A Beautiful Start with a Wish for More Romance
Captivating the King began on a beautifully high note, setting the stage for what promised to be an engaging and visually stunning drama. The initial episodes did a fantastic job of drawing me in with their elegant set designs and costumes that perfectly captured the essence of the period. The storyline centred around the complexities of court life and the intrigue of royal politics, was compelling and richly layered.However, as the drama unfolded, I found myself wishing for more romantic scenes to develop between the leads. Given the strong chemistry between them, there was a missed opportunity to delve deeper into their relationship and provide viewers with those heart-fluttering moments that make historical dramas truly memorable. While this drama excelled in many areas, including its storytelling and production values, a greater focus on the romance could have elevated the drama even further, making it an unforgettable experience for fans of the genre.
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DECAYED CAPTIVATION
this historical drama bases its title on 'captivation', a kind of love/hate dellusional state... it sounds amazing, but did it hold the bar???without spoilers, the show definitely start with a BANG !
At least the first half is definitely worth it for the unmatched quality: the plot, dialogue, characters, concept, the pace! loved it all!
SPECIAL MENTION: the ML truly held the bar from A to Z till the last minute of the show. HIS PERFORMANCE puts him in the top actors in my view! it's also my first time seeing a show of his!
now for the things i liked less:
-the show looses pace & same quality after the first half, petty plotting takes over unfortunately...
- the FL performance was underwhelming. mainly her passion & strongheadness. In her defense, she had a multilayed character as she would disguise as a man to play baduk. the gender disguise trope has been done in other historical dramas, and many people compared the starring difference in performance. I think the production did not help the FL in solidifying her character ( ratio of women vs man disguise scenes) and historical context to show the limitations of women in the social sphere that pushes her 'stronghead' character... in other scenes, we had to assume her passion for justice or her emotions as it was not clearly vehicled in her performance. i like this actress a lot, but ubfortunately it was a stark contrast with the main actor performance...
- many unecessary dialogue scenes between ministers that can be a little boring.
-LOVESTORY: if you were expecting a passionate love story, this will not fall under your expectations! while it wasn't a bad thing per say, just know the lovestory part starts as an intellectual love and soulful more than emotional as the main characters are portrayed as geniuses that expect the same from their ideal partner.
All in all, i think this show is worth STARTING for a great captivation of the ML, and the amazing lines/plots of baduk geniuses ( ML & FL) where they may be planning 2-3 steps ahead of everyone.
REWATCH value: since i watched it as it was airing, i'd often rewatch a few scenes from previous episodes because the writers carefully put clues & hints in trivial things which i enjoy a lot! it's stimulating!
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An european view
I am European, Italian, and I watch K-dramas in the original language, with subtitles.I certainly miss a lot about Korean culture - which nevertheless fascinates me - and in particular about ancient Korea. So my review will have many flaws. I didn't know the two actors before Captivating the king.
Indeed the actress seems a bit stiff but I think it depends on her character: even though she has become her lover, she cannot behave with too much confidence. Look at the reluctance of her gestures even after the first meeting, and how they change later, when she is now convinced of the king's sincere love and of her real intentions towards the Crown Prince. Of course the king has more freedom of maneuver. But, I repeat, I don't know of any other performances by the two actors.
The historical setting takes many liberties, but overall it draws quite clearly on the events of the second Manchu invasion of 1636 and King Hyojong of Joseon.
In short, overall I watched this series with interest - and I rewatched a few episodes back, to better grasp the different nuances, and it didn't seem so bad to me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not enough steam to last until the end
This drama starts off in a powerful way but by the middle of the 16 episodes, there is not enough meat to the story to sustain it until the end. The female lead's "revenge" story has nowhere to go because the audience already knows that the king is not the true villain of the story. Perhaps more importantly, the character lacks any real personality to make her scenes compelling to watch, much less make her romance with the delightfully complex male lead at all convincing.The king (male lead), on the other hand, has a true story to tell in this drama. His journey from Grand Prince to exile in Qing and back to Joseon and ultimately the throne is thrilling, and Jo Jung-suk plays him with so much pathos and intensity. The show could have ultimately benefited from minimizing the romance and female lead's role and focused on the king with a shorter number of episodes. Alternatively, a more interesting romance or more complex political storyline could have justified the full 16 episodes.
I was hoping for more from this beautifully produced show, hoping for a really satisfying, dramatic sageuk. There are some really great moments throughout, but by the end, I was fast-forwarding more than actually watching. I feel as though an 8 is really generous from me - but some of the performances (including the younger child actors) are really terrific and lift up the show. Something to check out for those who love period/historical dramas, but it is no masterpiece.
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APESAR DAS CRÍTICAS...
A maioria das pessoas não gostaram desse drama, mas eu particularmente amei! Me prendeu desde o primeiro episódio apesar da história não ser muito inovadora, mas a atuação do Jo Jung-suk é muito maravilhosa e ele é um ótimo ator. As pessoas costumam falar muito da atuação da Shin Sae-kyeong mas eu não acho que nesse drama ela deixou muito a desejar. A química entre os protagonistas é muito boa e para mim esse é um dos melhores desse ano até agora. Algumas coisas que deixaram a desejar na minha opinião, foi as poucas cenas de romance dos protagonistas e principalmente o final. O final poderia ter entregado muito mais do que realmente entregou, mas fico feliz pois teve um happy ending pelo menos. Mesmo com esses poucos defeitos, eu realmente gostei e não entendo porque as pessoas massacram tanto essa série.Was this review helpful to you?
"Captivating"
I joined this site to voice my opinion about this drama. I can not believe the bad reviews it is getting. Captivating the King is the number one kdrama of 2024. Note: I am cynical and critical and not easy to please. I also do not speak Korean, so I give up watching (reading) quickly. However, with this Kdrama, I could not wait for the next episode to come out. I sat in front of the TV with expectations every Saturday and Sunday. One weekend, I was out of the country in a small village in Africa, and I went on the bus and used precious minutes to watch the episodes. I have not been this interested in a drama since Alcamy of the Souls Part 1.I am also shocked that Queen of Tears is getting a rating of 8.9, and the male lead got Best Actor. For what crying? The best episodes of Queen of Tears were the last two. The others fell short. The emotional connection between the two did not come until the end—the last two episodes.
Captivating the King was, in one word, "Captivating". I only watch romance dramas, but Jo Jun-suk was so good it tempted me to watch him in the Hospital. Shin Se-kyung's performance was also spectacular. She exemplified humility as a woman of that day but was a mastermind. What a contrast to pull off innocence and intelligence. I also applaud or, shall I say, "bow" to the writers and the directors. In a romance, you must establish chemistry between the couple and the audience; this was done in the first episode. I also liked that they did not wait until the last five minutes to give you "meat" (a substantial interaction between the characters). They ensured that you had enjoyable substance throughout. The supporting cast was good. They not only one villain but two. The love of father and daughter, the sacrifice for King and country. It was a well put together and thought out.
My family can tell when I like a movie because I will watch it again as soon as it is over. I have watched this (read) 5 times already. I could go on and on, but I will stop here. For those who have not seen the movie, please do not listen to the bad reviews. Watch it for yourself. If you like "Something in the Rain," "Crash Landing on You," "Alchemy of the Souls," or "Business Proposals," you will love this.
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Laborieux
Scenario confus voire même pas crédible et bourré d incohérences. Dommage, l'idée de départ était intéressante mais ils ne se sont pas foulés à l'écriture du scénario.Grosse erreur de casting de l'actrice principale en plus, aucun carisme, joue mal. Elle se contente de rouler des yeux, bon, il faut dire à sa défense que son personnage est tout sauf crédible.
Bref, je suis arrivée au bout mais je regrette presque. Je l'aurais oublié dans les 5 minutes après la fin.
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Me gusto mas de lo que lei en las criticas
Quiero reconocer que empece a ver la solo por Jo Jung Suk, ya que lo considero muy buen actor y realmente cumplió mis expectativas, su capacidad actoral es maravillosa. Se kKyung la habiía visto en otros dramas y me habia gustado, considero que ella no actuó mal para el papel que le toco hacer, de verdad.La historia esta muy bien contada, lo digo porque en general me pierdo con tantas complicaciones y maldades cuando se trata de las cortes de esa época. Y aquií lo entendí todo muy rápido.
Tampoco entiendo tanta critica a esta serie, pero hubo un momento en que me di cuenta, que el personaje de ella, de verdad es muy flojo. Si profundizamos a entender las motivaciones de su historia, no tienen mucho sentido, decía una cosa y hacia otra, no influencio en mucho, por eso su personaje no esta bien armado, no es culpa de la actriz. Y esta claro que uno empatiza mas cuando tenemos una líder fuerte, aqui no es el caso. aunque en el fondo era bastante lógico que las mujeres no tengan mucha opinión en esas épocas. También me di cuenta que el maquillaje de ella siempre era perfecto, rostro impecable para CAUTIVAR, eso también me pareció exagerado ya que esta disfrazada de hombre.
En general la disfrute, me trague todos los capítulos en pocos días. Y si no soportan las historias con injusticias, con malvados que siempre logran salvarse, no la vean.
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Através de reviravoltas políticas, o príncipe herdeiro Lee In acaba se tornando rei como seu irmão temia, porém nunca confortável com a posição que ocupa ele passa os próximos anos de seu reinado tentando assegurar a promessa feita ao irmão no leito de morte de punir os traidores do reino e manter a sucessão do trono para o filho do antigo rei.
Pouco tempo antes de se tornar rei, Lee In acaba conhecendo um jogador de baduk e fica completamente fascinado. O jogador de baduk na verdade era Kang Hee Soo, filha de um dos secretários real. Ela se apaixona pelo Príncipe Lee In, porém através de uma reviravolta do destino, ela se torna uma espiã e se aproxima de King Lee In para se vingar.
Sinceramente foi um drama que eu assisti mais pelo ator Jo Jung Suk do que pela história em si. Apesar de ter me surpreendido pela coragem do roteiro de apresentar um King Lee In impiedoso com seus inimigos, pois geralmente os mocinhos são bons de mais para punir os vilões com a mesma proporção que são atacados, aqui isso não acontece e gostei. Porém, a história em si não é muito empolgante e a química com a atriz não foi convincente. O final também achei bem sem graça.
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I protagonisti della storia sono il Baduk, gioco di strategia molto popolare in Oriente in cui i due avversari collocano alternativamente pedine nere e bianche sulle intersezioni vuote di una scacchiera, detta goban, allo scopo di controllare una zona del goban maggiore di quella controllata dall’avversario e i sentimenti imprevisti, che cambiano più volte le carte in tavolo nella vita dei protagonisti.
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