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

[syntyche]

 

 

[krish indu]

Omg i loving this drama. This make my head hurt. And that should be a sci-fi drama do. I actually feel the same pain when i wait for avengers endgame after infinity war. Cant wait for ep 5

[graceyco]

All for this new drama, I've never watched an on-going drama on the dot, to the point of waiting for the time that Netflix will make it available in my timezone. This drama is beautiful - from the acting, the chemistry, the scenery, the set design, the cinematography and the KES story! 

 

Can't wait for Friday to come already! 

 

 

[Alice Wonderland]

Wow. I'm amazed with lots of math theories and discussion involved here. That's awesome! You're all amazing! I'm not a science person and I used to be scardy cats in every my math class back then. Lol

 

But after some years graduated from high school I realized how math is such an amazing subject that I shouldn't have avoided. So whenever there's a show show off some math wonders in any form I'd be so delighted to tune in. And to the recent post shared by @lofeval I really agreed that math can be much way of showing romanticism. It reminds me of some short episodes of drama special I've watched some years back. How the love travels and express through math. That's so cute. In that drama the male or female lead I'm vaguely remembered is not a math person so he/she needs pretty long time to figure it out the answer of the question. It's different to this King story but they both include math as their base logic and love life. 

[Layali]

1 hour ago, nikki7 said:

I find the poem recited by Lee Gon/Head Lady to be really sad. It's kind of hinting of a tragic ending... 

 

The girls over bitchesoverdramas does a great job dissecting the poem for us non literature major.

 

They also  have some theories on the yoyo boy, Luna & reason why the drama is called "The King : Eternal Monarch".

Thank you for this link. That is such a cruel but fascinating prediction using the poem read at end of Episode 3. The OST released thus far are indeed quite tragic. 

Watching TKEM I'm  learning all these mathematical stuff such as Euler's number ( which is an actual thing)and MSD and now the interpretation of this poem is like learning literature.

Why bother paying exorbitant tuition fees and go into debt when dramas teach you so much and one even gets to swoon while at it

[krish indu]

I didnt get the mentality of people who says that they dont understand this drama. Don't they watch any hit series like money heist, dark etc. Bcz they are pretty famous nowdays and endgame also. The most viewers nowdays go for sci-fi, thriller, suspense drama not for like romantic, family affair stories. 

[Deepakmahajan]

Drama is already smashing overseas

But even domestically  we can't  predict its success  by ratings alone. I am not making any excuses here.

But it is number one on paid platform which is biggest streaming site in korea as well as netflix korea . 56% surge on number one platform. It is smashing in kor3a but other way around.  I wish they could tell the people about it's success. 

 

Many other blockbusters air on tv alone.

 

We have to understand most youth will prefer  streaming sites whenever they want to watch it. I rarely see tv now because i prefer to watch when i am in mood.

 

Channel must have made money when they sold it to such sites.  I wish it was uploaded after it's original run. But for a grand project worth 32 billion won (over 25 million usd nearly ). They sold it for recovery of budget sacrificing the ratings.

 

Though still i hope it stays in double digit, so people can shut their crap before seeing the whole picture.

[krish indu]

2 minutes ago, Deepakmahajan said:

Drama is already smashing overseas

But even domestically  we can't  predict its success  by ratings alone. I am not making any excuses here.

But it is number one on paid platform which is biggest streaming site in korea as well as netflix korea .

 

Many other blockbusters air on tv alone.

 

We have to understand most youth will prefer  streaming sites whenever they want to watch it. I rarely see tv now because i prefer to watch when i am in mood.

 

Channel must have made money when they sold it to such sites.  I wish it was uploaded after it's original run. But for a grand project worth 32 billion won (over 25 million usd nearly ). They sold it for recovery of budget sacrificing the ratings.

 

Though still i hope it stays in double digit, so people can shut their crap before seeing the whole picture.

Yes i agree with you. We foreign viewers didnt look up to the drama rating or its performance in  the  tv. We only look for the quality of the drama. Its a pity people are criticizing for its rating. 

[syntyche]

LMH spotted in the filming of The King

cr: j_u_s_t_2_c_e, iameunseo_0813 IG

 

 

 

[packmule3]

2 hours ago, nikki7 said:

I find the poem recited by Lee Gon/Head Lady to be really sad. It's kind of hinting of a tragic ending... 

 

The girls over bitchesoverdramas does a great job dissecting the poem for us non literature major.

 

They also  have some theories on the yoyo boy, Luna & reason why the drama is called "The King : Eternal Monarch".

 

Thanks, @nikki7.  Here, I'll post the poem. 

 

But first you need to know that a Chohon is a Korean ritual for the dead. We've seen this often in sageuk and in Episode 1. 

 

 

 

It means an “invocation of the spirit of the dead.” A mourner goes to an elevated place (I guess, to be closer to the spirit world?) with an article of clothing of the dead person and wails “come back” three times to the spirit of the dead person. Death of the person is considered confirmed (or final) after the invocation. 

 

Now, my poem analysis...

 

4. Lastly, the poem

 

Warning: I’m not a literature major, so other people might have a different interpretation. This is mine.

It began because LG didn’t want to give his identity and his name when TE confronted him in the middle of the Gwanghamun Square.

 

TE: Show me your ID.
LG: I’m afraid I can’t. I don’t have an ID.
TE: Why don’t you have an ID?
LG: Because I am who I am.

 

What he meant here was, because of his royal status as a king in his kingdom, he didn’t require an ID to be identified. He was recognized by his citizens.

 

Then, the issue of his name came up again at the police station (Ep 2, 6:29).

 

TE: What’s your name?
LG: I can tell you, but you cannot call me by that name. That’s my answer again. The name is not meant to be used.
TE: Then let’s say it’s Kim Gaeddong for convenience sake.
LG: Gaeddong as in dog poop? You could have called me Hong Gildong or Mr. So and So. My family name isn’t even Kim.

 

lol. He’s like a human deity. In some religions, the believers cannot invoke their god’s name by his actual name out of fear, reverence, and veneration. Christianity is considered a breakthrough because Christians believed that God is not an anonymous, distant and wrathful figure, but their own Father. That’s why we pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Giving a familial name to a Supreme being indicates that the relationship between God and man is personal.

 

It’s in this context that I understood LG’s question about ShinJae later. ShinJae’s name, too, has not been called out aloud. Instead, TaeEul uses a familial term for him. She calls him “Older Brother."

 

From Episode 3, 8:54.

 

LG: What’s his name? You’re an only child but you call him your brother.
TE: What’s your name then? Why ask another guy’s name when you don’t even know yours?
LG: I never said I didn’t know my name. I said you can’t say my name even if I tell you.
TE: Are you the poet Kim So Wol?
LG: Who’s Kim So Wol?
TE: Wow, you’re really good at pretending. (And she quotes a line). “I won’t finish the last words I had in my heart,” so stop being nosy about my life.

 

I like that he remembered the poem and was curious about it to look for a book before returning to his world. He even told the Barista that.

 

That signified it wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. He intended to get the book…to remember her while he was away.

 

So here’s the poem.

 

Invocation of the Dead
by Kim Sa Wol

 

Oh, name shattered.
Oh, name that parted in the air.
Oh, name without an owner.
Oh, name I will call until I die.
 

I won’t finish the last words
I had in my heart.
 

The one I loved.
The one I loved.

 

Now, I’m not Korean (lol, as you know…), but it’s obvious me that this poet is alluding to Chohon, that ritual I mentioned earlier (lol, as you know, too, I don't bring stuff up for no good reason).

 

The poet or the persona is invoking the spirit of his beloved to come back from the dead and to return to him.

 

But if you read the poem closely, you’ll notice that the poet actually never calls the beloved’s name three times. In fact, he DELIBERATELY avoids calling her name out three times just like in a Chohon.

 

Remember, I said the number three was important in the death ritual. But look here:

 

Oh, name shattered.
Oh, name that parted in the air.
Oh, name without an owner.
Oh, name I will call until I die.

 

The name-that-can’t-said is repeated four times. Here, I'll interpret the poem for us.

 

Oh, Name = Oh, My Beloved

 

“Oh, name shattered” means the beloved is dead and cannot be brought back to life.
“Oh, name that parted in the air” means the beloved has disappeared and transformed into a spirit.
“Oh, name without an owner” means that when the poet calls his beloved, no one will answer. The name has no owner because the owner of the name is dead.
“Oh, name I will call until I die” means that he’ll love her till his own death. Her name will be on his lips when he dies.

 

However, if you notice, he literally and poetically (lol) refuses to utter her name. He uses a stand-in word or a PROXY word to call her. When a poet addresses a person who’s not present, he uses a literary device called “apostrophe.” A famous example is “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

 

But here, the poet doesn’t even mention the dead beloved’s name. Hmmm…do you know why? I'll tell you later.

 

Let's continue dissecting the poem.

 

I won’t finish the last words
I had in my heart.

 

That was the line that TaeEul was referring to earlier.

 

LG: I never said I didn’t know my name. I said you can’t say my name even if I tell you.
TE: Are you the poet Kim So Wol?
LG: Who’s Kim So Wol?
TE: Wow, you’re really good at pretending. “I won’t finish the last words I had in my heart,” so stop being nosy about my life.

 

She thought that Lee Gon was channeling the poet Kim So Wol. There was an excellent word play going on here. She was taunting him. Like this:

 

“Hey, Mr. wannabe Kim So Wol! Hey, you, Mr. I-won’t-finish-the-words-I-had-in-m-heart! Stop being so nosy because I’m reaallllly biting my tongue here to stop myself from telling you exactly what I think of you. I can’t even… I can’t even…Ugh! You wacko!”

 

lol. That's how my nieces typically express their exasperation: "I can't even...!!! " 

 

Then, the poem ends with:

 

The one I loved.
The one I loved.

 

Did you notice? Again, the poet refuses to invoke her name three times. He could have said, “Juliet, the one I loved” And he should have repeated “The one I loved” three times just like in a Chohon, but he settles for two. If the poet were a Korean Romeo doing a proper Chohon, he would have written this:

 

Juliet, the one I loved.
Juliet, the one I loved.
Juliet, the one I loved. lol.

 

Now, why does the poet so evidently refuse to call her by name when the whole point of this poem is calling the dead. Look, even title of this whole poem is “Invocation of the Dead” or Chocon?

 

This is my interpretation.

 

He's refusing because to call her ACTUAL name THREE times means to finally ACCEPT that she’s dead. Remember? I said that death is confirmed only AFTER the Chohon is completed.

 

By refusing to actually go through the ritual of calling her name three times, he’s holding off from proclaiming her dead. He’s clinging to her and won't let go.

 

Beautiful, right? A poem about letting go of the dead but the poet himself resists to actually let go of the dead. That profound conflict between letting go and holding on to a dead lover is so sensitively expressed in this poem that I'm just in awe (and I'm not even a literature grad).

 

link: https://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/04/27/the-king-eternal-monarch-a-death-foretold/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heretorant]

What’s more mind boggling to me than the drama itself is how anyone can describe this drama as flat. Meanwhile, we are on here actively discussing the hundreds of theories, literature, quantum mechanics and meaning of numbers. You know, I’ve concluded, maybe we’re just smarties here and it takes minds like ours to appreciate such a story 

 

Anyway, food for thought: if “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” ended with Kim Shin living forever and alone while he waits for Eun Tak, how will an Eternal Monarch end? 
 

Writer Kim can’t possibly be recycling her endings though. I’m just wondering why the extended title. Did she really need to add the “Eternal Monarch” part? How significant is it to the story? Hmmm...

 

@packmule3 I enjoyed reading your analysis so much! Beautifully written. 

[Aleenaaa]

Read on twitter that official ship name of LG and JTE is 이을 - Lee Eul!

 

[Jaja]

Is JTE pointing gun at Lee Gon in preview? I wonder why? 

 

57 minutes ago, Aleenaaa said:

Read on twitter that official ship name of LG and JTE is 이을 - Lee Eul!

 

 

That's too many e together Leeeul  but it's cute

[mrsj3n]

25 minutes ago, Aleenaaa said:

Read on twitter that official ship name of LG and JTE is 이을 - Lee Eul!

 

 

I was going for LTE.

You know the 4G mobile communication standard since LG + JTE.

All the math and science.

So why not mobile communication now? 

 

@Ameera Ali Suddenly zero is my favourite number too! LOL

So are we guessing zero proximity in episode 5? Hahahahaha

 

@serendipity... Nah.. you are not the only one.

I'm on episode 3 already.

At this rate, I might watch episode 1 to 4 every day till Friday. 

Then from Sunday onwards... episode 1 to 6 and on and on and on.. lol.

Gosh... 

 

[Aleenaaa]

16 minutes ago, Jaja said:

 

That's too many e together Leeeul  but it's cute

Hahaha! IKR Write it as LeeEul, it will look less chaotic 

Now waiting for the romance of LeeEul couple

 

@mrsj3n You are on point. LTE is perfect Come on, it constitutes all the elements of the drama in the most simplest form ever. I'm gonna ditch the official one and go for this

[mikanpuriname]

The background history for Jo Yeong from SBS show site tells us more about him.

1) His name, "Yeong" takes the Hanja for Shadow.

2) His family have produced generations of military legends. He is the eldest grandchild of such a household. It was always his destiny to be the Emperor's shadow. 
3) Yeong and Gon have a 4 year gap, when they first met (the day of the royal funeral, when Gon ascended the throne, Yeong was 4, Gon was 8)

4) Young Yeong made Gon laugh for the first time since his father's death (This scene was shown in the drama).

5) Then character description then said that since that day, Gon would laugh only in front of Yeong, and would cry only in front of Yeong. Since that day, Yeong's wish was for his Emperor to not feel lonely.

 

So I think we see that Gon has really relied on Yeong for 25 years. Yeong is his first guard, best friend, and chosen family. Yeong was born into a family that served the Emperors for generations. Likely from birth has been taught that it is his duty and destiny to fulfill that role. Yeong  also knows that he is one of the few people who truly has Gon's trust. I think a lot of the bromance-y feels we get is because Yeong likely has only looked at Gon since he was 4 years old. He hasn't ever considered himself as an individual, but his identity is very much attached to being Gon's protector. It'll be interesting to see his character growth.

 

 

 

Regarding ShinJae... I'm pretty sure the nightmare he sees are due to some connection with the parallel worlds. Thats why he knows the Imperial Corea seal... and he tells Lee Gon that  he didnt see it at some fun place...

 

 

 

 

[rocher22]

It looks like the Unbreakable Sword isn't exactly unbreakable. 

 

[serendipity...]

Man our boy LMH is yet to have a decent onscreen dad. Most of his onscreen dads are either too mean to care, divorced or dead. Our boy is definitely harry potter lol

 

Btw I don't wanna sound pessimistic but I've a feeling that this drama will have a sad ending. Lee gon's sad eyes.... I just hope he doesn't die. Given a chance to choose a world, I hope the detective girl stays back with lee gon. Otherwise I'll work something out with doctor banner & doctor strange and teleport to be with lee gon *day dreaming* 

 

@KRISHNENDU M I too was confused with the whole parallel world transitions and still am sometimes   So I don't think it's fair to blame the viewers for being confused. Simple muggles like me do exist  

 

Off topic, thank god russo brothers mentioned which planet the avengers were in each scene in Infinity War & Endgame. Otherwise I would have died with frustration wondering what was going on lol

 

@mrsj3n ditto!! Me too gonna end up repeating the 6 epis once this week ends. Jeez we've totally lost it  

[Alice Wonderland]

Oh.. this is fun  I like LeeEul too. It's cute. But the LTE won my heart most! With the thought that their romance also moves with LTE speed. Lol. I'm also rooting for this nickname instead. LTE couple 

[graceyco]

1 hour ago, Aleenaaa said:

Hahaha! IKR Write it as LeeEul, it will look less chaotic 

Now waiting for the romance of LeeEul couple

 

@mrsj3n You are on point. LTE is perfect Come on, it constitutes all the elements of the drama in the most simplest form ever. I'm gonna ditch the official one and go for this

 

 

AAAAAH This is such a cute name! Surprisingly, I haven't seen any ship names for our couple yet. Maybe we should start it? haha  I am so excited for more LeeEul moments this coming Friday! Haven't been this excited for a drama before! 

 

33 minutes ago, Alice Wonderland said:

Oh.. this is fun  I like LeeEul too. It's cute. But the LTE won my heart most! With the thought that their romance also moves with LTE speed. Lol. I'm also rooting for this nickname instead. LTE couple 

 

HAHAHA! I love this analysis !! Their romance should speed up like LTE. I have a feeling that it will as the episodes progress! 

 

 

 

P.S. for all LeeEul Fans,

Started a thread for our LeeEul couple here!! --> Lee Min Ho x Kim Go Eun