Queen Cheorin (2020)

It's been a while since liked a drama this much, yet hesitated with the ten star rating. Mr. Queen is a drama that does not feature any filler episodes, it's written so well that every episode is eventful and it develops even the minor characters. That being said, for you to enjoy this drama fully, prepare to do some mental cartwheels to see the main leads in an "innocent straight relationship" the creators want you think they are in.

The cast of Mr. Queen is nothing short of spectacular. Shin Hye Sun does an incredible job, I especially liked her performance as the character got more and more incorporated with both people inhabiting the brain. She also has incredible gestures and mannerisms that reminded me of Choi Jin Hyuk and me never forget, that she basically played two characters at once. Her chemistry with Kim Jung Hyun is amazing and his performance is also amazing. I was surprised by the acting range of both of them. The amazing performances don't end there. Everyone was just so good, I have no complaints.

The story is very interesting and it almost makes the viewer feel as a companion to Bong Hwan. He is quick on his feet and often surprises with his wits. At first, I was in awe of just how into it (the slapstick and hilarious comedy) were the creators willing to go. The comedy was very strong at first and even though it makes room for more dramatic elements later on, it was a constant in the drama. There was one plot point, quite early on, when the personalities of Bong Hwan and So Yong clashed a bit more and they started to be a lot more intertwined with each other, which made doubt that it could be still entertaining, but it turned into a good move. I also liked how they kept the inner voice of the Queen, even though it changed in tone, throughout the entire drama.

Mr. Queen features a lot of classic elements of a true historical drama and I liked the incorporation of modern elements as well. Especially interesting was the use of Bong Hwan's skills in the kitchen and the addition of the royal kitchens was a nice view of the court from this perspective.

What this drama did also well was pairing the characters up into smaller squads (#squadgoals all around) and it featured a lot of banter and funny moments, even for the less interesting characters. And, as we are in a historical drama, the villains are properly evil and the heroes are properly heroic. Soundtrack is also very catchy and I liked it very much.

I would like to address the main issue that a lot of people, including me, have with this drama, but I feel like having stepped on thin ice. I see the cultural context and the point of Bong Hwan coming into So Young's body, which was primarily to help her in a dire situation. On the other hand, well... It's a situation in which everyone who watches it takes what he/she/they want to take from the main relationship. But if helps in accepting other types of relationships other than the typical heterosexual ones, I think, that it would be a big help.

To sum it up, Mr. Queen is a damn good drama, unfortunately with some baggage. Regardless of that, I enjoyed it very much, I looked forward to it every week and I will miss it a lot.

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Disappointing Ending

I really enjoyed Episodes 1-16, it was so funny and entertaining so I didn’t take this show seriously. Yeah I agreed not to be one of those who take ‘Sports Day’ seriously. However, when the show changed to a more serious tone after learning that the queen was pregnant, I couldn’t help but also follow the show’s direction and tone. As much as I enjoyed its first 16 episodes, the last four kind of ruined it for me.

My rants:

1. I totally hate it when a drama drags on a potential ‘death’ of a major character and milk on having it for cliffhangers. My goodness, we all know that the king won’t die as early, and won’t ever since he has a plot armor. I feel so annoyed when they did it.

2. I know this is a drama but I hope they didn’t insult the science of pregnancy. The queen walked on her foot for days, slept on the cold forest, get tossed, hanged on a cliff, and chased by guards. Got stabbed and whatnot, I was really shocked that the baby in her womb survived all of these. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t celebrate miscarriages but having the queen miscarrying the baby at the end should be the most logical thing that could’ve happened. For the life of me, the queen and the baby fought for their lives overnight, but the next day, she was walking around bossing people around as if nothing happened! Jeez, unacceptable. I feel very insulted as a viewer. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. It would make sense scientifically and romantically to miscarry the baby because it was Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body when the baby was made. Now that So Yong is back, they could always bed and make a new baby that is really out of love and truth.

3. Why did they trash Kim Byung In’s characters like that? All the main cast (king, queen, Jo Hwa jin, had a happy ending but him? They wasted his character. Seriously, they left his body in the forest like that?? I feel so angry for him. I am very disappointed in So Yong. Girl, you don’t have a right to weep and call her Orabeoni!

It wasn’t also explained why those two swap bodies. What connection do they have that of all the millions of people in world, why him? Why her? I could’ve missed it? If not, what a waste.

I strongly feel Mr. Queen should have ended in Episode 16. The last four episodes turned it into trash.

I’d probably order something from McDunaldu to console my disappointed heart.

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A Worthy Historical Drama to Watch

One of the best dramas in quarantine I've watched! Usually, historical dramas drag on which does not help my attention span of a goldfish, but this one had me hooked on all 20 episodes. I think the best part of this drama was the incorporation of comedy into an action-based historical drama; you are bound to laugh AT LEAST ONCE in every episode. The chemistry between Shin Hye-sun and Kim Jung-Hyun could literally be felt through the screen; the acting of both of them was phenomenal. The way Shin Hye-sun was able to portray the funniest moments but also act out the most painful ones really shows her talent and versatility as an actress.

However, the one reason why this drama had me pressing "next episode" for 24 hours straight is because of the soundtrack and OST. The subtle music behind the comedic scenes really made you laugh and of course, the iconic "Bong Hwan A!!!!" song is literally the highlight of every episode. Overall, this drama is amazing if you want to laugh and cry at the same time and watch an actually interesting plot unfold through the screen.

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this was a BL and you can't convince me otherwise

Oh come on ! Commit and make it gay !
The king did not fall in love with the prude but with the insane chef.
You want to make me believe that after the last episode they lived happily ever after ?
No, he probably cried himself to sleep every night thinking about the love of his life.
While his wife is confused on why her husband has not genuinely smiled since they reunited.

Anyways, I laughed so hard sometimes I had to pause just to finish laughing. It was almost on Business Proposal level, almost.

Also I want to lower the rating bc they made me salivate every episode. Still thinking about the ramens.

I was in love with the cousin but just bc he was hot.

I guess it's all I have to say.

bisous

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SHIN HYE SUN DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

Although I gave Mr. Queen a 10/10 overall rating I wouldn't say it's flawless. It does have some loopholes in it but I think it's what makes this drama more relatable and charming.

I love that even though it was a historical drama it didn't bore me at all. Every episode was worth the time and wait. It actually got me hooked on episode 1 and after that I just couldn't wait to watch the next one.

The main reason I watched this drama was because it starred Shin Hye Sun as the lead. (Just a short backstory, I LOVE HER. Her acting is 100/10 for me. She always nail her role. Hands down). And as expected, she did not disappoint! I love how we only saw CJW in a few episodes (i think less than 5 eps) but it felt like he was with us from start to finish. Everytime we see the FL on screen we would immediately know who's spirit is talking either KSY or JBH. Her acting made it easier for us to distinguish the two characters easily even though it was played by the same actress. I noticed that SHS studied how CJW acts and tried to copy his subtle mannerisms like his smirk the way he talks etc. and that for me was just brilliant. And her chemistry with the ML wow oh wow. It's like the cherry on top of an icing. I loved it.

Story wise, I love historical dramas but sometimes it just gets too dark and heavy for me but this one I loved how light it was. Even though there were antagonists in the story it was still light but the story still was complex enough to keep us entertained.

I think there are only 2 things that would make the story better overall. First is to have the ML and FL meet in the future and be together again but they exchange their genders. Second is to have more episodes hehehe.

I'll honestly miss this drama. I'll miss our king and queen and the palace peeps. Love love love it!!!!

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Great start, absolutely awful ending

I don't usually write reviews but I just finished this drama and feel like I have to this time...

What I liked:
-the acting was phenomenal
-innovative story, nicely executed
-nice comedic aspects in the typical silly k-drama way
-lovable characters and nice development
-CJ and BH had so much chemistry

What I didn't like:
The ending was just awful. Nothing made sense and some characters did not deserve their ending at all. I wish Byeong In had gotten a better ending. But most of all my heart aches for Bong Hwan. He fell in love with Cheoljong, made friends and was so close to starting his own family, just to loose it all with nothing to make up for it. He couldn't even say goodbye to anyone. Also I couldn't care less about So Yong as she had like 5 minutes of screen time in the first 19 episodes. Even CJ said he feels like something is missing. Literally the worst ending for both leads imho. It's a shame that such an awesome series had to end like this.
I'm so so frustrated with it and if the ending makes or breaks a series for you, do NOT watch this.

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Strong start, awful final episodes

I'm really pissed after watching it. Why? Because the the show was great but after episode 16 it becomes so bad that I was considering to drop it right there.

Everyone points to the bad ending, but I started to fast-forward from episode 19 until the end, so it's actually bad even before the ending.

Let's start wit the good pars.

The acting was great, I can't complain there at all.
The comedy was really good and truly made me laugh outload.
The music fitted the show really nice with the comedy aspects and hit the mark.

Then the turning point for me was episode 17 when the show started to go downhill. (or more like falling in a hole)

Imagine a live version of twitter reenacted in a history drama, but only the gossip part of twitter, that was episode 17 for me. The first time was OK but the second... it was just stupid. And the plot started to rely on that twitter gossip... oh my... how can I describe how stupid it was. We have a saying in my country that describes episode 17 perfectly: "Your sister is a wh*re... now go and explain that you don't even have a sister".

After that we got the "eureka" moment when a specific character figured something out for no specific reason, turned evil and after 2min turned "good"... and after the moment the fast forwarding started for me and I didn't care for the show any more.

There were soo many bad things in the episodes after that, that it's hard to explain it without spoiling something.

It almost seemed that they switched the screen writer at some point, I don't understand how can the same person produce the golden 16 episodes and then sit and sh*t out the rest of them in this state.

Score:
1-16 eps - 9/10
17-20 eps - 4/10

So lets give it a 7/10.

I can't say if I can recommend it or not... it's good but brace yourself some really bad plot points in the end.

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Amazing show all around. Would recommend to everyone

Hands down one of the best shows I've ever watched. I was hooked on every episode. Although the ending was a bit rushed, it was extremely heartwarming and gave nice closure especially with the spin off episodes. I really just want to see more of everyone.

I was hesitant at first because I was never one for comedy dramas before but it this show kept me wanting more every week. The writing and plot are amazing, interesting, and very well thought out. This drama did not feel slow or draggy at all. All the actors really shone in this one even the side ones. Amazing acting all around, couldn't think of better fits and they all showed incredible range. All the characters were all super well written and acted. I will definitely be on the look out for their future works. This drama had me crying from laughter, happiness, fluffiness, and sadness. I just cannot with how amazing everything about this drama was.

Especially during a time where you just want to escape from the troubles of the world, this drama was perfect. I cannot tell you how many times this drama lifted my mood just by looking forward to the next episodes. I physically cannot write in words how amazing this show is. Just everyone needs to watch it.

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AWESOME

●No wonder that this drama received so much hype and every SNS has lots of spoilers, yeah even MDL went into a slump with a major spoiler post that wasn’t marked spoiler. I saw that and kind of waited for the hype to die down before watching it.
So finally after watching this drama my every bit of feeling says it's AWESOME.
Since there are so many good reviews already I would keep it short

●LIKED
>in terms of story spiced with action, comedy and romance are fabulous.
>excellent cast from leads to supporting actors everyone gave a topnotch performance. Loved Shin Hye Sun, Kim Jung Hyun, and Choi Jin Hyuk
>superbly tuned music makes the mood of scenes more enjoyable.

●DISLIKED
>Kim Byung In, and his forcing himself and showing that what he is doing is for the queen's good but I think he was selfish wanting to be happy because he was affection deprived.

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Love at the first sight

I must admit, watching the first teasers for this drama, i knew that i would love it. The following 20 episodes just proved my intuition right.
I love historical dramas, so this one was really up my alley. But i think even people not into historical dramas would love it. It has the right amount of comedy, present time references that balances out the usual politics of the palace.
Someone would have to pay me to stop singing praises to Hye Sun and Jung Hyun, they are just such good actors plus they had amazing chemistry. So if you want to watch a drama with actors who really have skills, this is the one. Probably the first good thing the producers for this drama did, was cast them both, i can't imagine anyone else doing justice to their roles.
The OSTs made the drama so much fun, whenever you heard Bong Hwan-ah~~, you knew things would be going down lol
Anyways, I fell in love so much with this drama, that i watched every episode at least 3 times, just can't get enough of it. And i will rewatch it more, that's how good it is. Hopefully a lot more people will get interested into it, it's currently my most favourite drama of all time. 10/10
Also, ignore the last episode, ep 20 doesn't exist, it won't hurt you, just watch the bamboo forst spin off!

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