O Rei de Porcelana (2021)

Women should be allowed to be King more often! LOL

No, but seriously, this drama was top notch.

This was my first time seeing Park Eun Bin in anything but I'm convinced there wasn't a more perfect choice for the role out there. Not only was she physically a great choice, but she also killed it acting wise. She was so level-headed and composed most of the time, but when her emotions bubbled over she really stole the show. She was so badass and brave. But also humble and unafraid of being vulnerable. I really liked both the character and how Eun Bin brought her to life.

As for Rowoon, it's amazing how much better his acting has gotten! He's improved so much. He did a great job as Ji Un. It was so adorable seeing him be all confused and flustered over his budding feelings for the Crown Prince/King. And his chemistry with Eun Bin was electric. It was a joy to see them in every scene they had together.

The rest of the cast also deserves a shout-out. From Hyun, Eunuch Hong and Court Lady Kim, to commander Yoon, Ji Un's father and even all the kid actors. Choi Byung Chan was maybe a bit expressionless and monotone as Kim Ga On, but then again that was kind of the character's personality.

For a 20 episode drama there was a surprising amount of things that were barely addressed. Hwi's mother's death and her marriage come to mind, one came out of nowhere and the other wasn't even shown. Not to mention the rise to power of Hwi's paternal grandfather. A bit more backstory on the Uncle and her two cousins also maybe would have been helpful.

Lastly, I have to applaud whoever was involved in picking the OST. They really deserve a prize for a job well done. And the team that made the intro. I'm one of those people who always skip the intro sequence in dramas, but this one was so beautiful and went so well with the music that each episode I looked forward to it.

Leia Mais

Good, but slow

Production, acting and OST were mostly good.

In terms of acting, I must say Choi Myung Bin, the girl who plays young Lee Hwi and young Dam Yi, was amazing! I believe she has a bright future as an actress.
Also, actors Park Eun Bin, Bae Yoon Kyung, Jung Chae Yeon, Yoon Je Moon, Baek Hyun Joo, Kim Jae Chul, Bae Soo Bin, Kim Taek... They were all great!

I believe the story could be told in way less than 20 episodes, though. It is an interesting story, unpredictable and made me very curious. Romance and friendships were sweet and heart-warming for the most part. Family relationships were also interesting.

There were too many flashbacks, slow motion scenes (romance parts) and the fight scenes were very, very repetitive.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this show! It's not for everyone though, it really requires patience.

Leia Mais

well-written story and great acting!

Ngl I went into this thinking it was gonna be boring asf and hard to follow but I liked this show way more than I had anticipated. I avoid historical dramas like the plague but I watched this because a friend recommended it and I thought my mom would like it and decided to watch along with her. And I gotta admit, I like the show WAY more than I anticipated and I would actually consider rewatching this in the future. The plot is undoubtedly the strongest element of this show. The first two episodes are easily the strongest ones. The child actors who played young Hwi and Dani were really good. They absolutely deserve a shout-out.

CHARACTERS - Park Eunbin undoubtedly had the hardest job out of the entire cast. She plays both the Crown Prince Hwi and Dami, but she does both personas well. I didn’t think she’d be able to play a man but she was believable enough. I think a part of it is because approaches the role with a regal aura which contributed to how well she portrayed her role. There were times when she clearly sounded feminine and was seen looking like a woman but if her secret identity was found out early there would be no story. Even so, I still think it was kinda dragged out, and as expected, there were multiple times where Dami's identity should've been revealed. PEB also portrayed the torture and anguish of being trapped in someone else's life so beautifully. Now unto Rowoon. He was better than I expected. Especially with the emotional scenes, even though he could still improve. For an idol actor, he actually did a decent job. Nam Yoon Su was also good. Not my favorite side character that he played but he was cute for sure. I like the support he portrayed towards Prince Hwi. I also absolutely love the guy who played the grandpa. He was a trip! But he was very entertaining to watch.

Overall this was a very satisfactory watch. It also may have some replay value for me. I’d definitely recommend this show if you love historical dramas or as a show to watch in between shows.

Leia Mais

A favourite for sure!

When I first watched The King's Affection, I enjoyed it immensely! So much so that I had to show my mother (who can be picky when it comes to kdramas so far) and I can attest to it's rewatch value! I just want to add that compared to others I didn't think the drama dragged on and on nor did my mother (who hated that feeling during Goblin lol). There was never a moment where I got bored during my first watch of my second one with my mother.

From the very start, the first few episodes with the childhood sequences caught my attention an interest. Despite not spending a long time with our FL I already found myself tearing up at her situation especially after the mother passed away. The childhood lovers/ first love trope was something I enjoyed as well and I believe they picked great actors and actresses for the younger and older versions of the characters! I am also a fan of X female character has to disguise as male plots like in Disney's Mulan and She's the Man. So if you enjoy that too this may be the drama for you!

As a history major and general enjoyer of kdrama, I don't mind if there are ay historical inaccuracies and stuff not too deep with politics, because I'm here for the escape from reality lol I'm here for the ROMANCE and pinning. So if that's something you're going to get all uptight about then maybe kdramas are not for you... maybe watch a documentary >.>

The characters and cast were all wonderful! I enjoyed the chemistry between the FL and ML, especially when the ML loved her in both instances (past female, present male). It's another sweet like destiny/fate trope, like he loves her no matter what ^_^
The servants were very comedic and precious, I grew attached to them as well.

I also enjoyed the sort of mystery that kind of went on with the bodyguard getting revenge and eventually aiding our FL. Also the Uncle's "death" had me fooled the first time :P So there's that too.
The cousin's love and care for FL was so touching! If our ML wasn't there, I could see the potential!

The ending was very satisfy considering what occurred.
MAJOR SPOILER:


I really liked how in the end she kind of had to end it herself on her terms using the grandfather's poison again him. It sucks Gyeom had to die, but 'tis life I guess.


Anyway I doubt I did this drama any justice, but I just suggest you give it a go! As someone who enjoyed CLOY, Goblin, Rookie Historian, etc. you can take my review however you wish.

Leia Mais

My eyes, ears and heart are happy ❤

This drama is so truly beautiful that it took my breath away. It is extremely visual, the scenes are like moving paintings, every detail is perfect. We get to see different angles, a lot of camera movement, close takes and amazing shots - all that together with the excellent acting from the cast and the perfect soundtrack got me mesmerized. So yes, this is definitely one of the most beautiful dramas I have ever seen. It is not the work of only a few, and it is not done without love and effort, so kudos to the entire The King’s Affection crew.

I loved the cast, a great team that delivered wonderful acting all the way. Park Eu Bin is amazing and we can see the extent of her talent here. She’s always enchanting with her acting skills and this time was no different. My KING slayed.

The soundtrack is, I know I’m repeating myself here, beautiful. I mean, I cannot stop listening to the songs, even the ones that are instrumentals. All of the songs make me feel happy, sad, dreamy and hopeful at the same time.

I liked the plot, I absolutely LOVED the gender approach here and the non-toxic relationships - hello, there were a lot of one-sided “loves” and just mature reactions on how to deal with these feelings, let’s appreciate it. Pure gold . Plus, there were a lot of valuable messages that are timeless. In general, it is a sad story, but with a lot of cute and funny moments to level it all. The pace was on point for me - it got me on the edge of my seat sometimes, buti it also gave me time to breathe and dream. I cried, my heart ached, but I also laughed, I swooned and my heart was happy and warm by the end of it. BALANCE, BITCHES.

So, to sum up my review: IT WAS SO DAMN WORTH IT.
The King's Affection has my heart and it became one of my favorite dramas.
I will definitely rewatch it someday.
❤

Leia Mais

the show I recommend to everyone

"The King's Affection" has a special place in my heart. Not only are the costumes and set very visually appealing and satisfying to watch, but what intrigued me the most was the unique dynamic between the prince and the tutor. I adored Rowoon in "Extra-ordinary You" and his character in this drama is even better - the slightly eccentric tutor who is star-struck over the prince and follows him wherever he goes like an obsessed puppy, thinking himself insane for loving a man but despite this doing nothing to stop himself. lol. Park Eun-bin is also outstanding in her portrayal of the cold calculating prince Lee Hwi and it was enthralling to watch.

20 episodes may seem long but honestly for me, I was itching to watch the next episode every Monday and Tuesday, and it is in fact one of the few dramas I have actually completed from start to end. The premise enchanted me ever since I'd heard about it a few months prior to its release and I was not disappointed when I could finally get my hands on it. For any of you hesitating to watch this, I say, be bold, and just watch it. If you have taste, you won't regret it.

Leia Mais

One thing this drama sets up to do is that it's story is quite simple, it never tries to fall into other drama's gimmicks, like amnesia, moving the plot forward by years, really complicated plots that go nowhere.

In that sense you won't get any BIG reveal, but you will get satisfaction of watching the story unfold.

The acting from all the character is pretty solid, and our main character gets really well treated, and she always delivers.

Apart from that, the story does suffer some twists and turns and it ends up being really confusing. But I applaud them for their simplicity.

Leia Mais

I am a sucker for gender bender dramas, and this one is done well. Park Eun Bin is solid as steel as she maneuvers the political machinings of the royal family as a pretend monarch. Rowoon is decent but not outstanding as the Royal tutor loyal to his King. The supporting cast did a better job than Rowoon, even the child actors playing their younger selves. Kudos especially to rookie actor Nam Yoon Su who played the brooding noble pining for his cousin. The plot, while intricate, was a bit predictable, especially the anti-climactic ending. Despite this, this drama was an easy and enjoyable watch for me.

Leia Mais

Please watch this, I didn’t want it to end.

This was so addictive, I was clinging onto Netflix waiting for the next episode, then I knew once it was needed I had to wait a whole week till it was back. The music is so beautiful I am in the process of learning then in Korean, which is quite a feat as I am English. It stays in your memory long after it finished. I actually missed the actors.
It keeps you on the edge of your seat. An in the end well I was crying my eyes out because it had ended, and because of the story. It twist and turns till you have no idea how it’s going to end. At one point I think I forgot to breathe.
The costumes are stunning, whoever made them needed an award. Made me laugh, cry, smile and utterly sob, so much that I went on a zoom meeting when this episode aired and I couldn’t speak for crying, they thought something dreadful for real had happened.
Watch this drama you won’t be disappointed.

Leia Mais

Great introductory saeguk

This is a great historical drama to start out with for those who haven't really watched any and are worried about the roles and terms being difficult to follow. It has some cliches but it doesn't make them seem overbearing and if anything it actually helps the drama be more understandable which, as someone who had not really watched saeguks before, I found very enticing. The plot is more than the politics.

I know a lot of people complained that this drama got draggy, but I completely disagree. In fact, I feel like this one of the best paced kdramas that I've ever watched. I really love slow burns and I think TKA dedicated the perfect amount of time to the backstory, to the political tensions, and to each character. Not once did I think that the story wasn't moving forwards or was leaving me confused — there was a brilliant balance between very tension-filled moments and domestic, comforting scenes.

I think the story was fleshed out really well. There are some questions I have left near the end and I found some of the extended fight scenes a little meh and lacking in substance, but overall I think this drama was really well-written and well-acted. The ending was really beautiful and bittersweet and I think the story couldn't have gone any other way.

Leia Mais

The story telling was always steady, the tension always only rose tiny bits without any big showdowns. The finale itself was calmer than I expected but still worthy and in the end fitting the overall vibe of the drama.

It's one of those dramas that lives from its characters as there were many multi-layered ones who drove the story forward and whose cast did really good in portraying them. It's rare that I don't look for flaws in at least one or two actors/actresses. I just enjoyed all of them, the leads, the second leads, the side characters, the villains.

I often have concerns when it comes to characters pretending to be the other gender. And even though I started doubtfully, Park Eun Bin convinced me otherwise. She did really well in portraying someone that had to hide her gender for years, starting to feel more comfortable in men's clothes and acting way tougher than one would expect, so that it would lead to a natural rough behavior. In the end I found it somewhat funny but totally fitting that in her developing relationship with the ML, she was the strong one while Jung Ji Woon was the softer counterpart. She took the initiatives while he followed. And he definitely cried more than her, lol. BUT he never felt unmanly or something. Rowon achieved a good balance between his character's soft side and his strong/brave moments. And he was a good equivalent to Park Eun Bin.

At some point in earlier episodes I started to wonder why she continued to pretend to be someone else, since it was such a toll on her. But later on I realized that everyone just wants to live. And don't always need an answer to everything. Sometimes things are just like that without any deep reason.

One thing I'd complain about would be the part where people from Ming were visiting. They hinted so much to another back story that I actually expected them to make use of that in later episodes but they never did, which is quite sad. I would have loved to see as to what that part might have led.

And the music... In my humble opinion, I thought it was too weak and didn't support important scenes well enough. But that's just me.

Leia Mais