The King in Love (2017)

A single but detrimental flaw.

[ Original date written: Nov. 27th 2020 ]

This had the potential to be one of the best sageuks ever made. Only one thing held it back : the character Rin. What an annoying and worthless mess of a character he was. He served no purpose other than (unintentionally(?)) ruining his best friend's life, with no logical reason I might add. His feelings for the female lead make no sense. They came OUT OF NOWHERE. He blatantly hated her and found her untrustworthy right up until the moment he found out her true identity... and then he was suddenly in love with her? Again: MADE NO SENSE. Same goes for the female lead's feelings for him. If you remove him from this show, it would be PERFECT. I have no doubt about it. That being said, (minus Rin of course) the leads were great, delivered amazing performances and were good characters with good development (for the most part). It also has one of the best (if not the best) *sageuk* villains I've seen. And the side dynamic between the characters Moo Suk and Bi Yeon was really adorable.

I will also note, this is the only K-drama I can think of where the female lead ends up with the second lead - of course the one time we don’t want it.

Read More

I cannot forget this wonderful gem!

This is the first Korean drama I ever watched. It did not disappoint; on the contrary, it transported my imagination to another world and dazzled my senses. There is something very special about the cast. It feels authentic and organic. Each character retains his or her own identity without confusion as to what he or she is supposed to do or act like.

I love the temperaments of the main characters.
I love the free-roaming royal.
I love the story and overarching themes of loyalty and friendship and love. These are portrayed very well in the form of storytelling.
There is something special about the bond between childhood friends who are there for one another day in and day out, in the convenient and inconvenient times and trials of life.
I love this story so much!

Read More

I had set aside this drama for nearly two years and I'm glad I finally came back to finish it. Although there were many points throughout the drama where I was overly frustrated by interactions between key characters and bad decisions that were made, I ended up being content with the way things turned out in the end. Apparently a lot of people hated the ending, and I might have been in the same boat had I not done my own research and learned the true historical events surrounding Siwan's character, Wang Won. The drama stayed true to many real historical events, and because of this I understand why the writer's had things play out in particular ways that broke the k-drama formula and upset many viewers that wanted a typical happily ever after. I, for one, was very excited to have finally found a drama that isn't predictable and kept me on my toes throughout the whole 20 episodes. The pacing was good, and I only wish they had flushed out the relationships between some of the other supporting characters a bit better. After finishing the drama, I am left with sadness for the sacrifices that the characters had to constantly make, as well as a fondness for the true love that was portrayed by the actors. I highly recommend this drama to anyone yearning for a fast-paced romance/thriller that takes place during a particularly turbulent era in Korean history.

Read More

King in Love. A very painful story of how Won came to love San more than himself. I think the writer of this drama hid clues that only if you could analyze them you can understand what was really happening in the story. And, for me, Won and San has always been the main love story in the drama. The reason of all the conflicts in the drama, aside from political issues, is that Lin also fell in love with San.

I will start with Lin. I love his friendship with Won. It was wrong that he fell in love with the prince's woman. However, it was too late when he realized that he was wrong. Some of his decisions and actions were because of his feelings for San. I get this part of the story when his father, the chancellor, was lecturing about greed and lust, the father look at Lin and not at his brother. Both of them committed the same mistake of greed and lust for San (and as for Wang Jeon for position of crown prince). Lin admitted what he did was wrong during the scene at the hut, Lin apologized for falling in love with San as he get the seal from her. There are times that Lin could easily tell Won everything he has been discovering, he always just decides not tell so. And, I always hate him for that. Maybe, he's feelings for San was just affecting his decision-making.

Won is my favorite character. He is the most selfless and trusting person in the whole story. The way he saves Lin and his family all the time even we know he is starting to develop his feelings with San. He is also the smartest among all characters. I just love smarter people more. Haha. My favorite scene was when he stopped San's wedding. That was heart-stopping. Haha. If I was San, damn!

San made viewers confused on who she really has feelings. I think it was the writer and director thing. I always believed that the person she loves is Won. He loves Won so much she cannot let him lose his friend Lin. That't the focus on the beginning of the story. She was always worried of Won. And the only person that stop her from getting revenge was Won.

I always feel bad for Won. But, at the end when it is revealed that San never really left Goryeo and waited for him. Then, after 7 months he stepped down as King and left for Yuan. My imagination tells me, he went to San and had a happy life with her in Yuan.

The drama has well-defined characters, awesome cinematography, and has really depicted a very nice story of love and friendship in a very painful way. The ost was okay. Rewatch value, not so much. There were a lot of times I put this drama on-hold. Anyway, I still came to finish it.

The whole story is very deep you have dive in to understand everything. San is Won's falcon, he set her free and came back for him again at the end. :)

Read More

Awesome at parts, okay at others, still a solid watch

I hope Hong Jong Hyun got a nice massage after filming finished; I'm sure he needed it after practically carrying this whole drama on his back! Okay, I exaggerate, but my lack of enthusiasm for the other two leads made him stand out in comparison. The character trope of "man caught in a love triangle and dutifully trying to squash his feelings to spare his best friend" isn't new, but he pulls it off well. Credit also to an excellent supporting cast - the king and queen, the baddies, bodyguards, siblings and fathers, etc. They really fleshed out the story, and made up for weak performances from the other two leads. The female lead was merely serviceable - though it depended on who was in the scene with her - and her personality veered between bold and playful, and frustratingly wishy-washy. The other male lead was the most anemic crown prince I’ve ever seen, with all the charisma of a wet dishrag. (I feel like very similar role was done far better by Park Hyung-sik in Hwarang.) Anyway, despite some negative feelings, this drama was still worth it - it didn't drag and I barreled through it pretty quickly to see what would happen next. The ending was satisfying and brought me both smiles and tears. Great music and scenery, also.

Read More