I had no idea this #cdrama and #kdrama world existed, nor did I expect to find it so entertaining. I am glad I stumbled on it. Honestly, it feels like discovering an alternate TV universe, a well kept secret that everyone knew about except me. This, in my humble opinion, is the beauty and genius of the internet and social media apps.
Unfortunately this nouveau-addicting-hobby is now competing with my love and time for reading. There are twenty neglected-brand-new books waiting for my attention and consumption.....I am sure when my enthusiasm levels dip, everything will eventually balance and accommodate each other like it did before.
Ironically my latest mini review is about the Korean romance series, 'Her Private Life' which stars Park Min Young who plays Sing Doek Mi and Kim Jae Wook who plays Ryan Gold. Sing Doek Mi is a secret fan girl and a curator at Cheurm Museum of Art, Ryan Gold is an artist and renown art critic who joins the museum as the newly appointed Art Director in the midst of an financial scandal. The series was produced by Studio Dragon and Boon Factory Worldwide and according to Wikipedia is based on the novel Noona Fan Don Com.
This is the second Korean drama that I watched this year. Just what I needed; a world to enter and temporality forget about our current pandemic reality and be like a fly on the wall in a make believe romance.
So lets get into it! Here's what I liked about this sixteen episode series.
1. I didn't know you could be a hard core fan girl beyond the age of 16 years old. Did you know you could? I thought those sort of things ended once your hormones organized themselves and stopped trying to betray or embarrass you. Also....I don't think I was ever that obsessed with my favorite superstars. Sing Doek Mi, has spent the whole of her teenage years and her twenties being a dedicated and passionate fan of Chi Shian (Jung Jae-Won also known as One).
She spends her limited time off, dressing in black incognito, going to events, taking pictures and posting on a competitive fan-girl community social media site. She has a huge camera which to me seems like a significant investment...I mean the lenses are items you see professional journalists use to capture top notch award winning photos. This is NOT a cheap hobby. I remember watching Backstreet Boys, Take That and Boyzone concerts on TV and seeing young people being carried out of the stadium, because they fainted from shear excitement. So now I wonder was I ever truly a fan? Probably not, compared to Sing Doek Mi. I never invested in high tech equipment, I didn't have a sudo account to only share my dedication, and I didn't spend my evenings painting and pining the finished portraits on my walls. This is a secret that only her family and loyal best friends Nam Eun Gi(Ahn Bo-Hyun) and Lee Soen Joo (Park Jin Joo) know about, she is ashamed of it and it makes for some funny misunderstandings and entertaining moments of conflict in the beginning episodes.
2. Sing Doek Mi parents are my favorites! Go Young Sook (Kim Mi Kyung) and Sang Geun Ho (Maeng Sang Hoon) each have their personal obsessions disguised as wholesome hobbies, but they can't seem to understand how their daughter inherited hers!? They are a lovely representation of family. I enjoyed watching them become elated upon discovering their daughter was 'dating a very eligible bachelor' ..... they immediately decided to get over-involved to help their beloved only child not ruin her chance at a reputable marriage with her fan-girl-ways.
3. I love the sound tracks that play when the lead couple start to fall for each other!!! I was humming and singing along to every hook of every song every single time. Even now as I write this my head is bobbing as the songs play in the background... whoever wrote them is a master at creating catchy tunes.
4. Sometimes... well... most of time I didn't understand Ryan Gold's fashion...maybe I'm old fashioned...I don't know.... what do you think?
6. The disgraced art director of Cheurm Museum of Art, Uhm So Hye (Kim Sun -Young) and her toxic relationship with her daughter Cindy (Kim Bo Ra).... well her toxic relationship with everybody in her life. She reluctantly hands over management of the museum to Ryan Gold because her husband is going through an embezzlement scandal. Though she's never far away; always spying on everyone and trying her level best to stay in control of the museum and her former employees. Uhm So is so funny that I couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculous tantrums! I agree with soompi she's a scene stealer for sure. She even goes to the extent of sending her daughter to be an intern/spy in the museum, which backfires because Cindy starts to discover her own career potential aside from being a being a fan girl...yes Cindy is a fan girl too!
As I said earlier, I liked this series but I have some questions about some story points in the plot.
1. When Heo Yoon Je /Ryan Gold (Choi Go) first goes missing nobody reported it to the police. Why? Sing Doek Mi's mother watches her children playing with this boy late into the evening, even takes him home for a few days when she learns his mother is missing, then abandons him at an orphanage. Even Heo's mother didn't report to the police when she gained consciousness from the accident. I am guessing Heo was between the ages of eight and ten years old, surely they could have asked him where he stayed and who his mother was? At that age I knew our home phone number off by heart in case of an emergency, I knew the name of the road we lived on, I even knew our car registration number. If you know the answers to any of the above questions or you have a different perspective please comment below.
2. My last question is... what happened to the whole 'fan girl' aspect of the story? It just fizzled out towards the end. There's no big reveal, Chi Shian never discovers who she is. Fan girling was such a huge part of the beginning episodes. It was a hobby that was jeopardizing many areas of Sing Doek Mi's life . Even Cindy was thrown out of her home and cut off from her 'rich- kid' lifestyle because of this obsessive hobby and yet they never learn that they are actually online rivals...we needed a proper climax!
In the comment section below,
tell me if you are or have ever been a 'true' fan girl like Sing Doek Mi .
I need to know. 😆😉
Dear Queen,
It's been a long while.
Not sure if this letter-writing-thing will become a regular activity again,
but I just wanted to say well done for unintendedly discovering yourself once more.
Isn't that the funniest thing about getting older?
You can still surprise yourself.
Who knew that a peaceful internal revolution and transformation could be triggered by
simply having control over one's own physical space?
You woke up early in the morning and started your weekend by cleaning.
No one forced you too.
You set your mind to it.
You were halfway through mopping the floor with a divinely Lavender scented soap,
when it dawned on you that you were having fun chugging back and forth across the slippery surface while loudly singing along to Tiwa Savage's and Davido's Park Well song.
What!?
Enjoying doing chores!? Your mother is laughing in heaven.
The awkward teenage who avoided such responsibilities...
Eh....times have really changed.
Intrinsic actions like organizing your desk, your cupboard, your bedside table give you joy.
Quiet joy.
Quiet joy effortlessly emanating from your heart.
It started slowly.
You sat down to go through your jewelry and accessory boxes
You put your earrings here.
You put your necklaces there.
And on and on till everything had it's place.
The old and discolored were finally thrown out.
A chore became a metaphor of what you were doing with your whole life.
Simple inconsequential activities help boost your self-confidence.
You got to decide, on your own, by yourself.
Imagine such facile daily actions helping get you back on track!?
Sooooo satisfying to the soul.
Your mind is clear like a polished quartz crystal.
Queen, feel some secret pride in yourself for flourishing at this adulting aspect,
because it is encouraging you to pause,
in a world that often doesn't like it when you hesitate.
Take this time to pause and reflect.
You are still attempting to tackle your habit of constantly sacrificing yourself.
So yes ....pause and reflect cause
you can't save everyone.
Still endeavoring to create physical and mental boundaries?
Yes....pause and reflect.
Let people handle their own disappointment.
They will be fine.
Wow....growing pains are a very real thing,
not so perfectly experienced like in the popular coming-of-age-movies .
Once again well done Queen!
Let's celebrate the wins while we can.
I am observing and appreciating this time in your life.
That's why I wrote today.
In the future I will come here and read this again,
So I that I can remember to cheer you on.
Until next time
All my love,
M
Hands down tvN's Mr Queen is the best drama I have watched this year, and it's only August!
I laughed a lot. Not just a quiet chuckle while viewing each episode but loud high-pitched squealing peels of laughter. What a delight and relief it was to consume this #Kdrama while going through an isolating second lockdown in Kampala, Uganda due to the second wave of COVID 19 (the dreadful delta strain). #StayHomeBlues
My first Korean drama surprised me; it hooked me right from the first episode and made me binge watch the whole thing in a few days. Each episode is jam packed with entertaining plot points.
Here's what I think worked so well in the first one.
The fishing hook found in a Michelin-star-fish-meal for a high level guest
A male chef waking up in new female body, a Queen in a different time period.
The chef realizing his 'path' back to the modern world and his male body is temporarily blocked.
The King hiding porn in his book of current state affairs
The loyal Eunuch of the King destroying the-said-book to save his master from extreme embarrassment .
The Queen quietly jubilating that she graced her coronation without wearing a bra
The catchy theme tune 'Bong Hwan A' at the end of the episode
And this is only the first episode...imagine what happens in the next ones!
The series written by Park Gye Ok, centers around the story of a man, a chef thrown back in time to the Joseon era/Kingdom into the body of Queen Cheorin. The K-drama stars Shin Hye-Sun as Kim So-ong , Queen Cheorin and Kim Jung-Hyun as Yi Won-Beonm, King Cheoljong.
There is some controversy around this drama... firstly the alleged claims it is an exact rip off of the Chinese drama Go Princess Go, secondly the fear that audiences may think it is an accurate historical and 'disrespectful' depiction because they use the real names of people who existed (note: it is not a real depiction!), and thirdly that it prompts discussions on sexuality and gender which are not addressed in depth. Even while typing this review I know my use of the correct pronouns may be all over the place. My sincere apologies in advance.
So what made this a brilliant enjoyable watch for me?
<< SPOILER ALERT>>
1. The Superb Acting and Comic Timing of the Royal Servants
Everyone is essential and contributed to this fun heart-warming story. Nobody's time on screen is wasted and all actors seem committed to playing their roles. They are all is soooooo good I can't imagine them as modern people.
Court Lady Choi (Cha Chang-Hwa) is my favorite. She is constantly tormented by the fact that her master, Queen Cheorin is unpredictable and continues to break all royal protocol and etiquette every chance she gets. The pained Court Lady does her best to find humorous methods that will help her restrain her unending frustration.
Then we have Hong Yeon (Chae Seo-Eun), who has been the Queen's maid since childhood, and who is also doing her utter best to ensure that her master fully recovers from the 'lake incident'. Court Lady Choi and Yeon, have an endearing loyalty to the Queen that will leave you teary eyed and warm hearted near the end.
Naïve Kim Hwan (Yoo Young Jea) a 'silver spoon' noble aimlessly goofing around the palace, unaware of the power plays taking place, being rejected by his first love and in the end, to our surprise, finally finding purpose and clumsily saving the King and the Queen.
The Head Eunuch (Yoon Jin Ho) deserves all the praise, his master, the King is forever in his heart even in 'death'.
The Royal Chef (Kim In-Kwon), who initially fights against the Queen's 'leading-edge' cooking methods, then voluntary takes up arms for her towards the end.
Honorable mention goes to 44:32 to 45:50 in episode 5, smartly depicting how like a bad game of Chinese Whispers, gossip spreads among servants in the palace...it's just genius and starts with the dainty details of real flowers being glued on as decorations on room dividers!
2. The Main Characters Magnetic 'No-touchy' Chemistry
Yooooooo, I love watching these two bicker! These actors just played off each other so well and the chemistry was off the charts! I looked forward to every scene that they were in together. At first, the Queen spends her time avoiding consummating her marriage to the King, and trying to return to the modern world and her male body. In turn, the King avoids her too, because of his distain of the Andong Kim family. They disrespect him in court and make it clear he is an inexperienced 'puppet' King. This is an arranged marriage, forced on the King to keep the most powerful family at the top. That's our dramatic tension.
Awkward and outspoken the Queen 's role is played so well by Shin Hye-sun, in collaboration with Choi Jin Hyuk. Through her internal dialogue, we remain convinced that Jang-Bong-Hwan lives inside her. Forgetting sometimes that he is in a women's body or maybe even rebelling against his seemly doomed situation, the queen heading to a brothel in the middle of the night or hitting on her fellow co-wives by writing them secret love letters just added to the comedy. My favorite moment was the Queen twerking in the palace courtyard while it was raining to the utter dismay of Court Lady Choi; then rebuking the King when he humbly approached her to apologize and share his umbrella.
A lot of dialogue happens in the minds of characters during this k-drama, most especially for the Queen. The fact that they were able to sustain this throughout many episodes and keep it amusing and enthralling, speaks to the talent of the cast, the director and the scriptwriter. Usually internal dialogue works well on paper but becomes very boring in film. Not the case with this series!
3. Political Intrigue and Suspense
Like every ancient royal drama there is the essential fight for the throne, for power and for influence! So we don't just spend every episode giggling, we are also intrigued.
What's going to happen next?
Who is going to win?
Will my favorites die?
Even though this is a fictional series, knowing that in the present day Korea is no longer ruled by a monarch somehow adds to the suspense.
Will they try to incorporated some historical elements, even though the story is purely fiction?
I was enjoyably kept me on my toes, holding my breath till the very last minutes of the the very last episode! There are some great characters and elements that add to the thrill and the suspense...
The Andong Kim Family clan though the Grand Queen Dowager ( Bae Jong-Ok) and her brother Kim Jwa Geun (Kim Tae Woo) are vying for power against the Poongyang Jo family through the Queen Dowager (Jo Yun Hee) and the royal concubine Jo Hwa Jin (Seol In A). We learn most of the history about this ancient family feud through Jang-Bong-Hwan's internal dialogue.
Jo Hwa Jin, the royal concubine added to the intensity in the beginning because she was part of the love triangle between the King and the Queen. Her character arc was a bit 'meeeeh' towards the end. She had integrity, which means there wasn't much for the writers to work with later on, so she bows out gracefully. #Justmytwocents
The Queen's teenage lover (Na In Woo) is also a Kim family member, who tries his best to gain his father's, Kim Jwa Geun , approval and secure the 'Kim' family influence. He is the only antagonist that has layers to his character because of his internal conflict. The rest of his family seem one minded. However even his father betrays him in the end. Let me warn you now to get the tissues ready....tears.....lots of tears in his last scene!
Then there's the Queen dowager and her witchcraft tendencies...
The King has a secret army which he is using to stage a revolution against the Kim family....
Lastly, the cinematography is good. It sooooo much a part of the storytelling you hardly notice how clever the crew was at making the story flow so easily for the audience . There are some ingenious moments, you'll know when you see them.
I watched Mr Queen on the Rakuten Viki app and I have to mention the wonderful crazy madness that is the 'timed comments '. It's like you are watching the show with a loud global audience that talks and reacts to every moment but doesn't disturb the viewing experience. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I watched this alone while the country was in lockdown...so it was a perfect much needed creation!
Comment below with your best moments and elements. I would love to read them.
posters/photos downloaded from Hancinema
This is not your typical story about a pretty princess falling for her buff knight in shinning armor.
The actors in this drama are seasoned, experienced and provide us with some great performances. There is a lot happening in every episode and the supporting roles' story lines have depth and varying layers of motivation. However, I feel the series would have done itself justice if the story was limited to 40 episodes. Forty episodes would have been the perfect length for each of the main and supporting characters to fulfil all their dramatic potential, and keep the plot tight.
That being said, the cinematography in this drama is fantastic,
Every scene in every episode is well established right through to the small intricate details.
Even the costumes, props and accessories complement each other.
The budget was certainly optimized in these departments;
they really built a beautiful and believable world
from the towns, to the palaces, to the mountain ranges, to the fortresses, to the battlefields;
we remain entranced and awed all the way through.
I have been a fan of Zhang Ziyi since Memoirs of Geisha (2005) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) so I had to click play and watch this drama
when I recognized her on the You Tube thumbnail.
Adapted from a book called The Emperor Industry by Mei Yu zhi,
the series tells the story of a 'born beauty' Wang Xuan-'Awu',
the beloved Princess of the realm.
Awu spends her childhood running around the palace
playing with her cousins, the three princes,
and being nurtured and spoilt by her grandmother, the empress dowager and her uncle, the emperor.
The very first time we meet her, she is hopscotching across a map of the country.
Our heroine is being trained to be a future empress;
all the previous Empresses were from her Wang family
Of course as you know.... none of that goes to plan because if it
did there would be no reason for us to watch this c-drama...wink wink.
Despite all Awu's naïve attempts to choose her future husband and marry for love, she ends up forcefully betrothed to a 'low born' General of the Ningshuo Army. Xiao Qi (Zhou Yi Wei) is an orphan and successful warrior who leads a impressive army of 200,000 loyal men
that keeps Cheng's borders safe.
We learn that all the prepping for Awu to become the future 'mother of a nation' is not wasted. It helps her navigate through challenging situations, including being kidnapped by rebels and befriending their handsome leader Helan Zhen (Yuan Hong). Out of all the characters she's the most responsible and the least blinded by the power and temptation of the throne. Our 'Mary sue' heroine seems to be the only one with best interests of the Cheng citizens in her heart.
My Fave Elements in the Chinese Costume Drama
1. Awu's and Lord Yuzhang's Love
I am a sucker for good chemistry between on-screen couples
and these two are just so cuuuuuuute together!
You can totally tell when a male character is written by women.
General Xiao Qi is a strong, quietly confident, empathetic, intuitive and intelligent man.
Perfect for Awu.... the only man who doesn't try to control or use her.
A warrior husband who respects and cherishes his wife.
Also his black and grey outfits and the black armor.. very nice.
Though the marriage doesn't start well...
Our hero makes up for it in Episode 33 by recreating the night
and announcing his promise to only have one wife and no concubines.
...Like I said....You can tell when a male character is written by women....
They are a power couple, that is always a target of
uncles, cousins, family members, emperors, empresses, nobles, officials and rebels.
2. The Pretend-Mad emperor
This Emperor (Jiang Kai) who has no power.
His life is at risk at ALL times,
he can't trust anyone not even is wife or children.
After being poisoned by his brother-in-law, the Prime Minister,
he regains consciousness but pretends to have severe amnesia in order to stay alive
and secretly regain power over his royal court, government and country.
This made the drama engaging; the suspense was perfectly palpable,
the writers really drew us in to this historical power struggle.
We get a break from the usual love stories and triangles,
and can focus on the political game of ruling a nation
Two profound moments for me are when, the mentally exhausted ruler reminds Awu that he is an Uncle to her but also an Emperor of a nation. The two roles are polar opposites. Secondly when he
tells Awu that the only difference between himself and his subjects is his coffin will be bigger.
3. Prime Minister slow mutinous breakdown
"Your son is a loser." a seemingly defeated Wang Lin tells his sister the newly
appointed Empress Dowager.
He's been arrested for committing treason and is awaiting the final sentence.
Wang Lin (Yu We Wei) the Prime Minister of the country is too smart and cunning for his own good.
He is married to the Emperor's sister (Angie Chiu).
The highest raking official in the land, with spies and contacts across the Kingdom,
yet his true leadership abilities have been stifled by those around him.
His life is unbearable because he is surrounded by the
most mediocre, incapable and cowardly male leaders,
his brother in law (the emperor), his nephew (the crown princess)
and his fellow ministers in court.
His wife tries to arrange Awu's marriage without his input or consent,
his sister keeps pleading with him to secure her 'dim witted' son's succession to the throne,
His son would rather be an artist than follow in his footsteps.
While trying to manage all his many roles,
and keep the Wang family at the top of the noble class,
He damages all his family relationships.
In the end even the dynamic brother and sister duo of Empress
and Prime Minister turn on each other in the name of power....
4. Empress Experiences Royal Burnout from too much Scheming.
The empress (Coco Shi) is always scheming and plotting....
Plotting for Awu to marry her son,
Plotting for Awu to marry the Lord Yuzhang,
Plotting for her son to succeed the throne,
Plotting for her husband, the Emperor's death,
Plotting to break up Awu's marriage,
Plotting to kill her brother.
Plotting for her son to marry concubines from the Wang family,
Plotting for her daughter in law's death,
and finally plotting to rule as the regent of her grandson.
Naturally she burns herself out....
5. Second Prince, the Uncover Villain & Everyone's Thirst for the Throne
No-one notices Second Prince (Purba Rgyal) building his alliances and armies
in a bid to takeover the throne.
His mother died when he was baby,
so he grows up neglected and underestimated.
The essential circumstances for creating the series' first major antagonist.
Another favorite moment for me, his evil muhahahaha laugh in his make-believe throne room
hidden in the basement of a countryside manor.
Everybody at some point is vying for control in this drama.
It pushes the story forward and the thrill-of-it-all keeps us watching.
6. Awu's Silly- brattish cousin Wang Qian'er
"She looks very smart and sensible,
but in fact is an idiot." says Empress
Dowager talking about her niece Qian'er.
Retrieved from the village,
Qian'er is a distant cousin of the Wang Family
brought to the palace to become a possible noble consort
for the newly crowned Emperor.
The minute I saw this face, I should have known
the character would live up to ALL my expectations
Zeng Yi Xuan played her role so well in Ruyi's Royal Love Palace,
that I was excited to see her, and once again her antics kept me glued to screen.
Cousin Qian'er and her obnoxious mother did not disappoint!
7. Everyone has a Small Private Ninja Army
Lord Yuzhang gives Awu maid-bodyguards to protect her.
Awu's Uncle sends her Pang Gui (Neil cao)
Second Prince has his too, as he attempts to become an Emperor
Even the exiled prime minster has his loyal few.
They mostly dress in black,
and effortlessly jump over walls and across roofs,
wearing masks like they live in a pandemic,
using animal whistle signals
and carved jade stones for identification.
9. Attempted Poisoning of Counselor Wen, the Empress's Childhood Sweetheart
The end of episode 22 had me laughing at 4.00am in the morning.
The way the Empress comes rushing, almost tripping in
her long royal robs to save her teenage lover...
You need to watch to understand.
10. Prince Helan of Hulan's Return
His best scenes are in the second half of the the series.
We get to understand him more as a man and we spend some time in his world.
The one-handed-Prince returns to cause utter chaos in Cheng,
making alliances with everyone that wants Lord Yuzhang dead.
However, in betraying Lord Yuzhang,
the ruling family make themselves and their nation more vulnerable.
Nobody thought these power moves through properly,
But that's why we watch ... I guess....
My Not-So-Favorite Elements
1.Older Actors and Actresses Playing Teenagers
In the very first episodes the characters of Awu, Wanru Xie, Su Wang, Zilu Ma, Zilong Ma, Zitan Ma, and Su Jin'er should have been played by much younger actors and actresses. #JustMyHumbleOpinion. While the main actors and actresses are good, they don't come across youthful enough to play such young ages. This may have deterred people from watching the series to the end, which is a shame because it's a really good drama! AvenueX explains this well in her review.
2. Zitans's Character Arc !?
Having watched quite a few c-dramas, I am now accustomed to seeing
the heartbroken male character who spends the majority of
the series crying over his lost love.
But for Zitan(Tony Yang)...
I am confused. I just have soooooo many questions.
Zitan was the favorite son of his father, the Emperor.
Why did he have no visible talent?
He wasn't nurtured to be a great fighter. He wasn't nurtured to be a great state official.
He wasn't married off to a noble daughter of a great family,
or used to create an alliance with another nation.
He just mopped about playing his flute, pining over Awu.
He does the mopping so badly that he fails her,
then she also gets tired of him and tells him to basically grow up and get a life!
Emperor and Nobel Consort Gui (Kara Hui) really had no plans for their favorite son?
He was just supposed to grow up in bliss?
Like how... when all the noble families are playing power chess with each other!?!?
Because it's not clear who Zitan is, aside from being in love with Awu,
from episode 46 onwards the writers get away with sooooo
much....actually tooooo much.
.
As I said earlier this drama could have been shorter,
but its still very enjoyable!
It is actually a must watch.
You can watch the full series on the China Zone -English You tube channel here
and also on the Rakuten Viki app here.
Tell me about your favorite moments or elements from the drama
in the comments below. Can't wait to hear from you!
All screenshots from the China Zone You Tube channel
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