Normally a drama is done with 16-episodes but we’ve got 4 more to go with Queen Cheorin (Mr. Queen) and I’m also finally ready to share that weird feeling I’ve had where I like the drama but don’t love it. It’s truly entertaining taken in segmented scenes but as a whole just doesn’t coalesce because a really gripping sageuk builds the pathos, intensity, and connection in slow but steady beats. QC still has random comedy like the early episodes where we all guffawed at a playboy male chef suddenly in the body of a Joseon era perfect Queen. Time-travel period dramas employ the comedic fish out of water elements early on but quickly get down to the business of life/death/throne and turns into a traditional sageuk. I’m not sure the decision to keep QC half fusion through the entirety of it til now a good idea, I just am not invested fully despite loving the performances (so talanted!) ande the visual sumptuousness.
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This drama rides on SHS & KJH and their chemistry. Had tvN miscast their roles, this would have been a hot mess, honestly.
I’m still trying to figure out when Sobong is Soyong and when she/he’s Bonghwan because I’m confused. Either SY/BH are fused and keep switching back and forth or BH has been pretending to be Soyong and taking credit for things he didn’t do. I thought he told CJ that they couldn’t be together because he wasn’t SY, so I’m lost… what’s going on?
I honestly feel the cousin’s scenes with Sobong will turn him into a meme. It’s always the same scene over and over again. He tells her she’s his lurve, she says she’s not interested and asks him to bug off, but he says he won’t let go, rinse repeat. Same with Hwashin and her woe is me existence.
“Had tvN miscast their roles, this would have been a hot mess, honestly.”
Boom!
Facts!
I am totally getting the storyline so not sure where the confusion is.
When So Yong told Cheoljong she could not accept his confession it is because she is trying to fight her own growing fondness of him as a “third person”. She also knows that the real kim soyong would be happy to accept his apology for his coldness that night and his love confession right now. That recipient however was not her so its not right for her to accept at all. But gradually their forged experiences, talks and friendship brought them closer. A new love evolved…
It is also no rinse repeat for me for the other characters. Each episode, every dialogue I felt I know a little more about their back story. Byeong In is a really sad character. Being adopted, the closest person he had in his life growing up was soyong. They always had each others back and he was the one she ran to for help to save the young cheoljong. Imagine a person you have loved all your life, your only family leaving you. Of course you will be sad and do anything and everything in your power to have them stay as the pain of losing them overrule rationality.
Same for Hwajin. What you saw was her victim cosplay but ep 16 was the first time I actually empathized with her as the King officially closed their relationship. The fact he acknowledged that they WERE in love for 2 years is a big blow as she lived in that sentence’s present tense, whereas he already checked out at some point. In her shoes, any woman would have felt the anger and resentment that she did. After all I am sure he would have made her many promises when they were in a relationship that he could no longer keep because his heart is with someone else.
All in all I find the story compelling. None of the the main characters in the show are truly evil. Just a product of human emotions, survival instincts, selfishness and greed that happens with environment and nurture.
Actually, BI and HJ are not in main characters. Both are supporting characters, not even second leads. Because you know 4 main characters are Queen, King, Grand Dowager Sunwon and Kim Jwa Geun, you can see on official poster and introduction. Since this drama is announced, 4 of them are casted as main leads.
BI and HJ are only in romantic perspective to create a love square with the leads.
Someone is expressing their confusion and this one goes “I’m totally getting the storyline so not sure where the confusion is.” “It is also no rinse repeat for me for the other characters.” Blah blah blah. How condescending and self-centred. Just because others express different perspectives about a drama you love doesn’t mean you have to put down their opinions.
I understand your love for the drama, but at this point both Seo Jihye and Kim Junghyun were creating a lot more buzz as second leads who barely had any screentime in CLOY than BI & HJ with all the screentime they’ve been given. That’s because of KJH & SJH and also because the writing of their characters was stronger. Seodan and Gu Seungjun were vastly superior in every aspect. This coming from someone who didn’t love CLOY and its writing as much as everyone else did.
As for my confusion, I respect your interpretation but that’s just something that I don’t like at all. Regardless of the circumstances BH pretending to be SY to keep everyone happy is wrong on so many levels… There has to be more to what’s going on, otherwise BH is being forced to live in a lie for the rest of his life, and SY was forgotten without a decent closure. I want a better outcome for both characters, so I’m truly hoping for a better written answer than that.
Any show with miscast actors becomes more or less a hot mess. What these two did was elevate the drama to something more exciting. But this show won’t be as funny without a capable director and skillful writers.
I beg to differ. I’ve seen shows that worked fine because of the script despite having miscast actors & I’ve also seen shows with terribly written scripts saved by the acting. I don’t think this show is terribly written but I do think that the 2 main leads are elevating the material considerably.
We’ll only know if this show is really good once they solve the soul swapping storyline and clarify who is in the Queen’s body. So far, it’s not clear and I’ve read many people who agree with this, so I’m not the only one who feels confused. It’s a problem with how the story has been set up to please the conservative audience in SK. The soul inside the Queen’s body is a man, but not really. There are memories and feelings from someone else, so how do we know if those feelings are his or SY’s? How do we determine when it’s JBH and when it’s SY? It’s unclear.
I respect that some people see this as a flawless drama, but that’s not how I feel. I enjoy it a lot and I love the actors and directing, but right now, I feel the writing is iffy and needs to answer a lot of questions.
Begging to differ. I’m obsessed with the drama. My take is that for Bong Hwan he finally can feel physically what girls feel when he touches them and since he is stuck in the womans body, its a learning curve on the physical front I guess on liking the act from another perspective since his body is now built different. Throw in soyoungs memories, he’s now embracing the merge of a few different things. Physical intimacy from a different perspective, possessing women’s hormones to feel the opposite attraction and camaraderie and respect for cheoljong as a man culminating into a love that is far more complex I guess. I now fully see Soyong as a tomboyish woman instead and which guy would not be attracted to her? She is all coquettish when she wants to be yet become one of the boys without the usual sensitivity and clingy ness (men’s no.1 problem when their mates meet their girlfriends and vice versa) . Hwajin she is so totally not and these type of girls in any given era will be the perfect girlfriend most guys will die for because they are never boring to be around. A lover and a best friend you just want to spend all your time with. I am sold on their chemistry hook line sinker. It just works. The king is rather passive on the bgr front and she draws him out of his shell. On the flipside he accommodates all her crazy ways. I usually do not like actors to reunite with each other too quick after one successful production together. But – for these two. Its a YES YES YES. From now to that expectation, I am gonna keep savouring their scenes from prev eps and look forward to the final 4 coming up. Praying for a good ending and dun care if its completely fictitious
I also want to see Kim Jung Hyun and Shin Hye Sun working together as leads in another drama again, probably in a modern drama. Their chemistry is off the charts. Their visuals and acting range match each other so well.
A metaphor for their acting would be… he can finish any sentence she starts. Or you cannot tell where he finished and when she started because of the seamless-ness of their acting 😡
So weird. My kiss kiss : x became an angry icon. Lol
agree with everything you say @lydia1, I am completely obsessed with this drama too.
I’m totally with you on this. I can watch the reruns without getting bored. Love the chemistry between King-Queen and Queen-Hongyeon-Choi trio.
The Queen is becoming more and more like SY. And just like you, I’m getting the vibe of tomboyish girl instead of BH in SY body.
Kim Jung Hyun is the best in Ep 16. His funny reactions and acting range for both serious and comedic scenes are so amazing ???. I keep watching Cheoljong jealous scenes, the way he tease to make his wife happy and his reactions of pregnancy.
There was a scene in episode 5 where the current queen chatted with the servants and a little girl in the kitchen about parallel universe theory, past life and when the little girl asked whether her puppy is a human in the other life, the current queen replied “Its possible”.
I think actually there is only one soul and Jang Bong Hwan in the future is the reincarnation of Kim So Yong so instead of soul swapping, this drama is about gender swapping. Right now, her mindset is like a man but in term of sexuality and needs, she is what her physical body is, which is a woman.
I admit this drama is not perfect but I really love the slow burn romance between the king and the queen and how this drama insert the modern things/slangs like anti-fan, fan club, delivery palanquin, mac donaldu amidst the political plot in the historical time because usually it is rare for a drama about modern people that transmigrate into the historical time bring the modern influence when like the current queen in Mr Queen did.
I’m glad this drama keep the comedy tone even until the episode 16 and I/m hoping a happy ending so rewatch with laugh and giggles because after this there will be many upcoming interesting sageuk that I plan to watch but they all look angsty and melodrama types of sageuk like River Where The Moon Rises, Joseon Exorcist, Red Cuff Of The Sleeve and Red Sky.
Most looking forward to Joseon Exorcist. Happy that Jang Dong Yoon is making good choices on roles front. Very diversified. The leads of School 2017 have really transcended to become my must watch actors. Really hope to see Sejeong reunite with either of them. Shes such a great girl in real life and deserves the world. Hope she meets a good role too next. Looking forward to her appearance on Amazing Saturday with Jo Byeong Kyu next week.
Yes, the leads of School 2017 are on fire.
Kim Se Jong with The Uncanny Counter, Kim Jung Hyun with Mr Queen with reunion of Seol In Ah as the support cast and now Jang Dong with his upcoming drama, Joseon Exorcist.
And it make me feel more excited for Joseon Exorcist since it has the same screenwriter with Mr Queen.
Totally loving this drama. My most fav drama of 2020… and 2021 so far.
I love this drama because it does not take itself seriously and I am ever so grateful for the gift of laughter that this drama brings during this pandemic. True, there are lots of useless scenes lol and I probably might not have liked it if the 2 leads were different actor and actress but I’m just glad I tried to watch EP1 and got hooked 😀
I keep coming to soompi forum for spoilers. This is torturing!