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The King: Eternal Monarch: Episode 2

Our misplaced royal explores his new environment and enthusiastically tries to get to know the woman he believes is his savior. But one person’s quality time is another’s harassment, and she’s not keen on having this self-important puppy follow her around. Nevertheless, she can’t help but be curious about this strange man with a regal horse and clothes made of diamonds who claims to know her.

 
EPISODE 2

Getting over her shock, Tae-eul roughly shoves Gon away. She asks if he’s lost his mind. “It was a greeting,” Gon explains. He was happy to see her. She’s uneasy when he says he’s been watching her and even knows her rank.

Losing patience, Tae-eul again demands to see his ID. Gon pompously discloses he doesn’t have one, being who he is. He then gives her the absurd truth about who he is and how he got there. Gon ends by surmising this is a parallel universe.

Tae-eul looks at him like he’s delusional, but he plows on that he sees a key difference. He gazes at a massive advertisement for “Queen Yuna” (Yuna Kim) as he notes this universe has a different ruler. Pfft. Tae-eul looks at him in disbelief and sarcastically remarks their Queen Yuna is beloved by the nation.

“Like me,” Gon states arrogantly. He orders Tae-eul to escort him to the queen and provide water for his horse who is a seventh-grade official. Ha! If he wants to see Yuna, he needs a ticket, Tae-eul says with a clenched jaw. Gon notes something is going wrong in their conversation, which Tae-eul wholeheartedly agrees with.

She takes a beat to collect herself and summarizes his story. When he condescendingly assumes she doesn’t know what a parallel universe is, Tae-eul lets out a frustrated yell and calls him a “crazy bastard.” Gon is taken aback, having long envisioned a much gentler Tae-eul.

Getting down to business, Tae-eul lists his charges and manhandles him into custody. At the station, he’s uncooperative and won’t even give his name, so she calls him Kim Kae-ddong (kae ddong=dog poop). Tae-eul searches his belongings and seizes the massive amount of cash in his wallet on suspicion of fraud. Then, she forcibly fingerprints him amid his protestations that no one can touch him.

In the kingdom, Ok-nam frets about Gon. Prince Bu-yeong asks with amusement where he snuck off to this time, but Ok-nam only knows from Yeong that he likely went into the bamboo forest. Prince Bu-yeong laughs, prompting Ok-nam to beg him not to take it so lightly and talk to Gon when he returns. They debate the best excuse to give for his absence, clearly used to doing this.

Yeong and the guards are searching the forest. He’s baffled that Gon’s trail ends suddenly, and past that point, he’s not caught on any security cameras. He instructs his team to go over the footage again. Yeong remembers that Gon said he was going to check if “it’s a clock or a rabbit” before he left.

Yeong interviews the men who were arrested at the rowing competition. They tell him they were chasing a girl with no identity or home who stole their boss’s money. The officer confirms their story and adds that the girl is wanted for various charges, but they can’t locate her since they don’t know her face or name. She goes by Luna.

In the cell, Gon refuses to sit on the floor and demands a cushion. Tae-uel ignores him. Suddenly, Gon is struck silent as Yeong’s alternate, Jo Eun-seob, walks in the precinct. Hilariously romantic music swells, and Gon practically has hearts in his eyes as he looks at his friend. They lock eyes, and Gon calls out to him. “What’s your problem?” Eun-seob utters with contempt as the music screeches to a halt.

Gon keeps weirding Eun-seob out by referring to him as Yeong and saying he can’t believe he followed him here. Ha. And wow is Eun-seob’s personality the opposite of his alternate’s. Gon watches in horror and mutters this can’t be Yeong as Eun-seob lays on the aegyo and acts remarkably undignified.

Eun-seob goes on (in satoori) about the awesome horse outside and notices Gon’s nifty watch on Tae-eul’s desk. Right after Gon haughtily compliments him on his good taste, Eun-seob makes some corny joke using the word “horse” that has Gon turning away in embarrassment.

Officer KYUNG RAN (Song Sang-eun) informs Tae-eul that Gon’s prints aren’t in the system. She suggests checking with the juvenile division in case he went missing as a kid and didn’t have his prints registered. (Or he had a murderous uncle…)

When Tae-eul tries to swab him for DNA, Gon realizes he must not exist in this world. He shares that she doesn’t exist in his world either; all he has is her photo and birthdate. Disturbed, Tae-eul demands to know why he has her photo and why he acted like he was waiting to meet her.

Gon is frustratingly cryptic, leading Tae-eul to get increasingly angry. She goes still when he says he was curious, thought about her a lot, and she looks better in real life. He reveals Eun-seob’s alternate is the captain of his royal guard, so that shows some people exist in both worlds and others don’t, like them.

Tae-eul challenges him to prove his alternate universe theory, but he asserts he is the proof. He gazes at her intensely, making her wonder why he keeps looking at her like that. She tells him he has the gaze of a criminal, which sets him off.

He then goes on about how Einstein’s quantum mechanics is the foundation for the theory of parallel universes. He pedantically explains the theory, and Tae-eul uses it as an opening to slip the swab in his mouth. Heh.

In the kingdom, Seo-ryung comes out of a meeting complaining about all the idiots in her cabinet. Her assistant reminds her she selected them, but Seo-ryung only chose them so she could use them. In her residence, her assistant reports Prince Bu-yeong’s security has tightened, and Gon’s schedule is suddenly open. Seo-ryung knows that means Gon ran off again.

Her assistant suggests he might have a lover, but Seo-ryung hopes not. She’s trying make the public believe they’re in a relationship. She smiles to see the positive comments on a gossip article linking her and Gon romantically.

Back in the republic, Tae-eul releases Gon. In his short time in custody, he managed to get a lot of info about Tae-eul from Eun-seob. He gives her a luxury hotel as his contact if she needs to reach him. He plans to pawn one of his diamond buttons for the expenses.

Tae-eul thinks he’s bluffing. “If those are diamonds, then I’m Princess Diana.” She’s stunned when a jeweler confirms his buttons are indeed rare diamonds. Gon enjoys her embarrassment and bewilderment, teasingly calling her Princess Diana.

When she goes to leave, he asks her to stay. “It took 25 years to see you, so I hope today will last a long time.” Tae-eul coolly tells him to move aside. She gets a call regarding a case and takes off while Gon stares after her.

Tae-eul and Shin-jae meet the wife of the murdered man from the trunk. He was missing for a few weeks, but she just thought he went gambling after they fought. Since he borrowed money constantly, there could be any number of people who wanted him dead. His wife despairs of the debt he left behind.

After 13 calls from Gon, Eun-seob finally goes to meet Gon who brings him up to his ritzy hotel suite. Eun-seob’s hesitations disappear the second Gon tells him the several bags of expensive items he’s carrying are for Eun-seob. Gon asks to see a family photo from when he was little. Both Eun-seob and his father look the same as Gon’s versions.

A flurry of angry texts from Tae-eul come in as Gon holds Eun-seob’s phone. She’s livid that Gon sent Maximus to her house since he heard she has a big yard. Eun-seob tosses the phone away in fear after Gon hands it to him.

At home, Tae-eul’s dad JUNG DO-IN (Jeon Bae-soo) and her friend MYUNG NA-RI (Kim Yong-ji) discuss how rich the owner of the horse must be. Na-ri encourages Tae-eul to hold onto him.

At the end of her rope, Tae-eul rushes to Gon’s hotel and sends a message up to his room: he has 10 minutes before she sells his horse to the highest bidder. He makes it downstairs in the nick of time. He argues he’ll take care of Maximus; he just needs her yard temporarily.

Tae-eul wants to know when he’s leaving, but he’s not sure. He likes being with her. She agrees to keep Maximus until the DNA results come out, but that’s it. Gon panics when she starts to put her hair up – it’s a sign she means business – and warns him to behave. He only starts breathing again once she leaves.

The next day, Tae-eul and Shin-jae get a briefing on the autopsy results on Lee Sang-do. He died from head trauma three weeks ago which matches when he went missing. He and the suspect have similar head wounds from the same instrument, possibly a lever.

As Tae-eul investigates, Gon calls her from various phones he borrows whenever he has a question or discovery. Meanwhile, Rim is at a temple painting dancheong (traditional colorful patterns). Later, Rim comes up to a mother who’s crying after a group of awful children humiliated her son on his birthday merely because he’s in a wheelchair.

Rim asks what she prayed for, and she sobs as replies she prayed for her son to be able to walk. He bluntly states that’ll never happen. “But you can make those children limp.” Does she want to change her prayer?

A news report announcing the injury of three elementary schoolers who were hit by a truck plays in the flower shop where SONG JUNG-HYE (Seo Jung-yeon) buys flowers for her late son’s birthday. We flash back to when she saw Rim stand from his wheelchair years ago. While the police were banging on her door, Rim impassively stated that her son (Ji-hoon, in this universe) drowned, and her husband was killed in a hit-and-run. She’ll be under suspicion.

Now, as she places flowers on her son’s grave, Rim’s voice echoes. He calls her pathetic – she sinned by laughing once upon hearing of her husband’s death, and now she’ll never laugh again.

Tae-eul interviews Kim Bok-man who insists he didn’t kill Lee Sang-do. As for his matching wound, he got it around three weeks ago. He recalls waking up at home on a bloody floor. Tae-eul reveals the blood matches the victim’s, not his. She proposes that Lee Sang-do attacked him, and Kim Bok-man used that same weapon to kill Lee Sang-do, which he emphatically denies.

They go through security footage and find that Lee Sang-do followed Kim Bok-man to his apartment three weeks ago. What they need now is the weapon. Tae-eul finds it suspicious that Lee Sang-do was able to locate Kim Bok-man, seeing as he was deep in debt and would need to hire someone to get the info.

Upon getting home, Tae-eul tries to feed the horse, but Maximus won’t eat. She calls Eun-seob to locate Gon who is currently reading history texts at the library. He’s been doing this for three days.

Gon smiles brightly when Tae-eul plops down at his table as everyone around them wonders if she’s the hot guy’s girlfriend. He shares his recent discovery that Korea has a president here. Tae-eul gets up and walks out with Gon scurrying after her.

They go out to eat, but Gon is hesitant without someone tasting it for poison. That’s been Eun-seob’s job so far. Ha. Of course, Tae-eul is not about to comply, but he doesn’t ask her to. He says, if he dies from poison, these are his last words: “Thank you. Because you existed somewhere, I was less lonely for the past 25 years.”

Tae-eul stares in silence as he begins to eat. He shares his historical findings, namely that their worlds’ histories diverged after Prince Sohyeon. He passed early in this world, but in his world, he lived long and stopped the Qing invasion. Gon’s impressed at the rapid industrialization that’s occurred since the war in this world.

She accuses him of making up stories, and he thinks back to childhood when he’d wondered why he survived that night. He told Ok-nam he had heard a flute. Was it the Manpashikjeok? Ok-nam reminds him that flute makes no sound. Huh?

Gon insists he followed the flute sound to that room; it was even louder than the gunshots. He asks if she has the two items he kept from that night. Ok-nam hands over Tae-eul’s badge and the flute, which she’s hidden in a riding crop. They agree to keep this secret between them. Looking at the items, Gon wonders if the reason he survived is here.

In the present, Gon asks why Tae-eul won’t believe him. She responds she’s the suspicious type. Tae-eul tells him to stop the nonsense and do nothing until the DNA results come out. Gon wants to know why she’s helping him. “Just because,” is her reply. She’s a police officer. He hopefully asks if there’s more, but she stays silent.

Later, Gon melancholically peruses an exhibition of Korea’s monarchy from King Taejo to King Sunjong, the last monarch. Meanwhile, in the kingdom, Yeong returns to where he found Gon after he saw the “clock rabbit” (White Rabbit). Yeong sees someone in that same rabbit hoodie and grabs them, but it’s just a high school kid.

The kid says the hoodie is part of his class uniform, but they can probably be ordered online. Recognizing Yeong, he asks for a picture which Yeong flatly refuses. Elsewhere, Seung-ah is notified she made it to the final interview stage with the Royal Public Affairs Office. Before she can hang up, Yeong walks up to her.

Seung-ah is starstruck and gladly hands over her camera so Yeong can check the pictures from the rowing competition. She belatedly realizes she took several photos of Yeong, but he doesn’t acknowledge them and asks her to send all the photos.

Yeong updates Ok-nam on his progress and shares that Gon was looking for the woman from that day’s incident. She takes it as a sign her talismans might be working.

In the republic, Gon has already spent his money from the diamonds and can’t even buy coffee. He goes to see Maximus and gets excited when he sees Na-ri get out of a sports car – she’ll understand him. Alas, she doesn’t prove understanding enough to gift him a coffee.

Shin-jae gets his first peek at the handsome, delusional guy everyone is talking about while he waits for Tae-eul to come down. Gon enquires as to the nature of Shin-jae’s relationship with Tae-eul, like it’s somehow his business. They get into a pissing contest, and Shin-jae warns him he won’t be so nice next time.

Gon stares at Tae-eul’s window as she hangs laundry inside. In a flashback to 2006, Tae-eul finds a buttload of eggs on the table and chastises her father for being too soft. Despite having little money themselves, the family selling them was in need, so he bought an unnecessary amount. Tae-eul worries about their bills.

Cue Tae-eul posing unnaturally in the window trying to lure boys into her father’s taekwondo studio. Ha. Only one boy stops and stares like she’s a goddess: Shin-jae. When he shows up for lessons, Tae-eul gets her father to pay up. Guess he lost that bet.

In the present, Tae-eul runs into Gon on her way out. He tries to tag along, but she leaves him behind. She feels bad, though, and goes back. He chides her for treating him poorly when she’s the only person he knows in this world.

Frustrated by his comments, she asks why he keeps acting like he knows her. He explains he found her ID 25 years ago. Tae-eul reasons that she’d have been way too young for that card to exist. Gon claims the ID he has was issued on November 11, 2019, so he’s been waiting for that day.

Tae-eul turns serious and says he seems to be having delusions and should get psychiatric help. He must have family, and they’re probably worried. He intentionally misinterprets her words to confess that he’s single. And he’s just reached a decision.

Gon walks too close to her, again, to announce that he’ll make her his queen. “You just became the reason why I should stay in this world.” Tae-eul sighs that he’s completely nuts. He smiles.

 
COMMENTS

Seriously? Just last episode he went on about how he wasn’t interested in marriage, and now he’s proposing to a woman he’s known for a couple days. He’s assuming she’s his “savior,” but he doesn’t know that for a fact either. Unless he has some grand plan that we’re not privy to, this makes no sense. This “romance” feels super forced at the moment. Why does Tae-eul even put up with him? You’d think she’d be more wary of some guy who claims to have been watching her for 25 YEARS and continually harasses her. You’re a cop for goodness sake! Get a restraining order or something. Even if she thinks he’s harmless, shouldn’t she have arranged for some kind of psych evaluation? They can’t identify him, and he claims to be a monarch from a parallel universe, but they just sent him on his merry way.

I think part of the issue is that the characters are vague. All I know about Gon is he’s a haughty royal who hides behind a playful façade. I don’t know who he is as a person, and it’s making his motivations unclear. So that sudden declaration that Tae-eul should be his queen feels like it came out of nowhere. Tae-eul’s reactions aren’t making much sense partially because we don’t know much about who she is either. We know she’s a tough cop with a brash personality. That’s it. Honestly, most of the characters don’t feel like real, nuanced people yet. I’m hoping they’ll be fleshed out as we go because they have potential. Take Seo-ryung, for instance. She’s an ambitious female prime minister with murky motives who could be a great character, but she could also turn into the average, meddling second lead.

Once again, we didn’t get much plot movement. This episode felt less focused, and the bloated episode length isn’t helping. We got a lot of interaction between our two leads, but it felt kind of repetitive. I kept waiting to get some more answers or hints, but besides a few tidbits – like Yeong hearing about the enigmatic Luna – we kept focusing on things that felt random. For example, I have no idea why we’re spending so much time on Tae-eul’s murder investigation. I’m assuming it has plot significance since we keep focusing on it, but right now it feels like we suddenly get transported to a crime drama.

On the topic of crimes, Rim is going a little overkill (heh) with the murder. He’s axed most of his family at this point, killing his brother twice, his own alternate and his nephew. And when did he become an evil genie granting revenge wishes? He must be getting something out of it, since he’s not the type to do something for nothing. Is he just being your average criminal or is he somehow using the magic flute to accomplish his no-good deeds?

We got a little more info on our parallel universes this episode. Gon’s discovery about the historical point of divergence makes it seem like it was a single world that split because of a significant moment. If that’s the case, maybe there are more than two worlds. As for the alternates, I find it interesting how different Yeong and Eun-seob are in that it shows how one person can have the potential to go such different ways. From what we saw of Yeong as a child, he was emotional and not big on following rules. Becoming the king’s right-hand man made him strict and stoic, giving nothing away. Is Eun-seob who he’d be without intervention?

Oh, and a note on translation. Despite Gon’s actual title being “emperor,” I’ve chosen to go with the official subtitles and use “king” and the corresponding “kingdom” instead. This is mainly for consistency’s sake since the title of the drama is literally “The King.” I have no idea why they titled it that if there’s technically no king, but there you have it.

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Yeong and Eun Seob are all i seeeeeee....
: D

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This man should be in an opera. Or on a stage. That voice can seduce an angel. When he speaks in that deep, deep baritone, the earth trembles and my heart quakes.

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More than my heart quakes when he speaks...

Ahem 😉

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That jaw. It is so chiselled, like the glinting edges of my saucepan. It is so STRONG and so controlled. Like he is keeping himself on a tight leash. What would he be like when he lets down his guard? That scene of him scrolling robotically, back ramrod rigid and unbending, clad in that impeccable black suit, and suddenly, pausing for a heartbeat at his pic - my heart flipped - then nonchalantly putting down the phone. Ahhhhh. SO. ROMANTIC. That low,quiet bite of breath, I HEARD THAT. I swooned.

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for me, the chiselled eyes....

but i want my daughter to marry him, cuz i'm old enough to be his mother... i told her to watch it for him, her future husband.
: D

my grandchildren will be so beautiful...

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I saw a little of Kim Kyung Nam too.

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oh, one of the ducklings???

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or am i getting my dramas mixed up again... damn this old age... they are all so cute, can't keep track of them...
; )

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He wasn't one of the ducklings, but he was half of the security couple in Where Stars Land. I have a bad feeling about him in this one though.

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oh yeah, and he was the baseball fanatic fan/brother of the prison guard in Prison Playbook... right?

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There's a little Kim Kyung Nam?! Where? I also feel his character is hiding something. He drew the flower logo in his book. I think he is connected with evil uncle. Hehehe

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@spazmo I understand what you mean :)

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I like the observation made by @quirkycase on Yeong and Eun Seob. Yeong adult is certainly an opposite of his playful and affectionate toddler self (an exact version of Eun Seob).

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This drama is just a bloated Lee Min-ho comeback package at this point, filled with convoluted plot points, questionable acting and not even the slightest hint of chemistry between anyone, especially the leads. I really don’t want to hop on the Kim Go-eun hate train, but her character here honest to God just feels like a slightly grown, more brash Ji Eun-tak to me. Her acting hasn’t improved and her face never seems to change expressions so that’s not helping either. Lee Min-ho seems off his game too (the Kim Shin/Kim Tan mannerisms he’s forced to play aren’t helping either) and he’s barely carrying the show as it is. This smells like a disaster in the making and I don’t think any amount of Kim Eun-sook drama gloss is going to fix that. Welp.

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Both of them have done their best acting in Chungmuro with heavier materials so I hope they'll return to films after this.
I don't expect anything more than what they are given.

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I really like Lee Min Ho in Legend of the Blue Sea and I hope he will bring something different over here.
I am not sure whether the episodes will get better, or the chemistry will grow between the main characters. However, I will still watch the King, mostly because fantasy is my favorite genre.

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I have mixed feelings about Lee min-ho. He is obviously very handsome and I enjoyed him in Faith and City Hunter. But, overall, he is a bit meh acting wise.

In fact, I don't see much difference between his characters from Legend and Heirs when compared to this. It came to a point where I don't even remember his characters' names, all I see is only Lee min-ho.

For me a good actor is an actor who can portray his/her characters well, distinguishing them from one another (as if they totally different people). Park seo-joon and Kan ha-neul are excellent actors that make me feel as if I'm seeing different people every time they portray a character.

As for Kim go-eun. She has many fans, but I'm certainly not one of them...at least, in dramaland. I liked her projects in Chungmuro, so she just stick to it and forget that dramaland exists.

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'For me a good actor is an actor who can portray his/her characters well, distinguishing them from one another (as if they totally different people)'

This. So much this.

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That would be Seo In Guk

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That would be Park Seo Jun too.

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Agree.

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Perhaps Lee Min Ho would be better off in more action packed and dramatic roles.

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I totally agree with you. Slow kinda romantic roles don't do him any favor. That's why Faith and City Hunter are my fav projects from his career. I did enjoy Gangnam Blues too.

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Hi @kathia

I like lee min ho in faith and city hunter too. I hope he will try different roles in the future.

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... this is so on point!

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Oh hold on a minute...While I enjoy his banter with our female officer here but I think things are a getting a little bit too fast with a proposal in episode 2... I am not sensing the feel yet...

Somehow I still think lee min ho had the best chemistry with gianna jun in legend of the blue sea and park min young in city hunter.

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If you are talking about having a quick marriage proposal in Episode 2, I have one ever quicker: Lee Young-joon. He proposes to Kim Mi-so at the end of Episode 1 («What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim»)

The problem is not being quicker or slower, but what effect you want to have. King Gon is way too fast because he is way too annoying here, but Young-joon's proposal is awful but fun to watch. That shows the difference in acting ability of two actors (Lee Min-ho and Park Seo-joon) as well the writing of the screenwriters. Even Kim Eun-seok is more famous here, her writing this time is way too complicated and too "artificial", like putting all the unrelated blocks together ...

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Sorry, I should say "awkward" not "awful". Sorry.

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Yes you are right
I guess we need to blame that on the script or direction...
I would have preferred that they have a more interactions before he dropped the proposal ... in the case of what’s wrong with Secretary kim, Young joon was desperate not to lose her and they have been working together for years. Having said that both actors oozed strong chemistry, despite not having expressed any verbal interests...

I find the KGE is not even the least affected by his looks. One would surely want to propose to a girl who has shown a bit of interest ya?

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Yes, @reionline, that strong chemistry is what abundant in «Secretary Kim», but lack in here «The King». I don't blame Kim Go-eun here for that, however, because her character of Tae-eul is at least distinguishable from her performance in «Goblin/Guardian», not only because she was a teen in «Goblin» and obviously an adult in «The King». She can be a serious character, especially shown in the opening scene when she is interrogating Lee Rim the Murdering Prince.

However she can only go so far if her counterpart and the script is not cooperating. The script has no soul I guess we have talked a lot in all these comments (I guess Kim Eun-soek is like Tim Cook who mixing all the functions other phones already have into his first iPhone and make it popular, but she doesn't have his aura as well his ability to adjust all the functions into his own phone seamlessly).

On the other hand, I guess Lee Min-ho doesn't have the acting ability to put the character together like a person. He is annoying because he plays like a chaebol doesn't care about other, only full of himself. Think of one of his mantra, "I'll get you beheaded." It should be a funny punchline; however every time he says that, it's like he is so serious he is such an arrogant jerk. My point is, well, every chaebol do that, but if you want me to root into such character, I have a hard time to do that, because he is so flat and annoying I don't think he is real, and so I don't care.

I love actors who don't mind to look ugly to make the character prefect (like Park Seo-joon--Not only in «Secretary Kim», which I like his performance even though I actually don't like how the kidnapping plot unfold, but even «Itaewon Class» ends badly, he can even save the whole drama somehow to make it interesting), as well actors solely rely on his acting skill (I am not say Yeo Jin-goo not handsome--even some do--but just look at his past performance in «The Crowned Clown» and «Hotel del Luna» ... do I need to say more?). Sorry if I have to say that, but Lee Min-ho better stick with his career as a model. Looking good is not enough to be an actor.

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@Emperor Titus

Yes Park Seo Joon is a very good actor. In Secretary Kim, you see him as Young Joon. The OCD and uptight boss. And park min young was very much in character as well. The tolerant and super efficient secretary.

And yes Yeo Jin Goo. I really salute him in the scene of the dying drug addicted king in the cave/beach. And he carried the show so well with IU in Hotel deLuna.

I think Lee Min Ho can emote well as noticed by one of the commentators down the thread. I don’t know whether he has given it his all. I recall Go Ara was good in Reply, but somehow her subsequent roles were not so noticeable until Miss Hammurabi and Haechi.

I know Kim Go Eun has lots of fans who love her acting abilities, but I just feel she is a little bit miscast here. She is awesome as the police officer but somehow there’s lack of chemistry between her and Lee Min Ho. I think both actors tend to be very good when they are cast next to very compatible co stars, otherwise they come across as either trying too hard or unremarkable.

I guess you really need strong costars not just for acting ability but for their charisma ad chemistry. Son Je Yin and Hyun Bin (Crash Landing), the Song Song (DOTS). So I just couldn’t help thinking whether they should have cast someone else opposite Lee Min Ho like Go Ara, Han Hyo Joo, etc.

As for the writer, I know Kim Eun Seok is a celebrated writer for her hits but I prefer Song Jae Jin for her flair in fantasy fare. I am still very much in love with W the Two Worlds, Queen In Hyun, Memories of Alhambra (Hyun Bin!!!)

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I see Memories of Alhambra and can't help thinking....if Luna is as useless as Emma from MoA...I'll be so devastated. Emma had loads of potential, unfortunately show made her a showpiece until the final moments where she actually did something. Huhu

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My thoughts exactly! I definitely agree with you on the lack of chemistry. Kim Go Eun Was totally miscasted for the female role in The King. If the writer had her heart set on Lee Min Ho as the male lead, then why not prioritize chemistry with the female lead. After all, if all fails (like the script in The King) the chemistry between characters will still draw viewers in. I loved Legend of the Blue Sea, and thought LMH’s performance was great there. Now, after watching The King, I realize that Legend of the Blue Sea was a success mainly because of the script and the chemistry between the protagonists, LMH and Jun Ji Hyun. In Legend of the Blue Sea, LMH’s character was also conceited and arrogant but because of the script, it came out as funny, similar to Park Seo Joon’s character in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. Hopefully, the lines for LMH and Kim Go Eun’s expressions will improve over the next episodes.

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@katakwasabi
Sorry.....Err who is Luna? I only noticed Maximus....

Agreed about Emma. Ending was terrible in Memories of Alhambra but Hyun Bin was spectacular.

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@yanhy
You are absolutely right. If The King show concept is about fantasy romance then the romantic leads should be prioritised. I read that in Twillight the writer and director were very particular about the casting. Once they determine on Kristen Stewart they got in the shortlisted candidates to audition with her and selected Pattinson as the one having the most sparks with her.

I am glad you noticed the key success factors of Legends of the Blue Sea. And you could see how well Lee Min Ho played both characters (Joseon period and current time) so differently in mannerism and expression.

My issue here with KGE is that she was wonderful as a daredevil cop and the seductive ploy to get in taekwondo students were hilarious. You could see her passion just to get things done. However, the next moment she encountered LMH, she turned into someone reserved, bored and cynical. What happened to her energy and enthusiasm? It’s kind of inconsistent. I have seen Jung Ryeo Won in several dramas and she is able to bring out something different in each role.

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Luna is KGE's doppelganger. She is said to be a petty thief. The haven't officially introduced us to Luna yet. I hope her character is impactful. I don't want Luna to be Emma2.0.

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@reionline

"Sorry.....Err who is Luna? I only noticed Maximus...."

Luna is Kim Go-eun's character in the Kingdom side. She originally has no identity until she gets into jail one time. She is a criminal and did lots of bad things. She has not appear in the drama yet (so the description above base on drama's synopsis already published), except one time shows up at Tae-eul's rear-view mirror. She probably is also that person wearing that rabbit suit, and that "Clock Rabbit" King Gon mention quite a lot of time. Just like Young (Kingdom) and Eun-seob (Republic), Luna is Tae-eul in the Kingdom world. For King Gon, on the other hand, he can't find himself in the Republic just because his Republic Self is killed by Rim when he arrived in the Republic (Ep.1).

One thing you should note as well: in an interview, Lee Min-ho did mention Luna, saying that she will be the most complicate character he has encountered since his acting career.

It sounds complicate, but hope that I can answer your question.

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@reionline You mentioned Han Hyo-joo, this is an interesting pick, not only she was the female lead in «W», a famous drama involving 2 worlds (my another favorite, and it is true that Song Jae Jin is professional on this field), but she is also playing a North Korean Spy right now in «Treadstone», a US drama which is also a prequel of «Jason Bourne» series. I am pretty sure she would totally fit into the role of Tae-eul ... I am not sure if she would like to come back to Korean drama though: her next project will be a Japanese film, and I remember she doesn't receive well in Korea lately (not because of her or her acting though).

"I guess you really need strong costars not just for acting ability but for their charisma ad chemistry." I guess this is what we both agree (so as «Crash Landing» and «DOTS», although I may not like «DOTS» rush ending and over-patriotism), we may not agree which one in «The King» is to blame though. I didn't watch a lot of Lee Min-ho's dramas, so I can't disprove you; what I am saying simply base on what I saw in this drama. And I have to admit that if Lee Min-ho can't give it his all, his military service and 2 years of hiatus may or may not have been a factor as well. So I would say let's just go on and look at the rest of the drama to judge.

I guess we may have agree the screenwriter may have to blame for the problem as well, do you agree? Honestly, I really miss her «Mr. Sunshine», even she didn't lay out all the background until Episode 4, The beginning is still very amazing to watch (I watched 8 times in 4 months, I have to admit).

(And a very small afterthought, I really love IU, no matter her singing, songwriting and acting. But I would stop here for now, otherwise I can't stop at all)

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I think Mr. Sunshine is her best work so far. I had to rewatch Mr. Sunshine to remind myself how grand her previous work was. Sad to say but the first two episodes of Mr. Sunshine is incomparable to this.

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I agree with Mrs. Z; I just finished watching Mr. Sunshine and I also believe it is KES' best work (although City Hall is still my favorite for romance). I do not expect her to reach those heights here, mainly because her material does not have the same gravitas. From the get-go, the stakes are just not as high here - it is a fluffy fantasy and to compare Mr. Sunshine with King.. is like comparing Alice in Wonderland to Crime and Punishment.

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@emperor Titus

I really dig your comments. Indeed Han Hyo Joo is talented and I must start watching Treadstone. I had seen clips of her amazing fighting scenes. I think she will returning to film Pirates 2 but I do wish to see her in a drama again as cinemas might prove to be slow with this COVID epidemic.

Oh yes W Two Worlds was really good. Another example of compatible OTP with great chemistry. (Can’t wait for the Return of Lee Jong Suk)

I like Lee Min Ho in City Hunter and Legend of the Blue Sea but not in the Heirs. And as noted by some here, I am getting Kim Tam vibe here, the stares, the clingy thingy...

KGE was good in the Cheese in The Trap so yes I agree with you that maybe the writing may be lacking in defining and refining the characters (including Tae Eul’s character. And while the set is beautiful and grand, Maximus was majestic, etc I thought the director may have be overlooking certain finesse and depth in character portrayals.

I have not seen The Sunshine.... but I have seen DOTS. I wonder without Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo, could it become such a mega hit?

Let’s hope that the upcoming episodes fare better...

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What you said is just right, @mrsz6, and aman!

@skelly, truely «Mr. Sunshine» may not be the best romance in town, but it is so deep and full of weight of history, it touches a lot of issue, and ask heavy questions, and not even about Korea, but also about US and beyond. On the other hand, comparing «Mr. Sunshine» and «The King» is "like comparing Alice in Wonderland to Crime and Punishment" is true, but I guess we are not talking about «Alice» and «Crime», we are talking about good story and bad story. No offence, but I do believe «The King» writing is really not that good.

And @reionline, «Mr. Sunshine» is at the next level of «DOTS». It's about a period never portrait in any K-drama, a love story you really need your heart to feel, and a patriotism which is more personal and not dogmatic. It is not a happy ending (They even announced that in the beginning: It's about "Guns, Glory, Sad Endings"), but it is much more memorable than any happy ending. What surprises you is not Lee Byung-hun, whose 27-year career (when the show air) in Korea and Hollywood makes him handling a character so tragic like Eugene Choi like a piece of cake, but Kim Tae-ri, who broke her ground just 2 years ago (again, when the show aired) with «The Handmaiden» and «1987» putting her aristocrat-by-day sniper-by-night character into a spectacle. At the same time, there's lots of little fun scenes do make me smile (I don't spoil everyone, but that one in Eugene's office involving a booklet is my favorite). In short, it is a must watch.

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And by the way, @reionline, Kim Eun-soek prepared «Mr. Sunshine» as early as in 2008, which means she would already have that idea right after «On Air» (Source: https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=277&aid=0001978866 -- I read this with Google Translate: you can even know the original Eugene is a Caucasian-American soldier, not a Korean-American, and according to some sources, his nickname is "Goblin"). She had that show in mind for so long, she even name «DOTS» and «Goblin/Guardian»'s temporary title as "Mr. Sunshine" when she first announced the projects.

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Uhm, one is a romcom, with two people who have worked together for years, plus PSJ's character remembers PMY's character (and promising to marry her) since he was a child. The other is a fantasy in which LMH's character thinks the policewoman he's met is the woman who saved his life when he was a child, and has a royal duty to marry. And possibly may be just messing with her.

I would agree that PSJ, who is pretty clear about his personal opinion that he has an average face, is a more skilled actor than LMH, who is famous for his good looks (and from his checking himself out in mirrors a lot, understands they are a key element to his success), but then PSJ is one of the best actors in S Korea, IMO.

This drama has, IMO, had a rocky start, and I love both fantasy and LMH. I've actually only seen two of the dramas by this writer; one is Goblin, the best Kdrama I've ever seen, and the other is Heirs, which I didn't like. So I don't know how things will progress, but I'm definitely going to stay and check it out. But hopefully things will improve. I like the premise, and I liked this writer's prior fantasy, so I have hope.

I'm certainly not going to blame LMH for playing the role the way he's being directed, and he's actually doing a good job as a spoiled, wealthy manchild who has been a king since he was a young child.

OTOH, I personally wish that there was a different FL. I'm not feeling Kim go-eun in this role, and I don't think she's suited for it. She is the one who I see failing at her role, which I assume is supposed to be a strong, feisty, tough cop. Can anyone envision this character as the figure who showed up to save the young Lee Gon, aggressively fighting and actually shooting people like a cold assassin? Because I sure as hell can't. I hope I change my mind, but this looks like some serious miscasting.

So far, the couple with the best chemistry is LMH and WDH. Too bad they can't be the OTP here! (I can totally see WDH being the shooter who saved young Lee Gon!)

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@vespertyne

I agree with you completely. I think KGE has a bit of problem taking on a tough cop role and getting romanced by the king. I think she might be excellent as being good cop. I mean she looked much more thrilled and alive catching culprits compared to facing LMH. Or simply being a girl having a crush on a mysterious boy in school. However, Park Min Young didn’t have that problem as the Presidential bodyguard in City Hunter, switching into the chemistry with LMH. But then again PMY has wonderful chemistry with her male co stars.

At the same time, I can’t help blaming the script. It’s rather dull. There’s only so much you can act or do if the script is not interesting. So I got to give it to WDH who is stealing the show with a stony face and very few lines. And Maximus did even better standing pretty without words. And the dead BBQ chicken is more appealing than our leads. Yummy.

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Yeah, WDH has an natural aura that I admire, so as Maximus.

(The real thing I want to say is: BBQ Chicken is very good. I can get those in Toronto; however no beer, that's too bad)

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Maybe...just maybe...Luna aka KGE's doppelganger is Corea is an evil witch with superpowers and Evil Uncle is ultimately serving her. Muahaha

I agree with @quirkycase about the forced romance, if it's romance that they're aiming for, it feels super duper forced. I could accept it more if King Tan just wants to befriend her to get more info about this other world. But he went into creepy territory by telling her he'lll make her his queen. They barely now each other. She doesn't even know his name. It's not like they're long lost childhood friends, rekindling past memories. I'm really not feeling any romance vibes from the 2 yet. I hope the show doesn't push it too quickly from the start.

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The romance seems forced because the King is battling a forbidden romance with himself. If he could, he would marry himself and be King AND Queen.

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Hahahahaha! Maybe that explains his repeated 'you'll be beheaded' line similar to the line by The Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland 😆

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Tbh if I were as pretty as LMH it would be hard for me to look away from the mirror long enough to even notice other people, so I would totally understand this being the endgame OTP.

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Yep. He is really gorgeous. And he knows it's a key to his success, so he sells it. And I'm 100% certain that he's being directed to do so, plus it's suitable for this character to do so. (Even if he were not beautiful, he would still have been told so from the time he was born, as the heir to the throne. I mean, just look at the British monarchs. The males mostly dated and married women who were out of their leagues in the looks department! The same can be said for homely princes and kings all over the world!

So, from someone who isn't a blatant LMH hater, as so many here clearly are, I'm hoping the drama finds it's feet, and that it can be a success despite what I think is a problematic casting decision for the FL.

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Exactly. Lee Min Ho as King Lee Gon is a King Tan comeback. Maybe the writer thought Kim Tan deserve an upgrade after The Heirs’ success. So why not make him into the real HEIR to the throne of the kingdom of Corea?

And as for the female lead who was the bride of Goblin, let’s transform her into the bride of the King. And just to make sure she doesn’t appear weak and typical candy, she should be cop and criminal at the same time.

So it’s not just the dull script, it’s a whole mess of character under-development. Great on the surface but lacking in depth.

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@vespertyne
Interesting observation about good looking real life monarchs going for average looking girls.

Well, I guess after staring at her identification tag for 25 years, she must have been the most beautiful lieutenant in his eyes.

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Interesting theory on Luna hehe. I actually saw an interview where Lee Min Ho said that Luna is their strongest character so hmm...

Yes, I also feel that the romance is really forced at this time

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Why is the King called King Tan? Isn't his name Lee Gon?

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Same question here. I guess this is a nickname for Lee Min-ho's character probably mixing his current career (a king) and a past character of himself, just like they call Kim Go-eun "Goblin's Bride".

This is not a good sign though, because the screenwriter can't make their characters in this drama stand out so people will call them in their name in this drama, like King Gon and Tae-eul.

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King Tan is a mix of LMH characters in Eternal Monarch (King) and Heirs (Kim Tan). It doesn't help that the character in this drama is very similar to Kim Tan in Heirs, from the way he talks, the way he reacts. Even his lines are similar to Kim Tan lines. I only watched Heirs earlier this year, so the image of Kim Tan is still fresh in mind.

I've been calling KGE for goblin's bride for quite some time because I remember her as Euntak in Goblin. Her character in Eternal Monarch is also similar to Euntak in someways, except she's older now and not wearing a school uniform most of the time.

I suppose as Eternal Monarch progress, I will see them in their new characters.

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Agree with you!! Even if they want to focus on the romance, we are missing those stolen moments, enchantment and missing the chemistry as well. It looks like the characters are trying too hard to express something which is not even created between them yet!!! Can't feel it yet

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Beauty unsurpassed, strength immeasurable, grace unlike any other.

Maximus, you have stolen my breath away.

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Buster is my favorite K-drama horse. Maximus only gets third place.

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BUSTER ❤
(A shame he was dropped from Wok)

Who is second?

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Magical horse from Arthdal.

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The horse is very beautiful!

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Btw, shouldn't be Maximus actually quite old by now? Unless he is the Evil Horse and time travels 😁

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I'm afraid Maximus will die of old age in this. And that would be the heart wrenching moment of this drama, like Euntak pulling out Goblins sword. Sobs

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Thanks again for another great recap!

The thing that kept distracting me was how much "dead time" there was in each of the bantery conversations they were having... not in the sense of actual pauses but more like how the dialogue didn't really spark like real people talking or bantering.

I also felt there was a bit of a missed opportunity in depicting Lee Gon in a parallel universe -- while I loved that his first instict was to go look up the history of this world and determine a divergent point, I felt like there was generally nothing propelling him in terms of motivation. The moment that most encapsulated this for me was the scene outside The Alley (maximum PPL) where Kim Go Eun has finished talking to him and he just stands there until she has a change of heart and comes back for him. It could have been intended to be a lost puppy type linger but I don't think I got any indication from the framing/acting.

Would have LOVED more fish out of water shenanigans in the vein of "take me to your Queen Yuna", e.g. different faces on the currency, Lee Gon quizzing a clueless/disengaged Eun-seob about current affairs, or even just trying to discern how different Eun-seob is from Yeong in terms of skill/character/other tics (of course we'd need to actually have seen Yeong off duty with Lee Gon to be able to do this).

I'm... hopefully pessimistic about this show (as opposed to cautiously optimistic) -- hoping that there will be a gradual reveal of character motivations and history as we go along. I suppose the drama is still working its charm if it's got so many of us wondering about it :)

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@telomere I wonder if the bromance would be between Lee Gon and Eun Seob. I’m still waiting for jo young character being flushed out tho.

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Yes I'm really hoping for more interactions between them, there's so much potential for humour there! And definitely more Jo Young backstory and detail :))

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As I’m reading this, i hope you knew I meant “fleshed out and not “flushed out” heheh.

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That's a portal to another parallel world.

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I was wondering if I was the only one fixated on the amount of "dead time" in the leads' conversations. Something about their back and forth feels so unorganic...and I'm not sure if that's a fault of the actors or the script. I noticed that it feels like neither of them really react to what the other is saying until after they've finished speaking, and neither are particularly expressive - Tae-Eul especially, but even the king. This is my first Lee Min-ho drama, and I have to admit that so far, I don't find any of the emotions he tries to convey very convincing.

One of the things I enjoy most about an enemies (or hostile acquaintances?) -to-lovers story is the abundant bickering/banter, but these first two episodes were disappointing on that front. Felt like Tae-Eul had more chemistry with her work partner.

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Yep. Felt it as well. Second couple has more chemistry then lead. Was it not the case with Goblin as well?

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Lee Min Ho is a good actor--watch him in Faith, Legend of the Blue Sea and City Hunter, and he does anguish well in Heirs, which a lot of people here seem to hate. I do think he's best at comedy though, and I have to agree he's not giving us much yet in this drama. I'll stick it out and hope for more though, because...well, just look at him. And we always have Maximus!

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I expected them to show Gon's money with his face on it. What a missed opportunity. At least we'll have fun when she crosses over and continues treating him like this. Imagine Young and court lady's faces. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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YES, I was really hoping the note would have his face on it like Queen Elizabeth, that would have been a hilarious comparison during his police station interview.

Also now that you've mentioned Tae Eul possibly crossing over, I'm looking forward to the potential hijinks! Palace people clutching their pearls, etc :))

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I think the money he carried in his wallet did have his face on it!

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Ugh! What a wasted opportunity, then.

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But this isn't a time travel fantasy in the sense that Lee Gon is coming from a past world, and doesn't know anything about modern conveniences. The only thing that's different is the history and the form of government, and so it makes complete sense that he would focus on those things, which means reading about it. In a library.

It's not as if he's discovering the modern world - cell phones, TV, cars, electricity, photography, skyscrapers, people wearing contemporary clothing, etc - for the first time, because they have all those things in his world (it seems that the royal family wears traditional clothing on some occasions, but they seem to be the only ones. Everything else, from women in positions of power to public surveillance cameras, is pretty much the same. So other than seeing where the history of the two Koreas diverges, and what differences that divergence has made in the intervening years, I don't see much else he has to explore.

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That's true, thanks for pointing that out! I suppose I would have personally preferred seeing him grapple with this (the differences between the worlds, however small) more in his interactions with other characters, rather than just be told that he sat in a library and read about it, and him sort of just summarising it with one line before moving on.

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I was already planning to continue on to next week with this drama anyway, but am I now viewing it with more affection after watching JB and GF's reaction?
Yes. Yes, I am.

I am also now looking at that last photo and trying to decide if his Adam's apple is that distinguishable.

Baby Maximus is the cutest thing.

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Baby Maximus is a miniature horse and I laughed so hard 😆.

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Lol. I thought it was just a small very chubby pony.

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YES i immediately thought of Lil Sebastian from Parks and Recs as he clomped around that horse pen

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Same. I'm not sure that's what they were going for.

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But now we've seen him and love him and he needs to be in all the flash backs.
He has made the role his own.
He is baby Maximus.

So LMH fans are Minoz?

What are Maximus fans?

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@bcampbell1662 Maximoz???

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Please don't jinx Maximus! I don't want to have to sing Bye Bye Maximus. 😢 I would really miss him in the saddest fashion. Don't be 5,000 candles in the wind!!

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@Beverly, I felt such nostalgic watching javabeans and girlfriday watching the king.

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THANK YOU!!!

I hate this place now, and have missed JB and GF so much.

So, no more listening to all the petty LMH hate here, when I can listen to the two people whose taste in dramas - and men! - I appreciated from day one.

Loved their review! And I'll keep an open mind about KGE (who apparently is also Luna), in the FL role. But like with Goblin and Reaper in Goblin, I'm pretty sure my OTP here is going to be Lee Gon and Jo Eun-seob / Jo Young!

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@bcampbell1662 how does Maximized sound as Maximus fan club name?

What Maximized means:
• Maxim from Maximus
• -ized from mesmerized

The official fanclub colour is iridescent pearl white.

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Lol, that is such a kpop fan color, which is perfect.

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I guess Maximus is the name of at least 2 Roman Emperors. The first one, who in fact is being appointed "Caesar" is the son of an emperor who open the curtain of "Year of Six Emperors" as well the Crisis of 3rd Century, and the second one, called Magnus Maximus, was an usurper, and later being appointed to rule Gaul and Britain. But I guess Kim Eun-soek, when think about the horse's name, was think Maximus the «Gladiator»?

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Actually the real name of the horse is Maximus, and they had a different name for the horse in the drama. but it was hard to control the horse without calling it it’s real name, so they stick to it. It was in Korean news and somebody translate it.

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Lol. That's hilarious. So what was Maximus's drama name supposed to be?

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@katakwasabi that I don’t know or don’t remember? Heheh.... it makes sense tho, since ridding a horse requires relationship and trust, and in this case somebody who doesn’t own you is commanding you with a different name. The horse is confuse lol

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That is great. I guess lucky his name wasn't something along the lines of Cotton ball, Snowflake, or Pearl.

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And accidentally, it fit the drama prefectly.

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LOL, it makes sense that the horse would only answer to it's own name - it's an Arabian, and they are notoriously smart and stubborn.

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@skelly I just read that apparently after they have a scene together both Maximus and LMH have a piece of lemon candy together.

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It's ridiculous how much this is bugging me now. I NEED to know the horse's original name! Kim Eun-sook, don't bother giving me more info on your worldbuilding, I just need to know the horse's name!!!!!!

I won't be able to sleep tonight

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@scrawford86 I read the drama name for Maximus might have been 'Scarlett'. I'm super glad it didn't happen. I'm also glad its actual name is Maximus. Imagine if the show had to call him the names @bcampbell1662 listed: cottonball, snowflake, pearl etc2. Hahaha

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@katakwasabi Scarlett? That is unexpected. With the way LMH says his name and title I was expecting some historical or inside joke. Or play on words. I guess it still could be, it would go over my head anyway.

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@katakwasabi those other names would be a tragedy! I like Maximus heheh

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@katakwasabi I support this!

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I elect myself as Maximus fanclub president. Everyone is invited to join the club 🐎🦄.

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:)

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I found this cute behind the scenes video of the first episode.
https://www.facebook.com/TheKingEternalMonarch2020/videos/551716639099143/

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Hi. Where did you see JB and GF making comments about the show? Share the link please.

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Seen it. The Swoon in YouTube. Missed this badly. Missed the podcast, this is even better. Thank you for mentioning. ❤️

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Can u share the links please? Are they no longer writing on this website?

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@bcampbell1662 It took me a moment to realize that they used a pony! The pony is adorable but were they unable to find a white foal?

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The random lady just allowing her son to be mocked by his so-called 'friends'. That scene was awful. Poor kid. And the followup was awful too, the 'friends' got into an accident. Poor kids to have awful adults around. I sense the scene was to emphasize how evil and powerful evil uncle is. I do wonder how he did it. Did he plan an accident just for the kids? Did he arrange pawns to do his bidding? Or does he have a Death Note where he can write the names of those he want dead? So many possibilities for evil uncle. I do want to know more about him and his motives. I want him to have more dimension. Now he's just evil for the sake of being evil. Hmm

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But at least their wasnt a head in the bag.

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A head in the bag never crossed my mind. Actually the whole scene was so bizzare. But I do know where this head in bag joke is coming from. Ahahaha

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I dd expect a head in the bag for some odd reason. That was the vibe of the scene.

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Lol, I really didnt until JB and GF's reaction video. Though was expecting it to be cruel.

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I just watched JB and GF's video and thought I wasn't the only one expecting a head. LOL.

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This scene was so badly done imo. What children would mock a paralyzed kid at his own party in front of his mother? Kids at that age are not going to do that stuff right in front of an adult like that and then high five afterwards. The drama was really trying way too hard to show how evil the uncle is. 🙄

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You hit the nail on the head. The problem with this drama is nothing is natural. Everything is too exaggerated, there is no subtlety. You are hammered on the head with the points they are intending to make. I do not want the uncle to be blackest of black evil because that is a very dull villain.

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Watching JB and GF fan girling over LMH for 16 minutes straight is the reason why this site was far better when they were around. LMH has the true gravitas for carrying roles like this. Hallyu King after all.

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Watching javabeans and girlfriday fangirling over Lee Min-ho for 16 minutes straight weirdly makes me appreciate this drama more? Or at least makes me appreciate Lee Min-ho more.
https://youtu.be/KAKPrvxRk2g

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It would make appreciating this site more, because then noone would take the drama seriously, everyone would accept that it is a LMH vehicle and just have fun drooling over him.

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They are the best!

And also, they point out a lot of reasons why LMH is so perfect for a role like this. They also catch the nuances that make him good at playing a role like this.

As I noted earlier, this isn't the type of time travel where a person from the past (or even North Korea!) has been suddenly transported to the modern world, and is in awe of all the modern conveniences that this new world has, because Lee Gon's world has all that stuff. The big shocker for Gon is that he's used to being pretty much worshiped, and in complete control, as the king of an empire, living a highly privileged life in unimaginable luxury. Suddenly he's a nobody, a criminal, a poor person, etc. And the arrogant "I am a king" persona is exactly what he's supposed to be doing (and he's doing it well).

I loved JB and GF's review. They reminded me of how much I used to love this place, and how far downhill it's gone. I never rec it to people anymore, but I do still love the archives, and will still sometimes read their recaps of an older drama that I just watched for the first time.

Thanks to the person who shared their YouTube channel!

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So sadly I feel like this 2nd episode took a nosedive from the first episode. I love parallel universes, time travel and sci-fi so I was genuinely looking forward to this drama. But somehow despite the interesting premise the 2nd episode somehow managed to be incredibly boring interspersed with cringy eyeroll moments.

I am really not liking Lee Gon's character. I know he is a king but he comes off as too much of a narcissist and a creepy stalker. I know some people find this swoony but I am seriously turned off instead. And he also somehow is boring. I don't know if that's the writing, directing or LMH (or a combo of all 3) but his character so far is not likeable. I know LMH can do humor and can be charming but that is distinctly lacking with this character. And unfortunately I feel like LMH is playing the same character he has played before in most of his dramas. He isn't bringing anything new to this character.

I do however really like Jung Tae Eul and her reactions to Lee Gon's narcissism and sexual harassment is spot on and realistic. KGE is doing a perfect job of executing this. I really hope she stays a jaded and badass detective.

Even Jo Young's character isn't anything special so far. WDH is of course amazing looking, especially in that belted coat and his heeled booties 🤤 but there has been very little character development with his characters so far. However, I am more interested in the relationship between Jo Young and the photographer than the main OTP. I don't know if there will be a relationship between the 2 but I'm already shipping them.

The Prime Minister also makes me mad. Her character is regressive and shallow. Really hope there is more to her in future episodes. If KES was going for sexual empowerment she is not doing a good job so far.

The main antagonist is still ridiculously over the top and cliche.

Maximus is still a beautiful horse.

The last 10 minutes were again terrible.

But overall I really felt like this episode was bad. Very little character delevopment, cringy lines, most characters not acting or reacting like normal, actual people would, and somehow the episode felt like 3 hours long rather than the 70 min. I really hope the next episodes improves, or I will end up dropping it which makes me sad 😔

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The part that made my heart speed was Woppa and the phone. The rest of the episode I was just wondering how much more evil do they want the baddie to be. And the frequent shots of the red paint - are they a metaphor for more bloodshed to come?

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"WDH is of course amazing looking, especially in that belted coat and his heeled booties"
He does looks so handsome! I could stare at his face all day :)
I do hope that things improve as the episodes progress because I truly want to enjoy this drama.

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It is the time travel/reincarnation thing that hasn't sparked my interest much for this drama. Isn't this the third drama with that theme that LMH has done? I'd like to see him branch out more.

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Why does he talk as if he is also king there when he knows it's another universe? Is it a joke? Was maybe supposed to be ironic and somebody forgot to tell Min-ho? I think he is trying hard to be Royal, to seem polite and a bit distant but it doesn't suit him.

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Exactly! He is still trying to be kingly when he's a normal person in a parallel world. It's a joke that unfortunately is not really working for me. It made his character annoying, for not knowing his place and can't read the situation he's in.

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Yes, he is also supposed to be smart right? The result is just weird kkk.

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The queen of England is still the queen of England if she comes to the United States.

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But people know she's the queen of England and will treat her as a queen. King Tan is an unknown in a different world. It's not the same comparison.

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Exactly. What puzzles me is that he is acting this way despite knowing that no one is going to believe him if he calls himself King of Corea. I understand that royals surely learn these self-absorbed habits at a young age and they can be so ingrained that they don't realize they're doing them, but his says things that are incredulous and give him no merit in terms of trustworthiness. I think they're going for the comedy in this situation but the directing is done in such a way that it doesn't quite land all the time, IMO. I think they should lean into the ridiculousness a bit more? Because right now it's played too seriously for it to be much fun, in my opinion. There are so msny moments where the director is ALMOST there but not quite!

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But what if no one knows she is the Queen of England? At that point she just comes off like a raving lunatic if she keeps claiming she is... this is dealing with parallel worlds where he is not a king in this world.

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Not if the United States don't know who she is.
I know the way he speaks would not change, I was asking about his way of telling people what to do.

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He isn't even a normal person. He is literally a NOBODY!

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What I found to be quite "un-kingly" was his horrible wardrobe in episode 2. Episode 1 was fine, nice even, but episode 2 was embarrassing and down right tacky. That is probably one thing that will get me to stop watching this drama is if the king keeps wearing such gross clothing. It's not clever and creative and high fashion. It is just down right tacky when someone who is a king in any world wears it.

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He should find Royal Hotness and ask for fashion tips. I could watch RH in his various suits, leather jackets, long coats all day.

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This was my issue. It was funny at first but he should have understand the circumstances pretty quickly. And him also going on and on about being from a parallel world makes no sense. As soon as someone looked at you crazy most people would have shut up about it. But the drama kept trying to make a joke out of it but it had lost all its humor by the 15 min mark. 😑

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Yes, though If I was the detective I'd find the parallel world thing more believable than the idea he would be the king of a nation. :P

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Okay, I have a lot of issues....first of all...Goblin gave us fairly good idea about the realm of man and Gods, tragedy that fueled it and Eun Tak's initial role in all of it by 2nd episode...this show has given us none of that...We know there is a magic flute, a maniac with God complex who conveniently has resources at his disposal in both dimension, a vague character for the Eternal King. My biggest issue is Lee Min Ho's character....every single thing he has done since crossing over to Republic of Korea is very, very, very dumb....He is apperently a hot shot King in another dimension with excellent education...yet he blabbed like a raving lunatic to Tae Eul about him being a King from another dimension, her being his savior...the entitled, clueless fish out of water joke fell flat, that was just plain stupid..what makes him so sure Tae Eul is to be trusted...a badge, like really...it is extremely out of character given how he was raised...Now Tae Eul is problematic heroine for a whole set of other reasons...a guy in white horse who sounds like a madman, has no identification, document of legal presence in her country suddenly appeared out of nowhere and she set him free...that guy has diamonds in his coat as buttons and she helps him sell that...which detective of violent crime branch in her right mind would not be alarmed by that...he could be an amnesiac drug kingpin or worse a mad serial killer....she not only takes care of his horse but humors him for some unknown reason, puts up with his frankly childish behavior...also why is romance being forced so early...these two even if magic flute mafically binds their fate have zero chemistry or rapport at the point...so buying this whole fateful love at first sight crap was laughable..This whole show and its time travel keeps reminding me of Queen In Hyun's Man...now that was a show that had similar concept and that built the romance farely quickly...this where I guess acting skill, good characterization and chemistry comes handy...Ji Hyun Woo's Bung Do was extremely sharp, handled the whole situation by quietly observing first and acting after understandung things and it helps that he had electrifying chemistry with Yoo In Na so they sold the romance in 2 eoisode with conviction...this show...all it has established in two episodes is the fact that the writing is sloppy and execution convolutated with mediocre performance from leading man himself..While actors are to be blamed for not being able to sell their characters (yes, Lee Min Ho, I am side eyeing him first but Woo Do Hwan and rest don't make a strong case for their skills either) biggest fault lies with KES...this is so her mess.

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Excellently said. These are my exact issues.

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Your comparison with Queen In Hyun's man is spot on! There was so much momentum as well because there was an ongoing assassination plot in the historical timeline, plus that crazy chemistry propelling the present day romantic plot.

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Could it be because in Queen In Hyun, JHW wasn't a self absorbed king but an intellectual scholar who actually takes time to process his surroundings and think before he speaks?

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Here's another possible scenario....Has anybody here watched the short lived Fox show...Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles...in that shows final season...John connor all throughout the season kept making stupid mistakes and I kept wondering how does a clueless, angsty teen become leader of the human resistance after Skynet launches the attack...he lacks any quality of a leader that is intelligent, shrewd and strong....then season finale ame and that changed the whole scenario on its head...turns out John noticed and was aware ever minute things going around him...he let people believe he was unaware, while keeping a very distant yet firm control over it and even steering the wheels when necessary...I was like whoa so he indeed is the legend in making....KES, could possibly pull a stunt like that, I hope she would with LMH's character..I do hope but I don't think her writing ability is on that level so it may be a stretch to expect something of this sort.

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Now I have to re-watch that cuz I don't remember that at all.

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@gem28 I agree with all that you've said. Much of what happens in this episode and the interactions between the leads is intended to be funny but just comes off as ridiculous. Actors can only do so much if they aren't given much to work with. Like I've said in other posts, I do hope that the writing improves

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I know that prince charming is typically a dumb character in most of fairy-tales... but this one is the most ridiculous one so far... specially when he's supposed to be a hot shot king and a mathematics genius with charming sense of humor...

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I’m a fan of KGE and LMH, and I’m enjoying this drama so far, yes, there are flaws in drama, just like any other drama, heck, just like any Kim Eun sook drama. I feel like people are putting KES and LMH on pedestal, making them the center of attention that if their work is less than perfect, they really got scrutinize. I’m not trying to stir anything here, just my observation. II’m just trying to enjoy the drama as it. So maybe I’m not viewing it from a lens of criticism? Plus I’m probably not quite an avid kdrama viewer yet, that I’m not looking at flaws and shortcoming from a drama?
But overall, I still think the plot is fresh and has potential. And with all the KES drama It tends to escalate episode 6 and on. I was half asleep the first 6 episode of Goblin and then invested (I kept watching bcuz of gong yoo and KGE) and the cringey/cheesy line is supposed to be her signature no? Most of her leading man has had cheesy/cringey moments in her drama. So it’s kind of expected.
Hopefully, while DB deconstructing this drama, it can point the bad and also the good.
Thanks for the recap @quirkycase!

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking this drama! There is also nothing wrong for just enjoying it for what it is 😃

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100% agree. Also nothing wrong for not liking it and drop it all together :). I can’t help but sense that there is a bit of a biased? And the fact that the drama is being compared to other dramas? Maybe take this drama as it’s own entity? It will not have the same beginning to Goblin or chemistry as Queen In hyun’s man ( haven’t seen the latter and now I’m might check it out :)), and the OST will be different, and this comment coming from the person who has been listening to Giblins OST on repeat, “heaven” sung by Roy Kim is my absolute fave kdrama song.
And I can’t help but wonder, would people be more forgiving and less critical if the main lead or the female lead is different?
The writer and both leads are polarizing, they either love them or hate them.

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Can I up your comment 100x? Thank you for speaking my mind!

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You keep mentioning Goblin like I've compared it before. I've never compared this to Goblin in any of my comments.. or compared this to any other drama.

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I don’t mean you specifically compared it to Goblin, but I see it’s becoming a common trait for this to be compared to Goblin or Queen In hyun’s man. Not by you, I just brought up my observation.

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@scrawford86 I personally don't think there is anything wrong with comparing it to other dramas. People who are loving the drama are doing the same by comparing it to Goblin and Faith. Some people will love a drama by seeing similarities in it to a drama they have loved. Others will be disappointed that the drama didn't live up to the standards of another similar drama. Everyone watches dramas in various ways and forms opinions in their own way. Some people enjoy delvingly deeply into dramas and some love just watching without thinking too deeply about them. People also form their opinions based on their life experiences and part of those experiences are dramas we've watched previously.

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I do wonder if people are harsh on this drama because they were out to get the writer and the actor in the first already. I can understand if they dislike it because it’s confusing but quite frankly, I find most of these comments nitpicking. I’m mostly amused by the fact that people would just watch a drama they hate to tear it apart. I, for one, would never watch a drama I can’t stand. I’m saying this because most of the commenters here were already convinced this drama was going to be horrible before its airing. Why tune it? And most are probably going to continue tuning in just to express how much they hate it. Lol. I’m enjoying this show and I’m going to follow the story that’s been set up and not focus so much on questioning it.

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Most of us went into the drama to enjoy is but are nitpicking it because we are feeling disappointed it's not meeting our expectations. I for one really wanted to enjoy this (I love Goblin, loved the premise, love most of the actors) and I am being so nitpicky because I sadly am not enjoying it like I hoped.

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@trinpie I understand, but again, this is not Goblin nor the sequel.

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Oh I'm aware it's not. I was just saying that I don't have a biased hatred against KES like some people do. I have loved, liked and hated various works of hers. I went into this drama to enjoy it and am feeling disappointed I'm not.

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Goblin pumped up my expectations for this. It was such an immersive experience for me right from the start, the world building, the music, the cinematography and Kim Shin.
I really was in the mood for that almost over the top cinematic experience as I think many of us are right now. So, yes this has fallen a bit short of that and it is disappointing, 🤷‍♀️.
But with that out of the way we will see were it goes. I do want it to go well, I want the entertainment for myself and I'm some how rooting for this director that I do not know at all because in my head he is now an underdog story, lol.

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As a person that didn't like Goblin all that much, I'm not going to compare this drama to it. I just haven't watched enough of TKEM to like or not like it. I do know that there very few LMH dramas that I do like, and the ones I like, I LOVE.

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If majority has issue with a subject than calling it nitpicking is a stretch, this drama has garnered criticism domestically too...you can enjoy it, heck I enjoyed the film Tourist..people shredded it apart...but that automstically does not warrent that somebody else having to enjoy it...we like what we like

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@noname1i wonder too, but honestly people are entitle to their opinion, if they like they’ll watch it, and if they don, they don’t. Different flavor for different people.

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For me, my style of drama watching is asking lots of questions and thinking about plot progress (cc: @yyishere who is the current victim of my many questions 🤭). I like discussing character development, the plot progression and my theories aka my imaginary plots, that's how I enjoy my dramas. Since I don't have anyone to talk to about dramas in front of me, websites like dramabeans, soompi are where I share my thoughts and questions.

With that said...thank you beans and dramabeans for being my drama place 🌻.

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This stresses me. *sweats*

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Don't be stressed YY 🥺

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But Kat is the least stress-inducing person ever!

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Awww~ thank you @mindy 🌻💜

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Maybe for some people, but I have enjoyed KES work like city hall and DOTS. I like Kim Go eun and have not hate towards Lee min ho, just because people pick up and critize on certain elements that aren't working doesn't mean they hate or will stop watching.i for one will continue because it's early in the show and it's easily available for me to check it out, so I can comment in it but the show has valid issues in terms of characterization, chemistry I think that needs improving.

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Of course they are. There are many reasons this site is crap now, and one of them is the overt LMH hate. People here want it to be a failure. They are so transparent it's pretty funny.

The hate is mostly concentrated here. There is a lot of enthusiasm and love for both LMH and the drama everywhere else, as well as for WDH, KGE and Maximus.

It's actually a good drama so far. I had to go back and rewatch the first episode, after watching the second and third. There was a MAJOR difference in rewatching that first episode, as I understood who everyone was, and could focus on what was actually happening in the story. That is very common for me in dramas where we are introduced to many characters during the first episode, especially in sageuks, where so many characters (there is ALWAYS a "Minister Lee") are introduced in the first 30 to 60 minutes, and they're all ministers of this and that, or princes, and most are wearing their identical court clothes, and have very similar facial hair. My head spins, and sometimes I actually have to make a written chart so I can keep people straight, so I know who they are when they're being talked about, but aren't on the screen, in a scene, I occasionally do this with other dramas with a lot of characters, such as the recent Stove League - I had a list of the names of every baseball player, the position they played, and the team/teams they belonged to during their careers! Perhaps I wouldn't have to do this if I were binging a drama, but it's really necessary for me with the currently airing episodes).

I am very excited about this weekends episodes, when Lee Gon and Jung Tae-eul will be in "Corea," and perhaps we will be meeting Luna.

Lots of questions I look forward to being answered. Why is bad guy Lee Rim killing off all the dopplegangers in Korea? Why did he leave Lee Gon's mother alive (when she is dead in Corea?) Why was Lee Ho a (apparent) wife beater in Korea, but a beloved father and king in Corea? Why did he kill his own doppleganger? Is it possible that the person who rescued Lee Gon was actually Shin-jae (because it sure does look like a man). Why do I get Terminator vibes? (although I don't actually think that Lee Gon saved himself, but what about setting up things so that someone from the parallel world DOES come back and save him? The ID he pulled off his savior in 1994 was issued 11/11/19, which is the current date in the last episode, when Tae-eul is entering Corea for the first time. Who was the little boy on the bike who ran into Tae-eul, causing her to drop her old ID badge (presumably issued 5 years earlier when she joined the police force) and have to get a new one? Who is sending Lee Rim messages about the king's whereabouts? (I think the new man's servant we met in the first episode is a spy for either Lee Rim or the PM).

Meanwhile, most of Korea is obsessed with a show about adultery, cheating, lying, revenge, etc among lots of totally unlikable...

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You hate Drama Beans?

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Don't bother engaging, Bev.

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@mindy your right. I was just surprised as I dont usually see this from regular commenters.
But tastes change.

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It was fantastic when JB and GF ran it. They recapped interesting dramas, and the recappers had interesting things to say.

Now they mostly recap crappy romcoms, and the comments are largely bashfests based on fandoms.

There are people whose comments I enjoy and whose recs I take seriously, but these days more commenters are just here to bash and hatewatch. I see none of the regulars I follow posting here.

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@vespertyne, I've been in a bit of a slump lately, but will try to post more often for your reading pleasure.

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@egads Please post more often for MY reading pleasure!

You're my favorite

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@mindy I feel like I should be watching dramas to comment on or post about dramas, but I'll try harder.

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I loved Goblin and Mr. Sunshine and am a big fan of KES. Just go with your heart, and enjoy the drama. I find many flaws in The King, and am not invested in it...Goblin and Mr. Sunshine drew me in from the start.

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Agree, YY. It seemed that KES was at her best with her last two-three dramas. I'm seeing that she's falling into her old traps with this one.

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It's good your enjoying it, I'm interested in seeing how the show shapes up in the next couple of eps as I was looking forward to it. It's less about watching it with a critical eye for some, it's just the feeling you get when watching, "oh this seems a bit dull, why does it feel boring," not feeling the chemistry or enjoying the flow, you can see when the acting isnt that good so it takes you out and you can't feel what they are trying to convey with the characters etc. You don't necessarily have to be on the look out to criticize, it's just what your seeing and picking up while watching, that something isn't feeling right. That's how it is for me. There is potential but there are few things missing. I want to see and feel the chemistry the OTP are supposed to have and I want to feel that spark of energy, a hook to the show. I'll still be watching to see if the show realizes it's potential

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Yes that's kind of how I feel about dramas most times I agree with you.

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@scrawford86 There were moments that I found amusing. I know that with some dramas it takes a few episodes for things to kick off. Hopefully, things do improve because I truly want this drama to be good.

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Yes absolutely! There were definitely meh moments for me, but As far as plot I’m one of the small
Percentage that’s liking it so far. I like the mystery aspect of it, and how we are still didn’t have a full grip of the full story, it keeps me wanting. The bad thing is if the writer can’t find her way out of the maze she created, or have a poor execution. So I’m With you, hoping things will
Pick up in the coming weeks. And have more heavy weights/fleshing our characters from our actors. Because, as much as I love the light moments from episode 2, I want to see our actor being stretched a bit.

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I agree with you @scrawford86 sisie1979. Early days here. We have only finished episode 2. I am intrigued.
One of the reasons I am watching is because of the casting of Kim Kyung-nam. I have seen ( and enjoyed him) in DEFENDANT, STRONGEST DELIVERYMAN, PRISON PLAYBOOK, COME AND HUG ME, and FOX BRIDE STAR.
Lol From what I recall he hasn’t received or given a kiss In any of those dramas. It’s about time that was rectified. So based what we know up to episode two, Det. Kang Shin-jae (KKN) is interested in Lt. Jung Tae-eul (KGE). If there is going to be a couple those two are the one I would like to see. Sorry Your Highness.

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@marcusnyc20 Same here on tuning in for Kim Kyung-nam. To add to your list: SPECIAL LABOR INSPECTOR JO. The whole cast was fab and it's hard to choose a favourite character, but he was a joy to watch. And if I may be allowed to give a mini spoiler: he does kiss the girl!

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Thanks @wishfultoki. Yes I know I messed up by not watching SLIJ. I looked back at my log and I had a few dramas going including HAECHI, DOCTOR PRISONER, and BEAUTIFUL WORLD. I know it was a favorite here and @mary was a big fan.
I am so glad to hear that the ‘kiss’ issue has been resolved lol. I will definitely add SLIJ to my catchup list.

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Where is our trademark Kim Eun-sook humor? Even Mr. Sunshine, which took place during the Japanese occupation, was hilarious. Where is her witty banter between our two leads? Not only does Lee Min-ho have no chemistry with Kim Go-eun, but he has no chemistry with Woo Do-hwan.

None of these characters are interesting. Both Gon and Yeong have no personality. Seo-ryung is just tragic. Will we ever see the prime minister act professional? My favorite character is Shin-jae.

Many thanks for the recap, @quirkycase!

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Agree, I'm actually liking shin jae as well- Kim kyung nam. I liked that cute flashback scene of him looking at Kim go eun, their chemistry was good. And I liked woo do hwan as the social worker, he was fun

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"Not only does Lee Min-ho have no chemistry with Kim Go-eun, but he has no chemistry with Woo Do-hwan."

Maybe it's not fair to compare, but I was expecting Goblin levels of chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Woo Do-hwan. Ok, to be more fair, I didnt finished The King 2Hearts, but i remeber more chemistry between Lee Seung-Gi and Jo Jung-suk and the characters were similiar (if this is not true, feel free to correct me). The moment i saw he was his bodyguard my hope went up for a great bromance. Then again, its only episode 2, im giving them a chance.

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You're right. Lee Min Ho and Woo Do Hwan have no chemistry so far. It's weird because Woo Do Hwan had explosive chemistry with Yang Se Jong in My Country, from the 1st episode to the last : it was as if they had been friends for 100 years before we met them. Well, Yang Se Jong also had incredible chemistry with Jang Hyuk in the same drama.
I also agree with the good chemistry beetween Lee Seung Gi and Jo Jung Seok in The King 2 Hearts, like danydanybobany mentioned.
So I hope the "bromance" shows improvement in the next episodes of The King: Eternal Monarch. Moreover, no actor managed to shine so far in the first 2 episodes of the drama. Although I don't find the drama unpleasant to watch, I really hope it gets more exciting.

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I keep picturing another actor who is neither tall, handsome nor charming, delivering every single line LMH has in this drama - How extremely dumb they will sound and how disturbing and creepy we will feel.

But because the writer is using LMH's star quality and his fan base who like him no matter what, to deliver lines based on how she thinks a romantic hero should sound like.

Which is why I find this drama lacking. I am positive LMH can emote and do complex scenes - but he is not even given a chance. He is being used to provide 'gravitas' to nonsense. (JB rationalizing)

I do recognize star quality has a place in glamorous dramas but i feel a bit wronged.

I actually like LMH. I also have enjoyed most of this writers dramas - she can write fun stuff despite the cheese. So far, this ain't it.

Perhaps it will get better.

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LMH is so handsome like wow.

Now that we got the important part out of the way... I hope the working of the gate & rules of the universe are explained by the next ep.
Bad uncle has a special dislike for children or what? His minions kill adults while he takes the lead in hurting children???? Also he established himself well in the "other" world. But idc about him a lot.
Let's go LMH & KGE + her team!!!

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I never thought I would say this. But LMH is so handsome. The military did him good. 😍

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It did him real good.😍😍 I am here for Lee Min-ho & have no complaints. Sure, the drama could be better, but all this Lee Min-ho more than makes up for it.

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To me, Lee Min Ho is just anti-charismatic.

Can he mayne be a side character going forward?

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Thanks @quirkycase answering the issue of Empire/Kingdom and Emperor/King, and I kindly agree with your consideration. I have no intention to blame you, however, because calling Gon as "King" should be the fault of the screenwriter Kim Eun-seok, who call the drama title "더킹 (The King)", and mess up history like that. I guess a screenwriter whose last drama is something need heavy research, and even already have the Empire of Corea exist like «Mr. Sunshine», shouldn't mess that up with such silly mistake.

I know translation is somewhat a tricky thing. I started learning Korean not very long ago, and when I was watching the show on Netflix, I used Traditional Chinese for the subtitle, and it is using the equivalent of "Emperor" and "Empire", so I ask. So bear with me.

On the other hand, I said in Episode 1 that Kim Eun-seok "passed her prime" but I can't say more. With Episode 2 also in the picture, I would say this: The problem is not only she uses Lee Min-ho and Kim go-eun again (before that, she never repeats using same actor/actress as the 2 main leads), but also she uses them in a similar manner. Lee Min-ho never play a character who is not rich and privileged, and in this episode, I even feel him annoying. Again, like our commentator @quirkycase said, "Get a restraining order or something"! I'm not sure if Inspector Tae-eul is allowed to do that, but if I am her, I would have slap him, and accuse him of sexual harassment! My point is, being way too much high self-esteem can be fun at the same time (Secretary Kim's Lee Young-joon is one of them), but not like Lee Min-ho here.

And at the same time, Kim Go-eun seems lost direction, because of both her male counterpart as well as the screenwriter. The plot is either way too complicate or copied too much from other dramas (I listed «W» and «The Last Empress» last time, dealing with parallel worlds and modern-day monarchy respectively). I know we can't tell if she really has nothing to show in such early stage (only 2 episodes aired after all), but these 2 episodes really does't give me such excitement, only frustration.

Sorry, I hope I didn't ruin your mood.

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I love reading your comments. They are very well written, educational and thought provoking.

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Thanks for your compliment.
(By the way, the comment above is mine, I can't register because my past email have problem, but I solved it now by using another email address, I hope not to make you confusing)

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Thanks for this. YEEES! I agree with your comments! Here are some of mine:

1) I'm still not into the main characters' pairing. I still can't feel the chemistry. Maybe I still need more time, or more convincing..
And yes, the characters not being fleshed out could have contributed to it. Right now, it's like I'm just watching them but not feeling for them.

2) Woo Do Wan playing characters from both worlds is fun to watch. I would love to see more of their interactions w/ Lee Gon

3) What is Lee Rim up to, and what is he really after? Does he just want to spread evil senselessly? I thought he wanted power that's why he killed his brother and got the flute but he ended up hiding for decades. Now, he helps random people get revenge? I understand why he had to kill his bro & nephew's counterparts but now I don't get it. I hope we'll learn of his deeper motivation.

4) I'm glad Lee Gon explained that there was a common history of the two worlds and the point of diversion because I was already wondering why some aspects (or humans in history) are the same. Maybe that'll be significant in the plot

5) Ah, so the mother's character is still there.. I guess helping her made Lee Rim see the "benefits" of helping vengeful humans. I'm looking forward to Lee Gon and the mother's meet-up since both may have missed each other in their own worlds

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I think what Lee Rim wants is the other half of the flute, but he does not know where it is, and the kingdom, but he lost a lot of his followers in the blood bath where he killed his brother. So he has been rebuilding power, learning more about how to wield the flute, and trying to find out who has the other half of his flute.

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Ah yes, that could be it =D

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I guess I am the only one that does not mind Gon so far. He has been very direct and honest and it is not his fault that no one believes him. He is a smart functioning adult in this parallel world so far, a bit haughty but not out and out malicious, and he is trying to figure out who saved him all those years ago. To be a kid who witnessed a parent die and almost lost their life to a relative only to be rescued by a mysterious person, someone just will not let that go and he seems to be okay considering what happened to him.

And the proposal. Remember, Gon never told Tae-eul who he really was (he said it was for security reasons at the police station and that is true, just not in the republic). That is why she is keeping him around waiting for DNA test to either properly arrest him, find his family or have him committed. The proposal, asking to be his Queen, was he way of telling her his true identity.

I think that murder case it very important because it links Shin jae. There is something about that dude and it will come full speed ahead in the end, I think. All is not what is seems with him and there is something more than him being a romantic rival.

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You are right about the murder case. Because the same weapon used to hit the victim (shown wound on computer) it’s the same one as the republic Korea Lee Gon used to tried defended himself from lee rim. It was a lever I believe, in which lee rim told the Korean Lee Gon that he was holding something he is not supposed to. But Kang Shin Jae, took a picture of the Lever he found while Ta eul interrogated the wife/witness. But now I’m wonder, what side he will eventually be? Lee rim or Lee Gon/Ta Eul.
And you are right about why ta Eul seemingly “cater” to Lee Gon. While in real world, she could have place a restraining order, but in this fantasy world, Lee Gon is ordered not to leave until the DNA test completed. Although I still don’t get the proposa tho. Lol. Cause he did tell her that he is the king of Corea, while keeping his actual name unknown.

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Watching this made me miss my smart resourceful time travelling scholar Kim Boong Do in Queen In Hyun's Man. I've been on dramabeans for that long to remember how much EVERYONE including jb and gf was fangirling over him. Sigh....if only this King is even half as smart or quarter smart of Kim Boong Do....with his supposedly math genius trait, you would think he would figure out how to navigate quickly in a world that's not his

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SAME! I was so close to rewatching QIHM just because I want a smart time traveler on my screen.

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I've wanted to watch QIHM for a long time, I think I'll start it next.

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Ah QIHM is one of my favourites!

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I finished it last night, and it is one of my favorites now too. I cried so much during the ending. I love that time travel guy, he has such a wonderful smile. I'm going to look for more of Ji Hyun Woo's dramas, he and Yoo In Na had such great chemistry.

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Colours are rampant in this drama. They flood the senses.

GREEN
Life, renewal, nature and energy. It is the colour of the bamboo forest, which swept Our Gallant Hero into A New Magical World.

WHITE
Goodness, purity and light. The colour of Maximus, almost, except for the dabs of gray on its forehead.

BLACK
Power, strength and authority. And evil, too. Think Darth Vader, and you know what I mean. The colour of the White Rabbit that led Lee Gon to tumble down the rabbit hole.

GRAY
A fence-sitter, neither black nor white. Detached, neutral. Gray is the transition between the two colours. I find it intriguing that Maximus has splotches of gray on its head...is this a hint that Lee Gon, its master, is capable of becoming more white, or more black, if he chooses to?

Lee Gon appears before our feisty heroine in that gasp-worthy scene in a black top with silver buttons and white, tight (very) riding pants. That black-clad figure at the beginning was dressed all in black...is this an indication that the pure, good-hearted white knight crossed over to the Dark Side in the end, because of circumstances? Because he is so naive and innocent now, in his wide-eyed delight (captured in a million shots) at the wonder of his new world. Will all that light and child-like wonder be dimmed in the end? Will his goodness be snuffed out?

RED
The colour of blood. Lust, passion, rage, violence and desire. Intense and raw. The young Lee Gon leaves a trail of bloody footprints on the floor. The PM who should not be a PM wears a red lacy dress and attempts a public seduction. The Bad Guy is always dipping his hands in red, be it blood, or paint.

PINK
Universal love, of oneself, and of others. The go-to colour for sweet little princesses. Sugar and spice and everything nice.
The colour of Lee Gon's sweater. Is he...gasp...a man in love with himself?

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I like :)

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These are very good observations :)

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Boy where do I start. Lots to say. Be warned fave or no fave, someone else's or mine, I am going to be critical, alright. Oh and there's gonna be comparisons. Reading other people's comments made me think a lot. People hyping things up is of course going to raise my expectations because it should be deserving of the hype right and I don't want to be disappointed but that's what happens when things are hyped. I expect better cause I like giving things
or people a chance cause I have been surprised when I did. They doesn't mean I want to be too harsh though cause it is fiction and a kdrama at that. And I like being critical sometimes and sometimes just need an escape. Yes I know this is the second episode that's why I want to get some things out of the way.

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So LMH's 'character' doesn't interest me much. Yes he does remind me a bit of Kim Tan from Heirs but not that much and hopefully he changes (but not just cause of the FL). Kim Tan was supposed to be this decent guy but was a really bad boyfriend. If there's a forced kiss scene here I am going to riot, lol. I know LMH can play kind of likable characters even though his characters do have their similarities like being rich/privileged. So I don't agree fully with other's opinion on this. Okay so Lee Gon is of course entitled and he has a reason for that being Emperor and all. Also genius and smart people do tend to do stupid things. Yes the proposal (and that hug) was a bit too much. Yes he expects too much even though no one knows him as an Emperor on the alt universe, but like I said entitled Hopefully there's more depth cause I am not feeling his character much even though I kind of understand where he comes from.

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Okay now to me KGE's 'character' isn't much like Ji Eun Tak. So her character I am no longer going to compare with the other. I like that Tae Eul doesn't put up with Lee Gon so easily. Like her tying her hair up when he says no, pushing him away, being sceptical, etc. I didn't particular find FL in the three dramas I saw of KES to be like Tae Eul here. (Decided never to watch Secret garden cause of the problematic things I read happens in it, before I even knew this writer or her dramas). So I have hopes. So KGE is also playing two characters? Oh now that's interesting.

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I'm not sure but I think she ties her hair up when she gets annoyed with him which is why he told her not to do it, but I could be wrong.

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She tied her hair before she arrested him, so hes afraid of her, and tells her not to there, but it did come across as jerky and forceful. It doesn't help that his past drama had a similar trope.

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I have only seen one of WDH's dramas fully and have yet to finish another one but he's already in my list of favourite actors cause my very small list has actors who wowed me with their acting or character in just a few dramas lol, which he managed to do. Anyway so I found both his characters here to be not that interesting, even though I prefer the Korea version than the Corea one. But I hope they get fleshed out more. For now I do like how extremely different from each other the two versions are so he's not doing a bad job. I don't think it's his or LMHs fault as much as I think it's the writing and directing. But like I said it's just the first week.

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I hope there is more to the PM than is shown. Cause I agree with others on how she is portrayed. The Villain is too um villainous. Doesn't care who he kills. But why is he doing what he his doing? I want to know. Don't know what to think of other characters yet. The Plot doesn't confuse me as much as it does others cause I am sure things are going to be revealed little by little to give the big picture. I am sure the murders are related. So it has both parallel worlds and time travel. But I don't think there's another world. All that said this episode I found better than the first even though it could be way better.

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Can I pick your brain later if the random case in SK becomes relevant? I tried but didn't pay much attention to it because it felt too random. Hardly remember what it was about.

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Everyone is fangirling over LMH or WDH, and here I am cheering for a world where CROWN PRINCE SOHYEON lived!!!!

It is very interesting that the show picked the divergence of parallel worlds with Prince Sohyeon, who was known for being progressive and interested in Western science and religion (and rumoured to have been killed by his own daddy King Injo). We can only imagine what Joseon would have been like if Sohyeon had become king, instead of the hellish society and bloody politics that we see in so many sageuks. Also, this makes Gon a descendant of Sohyeon, and is a nice explanation for his interest in maths. I guess Evil Uncle inherited the Injo traits, as well as the classic sageuk villain knack for painting.

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And probably this was when Kingdom of Corea had become Empire of Corea, as Crown Prince Sohyeon fended off the Ching invaders, where the two worlds separated (since Corea had not become Ching's tributary state as Ming Dynasty was eliminated).

I sometimes wonder why Korean like to romanticize a society with a Royal Family ruling them, especially conservative like Kim Eun-seok. They have one such society already, just north of their border (Maybe «Crash Landing on You» is a way more "realistic" portrait of this "Two Worlds").

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It amazes me how even Kdramas set in the modern age also have the rich owners of corporations go places in a wedge formation--just like the Joseon kings had a wedge formation when they moved from place to place in the palace. I think South Koreans think of their rich as their new kings.

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Toki!!! I missed you~~~ thanks for sharing about Prince Sohyeon and the Injo traits. It makes Gon and evil uncle characters more interesting 😊.

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I normally tune out sageuk talk but I always pay attention when Toki says something and I think that in itself is a feat

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Thanks a lot for sharing this WishfulToki!

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Toki! Missed seeing you around here!

And that’s an awesome input about the historical side of the show!

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I'm just finishing, "Splendid Politics," and I too was a fan of Prince Sohyeon. His death was the only one in the 50 episodes that made me cry. Thanks for bringing Gon's relationship to Injo to light for me, because that may keep me interested for several more episodes. BTW while watching Prince Sohyeon's personality emerge, I told myself that he must have taken after his mother.

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Thanks @wishfultoki for your comments. When Lee Gon mentioned Prince Sohyeon I paused and googled him
(like I would do watching a sageuk). You are right. How would thing have been different if he eventually assumed the throne?
However in the parallel universe he did assume the throne.
For those interested:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Prince_Sohyeon

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@marcusnyc20 Yes, Gon's Empire of Corea is my sageuk fantasy land because it's what Joseon might have become if Sohyeon had become king. I hope we get to see more of the parallel world. So far we know that they have more skyscrapers than the real world, that they like boat racing, have quaint cafes, a constitutional monarchy with Prime Minister and cabinet, and that their diamonds are pretty rare. Altogether it seems like a prosperous world, though it is not without sketchy characters like the mysterious girl in the rabbit hood and the thugs who were chasing her.

@quirkycase thanks for the recap! One thing: I didn't think the police considered Gon's cash as evidence of fraud, because the bank notes looked different to regular Korean money. I don't think that money is worth anything in this world. That's why Tae-eul sarcastically asked if he was playing Monopoly. The other detective marveled that they looked genuine too.

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@wishfultoki,
Allow me a few more random thoughts. In the universe of King Lee Gon:
1. Since there is a constitutional monarchy the King should be pretty much removed from politics. However,
2. He has to deal with the Prime Minister. (For historical context, Queen Elizabeth II has been briefed by Prime Ministers going back to Winston Churchill.)
At this point in the story I have no idea how Prime Minister Goo Seo-ryung has gained her position. The King appears not to trust her. Why?
She has already provoked a couple of “are you kidding me?” reactions in me like the line about gorgeous men.
3. Because the King assumed the throne at some age there must have been some sort of regency.
Tbh both the Head Court Lady and Prince Lee Jong-in were quite old at the time of the assassination but they are both still around 25 years later! To me that is a bit hard to believe.
It looks like the Prince has been the King’s advisor.
4. Christianity exists in this universe. I noticed the large crucifix looking down over the cemetery.

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Seriously? They were maybe in their late 40s or early 50s in 1994, and 25 years later they're dead? Bwaaahaaahaa!

I knew all of my grandparents and two of my great grandparents. My paternal grandparents died when they were 96 and 100. I play bridge with a friend and her mother, who is 97 and a killer player. Her older sister in CA retired from selling real estate when she was 96, and celebrated her 100th in style last year.

But you find it hard to believe people are still alive while in their 70s?

Since Lee Gon became king when he was 8 years old, I also assume there was a regency, but don't know who actually ruled. The great-uncle prince is apparently a doctor (he did the autopsy on the Lee Rim doppleganger). When Lee Gon visited the Prince to find out if there was any information he was holding back from him, he looked at and mentioned the photo of him as a child, holding hands with both the prince and the head court lady, so they were both with him in his childhood. Interesting that the prince and his children had to leave Corea and live abroad, so they would be no threat to Lee Gon's throne. Just like a drama set in Joseon - I love that part of the drama!

Speaking of which - I guess that after killing his brother, Lee Ho, in Korea, Lee Rim stole the body, dressed it in his suit, and returned to Corea to stage a death. I can't figure out why the Prince and Head Court Lady thought that

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they couldn't reveal it was what looked like a suicide. Did they think that would perhaps make Lee Rim into a martyr? That it would encourage those who were behind his coup to rise up?

From the comments made by the politicians and the court, it appears there is conflict about the monarchy.

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To add - in Kingdom of Corea, a parliament was set up or either reconstituted in 21st century - the Prime Minister did it.

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Nice observations @marcusnyc20 and @maybemaknae on the constitutional monarchy. I'm still scratching my head at the Prime Minister's total lack of interest in governing so far. She behaves more like a spoiled heiress. Did she inherit the position maybe?

Re. 4: Christianity in the parallel world. That wouldn't be entirely out of place, since Crown Prince Sohyeon was introduced to Catholicism when he was a hostage in China (of course, this was not received well back at home, where foreign religions, including Christianity, were forbidden). Perhaps Christianity took hold earlier in Gon's world than in real life Joseon thanks to this. I doubt the writer has thought at this level of historical detail, so maybe it's just a lucky coincidence.

In any case, I'd prefer if this drama leaves religion out of the world-building. I really disliked the scene in GOBLIN where Shin was at a church and addressed Jesus. As a Christian, I can accept a story that has deities and supernatural beings, because that's how that particular fantasy world works. But they should leave Jesus out of it.

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PM is a juxtaposition because she a KES character. The 2 eps so far have told us that she handles the royals PR, well liked, punctual about work & talented enough to set up a parliament - honestly sans her red dress & drooling over an uninterested king, she sounds like a pretty awesome politician. But because she's a KES character she only gets to be a shady wannabe

I'd say I saw the king being more disinterested than she was - he evaded their set meeting & went to the horse field instead.

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Hi! So glad to see you! I'm missing my saguek beanies around here.

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I guess I'm letting the characters act on their own motivations instead of thinking what I would do, because their actions made sense to me. Our king is FO-CUSED, and as he keeps mentioning, he's kind of been thinking about her and meeting her for a while (kind of like me with this drama). So though it's the proper thing to be cynic about anyone acting this way, given the circumstances of him being in a fantasy drama and all, I'm willing to let him have this one, and believe that he believes he has some epic connection to her. He's kind of excited. And sadly, though I'll remember not to require it of any of my relationships, it's refreshing to see a guy laser-focused and actually showing interest. I mean, that's why we (I) watch these things. Though there'll have to be a more substantial connection established between the two eventually to sell this. I just have more faith that this will happen.

And Tae-Eul is definitely acting pissed enough, but maybe just like me, she's a bit intrigued about what is going on. Because she's supposed to be a skeptical person, but then there's these little instances where he looks to be telling the truth. And once again, this is a fantasy. There may very well be a connection that she's sensing, thus she's not quick to dismiss him as someone who feels nothing.

So needless to say, I didn't hate this ep like everyone else. I absolutely loved it. A romantic drama for me is all about the OTP and their connection. Besides, I find banter sexy in actuality. So the more, the merrier. It just helps to establish their chemistry, I feel.

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I think Lee Gon is still working on who saved him when he was young. After seing Tae-eul, he understood it wasn't her but someone she knows. Tae-eul will believe him only if she knows him and as a wife/queen she will have to know him and believe him. He already knows that it's not Tae-eul's colleague who saved him.

But the issue for me that LMH and KGE don't really click together so when he confessed in his way in the chicken restaurant, it fell flat...

Evil Uncle killed his brother, his nephew and himself. There is still a royal person : Lee Jong-In. We never saw the face of the dead man in the trunk... It could be the connection for the story.

I'm curious about the old lady, she looks to know more she says.

So I'm 100% for Jo Young and the photograph, I need a simple love story :D

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKPrvxRk2g

Reaction by Dramabeans Founder :D

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I'm liking this drama and will continue watching for now. Second episode was not as engaging as the first, but I expected that given that it will probably take about 3 episodes to properly "introduce" the main players.

My counterpoints to the common criticisms I've read:

1. The romance is too forced, and rushed --- I honestly do not think the King is interested in a romance with Tae-eul at this point. I don't think he has ever felt romantic love at all. Of course we know that is where we're leading to eventually, but the proposal to me wasn't a proposal because "he loves her", but because he feels he "owes" her and making her "his queen" is his way of paying her back? Of course, being sheltered in his own world, he doesn't realize this is not how it should be LOL

2. Why is the Lee Gon acting that way when he's no longer in his kingdom --- He's always had everyone bow to him, so this is a new world. I think I would be more critical if he suddenly understands how he should be acting in this new world... that would be odd.

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Love your counterpoints.
1. The proposal is a bit, idk, I don’t buy it and I can go without, and I agree with you that he is not in love with JTE yet. But I don’t know why proposing, until you mentioned your theory and it maybe the reason why. But I do know he is fond of her, because she is his only connection to his saviour/saving moment and she is the only person who didn’t go Gaga over him, which interest him. And there might be a this feeling of safety and gladness of finally meeting her. And he has been wondering and maybe studying about the possibility that parallel world exist, so when he is right, I think he is just enjoying it.

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I am enjoying this drama and don't agree with most of the criticism, either.

I thought the proposal was forced, but I also make allowances for these facts: He's been studying her picture, being grateful she existed, and unbelievably aware and thankful that she saved his life, plus searching for her for two decades. His reactions are over the top and he's too thrilled to have found her to be in tune with her own reactions. He has noted already once that she is not quite how he thought she'd be. He's just trying to convince her how serious he is.

I have no qualms with him still acting like the kind even though he knows nobody else can believe it. He's been king since he was 8. He's had to constantly act and behave as king, those actions are born and bred in his bones. You do not just suddenly toss aside your own culture and who you are like snapping your fingers, not matter how smart you are. QIHM was a different story because the queen's man was a essentially a servant and scholar who owed his allegiance to the King, he wasn't catered to, he was the one doing the adapting. King Gon has never had to adapt his behavior to be less than king-like to others even once, not since he was 8, anyway.
And they know he doesn't fit in because he has no I.D. and no prints on file, and he knows the won't find his DNA- the only reasons that could be the case are he's a kingpin type criminal, a spy, or he's who he says he is, so sticking to his king from altnerative universe story is actually his smartest option. The alternatives for fitting in give him an unsavory reputation.

I've some experience with this in traveling in other countries and being told that certain things are not okay in this culture, or things tht are uncomfortable for me in my culture are expected of me in the other culture- even with the utmost good will and best intentions to follow thier culture and not mine in their country, habits are hard to break and I often would say or do things that I only noticed I'd done much later.

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Yes....the award of best scene goes to baby maximus.... So tiny.. So cute. 😍

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I dont feel for the characters so I think these three things are at fault:

- character build up
-editing
-direction

Thus, funny moments are not so funny. Silences and deep brown dewy eyes are not evoking any romance. So much potential... i will be really :( if the next two episodes are as loose as episode 2.
Luna be my saviour.

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I am hammered by work these days and my time difference and when the recaps are posted don't sync really well, so just a few scattered thoughts that occurred to me while watching Episode 2.

* I’m getting Secret Garden vibes on the relationship between the leads with the tough, physically strong girl manhandling the guy.

* It was interesting to watch Gon learn about the new world he is in. I was wondering why his character had an interest in math. What I saw in this episode is that more than math he uses logic and reasoning.

* I know he was staying in a really swish hotel but Gon ran out of
diamonds pretty quick. LOL. So what is he gonna do? Every time he comes he will bring something to sell with him?

* I laughed at the Netflix PPL.

* The villain is acting like the devil straying people, reminded me of When the Devil Calls Your Name.

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Maybe we'll see some cohabitation next week given Gon's lack of cash? My bet is on Eun Seob taking him in.

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My guess is he's gonna work at the chicken place. Chicken PPL bonanza!!! Hahaha

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Will he deliver on a scooter, or on horse back?

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Hmmm...very valid question. I vote horse back for fan service to his customers, maybe they can increase the delivery price? Also Maximus needs to work too. He must be bored staying in front of The Alley.

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I propose a bicycle. Eco-friendly and economical. Remember Oppa* in Forest? (*subject to change)

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@katakwasabi but would I have to tip both Lee Gon and the horse?

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@mindy only tip Maximus. Tips can be carrots or celery sticks.

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Perfect reason for a bromance. Bring it on.

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Love you

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In addition to the writing, my biggest problem with the show is the direction and screenplay. I feel like it's all over the place. The transition onto the next scenes feels very haphazard.
I don't know what is being told with the villain story (is he going back and forth? - what's with the dramatic salt field/camera shake of the horizon???) or with the investigation. I feel the scenes are interspersed randomly.

And what's with the forced romance? Its so cringy. Even with the second male lead they did not give us time to understand that he likes her, instead they had a backstory showing how he liked her from the beginning. I would rather infer these based on their interactions and not be told - 'SML liked her for much longer - see backstory'

I sincerely hope the female PM has more depth than what we have been shown so far.

I loved the little interaction between bodyguard and his fangirl.

Also, i enjoy LMH when he is funny. He usually is funny and i expected to enjoy the initial episodes. But so far there is no comedy (with so much possibilities), which was disappointing.

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I have a lot to say after watching this episode.

Lee Gon
I have to say that I kinda appreciate the way he is being straightforward with Tae-eul and shares things he knows/his theories with her (well, not his name, of course, it's a cultural difference). Even though that makes him sounds like a lunatic, it's more frustrating to have a hero or heroine who keeps everything to themselves. He is in an urgent need of alliances and the fastest way to gain the one he wants the most is to get her to understand the situation ASAP.

I even think that deep down he actually hopes she'd known about it already since he believes she's the one who goes back in time and saves his life. Over the years, since '94, he had been thinking, and as creepy as it may sound, fantasizing her all along. He had learned the idea of alternate universes since the day he retrieved her police badge. All kinds of theories must have passed his mind. Considering how he studies the situation by studying in the library, I bet he's read all the articles about the subject (he even quotes Einstein).

And this is another quality of him that I appreciate. As someone with a science background, I love finding out answers by reading from different sources myself rather than asking just one person. It's the process of learning that allows us to understand the context surrounding one truth.

When he announces that he appoints her as his queen, I roll my eyes too. But if you think about it, that's not very surprising. Like I mentioned, he must've been fantasizing her all these years. At first, as a 7-year-old boy, he was grateful to this aunty savior. Then as he's growing, aunty becomes noona, and as he catching up to her age, she becomes more and more attractive as a woman (and she's actually cute). He imagines her as a kind-hearted and gentle young woman (that's why he's quite shocked that her real personality is so rough) who's 3 years younger than him and he's been waiting to meet her. The way he declares that he's an oppa now tells it all, that he wants to be her OPPA as in BOYFRIEND not BROTHER. Now that he sees Shin-Jae as a potential threat, he brands her as his queen to declare his feelings. Not very romantic but kind of understandable.

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Jung Tae-Eul
I find Kim Go-Eun portraying of Tae-Eul a bit off. It's the acting issue not the character. For me, she is quite simple. A girl who wants to be tough, chic, and cool at the same time. I don't know why people are complaining about the chemistry of the leads because I think they are quite cute. The scene where they're bickering in the precinct is adorable. He's like why are you talking down to me? I'm your oppa by 3 years and she's like I don't have any sibling. Honey, he doesn't want to be your sibling either.

As a police officer, she must have been skeptical about this rich (and for god sake, what did he spend all that money on? He should've bought a car with that amount of cash. Now that he's broke, there's a good chance that we'll have a cohabitation trope here), good looking guy who came out of nowhere and keeps babbling about alternate universes from the first moment they met. But what can she do? He hasn't committed any crime so she has to let him loose.

She's also curious about what his deal is. She thinks he's crazy but the guy clearly acts like he knows her and she wants to know how that's why she keeps going to him though she says she doesn't have anything to do with him (and she even bought carrots for Maximus, THE MOST HANDSOME horse I've ever seen). And I think she's a kind person by nature considering her dad bought all those eggs when they don't have much money. Once she fully believes and understands his situation, I have no doubt that she will be helping him.

Luna
This character is very mysterious and I think she plays a very important role in this. In a recent interview, Lee Min-Ho keyword description of Luna is 'poisonous' and Kim Go-Eun's is a 'stray cat'. Based on this, I'm sure she's something far more than a pickpocket. But good or evil? Not enough information to judge. I'll keep my eyes on her.

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Lee Rim
The ultimate evil uncle.
The most interesting question is what has he learned during these 25 years in the Republic. He's planning something. He's in Busan where this universe crossing began. He lets Gon's mom lives. He helps the woman whose son's bullied gets her revenge. Is he collecting hench(wo)man or trying to find a particular woman. Is there any legend or prophecy relating to the Manpashikjeok and woman/women? His goal would be going back to the Kingdom and claim the throne, so I believe all these would lead to that point, the opening of the portal, or even going back in time.

I'm worried because he has 25 years of knowledge ahead of our hero and heroine. How would they catch up or even beat him?

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Wait. No. He already went back to the Kingdom. At least once when he took his right-hand man to the Republic with him. So he clearly knows how to cross between the two worlds. It's down to one possiblity now and that would be time-travelling, isn't it?

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Hi... interesting read.

One fact (I think it is one) I will add is: lee rim was there in the last photo seen by the bodyguard, taken by his photographer fan girl.

So yup, I am super worried about what the uncle has been planning and how unprepared our leads are. They don’t even know that he exists!!!
And if the writer doesn’t create a really evil but intelligent plan with loads of references given that uncle has had 25years then it will be such a disappointment.

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Oh and I like the woman bit. I feel the women will be the really dark characters in this: Luna and the pm (ok, I hope). According to some post/chart somewhere Luna is on team Lee Rim’s side. She is the one who has been leading the ML and Gon does say that he heard music before the thunder, no? (So someone played the flute for the door to open!)
Because a question for me is: why does the uncle want Nephew to come to Korea? Did the Korea doppelgänger of his nephew really die? Also, if time travel is involved why does uncle not travel back in time to the time when the young King confronts him and save the flute from being divided into two+kill the young kid. How did the blood on the flute impact the flute’s powers? Will the sword play any role?

The eternal monarch will be the one who rules both the worlds and evil uncle is aiming for that.

Premise is there so the story has lots of potential. Execution is key.

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Ruckus Likes drama, I share the same take with you. Its a promising story and it will make or break depending on the execution. Alas, i will watch it :).

*Also, im surprise that people not understanding the reason the show spent time on the murder case. This case i belief is connected to Lee Rim, because the murderer used the same lever as what Lee rim did to kill Rep.Korea Lee Gon (If he died, since no body is shown). Kang Shin Jae found the lever hidden in the wife/witness house.
*And As far as Lee rim intervene in that Mother's wish, i think it's the show's way of telling the viewer that He is playing God, remember before He killed his brother in Monarch Corea, He told his brother that people created God because they are weak.

*I believe Luna has bigger or more important role than what the show is telling us right now. Either She works for Lee rim or Lee rim work for her, what????just a possibility.

*The time travel thing is still a bit of a mystery of me, like i know it's one of the element, but i tried not to look into it so much, because i know it will be explain why Lee rim doesn't age etc etc. However , the Drama logo in the opening credit has a clock ticking backward/counterclock, so it has something to do with reversing time, turn back time.

*This show has a lot of Subtle hints that if we missed or not paying attention, we could see it as unnecessary/insignificant.
Like, how they have focus point on Lee Gon Horse whip from the very first teaser, and on all the clips/ highlight he was holding that whip all the time, and i thought that it's because Equastrian is a big passion of his, but by the end of episode 1, when Lee Gon is about to cross the dimension and once again, they zoomed to the whip. That moment i finally got it because the half of the flute is there. No wonder he seems to be keeping it close at all time. same with the murder case, it seems not related but i think it is.

And the the photos that the girl took from the rowing competition, it was lee rim on the last photo, but it was a quick swipe and seems insignificant, but it's telling us "He Lee Rim is going back and forth between the two world.
And the confusing scene in the very beginning, the interview between Tae Eul and Lee rim, i believe it was purposely put there. idk if anybody here watch series like "Ozark' or "breaking bad", they used scene of the future in the very beginning, and it seems confusing, but eventually the beginning scene is explained.
And now i wonder about the Talisman too, because it's referred 2-3 times already in the 2 episode.
Ok i stop rambling heheh

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- Luna is clearly trying to lure Gon to South Korea, no doubt. But why now? Why does she have to wait 25 years to do that?
- Uncle may know time-travelling exists and even know how it works, but yet not be able to trigger the machinery. Feels like he's slowly and patiently brewing up some potion for his ultimate goal.

Let's count the time uncle go back&forth between 2 world;
1. when he sent Korean uncle's body back for people to think he's dead.
2. when he went back to get his henchman.
3. at the rowing competition (totally didnt catch this one).
Anything else?

I think the key information is in Busan. Now Eun-Seob saturi becomes suspicious. Does anyone know if it's Busan dialect?

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And Maximus...
He doesn't eat the carrot Tae-Eul feed him (and it's even an organic carrot!). Does he think she's Luna?

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@joosushin,
I believe she was luring Lee Gon to the bamboo forest.

I Don’t speak Korean, but I know based on the media reporting the drama, Eun soeb supposed to speak in Busan dialect (I wish I understand, that’s ay I could appreciate Woo Do-Hwan acting even more).
Idk why Lee Rim waited 25 year, could be because he doesn’t have full power until he get the other half of the flute?

Regarding Maximus won’t be fed by Tae Eul, that could be one of the possibility, and believable theory, but I’m not so sure, my opinion is, he simply does not know Tae Eul, and from the looks of Eisode 1, looks like even Lee Gon took charge of the chores feeding Maximus.

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Another theory why Lee rim waited this long is because he cannot attack Lee Gon in Corea, because he is protected there, and by getting him to the parallel world (where nobody knows who he is) he is more vulnerable and easier to get.
And this where Lee Gon and Tae Eul work together against Lee rim.

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@ Ruckus, yea I think the sword also has an important role as in the beginning of ep1, while being interrogated, Lee Rim mentioned his nephew, Gon. Then, the camera zoomed in to the Four Tiger Sword held by Gon. Also when Rim took it from the glass box, some words were written on the swords. Part of it was "Defeat the bad and makes things just".
But instead of defeating the bad, the sword was slicing the flute into two.
So I think, both flute and sword are a legendary thing. When they clashed, something happened. I guess..

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After rewatching ep2 with Korean close caption, there're so many crazier and crazier interpretations and theories that run through my mind. I'll just jot down points I noticed here for my future references.

- Jo Yeong's email address is Jo_O@kingdom.go.cr
(why would the domain name be @kingdom, not @empire? inconsistency? intentional? red-herring?)
Is that the English alphabet 'O'? or Is it hangul 'ㅇ'?
Makes more sense if it is the hangul, because shouldn't his initial has been 'Y' instead of 'O'? But then that 'ㅇ' could represent both Yeong (영) and Eun-Seob(은섭), couldn't it? Is there any relevance between the 2? And if Eun-Seob saturi is actually the Busan dialect, then it's really really fishy. Hope they didn't swap places all these years.

- Gon tells Tae-Eul at the end of the episode that 25 years ago 'someone' dropped her police badge so he's got a hold of it and he's trying to find out who that was. He's sure she must be involved since that someone took her badge and left it there. Does that mean, at this point, he already thinks that his savior was not her but someone else (?)

- Uncle has been going back and forth between the two worlds multiple times during these 25 years. What could he have been doing or trying to do? He couldn't do that completely unnoticed as the recent event was even caught on camera. That means he already has an alliance(s) back there in the kingdom/empire (arghhh, which term should I use?). But it would be scariest if both the kingdom and the empire exist and uncle has gone to both places.

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Getting swapped would partially explain the change in personality from childhood to adulthood.

Lee Gon tested Shin-jae by putting on the hood, so he knows it's not Jung Tae-eul who saved him.

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Jo_0@kingdom.go.cr is the number zero '0' not the letter 'O' pronounced 영 (yeong).

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Ahhh, now that makes a lot more sense. Thanks. ^_^

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You can just use Corea. Korea and Corea~

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Episode 2: king checks if hyung nim was his saviour by forcefully putting on the hoodie. Proof that he knows JTE wasnt his saviour.

I wanted it to be JTE :D

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I was disappointed in Lee Gon in this episode. Did he not think about his subjects at all before following the rabbit and then crossing over to the other world AND staying there as long as he did? His people seem to care about even the smallest details of his life like his love life so him disappearing into another realm with no security would be a major concern. Maybe I missed something(I was playing Best Fiends while watching) but his actions are those of someone who is third of fourth in line to rule not someone who is sitting on the throne.

There were moments when Tae-eul looked like she was falling for Gon and that was a major headscratcher for me. For now all he should be in her mind is the weirdo who claims to be from a parallel universe who also hugged her without her consent.

If the first two episodes were for setting up the existence of the two worlds I hope the coming episodes give us more of the 'whys' of these people's actions.

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Based on what transpired after he left, it seems like him leaving and disappearing for extended periods is a normal occurence. It seemed that for the PM and the King's staff, this was not new. (I mean not the part that he goes to the parallel universe, but the part that he disappears)

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So the two Koreas and people living there are the only differences between the parallel worlds but Albert Einstein and Leonardo DiCaprio are the same? Even the bakery that supplies the king's bread is same. If you have the same family in both worlds, and assuming there'll be a romance between Young and Seung-ah, will there also be a romance between Eun-seob and Na-ri?

There were two details- Shin-jae drawing the royal symbol on his notebook and Uncle was present at that event as per Myung-ah's photos.

The king was quite annoying in this episode! :P Hes clearly figured out a lot about the parallel universe and also that she didn't save him, so why is he behaving like that? How is anyone going to take him seriously? Tae-eul really is giving him too much time! Hes going to get clobbered for that silly proposal. I guess the first two episodes had a few of these scenes to celebrate his comeback but I hope it stops!

So much PPL in this! Lots of material for the next PPL Watch!

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Lee Gon mentioned something about worlds diverging after a certain point, so I can understand Albert Einstein being common in both worlds.

He did not give any indication that he knew who Di Caprio was at all? It was a throwaway line to me.

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Yeah you're right!

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"And when did he become an evil genie granting revenge wishes? He must be getting something out of it, since he’s not the type to do something for nothing."
I had the same thought when I watched this episode. Why would Rim bother to insert himself into the affairs of this woman? He's shown that he has no regard for the lives of others. Doesn't make much sense.

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God complex!

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Could be

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I’m not sure I can view ep 2 as a standalone in terms of weaker vs. stronger than ep 1. To me, it seems pretty clear that this show is suffering from an excessively bloated pilot (maybe it should’ve considered visiting the restroom before hitting the road?)

There are a lot of characters to introduce and get to know, lots of exposition to cover (that we haven’t even really scratched the service of yet) and it hasn’t been handled with any particular deftness. Pilots are tough, introducing a whole new story that’s asking for a lot of suspension of disbelief is tricky. For The King, right now, none of its ensemble are really winning the pilot game. Which is too bad, but not terrible.

Some things I’ve been wondering after ep 2:

Maybe Lee Gon has trouble picking up social cues? He’s clearly book smart, but he can’t read the room too well. Maybe he’s on the spectrum? Could explain why he just can’t jive with how he’s being treated in parallel Korea.

I really think LMH short-changed himself on making a real impactful comeback by taking on a ML role he’s seemed to have done many times before. As mentioned, I’ve seen only one LMH show – but based on what other people have said he seems to play the same characters over and over again. Wouldn’t it have been more of a challenge for him to have taken on, say, WDH’s role? Someone who has to be two completely different characters. From a talent/craft perspective, I feel like showing the world he can do not only one different character but double it – in the same show – would be way more impressive. Though I guess an actor like LMH doesn’t do sidekicks…

All in all, I’m still finding it watchable – it makes me laugh and shrug at its ridiculousness. As a lot of people have been saying, it’s a really good-looking show (both talent and production). So, I plan to stick around another week to see if any of our leads start to show signs of glittering in the sunlight.

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I dont think it is that odd for someone who grew up a king to not read the room, even if he is in a new world. Look at how many celebrities currently are not reading the room and sticking their foot in their mouths.

I like the fish out of water type jokes though definitely not all of these are landing.

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Yes! See Giselle in Enchanted, Leopold in Kate and Leopold etc...

It would be more jarring if he adopted to Korea right away. I don't get the nitpicks on that point.

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I kept thinking of Kate and Leopold too!

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He did have a double role in Legend of the Blue Sea. It was a reincarnation drama, but the Joseon characters of the leads had less screen time and people wanted more of that. He performed both characters really well!

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Also, LMH did some actions in City Hunter (as an IT expert for the Blue House) and Faith (a saeguk drama, as a royal bodyguard). He wasn't a spoiled chaebol in both drama, but people mostly remember him as Kim Tan and Goo Joon Pyo so yea...

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I don't know if its only me. When I saw the part where Gon keep on asking Tae-Eul if there's more, but she stays silent. It looks like she want to say something but opted not to.

Remember in Goblin, when Kim Shin asking Eun Tak whether she can see the sword but she playing dumb until end of episode (I cant remember which episode), she actually point to the sword and reveal that she actually able see the sword all this time.

So maybe there is more in King that Tae Eul didn't let us know yet....

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Maybe the fact that she sees Luna on and off? After all she is scared on seeing Lune in the rear view but she forgets all about it pretty soon.

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Yeah. That makes sense. 😊

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Seems like repeat of rating war heirs/secret in 2013 to King EM/world of married in 2020. Heirs was bad. Let hope King EM is better. 1st ep was good. But 2nd? Blah.

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Wow, that guard is the character I live so far, yeong oppa.. And my best actor 4ever LMH

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Lee Min Ho is so smooth at delivering with a perfectly straight face lines that make sense in one world but are absurd in the other. He has the most convincing charm that makes you question your own sense of reason.

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Lol. Love your end comments. At this point I'm just hate watching this show. It's just a mess but maybe it will get better.

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The DNA swab. That's where they got me. I laughed so much! 😂

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Well Lee Lim ( the Uncle ) is the most interesting character so far to watch. I had high expectations because this writer wrote Mr. Sunshine and Goblin. I guess I will lower those expectations a notch. The OST so far is not good so I am worried. Most of the dramas I love like Goblin and Encouter had beautiful OSTs. I guess we shall see but the jury is out.

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"For example, I have no idea why we’re spending so much time on Tae-eul’s murder investigation. "

You and me, both! There's so many characters, versions of characters and information thrown at the viewers all at the same time.

I also don't get the birthday-wishing part scene. Is't a flashback? a story in what world and why Rim is suddenly granting wishes. One moment he is at the temple, next he is walking into a birthday party.

And while I like that we finally get an interaction between our OTP, it's just like what you said, too much at this early eps and Lee Gon is practically spewing information by information about the two worlds to bring the audience up to date with the present story. Like, the writer is in a hurry to establish the two worlds so she could get it out of the way and get on with the romance. It's quite unlike for Kim Eun Sook to do this. She takes her time building her story but then the ending is usually half baked ^^ Normally, it's her ending that is problematic and not the beginning of her story.

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So now the evil cartoony uncle's gone petty child abuser. What? Has he got nothing except time and petty evil acts on his hands? I am actually intrigued on how much lower he's going to sink.

Everything feels...staged, a bit like the Time of Our Lives. But the thing I do buy is Lee Gon spending like crazy. He is brought up in a very sheltered environment with only the most exclusive items available. I don't think he even imagines that there will come a day when he is left to fend for himself, and possibly can't comprehend what that even means.

I love you, officer Shin Jae and I hope you get your girl. At least you have some chemistry, a hard thing to come by in this show. And I do hope Yeong and Eun Seob meet, that's like....sugar and spice and a whole lot of nice.

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I've only watched part of episode 1--I hope the confusion I experienced clears with episode 2.

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I did not know until some one told me that the actor who plays baby WDH was baby judo falls in Her Private Life.

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Was he any better there? Because the kids here are really quite terrible... The last time I remember a child actor acting so poorly was Are You Human, Too?

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Mostly he practiced his Judo falls. It was super cute. It's all I remember.

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Kim Eun-sook really downgraded from the talented child actors of Mr. Sunshine Kim Kang-hoon (When the Camellia Blooms) and Jeon Jin-seo (A Couple’s World). Jung Hyun-jun (Parasite) and Jung Si-yul (Her Private Life) were terrible.

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Fyi: Baby King Tan is the little boy in Parasite 🦠.

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This show has valid disconcerting flaws but I’m sure they are reedemable in the long run . KES dramas always have emotional gravitas so I think things are going to get super emotional in the end and perhaps we will be missing these lighter moments .

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For now, what I can see is the characters in one world are pretty much the opposite of the parallel world. LMH and his bro are part of royal family in Corea but they were poor in Korea. KGE is a cops in Korea but most likely a criminal in Corea. Yeong in Corea looks a bit timid and not that interested (yet) in love, but his alter, Eunseob in Korea already has a child. I don't know if this thing will actually has anything to do with the plot.

Well, I also feel like Gon is a bit weird. He didnt like to be touched but he hugged TaeEul at the very first meeting. He didnt want to get married but he asked TaeEul to be his bride only in the 2nd episode..

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