What an absolute tour de force by Shin Hye Sun
I just keep coming back to this gem and every time I'm more impressed by the FL actress' piece of physical comedy in this drama. Comedy is such an underrated genre, but so hard to master. I keep appreciating her command of her body and mannerisms in this drama more and more each time.Other actors do a good job and obviously the director was on the A-game. But Hye-Sun just owns this so much I've written my first review to sing her praises. I can't not and can say no more.
Slay, (Mr )Queen! Love. Recommend.
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Martin Lawrence's 'Black Knight' Meets the Joseon Era
A womanizing chef from the current times ends up falsely accused of attempted murder while working at the prestigious Blue House presidential residences. A man who prides himself on his masculinity, and abundant sex life, he is fit, more than a little narcissistic, and self-indulgent in many ways. While trying to flee from being arrested, he ends up cracking his head in a disastrous incident and when he wakes up, he is in the body of a young woman, thrown back in time to the Joseon era. The young woman is none other than the soon-to-be King's Consort, and when he awakes as her, it was shortly after what many assume to be an attempted assassination. Can he outwit those around him to live long enough to make it back to his own body before another attempt on this young woman's life is made?I have never watched a K-drama with so much love and intent before. I loved this so much. Top-notch acting, and while being ridiculously hilarious, it still had a serious plot to follow. It was beautifully created and was a wonderful show to watch. I'm particularly fond of the beauty and style of the show. It was tragic, rip-roaringly funny, powerful, and so touching at the same time. I am beyond glad that I had the opportunity to watch this show and I would suggest that others watch it as well. I kept putting it off, and I am so glad I finally watched it when I did! This gender-bender experience brings so much to the table and is worth every moment watched!
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What a good drama!!!
This drama keeps a good balance of seriousness and humor, which makes it a absolut blast to watch it.The intrigues, lies and back and forth between the individual royal families is very dramatic. But nontheless the series always gives us new moments to laugh.
There's beautiful character development and they're all pretty smart, which makes it very enjoyable to watch.
Writing without any spoilers, is very hart for this one because I just want to tell you what happend and all my favorits moments. But I am not gonna do that because that takes all the fun out of this one. I can just really recomment watching it.
This drama concludes with ~23h of heartfelt, funny and thrilling watchtime which I binge-watched in less that 2 weeks and that alone speaks for itself - at least in my case.
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This review may contain spoilers
Laughing all the way! ?
What starts off in modern day Korea with a male head chef extraordinaire, and frankly not a very likeable person soon becomes a love story with a twist involving a body swap and going back in time, with lots of sub-stories - from love triangles, the wicked family members, the trials of Court Lady Choi, and more.We are taken on a journey of personal growth of our main character, who has not only been transported back in time, but also into the body of the opposite sex, a newly married queen, hence the title, "Mr Queen".
Particularly clever in how the banqueting menu incorporated modern day fast food favourites - be prepared to laugh (and in my case, go down memory lane with the reactions to the dessert!) Even the opening titles using collages and music added to creating a fun to watch experience.
And the title, "Mr Queen" is truly inspired!
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Short and sweet review
If I had to describe this in one word, it would be hilarious. Unfortunately, that would also be the key highlight of this show to me which isn't good. While this show tackles many ideas that serve great for drama and a coherent storyline, I felt as if the plot was progressing at a rate slower than my decision-making process on whether I should go and do leg-day. However, the Queen as a character alone carries the show in many ways even if you find a certain plot-point boring, the Queen's character is unbelievably hilarious and entertaining. The OST was also great, both the selected music choices for the sad parts and happy parts are pure perfection and really amplify the mood.the ending was ass though no cap, skipping over a key plot point iykyk and a truly rushed ending. So bad that it lowered my rating ever so slightly.
In conclusion, you should watch this show if you're looking for a fun time.
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Queen Kim So-yong (brilliantly portrayed by Shin Hye-sun) delivers an outstanding performance, full of energy, physical comedy, and emotional moments that will tug at your heart.
Meanwhile, Kim Jung-hyun plays King Cheoljong, a seemingly weak monarch with secrets and surprising political intelligence. The chemistry between them is explosive: amid confusion, palace intrigues, and laughter, a relationship blossoms, evolving with tenderness and passion.
Highlights: The unforgettable performance of Shin Hye-sun, sheer brilliance; the comedic moments that perfectly balance the political tension; and the impeccable setting and pacing that never falter.
Overall, Mr. Queen is a drama you simply cannot miss, a must-watch that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with its unforgettable characters.
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The best historical drama after Moon Embracing The Sun
This drama got me hooked from the beginning to the end. I could not stop thinking about this drama that I had to keep watching. Let me start with the characters. Damn, all of them executed each character perfectly! However, I am a bit disappointed with the fact that the writer did not give Soyoung any justice (at least that what I saw).When I watched the last ep, it got me thinking, "Well, so Cheoljong still gonna be in love with the queen or...?" Yeap. That was what I thinking. A bit disappointed too because I love the badass queen. Anyway, I've been reading lots of review/comment about the story was actually all Cheoljong and Bonghwan and that Soyoung did not really appear until the last episode. Yeah, I could not ignore the hollow feelings after watching the last ep because I was wondering why Cheoljong said that he felt like missing something.
So here it goes! I started to rewatch some scenes that I felt necessary where we could see Soyoung's contribution in their joseon's life. Basically, it's like a layer. The physical is obviously Soyoung. Then we have one layer underneath it is Bonghwan, in which explain the personality. Then lastly underneath that personality, is Soyoung's feeling. I believe that SoBong's feeling were connected but some people failed to see it as they could only see Bonghwan from the Queen's action.
I tell you why I think so. First, the hot make out in ep9. The kiss involved Soyoung's feeling toward Cheoljong, hence that's why they did not stop until at one point Bonghwan managed to stop it. Then when they made love. Later in other scenes where everytime Soyoung showed her emotions. Like the scene where the Queen got angry with her father beside the lake after she recalled her memories. That final ep where the queen fixed the Cheoljong's robe and told him to go and fight, that's 100% Soyoung.
I believe that half of Soyoung's soul lived inside of the body for so long. That's what made the Queen kept on coming to Cheoljong and until half of the ep, Bonghwan started to accept that he was indeed could not go back to his own body. That's why he played along with Soyoung's feelings toward Cheoljong. The sexual tension and all. Bonghwan was like 'enhanced' the action since yeah he's just like that.
BUT what I still somehow not understand, why must the writer did not show any of Soyoung's conflicted scene in the end. Second, I'm pretty sure Bonghwan was like attached to Cheoljong in some way, but not in a romantic feeling. But I felt like it's kind of confusing when he started to tear up seeing Cheoljong's picture in the library and laughed about it. I Then, when Cheoljong said about something's missing. Idk why either like I don't think it's necessary because it just made me frustrated more.
Overall, gotta give it 9. If I wanna talk about this drama, it's gonna be longer than this. Other than that, I feel like there's so many things they did not show us. For example, where's O wol? Like I need the closure for each character!
Addition: Now that I think of it, if t wasn't for Soyoung's feeling towards Cheoljong, the Queen would never become closer to Cheoljong.
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Funny and serious!
Funny and serious, but with an actual plot!I almost started crying when So-Young puts the King's robe back together in the final episode. It did feel kind of long -I was uping the watch speed to get some parts over with - and I was questing dropping it around episode 11, but the last 3 episodes saved it for me. Lady-In-Waiting Choi and the Royal Cook were great! They had me giggling and 'Ooooo'! Overall pretty good, but wouldn't rewatch it. Oh; the music was nice too and all the cast looked great!
This was a great recommendation from my friend Simar, and I'm excited to talk to her about it after Spring Break!
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Binge-Worthy
I'm usually not a big fan of time-slip types of plots because it just usually isn't done very well. Had this series on the plan-to-watch list for a while because of this. I also tend to avoid anything that appears to be romance heavy. However, this one outwitted my initial expectations and had me fully invested until the last episode. You have certain series which are just good and then you have those that will pull you into their world, and this was one of them. This is also one of the rare times where I'm in agreement with MDL's average rating.The cast was fantastic including the support roles. Because they based this one on written/accepted historical events, it will keep you guessing on how they plan to follow or diverge from the past. The concept of a male being in the body of a Queen took the entire plot up a few notches (it wouldn't have been as great otherwise). Within just 20 episodes, your emotes will pleasantly be balanced with laughing, crying, biting your nails, and smiling with warmth. As for the romance aspect, because the FL/ML were both interesting characters with such good chemistry, that I didn't mind any of the romance portrayed within the series at all.
The only slight less than positive comment is that it felt just a tad long-winded with the political aspect of the plot in the first half but nothing in comparison to other historical dramas. It doesn't take away from the binge-worthiness of this series and I've admittedly lost more than few hours of precious sleep.
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Amazing!
This drama was just amazing! It's peak comedy, I laughed so much, the plot was terribly amusing and the drama was nicely slipped through it. The main actress stood out with her charisma and amazing acting, I'm definitely a fan of hers now. The whole cast is powerful, the new generation as well as the older generation with established and famous actors. The costumes were another interesting aspect especially for the people who started watching kdramas by watching historical ones on tv . The combination between contemporary and history is astonishing. The end had a nice twist as well which i really enjoyed, I wish it could've been different but nonetheless it's still a good ending.Was this review helpful to you?
A Golden Drama in My Eyes
I absolutely love this drama for many reasons. Usually, I stay away from historical dramas since they get too political, angsty, or boring. However, I love the comedy aspect of this drama, so I was hooked from the first episode.I think there is a perfect balance of political/internal family affairs, romance, comedy, and suspense. The characters were fleshed out well, and the actors did an amazing job portraying their characters. Shin Hye Sun and Kim Jung Hyun made this series even more enjoyable. SHS is an amazing actress, and her role in Mr. Queen deserves so much more praise because she was PERFECT for the body-switching queen. KJH not only played the funny, foolish king well, but he also played the badass side of the king well. They were perfect for this drama and plot. I also loved the (likable) side characters like court lady Choi , Hong Yeon, the head chef, etc.
I wish the ending was a biiit different, but honestly, I'm not complaining because it is still a happy ending!! Despite this drama being 20 episodes, it was interesting throughout the entire journey. This is a must-see drama; I cannot stress this enough!! This is my second time watching, and I remembered why this drama is in my Top 5. Please, please, please watch Mr. Queen; you won't regret it.
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Mr Queen - LITERAL QUEEN OF ALL K-DRAMAS!!!
Mr. Queen is a drama that had everything going for it—a unique premise, a strong cast, and a perfect balance of humor, romance, and political intrigue. But what really sets it apart is the outstanding performance of the female lead - Shin Hye Sun.She completely steals the show. Her portrayal of Kim So-yong, the modern-day chef trapped in the body of a Joseon queen, is pure brilliance. Seriously, everything about her performance is a chef’s kiss. It’s not just the big moments; it’s in the little things—like the way she sits, the way she walks, from the moment she steps into the show, her comedic timing is on point, and She literally makes every scene her own, and I honestly can’t imagine anyone else in that role. It’s one of those performances where you can’t stop watching because she makes even the smallest moments feel hilarious and authentic.
I enjoyed the scenes by the King too, his arc made me really root for him in the most hilarious way. Aside from the leads, the supporting cast also did an incredible job of bringing the palace setting to life especially Court Lady Choi's character. There are so many layers to the political intrigue in the show, and the secondary characters add depth and drama that keeps the story interesting without overshadowing the main plot.
In the end, Mr. Queen is a near-perfect mix of laughs, romance, and historical drama. The only downside I’d mention is that it occasionally takes some unexpected tonal shifts that might not be for everyone. And the ending. given the premise of the show, I believe there would've never been a perfect ending. With gender swapping and time travel, there would always be people rooting for the opposite. So that's the only downside I feel for a 9.5/10 show. But overall, the series is definitely worth the watch, especially if you’re a fan of clever humor and strong female leads. AND IT'S A SHOW YOU'LL REGRET IF YOU NEVER WATCH. HAND'S DOWN.
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