The Crowned Clown 왕이 된 남자 - Review

 

Title: The Crowned Clown 왕이 된 남자

Genre: Historical, Romance, Costume & Period Drama, Political

Release: 2019

Starring (Main Cast): 

Yeo Jin Goo as Clown Ha Sun/ King Lee Hun

Lee Se Young as Queen Yoo So Woon

Kim Sang Kyung as Lee Gyu

Director: Kim Hee Won

Writer: Shin Ha Eun/ Kim Sung Deok

Rakuten Viki Rating: 9.6/10

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Audience Rating: 4.9/5

MyDramaList Rating: 8.4/10

Rakuten Viki Synopsis: Click Here

Watch Free on Rakuten Viki: The Crowned Clown 

Episodes: 16 (abt. 1 hour and 15-20 minutes each)

Content Rating: PG-13

Violence: Sword fighting, hitting, martial arts, blood

Sexual Content: kissing, hugging, verbal references

Language: Mild

Ending: Happy

My Synopsis

The political system of Joseon is in chaos under the power of a ruthless and drug-addicted King (Yeo Jin Goo). When a clown shows up in the capital city bearing the same face as the king, those who support him decide to use him as the king's double. In essence, he would take the king's place and be the new focus of the assassination attempts, a man that would die in his place. However, as the clown begins to trick the court into believing he is the real king he starts to act on his own and begins to prove his worth is more than just a decoy. As he fills his role, he also begins to fall in love with the beautiful young queen (Lee Se Young). Can he hold back his heart, knowing his role is only temporary?

Trailer

My Review: 10/10

First off... holy wow... what a story! If you like dramas that keep you on the edge of your seat, well, this one is for you! I honestly felt as if I was riding a 16 episode climax. The intensity carried from episode 1 throughout the entire drama. NEVER a dull moment. However, because of this, as I drew near to the real climax I grew more and more afraid of it. Could I mentally handle it? That was my concern. So... I must confess to watching only clips and summaries of the final two episodes. I will eventually go back and fully watch them, but I was so invested and so emotionally into this drama, I really didn't know if I could do it. Saying this is not saying anything bad about the drama, but rather all good. The writer and director did such a good job and never let me settle and feel anyone was "safe". I really did not know what would happen here and I love stories I cannot predict! So many times I could not figure out how something would be resolved and yet they resolved it brilliantly! Kudos to the writers and director!

Edit: I have since re-watched the entire drama and the final two episodes as well! Still a 10/10!

Yeo Jin Goo. Wow, this guy. I have to admit that after my first time seeing him in a drama I wasn't sure I liked him. Granted, I quit that drama (Orange Marmalade) after only 4 episodes. My dislike probably came more from the written character he played in that. Now, after watching this, I am convinced he is one of the best actors out there. I have never seen someone play such extreme roles and emotions so convincingly and I don't know that anyone could have done it better than he did. I could not believe how he could one minute be the psychotic drug addicted king - shaking and angry and terrifying - and then flip to the character of the clown - kind and compassionate and looking like he couldn't hurt a fly. This was a genius casting as not everyone could have played this role... guaranteed. I feel like this drama alone could be this guys portfolio. He would need nothing else to prove himself as an actor. In my book, this was an award winning performance and I cannot say enough about it.

The role of the young Queen Yoo So Woon was played by Lee Se Young. She is a lovely actress with a sweet face and gentle voice and was a perfect fit for this role. She was not stretched in this role really, so I could not know with this the extent of her acting abilities, but she played the queen very well. She was mild mannered and calm, as she would be as a lady of that time who had grown up under the discipline of a wealthy family. But, in addition, she was at heart a kind and very compassionate queen who you could not help but love. Her character was a perfect match for the clown Ha Sun, and the opposite of King Lee Hun. I am currently in the early stages of watching her in Memorist and expect to see her stretched a bit more with that role. Overall, again I felt this a perfect casting.

I cannot forget to mention this character as well - Lee Gyu played by Kim Sang Kyung. Another genius casting. I loved this character as much as the other main two. He was likeable, yet he was also a dangerous man who wielded more power than his station truly authorized. He literally was the man in control of the two kings. As well as Memorist, I am also watching the 53 episode family drama of What Happens to My Family which also casts this actor. However, I did not recognize him right away since the two characters are VASTLY different and he plays both so well I can hardly believe they are the same guy. I must say that whoever was responsible for casting this drama did an extremely good job of it. 

I think I have already said most of what I would like to say regarding the plot and overall story. It is basically a story of a clown turned king who changes the essence of the political system of Joseon. He faces the threat to his real family as well as the risk of his own life to do so. All this, definitely not without cost. Do be prepared for a lot of violence as it obviously is not just a battle of wits. This is to be expected in historical dramas and this one does not spare the watcher. However, I highly recommend this drama, especially if you enjoy historical dramas and like stories that keep you at the edge of your seat. An excellent piece of work!

Awards Won

To be honest, I am not sure how or why this could only have won one award. It deserved much more!

Lee Se Young - 2019 - Excellence Award, Actress (12th Korea Drama Awards)

안녕! - 줄스