This review may contain spoilers
Did this make no sense or am I just dumb??
I wasn't planning on writing a review for this drama (specially because I've never written a review before) but I just finished watching the whole thing and I'm honestly so upset! I want my 16 hours back!!"The King: Eternal Monarch" presented us the concept of parallel worlds and later time travel. THAT'S PRETTY COOL! except it wasn't because it was very poorly executed. And I'm not talking about the actors (they were all pretty good specially Woo Do Hwan). I'm talking about the writing, which was clearly focused on the romance while the whole ~parallel worlds and treason~ storyline stayed in the background.
I really wanted to like this drama but the numerous plot holes just made it very difficult to accompany and focus. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT!! I mean I get it they are being sponsored and supported by these brands but that was absolutely shameless and ruined the immersion.
And now my thoughts on the ending: It made no sense. As simple as that. The King Lee Gon restored everything he wanted and that needed to be restored but that had a price: Jeong Tae-Eul and everyone from the Republic of Korea would forget Lee Gon and his world. And that's what happened... EXCEPT FOR TAE-EUL WHO DIDN'T FORGET ANYTHING!!!! AND WHY? FOR THE SAKE OF ~ROMANCE~ (a romance which, in my opinion, had no chemistry and seemed forced).
That's not how you write a coherent script! A better altrenative would be having Tae-Eul forget Lee Gon and falling in love with him again because she felt in her heart that that was her destiny! But nope! EVERYONE FORGOT COREA EXCEPT THE FEMALE LEAD BECAUSE OF THEIR ROMANCE AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER TRAVELING ACROSS TIME!! HOORAY!!
Can you tell I'm bitter and upset?? :))))))
To be completely honest the only reason I started watching this drama was because of Woo Do Hwan and (as expected) he delivered!! His character was what kept me going through this absolute mess of a drama. And I applaud him for his performance as Jo Yeong and as Jo Eun-Sop!
So, to summarize: If you're looking for a romance with some ~crazy~ background story, go for it! But if you're looking for a drama with a well developed plot and a romance that isn't completely forced, please run! Run as fast as you can and never look back!
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This review may contain spoilers
So first off, this is not a drama for the faint hearted. This is a all in commitment. Initially I was hesitant on the first 3 episodes.. then it started to draw me in and as story unfolded I loved it. It so rare that you get a drama that sucks you in and you are waiting impatiently for the next one finding yourself day dreaming about what’s going to happen next, putting the puzzle pieces together :) it’s an all in fun ride. You really have to pay attention(especially the uncles evil schemes in the beginning) he is ssoooo evil and did it sooo good) and there’s other side stories.. (which do not take away from the main story but add to it.. ) it should have been 17 or 18 episodes but they wrapped it up nicely in 16. Certain people are fundamental to the story and when you get the flow you start to see how deep/good it really is.
I didn’t get the romance at first.. but then I realized; the King saw the FL as his champion at a very vulnerable sad time in his life and as “she” had saved him from death and killed some of the traitors. She was larger than life to him and I’m sure that looking at her picture everyday... after a while he probably felt like he “knew “ her.
So. when he sees her ; It’s like a long lost friend/savior who means so much to him. Also FL is kind of tough. She’s not a damsel in distress (which I love:) , So until she knows him and can trust that he is for real about his story and his feelings toward her. She’s not gonna give him an inch. Obviously she is somewhat interested in him because she spends time with him and listens to his story (at first she thinks he’s nuts and then she starts to research different things that make her question her reality) I loved that she did that and then you see the wheels in her mind turning and things making her REALLY question that lead her to answers .. soon they are thinking out loud together .. so one more thing about this relationship he’s a really smart wise compassionate capable strong good looking man who is not about power..but about justice.. what’s not to love in him:):):D Omo.. also loved loved his horse :) he was beautiful
Let’s face it, there’s a lot to consider and the writers tried to give you an authentic point of view from the characters personalities Sometimes when we watch dramas we take it for granted that everyone accepts the impossible slightly implausible crazy story that two worlds that are similar parallel and exist.
I liked that FL really did her due diligence and she has a smart mind so the gathers her info. When she accepts that he is authentic and honest with her and she realizes that he is what she has been looking for, she commits to the relationship. I liked the romance, it wasn’t a “needy” relationship it was a “i really like you wanna get to know you but I still have a job a family and a life.(aka I’m a King..hehe) .how do we manage that?” Kind of romance.
Then throw in a REALLY evil homicidal uncle who replaces people from each world ( people swapping killer,) close friends/protectors workers/palace people/ and you got a fun ...all out ....what’s gonna happen next story. Also humor was thrown in so it had some really funny moments :)
The FL as a co- and all her people were excellent and the King in his world with all his people were excellent.. to have friends and people like these in your life really made the story about them all:)
Like I said not for the faint of heart. But the story really comes together and you realize the main couple are in love and they’ve never been in love, /so they are finding out not only about each other but they and others are also threatened and have to save/protect/ figure out the next step in the tine line and solve the chaos in the past somehow.
I thought each actor was really good. I love the Main leads and have seen all their dramas. I must say they have matured and I loved them and totally got their relationship, because it’s not easy to date Fall in love, keep in touch and save two worlds. Once she committed she totally committed ..(it was sweet)
The other leads (FL best friend who is in love with her.. Kings right hand man , nice Uncle , Grandmother ) (I totally LOVE the grandmother.she is the icon for all grandmas in k dramas) I thought all were really good.
SPOILER ** The ending was perfect. It showed you how well the leads understood each other/worked well and independently and did what needed to be done ; how things changed and ended up...(a few of them I LOL’d how they changed)
Once the FL got the gist of how things were panning out she was way ahead of the game and started to work out how she needed to proceed (a woman with a tactical mind herself) and the ML respected her ..her job , independence and her intelligence. You just knew they were gonna enjoy life together:)
Soooo.. what I’m saying is the drama is done you can binge watch it and have fun.. if in the first 4-6 episodes you don’t connect... no harm done but I am so happy I watched it and will rewatch some of the episodes again
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We had thousands of misplaced propaganda, hundreds of plot choices that made no sense, cliches and ideas that were randomly placed in the storyline with no justifiable reason, soundtrack was bad, multiple genres not well integrated and I could go on for many lines.
I also struggled with the chemistry between the main couple, well... There was none. And although Lee Min Ho came a long way in his acting skills, to me his best drama acting wise so far, the project was yet too demanding for his capabilities in my opinion. I’m sorry, he’s still handsome though.
I wish I could point out everything wrong plot wise and direction wise in this drama, but I’ll leave it at that as a warning for future viewers. It’s somewhat watchable still if you have the patience to endure and pretend thinks that make no sense can be overlooked.
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I blinked and they were in love.
I don't even know what to say about this drama other than I have never been so confused in my life. I was lost almost every episode, I thought I was slow but having read many reviews I'm glad I'm not the only one in this train. The writer overcomplicated everything even the simple things. I don't know if I would say the story had potential, but it was definitely a smart idea if only it was executed better. This was my first Woo Do-hwan drama, he really did shine. I laughed and cried all thanks to him and I also found Prime Minister Koo intriguing, I hate what they did to her character at the end.I didn't like the two leads as a couple, I don't know how and why they began liking each other it was just so rushed and they did not go through any development. Im sick of Lee Min-ho playing the same freaking role (wealthy guy), we know he can pull that off well. At this point I'm beginning to doubt his talent. I hated the way each episode began, as well as the drama's ending. The time travel theme was a disaster and didn't help at all; additionally, the product placements in this drama is ridiculously excessive. Finally there's literally not much of a reason for anyone to watch this so I do not recommend.
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What a beautiful mess.
I didn't come into this drama expecting much. I still left feeling disappointed, mostly in myself for wasting 16 hours of my life watching this commercial...I mean drama.Yes, the product placement is that bad. It is everywhere, and it is jarring.
Let's move on to the acting. Woo Do Hwan kills it. His shoulders must hurt from trying to carry this show. He has the best chemistry with everyone, including himself.
Most of the actors did a pretty decent job, besides the main leads. The chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun was almost non-existent. Kim Go Eun brought everything including the kitchen sink, and it was too much. Lee Min Ho's underacting did not mesh well. He does not emote well, but seeing him in a uniform with his beautiful eyes and warm gaze might be enough to save some fangirl's poor soul.
The characters were pretty one-dimensional and way too abundant. Even the ones I wanted to know better didn't get enough of our time, because that time was spent on side characters that wouldn't even matter if the writer didn't love taking us off on a tangent with all the sub- plotting. The main characters were yata yata I'm not even impressed enough to describe them coherently. Woo Do Hwan's character(s) made for good comic relief. The hot ahjussi...I mean villain was a joke.
The biggest failure in the drama has to be the writing. The romance was big in this drama, and it was totally rushed and stilted. It left me completely unconvinced. Why do they love each other? Does anybody know? Anyone? Bueller??
Let's talk about the plot. The initial idea for the drama had potential but it wasn't executed properly. There were too many sub-plots and crater-sized plot holes. Even some questions the characters asked never got answered, let alone the audience's questions. The drama goes here, there and everywhere, and rather quickly too. With too much going on, it becomes very chaotic nonsense. I am not going to get into the details as it was confusing as heck and hello spoilers. Good writing can make sense of complicated plots, but that doesn't happen here. Just believe me that if you can make any sense of this mess, then I must be one dumb bunny and you should never trust me or my reviews again.
The best thing about TKEM, besides Woo Do Hwan, was the visual. Everything was so very pretty. So there is that.
I wanted this to be a short review, but somehow it didn't work out that way.
Here's the main point: This drama stinks worse than my BO, so if you like stuff that stinks you should totally watch it.
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I was reminded of Dr. Who when I watched this but the world created is nowhere as exquisite as in Dr. Who. The accepted lore surrounding time travel and space/time stories don't bother this story, it does its own thing. Sounds like you should not watch ---- but as much as all of this is true, I felt that this show delivered a romance that made it worth a few hours of my time.
Story:
I gave the story a 9 because of its bones. It is not fleshed out well, but there is enough for someone to pick up and let your imagination take you the rest of the way.
The high production value does enough to keep you in the world of the drama even when the story lines when off the rails sometimes.
There is a theme of love across almost impossible boundaries like that which can be found in Crash Landing On You.
I don't mind cheesy romances... I can discount the plot holes and live for the moments where the leading man is dressed in his military dress uniform and stand stately and claim his woman.
Acting/Cast:
Lets just say Woo Do Hwan 10/10 ….
I don't favour Lee Minho's acting but he suited this character and did a credible job of creating the mood of the romance. A cool, smitten, dominant male lead. It isn't a swoony romance and it is not about the female lead. Lee Minho carried the romance for me but it might be because I like a strong male lead. This role seems to be suited for his type of acting. The charisma of a King or a knight in shining armour on a white horse. There were enough times he got to say lines that cheesy romance novels stereo typically write for a King.
The rest of the cast, considering everyone had to play dual roles, I found extremely engaging. The storyline failed a couple of the characters in later episodes.
Music:
10/10 and really, all I need to say is that there is this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apNWEcuBboI
Rewatch:
I don’t think I would rewatch this without a lot of fast forwarding.
Overall:
You can break a piece of art down into the different lines and colours but until you stand back and look at it as a whole, you don’t really see any substance or merit. This show is like that to me. There is so much I can say that could have been done better. Yet, I feel I could replay some of the moments and get the “feels” all over again. Watching it left me feeling good. If that is all it provides in the world as it is today, then this drama was worth it.
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To be honest, there was potential at first ...... and then nothing happened.
To sum up my opinion in a few points:
- Flat characters
- Relationships happening out of nowhere, because why should we spend time on building real links between characters?
- No real suspense, as viewers we often understand things way before the characters do, and really, that takes them an awful lot of time.
I love most of these actors but unfortunatly their characters are so bland that they can't do any magic here.
As for the aesthetic, it is really enjoyable and pleasing to the eyes... but that's all this drama is about: nice visuals.
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This review may contain spoilers
I just completed The Eternal King Monarch and thought I would love this show because I really like the lead actress and the writer. I was never a big fan of Lee Min Ho, not even his looks but seeing him as a king and his prefect hair , I see his charms. I want his perfect hair. But one thing that annoyed me majorly was how they show that the king has no skill in shooting using the gun n that’s y he went to the navy to serve. And then there is one scene where he goes on a killing spree with his gun n killing everyone at one shot, even those who r standing far. (Insert “hands in the air” emoji”), plot hole or what ??
Other also had so many problems with this show too, with what it portrayed and stuff.
It’s not a show I would rewatch again but a show where I would watch some 30 seconds scenes again. I liked all the side actors, <3Eun Seop<3 in the show. I wonder how I would feel if I binged the show than watch each episode weekly, most likey keep fast forwarding as there are a lot of repetitive scenes.
The actors looked like they had great chemistry and shippers were going crazy, and of course I’m one of those shippers. But in the drama, u don’t see any moments which is really touching.
My fav part was how she falls in love with him after she realizes he’s a king, my kind of gal.:)) But again , not at all real for a drama n wouldn’t convince audience. I really couldn’t see their love, it was rushed. And her crying everytime she saw him, I couldn’t feel the emotions and relate.
And also in the end, Tae Eul who has all her memories dint care to even ask for her childhood buddy and wasn’t even curious about him? I guess the time traveling and the diamond coat buttons was enough for this justice seeker who lives to protect people.
And the ending is a long distance parallel universe dating relationship? Should I be happy with that ending ? How does that make sense? Until when will it last ? Shouldn’t a King settle down n produce a heir ? So bring her to his universe, when and how ? So many unanswered questions just like how 2020 has been.
Not so much character growth and the story is supposed to be confusing with parallel universe and such and had so much to explore and get in depth with it but was very lacking and fell flat in the end, there was no mystery to anything. And everyone knew how it would end. And I wouldn’t even look forward to watch this show every Friday and I would forget it as soon as I watched it. Really wanted more from the writer, she usually has such good stuff. Maybe I had too much expectations. And omg the product placements, the story was written around the products more!!! 2020 continues to disappoint.
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Didn’t live up to the hype
I was really disappointed bcz it didn’t lived up to the hype that was created. the 1st half of the show was really boring and slow and It was hard to understand what is actually the theme of the show What’s the purpose ? Besides the concept of parallel universe nothing else was fascinating as it should have been. .There were soo many supporting characters that made the show more confusing. Time travel event was a lot not explained properly. I didn’t liked the chemistry between the lead characters , The chemistry between Jung tae eul and kang shin jae was more interesting.Also Kang shin jae was better character than lee min ho’s character,bcz it had more story and character development. I feel like supporting characters were more strong and interesting than the leading characters. End was also really boring.so much more could have been but it was just not that interesting.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
HI! This is my first time writing review, I normally don't like to write a review, I prefer to read other reviews that leave mine, but on this one, I really had to. I saw all the comments and reviews about this drama, about the lack of many things, but in my case I really Loved it! I really love Romance dramas, it just my cup of tea.I read some reviews about the lack of chemistry or why the ML & FL love each other so much in so little time, I normally see those comments on the modern dramas, but on Costume/History/Period dramas they are just like that , they fall in love at first sight and they barely touch each other hands and they give each other lives like there is no tomorrow and they still get good reviews.
Going to the point, I really liked this drama, the story line, the actors where amazing, they had great chemistry, the OST just beautiful, for the ML & FL I understood their love for each other, I was happy with them and I was sad as well, I could feel how much he loved her, despite how little time they had since they met, every time they see each other again, they hug so tidily that made cry, I will feel the same way if my beloved one is been missing for days with out not knowing what happen to them, for me every time they were together it felt real( I just missed probably few more kisses in the forehead or cheeks every time they meet).
How can someone be so young in his actions and at some point and them so little change to be this strong king like that , but I see why, He loved her, and will fight the world and time for her love. FL has strong character and she is a girl in love as well, she can't act like nothing has happen, when she hasn't see him in some time, knowing that something might happen to him, she escaped from danger and din't back down that easily, and still fight for her love as well, knowing that might not be tomorrow.
The supporter characters where amazing, just on the down side for me, they where a lot of them, sometimes it was hard for me to follow some of their stories, but it wasn't anything major problem for me, the main support characters I liked their stories, and help the story line as well. They only one that I find that has to much screen time was the Prime minister and she didn't help to much in the story, if she would be the main villain that would it be understandable.
The story line about time and parallel universe, I really liked and liked the ending, because I understood why is that ending ( Not a sad ending at all), but I understand, I can see the point of view of the writer. The ML/FL put the well been of everyone, not just their own lives and still manage to be happy.
The OST! I loved it so so much! The song My Love by Gummy, I felt in love with that song and Maze too, they are so beautiful.
Rewatch value, Yes! I probably rewatch it in few days, just in case I missed something the first time and will rewatch all my favorite parts of the drama again, I felt like if there were questions they answered it. If I don't understand a part of the drama, I go back and rewatch again, so I can understand, why not? That is why I like to watch the dramas once they're finish, so I can replay the parts that I might not understand.
I really recommend it, if you really like romance that goes beyond time and space, I wish that they had more beautiful scenes together. they were beautiful on each of them. I really enjoyed this drama!
Thank you!
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This review may contain spoilers
I like kim eun sook drama like heirs, goblin and the king: eternal monarch. Actors in drama also good especially Kim go eun and Lee min ho.. I like them.. Even though the storyline in the king:eternal monarch is little bit confusing with two personality in different world, has past and present time but the drama is still very good..the actors who have the two personalities also must hard for them to act but stil give the best.. For the kim go eun, i must give the thumb ups,because when she act for the sad scene.. I also want to crying.. She is really good with all expression, and emotion.. #Sorry, I'm not good in English.. Was this review helpful to you?
TLDR, in general, the show was alright and if there's any reason to watch it, it would be Woo Do Hwan and his characters.
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