The King: Eternal Monarch is a 2020 romantic-fantasy South Korean television series starring Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun Chae and Lee Jung Jin. This drama is written by Kim Eun Sook, who also wrote Secret Garden, A Gentleman's Dignity, The Heirs, mega hit Descendant of the Sun and also Goblin.
This drama is really an awaited come back after two years hiatus of Goblin series and it is also the first drama after Lee Min Ho came back from military. Lee Min Ho was discharged on April 25th, 2019 which means this is the first project he works on.
The King: Eternal Monarch revolves around parallel universe theory, whereby Lee Gon (played by Lee Min Ho), a modern-day Emperor of the Kingdom of Corea, attempts to cross the barrier into an alternate reality where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom's stead. He comes across detective Jung Tae Eul (played by Kim Go Eun), whom he recognises from an identity card he obtained during the turning-point of his childhood, his father's assassination when he was 8 years old. Lee Gon's half uncle, Lee Lim (played by Lee Jung Jin), who assassinated the previous king, Lee Ho (Lee Gon's father), is in hiding and assembling armies from both world whilst traversing back and forth between the two parallel worlds.
The theory of parallel worlds here in this drama refers to another person who would look exactly like you physically, even though the circumstances might be different (as in your name, your family structures even your personality). I believe the idea itself is a very creative and genius to put altogether the pieces into a story. However, as I had expected the story, quotes, fashion trend, catchphrase from the usual Kim Eun Sook drama, I would say, The King: Eternal Monarch is way beyond my expectation.
Is that because of the editing sequence? or the failed story telling?
Well, in whatever reasons it is, I feel the chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun is not there. The sequence for falling in love with the lost King of Corea is also a bit bland - Kim Go Eun as Jung Tae Eul who starts being so harsh at first suddenly becomes gentle towards Lee Gon.
Other than that, sometimes during the course of the event, the timeline doesn't make sense to me and in the end I give up entirely on trying to understand everything. The drama seemed more concerned with aesthetics and being epic than making sense. The frustrating thing for me is that this drama had an interesting premise and general story. It was the execution that was problematic. I often found myself sighing at what could have been if only the plot had been presented in a more coherent and focused way and the leads had been better developed. Most dramas don’t have enough material to fill the episodes, but this one had too much. We ended up with so many characters and threads that it felt messy and chaotic.
The latter half was a little more focused and better edited, but that could only go so far in solving the issues. Either way, there was potential there that wasn’t realized which is a shame. Despite my criticisms of this drama, I do appreciate that such a large-scale story was attempted.
Hopefully the next drama of Kim Eun Sook can be more of convincing.
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