You broke all records getting this up so quickly @missvictrix
I don't know why I'm not spellbound yet. The leads are gorgeous. The complications look delicious. Their story is delightful. The visuals are exquisite: the flowers, for example. But I'm not pining for next week's episodes. Is it the moment when I catch myself thinking,
when I see how tiny she is against the whole court, she'll suffer from short man syndrome when she grows up. 😔

I haven't seen Nam Yoon-soo in anything, but he is freaking scoring points with me. 😍
It was so satisfying when Hyun beat up uncle Changun, 👏🏽 but that side of him can be dangerous in the future. What would he do if he got rejected?

I am enjoying the show. Love is in the air, and I feel for Crown Prince Dam-yi's struggle (hiding her true identity, as well holding her love towards Ji-woon). It is so fun.

Both Hyun and Ji-woon is loving the same girl. While Hyun can't show his love to her (or risking her being killed), Ji-woon doesn't know he is actually beside that very girl. This is such a dilemma ...

Trying to write something here (it is such a simple love story, yet the surrounding is exordinary) because although Dam-yi has such a strong aura, the actress behind the character, Park Eun-bin, is like very opposite to Dam-yi, so opposite you can tell when she is showcasing her childish bag holding her belonging in the film set. I am falling in love with her ...

Nam Yoon-soo is already the breakout star of this drama. Every scene he’s in, he steals the show completely. Those gorgeous dimples!

I can just feel my SLS burgeoning. It feels wrong because he’s literally supposed to be her cousin and that’s disgusting. But I can’t help it, he’s so swoony.

If you squint really hard, you can see shades of BL in this (the gat-tying scene), and my heart is living for it~. I like the attention to casting detail: cute oraboni/ hyung-nim's child actor also has identical dimples as him!!
Luckily, the younger 'good guys' aren't sexist, misogynistic pigs. I like how Ji-Woon says the Prince resembles a court-maid in appearance, but doesn't automatically imply he is 'girly', like the creepy-uncle does, & much more condescendingly! In fact, I love how turned on Ji-woon is, watching the CP do pretty 'traditionally masculine' stuff like sword-fighting as well as 'traditionally feminine' stuff like flower-gazing. His attraction to the CP seems to be beyond the CP's gender identity, and I find it so refreshing, not see him descend down a gay-panic just to play it for laughs. Ji-woon's mortification seems to arise from being attracted to somebody wayyy out of his league instead, and even more so cuz the said person is also his student!! >.<

Going to go off a limb and say: Hyung-nim is pretty straight, Ji-Woon is gay for the Prince (as I am gay for Eun-Bin, lol!). Eun-Bin looks like Sakurada Dori from certain angles. She looks positively sexy biting her cheek in frustration, her jawline and dimples on full display! *_* On another note, is she his long-lost twin sister? They are the same age xD

Rowoon playing soccer is such a man-child. Hot guard, is hot, but he's also an assassin...but he has like 1 & a half expressions, and looks like a scowling Song-Kang. What bets he's going to discover the CP is Damyi, and would then be unable to kill her? Hmm, three boys into our FL is definitely heading the reverse-harem way!

I really wanted Ji-Woon to take those flowers and plant them at their secret hideout and Dam-yi to go and see them, and be touched! At least, she got touched when she recalled how the pickle Ji-Woon is in right now, is because he wanted to fulfill her wish as his first love.... </3

I love everything in this drama!

Rowoon and Park Eun-Bin have such a great chemistry. Ji-Woon is not blind and it's only the power in the word "royal" that really stops him to fully connect the woman in the woods and the Prince.

I like how they inversed the genre. The FL is the cold, rich and powerful one when the ML is the one with the heart who will bit by bit change her in a warmer person. The issue is he doesn't know that he's putting in danger by doing that because of her idendity.

I like the cousin, he's a nice friend for her. But he's like all the ones who know the truth, he follows everything she wants. Ji-Woon is the only one who actually challenges her without imposing himself like her grandfather.

Dam-Yi is such in a bad position. Her grandfather helps her to keep her power but he's a jerk and just wants to use her as his pawn. The Queen wants to put her own son on the throne. She needs to find her own power without risking her idendity.

This drama chose only beautiful places to film. In every scene, my eyes are blessed by the beauty. I loved how they let the sound of the wind when she was at her hideout.

I vote yes for Nokungak becoming their love nest!

I watched all 6 episodes but I don't feel any attachment to the drama. Not exactly complaining but I guess I just can't get connected with any characters.
My question is, what willl 'crown prince' get with all the masquarades she's been doing?
Supposedly a throne, but really? She has to get away with everything to sit on it, but I don't think she can, considering only a eunuch and a senior courtmaid as her confidante.
Her daddy's love? Apparently not, since daddy the majesty shows only attachment to her younger brother.
Her mommy her only supporter with a bit of power, has gone to heaven much too soon.
Then what? She does all only to survive but only to be beheaded at the same time should the truth comes out?
It's my first time seeing Rowoon in anything. I guess he's just my idol type 😬
Ad is it just me or he looks a lot like Joowoon in some angles?

Thanks so much for the speedy recap @missvictrix! It makes *such* a difference when we can put down thoughts rapidly rather than having to grope through our memory - or maybe I'm just showing my age... :)

This is a bucket of cuteness! Although they've set up Ji-woon to be a ridiculously perfect man - helps orphans! Ready to fall on his sword for his adopted family! Ready to whisk you away from falling pots! Plants flowers! Cleans! - and the perfect kdrama man - first love! Built his life on her wish! His-dad-killed-her-brother-angst to work through! - it kind of works because we need those sort of odds for the Prince to risk revealing her identity. If he was a bit regular, it wouldn't be worth it for her.

PEB is doing a great job as the prince (although I have to suspend belief a bit - seriously no-one is asking why she's sooooooo short and unbearded, and kicks out the eunuch but keeps the maid in when she's having a bath???) and her micro-expressions are excellent - we can see the war flitting across her face as she warms to Ji-woon and yet knows she has to repel him. RW is doing great for me - maybe he's a natural goofball because he seems to be swimming along nicely here. Even my unmaternal heart was touched with him playing footie along with the kids - bless!

One thing that's puzzling me: granddaddy with his "You cross me, I'll make you pay even if I adore you" is now being crossed as the prince comes in to save Ji-woon. Isn't it a bit early for a 20ep drama to make an enemy of grandpa? Honestly, he could probably have the CP poisoned off in the next 30 minutes, so what's going to restrain him???

I am so glad we found out quickly how her cousin found out. It establishes a foundation for his inherent goodness. I'm curious as to when the Prince finds out he knows her secret.

i love how Huyn beat up the uncle with a smile on his face, it makes me think he uses that open innocence to his advantage.

I think one of my favourite things about Dam-yi and Ji-woon's dynamic is that he's not coaching her on how to be a better person but, unbeknownst to him, is actually just reminding her of her own values and the warmth and care she once carried for her fellows.

Like don't get me wrong, the romance is very, very cute and I'll never get tired of Ji-Woon acting like a drop-jawed fanboy, but I'm mostly excited for Dam-yi who looks to be en-route to reclaiming her sense of self - and potentially becoming a better Crown Prince for it.

https://asianwiki.com/Kim_Jae-Chul_(1982)

I saw Kim Jae-chul (born 1982) Asianwiki page said that there were only 4(!) Kdramas prior to The King's Affection: Hyena, Mystic Pop-Up Bar, My Dangerous Wife and Hush (all four 2020 Kdramas). I told he was a breakout actor, but... unfortunately, he acted on movies/big screen/silver screen first. That means he acted on films for more than two decades (2000s, 2010s) as mostly played as numerous minor roles I think. His notable films that he acted: Just Do It! (2000), Confidential Assignment (2017), and Ashfall (2019).

So much pretty. I'm still watching this, but I'm not completely hooked. I like the scenes with action more than the romance. Some of the romantic scenes look too forced.

Loved it when Dam Yi had confronted Inspector Jung. She looked and sounded so fierce.

I'm nearly fangirling over Nam Yoon Soo, a new face to me. He looks super cute. His lips are so well defined?? Lolllll

I am curious about who is dispatching the court officials responsible for the framing of the Prince's tutor 10 years ago.

This drama is starting to bore me. I hope it picks up soon. Also, the SML vaguely reminds me of Din Din/Henry Lau. I think it's the hint of mischief in his eyes.

Not gonna lie, I SWOONED so hard when Ji-woo hold the sword with barehand ready to kill himself to protect his friends. The tension was ripped out of that scene.

But then I have second lead syndrome HARD when Hyun is on screen!!

Things are heating up!
I'm glad to see the prince beginign her transformation from simply surviving and keeping her secret, to a person of power that can and WILL act up on their values-regardless of what others would think. Standing up to her maternal grandfather is dangerous but I belive there is no one braver than her.

It's interesting how Dam-yi was the one to influence Jung to become a better person, and now, a lifetime away, he returns the favour and help her come back to the same moral concious she held in her youth. Our prince is all to used to seeing mud-and perhaps his relationship with his tutor (well, his tutor for NOW) might be the lotus of virtue he was looking for.

My heart aches for the secondary characters, especially those who aren't nobles and don't have the power to stand up for themselves. It often feels in this show that the peasents are pushed aside and I hope to see more plot involving the clinic siblings.

I love Hyun, even if I am VERY iffy on him being a love intrest. He just seems like a good influence to have around. By the way the royal family, the queen seems to brew something up. Her son (the younger prince) seems very innocent and adores his older brother, I wish he wouldn't get hurt in the schemes of the adults around him (As seems par the course for children in this show)

I don't know how much I like that Jung has some fighting abiliities (enough to beat his father)... I kinda liked him as a clumsy scholar. oh well.

By the way fighting abilites, bodyguard kim proves his worth this two episodes, while getting more suspect by the minute. If he is related to tutor Kang and wishes to avenge his death, I don't see why he would try to kill the prince (who was a child at the time, and also adored his tutor). We shall see. Maybe he wasn't in the woods that day to kill THE PRINCE, neccerily... Time will tell. Side note: it's kind of funny to me how he's always there in the background during romantic scences. Just standing. Doing his job. Listening to those nobles talk and flirt. A fly on the wall to be sure.

Completely agree about Kim Jae-chul.

Can someone explain to me why running "Samgaebang" is considered and referred to as unethical in the series?
Like I can understand that they are trying to portray that a mere physician cannot be crown prince's tutor, but sometimes their tone is borderline condescending towards "Samgaebang" as if he was leading some sought of rebellion or breaking some law by treating those poor people.