As most people, I was really excited when the trailer dropped. Parallel worlds? Star crossed lovers? Both tropes I really love. I waited for the drama to finish before binging all episodes. I was aware of the low ratings and reviews (that shocked me and almost made me not watch it) but still decided to go in with a much more open mind. I was actually surprised that I liked TKEM more than I thought I would.

TKEM starts off with a strong footing. It reels you in with really good world building of the Kingdom of Corea (which is one of the major things I liked about this drama), and the mysterious manpasikjeok that allows it’s holder to travel parallel worlds.

The first few episodes were a bit slow in terms of the major plot but seemed rushed with the romantic relationship of the leads. I personally didn’t have that much problem with how the romance developed but I guess I can see where it might seem rushed. The romance time frame was a bit badly executed and would have been better if their time together and apart was more implied. The story also expects the viewer to know some basic concepts on time travel / parallel worlds which allows the story to focus more on the major plot. It is not that hard to understand what was going on as almost everything comes into place at the end. The story really picks up by episode 11 (may also be due to the change of directors) and I rarely had a hard time in enjoying the whole series. Perhaps the minor issue I can think of in the script is how the product placements were given that much dialogue. It would’ve been better for most PPL to have been just on display or have the characters use them. The PPL didn’t really bother me as I just thought of it as a comedic relief.

When it comes to production and technicalities, TKEM does not fall short. The costumes were amazing and I appreciated that it fits the color grading of the drama. The cinematography was good but camera angles in some scenes of dialogue could’ve been improved. Camera angles play a major part on how the delivery of dialogues will be interpreted by the viewers. There were times when emotional scenes could’ve been shot more closely because they felt so far off you can’t feel the emotions that well even if the actors portrayed it well. There were also times in the earlier episodes when banters felt a bit awkward because of lack of sound effects that were thankfully fixed in later episodes. The OST was really fitting and the instrumentals were no joke (just take a listen to My Love And... —an orchestral take on My Love by Gummy and it is amazing).

The characters in TKEM had good chemistry. Some side characters could’ve been removed to make way for more of the plot but it was still a delight to witness them interact with the leads. The absolute scene stealer in this drama is Eun Sup / Jo Yeong played by the wonderful Woo Do Hwan. Every scene he’s in, he acts it out in full. Kim Go Eun and Lee Min Ho also portrayed their characters well but might have suffered through the seemingly premature development of their romance which made their characters a bit flat to some. I also loved the strong personality of Tae Eul that complimented Lee Gon. As previously mentioned, time was not that implied in the drama which made every reunion of the leads translate to Tae Eul being “too weepy” and the exact opposite of her established characteristic (which I do not agree with). Another issue I have concerning character development was of Prime Minister Goo. Her character seemed pointless. She could’ve been more utilized, really. I personally had no major issues in understanding the motive of the main villain but some viewers may not spot it clearly when it was show vaguely.

Overall, TKEM has flaws that can be overlooked when getting into it. I personally enjoyed this drama and never skipped a scene (which is saying something as I always skim and skip through dramas I’m watching). It needs to be watched continuously and with an open mind. It’s far from the best but if you are looking for a grand fantasy drama that requires a little bit attention to detail, this is for you :)

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