Awesome drama but for one narrative misstep
There has already been dozens of review written on this popular k-drama so I'm not going to go into great details about the bulk of the show other than to say that it was amazing, funny, sad, heartfelt, thought provoking, exciting, etc. Definitely worth the watch.Superb acting by the FL and the ML was great as well. Oodles of OTP chemistry. Support cast was top notch. We'll just say no more about the palace intrigue plot, it was integral to the story but nothing new.
Now, some of the reviews focused on THE ending. I understood their sentiments but I don't agree with the more extreme views that the show was ruined by the ending. Yes, it was a bit of fancy foot work on the writer-nims' part in last 30 minutes but to do it otherwise would be to create and ignore longer term problems. You can't really have a 21st century person living the rest of their natural life in the Joseon era without turning history into swiss cheese. Even the few month he was there was already throwing up narrative issues that will make you cross eyed if you think about it. The problem is that most of the negative review all centred around the point that the 21st century person should be allowed to stay on and live happily ever after in the past because he earned it. Is it possible? Viable? Butterfly effect? What happens if he dies in the present?
The writer-nims did their best to push the two threads back together and it was done in a fairly light hearted and conclusive way. Let us not forget that the main relationship between the OTP was getting messy and confusing and it was sustained by the "true love conquers all" motif.
Other reviews also assumed the FL's soul was completely banished and it was obviously not true. By the half way mark, you can see glimpse of her old self popping to the fore. My reading of this is that the FL's soul was always there and can see, hear and feel everything but it was in a passive voice. So the original FL was a "silent" partner and fell in love with the ML along the way, possibly more so. She might even had taken the lead (subconsciously) at some key moments (you will know what I mean if you have watched the show). So it was not that much of a stretch for her to carry on once the 21C person departed. Her later comments and actions all pointed to her being aware of everything that had happened. Her eventual persona also changed a bit so it was a two way street. On the other hand, if they let the 21C person stay on then another segment of the audience will rail against that ending because of all the timey wimey and interpersonal issues.
It was brave of the writer-nims to go down the time travel/body swap theme and it was a deep rabbit hole they went down. At least with this ending, we can have the unicorns and a workable conclusion that I can live with and still smile at the happy thoughts.
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A Joseon Era Time-Travel Dramedy
In Mr. Queen (Korean title: 철인왕후), Jang Bonghwan is a sharp-witted, carefree chef working at the Blue House who gets framed for endangering the life of a foreign ambassador. In his attempt to escape the authorities, he falls into water and transmigrates back in time into the body of Kim Soyong days before her marriage to King Cheoljong, who’s known to history as an incompetent puppet king under the control of the Kim clan. The new Queen Cheorin, with his twenty-first century cooking skills and slangs, confuses everybody with his erratic behavior and, strangely enough, captures the heart of his previously unloving husband, who’s not as incompetent or resigned to being a figurehead as he appears.If the premise sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s based on the 2015 viral Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, about a modern day playboy who transmigrated back in time into the body of the crown princess of an unspecified Chinese dynasty. I’ll go into more details later, but in general, Mr. Queen is a vast improvement upon its predecessor, and a drama that more than deserves to be judged on its own merits first.
Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljong Are Made for Each Other
Queen Cheorin/Jang Bonghwan has one brain cell, and it only works for five minutes a day, by the looks of things.
King Cheoljong, one the other hand, is very intelligent when it comes to everything but his queen.
Combined, our protagonists make for a hilarious couple whenever their storylines remotely involve each other. From the numerous instances of miscommunications (“no touching” in particularly invokes a second layer of mirth, as it reminds me of that one Arrested Development gag) to them being horny on main for each other (AKA that scene in episode 17 where they faked public sex), their antics throughout the drama are endless. They’re ridiculously perfect for each other.
They’re amazing characters individually as well. Bonghwan’s lighthearted storyline remained independent from King Cheoljong’s more serious and suspenseful one for much of the earlier episodes. This not only heightened the misunderstanding-based comedic moments, but did the job of establishing them as distinct individuals with personal agendas before their fates lined up later on.
So Many Scene-Stealing Characters
In other dramas, there might be one or two outstanding breakout characters worth mentioning alongside the main leads. In Mr. Queen, everybody fits that bill.
I mean, do I talk about Queen Cheorin’s devoted maid, Hong Yeon, and her weird love triangle between Hong Byeolgam and Kim Hwan, who are two idiots who also have a weird, homoerotic thing going on?
Or Court Lady Choi’s magnificent facial expressions and awkwardly repressed sexuality, and her budding romance with Royal Chef Man Bok, the owner of the most stylish mustache in all of Joseon?
Or the dimensions that make up the Grand Queen Dowager, who’s simultaneously a petulant but adorable old lady and the cruelest, most vain person ever?
Or Jo Hwajin, who defies all my expectations and emerges from the story a better, more confident woman who sees her life extend beyond obtaining King Cheoljong’s love?
Or how devoted Kim Byeongin is to Kim Soyong, and how despite him coming off as pathetic and pitiful in the story, his actions make complete sense when you look at events from his perspective?
Or how terrifying a villain Kim Jwa-geun is despite him literally not emoting for most of the time he’s on screen?
For Mr. Queen, getting through a scene with no interesting characters is not a problem. The drama gives even the minor characters distinct personalities and traits—nobody’s boring!
How Mr. Queen Improved on Go Princess Go
A large part of why the original Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, blew up as it did was due to its abysmal costumes and set designs, as caused by budget and time constraints. That, contrasted with the series’ sharp comedic timing, abundant pop culture references, and an actually good story exploring the taboo themes of gender and sexuality, made it the viral hit it was.
Mr. Queen lost none of the humor—only adapted it for a Korean audience—and improved on everything else.
This drama is visually stunning. Everything is flawless, from the female characters’ hair ornaments, to the food, to the clothes, to the designs of the sets, to the cinematography, to the performance of every actor. The production quality is top-notch, and the team behind it deserves all the accolade for it.
Mr. Queen basing its story on a real life king from Korean history also added a sense of inevitability for the audience. I spent a good chunk of the drama wondering if our protagonists can overcome fate, or if we’re doomed to an unhappy ending. Having historical context really helps newcomers unfamiliar with the culture of Joseon-era Korea too. (Relatedly, a disclaimer about historical accuracy at the beginning of a drama does wonders. Why China can’t just require time travel dramas to have that instead of banning the genre altogether is a mystery to me.)
The Gender Question
Perhaps Mr. Queen‘s most notable contrast to Go Princess Go is its handling of Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis. In Go Princess Go, the main character’s identity crisis is purely a gender-based one. The Original Good no longer exists once Zhang Peng transmigrates into her body.
That is not the case in Mr. Queen. Kim Soyong, as it turns out, remained dormant within her body when Jang Bonghwan takes over. Remnants of her muscle memory, her actual memory, and her behavior bleed into his personality. They become one person during the duration of his stay, and the drama is both better and worse off for it.
Making Kim Soyong a part of the equation serves a lot of narrative purposes. She’s not only there to provide a mystery for Jang Bonghwan to solve, but she’s the key to several plot points and story elements crucial to achieving satisfying and guilt-free pay-offs, most notably, those related to her father and Kim Byeongin.
Her memories and her personality blending together with Bonghwan also drives his story along. Without them, he’d be happy just living out his days as the queen of a country instead of doing what he needed to do to change the course of history.
Lastly, having her back wraps up the story nicely in some ways, given that it all started because of her figurative wishes. In the beginning, she kills herself over love, happiness, and freedom, all of which she could not have. In the end, through Bonghwan’s guardianship of her body—and he is like the guardian angel she never asked for—she gets everything she wants.
Where this deviation from Go Princess Go fails on a story-level boils down to a simple question: Who did King Cheoljong fall in love with, Jang Bonghwan or Kim Soyong?
This is a question with no real answer. The sad truth is, he never knew either of them. He came to know Jang Bonghwan in the context of Kim Soyong, and Kim Soyong only after Jang Bonghwan has colored King Cheoljong’s experience of her with his personality. Although both inhabitants influenced each other, they’re separate people at the end of the day. The way Mr. Queen chose to end their bizarre, three-person romance is probably the most disappointing aspect of the entire drama.
In the context of the real world, Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis being a crisis of personality allows the drama to gloss over a huge part of what made Go Princess Go so controversial and interesting in the first place: gender and sexuality. Every one of Queen Cheorin’s feminine inclinations can be explained by the presence of her original self in the body. Jang Bonghwan’s attraction towards King Cheoljong? Kim Soyong caused it. He didn’t really love him, at least, not in a gay way. That was all Kim Soyong. When their inner voice switched from male to female? Kim Soyong. There’s no bisexuality or transgenderism here. No, sir!
Uuughh….
I get it. South Korea is conservative. I don’t blame the team behind Mr. Queen for this decision. Still disappointing though.
Final Rating and Recommendations
Do you want laugh-out-loud antics? Subtle jokes and running gags? A protagonist who’s the smartest idiot alive? A romance interwoven with political intrigues? A plot that builds just right? Then Mr. Queen is twenty hours of your life you’ll not regret.
Based on the viral 2015 Chinese web series Go Princess Go, Mr. Queen is a improvement on its predecessor in almost every way. It’s a fast-moving, whip-smart, and utterly addicting series about transmigration and time travel with a talented cast, wonderful set designs, and great costuming. I cannot say enough good things about this drama.
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Funny
I liked this drama. It was very funny. Shin Hae Sun's acting is phenomenal. I loved how she potrayed the Mr. Queen. Her acting made this show great.The story was confusing, but I think I may have missed some key details.
For some time I was confused on what was the ledger. Why was it so important? I'm still currently unsure who the dowager ladies are related to. I also think the ending could have been better.
But overall, this show is one of my favorites! The chemistry was off the charts! I was always eager to see scenes with the king and the queen, and I had a fun time watching it.
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The K-drama that got me into K-dramas
The K-drama that got me into K-dramasThis show is amazing, totally worth the hype. I used to watch k-dramas casually but this drama is what got me into this world.
The story is amazing I love the acting, the innovative soundtrack and "queer" factor that we don't usually see. You should watch it if you are up to a great laugh, good music, and a bit of romance.
Just go for it.
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Worth the watch!!!
This kdrama was sooo good. Everything was perfect from the music, casting, acting, story to ending. I have read a few theories about the ending that I loved, for ex. that the guy from present and the women from the past have the same soul, he is a reincornation of her, and the women neesed help from her future self, cuz she was strugleing. Thats how the kdrama now has a happy ending. The ml from the past still loved her, both od them, cuz thsy are the same person, sharing the same soul. This kdrama was a 10/10 for me. I loveeed ittt.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Perfect Ending
Human consciousness is a mystery. I think this drama played with its concept masterfully. A human being is a soul and a body. It is not a human being if it is just a soul or just a body. Kim So Yong was a human being. Jang Bong Hwan's consciousness was sucked into Kim So Yong—a human being; a body and a soul.The Queen's most important decisions was driven by Kim So Yong's genuine emotions and authentic memories. The King did not grow fond of Jang Bong Hwan and his beloved dragon, he loved Kim So Yong the Queen.
With this perspective, I think the ending was a masterpiece.
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Brilliant writing and acting!
1,000,000 stars! Hands down one of thee best drama I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen them all! Lol The writing is absolutely brilliant! It’s so smart, witty and absolutely hilarious! Never forced!I never once questioned the storyline or plot because everything flowed beautifully. No throw away episodes or fillers. Every episode was gold!
Shin Hye-Sun should win every acting award for her role as Kim So-Yong. She was absolutely phenomenal!
I wasn’t into the casting of the king at first but he proved me wrong a couple episodes in. Kim Jung-Hyun was the perfect person for the role of king. The Queen and King’s chemistry is absolute fire! Come to think of it... Her chemistry with everyone she acted with on screen is absolute fire!
And the queen and king’s supporting cast were brilliant! Their comedic timing was impeccable! I can go on and on about this drama. I laughed, I cried, I squealed with joy! I was so invested in these characters that I didn’t want it to end! I haven’t enjoyed a drama like this ever. So much so that I paid for a Viki pass to watch it and it was worth every dollar!
I’m hoping there is a sequel because this cast is phenomenal together!
I definitely will be looking for other dramas by writers Park Gye-ok and Choi Ah-il! As well as director, Yoon Sung-sik. Those 3 and this cast and crew really are a dream team.
I don’t ever watch dramas twice but I would totally watch this again and again. Brilliant!
Highly recommend it!
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Quite frankly, I haven't enjoyed myself this much in a long time!
This series was amazing. I watched two episodes every week and would feel empty as soon as the episodes finished playing. The actors have all done an amazing job and the two leads have an undeniable chemistry. Episodes 1 to 19 were impeccable and I enjoyed every minute.There have been much debate regarding if the ending was a good ending or not. I'll allow you to form your own opinion when you watch it. According to me, it left me very displeased, but since the series overall was so incredibly good, I'll give the sotry a solid 9.5.
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Ode to Shin Hye-sun
Mr. Queen is a historical, gender-bender comedy that is extremely fun and definitely binge-watchable.I don't know the original works inspiring this one (both the webtoon and Chinese web series are known as "Go princess go") but I can tell that it functions well both as a parody (especially in the first episodes) and as a proper Korean historical drama.
The plot has the right amount of palace intrigue and power plays all experienced throughout the eyes of a 21st century man that effectively becomes the audience avatar.
His internal commentary is our commentary and, most of the time, it is hilarious.
Queen So-yong is the absolute protagonist of this drama and Shin Hye-sun rises to the challenge gloriously.
I've met her in Stranger and loved her character back then too.
She is versatile and talented with both perfect comedic timing and dramatic skills.
The romantic chemistry with Kim Jung-hyun (funny and sexy man whom I've absolutely loved in Eulachacha Waikiki and Crash Landing on You) is through the roof and they have steamy scenes that are going to make you laugh and blush at the same time. The supporting cast is solid (shoutout for Cha Chung-hwa and Jeon Bae-soo) although their characters are mostly just cartoonish comic relief.
The pacing is well sustained and it makes you forget eventual plot holes, however the gender-swap theme is the true weakness of this drama (and the main reason why my rating was lowered one full point).
Clearly Korean television deems the exploration of unconventional romance (namely a possibly gay relationship) as too controversial. Jang Bong-hwan's return to his reality was rushed, perhaps to avoid any consideration on said romance. Pity, because I was very curious to see how his emotional growth, resulting from experiencing the world in a woman's shoes, translated to a male, modern environment.
Female Empowerment Score 2/5: the only kickass girl in the series is possessed by a man. The evil queens are either petty or blinded by the fear of aging. The king's first love is an insecure liar who at least is able to redeem herself towards the end (and secure the second point on this score).
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So.... I gave this a 2nd chance. I still stand by my opinion that there is a lot of politics in it. For a historical drama, that is to be expected, but I seem to be feeling more historical/fantasy dramas recently, and this one was one that I wanted to give a proper chance. Needless to say, I definitely enjoyed it more this time around. I don't think it's absolutely brilliant, and there were many points where I zoned out, but I didn't feel like I needed to watch it at 1.25x speed, which I will take as a win.
Overall, it's a good drama if you just want a bit of a laugh but also have some court intrigue. Plus, the cooking scenes are brilliant! I don't think my original review was particularly objective, nor was it representative of the entire drama, so it only felt proper to update this.
Original review submitted 19/07/21:
I don't normally write reviews but there weren't many critical reviews of this drama I could see on MDL, so I thought I would add my two cents to the mix.
I initially started Mr. Queen because of the rating, the reviews and because my parents had watched it, so I had seen snippets of it (mostly the comedic scenes), which I enjoyed.
So things I like... I like the comedy, especially the cooking scenes, which I felt were executed really well. Props to SHS for really bringing out the funny parts in those scenes. I think some of the humour is a bit crass and unnecessary (and which fell a bit flat at times), but overall, the comedy was good enough that if you want to watch it as a comedy, you can do it.
I also like the premise, of a head chef transmigrating into the body of a queen-to-be. Transmigration is always something that I enjoy reading/watching.
The main thing I didn't like about this drama was the politics. It's the thing that made me drop it... I'm not one for court politics and conspiracies and this drama had wayyy too many of them. Perhaps they all tie in nicely towards the end, but I was already watching the drama at 1.25x speed, and I didn't have the patience or energy to sit through another 15 episodes of something that I might not even enjoy.
The politics also takes up a LOT of time. It's why I was watching it sped up in the first place. Some will enjoy the contrast between politics and comedy but I felt that it was this contrast that made it so much harder to watch all the political scenes.
Many reviews here talk about how the ending was disappointing or unfulfilling. I didn't get that far... To me, the beginning all fell a bit flat and I never felt like I was hooked onto the drama.
So would I rewatch it? Probably. Perhaps now is just not the time for this drama. I'm not feeling it and I won't give it a fair opinion if I continue watching when I already don't want to watch it.
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Joseon on crAcK
The title says it all. I'll write a review without spoilers, so here goes.Like the description reads, it's about a chef who travels back in time and lands in the body of a Joseon Queen. At first, I feared the concept but the reviews said this drama was gold, so I gave it a go. I'm not the type to enjoy historical dramas, but damn in this one the MC (Queen/chef) makes you even forget the drama takes place two centuries ago. So fresh!
Shin Hye Sun played the role perfectly, I sometimes wondered if she was really possessed by a male character. The MC was so clever, he/she didn't annoy me once, adapted quickly and
The fun thing in this drama is that there isn't one MC, all the support roles/ side characters have depth too, they're funny, real, expressions are priceless, all irreplaceable. Sometimes the humor is PG-13 but what do you expect when a man get a woman's body and discovers he's married to a SNACK of a king?
Although the genre is mainly comedy, this doesn't lack romance at all.
The only disappointing thing was the ending. Like, it wasn't suuuuper disappointing to the point of flipping tables, but they could've made it more meaningful, more thought out.
I'll stop here bc I don't want to drop spoilers, but If you need that comment that tells you whether you should watch it or not, GO WATCH IT.
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So much fun
My favorite part of Mr Queen is that I repeatedly return to it in small scenes just to laugh my butt off. Its plot, premise, and incredible acting never get old. It's just that type of series.As the series is set during King Cheoljong's reign, it takes place during the Joseon era. In this storyline, Jang Bong-hwan, a modern chef, finds his spirit or soul in Queen Kim So-yong. While maintaining his identity, (at least trying too) Jang navigates complicated and intricate court politics disguised as a Queen. In addition, the concept of the storyline makes it fascinating and hilarious at the same time.
It's a refreshing take on the historical drama genre. An element of surprise and unpredictability is added to the story by the premise of a man suddenly inhabiting the body of the queen. King Cheoljong and Jang's dynamic is fascinating as they build a friendship/tough romance (no toucheee!) and navigate their roles.
It is a well-crafted story with relatable characters. The story is spiced up by the side characters, mainly the head court lady Choi and maid Hong Yeon. The royal chef is also quite a character himself. It is also noteworthy to highlight King Cheoljong's growth and transformation, as he embraces a more modern approach and challenges traditional norms. Intertwined with the old ways, the new mindset brought on by the spirited queen brings a refreshing new concept. All of this works because of the good script, pacing and execution of the actors. But let's give credit where credit is due and praise Shin Hye Sun's performance as Queen Yong/with Jang Bong's soul. Just exceptional.
Among the themes explored by Mr Queen are gender, identity, power dynamics, societal expectations, and loyalty. Not only is the series hilarious, but there are also many serious moments, making it an engaging and entertaining watch. I find Mr Queen very entertaining and underrated. Yes, the show aired years ago, and there is no more promotion, just word-of-mouth, which is probably why some have passed on it. Even I did at first. Having finally tried it, I am glad I did. It is now among my top five favorite K series of all-time because of the solid story execution and performances, the pacing and the music. I see why this series has lasted for years on Netflix.
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