This review may contain spoilers
Disappointing Ending
I really enjoyed Episodes 1-16, it was so funny and entertaining so I didn’t take this show seriously. Yeah I agreed not to be one of those who take ‘Sports Day’ seriously. However, when the show changed to a more serious tone after learning that the queen was pregnant, I couldn’t help but also follow the show’s direction and tone. As much as I enjoyed its first 16 episodes, the last four kind of ruined it for me.My rants:
1. I totally hate it when a drama drags on a potential ‘death’ of a major character and milk on having it for cliffhangers. My goodness, we all know that the king won’t die as early, and won’t ever since he has a plot armor. I feel so annoyed when they did it.
2. I know this is a drama but I hope they didn’t insult the science of pregnancy. The queen walked on her foot for days, slept on the cold forest, get tossed, hanged on a cliff, and chased by guards. Got stabbed and whatnot, I was really shocked that the baby in her womb survived all of these. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t celebrate miscarriages but having the queen miscarrying the baby at the end should be the most logical thing that could’ve happened. For the life of me, the queen and the baby fought for their lives overnight, but the next day, she was walking around bossing people around as if nothing happened! Jeez, unacceptable. I feel very insulted as a viewer. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. It would make sense scientifically and romantically to miscarry the baby because it was Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body when the baby was made. Now that So Yong is back, they could always bed and make a new baby that is really out of love and truth.
3. Why did they trash Kim Byung In’s characters like that? All the main cast (king, queen, Jo Hwa jin, had a happy ending but him? They wasted his character. Seriously, they left his body in the forest like that?? I feel so angry for him. I am very disappointed in So Yong. Girl, you don’t have a right to weep and call her Orabeoni!
It wasn’t also explained why those two swap bodies. What connection do they have that of all the millions of people in world, why him? Why her? I could’ve missed it? If not, what a waste.
I strongly feel Mr. Queen should have ended in Episode 16. The last four episodes turned it into trash.
I’d probably order something from McDunaldu to console my disappointed heart.
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A Worthy Historical Drama to Watch
One of the best dramas in quarantine I've watched! Usually, historical dramas drag on which does not help my attention span of a goldfish, but this one had me hooked on all 20 episodes. I think the best part of this drama was the incorporation of comedy into an action-based historical drama; you are bound to laugh AT LEAST ONCE in every episode. The chemistry between Shin Hye-sun and Kim Jung-Hyun could literally be felt through the screen; the acting of both of them was phenomenal. The way Shin Hye-sun was able to portray the funniest moments but also act out the most painful ones really shows her talent and versatility as an actress.However, the one reason why this drama had me pressing "next episode" for 24 hours straight is because of the soundtrack and OST. The subtle music behind the comedic scenes really made you laugh and of course, the iconic "Bong Hwan A!!!!" song is literally the highlight of every episode. Overall, this drama is amazing if you want to laugh and cry at the same time and watch an actually interesting plot unfold through the screen.
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This review may contain spoilers
this was a BL and you can't convince me otherwise
Oh come on ! Commit and make it gay !The king did not fall in love with the prude but with the insane chef.
You want to make me believe that after the last episode they lived happily ever after ?
No, he probably cried himself to sleep every night thinking about the love of his life.
While his wife is confused on why her husband has not genuinely smiled since they reunited.
Anyways, I laughed so hard sometimes I had to pause just to finish laughing. It was almost on Business Proposal level, almost.
Also I want to lower the rating bc they made me salivate every episode. Still thinking about the ramens.
I was in love with the cousin but just bc he was hot.
I guess it's all I have to say.
bisous
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This review may contain spoilers
SHIN HYE SUN DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
Although I gave Mr. Queen a 10/10 overall rating I wouldn't say it's flawless. It does have some loopholes in it but I think it's what makes this drama more relatable and charming.I love that even though it was a historical drama it didn't bore me at all. Every episode was worth the time and wait. It actually got me hooked on episode 1 and after that I just couldn't wait to watch the next one.
The main reason I watched this drama was because it starred Shin Hye Sun as the lead. (Just a short backstory, I LOVE HER. Her acting is 100/10 for me. She always nail her role. Hands down). And as expected, she did not disappoint! I love how we only saw CJW in a few episodes (i think less than 5 eps) but it felt like he was with us from start to finish. Everytime we see the FL on screen we would immediately know who's spirit is talking either KSY or JBH. Her acting made it easier for us to distinguish the two characters easily even though it was played by the same actress. I noticed that SHS studied how CJW acts and tried to copy his subtle mannerisms like his smirk the way he talks etc. and that for me was just brilliant. And her chemistry with the ML wow oh wow. It's like the cherry on top of an icing. I loved it.
Story wise, I love historical dramas but sometimes it just gets too dark and heavy for me but this one I loved how light it was. Even though there were antagonists in the story it was still light but the story still was complex enough to keep us entertained.
I think there are only 2 things that would make the story better overall. First is to have the ML and FL meet in the future and be together again but they exchange their genders. Second is to have more episodes hehehe.
I'll honestly miss this drama. I'll miss our king and queen and the palace peeps. Love love love it!!!!
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Great start, absolutely awful ending
I don't usually write reviews but I just finished this drama and feel like I have to this time...What I liked:
-the acting was phenomenal
-innovative story, nicely executed
-nice comedic aspects in the typical silly k-drama way
-lovable characters and nice development
-CJ and BH had so much chemistry
What I didn't like:
The ending was just awful. Nothing made sense and some characters did not deserve their ending at all. I wish Byeong In had gotten a better ending. But most of all my heart aches for Bong Hwan. He fell in love with Cheoljong, made friends and was so close to starting his own family, just to loose it all with nothing to make up for it. He couldn't even say goodbye to anyone. Also I couldn't care less about So Yong as she had like 5 minutes of screen time in the first 19 episodes. Even CJ said he feels like something is missing. Literally the worst ending for both leads imho. It's a shame that such an awesome series had to end like this.
I'm so so frustrated with it and if the ending makes or breaks a series for you, do NOT watch this.
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Each character is unique and perfectly portrayed by each actor. I didn't expect Shin Hye Sun's character in this drama to be very very good and improve so much, she could portray a male character so well. I can't stop laughing every time I watch her, oh my God, she deserves a Daesang.
One of the best drama in this year. So funny, the story is well written, and the casts are great.
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Strong start, awful final episodes
I'm really pissed after watching it. Why? Because the the show was great but after episode 16 it becomes so bad that I was considering to drop it right there.Everyone points to the bad ending, but I started to fast-forward from episode 19 until the end, so it's actually bad even before the ending.
Let's start wit the good pars.
The acting was great, I can't complain there at all.
The comedy was really good and truly made me laugh outload.
The music fitted the show really nice with the comedy aspects and hit the mark.
Then the turning point for me was episode 17 when the show started to go downhill. (or more like falling in a hole)
Imagine a live version of twitter reenacted in a history drama, but only the gossip part of twitter, that was episode 17 for me. The first time was OK but the second... it was just stupid. And the plot started to rely on that twitter gossip... oh my... how can I describe how stupid it was. We have a saying in my country that describes episode 17 perfectly: "Your sister is a wh*re... now go and explain that you don't even have a sister".
After that we got the "eureka" moment when a specific character figured something out for no specific reason, turned evil and after 2min turned "good"... and after the moment the fast forwarding started for me and I didn't care for the show any more.
There were soo many bad things in the episodes after that, that it's hard to explain it without spoiling something.
It almost seemed that they switched the screen writer at some point, I don't understand how can the same person produce the golden 16 episodes and then sit and sh*t out the rest of them in this state.
Score:
1-16 eps - 9/10
17-20 eps - 4/10
So lets give it a 7/10.
I can't say if I can recommend it or not... it's good but brace yourself some really bad plot points in the end.
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Amazing show all around. Would recommend to everyone
Hands down one of the best shows I've ever watched. I was hooked on every episode. Although the ending was a bit rushed, it was extremely heartwarming and gave nice closure especially with the spin off episodes. I really just want to see more of everyone.I was hesitant at first because I was never one for comedy dramas before but it this show kept me wanting more every week. The writing and plot are amazing, interesting, and very well thought out. This drama did not feel slow or draggy at all. All the actors really shone in this one even the side ones. Amazing acting all around, couldn't think of better fits and they all showed incredible range. All the characters were all super well written and acted. I will definitely be on the look out for their future works. This drama had me crying from laughter, happiness, fluffiness, and sadness. I just cannot with how amazing everything about this drama was.
Especially during a time where you just want to escape from the troubles of the world, this drama was perfect. I cannot tell you how many times this drama lifted my mood just by looking forward to the next episodes. I physically cannot write in words how amazing this show is. Just everyone needs to watch it.
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My most rewatched drama
This is just the best drama I've seen.I'm not into sageuk but I can't count the amount of times I rewatched this.
No drama is better than this one.
I love the chemistry of all the casts. The story is a perfect balance of action, romance and comedy.
I'm willing to pay just to see Shin Hye Sun + Kim Jung Hyun get paired to another drama one more time. That's how amazing their chemistry is. I have never cringed in any of their romantic scenes.
I regret not watching it during its airing because this was the best.
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AWESOME
●No wonder that this drama received so much hype and every SNS has lots of spoilers, yeah even MDL went into a slump with a major spoiler post that wasn’t marked spoiler. I saw that and kind of waited for the hype to die down before watching it.So finally after watching this drama my every bit of feeling says it's AWESOME.
Since there are so many good reviews already I would keep it short
●LIKED
>in terms of story spiced with action, comedy and romance are fabulous.
>excellent cast from leads to supporting actors everyone gave a topnotch performance. Loved Shin Hye Sun, Kim Jung Hyun, and Choi Jin Hyuk
>superbly tuned music makes the mood of scenes more enjoyable.
●DISLIKED
>Kim Byung In, and his forcing himself and showing that what he is doing is for the queen's good but I think he was selfish wanting to be happy because he was affection deprived.
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Love at the first sight
I must admit, watching the first teasers for this drama, i knew that i would love it. The following 20 episodes just proved my intuition right.I love historical dramas, so this one was really up my alley. But i think even people not into historical dramas would love it. It has the right amount of comedy, present time references that balances out the usual politics of the palace.
Someone would have to pay me to stop singing praises to Hye Sun and Jung Hyun, they are just such good actors plus they had amazing chemistry. So if you want to watch a drama with actors who really have skills, this is the one. Probably the first good thing the producers for this drama did, was cast them both, i can't imagine anyone else doing justice to their roles.
The OSTs made the drama so much fun, whenever you heard Bong Hwan-ah~~, you knew things would be going down lol
Anyways, I fell in love so much with this drama, that i watched every episode at least 3 times, just can't get enough of it. And i will rewatch it more, that's how good it is. Hopefully a lot more people will get interested into it, it's currently my most favourite drama of all time. 10/10
Also, ignore the last episode, ep 20 doesn't exist, it won't hurt you, just watch the bamboo forst spin off!
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This review may contain spoilers
Unsatisfying ending
I was really excited to watch this show because the plot seemed really fun and lighthearted. And the first few episodes were exactly that but it quickly changed to a more serious tone, which I didn't hate but made the transitions between the two atmospheres in the show a bit confusing.The cast did a phenomenal job. The (serious) crying scenes weren't spot on for me but the rest was really well done. The actors fit their roles really well. I have to admit I liked the Queen a bit more in the first half of the show because I felt like the chef's personality was completely there, but then it wore down when she regained her memories. Nonetheless, Shin Hyesun was great at portraying this character: I truly believed she was a male stuck in a female body. The side characters were great as well and made me both laugh and tear up at multiple points.
The soundtrack was INCREDIBLE and couldn't have fit the show better.
Now, about the ending...
Everyone was fearing an ending like Scarlet Heart's but I would rather have that kind of tragic ending to this one, which isn't much less tragic. Less people died but the two main leads got one of the worst endings possible. You can try to prove me wrong but the king fell in love with the chef's personality, that happened to be in the Queen's body. In one of the episodes, he states the reasons for having fallen in love with the Queen and all of them had to do with her personality, the way it was after the chef took over her body. Just like Kim Byung In realised he couldn't love this Queen wholeheartedly because she wasn't Soyong anymore, you can't make me believe that the King could love the Queen wholeheartedly after the Jang Bong left the body. Not to be mean or unfair towards Soyong who had suffered so much in her life, but the chef was the person who attracted the King's attention and affection. He even says in the last episode that he feels like he lost something...and the Queen even treats him differently now! No one can convince me that he will feel the same deep love for Soyong, even if he seems to have accepted this... shell? of the Queen he loved. She wasn't there throughout the show, the chef was! Therefore, it was him whom the King loved! On top of that, Jang Bonghwan is back to the present days, which I'm not mad about. What upsets me is how dismissive his attitude was when he found out that the King had survived. I'm probably not explaining this very well but he seemed to be like "Oh okay, he survived and did well in life. That's good!". It was like the King was just a friend who the chef was rooting for or someone whom he had grown attached to. Not someone he had been deeply in love with (and had a child with!!!), and, once again, no one can change my mind that that was exactly the case. The relationship between the main leads was treated almost as a casual thing in the end after having riskd their lives for each other and had so many dramatic moments. I can't help but think their relationship and true feelings were dismissed in order to have a "happy ending". And that to me is much more tragic than Scarlet Heart, where the viewers were at least sure the main leads loved each other to death and that the whole story wasn't in vain. On the other hand, Mr Queen... I wish both main leads had either ended up together in the past or the present OR that they had suffered for being apart. I wish the suffering was shown, for me to feel satisfied and sure of the relationship they had developed throughout the show. Judge me. Or maybe had found an alternative solution? This ending was not only unsatisfying but, in a way, more tragic that Scarlet Heart's.
I know the writers went as far as they could go not to portray homosexuality but I wish they had crossed that line and just accepted the criticism from close-minded people. Had they done that, the show would have been unforgettable. Now it's just... another show? I gave it 9 stars because of the acting and the production but I'm so sad I might change it to 8.5 later. I appreciate the risk but the show ended up being quite meaningless.
P.S.: I'm sorry but I can't accept that Soyong's feelings were mixed with Jang Bong's personality and that's why he liked the King. They had a baby together, I can't accept it LOL. And even if the special episode shows that the King was already in love with Soyong before the chef took over but was holding himself back because of her family, that to me just sounds like an excuse, as it does not match the character development shown throughout the drama. If that is the case, then the King wouldn't have promised his brother he would kill the Queen if she was a traitor. He also wouldn't have tried to kill her. Nope, it's just an excuse from the producers that fits their narrative that "THIS ISNT A HOMOSEXUAL SHOW!!!" A pity.
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