I finally discovered a drama where the King is not a self absorbed idiot, but an actual, lovable human with brains .

'The Crowned Clown' is a beautiful, tragic and heartwarming story about a humble clown, Ha Seon, who is put on the throne as a decoy for the unhinged doppleganger King. Having never dealt with anything remotely related to the Court or governing a nation, he attempts to rule the people as he sees fit, angering the corrupt ministers, cheering his people, and befuddling his enemies.

The first two episodes itself were a mix of horror, terror and comedy. Lee Hun, the present King was a nutcase. I'm not kidding when I use that word. Completely addicted to drugs and a tyrannical, he murders everyone who stands against him without a second thought, including his Queen Consort's very own father. With support from his sycophantic ministers, particularly the devious Shin Chi Soo, his madness soon has conspirators plotting to kill him.

Yeo Jin Goo kicked the ball out of the park with his performance in this drama. To be honest, I began this because he was in it. And he did not disappoint. His transition from the completely psychotic King to the vibrant and happy clown was unbelievable. I began to see those two characters as separate individuals and could see no shadow of their dispositions on the other. His supporting actors were equivalent in their peformances, portraying impeccable performances which alone, elevates the quality of this drama. And Episode 15 will forever go down as one of the most epic moments I've watched on television.

Ha Seon, who is forcibly put on the throne as a decoy knew nothing about court. Haksan, the Chief Royal Secretary, asks him to stay put and leaves him instructions on how to conduct an assembly and listen to the ministers' reports while he was gone. Long story short, Ha Seon, who is shocked by the ruthless rules of the palace, bends them to his will and governs the people as he sees fit.
The plot is dependant on the political struggles, but I did not find anything annoying. The clown was a breath of fresh air and saved me from listening to the ministers spout nonsence.

Haksan and Ha Seon's rapport and trust is what made this drama watchable despite of the deep emotional battles. The intense bloodshed and the foolish mindsets of the ancient royals made me want to smash their teeths out. But, these two characters knew their game. I was completely in awe when Hae Seon stood up against everyone to serve justice. His love for his people, his sibling Dal Rae and uncle Bak Soon was heart warming. Haksun is someone who could easily be the definition of morally grey. He took risks that would make him lose his head, but with a strong conviction and backbone that made us (and Ha Seon) believe in him.

The script did not shy away from portraying the barbaric acts that the lower class faced at the hands of the so called "royal blood/upper class". I hated episode 2 in particular, where a tragic, traumatizing and cruel incident happens to a character only for it to be easily brushed off by the perpetrators.
Ha Seon suffers emotionally. Watching him was worrisome -- he was never meant for the court. His loyal Eunuch Cho and Haksan become his constant source of support. There were a number of supporting characters whose frequent appearance slowly made me like them and treat them as important ones.

Romance is not a strong aspect. But, Soo Woon, the icy queen was well acted. She was icy in the beginning and never quite drifted away from her calm and strict demeanour till the very end. This also happens to be the first time that I'm seeing a drama where the Queen has an active role in the troubles of the King. Their mutual love and support was never cringeworthy, but a joy to watch. Lee Se Young appears to be a very versatile actress who can fit into any role without making it seem over the top. I had seen her performance as a consort in another drama, where she changed from being happy and smiling court lady to a rather a bleak and silent consort. I could see no sign of that consort in this one. She fit the role of the silent Queen well.

The villains were stunningly vile. I'm upset that no one set Shin Chi Soo's beard and the Queen Dowager's room on fire.

The music was strange. There would be lyrics being sung in the background, but they blended in so well with the scene that it took me sometime to realize that there was a song going on.

I'm still unsure of what to make of the drama's conclusion. Was it happy? Or was it really sad? But, Ha Seon deserves the best. So, I'll imagine that he finally became happy.