Shin Hye Sun is what drew me into watching this drama in the first place - I've loved her in everything I've seen her in. The beginning of Mr. Queen was pretty rough for me. The first couple of episodes were sincerely awkward and over-the-top silly to watch. I've watched a number of historicals, most of which I enjoyed, and so watching this felt like satire. But slowly (VERY slowly), I came to appreciate the beauty in this story; it took until about half way through the drama for me to no longer feel bored and start genuinely enjoying the story and character dynamics.

Shin Hye Sun really is what carries this drama. Her acting is impeccable - I could feel all her emotion in just her facial expressions. And the way she impersonates a man was spot-on!
Kim Jung Hyun unfortunately just didn't do it for me. I've never really had an opinion about him either way in all the dramas I've seen him in (so far, I've liked him best as Alberto in Crash Landing On You), but in this one, I just don't think he was the right fit. He doesn't have the presence for the type of character he was trying to embody, which was a pity. But by the end of the drama, I had simply come to terms with his lacking qualities in portraying his character and just enjoyed the drama for what it was.

Plot-wise, I found the second half of the drama much more interesting and entertaining to watch than the first half (which, honestly, was terribly boring for me). And I'll be completely honest: It took a little while, but I really came to terms with the odd romantic dynamic between the King and Jang Bong Hwan...and liked it and rooted for them!

Mr. Queen sincerely challenged the way I perceive romantic love; it was something I had to acknowledge about myself and then push past the initial discomfort so I could see the beauty of this love. The portrayal and development of their romance was really so well done on the writer's part, where it had nothing to do with gender, that I couldn't deny their love. Do you simply love the shell? Do you actually love the mind regardless of the shell? Is it both? And what I came to realize is that there's no real right answer. Love. Is. Love. *Sigh*
So yes, I am one of the people who just wasn't satisfied with the ending.

If the story was not going to turn out having a romantic ending for Jang Bong Hwan, why have him feel those romantic feelings toward the King? I don't agree that So Yong's spirit inside the Queen's body made Jang Bong Hwan feel romantic feelings for the King. I just don't think it was that simple. Jang Bong Hwan came to care for the King as a person while seeing him struggle and looking past the mask he wore in front of the court. You see this breakthrough in the first half of the drama while the King struggles with maintaining his façade in the palace.
To be clear: I'm okay with Jang Bong Hwan going back to present day. I mean, come on, if So Yong's spirit is still in there, she deserves to live too. I'm totally for that. BUT, why doesn't Jang Bong Hwan get a romantic ending too? It felt like Jang Bong Hwan did all the hard work in getting the King to fall in love with the Queen, his feelings getting tangled up along the way, but he doesn't get to reap the rewards. And honestly, the King loved the Queen BECAUSE of Jang Bong Hwan. I'm not sure if he would have been drawn to her had Jang Bong Hwan not been impacting her behavior. It's even implied that the King noticed that things were different....the dramatic irony is that Kim Byung In didn't notice the change in the Queen...with the King noticing it, you'd expect him to then long for what was missing, right?
Also, you've seen it so many times in dramas - why didn't they do some form of reincarnation of the King in present day as a woman so Jang Bong Hwan gets his romantic happily ever after??? They've done it so many times before. Such a wasted opportunity.

Due to these points, I am having trouble feeling satisfaction with the ending of this drama. I understand that due to social taboos in South Korea, the writers felt pressure to be more conservative in representing sexuality, but it just feels supremely unfair to Jang Bong Hwan. I truly believe based on their dynamics, inner monologues, and interactions, he romantically loved the King, not just So Yong's affections coming through and imprinting on him. His feelings developed and grew over time in a reasonable fashion. Even though Mr. Queen is not nearly as tragic, this ending reminds me of the lacking ending from Scarlet Heart. *sigh*

The OST was really great! "Here I Am" by Jo Hyun Ah was my absolute favorite in the entire drama. I absolutely adored her voice and the melody. *applause*

I don't think I would be able to rewatch this and I personally didn't enjoy it enough to warrant recommending it to others. Shin Hye Sun was amazing, but...the story, the comedy, and the unsatisfactory ending are enough for me to just feel meh about it.