Presentation
Korean Title: 더 킹: 영원의 군주
Aired in: 2020 (16 episodes)
Channel: SBS
Grade: 10/10
Actors: Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun
For more…
Lee Min Ho:
– Boys over Flowers
– The Heirs
– Personal Taste
– City Hunter
Kim Go Eun:
– Goblin: The Lonely and Great God
– Cheese in the Trap
– Coin Locker Girl (Movie)
– Tune in for Love (Movie)
Woo Do Hwan:
– The Great Seducer
– Mad Dog
– Save Me
– My Country: The New Age
Analysis
Synopsis
Lee Gon is the King of the Kingdom of Korea. When he was a kid, his uncle Lee Rim organized a coup to get his hands on a supposedly magical flute: the Manpansipjeok. In the process, Lee Rim kills Lee Gon’s father and Lee Gon escapes death thanks to the intervention of a mysterious figure, who leaves behind a badge with the name and picture of a woman Jeong Tae Eul. Moreover, in the debacle, Lee Gon manages to cut the flute in half and keep a part of it. Lee Rim, who has the other half is found dead hours later, without the missing part of the flute.
Years later, Lee Gon is still looking for his mysterious savior from that night, who seems to be nowhere to find. One day, he discovers that his flute can actually open the door to a parallel universe: the Republic of Korea. There, he finally finds Jeong Tae Eul. Also, he finds out that his uncle is still alive and crossing universes as well with the remaining half of the flute. Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul team up to stop him, while falling in love at the same time.
My Opinion (No Spoilers)
Without much surprise, that drama was incredible! An incredible drama once again written by the amazing Kim Eun Sook and directed by Back Sang Hoon (the duo previously worked together on Descendants of the Sun).
I don’t think I need to go further into details to explain how much I liked that drama. Everything was perfect from A to Z with great attention paid to details (as usual!) and a well-knitted storyline! The only slight incoherence would be that Jeong Tae Eul falls in love with Lee Gon at an incredibly fast pace (a bit unrealistic on that part).
If you don’t want to miss one of the biggest hits of the year 2020 (one more after Itaewon Class, Crash Landing on You and The World of the Married), I suggest you go watch it right away!
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
First, little warning, this review is going to be a bit long, as screenwriter Kim Eun Sook puts a lot of complexity and precision in her pieces. I am going to categorize as much as I can the numerous themes of the drama, so go directly to the review that interests you, if you don’t wish to read through all of the review!
Parallel universe and the crossing of the bridge: The story is built on this crazy idea that a magical artefact, the flute, enables its owner to cross dimensions. At the beginning of the drama, there are two main worlds presented: the Kingdom of Korea and the Republic of Korea. On the one side, the Kingdom of Korea is a constitutional monarchy. Lee Gon (Lee Min Ho) is the King and Goo Seo Ryeong (Jung Eun Chae) is the Prime Minister. The history of the Kingdom is briefly explained: Joseon won the war against Japan and set up as a symbol the statue of Yi Sun Shin in Busan, by the sea to scare enemies. Since the timeline has changed, the Kingdom englobes North and South Korea. The capital is Busan and the administrative center is in Seoul (where the Prime Minister resides). There are specificities to the monarchy: money, flag, symbols are all different. On the other side, the Republic of Korea is the actual one.
Jeong Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun) is a sergent in the Republic of Korea, living with her dad.
As the drama advances, we discover that there are not just two universes. In the last episode for example, Lee Gon opens several doors and encounters a different Jeong Tae Eul each time, proving that there are multiple realities inside the door. Another example would be when Lee Gon is stuck in 1994 and has to go through various timelines to reach 2020.
The flute: The flute is the artefact that enables Lee Gon and Lee Rim (Lee Jung Jin) to cross over. However, they can only move from one dimension to another because the flute is cut in half. When reassembled by the end, the power of the flute comes back allowing Lee Gon to go through all universes. I loved the fact that each owner had found a specific way to hide their part of the flute: Lee Gon in his whip (because he rides a lot) and Lee Rim in his umbrella. Both “tools” being in my opinion very personal and elegant. Indeed, as a king Lee Gon needs to keep his majestic presence and riding a horse is often associated with royalty and majesty. Lee Rim also has this elegant and royal vibe: his fashion outfit is very close to that of a time-traveler (dark costume and umbrella) and allows him to blend in. He becomes invisible with a slight touch of fashion.
Finally, the flute is connected to both Lee Gon and Lee Rim because of their blood. During the night of the treason in 1994, Lee Gon cut the flute in half, wounding Lee Rim’s hand at the same time. Lee Rim then tried to kill Lee Gon with half the flute, which resulted in putting Lee Gon’s blood on the flute too. That’s the reason why at the end, first Lee Gon can’t throw Lee Rim in the in-between and close the door behind him; he can’t activate the other half of the flute. Second, when Lee Gon intervenes during the night of the treason, the flute is not cut in half anymore but is mixed with Lee Rim’s blood only. That’s why, the other parts of the flute (Lee Gon’s and the other Lee Rim in the in-between with Jeong Tae Eul) disappear. Since, Lee Gon kills Lee Rim at the end, he is the new owner of the full flute and can use it to travel through all universes.
Inside the door: The in-between is characterized as a timeless place, with no life, no gravity, nothing. First, I would like to salute the beautiful work of the director, who conceived an entire imaginary with the balloons, the pictures, the sand and sea. Interestingly, when the in-between is discovered there is nothing inside. As we move on, many objects are accumulating (pictures for instance) and the weather (if we can talk about weather) is changing, becoming darker. The light is covered by a much more gloomy atmosphere. This can represent the pressure put on the in-between and the universal dysfunction due to the crossing and changing of people. Because the universe is no more balance, the in-between is crumbling little by little. This effect continues until balance is restored.
At the end, Lee Gon undoes all of the changes made by Lee Rim, kills his uncle and keeps the Sipjeok (the flute) as one, enabling the in-between to go back to its original setting (photos and balloons disappear, Lee Rim too).
What I loved the most in the last episode is how Jeong Tae Eul and Lee Gon actually use the in-between to store their “vintage” clothes, to adapt their fashion to the time period they enter. Very funny allusion also to Adam and Eve with the branches!
Time stops: Lee Gon is a scientist and is passionate about mathematics. He understands that the universes follow certain pre-established rules. First, when he or his uncle crosses the bridge, time stops in both universes. Second, the more crossovers there are, the longer time stops. If not restored quickly, Lee Gon’s calculations predict that time will stop forever.
I think we don’t necessarily realize it in the drama, but time always stops for a longer amount of time, except for Lee Gon and Lee Rim. That’s why it is so easy for example for the characters to move and act quickly (Lee Gon arresting Lee Rim at the end). It is also an excellent clue for both characters, if they wish to know in which dimension the other is.
The scars: So it took me a long time to understand but I think I have solved the mystery of the scars. Those who have scars are first the ones who crossed the in-between. Second, they are those who don’t have a counter part in the other world (meaning the other self died because of the crossover). Thus, because their other self doesn’t exist in the other dimension, they upset the balance by changing dimension; because they made themselves exist on the other side. That’s the case of Lee Gon: he died as a kid in the parallel world and by appearing in this world changed the space-time equilibrium, hence the scar. The other way around is also possible: for instance Goo Seo Ryeong and Lee Rim killed their other self, disturbing the balance as well, hence the scars.
Because Luna (Kim Go Eun) and Jeong Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun as well) both live and crossed over, they don’t have scars. They can still go back to their original world and didn’t suppress their own existence. Same for Lee Yeong and Jo Eun Sup (both played by Woo Do Hwan).
Also the more crossovers, the more time passes, the deeper the scar.
My own theory regarding the place of the scar on the body: it is related to the way they died. For instance, Lee Rim was beheaded, so his scar is on the neck. I suppose Lee Gon’s counterpart as a child Lee Jung Hun was hit on the shoulder or somewhere around that.
Traveling through times: When all the doors of the universe became accessible, Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul used the in-between to date. They went through various time periods, using the model of the telephone to know the year. This was actually kind funny and useful as well in my opinion!
People exchange: Lee Rim used people’s weaknesses in both world to carry out exchanges. What he really wanted I think was to make people aware of the existence of the flute, using chaos in the Kingdom of Korea to get the other half of the flute. I also believe he was preparing another coup, supposed to happen during the chaos. Indeed, at the beginning, we see him assembling a sort of army with his followers that he gathered from the other side. He also seems to try to plant spies inside the palace to use them at his advantage: the horse man, the woman palace guard (who was sent to prison because she killed someone on the other side).
If not possible, he still wanted to have the power in the Kingdom of Korea; that’s why he associated himself with the ambitious Prime Minister Goo Seo Ryeong and the wealthy pregnant woman.
Lee Rim had prepared everything: he used Lee Jung Hun’s mother in the other world to pressurize Lee Gon and use her during the final ceremony. He also exchanged Kang Shin Jae and Hyo Min (both played by Kim Kyung Nam) in order to get Shin Jae’s father’s care center.
At some point, it was quite confusing to know who was whom and from which world, but Kim Eun Sook was very meticulous in her work, making it easier for us to understand the whole plot, the bigger picture.
Some people obviously changed universes because of their greed, because they wanted a better life, but others also happen to be used as pawns in Lee Rim’s plan: Shin Jae being the best example.
Court Lady Noh: I had to do a focus on that character because he is an incredible one. She is the equivalent to Lee Gon’s mother, protecting and trusting him as a son and her King. Moreover, she is actually from the other dimension, she was sheltered by the previous King in 1953 during the Korean war. She reveals her true identity to Jeong Tae Eul and she is also the reason why Lee Gon was able to save himself in the past. She saw him, but didn’t say a thing because she knew of the existence of the parallel world. Finally, she brought a poetry book from the other world, same poetry book that Lee Gon takes back from Tae Eul’s world. That detail gives Lee Gon’s crossovers away.
I simply loved that character, she was so funny, reliable and loyal at the same time!
Alice in Wonderland: The thematic of Alice in Wonderland is quite present throughout the drama: the bunny first with Luna’s sweater; the problematic around time; the parallel dimensions. I felt as if Lee Gon was some sort of Alice, navigating in another world and Lee Rim the Queen of Hearts trying to bend Lee Gon. Plus, there is the topic of royalty in both the King and Alice in Wonderland. Coincidence or inspiration?
The memories: At the end, Jeong Tae Eul, Lee Yeong and Lee Gon are the only ones to remember everything. Lee Yeong and Lee Gon because they were in the past when the past timeline was erased, so it makes sense. However, Tae Eul should’ve forgotten because if the door doesn’t open because of Lee Rim (killed before crossing at the end in 1994), she never meets Lee Gon and is not supposed to know him. Yet, she remembers everything, which is why Lee Gon can finally find her at the end and they can be together. What I think is that being in the in-between protected her from forgetting, because she was in a space with no time, nothing. So her memories couldn’t be erased. Even though it is just my theory, the drama doesn’t explain anything. When Lee Gon asks Tae Eul how come she remembers, she answers “Let’s just skip that”. Not cool!
Double acting: Because of the two worlds, the cast had to play two different characters, especially Woo Do Hwan playing Jo Eun Sup and Lee Yeong and Kim Go Eun playing Luna and Jeong Tae Eul (and other self at the end). I have to say I was really impressed with these two actors’ acting skills; they did so well in portraying very distinct characters (with sometimes distinct accents!) and embodied perfectly their particular struggles.
Luna is a criminal, solitary and dangerous, but also quite mysterious. She is not bad in my opinion, she just has been through a lot (being alone and begging at a young age, as showed at the end). She has had a tough past but she has no intention of killing Tae Eul. She is also very sick and Kim Go Eun was amazing in playing these two almost opposite roles.
Woo Do Hwan completely changed his accent and his behavior in order to convey his characters’ personalities. It was very moving to see how opposite they could be and yet, they remained the same person; deeply attached to those they love. I liked seeing how close they end up at the end (Lee Yeong names his kids after Eun Sup’s siblings).
The timeline:
From 1994 to 2020: The timeline appears very confusing at the beginning. Indeed, I didn’t understand why the drama started 2019; but everything lit up after.
Very briefly, 1994 was the year of the treason, when the dimension opened with Lee Rim’s half flute.
Between 1994 and 2019, Lee Gon meets Jeong Tae Eul two times, when she is a kid and in 2016, while he is looking for the 2020 door.
Then, in 2019, Lee Gon crossed and met Jeong Tae Eul for the first time.
By the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, Lee Gon goes back into the past to save himself. It takes him four months to find the right door and it is April 2020 when he finally founds it.
Quickly after, Lee Yeong and Lee Gon go back to 1994 to stop Lee Rim. He gets the flute in one piece and brings Lee Yeong back to 2020, while searching through all the doors of the universe to find Jeong Tae Eul.
This takes him a year until 2021. In 2021, he finally finds Jeong Tae Eul.
They date and while doing so Luna in the other world passes by the library in 2022, which are the images shown on the video found in 2019.
Then everything is set into order. I am not going to go further into details with the phones and the supporting characters, because this would take too much time!
Balance and destiny
The kid, embodiment of destiny: Kim Eun Sook also finds a way to portray destiny in her fantasy dramas. In this one, the little kid playing with his yoyo is the incarnation of destiny. He is above time and space and universes. He was present, as we discover at the end, when Jeong Tae Eul met Shin Jae; when Luna was at the bookstore, when Lee Gon exerted his duties. This character is here to take care of the balance: his role I think, is to make sure that no matter the timeline, the universe or else, our characters meet. For instance, if Jeong Tae Eul hadn’t met Kang Shin Jae, Lee Gon never would’ve discovered Shin Jae’s true identity, the reason behind his crossing, etc…
Karma and retribution: Karma and retribution are a very important element in Kim Eun Sook’s dramas. Indeed, those who misbehaved always end up punished somehow, whereas those who did the right things are rewarded. In my opinion, Lee Rim is the perfect epitome of that: he was the villain, who staged a coup and killed his brother. Therefore, he killed himself because of his own greed and was beheaded by Lee Gon. Even in the other world, his other self seems to have been punished by being disabled.
Compensation between the two worlds: There is a rule of compensation between worlds that we can observe. Some things never change, for example Jeong Tae Eul protects people, Lee Gon is in the navy; but others do change significantly. Rich characters are poor on the other side (the pregnant woman), those who did wrong in one world are punished (Lee Rim), those who are unhappy become happier (Shin Jae’s mother), and we can find many other examples. What I have noted is that the higher the social status on the one side, the harder it is on the other. The compensation of course is divided in different levels but the positive on one side turns negative on the other.
The bookstore: The bookstore represents the meeting place, a hideout, where characters from both world interact and cross paths. Because of its function as meeting point, the kid of destiny stays near it and only leaves at the end, when balance is restored.
Mother nature: Kim Eun Sook attributed a crucial role to nature in general in the drama. First, the mystical bamboo forest (earth), where the obelisk appears and Lee Gon can transition from one world to the other. In relation to earth, the seeds and the plants are also quite metaphorical and poetic. The seeds are proof that nothing can live in the in-between and only at the end does the plant in Tae Eul’s place bloom, as the in-between and the universe go back to their original places.
The sea (water) and the sand from the in-between give also an impression of infinity and eternity (water especially) and a certain feeling of serenity and peacefulness. The in-between is the door to eternity for Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul’s love.
Maximus interestingly is quite relevant to the action: with Lee Gon riding it, it is the perfect epitome of Prince Charming and gives a sense of freedom, as he rides in the in-between. The horse has a funny function too, as its presence is unlikely in the other world (especially in one’s garden).
Finally, the most important element is the snow (air). During the treason night in 1994, snow was there each time, Jeong Tae Eul and Lee Gon meet during winter and go through harsh and cold times. Spring is blooming at the end, when they get to pursue their happiness. Snow was literally everywhere, giving a magnificent photography on screen and strengthening the message of destiny, nature and the power of the universe.
The love story between Jeong Tae Eul and Lee Gon:
Dramatic (re)encounters: As you watch the drama you will definitely get to see all of them. The scenes in which Tae Eul and Lee Gon jump in each other’s arms are just so romantic, dramatic and full of tension. The fact that they don’t know when they will actually see each other again makes these scenes even more tense and the chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun is so palpable and perfect!
The kisses: As part of the love story, Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul oscillate between tease and romantic confessions. They go perfectly well together because they intellectually challenge each other. They have lived similar dramas (both their mother died) and assume responsibilities (as king and police officer). Moreover, they both share that witty sense of humor and always engage in verbal subtle duels. To add more spice to that, they have a profound love and attachment, turning their kisses into memorable scenes (the kiss in the neck for instance that made some fans crazy). The final kiss, when Lee Gon finds the right Jeong Tae Eul was also perfect, go check it out!
Love through time and space: Obviously, the ending shows us a love that transcends time and space and lasts forever. The focus on the hands of the old couple (supposedly those of Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul) gave me a certain satisfaction. However, what about the rest? The characters love each other, fine, but do they only see each other on the week-ends forever? What about kids? Just a reminder, Lee Gon is a king and is thus supposed to have a descendance to continue the royal line? Does he present the kids to the kingdom and that’s it? Does he stay like that childless and appoints someone else as successor? And even if they do have kids, in which world do they raise them? Who gets the flute afterwards? Anyway, so many questions that are left unanswered! Still very romantic ending.
Episode 11/Beginning of episode 12: The best episode of the entire drama in my opinion! It is made up of suspense, tension, love, all of that filmed with a majestic aura, that made me think about a battle scene set in modern days! If you haven’t watched it yet, be prepared!
The bromance: Bromance in Kim Eun Sook’s dramas is also very common and it was more than pleasant to see how loyalLee Yeong is towards his King. Lee Gon and Lee Yeong have know each other since childhood and have a special bond. Their relationship involves respect, honor, loyalty but also brotherhood and affection. They care for one another (Lee Yeong goes with Lee Gon to protect his king back in 1994) and are clearly willing to sacrifice their life to protect each other.
At some point, I would even go further in the bromance and extend it to Lee Yeong and his counter part Jo Eun Sup. They were so cute together!
Ties between characters:
The ending: The ties between characters have all been messed up since Lee Rim crossed over. What I believe was the best ending possible, was the one we actually got to see. Everything was back to its place and the new ties between characters perfectly knitted: Goo Seo Ryeong and Luna meet as kids; our second lead Hyo Min gets to be with his lover Luna in the other world, Nari and Eun Sup are together and married, their other selves being together as well in the Kingdom, Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul are together. Bonus, the king’s secretary becomes the Prime Minister.
Humor, direction, cast, music:
The humor: As usual Kim Eun Sook is capable of delivering a very tense, serious and grave drama but with a light-hearted tone, emphasizing humour, ridiculous situations, unexpected turns of events, wits and puns. A pleasurable drama to see and to watch!
The direction, from poetry to action: Baek Sang Hoon’s direction is amazing, the angles, the colors, the photography, the ways costumes or actors are filmed, the scenography, a wonderful drama! My favorite is and also will be the one with Lee Gon in his navy uniform, on his boat, facing Japan. Wonderful!
The amazing cast: I mean just the cast should be reason enough for you to watch the drama. Lee Min Ho makes a powerful comeback from the military with The King; Kim Go Eun is radiant and Woo Do Hwan amazing!
Music: If everything that I have previously said still doesn’t convince you, I suggest you listen to Hwasa’s Orbit (OST) and Gravity from Kim Jong Wan (Nell). If even that is not enough, then I give up!
Bonus: The common points with Goblin (Kim Eun Sook’s previous drama): As a bonus, I think it is interesting to draw some parallels between Kim Eun Sook’s fantasy dramas: her latest one being Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. Here are some details that you will find in both drama:
- The maple leaves in Canada in Goblin and when time stops between Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul, while they are taking a picture
- The snow: Remember in Goblin, Kim Shin saves Ji Eun Tak, when she is still in her mother’s womb, after an accident during winter, turning her into his bride
- The embodiment of destiny: the kid who turns into a young man in The King represents destiny as well as Lee El in Goblin, a beautiful young woman also turning into an old lady. Both characters have their own static place: the bookstore in The King and the bridge in Goblin. One (the kid) plays with his yoyo the other (the old lady) sells vegetables and fruits.
- Love through time and space: in Goblin, Ji Eun Tak dies but doesn’t erase her memories so that she can go back to Kim Shin in Canada; he love between the goblin and the young woman transcending time and space.
- The bromance: Goblin is probably the funniest drama when it comes to wit, humour and tease between two men. The same way Lee Yeong and Lee Gon are somehow linked, Kim Shin and Wang Yeo have an incredible chemistry on screen and are such a funny duo. Plus, all the names are all made up of two syllables and not the common three.
- Scenes: At the end of The King, Lee Yeong and Lee Gon walk towards Lee Rim during the night of the treason in 1994. The way their entrance is filmed reminded me a lot of Goblin when Kim Shin and Wang Yeo come back from their grocery shopping and are walking in the tunnel.
- The most obvious common point: the actress Kim Go Eun playing the lead in both dramas.
I am pretty sure there are a lot of other parallels that can be made but the list above was just to give you a taste of Kim Eun Sook’s recurrent themes in her fantasy universe.
I will conclude by saying that you should definitely check them out!
P.S: I never thought characters could eat so much fried chicken! Clearly their product placement with BBQ was huge!
Once Upon a Drama 