whatever else is going on.
That's basically what I'm doing with the romance, just gonna side step that, even though I was looking forward to LMH X Go Eun
Also, if anyone pay attention to WORLD NEWS, Japan is SK's political enemy rn. Trump is terrible in managing foreign relationship (cause he's dumb), and Japan is taken over by its right wing fascist leader named Abe.
Abe is very anti-Korea, so I'm not surprised KES put Japan as political enemy, b/c it's true.
Thanks for telling this
So true....the man is an ignoramus
Right wing is on rise everywhere to be honest. Far left has turned many people into right supporters. And true leftist suffer
KGE has more chemistry with every actors in this drama except LMH lol
So true!
I think KGE's character is supposed to be tough, untrusting, non emotional from when she was a child to present... Then LMH's character also is tough, untrusting and non emotional but LMH wants to prove to her that he is trustworthy and also worth her love. Ep 6 shows that KGE starts to feel emotion, I was happy to see them hug, the emotions for both of them are now opening up. He initiated it because of anticipation to meet the person who owned the lost ID, what he didn't anticipate was she didn't know who he is and she was very suspicious of him. So their characters are now relaxing but for the next episodes, LMH's uncle will attack soon, so both KGE and LMH will be in fight mode. I like The King series. It's very unconventional but I am sure in the end, the author will surprise us all.
I agree with you.. not many people will like it's unconventional setting but I somehow find it good.. a friend of mine actu6said to me, if you like plain funny romantic drama shows, then this show isn't for you.. this show is for people who can think deeper and read between the lines and see deeper into the story rather than just watch it's lazily.. hahaha
To the writer/ director I think theres connection between the. 2 lead actors & I like the flow take note :
That's how i looked at it too,not the stereotype story, including the role portrayal of a monarch who is benevolent, calm and stately and a gentle person. Also, I am viewing at it from the point of view of the storytellers - writer and director. The 2 worlds are being introduced in a balanced way, not too fast and not too slow. And the plot is very interesting and looking forward how its unfolding continues in the next episodes. I am watching it primarily due to KGE.
I think it’s deliberate and follows the storyline. KGE thought he’s a crazy handsome guy spouting nonsense at first. Why would there be chemistry at first? But things obviously changes when after she crosses into his world. She’s a no nonsense kind of girl and here’s this king who’s just too perfect to be true. Remember the flashbacks with Sinjae? The leaders of those two groups were both cute. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. The first guy wasn’t interested in her when he took a look at her at the window and the leader was a complete bully. She said it herself. I don’t go easy on guys.
I didn’t know Lee Min Ho has so many haters out there. I get you might not think he’s amazing as he is but there’s a lot of hate. Pretty strange
The back and forth between two universes reminded me of Live Up To Your Name which is one of my faves k-dramas.
But LUTYN prevailed because it explained well the fantasy, injected perfect comedy, the female lead is a strong character but she isn't blindly headstrong and stubborn as Tae Eul and not to mention the phenomenonal chemistry between Kim Nam Gil and Kim Ah Joong. The romance was slowly built up slowly amd in the end, it resonated strongly with the viewers.
TKEM unfortunately failed miserably at all those mentioned and these are all basic rules.
I really enjoyed ‘Live Up to Your Name’ as well!
This romance felt like Empress Writer KES royally decree us viewers us to accept it right on the spot. ‘They’re in love I tell you. He genuinely loved her, see how he fawn over her ID picture since he was a child? Look at their deer-caught-on headlights staring contests! That’s love at its finest’
I felt like episode 6 wasted like almost half an hour with the random Japan storyline which does nothing to push the main story forward. I suppose both male leads look dashing and dapper in their commander navy suits. I can look at them for days lol
This show is really underserving the talented supporting cast, they’re mere accessories and vases so far. They could had axe that Japan navy plot and develop the characters better.
I agree that hug at the end just made me want to clobber myself in the head. This is not romance, I’m not buying this microwaved romance.
@Laura I believe the Japanese storyline taps into current political tension between Japan and Korea and appeases SK's patriotism. Whether it is to evoke a sense of patriotism or used as a vehicle for attracting viewers or both, I really don't know but I give them that and just largely ignore it. I find the whole "battle" anticlimatic though if you ask me.
Yeah whoever wrote this drama were so in-your-face with the romance, like they're force-feeding us and coming up with silly actions for the characters to drive their irrational points home. I'm so glad at least we know in ep 6 that the villain's plan is moving forward. Many of the side characters are really hard-carrying this show for me.
@ Hye Mi
That’s very interesting. I wished people would be more civil with one another, it’s rather petty.
It now makes me curious if they are airing this show on Netflix Japan, I wouldn’t be surprised if Japanese viewers get turned off haha
—The battle is just a vehicle for emperor peacock to showcase his manly feathers to Mrs. Flat-Earth girl lol
The romance is like played in reverse, they’re together first (due to royal decree by Lee Gon, she’s his wife lmao) and now they’re dating to get to know one another lol
I’m hoping the supporting characters are fleshed out more in future episodes and more doppelgängers are introduced sooner than later. Maybe Luna can replace bland Tae-Eul ?
@Laura: Definitely agree with you! After seeing some people trying to reason with them to no avail I've decided to ignore their posts. I personally find there's no point in persuading someone who's so hung up on taking others' opinions personally while forcing their own opinions down people's throat.
Back to the show, yes I wish there were more meaty materials for our cast to work with. The concept on which the drama is built has a lot potential, but we have unfortunately seen so little of it. Most of the buildups so far have served decorative purposes mostly. Hopefully when it's Shin Jae and Yeong's time to face the devil, we can have something to suit our palate :D
@Laura I’m half Korean and half Japanese and am currently in Japan watching this through Netflix. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about ep. 6. I was not expecting to see so much unnecessary political shade in this kind of drama and was “turned off” by it. It didn’t add any depth to the story and it just seemed to only serve as a political statement with regard to historical conflicts and the current political climate between the two countries. I understand that this is all fictional but it just seems too hard to believe that they were not trying to depict Japan as an aggressive menace to South Korea today.
Am I the only one that confused about the FINGER PRINTS? Why the bad uncle can have the same fingerprint with his dopplanger (based on autopsy report) but main leads don't have the same fingerprints with their dopplanger (cops cannot trace LMH and KGE)
Me too! Great point! This confused me as well. Tae Eul has a different fingerprint from Luna (or maybe Luna’s fingerprints are not on file). Lee Gon’s doppelgänger was killed as child so it explains why his fingerprints are not on file in one of the world’s. And Lee Gon’s uncle has the same fingerprints as his doppelgänger? I think more explanation is needed on this front. Maybe if they tested WDH’s character, then we can determine if the doppelgängers in each world are a genetic match.
I think Luna's fingerprints are simply not on file yet. She is known to the police, but they haven't caught her (yet).
LMH is dead as a boy in ROK, the Uncle from KOC killed him. He was the boy discovered in the reservoir (or something like that).
For KGE, we don't know if they have Luna's fingerprints.
I don’t remember but I don’t think they explained it yet, surely in the future. It definitely got tampered somehow. Magic?
Finger prints. Remember his korean version was killed young.
Whereas kim go eun corean version luna is criminal. Maybe her record isnt there!
To my understanding LG's doppelganger has never registered his fingerprint (he supposedly died before he could do so). It was explained in either ep 1 or 2 that police could not track fingerprints of children who were considered missing.
As for Luna she is still a mystery to everyone. I'm not sure how the fingerprint system in Korea works, including at what age fingerprints are collected. It's just my guess here but probably Luna became a homeless person before having her fingerprints collected. According to a book on forensic science I'm reading here: "The identification process might be more difficult for certain groups of people including the homeless, people without a picture ID in their possession, and those who do not have antemortem fingerprint records." I've watched quite a few real crime shows (albeit in the US and the UK so the contexts can be different) and they seem to only compare collected fingerprints with fingerprints already on a system (aka those that belonged to convicted or ex-convicted criminals). That's why I didn't find that part confusing, but maybe that's just me :).
@hyemi
That’s really insightful, thanks for sharing :)
@Laura: I'm always happy to share :D
I think Luna is her doppelgänger. Maybe Lee Lim kidnapped her as a child so that’s why she’s not on file? He might use her somehow to in his plot to take down LG.
Funny this is also being aired in Netflix Japan
So prime minister Koo talked them down twice before but this time she can't and the king goes in, feels like it was more for them to show Lee Gon off as brave and beauty shots of LMH in his uniform.
I wish they would write the prime minster better because she seems like she could be such a boss b**tch character.
Yeah that end run and hug, a no from me, it definitely didn't feel earned despite them having 6 EPs. It just feels underdeveloped and lacking.
All the yess to Kim Kyung Nam and Go Eun flashback scene, at this point they both have better emotional connection and depth then the king and her and the acting was on point especially KKN.(she also has better chemistry with bodyguard Do Hwan). I also liked shin Jae and Jangmi scene, budding bromance there? I don't want him to die, I'm sticking around for him.
I wish we could see more of lee rim, the actor is really good and overall wish things connected and flowed better because the story on paper is really strong.
I'm seeing this show till the end to see where it goes.
Prime minister role is getting good. She puts sexist jerks to their place and elites as well. She is self made woman. Issue is she wants more than what she have. She is pm but ultimate power is in hands of king. She wants that power more than queen title. I want to see what she conspires agaimst our heroine
I agree. I watched Ep5 beginning after hearing it was better than the 1st three. She even had better chemistry with WDH in the gun-pointing and finger print screen. I anyway liked her with KKN but he is much better out if this mess like Koala says. KGE and LMH are just not working for me despite ppl swooning over the kiss.
They can't kill Shin Jae! He's the most interesting character! The evil Uncle spied on him, so he must be important.
The cops scenes are the more fun for me. It's the more natural ones and less cringey. The bond between Ta Eul and Shin Jae is strong.
Honestly, I like this drama except the scenes between the leads are the most boring because they don't have any chemistry. But the story is really intriguing with a lot of details, it's just LMH lacks charisma for this role.
I agree! He’s my favorite character besides the consort lady. His scenes and backdrop with Tae Eul feels like a completely different drama, like a slice of life lol
I have a nagging feeling that he might die in the end.
Same, their scenes feel like it's a different and better drama. I have that feeling as well, that he might not make it out alive. Also it feels like they might be setting him up to be tempted to go to the dark side.
@civie
He will be tempted for sure, probably due to desperation but I have a strong conviction that Tae-Eul will play a factor in influencing him not to go to the dark side.
Kkn lacks charisma. His part in episode 3 ruined drama and ratings. Episode 6 lack of him and drama saw rise. I hope his sfreen time stays like this!
Lmao u said this even before airing. Just say u hate lmh. Stop sugarcoating. Atleast likes of marie r not fake??
What about episode 5 ratings?? Isn't it the lowest so far..albeit after that cliffhanger where Tae Eul was supposed to go to the other world, it should have drawn more viewers. Epi 5 had minimal KKN scenes. Don't blame him for low ratings. Atleast he is doing his best and many people can see that. It is mainly the fault of script writer and director for putting too much fillers making viewers feel disconnected..
The success behind a drama is also fuelled by a stellar supporting cast. For example- CLOY. If KKN 's scenes are giving viewers an edge then you should feel happy about it cause
ultimately people will see the positive points and it will be beneficial for the whole drama. ONE can't force people to like almost non-existent chemistry between the leads. I personally find their individual scenes quite ok but not when they are together.
Well people r putting lmh fown and i feel d same for ur precious kkn. N u start policing. Lmaool
He has zwro presence.
And stop cheery pixking. He was in episode 3 which ruined the momentum of next episodes. With episode 6 his least screen time and focus on kmh as commander and lead couple ratings picked up. Noone fares about sidekick
You need to stop speaking for everyone else. Thier hug scene sparked huge number on naver with positive comments. People loved their chemistty in episode 6 especially last episode.
Cloy supporting cast was entertaining i find kkn boring or u r entitled to uropinion on lmh but i cant speak on kkn lmaoo. Hypocrisy
And their scene together n war scene has highest peak for the episode. So its better u stop speaking for people!
Yes you are entitled to your opinion..But what about epi 5 ratings??. I still didn't get an answer. With no KKN ,it should have increased. Now you will say it is writer's fault..Now this is what we call hypocrisy. In the same way I can say epi 3 was the worst due to writer and not KKN.He may bore you ,it is your choice but many find his character nuanced. Go check DB or any site..
Dramabeans? That sitevstarted bashing lmh when project was announced. I have no intention to read edgy opinions to boyher my mood all over again!
Second episode 3 ruined the momentum when kkn sppeared and it continued. And ofc writer n director r at fault. But when ratings declime the oattern continues girl. But a good episode with main leads, drama pick up like it did again in 6 episodr.
There is no hypocrisy. Dont give me bs of dramabeans n other sites. If they wrre neutrals they wont be anticipating drama n bashing him for year
And episode 6 highdst oeak came with coupme scene n ear scenes and couple hug trended. So i rathee believe that than efmdgy people of dbs. That is ur type
Kkn is non charismatic fot me n he is bore. Pls pd u did right with his screentime. Pls keep it up
Lol people there on ur neutral DB said theh shouldve casted kkn n wdh over lmh as leads. They were praising them to skies before airing. Ofcourse they will stick to their opinion of kkn as next robert de niro!
Go n read old posts pre airing n dont tell me that was very neutral perspective ????
Well stay mad !
Imagine using db as some holy words ?????the site which bashed him for year. Yeah very neutral????
@ady... I dont hate LMH, I feel sorry for him. But I wont sugarcoat the fact that this drama is crap, mediocre at best, and a waste of money. KKN is the only charismatic character, acting and story in this whole mess. You hate him because your favorite is being overshadowed. But you should focus your frustration on the writer who made this crap, the director who cant deliver and the female lead who does everything to make sure she is annoying each time she's on the screen
@mind overshadowed by kkn???????????????????only edgy people on db who were hating lmh fot years n here say that . Doesnt mean he is overhsadowed. Joone outside these site give damn about kkn expect u people. He has no screen presence. When h n lmh were in same scene, lmh ate him alive. So pls dont pass ur opinion as fact????there is reason he is born to be sidekick and will remain one. Director realised n gave him less screen time this week after he ruined last week episodes!
Only people like u thibk that. Most dont care about a sidekick??
I just find it fun y how some people r trying too hard to build this narrative to fit their agenda
Lmh was everywhere in episode 6 and saw the ratings rise. His commanding presence in navy scene. Just stay delusional
I only see lack of charisma in kkn. He is boring and has zero presence. U can keep watching every 5 mins he get in every episode and dream of him bejng overshadowing anyone. We will see how manuy main leads roles kkn will get after this?????people here dream so many things bcoz they hate the male lead???? noone watch for him expect edgy people like u??what robert de niro of korea did special to ovwrshadow anyone. Lmaooo.even kim g9 eun eats him alive whenevwr they are in same frame. Just ur cult of edginess think that . Noone else. Side kick will always be sidekick. And i dont hate him but his new born fans sorry lmh antis r makkng it true thouvh. He has sone nothing in drama but u people will call him second coming of jesus?? doubt anyone knows his name in korea???? overshadow in ur dreams.
Lacks charisma, I have to disagree, especially after seeing him in special labor inspector. Nah, I don't hate LMH, I'm sure that would be easier for you digest if many people did I assume.
He lacks it big time
Shin jae looks like a creep sex hungry maniac
woooow.
Yes he is obsessed like a creep when heroine of drama shows no interest in him
Lol what, I mean his not the one who suddenly kissed the female lead. From what angle does he look like a sex maniac, his always stayed within his bounderies when it comes with Tae Eul. Also it seems like you don't like the fact people are praising or liking him. That's not his fault, his just a good actor, that's on the director and writer, they should do a better job in writing Lee Gon and helping LMH take his acting to the next level.
You are so funny.
Rofl he isnt. He has zwro screen presence. Female lead d8dnt mind the kiss and in episode 6 end came rjnn8ng to him saying i kissed u n happy tears n hugged him. Consent is there. Whereas shin jae is creep stalker
Lmh in episode 6 army scene ratings boosted up. Kkn in episode 3 ratings momentun got ruined
Yeah I like the police scenes as well, especially Jangmi, his too innocent
rose93@unicorn.net was the best part! So funny!
This was the best episode and thats why secind half increased by 3%
The best scene was corea japan war scene. Lee min ho facing japan as commander. And the moment when ur beloved is going to war hit hard bcoz i m frm army family myself. The emotion was there.
If u wanna see so kuch logic in fantasy then it will never fulfil ur expectation,. I 3as annoyed in first 2 weeks too but olot is finally set by sixth episode and king finding out his evil uncle is alive as well as detective heroine finding out the person from northern corea speaking in recording. That means she foind out people r passing dimensions
And the last koment when she hugged him and he realized she is in danger bcoz she is with him now
Heirs picked up after episode 6 and with they way epsiode 6 video got appraciation in naver, i think drama will pick up now. Finally double digit after long time and upward raying in second half is good sign.
Now next week looks murders, thrills etc. I think it will pick up like heira did after 6th episode
Episode 6 is best by far
If only the writer established a really strong common interest between the two leads, like interest in science or parallel universes or social justice and goodness and build scenes with them together based on those to establish their emotional connection from EP1 to EP4, then the kiss scenes wouldn't be that cringe-worthy and forced. The story was all over the place in these episodes, seems like the writer had a lot to tell and couldn't make it work. Right now, it seems that their only common thread was that ID found years ago. Oh well. I'll still watch this drama, just a pity that there were some lost opportunities there to make this a really great and memorable drama. LMH I think is still the best looking guy in SKorea :)
Yes, I think their acting is just fine, and if you looked at any one scene out of context, you'd think it was simply lovely. But there are several missed opportunities in the script to give logical reasons for these people liking each other. I wish it had included some of the things you mentioned--common interests or a common goal where they could team up their strengths to solve it. (I think the possibility for that is still there--she is a cop and the guy he needs to trace is in her world. Meanwhile, he (the king) understands all the math stuff about the parallel worlds, which is another means to control and track his uncle.)
I feel like the pieces are there, but they aren't connected. If they were, then these individual scenes would really pack some emotion. I'm hoping the drama improves in this area. I want it to do well.
Glr i think they connected the dots in episodr 6. What is ur opinion abt thag
Couldn't agree more, 6 EPs is plenty of time to develop a deep meaningful bond and connection resulting in the run and hug scene to be satisfying. But it's not, they had plenty of time but didn't develop the romance in any substantive way, that could have helped build the chemistry. I honestly don't think they should have made lee Gon so into her in the first place from just an ID card, and now she longing for him, but where did that switch her happen
Lee min ho is indeed a best looking and finest actor. Love him
He is king
Also korea japan had bad history especially japan who sugarcoat its past to new gen , never accept the history. They did harm china and korea in very bad way. Wounds will always be there.
So from patriotic pov to show japan as enemy makes sense to me atleast.
I loved the scene. Best scene for me in epsiode 6. The war scene looked so high budget, lmh in navy commanding the navy. It hit hard. And the ratings jumped in double digit. I think plot is set. If they make next week good, it can go heirs trajectory. And next week promo looks it have a murder scene , thrill elements. And also king has founf out uncle is alive. We need a ditect confrontation. Problem is show is too light hearted till episode 5. They need to introduce scenes like war scenes.
Personally loved kim go eun end scene. Her tears looked natural when he saw lmh.
This episode is best by far
I want more of korean wdh. He is hialrious. But kkn bores me. He has no screen presence and puts me to sleep.
You only like popular ones didn't you
Yeah i like hot n A listers bcoz they have x factor which side kicks dont have. Syat ayra is different
My takeaway so far after viewing 6 episodes....I like the horse.
There r 2 horses btw. One who runs n one who rests lol. I loved the baby horse
And she’s a girl this entire time despite the name LOL
I knew koala was gonna get butthurt if this drama sees rise.. Stedy?? It has risen 3% haha. Just wait for it folks once this drama starts to hit the 15-20% Koala will be put on respirator. She will never forgive even speaking about years later. It happened before once
Just check her post during heirs day. I used to like her blog till i saw the comments. She made some homophobic comments there. I was disgusted???? If this drama picks up like heirs???? hope it does if it keeps up lile sevond half. So i can see her ???
She also said the same for heirs and we all know how it picked up after 3 or 4 weeks???