Most hilarious, with extraordinary acting by magic pair Shin Hye-sun and Kim Jung-hyun.
King
It is rare to get a TV king who is strong yet compassionate, smart and willing to learn, honest but quick with ploys. King Cheoljong was so likeable, and it was intriguing and gratifying how he turned the play from being a nobody-puppet to a stunning takeover of power.
Watching Waikiki, where he performs very well, I didn’t realise that Jung-hyun had so much more depth as an actor. Here, a lot more is required of him and he handles all the character modes formidably – as fake-dumb king, warrior, pained soul, and as the person he really is, being wonderfully funny, serious, emotional, sentimental and passionate throughout. I love that he always addresses the queen “My Queen”. Fantastic writing and acting.
On top of all this, he sings 'Like the first snow' for the OST!
I didn’t fully understand all the snide references to him being a commoner in Ganghwa, though. How did he end up there, what did he do after being rescued from the well and isn’t he from a noble family to start with?
Queen
Queen Cheorin/So-yong/Bong-hwan – an entertaining combo that Hye-sun pulls off fabulously.
There is a lot of discussion online about when/how So-yong and Bong-hwan are in control of the physical body, how So-yong’s memories come into the picture, whether it is So-yong or Bong-hwan whom Cheoljong loves, aren’t there LGBTQ implications, and other such questions. I think we don’t need to over-analyse this character since she can’t be completely logically explained. Isn’t she just whatever the writers created her to be?
In her own way, So-yong is strong-willed and feisty. When (young) Hwa-jin says that a way to see her (own) late mother would be to die herself, So-yong immediately runs off to try to die (and she and boy Cheoljong trying to kill each other in the well is so cute and poignant at the same time – two children who see death as a viable choice…). When Kim Jwa-guen (Kim Tae-woo, the kindly book boss in Romance is a bonus book!) tells her she is to be a pawn in the power play, she asks, “What if I say no?” Trying his best to understand his royal wife’s behaviour, Cheoljong quips, “You were always a little odd but never this weird.” Thus, So-yong is no meek, insipid young lady (while Hwa-jin is insipid alright). With Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk), we have her merging into a different kind of eccentric, strong-willed and feisty queen. She ends the show as dignified and fair-minded Queen Cheorin.
Hye-sun’s comic skills are outstanding. Apart from masterfully pulling off the male-female mannerisms in one character feat, her facial expressions are superb, especially during the parts when it is Bong-hwan talking/thinking. It is interesting that the solely So-yong persona gets the least airtime. However, the switch to So-yong towards the end of the show is so clear and we know immediately what original So-yong is like. Fantastic writing and acting.
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| all dressed for vengeance |
Boring trio
Prince Yeongpyeong (Yoo Min-kyu), Byung-in (Na In-woo), and Jo Hwa-jin (Seol In-ah) – my word, each appearance by any of these three induces a hearty yawn.
Yeongpyeong is perpetually frowning and the story could do without his character. Byung-in is perpetually delusional, angry and barking up the wrong tree. Even the ones starting rumours know that the king and queen care for each other, but his life goal is to separate them. Online, he appears to be overwhelmingly detested. I wouldn’t say I detest him but I’m not convinced that his character is needed either, so why annoy viewers with him? He is no competition whatsoever for the queen’s affections, and all his attempts at politicking are pointless and very amateur. They will lead nowhere, of course, because he has no political motivation. Just for petty and personal reasons, he’s trying all sorts of stupid ways to get rid of the king. In any case, aren’t harming and plotting to harm the king treason? Why isn’t he executed on the spot?! (treason on Yeongpyeong’s part as well, for putting a sword to the queen’s neck, no?)
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| our king wins, hands down. every.time. |
Hwa-jin could have been a compelling character and it’s a pity she wasn’t developed or fleshed out as one. It seemed like the only reasons for her existence were to infuriate Byung-in on the queen’s behalf, while our queen never seems too bothered about her, and to be used by Queen Dowager Jo. She and Yeongpyeong are therefore well matched, and who cares about their boring ever after.
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| so sneaky as a child to manipulate the well incident; too bad, in the kdrama world, secrets don't live forever |
Kim So-hyun in Moon embracing the sun, when she was barely a teen, remains my model for a bad-yet-good-yet-one-you-sympathise-with character. [My adult models are Sheren Tang and Kathy Chow as Chow Chi-yeuk in separate versions of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre] These are the giants who successfully portray the nuances of conflicted characters. Does the actress make you feel sorry for her, does she help you understand the circumstances that make her ‘turn bad’ and do you prefer her to the ‘good’ character/heroine? Seol In-ah does not do these for me [neither does Charmaine Sheh as another Chi-yeuk].
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| childish and sneaky as adult, trying to harm our queen, who goes on to win the ladies' royal paintball 'hunt' handily 😃 |
Interesting and funny people
Since those three are 'important' characters, they constitute quite a blight to the plot. Hence, it is wonderful that the performance of other characters rises above their dull moments. A big secondary cast among whom even random court ladies, eunuchs or guards can provide a laugh or two, or moments of mystery and suspense, makes up in some way for three flat main characters.
My favourites were the queen’s attendants Court Lady Choi (Cha Chung-hwa) and Hong Yeon (Chae Seo-eun), Royal kitchen Eunuch (Yoon Bong-kil), Eunuch Kim (Lee Tae-gum) and Dam-hyang (8-year-old Kang Chae-won). Dam-hyang is like a young version of the queen – headstrong and always ready to do what she thinks must be done.
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| countering sabotage with extra help from physician and court lady |
Captain Hong (Lee Jae-won), Royal Chef Man-bok (Kim In-kwon) and Royal Physician (Yoon Ki-won) – and so funny that he is psychiatrist-like – were certainly well played, and the three concubines as well as the Grand Queen Dowager’s and Queen Dowager’s Court Ladies were amusing (sometimes) and/or cute. Sinister drug-addict-Man-with-scar and Kim Hwan, another irrelevant character, were at least interesting or funny. Kim Hwan is one more wasted character – he could have been made a complex and fully relevant one, being a Kim and best friends with both Byung-in and Captain Hong.
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| so pretty and cute |
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| our king and Captain Hong are the shortest guys but they're the top guys for sure |
Queen Dowager Jo – Grand Queen Dowager Suwon is also amusing as an evil yet funny senior but Jo is comical even when she is enraged, plotting, doing one of her strange rituals/curses or in the midst of her evil musings. Even though she was behind the late king’s death and hence a ‘bad’ character all along, I felt a little sorry for her as she turned into this bitter, obsessive woman because she never got over her son's death.
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| neither senior can get the better of our queen |
Sweet and cute Hong-yeon – Court Lady Choi is very funny but it was Hong-yeon who surprised me more, with all her unexpected and winsome expressions.
Finally, it is wonderful that Bong-hwan returns to the modern world a kinder, more empathetic person, though why is Secretary Han still there although Bong-hwan/as queen got ancestor Han castrated?
I laughed through 20 episodes but it would have been better if there were just 16 or 12.
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| that lake... |
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| that well... |
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| that CJ scarf 😄 |
tvN, 20 episodes
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