pcharlotte787

thanks :) the narration was the result of piecing together clues, including history, as well as the ambiance, like music and poems, that went into each scene. This drama does not spoon-feed. This is why I cannot understand observations of how slow or boring some episodes are. There's a lot of piecing together that needs to be done to fully understand each scene. For example, when Lee Gon hugged Tae-eul in episode 1, that was a big deal. The girl he had been obsessed with for 25 years, whose ID he kept in his favorite book all this time was finally in front of him. Though his appearance did not blatantly show it because he is a king who is supposed not to show emotion in public, we were told he does not like anybody touching him. So, hugging her showed how excited and happy he was at finally meeting his dream girl. In episode 2, he told her, "Thank you for everything. Because you existed somewhere, I was less lonely for the past 25 years". This proved how attached he was to her even before he met her. But, considering how aloof he was with the prime minister, indicating he highly trusts his ability to judge people, I don't think he would have hugged Tae-eul had he not been impressed with what he already saw of her - her no-nonsense attitude and dedication to her job.

when one looks for something to criticize, one will find something to criticize. it must be hard to be a critic, to be objective and not let oneself get lost in the beauty of a scene or let the music take you to a wonderland and bask in the love the actors are portraying onscreen. I would not be able to enjoy a movie without immersing myself in the story. That is the magic of The King Eternal Monarch. it draws you in if you let it

for those who have questions or comments about the romance between Lee Gon and Tae-eul, there is a discussion topic about this:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-king-the-eternal-monarch/48851-the-love-story-of-lee-gon-and-jung-tae-eul

i advise against skipping scenes. the series needs to be watched from start to finish. i appreciated it more after re-watching the episodes. part of the appeal is the emotional attachment that may only happen when you let yourself be drawn into the characters and ambiance, e.g. music.

the storytelling style is different. that was probably the reason for the references to Alice in Wonderland, to give viewers a clue for this different style. I had been a cinephile since primary school. I consider TKEM superior to CLOY, Mr. Sunshine and Parasite. Not only does it tug at your emotion it ignites your imagination. The controversies that tried to take advantage of SK viewers' patriotic ardor might have caused it to struggle domestically, but the international viewers that made it the #17 most streamed tv show on Netflix in 2020 as of 5/29, the only kdrama in the top 20, prove how good it is.

it probably was, though I understand martin approved the storyline of the finale. and come to think of it, maybe we should have gotten a clue of what his style is - he killed ned in the first season after all. i feel like i wasted 8 years of my life

i hope it makes sense, not as nonsensical as Daenerys going psycho and Jon being exiled to an effectively useless Wall

the choppy storytelling is part of the challenge. i think what KES was aiming for was to lead viewers in an adventure like Alice in Wonderland, where we would not know where we're going but the path is strewn with interesting characters and nuggets like the romance, beautiful music, fantastic cinematography, etc. Compared to other kdramas i watched, there were much less cheesy lines here. In fact, that is probably the reason a lot of viewers did not see the romance; the characters expressed their emotions more with facial expressions than cheesy lines

i hated it. i tried to be happy for Bran, Sansa and Tyrion, but every time I remember Jon and Daenerys, my blood boils. there were so many ways that series could have ended and they chose the worst twist

because of the ending of Game of Thrones, I feel like I wasted eight years of my life. I sure hope Kim Eun-sook is going to give this show a more satisfying ending

I loved Game of Thrones before the finale. I hope TKEM will have a happier ending. I think you will love Sherlock Holmes series starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

you will need to pay attention to the story so you don't get confused. but it's fun and challenging to keep abreast of what is going on. my kind of drama.

This is the first tv show where I make sure to re-watch past episodes before the next episode airs. It's so good that I don't get tired of it. And each episode is filled with so much information that is rather hard to take all in at first viewing, especially when one is reading subtitles like I do. The romance is better grasped when you can actually watch the facial expressions of the characters. I agree, it would be hard to find another drama to watch after this. The last tv shows I got as excited about were Game of Thrones and the Sherlock Holmes series with Benedict Cumberbatch. I'm loving this more. I think I will be re-watching it after it ends.

This drama blew me away from episode 1. It grabs not only the emotion but also the imagination. It is artistic too, I love the slow-mo during the coronation and the time-freeze in the park, among others. The cinematography is magical! The recitations of Kim Wo Sol's poems give me goosebumps. I thought Koreans must be so proud to have created such a high-quality production, so I was flabbergasted at their reception. But then I found out there was a form of sabotage staged against it. I agree with your analysis of why some viewers might not like it. It is definitely not rom-com. It does not spoon-feed. It makes viewers think. Even the romance is not blatant, though it was obvious enough for me. I am most amazed at Lee Min Ho's acting. I admired Hyun Bin in CLOY, but LMH is much much better here! I didn't expect him to be this good! He is overshadowing everyone else.

The more I analyze this drama, the more I am at awe of Kim Eun-sook's writing. The non-linear storytelling is in keeping with the mystery aspect of the drama, giving viewers clues they need to piece together instead of spoon-feeding them all the time. For example, part of a scene will be shown that would give viewers enough idea of what is going on and get their imaginations running. Later on, more details may be presented where viewers can go either, "yey, i was right!" or "hmm, why didn't I see that coming?" It's a wonderful adventure, like being Alice in Wonderland.

the best kdrama ever

i noticed that those who are confused get bored. There is a discussion forum that might help. Please feel free to post questions here:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-king-the-eternal-monarch/48691-the-king-eternal-monarch-confusing-things-discussion

it's doing very well in netflix. it's #19 most streamed tv show in netflix in 2020, the only kdrama in the top 20

here is a discussion thread that might help. please feel free to post questions:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-king-the-eternal-monarch/48691-the-king-eternal-monarch-confusing-things-discussion

I found the subtitled dialogue, romance, pacing, presentation, character motivation, timeline and cgi just right. I never noticed wasted characters. Did you actually notice that the warships of Corea and Japan were the same? How many viewers do you think noticed them had they not been nitpicked by nitpickers? The production team even apologized for them, yet still the controversies were republished weeks after. Episode 6 was a magnificent episode, with Corea gloriously winning over Japan. Yet, instead of being praised, it was mercilessly criticized for the warships. Did anybody even thought of the highly probable scenario, even in real life, more so in a fantasy show, that both warships were bought from the same source that was why they looked the same?