[Drama 2020] The King: Eternal Monarch, 더 킹: 영원의 군주

[serendipity...]

4 minutes ago, mrsj3n said:

Yes yes..

I get you! 

 

The best bromance for me was in Goblin.

That chemistry was undeniable. 

 

For now, the bromance between LG and JY is feeling a little lukewarm for me. Perhaps because JY is all seriousness unlike his cute little self back then.

 

 

I'm likely to be in the minority because I found that drama boring so kinda dropped it. I did like the bromance but loved the grim reaper more. He was unique, intriguing and interesting to watch. That actor did a wonderful job and I still refer to him as grim reaper  

[noor ul ain]

Is something wrong with Lee lim's leg????? If yes than why? Is it side effect?? Or he is keeping his profile as his look alike(since he was paralyzed person)......

[DramaAddicted]

1 hour ago, Helena said:

But "The King: Eternal Monarch" is struggling. Numerous viewers point out that its storyline is hard to grasp and that the overall directing lacks proficiency. 

 

"It was difficult for me to understand the plot without having previous knowledge about a 'parallel universe,'" a viewer commented. 

 

Another wrote, "It seems the scenes are not connected to each other."

 

Some people also claim the script is making them cringe, while others said the acting was not subtle enough.

 

"I cannot really get immersed in the series and empathize with the characters," a viewer said. 

 

I think the way they switch between worlds is confusing and charming at the same time. You won’t be able to understand it fully until you reach one point in the next EP or next scene which will clarify more about it. As many said... viewer need a LOT of patient in order to absorb this show. It’s kinda like a gimmick of the drama. 

however, I‘m a bit struggle to immersed into the romance between 2 leads. I like both actor/actress, they’re very talented and I love how they mock each other but I still don’t feel anything romantic between the two.  idk why... it seem there’re tons of reason why these two should fall for each other but I am not into it. Maybe it’s because the editing? Or is it bc this is just the first 4 episodes out of 16?

KES writing style hardly got me heart fluttering with the romance btw two main leads even the Heirs/DOTS failed to win my taste (except Goblin). Since this drama push her writing into the next level in term of the character depth&world building, I still would love to see how it will play out at the end of the series.
 

[Yinye]

@Mingignim and @serendipity... I share the same thoughts. As people have said, the weak direction (Director) and writing of the drama doesn’t help viewers make that connection or relate well to the characters. It is pretty to watch and has its moments - so I will keep watching but with limited expectations. While I am a fan of both LMH and KG, I am not yet feeling any chemistry yet either. I will still watch and see if it improves. I agree that KES’s writing of romantic scenes isn’t for me either lol. I have seen all her shows too. 

[Wis dom]

 

 

1 hour ago, stella77 said:

@Mingignim and @serendipity... I share the same thoughts. As people have said, the weak direction (Director) and writing of the drama doesn’t help viewers make that connection or relate well to the characters. It is pretty to watch and has its moments - so I will keep watching but with limited expectations. While I am a fan of both LMH and KG, I am not yet feeling any chemistry yet either. I will still watch and see if it improves. I agree that KES’s writing of romantic scenes isn’t for me either lol. I have seen all her shows too. 

 

lets agree to disagree on this one. I think she has done everything right. The viewer numbers is very deceptive as the drama is simultaneously airing on Netflix sk and SBS

Edited April 26, 2020 by Jillia
Please do not post consecutively, edit you previous post instead. Thanks!

[Geolyvseven]

Behind the scenes 

 

 

 

[Dramafreak]

@Aleenaaa sorry i got confused with the name. So lee jong in is the doctor uncle. That i explains it.

 

Evil uncle Lee Rim has found out Doctir uncle Lee Jongin in Korea which is why his photo goes up in his dark room. Doctor uncle from Corea will be dying soon.

 

Episode 4 left us in doubt about whether he is with the evil uncle or not.

 

Thanks for helping me with that.

 

2 hours ago, serendipity... said:

Even now I'm lost with the transitions between the two worlds and some characters. Hope it gets better and less confusing in future episodes. Thankfully this forum and the lovely members are there to clarify things otherwise I'd be a complete loser lol 

U should be on a look out for symbols. Only places where the worlds are not differentiated... i think the director wants you to remain confused.

 

Symbols:  the flower symbol, the old looking tram, sea are Corea =King's world.

 

As for character+feels... i think characters havent been fleshed out on screen, so one doesnt associate and thus, cant always distinguish between the worlds. The minute we start routing for someone, we will know the worlds better. My thoughts, could be wrong.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Jillia
Please do not post consecutively, edit you previous post instead. Thanks!

[Yinye]

@Wis dom sure everyone can have their point of view. I am watching this on Netflix and I have no doubt it will do fine in ratings...I didn’t even bring it up. I am just saying that some viewers are trying to love this drama but can see some flaws. Upon reflecting, I think it’s the writing for the love story between the leads that has been weak. 

[Alice Wonderland]

Been a bit busy with RL and just done sith both episodes of this week. So they reveal the rule of this parallel world working. The time stops whenever one of the two are taking turns in crossing the door to enter the other world. So that is why the ceramic stopped last time happened because LG finally cross it for the first time. I forgot the sequences but I think those time pausing momentarily have to do with LG and LR cross through that door. And that's how LR knows that his nephew also found and used it. Then the revelation of how TE's IDs badge dated in 11/11/19 becomes the vivid proof for her that LG isn't telling big nonsense all this time. She needs to see herself to believe it. I am glad that she finally believes that the earth is round. Lol. Well, it is indeed round.

(Sidenote:This lines reminds me of a male character in High Kick 3 who also insists in believing the same logic as TE, that the earth is not round, square).

 

I am glad that things in these two worlds are slowly patched up. And wait.. did you all see the woman who becomes LG's mom in Korea (forgot his name there) is alive in Corea. What is this mean?? Is LG's mom actually still alive? The flashback only shows him with his dad and he told his mom has died to TE. So this is a bit confusing to me, again.  So I'm randomly assumed that actually the Queen hasn't died but thought to be dead. Hmm... is this possible? Well everything is possible for now 

 

Oh... I really loved how LG asking TE to go with him and put her hands onto his shoulders and lifted her up so gently. Kyaaaaaaa.... that's so sweet  I keep replaying those scenes countless times, why they give us so many politics scenes of that PM Koo, I keep ffd her scenes. Lol.. sorry no offense. Okay... I have to be patient waiting another week.. sigh... the preview is so amusing. I wonder why TE pointed a gun to Young. What makes her doing that dangerous move when she just firstly arrived at the palace. Hahaha.... I can't wait for that.... CL Noh will be so surprised finding her pyeha (폐하) brought a girl home. 

[Deepakmahajan]

Funny thing is that some people have already decided the fate of drama in just 2 weeks to fit  their narrative , and forgetting heirs stayed  in same zone for few week to actually become a massive hit.

 

And the list which has been posted here, only 5 of them are actually blockbuster hits. People using other dramas to show king as some failure already. When it is averaging nearly 10% which might not be amazing, but not bad at all. We have 12 episodes left.

 

I know some want it to fail badly, and can see the future and fate of drama already.

 

From now on, my advice to you all is to ignore such comments. We will see the fate in future and i see it becoming a hit with plot setup now.

 

I will only compare  it with lmh's ex dramas and with heirs, people predicted the fate , but it ended with great ratings. King is here to stay. Just keep supporting. 4th episode has ended with positive response. Next 2 weeks are most crucial and i am sure it will do well.

 

[littleloony]

22 hours ago, heartoppaya said:

someone explain to me why the villain of this drama looks god damn gorgeous and why i can’t hate him, no matter how many people he killed?

Hehe you're not the only one. He just has that devilish smirk to swoon over. Btw Lee Jung Jin was pretty popular sometime back. If you haven't watched it then I would recommend '9 end 2 outs' it was one of the original friends- to- lovers story. He had a great chemistry with Su Ae.

[Joanna Alfson]

 

[littleloony]

23 hours ago, briseis said:

It's Euler's number and it seems that it denotes the amount of time for how long the time stops when someone is using the gate.

Thanks for that. A lot of us keep using 'e' in labs or in our works but honestly I had forgotten the value for it....no wonder it felt familiar. Now the question is why did Lee Gon think of 'e' for the period of time stopping. I hope that for nerds like me out there, he will actually explain that in some ep

 

And for anyone else interested to know about "e" then here is a vid

 

[syntyche]

My review on Episode 4

 

Lee Gon says that he was born into his profession, the King. At first glance, people may see him as a young, handsome, and rich king, but he is way more than that. He embodies the role. I mentioned in my review of the first episode that I admired young Lee Gon that night his father was killed. For despite that traumatic experience, he stood up and knew exactly what to do as the successor to the throne. He tried his best not to panic. 

 

Being asked a tough question by the girl of his dreams shouldn't send him panicking as well. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

Prime minister is not only feisty, but also nosy. Good thing Lee Gon immediately reminded her of her rightful place. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Aww, he's reunited with Grandma and Jo Yeong! Oh, but those missing diamond buttons immediately caught Grandma's eyes! 
 

Spoiler

 

 

She may have an idea of Lee Gon's uneasiness with wearing neckties. And up to this point, we have seen a king with a calm demeanor, seemingly unaffected by that traumatic experience during his childhod. But with that necktie which reminds him of the night he was strangled by Lee Rim, we finally see his struggle on overcoming that fateful night.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Hmmm, nightmares. I knew Shin Jae's character is intriguing.
 

Spoiler

 

 

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Lol Lee Gon, I can just imagine Jo Yeong's frustration over your disappearance, like it's nothing to you.
 

Spoiler

 

 

Right..so old guy does have an important role with Prime Minister's affairs. I bet his source of "intelligence reports" is Lee Rim-connected. And I will add "cunning" to my description of the PM. She does know how to get what she wants. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Professor Lee Jong In, aka next to the throne, aka Lee Gon's uncle. He did the autopsy of Lee Rim's body then, and based on his conversation with Grandma, he made a false statement on the cause of Lee Rim's death. He suspected him of being shot by the royal guards, but so as not to cause chaos to the kingdom, he ruled suicide as the cause of death instead. But I doubt if this truth is what Lee Gon is after, considering that in the previous episode, he was wondering if the autopsied body is in fact Lee Rim's, and how it had matching fingerprints and DNA. Lee Gon knows of the parallel world, but does Prof Lee Jong In know?
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Library scene. I love how the similarities in the setting and the contrasts of their worlds were interplayed. And oh, is that Tae Eul on her way to being convinced of the existence of parallel worlds?

 

 

So Shin Jae knowing a bit about gambling addiction is because of his mother being a gambler. And from the previous episode, we see her other self in the other world, the tea lady/spy leaving notes for Lee Rim in the bookstore.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Oh no, Tae Eul's ID! And it seems like the kid who bumped into her has a doppelganger in the other world, too - the kid who was playing yoyo by the bookstore. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

So Lee Rim figures out that Lee Gon has finally discovered the door to the other world. And that time freezes whenever he crosses the door.

 

Spoiler

 

 

And time freezes again for Lee Gon, as Lee Rim now crosses the door. He recites Euler's number, which is an important number applied in quantum mechanics, the very basis of the concept of parallel worlds. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

Seems like the mother of Lee Ji Hun (Lee Gon's doppelganger) now works for Lee Rim, I bet because of blackmail. We see another scene where it is said that Lee Rim does not age. And it does appear that he is rounding up his own army (or victims). And next in line is Prof. Lee Jong In.

 

Spoiler

 

 

So Tae Eul visits the park where Lee Gon says time stopped. She checks what beautiful thing he saw at that spot. Heh.

Uhm, is that a carrot you're eating? Seems like you miss Maximus, too.
 

Spoiler

 

 

So I have this theory about the fiery veins on Lee Gon's back that is triggered by lightning. When Lee Gon was a kid, his father recited to him the engraved words on the four tiger sword:
"The sky bestows the heart upon us, and the ground helps the spirit. The sun and the moon are formed. As the mountains and streams form, lightning strikes. A sage is moved to defeat the evil of the mountains and streams. Wield it with deep thoughts and make things right."

 

Lee Gon is the sage that would defeat the evil of the mountains and streams. And to move that sage, lightning strikes. So the lightning calls on Lee Gon to defeat the evil that was formed in the parallel worlds.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Hmm, the voice message recovered from victim Lee Sang Do's phone mentions Prof. Lee Jong In's name, who is from the other world. Yup, the crime Tae Eul is investigating is involved in this parallel world stuff, alright.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Tae Eul's ID. I mentioned in my previous review that the date on Tae Eul's ID has some significance to Lee Gon, and in fact, he mentioned previously that he has been waiting for that date. So Lee Gon and Tae Eul meet sometime in September 2019, he goes back to his world, she loses her ID, was supposed to get her new ID by late October but forgets about it, then comes her ID issued on, yes, November 11, 2019. Then she gets an unexpected call from Lee Gon. Girl is completely freaked out. 
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

But isn't it nice to see Lee Gon back? 
So Lee Gon realizes that the date he has been waiting for, 11.11.2019, is in fact the day Tae Eul receives her new ID. And this is all happening now. So as he tries to calm her down, he asks her to come to his world, knowing that she, who doesn't believe that the world is round, would want to see the ID for herself. And as this happens, the first snow falls. I guess we should expect for true love to blossom!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Okay, that scene swept me off my feet (and literally for Tae Eul). 
 

Spoiler

 

 

Lee Gon revealing his name, which should not be called, to Tae Eul implies immense trust he has on her. And now that she's in the foreign world of Lee Gon, it's time for her trust on him to get tested.
 

 

[1ouise]

14 minutes ago, syntyche said:

Professor Lee Jong In, aka next to the throne, aka Lee Gon's uncle. He did the autopsy of Lee Rim's body then, and based on his conversation with Grandma, he made a false statement on the cause of Lee Rim's death. He suspected him of being shot by the royal guards, but so as not to cause chaos to the kingdom, he ruled suicide as the cause of death instead. But I doubt if this truth is what Lee Gon is after, considering that in the previous episode, he was wondering if the autopsied body is in fact Lee Rim's, and how it had matching fingerprints and DNA. Lee Gon knows of the parallel world, but does Prof Lee Jong In know?

 

Lovely review, as always.  

 

It is the reverse.  The royal guards suspected suicide.  The body washed up with all the bones broken.  Lee Jong-in said it must not be ruled suicide; instead, he would have to make a false statement that Lee Rim was shot by the royal guards. 

 

 

 

 

[elizabeth]

I remember Lee Jung Jin back in the early/mid 2000’s. I’m surprised he’s not playing major roles anymore but rather just smaller roles now. His character, Lee Rim, I find it a bit confusing with the time traveling to the parallel world and how he’s encountering the people that he meets. Can someone kindly explain to me his character plot line so far in the drama? 
 

Also, I’m curious about the prime minister. Looks like she is from a poor family background. I’m looking forward to see what her back story will be like. 
 

I feel bad for Shin Jae. Why does he play another tragic family background? I first saw him in Come And Hug Me and his character was already going throw a lot being raised by a serial killer. Now this? He also seems to have some secrets hidden. So I’m looking forward to his character’s storyline too. 
 

We don’t really get to see much of Jo Yeong so I’m also excited for his character development. I hope that he gets a happy ending. Btw, I’m kind of shipping him and that writer girl. I don’t remember her name but I think she’s Tae Eul sister in Tae Eul’s world. 

[leeminhosny]

 

[Dramafreak]

3 hours ago, littleloony said:

Btw Lee Jung Jin was pretty popular sometime back.

The oldies in this one are veterans. Evil uncle, doctor uncle, the mysterious guy with PM and of course, lady Noh.

And they are good. Doctor uncle conveys niceness and i am ok with not knowing much about him. The mysterious guy with the PM comes across as dark while the evil uncle...good looking but how good a villian will he be let us see.

Granny noh is granny and she has a good presence with no empty air spaces.

 

@littleloony isnt it e=mc2 einstein' formula or something? I am not a science person so forgive me if i am wrong. However, if i am not wrong then king loves time travel and einstein, no? So thinking about it is natural (for him!)

[YongZura⁷]

12 minutes ago, elizabeth said:

We don’t really get to see much of Jo Yeong so I’m also excited for his character development. I hope that he gets a happy ending. Btw, I’m kind of shipping him and that writer girl. I don’t remember her name but I think she’s Tae Eul sister in Tae Eul’s world. 

 

That will be "Myeong Seung Ah" who's in charged of the social media.  In JTE's world she's Myeong Na Ri the owner of the building where JTE's father teaches Tae Kwon Do.  

 

* They share the same surname just like Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Seob

 

[Cara]

9 hours ago, kaqueski said:

I am enjoying the drama and will keep tuning in. 

But I cannot deny there is something that bother me... the directing flow... I was curious so I looked up the director and found out that he is the same director who did Descendant of the sun, Who are you 2015 and his latest work is Love in the moonlight (park bo gum and kim yoo jung) in 2016. To be fair, all these dramas are all popular and possessed the addicting factor but known to slooooow a lot down in the later half of the series. 

 

just a little information, after looking at the introduction of the show, this drama is directed by two persons..Baek Sanghoon as you mentioned (co-director of DOTS) and also Jung Jihyun (co-director of Mr. Sunshine)