latteholic

Your point about ppl saying you're crying over not enough romantic scene --> Omg yes, this! I feel like I'm always having to spell out what I mean by romance in this site, lol. Ppl assume it's about wanting more kisses or touchy scenes, but for me it's about the emotional arc, how 2 ppl grow, push each other, and actually learn to see and accept each other. That's the stuff I was hoping the show would lean into more.

Haha same, I stalled around the same point. I was hooked in the beginning too, even rewatched parts, and then it lost steam so now I’m just lurking to see how it ends. The early eps felt like a near perfect setup for a romcom with bite (love how you put that!) so I think it’s fair people expected the romance to develop in a meaningful way and not stay surface level. I agree that rheir dynamic has always been the strongest part of the show, and the Mangunrok made it feel like their bond was meant to carry real weight. But they stalled the plot line about the King’s trauma with his mom, which I feel could’ve given both the politics and the romance more bite (having them understanding each other, heal wounds, etc) earlier instead of stretching the competition. I'm still hoping the ending leans back into that because it's still an important plot point that needs to be addressed but also it can help the relationship grow into something more transformative. Tbh, with only 2-3 eps left I'm not sure if that will happen without feeling rushed, but plenty of movies have pulled it off in less time so maybe all hope isn't lost. For now I'll just be lurking to see how it wraps up before picking it back up... :D

I get what you're saying. I came to this drama bc I read the King was based on Yeonsangun and was curious how they would frame a supposedly tyrant king with (hopefully) more depth and nuance. After 5 eps it didn't really deliver on that front, and that's fine since I know that was my own high expectation. But I do think the romance was baked into the setup. The King writing that line already shows how deeply he felt for her by the end of the book, and I think it is fair to assume their bond, or maybe his love, is tied to the time travel. This "true love as a bond that bends time" trope isn't new, Il Mare, Queen In Hyun's Man, even My Name have done it before, so I think it didn't feel like a stretch to read it that way.

Also, I wasn’t saying people shouldn't share their opinions, ofc they should. I was just pointing out how romance expectations sometimes get brushed off in this comment section with out of universe reasons ("don’t trust MDL tags", "press conf said it’s about cooking", "the web novel doesn’t have romance") instead of acknowledging that in universe the drama itself set it up that way. For me, ep 1 and the last page of the Mangurok already made it fair to expect the romance thread to matter. And when I say romance, I mean how characters change and grow through their relationship, and maybe heal wounds, like the King’s trauma about his mother that feels like had been taking the backseat after the first 4 eps. I do hope they bring that back, maybe in ep 10? *fingers crossed*

Yes, same here, I dont watch a lot of rom com for the reason that I found romance as main plot to be a bit boring (my personal preference, not a dig on others), but I do like when romance is a subplot with main plot that makes the stakes feel real. The tone in the first few eps really did make it seem like both food and romance were going to be central (plus I do like the period setting as it is rich with political plottings) and the leads complemented each other so well that I think it's fair to expect their bond to keep deepening. That's why the food competition stretch felt flat to me, esp with Consort Kang who never really came across as a real threat (or maybe I just watched too many Yeonsangun-based sageuks and movies so my expectations for Consort Kang were too high, lol). I also don't get the argument that "sharing a lot of scenes = relationship development". Screen presence can look like progress on the surface, but narratively, progress means change in trust, vulnerability, growth, or stakes, not just screen time. I feel like the first 4-5 eps promised so much more across the board, so it's been a bit jarring. Fingers crossed ep 10 picks things back up like you said and ties that spark back into the bigger conflicts in a way that feels earned :)

exactly! I was so annoyed when they slowed down at the 4th floor. I was like “Move ppl! Move! RUNNN!” lol. Then she rang the bell, which tbf I get that since someone's life was at stake, but still frustrating they had to stop first just to force the tension.

I feel that this comment section has been very dismissive of people who expected romance from this drama. I am not a romance-only watcher myself, I started this bc I was more interested in the figures and the time period the drama is set in, but I do love seeing how characters and their dynamics are built.

I get that the press conference emphasized cooking and the web novel is not romance heavy, but not everyone who watches a drama follows press events/trailers/source material. What we all do is watch the first 20 mins of ep 1, and that is where the setup comes from. The FL did not time travel bc she was reading a recipe. It happened when she read the line in the Mangurok about the King longing for his love. If a book can bend time on the strength of that bond, then the drama needs to make their relationship believable enough to carry that weight.

That said, I haven't watched past ep 6 since I fell asleep lol. I've mostly been lurking like the annoying kid in the car who keeps asking "are we there yet?" quietly. From what I've seen in the comment section, it feels like there is a lot to wrap up in just 3 eps: the King dealing with the truth about his mom's death, palace politics, the FL getting back to the future (or not), Gong Gil’s side plot, and most importantly, building a relationship strong enough to bend time. I'll prob just be gauging the comment section to see if the ending sticks the landing before deciding if I should continue or not.

So Min Jae really died? Last week I thought he was sus, then ep 5 made me like him after that convo with Su Yeol… and ofc that's when they kill him... :(

Det Choi's reaction to finding out the suspect felt a bit too intense, almost like there’s smth more under the surface?

And incompetent cop moment of the ep: wasn't the plan is to seal all exits when they ring the bell? Then why are guests running down the emergency stairs like nothing was blocked?

Ugh seriously! I mean I know this issue is bound to happen, but the way they wrote her and the other detective feels off. Normally I love task force dynamics and end up caring about each member of the team, but here it just doesn't land. Su Yeol was about to admit it last ep but Det Choi cut him off, then they went behind his back which felt so unprofessional. In other dramas you get enough eps to see the team grow and start trusting each other, but with this one we're near the end and there isn't time left for that. At this point the only one I care about is the maknae cop since he actually feels fair and professional.

I really like how you put this, esp the part about the show downplaying the abuse by making the mom look overly psychopathic. I felt that too, it flattens what could have been a much richer conflict.

And I think you're right that the writing might deliberately keep Su Yeol rigid, which is why I just dont see his detachment as plain coldness. It feels more like the writers boxing him into that coping system on purpose, so the contrast with his mom is sharper and any reconciliation/reckoning later will hit harder. That convo with Min Jae made it clear he still misses her but can't admit it, while the convo with his mom after finding out what happened with his dad pushes him back into black and white. On top of that, her gaslighting during that scene feels like another writing choice. It makes me wonder if it’s meant to show disappointment in him for not appreciating her sacrifice, or if she is covering something bigger from the past. Either way, the effect is the same: it keeps him stuck in that rigid place the writers seem to want him in.

That is why I liked the FL idea too. A daughter in that role would've brought more natural empathy and conflict. But even with Su Yeol, I wish they let him stumble through the gray more (like his confrontation with Min Jae) instead of bringing him back to his black and white worldview every time. And yep, if the wife really is the copycat, that would finally push him into the reckoning we’ve all been waiting for and maybe what the writers are saving for the climax.

they asked I Shin for advice, then flat out ignored her when she said their hunch was off. Like, couldn't at least one/two of them stay behind and think through other victims? Why drag the whole team to the opera? Throw in some local polices and let the detectives breathe. Then maybe Su Yeol could have answered Min Jae's call instead of losing the guy and scrambling around shorthanded.

My pet peeve with the cops this ep:

Yeah I was also kinda suspicious about Det Choi since ep 4. I was thinking that he might have worked with I Shin to kill the guys because he couldn't get the wives to report their husbands to the police. Maybe he was the one who incapacitated them, and then I Shin did the rest. The fact that I Shin told him to look after Su Yeol seems to go beyond "this police guy looks trustworthy" and could be foreshadowing complicity. Although I wonder why I Shin let herself get caught after murdering those five people.

And I also agree about the ML killing his dad. I think guilt really shapes how he remembers him. When people blame themselves for something horrible, they often hang onto the happier memories, which is easier than facing the truth about the abuse when he was drunk, or the possibility that he stabbed his father. Facing that would mean dealing with way more guilt than he can handle. Also, in a way, this makes that scene where I Shin kinda gaslights him about killing his dad make more sense. She was probably trying to make sure he wouldn’t remember the incident by focusing all his hate on her, really seeing her as the devil.

It's funny to me how they showed him calling Min Jae in one scene, but then it was Det. Choi who was talking to Min Jae instead.

Yeah, same. I don’t think that fire was an accident, and I Shin probably had a reason to leave the house as soon as she could...

You mean the dad? Like, he stabbed him, and then I Shin threw the body down the well to cover it up? Because I think that's a possibility... maybe that’s why Su Yeol doesn't remember anything from that night, he prolly blocked it since he was the one who stabbed the dad and then passed out...

Remember how Su Yeol and his team found the body in the well? That is supposed to be the 1st victim, so the 4th victim is the drowning guy.

Is it really propaganda if it's the reality? The US has been tied to Korean politics for decades (military alliance, trade, security) so of course it comes up. That's just the political reality both countries live in?

Also, anyone else catch the nod to The Classic’s iconic rain scene… minus the actual rain? lol

I was supposed to be catching up on Tempest this week, but Circle completely hijacked my life and I binged it instead. lol. I remember watching ep 1 back in 2017 but then put it on hold (blame it on my RTWSTP drama hangover), and I feel ridiculous for waiting 8 years to finish it.
I think it holds up beautifully as soft sci-fi: no alien backstory or tech blueprints, just Black Mirror style questions about memory and identity. I love how the 2 timelines start apart and then knit together, anchored by the bond between the brothers at the center, and with pacing that lets the emotions breathe and the stakes stay high.
I know I might be in the minority, but I think the ending fit perfectly. The main story closes cleanly while still leaving the door open just enough if they ever wanted to continue. It's rough around the edges with its execution, but completely, absolutely, totally worth every hour!

It seems that the drama was filmed last winter. I kept getting distracted by that christmas tree in Su Yeol's house. lol.