The Emperor: Owner of the Mask 군주 - 가면의 주인

 

Title: The Emperor: Owner of the Mask 군주 - 가면의 주인

Genre: Historical, Romance, Political

Release: 2017

Starring (Main Cast): 

Yoo Seung Ho as Crown Prince Lee Sun

Kim So Hyun as Han Ga Eun

Kim Myung Soo as Commoner Lee Sun

Yoon So Hee as Kim Hwa Geon

Heo Joon Ho as Dae Mok

Park Chul Min as Woo Bo

Director: Park Won Gook, Noh Do Cheol

Writer: Park Hye Jin, Jung Hae Ri

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Audience Rating: 4.8/5

MyDramaList Rating: 8.0/10

Kocowa Synopsis: Click Here

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Episodes: 40 (abt. 1/2 hour each)

Content Rating: TV-14

Violence: Hitting, yelling, fight scenes (fists and swords) with blood, poisoning

Sexual Content: Kissing and hugging. There may be some verbal references but I don't remember any. No nudity.

Language: Mild to moderate (depends on where you watch)

Ending: Happy, satisfying

My Synopsis:

The Kingdom of Joseon is under the ownership and control of an evil organization called the Pyunsoo Group. Refusing to fall under the same control of his father, the Crown Prince sets out to destroy them. But, the group is too powerful and his rebellion unwittingly causes the deaths of his father, the King, and his mother, as well as the father of the woman he loves. Due to his father's foresight, his face has been hidden since childhood, and so, more determined than ever he replaces himself in the palace and sets out to bring about the end of Pyunsoo Group and return the country back to the people. Can he find a way to bring down the most powerful man in the kingdom without costing the kingdom and the lives of those he loves? And, what if the man he placed in the palace no longer wants to give up the throne?

Trailer

My Review: 8.5/10

There were things I really liked about this drama and some things I did not, which I will explain as I go. The plotline follows the Crown Prince as he fulfills a destiny that was spoken over him before his birth. One, that the leader of Pyunsoo Group had tried to interfere with when he was a baby, but failed. Because of this, the king hid his son's face behind a mask his entire life to keep his appearance a secret. This benefits him later as he is forced to leave the palace to find a way to destroy the Group. The control the leader of the group has is via a poison that when taken causes the user to become immediately addicted to it. The withdrawal from the drug is deadly and so must be taken at certain regular intervals to keep the user alive. The only supplier, of course, is Pyunsoo Group. This means to keep yourself alive you must be a pawn. The group also has an antidote to cure a user. Some of this is a little far-fetched, but it does make for an interesting storyline.

The Crown Prince Lee Sun was played by Yoo Seung Ho. This role gave me a new respect for him as an actor. I had seen him previously in I Am Not a Robot, and to be honest I wasn't sure how I felt. I assumed that my hesitation over him was due to the fact that I just wasn't sure I liked the character he played in that drama. It was a weak character, in my opinion. This proved my assumption correct as I found I really, really liked him in this. After this I also watched him in Memorist, which further solidified my confidence in this actor. He is excellent at what he does and I would easily place him among the best. It makes me want to re-watch I Am Not a Robot just to see if the new opinion (and more familiarity) I have of him as an actor would change my overall view of the show. Who knows? The Crown Prince in this drama is an amazing character. He is strong. Though not always confident, his love for his people drives him into many dangerous situations in which he has little thought for himself. His compassion and self-sacrificing actions make him so very likeable. It is really his character that gives the weak plot points strength. I found it easy to overlook them in my desire to see this man succeed. 

The love interest of the Crown Prince/King is Han Ga Eun played by the popular actress, Kim so Hyun. I was a bit torn on her character. She was a kind and caring person, but she was driven by revenge the majority of the story. A bit excessively in my opinion as she wasn't satisfied with just bringing down the people who killed her father. She wanted them dead (by her own hand). Particularly the Crown Prince, who she thought was responsible. Of course, she does not realize that the man she falls in love with is that very same person. What will happen when she finds out? Will love win, or her desire for revenge? Her actions during this drama did not really give me full confidence in her love for the prince, which of course then opened the door for me to have second lead syndrome, which I did in full. And I will explain that later when I introduce the second female lead. Overall, I do think Kim So Hyun is a good actress, but I will have to see more with her to have a more thorough opinion. As of now, I feel she is good but not above average. The only other drama I have seen her in was The Tale of Nokdu, and I felt that this character was almost identical, even in their motivations... revenge, and loving the prince (who is living as a civilian outside the palace). She really played the same character in both so I feel as if I really haven't seen her act outside this role.

The Commoner Lee Sun turned puppet king was played by Kim Myung Soo, another popular actor. I was really looking forward to seeing him in a much different role than he normally plays. However, this is where one of my disappointments in the show comes from. Sadly. First, I have really enjoyed watching Myung Soo in all of the dramas I have seen him in previously. He plays the role of a sweet and gentle character, with some more controlled anger, perfectly. It suits him. But, the rage and hysterical behavior he must produce here pushed him a little beyond his ability, I believe. I found that it just wasn't believable and it looked manufactured on him. When he is in the more gentle side of this role, he does amazing, but I think that this particular role was just not a good fit for him. I adore this actor, so I don't want to criticize him, but the truth is, there are just some roles not suited for a particular actor and there is nothing wrong with that.

And this brings me to the girl I feel was truly worthy of the love of the Crown Prince, Kim Hwa Geon (played by Yoon So Hee). She was a precious character and was probably my favorite in the entire drama. The granddaughter of the head of Pyunsoo Group, she works behind the backs of her family, risking her life and safety for the crown prince who she is close to and deeply loves. She never once requires his love in return. In fact, she would willingly place the girl he loves beside him because his happiness is more important to her than her own. She loved him innocently and fully and I felt she was the one that should have won him in the end. Hers was the unwavering sort of love, unlike the main girl character who found it so easy to turn love to hate at the drop of a hat. Hwa Geon even was the one responsible for bringing the king's love back, knowing that it was her that he risked his life for. It was with much sadness for me that she was not the one who ended up beside him in the end. He could not have found a more faithful wife than Hwa Geon. The actress Yoon So Hee did an incredible job bringing her to life, and truly making her the loveable character she was. I look forward to seeing more from this actress in the future!

The relationship between the two main leads definitely did have their sweet moments, and they for sure had chemistry. It is really, the character of Han Ga Eun that was in question for me. Her faithfulness just didn't quite match that of Hwa Geon. Truly Yoo Seung Ho had great chemistry with both, which also made it harder for me.

For the sake of space, I will only briefly touch on the final two main lead roles. One was the mentor figure Woo Bo, played by Park Chul Min. You can see him in the first gif in my review section. And the leader of Pyunsoo Group, Dae Mok, played by Heo Joon Ho, who you see in the gif directly above. Both were great actors and played a significant role that helped to carry the story along.

Overall, I give this a pretty good rating. Even with my little disappointments I did feel this story to be very well done, and enjoyable to watch. I was eager to watch each episode and think that most people will find this a worthy watch. It isn't the best historical drama I have seen, but I liked it and am glad I watched.

OST

Both Kim Myung Soo (L) and Kim So Hyun sang on this drama's OST. You can enjoy both below!:

Awards Won

The Emperor: Owner of the Mask - 2017- Best Drama (10th Korea Drama Awards)

Park Hye Jin - 2017 - Best Screenwriter Award (10th Korea Drama Awards)

Jeon No Min - 2017 - Excellence Award (10th Korea Drama Awards)

Heo Jun Ho - 2017 - KDA Award (10 Korea Drama Awards)

Yoon So Hee - 2017 - Best New Actress (1st The Seoul Awards)

Kim So Hyun - 2017 - Popular Culture Awards (Korea Hallyu Awards); Female Popularity Award (44th MBC Drama Awards)

Yoo Seung Ho - 2017 - Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries (44th MBC Drama Awards)

Kim Seon Kyung - 2017 - Golden Acting Award, Actress in a Miniseries (44th MBC Drama Awards)

Kim Myung Soo - 2017 - Male Popularity Award & Best Character Award, Fighting Spirit Acting (44th MBC Drama Awards)

안녕! - 줄스