The Greatest Science Fiction Romance in the last 40 years
"더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) was the best science fiction and romance of the 2010 decade. I would say that this show has gained the number one (#1) spot in my list of "Top 10 Overall Best Sci-fi TV Show" pushing down "Fringe" (2008) which held that rank for 12 years.I. Story
The writer, Kim Eun Sook of the "Lovers in Paris" (2004); "Descendants of the Sun" (2016); "Goblin" (2016); and "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) fame, once again showed us her amazing talent in creating stories that truly captures the imagination and heart of the audience.
In "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020), Kim Eun Sook has woven beautifully the "parallel world" trope into her memorable romance plots. She did not leave it simply as a literary device then forgotten, she placed it in the center of the series, and the drama and romance unfolded through it.
Each episode was more or less one hour and ten minutes, and no episode was boring, no episode was dragging, no episode was a repeat of previous ones. In every episode there is a fresh plot, a new story to tell which added to the development of the characters, the relationships between them, and the tension and clashes when worlds and ambitions collide.
II. Acting/Cast
What an amazing cast--Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun CHae, Lee Jung Jin, Kim Yong Ji, Kang Hong Suk--they picked the right people for the roles. Their unique acting styles made their characters fully alive and their interaction with each other natural.
The show was not only about "Yi Gon" (Lee Min Ho) and "Jeong Tae Eul" (Kim Go Eun), everyone were key persons in creating the world of the "Kingdom of Corea". They all brought their best and created a masterpiece.
III. Production
While there were a few noticeable errors, the editing and sequence of the scenes covered it all. I especially like how they did not present the stories, in each episode, in a linear fashion; instead they kept scenes for the next episodes and did flashbacks at the right time.
The mixing of historical with the modern in the fictional "Kingdom of Corea" were seamless. There were no out-of-place moments. Where there are modern things, the room was designed to fit these modern gadgets. Where there should be a historical look and feel, the room either did not have any modern materials or the few blended with the environment. Not an easy task to achieve.
It was not only the interior designers but it was also the directors and cameramen who did great shots in creating a seamless mix of historical and the modern environments.
IV. Conclusion
I highly recommend "더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) especially if one is a fan of "parallel world" type of science fiction. Think of this show as "Fringe" (2008) but with touchy romance and intense family rivalry.
Overall score of 9.5 out of 10 stars.
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I think people are being too harsh on this drama just because it was overhyped. The intricate storyline (that had me confused most of the time) was very entertaining and had me wondering what was going to happen next. Woo Do Hwan completely stole the show with his double role. However, the storyline did start to feel a little repetitive since whenever Lee Gon was gone, Tae Eul was sad and when he came back, she was crying because she got to see him again. The ending was a little unsatisfying for me though, just because are Tae Eul and Lee Gon going to just travel together the rest of their lives? Also, the way some things ended kind of didn't make sense and it seems they only ended it that way to tie up the loose ends. Esta resenha foi útil para você?
After you watch all 16 episodes, you come to terms with why the actors were the way they were in the earlier episodes. This drama does not follow the typical K drama arc. You have to watch it from the beginning and finish it before you fully witness the character development of each character - esp Lee Gon and Jeong Tae-eul.
From episode 1-13 your mind goes into unlimited theories which may make it appear confusing to most people but after watching episode 14-16, you see how beautiful everything comes together.
So if you made a review without completing the 16 episodes, I think the review isn't valid, because we should take something and evaluate after watching the whole thing to be able to get the writer's vision of the story.
This drama has the best HUGS or EMBRACE in all Kdramas I have watched and I already have been a witness to KGE's acting which improved even better after Goblin but the jump in acting skills is higher for LMH - gone are his boyish ways, this drama was a perfect showcase of his "majesty". I think they both were the perfect cast for this drama. Apart from them, the characters of Jo Yeong, Jo Eun-sop, and Kang Sin-jae were also VERY IMPRESSIVE.
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genre- romance
if you like watching romance dramas than this drama is for you. The chemistry between Kim do Eun and Min-ho is the best. The love line in this story is really interesting because unlike other kdrama it starts off in the first and second eps. This drama is safe to watch if you have a serious case of second lead syndrome. als o this dram has so many heart-fluttering moments because it is unbelievable what a king will do for his girl.
comedy
this drama won't be known for its a comedy but it still has it funny moments which make you feel good. there are jokes in hear which will happen when you least expect it.
fantasy
in this story you can see another perspective of Kdramas which is Fantasy. this drama is based on a parrell universes. that is all i can say or i will spoil it
Acting
- in this drama , Kim go eun was such a great choice to play the main female lead because she is so savage in her own way and she really deserves this role if you are here for her you can have high expectations. Her acting when realizes something is amazing it's almost believable.
though the graphics in this drama suck
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Deabak Lee oppa & Kim Go Eun Unni
It's an amazing drama. There acting is so realistic. After watching Goblin I'm fan of Kim Go Eun. Her acting is very skillful. & her talking style,every expression is very realistic. LEE MIN HO is always deabak.There's nothing to say about him. He is always Skilled in his every works. Here he presents himself once again with his skillful acting. "THE KING:THE ETERNAL MONARCH" here Lee MinHo plays role as Yi Gon & he is the third Korean emperor of his generation. When he was 8 years old, his father was murdered before his eyes.Once he escapes, he sees himself propelled into a parallel world where he meets Jung Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun plays role as Jung Tae Eul). Overall it's very interesting story. I'm very excited. Almost I'm drowning in excitement.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Surprisingly very enjoyable
I was very hesitant to watch this show because I saw that the writer also wrote Goblin and Descendants of the sun. Both of which are commonly very highly rated. I attempted to watch both of them previously but I couldn't bring myself to finish them. I did not really like Goblin and I thought DOTS was only okay. For me, they both seemed quite slow and drawn out at times. I got through about half of both and then just read summaries of the rest.Anyways, I saw this on Netflix many times and skipped over it because I wanted to save myself from disappointment because I figured that I probably wouldn't like it. But alas quarantining was getting the best of me and I just decided to go for it and wow am I glad I decided to try it!
TKEM has a very complex story that is unique and full of twists. I do acknowledge that the complexity isn't for everyone. Honestly, I didn’t really know what was happening for like half the first episode haha. But after that, it definitely started to pick up for me. Even though there are a few parts that I will probably never understand I still really enjoyed the show very much!! I found the story very compelling and was so invested that I finished it all in 4 days. The show was very interesting and felt refreshing since it wasn’t filled to the brim with typical romance. This show is certainly not perfect but let's be honest no show is, so just keep to minimal and realistic expectations and you'll be in for quite a treat. All in all, TKEM is a success for me because at the end of the day it is simply just an entertaining tv show so I say it is definitely worth a try at least. I don’t regret watching it all!!
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Worth watching
Well, i don't think its bad or complicated story, please haters don't give negative reviews, this drama is full package of everything and every role played really well,I really admire the writers actors.
I am addicted to this drama.. Its worth watching.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Enjoy
Enjoy
Enjoy
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I don't believe half of these ratings!
I loved it that I watched it twice. The cast did great. How can you not rate this drama high? There were playing two different personalities in two different worlds. Do you know how hard that is? Lee Min Ho was awesome in his acting. Everyone did their part. The costumes were beautiful in Corea World. Just imagine if that was possible. If I can go to another world where there is COVID-19 and Trump was not the President, I'd be very happy. My Woo Do Hwan OMG you are a fine young man, cute too. Again, I was born in the wrong era and country. Those eyes are piercing! I didn't know you can be a little comedic. Kim Go Eun, I love her tomboyish acting in this drama. I loved the storyline. If you rated it low I advise you need to go back and rewatch it.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Checked for the hype but did not reach my expectations
I was quite enthusiastic about this drama. I love the main cast specially the 2nd male lead. However I didn't like the main story. I didnt get hooked by it.The idea of 2 dimension with 2 Korea is actually a very nice aspect ! I really love that part. I didn't like the rest. I think I am getting tired or unrealistic love story or cheesy love story.
I don't recommend it but I always think people should see by themselves!
I think people see big name and just get bias...
There were at the beginning very nice and mysterious part such as the ID card in the 2nd dimension ! But you kind of get bored of the whole thing.
But I love the 2nd male lead playing two character ! I watched a bit more thank to the 2nd male lead
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Keep you at the edge of your seat until the very end !!
When I am saying this will keep you at the edge of your seat till the very end, I literally mean it.This show is a complete package show.
From Acting,
Cinematography,
Casting,
Storytelling,
Story writing,
OSTs,
Direction everything is in sync and perfect.
Storyline :- Talking about the storyline it is very unique and extra ordinary. This drama is very convincing in a way that you may imagine that a parallel universe can actually exist.
One thing I like about this show is this one maintains balance between romance, mystery and suspense unlike other shows which mainly focuses on only romance.
Its a MUST WATCH show. Hands down.
PS :- If you are a fan of time travel you must not miss this masterpiece.
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