It’s weird how time tempers disappointment. I’ll likely remember The King: Eternal Monarch fondly now that it’s over, the earlier episodes were just so inexplicably terrible and made for drastic expectation rewritting but as the episodes went on I settled into a nice rhythm with it. Each week I hoped it would make better sense and it never did but I was entertained enough because this really isn’t the worst K-drama ever (that would be Born Again hahahaha) but TKEM was the worst Kim Eun Sook written drama and probably one of the worst vis-a-vis the budget, cast, and track record.
It’s all in context and now that The King and his Lady love swanned off to their own happy ending I can say it tried but goodness was every nugget of promising possibility unable to flourish like a seedling given the wrong growth environment. The ending was fine but cribbed from two very recent hit dramas, Lee Min Ho’s own Legend of the Blue Sea and blockbuster Crash Landing on You. Kinda ironic that Kim Eun Sook needed to borrow from Park Ji Eun to find her own conclusion seeing as Park Ji Eun has just been anointed the next Kim Eun Sook.
The drama ends with Lee Gon successfully rewriting history with what seems like no negative consequences. He’s not written out of existence, only useless bad uncle Lee Rim, and everything after turned out better for everyone around. Shin Jae grew up in Kingdom and became a cop, and has the same bantering secret crush relationship with Luna, who gets adopted by PM Seo Ryung’s fishmonger mom and doesn’t become a cancer stricken thief. Hyun Min doesn’t die as Gon prevents the accident that puts him in a coma so Republic era Hyun Min grows up into a chaebol. Jo Yeong survives and his parents get back together and give birth to twins who he nicknames Eun Bi and Ga Bi. Eun Seob gets a desk job at NIS and is married to his Nari.
Tae Eul’s dangerous mission to escort Rim and his half of the flute back to the past stops in limbo land as Gon already started changing fate. It’s pretty pointless and Rim ends up thinking he won (past him got a whole flute) and then realizes he’s lost after he gets shot by Tae Eul once Gon finally kills past Rim with a slice across the neck. Fitting. Everyone forgets what happened except for Tae Eul, Gon, Yeong, and Court Lady Noh. Gon travels to multiple universes in search of Tae Eul, including one where she’s an adorable and hilarious top actress who just won a Daesang. He ends up finding his version of Tae Eul and they date happily ever after on weekends traveling around multiple universes and time lines. The End.
Was the ending underwhelming? No more or less than the entire drama was underwhelming, so perhaps apropos of nothing? It still think Tae Eul could have told her dad the truth and asked to go live in the Kingdom and marry Gon and then travel home on weekends to visit her dad. Give me an Inuyasha ending any day. The traipsing around parallel universes and time lines is pretty risky, anything could change things and honestly it’s always wise to let things happen as it’s supposed to. I guess Gon had to rewrite history because Rim destroyed too much and the universe would explode with the flute being cut in half. But still, Rim did so much planning and really he just wanted to kill Gon and get the flute so not sure why his plan was as elaborate as it was with switching dopplegangers.
The things I’ll remember fondly are midget baby Maximus growing up into stallion Maximus, Jo Yeong/Eun Seob, Kim Go Eun doing a much better performance as side character Luna than her own main lead Tae Eul, Court Lady Noh even though she was mostly useless (as a plot device), Na Ri and her doppleganger being 100% useless (that’s hard to do), PM Seo Ryung being wasted as a character her last scene in the prison was nicely done to show she’s got shades of dark and good, KIM KYUNG NAM (all caps cuz he’s that awesome here), and Lee Min Ho as grown up Ji Hoon in that navy Marines uniform. In conclusion, in all that craziness that was 2020 so far, it’s perhaps fitting that the screenwriter in K-drama with the most hit dramas under her belt churned out a total parallel universe of herself flop drama.
I agree with Koala regarding the ending that Tae Ul could have married Gon ,shifted to KOC and could’ve come visit her father during weekends..
CLOY’S ending was the best and most reasonable the writer could give avoiding all those political conflicts.
Here KES had much more liberty given that this is a full on fantasy and she could have come up with any newfound rule. I just felt that it was kind of fanservice cause otherwise, to wrap this huge mess logically she would’ve needed few more episodes.. Anyways the whole drama was weird so why should the ending even matter to me .
No the marriage could not have happened because if the marriage took place Tae eul had to stay in KoC and her counterpart already has a identity there which would make the risk that Lee gon had taken to be pointless since the worlds would be messed up again
I also agree with both your comments! How is it, that we all have the same end of drama conclusion! Which could have raised the ratings more in my opinion. When I was looking at the auto videos sent daily, they suspected a wedding due to a partial scene with chairs, which in fact was the ceremony of the PM. What a disappointment as I would have enjoyed seeing them wed with a grand celebration. Also, TaeEul could have told her dad the truth and he would be at their wedding with him supporting her and knowing where she’s gone when she disappears. It doesn’t really tell us if they actually got married even though they showed varying stages of them growing old together. Ending could have been a lot lot better and they could have written another episode to accommodate that better romantic ending!
I highly recommend The King: Eternal Monarch. All 16 episodes took the viewers to places that we couldn’t imagine and/or conceptualised. Fantasy and Sci-Fi intertwined to create a plot that took some time to unfold. Why? Because the lead characters had a big task in front of them. They had to figured out what was going on in the first place in their own worlds. They had to understand how and why their worlds had been impacted, the consequences and how to regained order. They, through well conceived scenes and dialogues, let the viewers know their new acquired knowledge about the concept of two parallel words, time and space, the portal, the mystery involving the flute and so on. In addition,they also had to develop a plan of action to restore the past to create a better future.We, the viewers, had 16 episodes to fully learned all if it through them.
The cinematography and editing were a treat to our eyes. Every single scene was beautifully executed and out together seamlessly. The element of romance was so beautiful conceived and the contributions of the supportive actors made this show fun, entertaining and pleasant.
For those of you that brought to this site some negative criticism about this show, you should listen to the lead actors’ lines more carefully. They were learning about the parallel worlds and discovering facts that ultimately they explained to us.If you were still confused, you needed to have a change of mind and take this show or at least part a of it as pure fantasy where everything is possible and let your imagination do the rest.
Thanks to Netflix make this show accesible to all of us outside South Korea.
yesssss!!!!!
I think the reason why tae ul cannot stay in KOC because Luna exists there. Otherwise, their both worlds will be exposed.
the ending is quite satisfying considering how this drama lacks in many ways. I love how Luna and Kang Hyun Nim finally have their own happy ending (biggest relieve TBH) I love the banter between Luna and PM Koo as well, I wish they had more interaction before. Honestly, watching the ending alone is more satisfying compared to watching the entire drama
I think all of you guys are hater I love the ending because they were together
Yes I hate it when people write hate comments or any article. They tried their best to complete this drama even in this pandemic. We should appreciate their work for successfully completing it without getting sick.
I was expecting for them to get married as fairy tail wedding… Bit disappointed
I think TKEM was the best drama but we were not able to recognize the hard word we are at the fault and if we say that the drama in the beginning was very difficult to understand then it was for those people who have the caliber to understand
I wasted my time. I regret watching this overhype show. I can’t believed I finished this drama. It was a bad experience.
Too bad Eun Seop dream of seeing Joyoung again didn’t come true. My dream it would be a good show didn’t come true either. So let’s move on :/
Nobody told you to watch the show. You did it in your own so if you watch it till the end that means you actually like it and you’re just saying the opposite of what you really mean. If u didn’t like it in the beginning then why did you stick around till the end for. There are many fans of Lee Min Ho that loved the show very much like me. I’ve loved it since the first episode and I keep seeing all these negative reviews about the show with low ratings. The low ratings problem is because most people watched the show on Netflix because it is release on Netflix. The show was awesome and I love that the main characters got the happy ending. Gonna miss it now that it’s finished???
I totally agree with you. There will always be haters but then, who cares
I agree ?❤ the series.I’m going to miss TKEM!!!during some episodes when I got confused I just watch AGAIN ?.
Nobody told you to watch the show. You did it in your own so if you watch it till the end that means you actually like it and you’re just saying the opposite of what you really mean. If u didn’t like it in the beginning then why did you stick around till the end for. There are many fans of Lee Min Ho that loved the show very much like me. I’ve loved it since the first episode and I keep seeing all these negative reviews about the show with low ratings. The low ratings problem is because most people watched it on Netflix . The show was awesome and I love that the main characters got the happy ending. Gonna miss it now that it’s finished???
@josie watching a show to the end doesnt mean you necessarily like it! if you are a LMH fan and u liked it good for you. MANY watched the show to see what a LMHxKGExKES drama will be and some have the habit of just finishing what they’ve started like a drama,book,etc. those peaple AGAIN have the right to say they didnt enjoy that thing and just wasted their time.
It is just a critique. And a personal opinion. Stop being so stufo up
Life is too short to watch and endure bad Kdramas considering there are tons of better ones out there. I’m glad I got out when I could. I dropped this after the 11th episode. I “watched” the subsequent episodes for the glorious Woo Do Hwan & skipped the other parts (thank you, FFwd function).
Maybe if I were younger and hung up on romance, I would have appreciated this. Or maybe if they had spent less time on the romance, I would have stuck around. I wouldn’t mind the romance bits if the leads had chemistry and if it wasn’t overdone. But it felt like they tried to shove the romance down the viewers’ throats that they forgot about world-building and the plot.
I don’t fault the actors in the series bc they did their best despite the lackluster writing and editing.
This series shows that KES’ writing is dated and the success of her shows relies heavily on the leads and romance between the leads. It is such a mystery that this came from the same writer who wrote the masterpiece that was Mr. Sunshine.
I’m not sure why but this final episode has felt like a slap to me. Kim eun sook has literally played with the audience. I’m with prime minister Koo though. Why does only gon have access to this flute? If i were her i would want one too. Why do only Gon and Tae eul have the privilige to be traipsing out of the multiverse. The universe doesn’t revolve around them eternal King or not.
I am with PM Koo too!
I dont know why people are hating it so much. There are many dramas which are famous but still has such a typical story average acting and very dragging. The king may have many flaws but the story was different. Every actor was doing justice with their charachter and main leads chemistry was nice too. LMH looked really good in this. Its one of the few dramas whose music i really like. The women were not trying to be pathetic cute like in most of the k dramas. Im foreign to the language but tbh i really liked this drama.
People asking why only gon has the flute and not others. Please understand great things are given to only those who can handle it and use it for others and not selfish means. Love the drama dont care what others think.
I totally agree! I really don’t care what others think. I enjoyed the drama! In fact I will watch again starting from episode 1 until the final episode, just like what I did with LOTBS.? I don’t care if I don’t understand the language.
Lol. You can say that this drama is popular but if you think that this is one of the best dramas out there then I’m gonna imply you haven’t watched the real stuff considering how you made the statement that women act cute in most dramas. That’s not true at all. Anyone can see that the there’s zero basis for this awful love story and basically it has no solid plotline whatsoever. Simply watching Pretty actors on screen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
The only reason you’d root for this drama is for the love of the lead actors, pretty visuals and fluffy dialogues which makes it that much easier to like.
Why does only Gon has access to the flute?
I would say it’s about the same reason why Thor,Vision and Captain America could wield Mjlnoir (Thor’s hammer).It’s all down to “who is deemed worthy”.I don’t think the prime minister would qualify.
The ending of them traveling time and space to be a couple in multiple universes during the weekend like an endless couple’s getaway is one of the most insipid, harebrained drama conclusions I have ever seen. Terrible enough to tackle the likes of Big, Vagabond and Born Again. Jesus Christ.
Like someone mentioned, Tae Eul probably can’t be in the same universe as Luna in reference to Nari’s proclamation that one would have to kill the other because the Cosmos demanded it or some shit. Funny thing is, the writer herself came up with that dumbass idea, ultimately killing off the more rational ending of Tae Eul travelling to Gon’s world to be his Queen instead of playing Dr. Who for funsies and risking time/space imbalance. And don’t even get me started on that yo-yo kid – such a blatant ripoff of Lee El’s character in Goblin who ended up not really doing anything but getting shoved into the story like all the other useless plot devices. God, what an exhausting ride. Thank goodness it’s over.
I think I agree with you. There was a lot of stuff that could have been taken out to make more room for a better plot. But you know this author has rarely been good at writing decent endings. Good point about Yo-yo boy and time traveling for funsies.
Disappointing, it just unsatisfying.
I can justify bad drama has it has some satisfying moment but the end just ruined it more.
So the hero can do anything? No repercussions? Everyone gets a safe happy ending. It doesn’t feel like they deserve it.
All the theory about the universe is just nothing because “let’s skip that”. The writing is just mcguffin so stuff can happen without an actual basis.
I remember the ending of queen in Hyeon man is also a sugarcoat ending but it’s satisfying since both of the couple and the hero had accepted his demise, his miscalculation and how he isn’t stronger than fate. They get saved because they accept defeat and let go, because they are sincere and desperate to be with each other, still he has his own life, his own duty and they accepted the fact that there is bigger things than their love. That’s how “fate magic” took a pity on him and trigger the happy ending.
This drama is not just disappointment but also justify what people had been criticized it’s for. Pointless, unsatisfying story and bullshit magic.
Also the fans has victim complex, no one is brigaded your drama just because they said it’s bad.
TKEM is a fairy tale. Who doesn’t like fairy tales?
I can’t believe some of these negative comments about the show. We the audience learned about what was going on through the characters as they also needed time to figure out by themselves who is manipulating the two worlds and the power of the flute. Come on! It wasn’t that hard to tie one fact with another with the help of the leading and supporting actors explaining to us in plain language their discoveries.
If you have Netflix sit down and enjoy the ride TKEM takes you , it is worth it!
LHM better don’t ever choose Kim Go Eun as his leading partner again. She is totally not on his par. Such an awful looking lady to match such a handsome prince, it is so yucks. Totally no chemistry. LMH is such a nice guy, he probably accept this series is because of the writer Kim Eun Sook. But the lead actress is a mistake. The story is not about beauty and the best, Kim Eun Sook. Please choose a more decent looking actress as a lead next time round.
sure he accepted bcs of KES.
I didn’t like the pairing as well. maybe I could give it a go if it was zero romance. not saying a word about her visuals cause beauty is subjective and my dislikes to her doesnt mean she cant be errr good looking or maybe pretty to others.whatever. apparently KGE is better in movies so she’d better stick to what she is good at.
KES herself needs to think of what she gonna do to her writing style and stories before deciding who to cast. Seriously I think she just thought Im gonna cast ms.x and mr.y and I dont care if they dont look good together :||
if you dont like TKEM you can just leave and shut your mouth your not kim eun suk ha you dont know how to write a story like that you know raise your hand if you think a parallel word story your toxic person you all know is to hate person, why do you have a beautiful face like kim go ein if you have let me see it, do you know how to acting ha you dont know because your not an actress there so much effort put kim eun suk and the actors and actresses to give such a beautful drama so if you think its not good and cant appreciate it just leave and dont say like ugly things,i think your face is very ugly ha i think you are jealous to kim go eun.
First and for all, your not kim eun suk and you do nothing for the tkem.
second, i think your not as beautiful as kim go eun brahhhhh if you dont like him just leave them,
third,it is better to watch people this drama with respect and appreacited.
fourth,if you have nothung good to say then do not speak
fifth,dont critisize them with their flaws and mistake if you cannot see yoir own?
@ooo LOL u dont need to write a long essay I gave up reading on third line. I say whatever I desire and guess what? you cant do anything to stop me or anyone else saying what they want. now get along with that kid.
@oooo. People are complaining about her looks is because she really doesn’t look pretty and yet she was chosen to act in romantic dramas, acting opposite handsome actors. She was paid and yet she unable to carry her role well. There is little chemistry between her and LHM. And the chemistry between Gong Yoo and her is also lacking in Globin. This is why people are losing patience with her. She ruined the dramas by not acting well and she wasn’t pretty in the first place.
People have the right to complain is because the artistes are being paid for their roles and they have to do their roles well. I do hope the directors and writers will have more common sense in selecting her for their projects. If the dramas are merely romance, please don’t ever choose KGE again.
Your wrong. She is beautiful too and a good actress.
Beauty is subjective. It’s mostly out of pity that a plain Jane is viewed as beautiful by some. FL is average looking and her ugly crying is unbearable. This is a dude’s view.
But she is also nice and her serious character was also good. Chemistry was seen little less comparatively but the expressiveness of her love was nice. And I also enjoyed the story till the end. Waiting for your next dramas LMH.?
And Woo do Hwan is also handsome. I liked him in tempted so much, wanna see him in more dramas as a lead. I Like the cast.
I adore Maximus & her love for the King!?
U r the telling the facts
She is beautiful what are you talking about
I have to agree ,no chemistry at all !!!
Well said girl.. im 200% agreed. Im annoyed of that girl since Goblin time. ??
No one in this world is born ugly, you just live in a judgemental world – RM
She is beautiful that’s it. That’s how the god want her to look like.
And acting is not about look! You don’t have to be sooooo pretty to act! She’s a good actress imo.
You mean she’s not into plastic surgery and skin bleaching to look like your ideal beauty. YGE is exotic looking and comfortable in her own skin.
IMHO, you got that backwards. LMH has so far been a mediocre actor with good looks. KGE could act circles around him. I don’t dislike him, I’m not obsessed with her. But it’s obvious who is the best actor and who looks the best.
here comes the time to move on. Im glad that it’s over. to me, it feels like LMH is now being set free from this mess. Im also glad that I didn’t waste my time watching it and I dropped at first episodes. He probably doesnt take a project for a year or two -unless he wants to fix the damage as soon as possible- and until then, I rather have his image from LOTBS in my mind than this..sigh..lets see what happens in his next project. THAT would most certainly tell what direction LMH will take for the rest of his career. pls take a well-written project with a totally different character and perferably not a KES one. dont disappoint us man,tnq. best wishes.
I had enjoyed this drama, liked the story line idea and how it made me want to watch each episode quickly to see how it developed. After watching all 16 episodes, I still stick to my personal opinion that the romance part – which is a huge element of this drama – would have been more enticing, and the drama more exciting overall, if the leads are more compatible in their screen presence and appeal. This was most evident in the second half of the last episode where everything seemed dull and plodding. Nevertheless, it has been good entertainment watching TKEM the past two months; and reading this blog and the comments. Thanks, folks!
I first watched this show for the main leads. But, I completed all 16 episodes because of Kim Kyung Nam and Woo Do Hwan. Both KKN and WDH carried the show for me. They both shine here. KKN is the one which made me surprised the most. Boy can act so well. I want to know whether KKN already finished his military service or not.
My friends and I like this drama so much. This is a masterpiece and thanks to the cast, crew, director and writer. We don’t care about the local ratings because it’s very popular on the Netflix.
I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a masterpiece
This drama a sh*t until the end…? ??
Its even funny they need Park Ji Eun to inspired the ending..#flop
No matter what the ratings are, my friends and I love this drama so much. It’s a masterpiece and so popular on the Netflix. The writer is a genius. The cast and crew are excellent and doing such a wonderful job. It’s my number one Korean drama.
okay. convince yourself that this is a masterpiece. Masterpiece with 5% rating. Just wooooow. lmao.
Am sad its ended, I love this movie.
Dar Jung Eun Chae let bygones be bygones, Congratulations though and Woo Doo Hwan has been offered ML for an OCN drama – his old stomping ground and you’re familiar with them too – Remember the Guest? Anyways how about you jump on the bandwagon and ask if you can be WDH’s FL? Worth a try.
From reading the posts here and elsewhere I’ll never forgive KES for reducing your PM character to a miniscule blimp and I see on your IG you’re in your prison garb too so I guess from the onset KES always had you doing time in the last episode but I guess the last laugh is on her now as she is needs a hiatus for the next say 5 years to really redeem herself for a comeback block buster. She should be keeping in contact with any of the following: Song Hye Kyo/Jun Ji Hyun/Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin/Gong Yoo/Jo In Sung for a fun rom com if she wants to make her mark again and woo back Korean audiences if not just go back and write a high school musical. X
The Ending is Amazing! Its beyond believe and made me realized that i wasted my time to watched Kim Eun Sok version of Doraemon, which titled King of Eternal Monarch! LMAO! XD
So many good comments on soompi and twitter. Some even said that this drama is the best drama of 2020.
I guess, LMH and KGE will get best couple at the end of the year.
Whatever.
KES writer nim, pleaseeeeeee comeback with a good drama like Mr. Sunshine. I love that drama so much. Even tho i dont really like LBH, but bcuz of the story, i re-watch it many times.
I cant wait for her next project. Please cast someone who can bring high rating for your drama. That X factor is very important.
Have they watched other dramas this year? This year, kdramas has a lot of flaws (even the year is filled with flaws) but TKEM is best drama? Come on, best drama my foot.
Sorry to disappoint but KES is the biggest flaw of the drama.
I agree with you. She is the major contributor towards this mess .I guess she is still stuck in 2015 era writing such cringy lines and hoping that people would go ga-ga over it. Knetz actually reminded her that this is 2020 and her old formula ain’t gonna work. I haven’t watched Mr. Sunshine but have heard lots of praises. Guess the 10 years time she took to develop the script paid off or rather should I thank her ghost writers.
@mistyeyes I agree with you too. The writing of the plot was rather messy and that is what the director and actors have to work with. I had no problem with the pairing of the actors they work well for me and a lot of us. A lot of people are shipping them in real life. They are trending in twitter and on IG. LMH and the rest of the cast got more followers on social media. It may be a flop on ratings but it’s been a while that I got so invested in a drama. I am a bit disappointed with the ending for the leads for everyone else yes. If it were to just please the last few fans rooting for it or for us who stayed all throughout the 16 episodes I was expecting a grand wedding instead, since anything is possible after a few episodes. But I will still watch the writer’s drama. I enjoyed her precious works and wish all the actors the best.
The biggest disappointment by the writer,SBS and Lee Min Ho this year. I am hoping that none of them will be nominated year-end or television award this year and the following year.
I. Made. It. To. The. End.
I cannot believe I managed to finish it but I admit I did a lot of fast forwarding.
“Could have/should have” – that is how I would describe it. Could have done this, should have done that. The storytelling was tighter at the middle of the drama but it was too late.
But to point out the stuff I liked: the whole kingdom of corea concept, woo do hwan’s character/s, parallel universe idea (execution though was meh), maximus… and minimus (baby maximus).
On to the next drama!
I agree with you. She is the major contributor towards this mess .I guess she is still stuck in 2015 era writing such cringy lines and hoping that people would go ga-ga over it. Knetz actually reminded her that this is 2020 and her old formula ain’t gonna work. I haven’t watched Mr. Sunshine but have heard lots of praises. Guess the 10 years time she took to develop the script paid off or rather should I thank her ghost writers.
It got posted twice. The reply was for @ MistyEyes
Despite of the low rankings, I like this drama, crew and I enjoyed it, love story of parallel world. I don’t think there is something bad it was quite interesting to watch maybe preference of people but I liked it and thank God the ending is happy. I mean LMH was quite handsome and pairing was good too. I like that her role was serious rather than like in guardian. Overall I really enjoyed it. Lee min Ho we are with you, continue with your amazing works,and the rest cast also, I’m willing to watch and looking forward for all of you..and watched tempted in between..loved it. Love from India.. Gonna miss you and will be waiting for your next dramas and Woo Do hwan’s also.
I try to find a worst drama than this one, but I don’t find.
I think I should try to watch Born Again, to be sure.
thia is the worst drama of the century
same category as born again. so next year it will be kim Go eun and Jin Se Yeon who will be competing for the baeksang best actress awards. lol.
thia ???
Born again is the worst from what ive heard, script is a flop and acting was a big mess.
Beyound that, i also think that the love sequence should have been more matured and pronounced for TKEM! Since they werw going with the love angle
I have loved and enjoy the entire show, the cast,and the places, found my self watching it over and over, great ending,
I have not watch a American film in months
At least the soundtrack is good
Yup. me too .loved the ost especially hwasa’s ..it was lit?
I enjoyed this drama not because it’s the best or well written. I enjoyed it coz it provided something we look forward to every week. I secretly wish it gets better, or the ratings will pick up. I am not contented with the ending. It went ok with everyone else but the leads. If everything was possible after episode 6 then should have had a grand epic ending. But I’m really thankful that I got to talk about it with random online people and my friends. Now I wish all of them best in their next projects. I think the only people who won’t get over are the same people trolling here talking bad about actors with hatred as if their opinion will matter to the cast, the award giving body etc. It’s a drama you either liked it or not. LMH and KGE will continue with their careers as this won’t make a dent on them and I hope other stars will get more offers like KKN and JEC. I understand the fair criticism of the show and even the cast but I honestly enjoyed it and I will continue to watch their shows even the screenwriter. She has given me more dramas to love and remember and even this one I don’t mind rewatching. Thank you Tkem cast and wishing you all the best in the future.
Always enjoy reading your thoughtful comments! Hope we will “meet” again soon to discuss another interesting drama. 🙂
I’ll put aside the beauty part because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But KGE couldn’t convince me at all that she is in love with Lee Gon. She looked uninterested in him for the most part. For the lack of chemistry between them, she is the party that should bear a stronger burden because LMH at least looks at her fondly.
I’ve been thinking what the biggest mistake of this series is. In the beginning, I think it was the scriptwriter. However, her previous work doesn’t always ground on reality and didn’t have to take so long to build the romance either. As a viewer, the attraction was clear in the first meeting of secret garden and descendants of the sun (from her writing) and secretary kim and crash landing on you (for others’ writing). The only super successful series that I can think of where the chemistry is lacking is the moon that embraces the sun – but Kim Soo Hyun is a splendid actor who made us believe he’s in love all on his own also the story was written so dramatically.
While the writer can go back to the basics for her next attempt, the most important thing for her is to cast more believable leads. With her name, she could have chosen anyone. The viewers care when they buy the romance and root for the pairing to be together,
So agree with what you say here! Cheers!
Yes, her eyes cannot express well. Her acting is so-so only and not as good as the well known ones like Son Ye Jin, Jun Ji Hyun, Moon Chae Won etc. But she is not visually appealing that is why some of them don’t like to watch her and LHM together.
KGE’s eyes are too small to express any feelings. Her acting is ok but don’t expect her eyes can emote.
I totally agree with u. KGE is good at acting, but unfortunately doeesn’t have that spark of chemistry with her male co stars. I feel like she is just not meant to act in romance dramas. I feel like other actresses like Park MInyoung, Son Yejin, Park Shin hye has better chemistry with their male costars while acting in romance shows.
U r the telling the facts
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How can a drama that ranks 8 in the world on Netflix worldwide ,including 1 in South Korea, and 1 on Wavve every week be a flop.
What do you think LMH’s NEW 4 million Instagram followers were watching in the last 8 weeks. This drama has been a triumph with international viewers. Of course you are free to like or dislike it but please don’t lie about it by saying it’s a flop.
Flop in SK with 5% ratings. No point to quote Netflix when even SK local ratings are so low. LMH fans always find ways to turn the table around.
So sad that TKEM has ended. Fridays and Saturdays will never be the same…
I definately live for all these comments on Koala! Surprisingly i loved the drama, maybe its bacause of LMH as am very biased to what ever he shows up in i dont know. I think KGE did really well, i think i preffered her in TKEM compared to Goblin. Whodohan definately outshined everyone in the drama
And yes as much as i wanted to know how the whole thing was going to end, i was disappointed with episode 16. It felt empty just just the 1st episode. However, i give it to all the cast and crew,they did their best and atleast it was a success globally due to Netflix involvement.
Ohh no..Come on man you brat(Salmos). How can you dig and justify others opinion??
You’re such a contemptuous and despising.BTW will you be able to act at least as much as they do? or have you ever even tried acting in your life?I wonder!!
Remember every individual has their own views and opinions and you &I too are one among them. So please mind it.
(dear netizens plz do excuse me kindly for my slang words and ignore me if this comments seems to be hurting your sentiments. This is merely a response to Salmos’s comment(specifically the last sentence ) Tq
I think all of you guys are hater I love the ending because they were together
I loved the show, and they had amazing chemistry. I was a little disappointed in the ending,I really wanted to see them have a wedding. Maybe a second season?
I love Lee Min Ho…no matter what he’s in. His outfits was beautiful…story line sucked. Main actress sickening!!! Bad ending!!!!
i.love it .hope they make.more eps.tje old actors are great.y very nice and funny too.God bless u …
First of all the drama was simply fabulous . It was not a typical k drama . Boy meets girl . Girl or boy one rich and one poor . Families don’t approve and do many obstacles blah blah blah . The writer thought out of the box and wrote something extremely dramatic and entertaining . You had to really concentrate on the story line like reading a book and not treat is as a time pass thing . The acting was superb. Plus young people don’t have to get married and start ha family . They can live together , spend years getting to know one another , do fun stuff, travel , have adventures and in the future if they are meant to be they decide to get married at their own time with no pressure and also start a family if and when they want . That’s how it should be .plus it’s not always a happily ever after story . So kudos to the director and especially kudos to the writer fr even daring to imagine something so different and beautiful . The dialogues were superb. The humour was outstanding. Congratulations to everyone in team TKEM fr a job well done .
I agree with you. It was a fun production with twists and turns easy to follow, beautiful cinematography, editing, costume design and set decoration. The characters developed throughout the 16 episodes and of course, the romance part was portrayed with beauty, innocence and with unconditional love. The lead couple worked together to reach a common goal. It just to benefit themselves but the world.
Ian not an expert in K dramas but usually there are more actors playing small parts than I had ever expected in a tv show, but it does not disrupt the main line or plot, somehow they contribute to its development.
I strongly believe that it is useless to discredit writers and actors just because you did not like a show. We the audience can just click a button and the show is discarded from our list… no need to write so much negativity.
Hi I am from Scotland UK – watched this drama via Netflix – enjoyed it from start to end totally got the parallel universe story – Dr Who fan. Sad to read comments regarding Kim Go-eun beauty is in the eye of the holder don’t forget this was her character in the drama – like most females once we do our hair, put our face on, dress in smart clothes we all look lovely – including Kim … I have watched many dramas in UK – some where I have stopped after second episode others watched till the end and thought wow not going to get those hours back ha ha But I would never dream of slagging of actors/actress for the parts they play – remember they are playing a PART and being DIRECTED and no one asks you to watch till the end…. I have watched Lee Mi-ho and Woo Do-hwan in other dramas which I have loved not watched anything with Kim Go-eun but I will and looking forward to there next projects with English subs ….
You will love her in Goblin.
Finally a comment giving her some love. I absolutely adore her and think that not only is she beautiful but also a great actress.
Just finished the drama. I also watched a few Behind The Scene videos..
All I can say is everyone did their best to portray this unusual story. Not a fan of both main actors but I see how they are perfect in the roles they were given. This unusual story line will still be watched by many because of the popular actors and who knows if this Kdrama will still create buzz in the coming years because it is on Netflix.
I just wished it had more episodes. Maybe 20? Lol. But the ending is enough. It ended pretty fairly. I had a lot of questions at the beginning (I was frowning all the time! Lol) and the story only dawned at me when I was watching ep 10. When I realized that not all of my questions will be answered at the end, I just tried to enjoy what the story gave. I also liked the how the ending was left open for viewers to think whatever ending we’d like for the main actors. I think that is the price they have to pay for loving each other through different times. They have to protect their fragile love while going through parallel worlds. Also in parallel worlds anything is possible for them. They can be bad (as in one world Gon is a tyrant) and good. Possibilities are endless for them. That’s why they love “only today”, they didn’t want to leave each other or dared to change their worlds. They just want to love each other till the end. They’re straightforward yet doesn’t think about their future, if they’re gonna marry or not.. Yeah sometimes love is just like that. (I actually ship them too IRL, they’re just too adorable!)
As for LMH, I just hope he chooses an “ordinary man” role next time LOL I want to see him act and crush my heart as his role will be very relatable for viewers (Jo Jung Suk is my bias on that genre btw, he’s an excellent actor)
I hope KES will continue to challenge her writing career. She’s always been at the top, this drama is not a loss for her. I think she succeeded in attempting to rewrite her career with this drama. It would also be refreshing if she will work with lesser known actors in her future works..there are a lot of ways to spark interest in a drama that she will write in the future.
It was a good show. Annyeong TKEM! On to the next Kdrama!
I have no complains man. It’s hands down the best scifi comedy I’ve ever watched.
Any professional knows what a disaster drama is and the script is one of the worst ever written.
It’s just that the producers are squeezing their butts and hoping to sell it before public discontent increases. Especially among those who are starting to see the drama via internet services. This is already happening.
Gagala on you are a professeional
writer which script you writing is a drama.
Please tell me I What to watch
Just a relationship with a Korean friend who works in this business.
If you consider yourself a professional in evaluating Kdramas , may I know your criteria or rubrics in saying that this drama is a disaster or why it is badly written? And if ever you present your rubrics for your statements in this drama – will you be able to substantiate it with evidences from the scenes or dialogues. Or at least an academic analysis / comparison with other dramas ? How would you think the script should have been written? Then may be you can convince me .Thank you.
Why watch the drama when you were not fascinated by the story and the plot? I find the Kdrama uniquely and creatively written. For those haters of this drama or for those negative comments – this genre isn’t for you as it entails thinking skills – analyzing scenes and dialogues so you can connect the story . All the scenes, the twists , the myriad of events from the past, present and future were all logical and evidenced- based ,all can be substantiated by the scenes and dialogues . This is what I am glued to the drama.If you didn’t get it, didn’t enjoy it or was confused then you are just good for straight forward storylines . The plot is unique , creative and superbly written – mind blogging, heart fluttering . Don’t make this drama be re- written with your clever ideas why this or that happened or not or why the ending is not what you wished for. This drama is owned by the writer and for those viewers who enjoyed watching it – we owe it to her and the cast who gave justice to the roles they played. For now this Kdrama is my gold standard.
Thanks for summing it all up beautifully. If you’re not ready to think this drama shouldn’t be your cup of tea or coffee. It’s one of the best yet in Kdrama land. The writing was superb and the cast gave a 110% of performance.
It’s funny if you think that this plot is “mind-boggling” and “needs brain or intelligent skills”…I bet you didn’t watch any dramas better than this like Secret Forest, Signal, etc.
You were essentially in a drama blog, reviewer blog. Should you say the same to food bloggers, movie blogger, hotel review to stop what they did because of one bad review?
A drama is a journey, yeah it may start bad but it may gets better or get worse.
Why do people so dense?
If all TKEM watchers has this mentality, it makes sense how they praise the plot.
People who know nothing can’t see how wrong they are anyway.
I like everything in a drama as you describe it.
They’re even my favorite dramas.
But when it’s done right.
Here, it’s just crap.
I think the whole cast did an outstanding performance. Why is there an undertone of jealousy toward LMH and Kim G. The person/s writing & directing has done an excellent job. Drama provides real vs fiction. We all have different views and I think this was on what could have been great or not so great. Some of us like to fantasize & some of us don’t, however, it was a wonderful movie to keep watching to the end.
The success of this show on Netflix tells nothing about how good or bad this drama is. International audiences who just jumped on this bandwagon aren’t ardent Kdrama watchers, not real Kdrama addicts, and therefore can not become the truthful Kdrama critics overnight. You have to watch hundreds of Kdramas starting in 2006 like many of us, first international Kdrama fans did. You have to engage in lengthy, almost professional comment battles on Dramabeans ( and Mis Koala’s) for years to really understand were other commenters are coming from with their negative comments. The rookie opinion of poor Netflix watchers who aren’t spoiled by great dramas be it in their own countries or others, is not a true indicator of ANY Kdramas’ success or failure to us. Am I right or what, Miss Koala? They can’t understand our frustration.
I don’t want to invalidate the opinions of newer K-drama watchers, this could be the best K-drama he/she has watched to date. That’s totally valid.
But yes, walk 10-15 years in our shoes and that’s where the context of our critique comes from. I have written over 11,000 posts on AKP on dramas and not counting my years on DB OT. It’s impossible to not view TKEM through the lens of everything that can come before it.
This drama basically boils down to interesting idea, terrible execution, and inconsistent pairing chemistry among the entire cast.
I’ve been watching Kdrama for over a decade and know a good drama when I see it. Tkem is by far of the best yet. The two lead actors looked natural and comfortable in their own skins not your usual Koop look KGE exotic looking like a real native born Korean woman may pass for a next door neighbor but equally stunning with just the bear minimum of makeup they brought to the screen an authentic portrayal of the drama. This drama was a meat on the bone drama.
Although they did well by completing the movie during this pandemic however the movie was just garb. It was not just satisfying.
You have no clue what time travel is about This drama was epic but for some reason some Koreans viewers wants to be spoon fed. It makes one think watch it again you might have a second take on it. The plot started slowly but by the 3rd and 4th episodes it was on an exciting trajectory and the the ending did not disappoint simply tied it all up the king and is “queen “ lived into their golden years
Watch Back to the Future which makes way more sense about time travels. Do not discount others’ options. This ending is a mess which is actually ok for a guy who likes to keep mistresses in different time zones. Hahaha…
It is true that KGE and LMH do not really match visually. KGE and KKN match really well. Not that anyone is not pretty or beautiful, it is just the type of looks. In Chinese culture, you have the saying of a couple having a “husband and wife” look; that’s usually when the overall features of the girl and boy are similar. The drama was okay. Having watched kdrama for over a decade, it is a 5.5-7/10 (lowest in early episodes, highest in later episodes) but Nine (another time travel series) is 9/10; and QIHM is 10/10.
That’s the trouble with these romance dramas. CP look creates hordes of crazy CP fandom but in real life marriages are hard work. China have been producing brilliant variety shows which features married star couples and they are more realistic.
It was an excellent ending to me. If anybody realizes she comes from a different world. It would jeopardize the king. All actors and actresses did well.
I still watched finished this drama for Lee Min Ho. Anyone with me? ^_^
All I can say LMH Rocks!!!!!!!!! it was the best all I wanted was just to see him and I did and to me he was PERFECT in everyway can’t stop just seeing his deep stare and how great he looked in all the uniforms!! I can’t wait to rewatch him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This story is fantasy and should be taken as it is. Frankly, the story was very entertaining. I enjoyed discovering the Kingdom through the eyes of the leading actress. The photography was so beautiful and detailed. It was fun to watch the leading actors question themselves and trying to get answers based on facts. Not all was left to fate to decide for them. They actually work hard to rearrange the order on both worlds. In other words they actively participated and made choices to shape and reshape their”fate”
There is one scene that did not add to the main plot at all. It was the attempt “war” against Japan. All this footage could have been use to build more the main idea, I think.
I loved this series. The acting magnificent, the storyline very interesting, and the happy ending was preferred. The actors are simply amazing. Each one of them. I have no complaints about this drama and I thoroughly enjoyed it from episode 1 to episode 16. This is definitely one of my favorites.