Miss King (2025)

A carefully-crafted allegory, about courage to face and overcome seemingly impossible challenges

"Miss King" offers us a charming approach to presenting familiar real-world issues and occurrences, assembled into a serial-drama centered on the game of Shogi, a Japanese chess. But this is not a drama about shogi, even many scenes show us the actual games' moves — enough to make Shogi enthusiasts be excited. Shogi is only used as a central theme of the allegory. We don't really need to understand the game to watch and appreciate it. While many may compare this to the movie "The Queen's Gambit", I don't see anything similar between the two in their stories, although "The Queen's Gambit" might have been used as a thematic inspiration to form the initial idea of "Miss King".

The first thing that stands out from the first few minutes of watching is the top-notch quality of the cinematography as well as the editing and post-production, including the music. This does not have the typical "cheap & quick" serial drama production we have seen too often on mainstream TV. From the beginning of the episode, they give us very artistic, feature-movie-like visual display and creative camerawork without being too "artsy" and pretentious. The production team really put effort down to very conceptual details, even the "MISS KING" title presentation where the pointed warped texts start with the first letter for episode 1, then 2 letters for episode 2, and so on, up until the final episode when the entire letters are warped.

Despite the dramatizations, the story of "Miss King" doesn't go too deep into unnecessary complications and plot twists. The plot stays as simple and straight-forward as possible here, and many of the conversations are on-point and vital to the story. Just like the actual game of shogi (I'd assume), it does have the attack and retreat moments. Even though there are a few repeated patterns here and there, it is still far from becoming "just another shallow & boring story" plaguing many of the now over-saturated TV dramas. Screenwriter/director Yamagishi Santa delivers the most efficient storytelling condensed within the tight and gripping 8 episodes, with a rather short duration per episode. I wished the duration could be a bit longer, like 45 to 50 minutes each. In most episodes, 30 minutes feel like merely 15 minutes. It passes very quickly because the editing is very tight, and shuffling between two scenes is used quite often for thrilling effect. The cinematography is very good at presenting each scene from multiple different angles, sometimes even using extreme close-ups. Re-watching all the episodes is recommended, because we may miss some small details.

The Shogi whereabouts and its entire intrigues in the drama could very much represent the entire showbiz/entertainment industry (be it sports, film, TV, music, etc.), specifically in Japan but also in many other countries throughout the world, which is tainted by corporate greed and the thirst for power. This is what makes "Miss King" a very likely candidate to be the best J-drama for 2025. It has a multilayered meaning. Simple, but deep at the same time. To those of us film enthusiasts who are curious to interpret the allegorical meaning and symbolism beyond the surface-level plot or story line, this is an absolute must-watch because this drama has plenty of them, just like the 2025 movie "Exit 8" (check out my review of "Exit 8" here on MDL 😉).

What is being presented in "Miss King" is not about "selling the dreams/aspirations", but a carefully-crafted fictional allegory. In particular, I have noticed some cautious re-narration (or RENA-rration 😁) of what happened to the acting career of this drama's main lead female actor: Nounen "Non" Rena. — She is the most suitable person in playing the role of the main character Asuka, because they both share the similar flair, brilliance, and also struggles to overcome obstacles in the world that abhors the natural sparks within a person. It seems that whoever came up with the story already had Non in mind to play the role of Asuka when the character was being developed (the character was built around the actor and not vice versa). I'm not going to give any spoilers but just one clue: in the ending scene of Episode 5, it reveals a similar situation to what had actually happened to Non back in 2015.

Again, without attempting to spoil the scenes, there is one important statement said by Todo Seigo (the main/leading supporting character played by Fujiki Naohito): "I'm going to kill the old era", which may explain the "hidden aim" presented in this drama, thanks to Abema TV. His character is displayed as "hot temper" but, at the same time, also "cool-headed", a unique combination that's essential in strategically guiding and refining any person gifted with raw talent and wild/unfocused energy like Asuka.

When we think about "the old era" within the showbiz industry, that refers to the outdated system of hierarchy, controlled by a very few yet highly influential key people at the very top of the pyramid where most of the important decisions are made, in which the entire industry is being run through exploiting the ones at the "bottom of the food-chain": namely all the young and naive talents with high aspirations. These talents are used merely as "assets" that can be exploited, disposed of and replaced at any time. The entire "agency system" provides these assets to do the work in a "binding agreement" so that entertainment commodities can be produced as money-generating tools. In reality, many of these modern-day "slaves" (not owned by landlords, but talent agencies) are more than willing to sacrifice their authenticity, integrity and freedom just for wealth and fame, and in certain cases, even dignity and moral values for a slight chance to move up in the hierarchy. These people then turn to become "monsters" (the term used often in this drama) , despicable creatures who "have made a deal with the devil." As outlined in the first line of this drama's synopsis, it is a "shitty world" indeed. There are also many talented individuals within the industry who actually understand how this system works, but decide to compromise and let themselves remain in the safe "middle ground" by choosing not to excel further, in order to keep themselves at bay, from being attacked by those monsters. They are represented in this drama by the seemingly "pragmatic" Yuna character (played excellently by Narumi Yui), a character many of us here may relate to at some degree. This drama also presents us with the nature of a "binding agreement" or "contract" and its actual significance in controlling the moves of these talents/assets. There's also a seemingly "random" casual joke about plastic surgery popping up in a conversation.

Of course, a drama is a drama, a play. All the dramatizations of the characters and the "larger-than-life" fictional story line are needed so that it is exciting to watch, be it the background stories, the situations, character development, etc. Some of the characters are displayed as serious and very realistic, like for example the Sakai Reiko character (played by Kurashina Kana), and Asuka's mother. The other characters are a bit "comical" to spice up the story, like Todo Seigo, for example, or the variety of "supposedly villain" characters in the Yuki family clan. We can relate ourselves to any of these characters in the "Miss King" story. Certain personality traits being displayed so often by the characters here are: envy, pride, selfishness, rivalry, victim mentality, and lack of self-worth, while on the positive side, goodwill, compassion and empathy also play a significant role in balancing the story so that it does not fall into a toxic negative vibe, where revenge may turn into absolute nihilism. This is a positive drama about courage to face and overcome seemingly impossible challenges. The description of "revenge" here is more about "taking the power back" or "reclaiming what was once lost", and certainly not the "bring everyone who put me down into the pit of hell" type of revenge.

However, I have to disagree with the official synopsis given by Abema TV, that Asuka's "revenge" was fueled by deep hatred (nikushimi / 憎しみ). I don't see that in her character at all. Maybe "rage" (uncontrollable anger) is the more appropriate word to describe what drove Asuka in the first episode, where she began to act impulsively, as opposed to a premeditated plan. Asuka was indeed angry and in pain, but all her anger was more like a "righteous anger" triggered by the world that is full of manipulations and betrayal where she became a victim. Despite being angry and in pain to begin with, Asuka's authentic love for shogi since she was a child (displayed when she smiles during her shogi matches as if she is actually having fun doing it) is the source of her willingness to fight back, and that alone is beautiful to watch! There is a great amount of love being displayed in this drama, even without any romance. As Asuka began to build her trust in the ones who support her unconditionally, she was able to find a way to convert or transmute the energy of anger into creative expression using the platform that she loves, which is shogi. In the real-world, many authentic artists and musicians do that, including I believe Non herself. Speaking of Non, she still has that adorable sparks of energy/aura that has been unique to her ever since she starred in the classic asadora "Amachan", and that energy is incredibly magnetic! 😍

I give "Miss King" a high rating because it is one of the very few J-dramas that has the ability to transform us, if only we're courageous enough to open our hearts. It does not lecture us about virtues or moral values. It is up to us to extract the story, relate ourselves from the characters, and use the allegory as a mirror reflection.

9/10

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Breaking free from a father-daughter entanglement disguised in the game of Shogi

This is neither a conventional revenge story nor a thriller, so please manage your expectations accordingly. I'd call this a small, effective lesson in family therapy.

At it's core, this is an emotional and psychological drama depicting a girl yearning for her father's love; the father who abandoned her and her mother for Shogi. What she terms as revenge is in fact, her entanglement, and her way of interacting with her father through the game of Shogi. It's a character-driven story that doesn't waste its time on endless flashbacks or digging deeper and deeper into the trauma or the characters' decisions, rather it goes straight for the emotional punch and let's the viewer sit with the characters' plight and decisions, and lets them form their own learnings and hypothesis. Needless to say, I loved this.

Now on to the "revenge" and how this is a short lesson in some concepts from family therapy.

The first is the concept of 'differentiation of self'. Are we able to make rational decisions about ourselves (from a family perspective)? This is in contrast to people who make emotional decisions. If we are able to act rationally, then we have a high DOS, which means we have some level of detachment from the family and can make our decisions ourselves. We are an individual in our own right. Not a child, not a sibling, not a spouse.

Asuka's decision to play shogi and defeat her father came from (1) an emotional decision (2) because she was still entangled with her father (3) so that she would be able to interact with him (4) and one-up him.
Her act came from a place where she strongly identified with her father and his neglect - that became a huge part of her identity.
When she was finally able to play it with him in the finale - they were interacting and engaging with each other through the game of shogi. They were upholding that one promise that he made to her when she was a young girl. When she was able to defeat him, she was able to hold on to her dignity, but on a bigger perspective, she was able to finally bid goodbye to that abandoned girl trapped in that little house waiting to play shogi with her father. She was able to finally differentiate herself from him, and thus, we see her withdraw from shogi, we see her smiling in the last frame calling shogi 'fun'. She's now able to rationally enjoy the game, without a motive to defeat the father or without a motive to win. Shogi was an interest she picked up from her father, but it was never her passion / ambition to begin with, and her character finally breaks free and can appreciate that.

The second concept is that of emotional entanglement which I have explained to some degree above. Through the game of shogi, she was finally able to break that chain of entanglement, and create a boundary with her father. She can now make her decision to do what she wants, she can even greet him from a distance without feeling overtly attached or emotional.

If you are able to appreciate this family perspective of the drama, you'll be able to see why this was an effective, beautiful gem in the writing department.

The gloomy / darker colours created a competitive vibe, a darkness and I love how the last frame was such a contrast- a bright one, with sakura ( i think) blooming in the background. She has healed.

The acting was on point and effective; neither too dramatic, neither too subtle.

Direction was stellar, keeping every frame and scene effective, without adding fillers, or unnecessary information or detail. Just what a compact drama needs.

The score was minimal. It didn't stand out.

All in all, a gem, which unfortunately many people did not understand.

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Revenge? What Revenge?

This "revenge story" ultimately had no revenge. The setup is super juicy. Her famous shoji player father decided shogi was all that mattered to him, so he abandoned her and her mother. Her mom got sick and our lead struggled for years to make ends meet and get her care. She even tried to reach out to her b@stard dad for help/closure, just to be rebutted. So we're on a revenge quest to ruin him with the very game he prides himself on.

The quest was already muddled by some mixed messages. Is she a mega shogi genius or just a fairly gifted rookie who needs to steadily learn the game and get better after losing a bunch? Does she actually love this game and needs to work through her negative associations with it to embrace her passion, or is this a means to an end, the tool she can use to destroy her father? Is she taking down him, her own feelings, or this misogynistic/patriarchal system? It really changes from scene to scene, episode to episode. But it was still kind of cool to see her rise through the ranks when that WAS shown.

And then in the end…the message is still all over the place. Revenge? Not achieved. Goal? Honestly I couldn't tell you if she reached what she was aiming for. She is in a better place than where she started, but ultimately the through line of the show is a jumbled mess that kind of didn't go anywhere. It was an ok enough ride, but because it didn't amount to anything, I can't really call it "good." It can only be ok.

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Ambition, Revenge, Redemption, In A Form Of Shogi

A brutality ambition that set aside the beloved one, then slowly build a grudge. Depict a revenge into a chess played. On the other hand. Leading a self-discovery and empowerment against social issue.

Nonen Reina was delivered the emotion so well. I love her performance, her micro expression was detail and realistic. Her frustrate, depressed, and mentally unstable were well-portrayed. I love her chemistry with her co-actor. So good and felt natural.

If you love revenge and chess, this one is for you. Not gonna lie, some scenes just reminds me of The Queen's Gambit. I felt dejavu while I watching this. Also both of these series was highlighting chess and woman empowerment, using chess as a life force agains social expectation.

A bit miss, Miss King ain't giving the detail explanation of shogi. Because, eventho the concept is nearly similar like chess, but the overall game was totally different. It would be perfect if they showing us the detail of shogi such as strategy, the shogi's board, or even the shogi's pawn.

The revenge was good enough. But, I wanna highlight the 'redemption' part. Oh, Japan was masterclass at this, tbh. The way she's forgiving them, and moving on was heartwarming. I knew it. Also, she got the best way of hers, her new life path, her own dream, her own freedom. This series was clearly serving the best redemption. A man could destroying the women's life, but as a women, we could stand up by our own feet. Awesome one!

Well, once I knew this is Abema's production, so as always, the cinematography was peak. So pretty, yet noir vibes really hit different. The angle placement was take precisely. I love those unique shots, eye-pleasing. Just reminds me of Nevertheless : Shape of Love

But, honestly, Abema, might you forgot to put some lighting in it so I could watching it brighter. Typically Abema production, yes, the lighting in some scene looks majestic, but some scene looks hella dark. I swear I already increase the brightness of my screen. Awful to enjoy. Anyway, the scoring were bops.

All in all, if you love The Queen's Gambit, you might like this one. Just give it a try!

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This felt like a manga that got cut and had to finish in 2 chapters

Honestly it had a good start and hooked me from first episode, but it gradually it went downhill and then last two episodes had a steep fall.
The show did a good job of making me hate the Yuki family and the protagonists dad. Pretty much every action they made makes me dislike them more. It made me root for Asuka to achieve her revenge.
All the cast did their job very well.
The story felt so rushed after the first half though and with an abrupt ending that felt a bit forced and anticlimactic. Like when a manga gets cut and the author has to finish in the next two chapters. The short episodes didnt help this feeling. Often times with dramas i feel like the runtime of episodes can be shortened and they can cut a few episodes. Here it was the oposite, give the episodes extra 10 minutes and 2 more episodes and it could have had more of a balanced pacing. Though maybe the writing just wasnt enough for that considering the way it ended.

But oh well, it could have been worse ending considering the set up of the second to last episode.
I could complain about more stuff, but dont wanna write spoilers here.

Anyways, time to look up more of Non's work.

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the queen’s gambit but make it revenge

I had no expectations when I started this drama because I discovered it one day randomly whilst I was bored scrolling through the upcoming section on Netflix lol

from the first episode it hooked me! I do admit that the short run time did caught me off guard cause I was expecting at least a 40-50 min episode but it did work okay in the beginning but ultimately not much by the end

the revenge was rather disappointing cause in the end it was revealed that he only abandoned her and her mom due to his inferior complex towards his own genius daughter and the drive of wanting to get better but stuck and thinking his family must have been a reason why he couldn’t do his best

in that moment I was like “Ofc it’s that reason, men”
it felt rather anti climatic because by the end for me it wasn’t clear if she has come to love shogi and wanted to continue it basically her goal
it’s like through out her revenge we just lost the goal

I feel like if it was given 2 more episodes or a longer run time than maybe we could’ve gotten a bit more on the story cause the ending it felt just super underwhelming and that’s problem about revenge stories cause it can either be done well or we just don’t know how to write it

it’s a shame tho cause it started off strong only to end up lackluster

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Kishi drama

2025 a été le retour du shogi dans les dramas. Le sport cérébral numéro 1 au Japon s'est fendu de deux dramas le mettant à l'honneur dans des contextes en manque, malheureusement, d'originalité. D'abord Hotei no Dragon remettait sur le devant de la scène Mone Kamishiraishi sans vraiment me convaincre, puisqu'il n'était rien d'autre qu'un énième lawyer drama. Puis Miss King et sa promesse d'épisodes courts (38 minutes), peu nombreux (8), mais efficaces pour renouveler le genre du revenge drama, grâce à des stratégies issues du shogi. Tient-il plus la route ? Il serait de bon ton d'analyser la feuille des déplacements d'après-match pour le savoir.

Je suis donc arrivé sans trop de difficultés jusqu'à la finale (des épisodes) et voté pour la promulgation en kishi de ce revenge drama. Mais je dois avouer être encore perplexe. Si voir Non dans un premier rôle enchante par sa fraîcheur, sa simplicité et son franc-parler, l'histoire reste plutôt creuse. Vue mille fois dans d'autres contextes, on est loin de la psychologie et des émotions de March Comes in Like a Lion, le maître étalon du genre, celui du "petit génie du ... ".

Bien sûr, Miss King est une excellente entrée en matière pour découvrir le monde du shogi. J'ai bien dit le monde, et pas les règles, car le néophyte sera tout simplement incapable de suivre un tant soit peu une partie. Heureusement, les scènes courtes consistent surtout en des plans sur les visages des concurrents et un rapide survol du plateau afin d'apprécier les différentes manières de déplacer les pièces. Du glissement hésitant au claquement de celles-ci sur le plateau, toute la subtilité de l'attaque psychologique envers l'adversaire réside dans le simple bruit de la pièce posée sur le bois.

Si la trame principale n'est pas très passionnante, classant la série dans le genre shonen avec des sensei à gogo, fusionnant maître Miyagi avec maître Yoda et transformant la « miss padawan kid » fougueuse en génie du calme et de la réflexion, la production essaye quand même d'envoyer des messages au spectateur. Mais là aussi, sans réelle finesse. Miss King interroge la parentalité, en reprenant de la manière la plus maladroite possible la vieille rengaine du « Papa outé ». Elle dépeint également la condition féminine dans le monde du shogi, parabole de la société japonaise actuelle (ou presque). Ce manuel du féminisme pour les nuls hérite lui aussi de clichés grotesques (mais en cours encore dans ce milieu), femmes méprisées par des hommes se croyant encore à l'ère Edo. Mais qui n'arrivent à convaincre qu'eux-mêmes.

Reste la prestation de Non, qui aurait mérité une réalisation plus ambitieuse, des sidekicks et des histoires parallèles d'opposants détestables devenant des alliés essentiels sur plusieurs épisodes, par exemple. Les personnages secondaires sont aussi transparents que l'a été son père durant son enfance. AbemaTV a clairement décidé de ne pas ennuyer le public avec des longues side story, et le choix est plutôt discutable, sachant la réussite de March Comes in Like a Lion dans ce domaine.

Peu de profondeur de toute part, cette série ne laissera donc que peu de traces dans le monde des shonens sportifs, rendant contre-productif son message. Comme si la première kishi femme n'était pas un événement en soi. Comme si les femmes n'étaient pas capables de tout abandonner pour leur passion comme un homme, esclaves de leurs émotions qu'elles sont. Pour ce monde moderne qui souhaite tant revenir au système patriarcal de l'ère Edo, la part de féminité est un poison à combattre, ramenant la gent masculiniste à sa propre faiblesse. Ce drama révèle toute la bassesse de l'homme avec un petit h et c'est déjà ça !

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