Overly cheesy bits didn't fit
The cast and acting made this drama, more than a story that was intriguing, but peppered with scenes that made me sigh (not in a good way).The child actors who set the stage in the early episodes, were excellent, especially Choi Myung-bin, who in effect had to play 3 different characters.
There are some very bloodthirsty scenes in amongst the saccharin and the speed with which that changes, results in the odd case of whiplash!
There are moving moments as well, two in particular, near the start, got me. I was actually shocked by some of it, especially when they go hand-in-hand with the aforementioned cheese.
The story in itself is good and pulled me in. It's hard to find a female actress who can convincingly play a young man, but I thought Park Eun-bin did well. She didn't try to be macho, instead playing it reserved, stoic and frosty. It wouldn't be impossible to believe, there are after all, effeminate men (and that does not equal gay). Back then few got close, so I chose to go with it.
What that character goes through is awful really. Dreadful royal family under the thumb of one particular member, who takes the prize for best human without a heart. Surrounding characters are a mixture of funny, scary, torn, mysterious, cowardly and barking.
What I disliked, however, were the awful slow-mo scenes of falling into arms, pulling into arms, meaningful stares and hand holds, backed with whooshing music. The terribly overdone squeezing of clothing and clenching of fists, is in there [often] too.
PEB's chemistry with Rowoon was ok, but wasn't electric.
I liked how he portrayed his character, although my 2 favourites were Nam Yoon-su as Prince Lee Hyun and Choi Byung-chan as the mysterious Kim Ga-on.
There was a lot of action, yet I didn't feel the threat that should have come across in more scenes, as there were few build-ups.
The ending fit where the story wanted to go, but I thought it a tad far fetched, even for this plot. It wasn't awful though. I did enjoy the final scenes of the last episode.
It's a mixed watch; not riveting, but by no means awful either.
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This review may contain spoilers
Women should be allowed to be King more often! LOLNo, but seriously, this drama was top notch.
This was my first time seeing Park Eun Bin in anything but I'm convinced there wasn't a more perfect choice for the role out there. Not only was she physically a great choice, but she also killed it acting wise. She was so level-headed and composed most of the time, but when her emotions bubbled over she really stole the show. She was so badass and brave. But also humble and unafraid of being vulnerable. I really liked both the character and how Eun Bin brought her to life.
As for Rowoon, it's amazing how much better his acting has gotten! He's improved so much. He did a great job as Ji Un. It was so adorable seeing him be all confused and flustered over his budding feelings for the Crown Prince/King. And his chemistry with Eun Bin was electric. It was a joy to see them in every scene they had together.
The rest of the cast also deserves a shout-out. From Hyun, Eunuch Hong and Court Lady Kim, to commander Yoon, Ji Un's father and even all the kid actors. Choi Byung Chan was maybe a bit expressionless and monotone as Kim Ga On, but then again that was kind of the character's personality.
For a 20 episode drama there was a surprising amount of things that were barely addressed. Hwi's mother's death and her marriage come to mind, one came out of nowhere and the other wasn't even shown. Not to mention the rise to power of Hwi's paternal grandfather. A bit more backstory on the Uncle and her two cousins also maybe would have been helpful.
Lastly, I have to applaud whoever was involved in picking the OST. They really deserve a prize for a job well done. And the team that made the intro. I'm one of those people who always skip the intro sequence in dramas, but this one was so beautiful and went so well with the music that each episode I looked forward to it.
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Good, but slow
Production, acting and OST were mostly good.In terms of acting, I must say Choi Myung Bin, the girl who plays young Lee Hwi and young Dam Yi, was amazing! I believe she has a bright future as an actress.
Also, actors Park Eun Bin, Bae Yoon Kyung, Jung Chae Yeon, Yoon Je Moon, Baek Hyun Joo, Kim Jae Chul, Bae Soo Bin, Kim Taek... They were all great!
I believe the story could be told in way less than 20 episodes, though. It is an interesting story, unpredictable and made me very curious. Romance and friendships were sweet and heart-warming for the most part. Family relationships were also interesting.
There were too many flashbacks, slow motion scenes (romance parts) and the fight scenes were very, very repetitive.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this show! It's not for everyone though, it really requires patience.
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well-written story and great acting!
Ngl I went into this thinking it was gonna be boring asf and hard to follow but I liked this show way more than I had anticipated. I avoid historical dramas like the plague but I watched this because a friend recommended it and I thought my mom would like it and decided to watch along with her. And I gotta admit, I like the show WAY more than I anticipated and I would actually consider rewatching this in the future. The plot is undoubtedly the strongest element of this show. The first two episodes are easily the strongest ones. The child actors who played young Hwi and Dani were really good. They absolutely deserve a shout-out.CHARACTERS - Park Eunbin undoubtedly had the hardest job out of the entire cast. She plays both the Crown Prince Hwi and Dami, but she does both personas well. I didn’t think she’d be able to play a man but she was believable enough. I think a part of it is because approaches the role with a regal aura which contributed to how well she portrayed her role. There were times when she clearly sounded feminine and was seen looking like a woman but if her secret identity was found out early there would be no story. Even so, I still think it was kinda dragged out, and as expected, there were multiple times where Dami's identity should've been revealed. PEB also portrayed the torture and anguish of being trapped in someone else's life so beautifully. Now unto Rowoon. He was better than I expected. Especially with the emotional scenes, even though he could still improve. For an idol actor, he actually did a decent job. Nam Yoon Su was also good. Not my favorite side character that he played but he was cute for sure. I like the support he portrayed towards Prince Hwi. I also absolutely love the guy who played the grandpa. He was a trip! But he was very entertaining to watch.
Overall this was a very satisfactory watch. It also may have some replay value for me. I’d definitely recommend this show if you love historical dramas or as a show to watch in between shows.
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This review may contain spoilers
A favourite for sure!
When I first watched The King's Affection, I enjoyed it immensely! So much so that I had to show my mother (who can be picky when it comes to kdramas so far) and I can attest to it's rewatch value! I just want to add that compared to others I didn't think the drama dragged on and on nor did my mother (who hated that feeling during Goblin lol). There was never a moment where I got bored during my first watch of my second one with my mother.From the very start, the first few episodes with the childhood sequences caught my attention an interest. Despite not spending a long time with our FL I already found myself tearing up at her situation especially after the mother passed away. The childhood lovers/ first love trope was something I enjoyed as well and I believe they picked great actors and actresses for the younger and older versions of the characters! I am also a fan of X female character has to disguise as male plots like in Disney's Mulan and She's the Man. So if you enjoy that too this may be the drama for you!
As a history major and general enjoyer of kdrama, I don't mind if there are ay historical inaccuracies and stuff not too deep with politics, because I'm here for the escape from reality lol I'm here for the ROMANCE and pinning. So if that's something you're going to get all uptight about then maybe kdramas are not for you... maybe watch a documentary >.>
The characters and cast were all wonderful! I enjoyed the chemistry between the FL and ML, especially when the ML loved her in both instances (past female, present male). It's another sweet like destiny/fate trope, like he loves her no matter what ^_^
The servants were very comedic and precious, I grew attached to them as well.
I also enjoyed the sort of mystery that kind of went on with the bodyguard getting revenge and eventually aiding our FL. Also the Uncle's "death" had me fooled the first time :P So there's that too.
The cousin's love and care for FL was so touching! If our ML wasn't there, I could see the potential!
The ending was very satisfy considering what occurred.
MAJOR SPOILER:
I really liked how in the end she kind of had to end it herself on her terms using the grandfather's poison again him. It sucks Gyeom had to die, but 'tis life I guess.
Anyway I doubt I did this drama any justice, but I just suggest you give it a go! As someone who enjoyed CLOY, Goblin, Rookie Historian, etc. you can take my review however you wish.
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My eyes, ears and heart are happy ❤
This drama is so truly beautiful that it took my breath away. It is extremely visual, the scenes are like moving paintings, every detail is perfect. We get to see different angles, a lot of camera movement, close takes and amazing shots - all that together with the excellent acting from the cast and the perfect soundtrack got me mesmerized. So yes, this is definitely one of the most beautiful dramas I have ever seen. It is not the work of only a few, and it is not done without love and effort, so kudos to the entire The King’s Affection crew.I loved the cast, a great team that delivered wonderful acting all the way. Park Eu Bin is amazing and we can see the extent of her talent here. She’s always enchanting with her acting skills and this time was no different. My KING slayed.
The soundtrack is, I know I’m repeating myself here, beautiful. I mean, I cannot stop listening to the songs, even the ones that are instrumentals. All of the songs make me feel happy, sad, dreamy and hopeful at the same time.
I liked the plot, I absolutely LOVED the gender approach here and the non-toxic relationships - hello, there were a lot of one-sided “loves” and just mature reactions on how to deal with these feelings, let’s appreciate it. Pure gold . Plus, there were a lot of valuable messages that are timeless. In general, it is a sad story, but with a lot of cute and funny moments to level it all. The pace was on point for me - it got me on the edge of my seat sometimes, buti it also gave me time to breathe and dream. I cried, my heart ached, but I also laughed, I swooned and my heart was happy and warm by the end of it. BALANCE, BITCHES.
So, to sum up my review: IT WAS SO DAMN WORTH IT.
The King's Affection has my heart and it became one of my favorite dramas.
I will definitely rewatch it someday.
❤
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the show I recommend to everyone
"The King's Affection" has a special place in my heart. Not only are the costumes and set very visually appealing and satisfying to watch, but what intrigued me the most was the unique dynamic between the prince and the tutor. I adored Rowoon in "Extra-ordinary You" and his character in this drama is even better - the slightly eccentric tutor who is star-struck over the prince and follows him wherever he goes like an obsessed puppy, thinking himself insane for loving a man but despite this doing nothing to stop himself. lol. Park Eun-bin is also outstanding in her portrayal of the cold calculating prince Lee Hwi and it was enthralling to watch.20 episodes may seem long but honestly for me, I was itching to watch the next episode every Monday and Tuesday, and it is in fact one of the few dramas I have actually completed from start to end. The premise enchanted me ever since I'd heard about it a few months prior to its release and I was not disappointed when I could finally get my hands on it. For any of you hesitating to watch this, I say, be bold, and just watch it. If you have taste, you won't regret it.
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This review may contain spoilers
One thing this drama sets up to do is that it's story is quite simple, it never tries to fall into other drama's gimmicks, like amnesia, moving the plot forward by years, really complicated plots that go nowhere. In that sense you won't get any BIG reveal, but you will get satisfaction of watching the story unfold.
The acting from all the character is pretty solid, and our main character gets really well treated, and she always delivers.
Apart from that, the story does suffer some twists and turns and it ends up being really confusing. But I applaud them for their simplicity.
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the story is beautiful
I think it's the best Korean series I've seen, the story catches you in every episode. I loved it, I loved the good characters lol. the story is magnificent. I would watch this drama a thousand more timesI enjoyed every second, every minute, every hour. Now I listen to the soundtrack and I have a lot of nostalgia, I will always remember this story, and I think it is my favorite of all the ones I have seen.
I recommend it to see with your families! I saw it with my mother and we were both fascinated
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This review may contain spoilers
I am a sucker for gender bender dramas, and this one is done well. Park Eun Bin is solid as steel as she maneuvers the political machinings of the royal family as a pretend monarch. Rowoon is decent but not outstanding as the Royal tutor loyal to his King. The supporting cast did a better job than Rowoon, even the child actors playing their younger selves. Kudos especially to rookie actor Nam Yoon Su who played the brooding noble pining for his cousin. The plot, while intricate, was a bit predictable, especially the anti-climactic ending. Despite this, this drama was an easy and enjoyable watch for me. Was this review helpful to you?
Please watch this, I didn’t want it to end.
This was so addictive, I was clinging onto Netflix waiting for the next episode, then I knew once it was needed I had to wait a whole week till it was back. The music is so beautiful I am in the process of learning then in Korean, which is quite a feat as I am English. It stays in your memory long after it finished. I actually missed the actors.It keeps you on the edge of your seat. An in the end well I was crying my eyes out because it had ended, and because of the story. It twist and turns till you have no idea how it’s going to end. At one point I think I forgot to breathe.
The costumes are stunning, whoever made them needed an award. Made me laugh, cry, smile and utterly sob, so much that I went on a zoom meeting when this episode aired and I couldn’t speak for crying, they thought something dreadful for real had happened.
Watch this drama you won’t be disappointed.
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