Early Access: The King: Eternal Monarch E2 (Patreon)

E2. In broad strokes, this kinda-sorta reminds me of Crash Landing On You, but with the genders switched. Instead of a rich girl landing in an unfamiliar place, and who quickly gloms onto the first familiar face that she finds, we have a king from a parallel universe landing in Korea, quickly glomming onto the first familiar face he finds. We even have the similar repeated phone calls, where he calls her for almost nothing at all, to the similar frustration of the recipient.

In this sense, this show has a similar light, undemanding vibe that I got from CLOY. It's also similarly polished and pretty, with a similarly well-executed soundtrack, that's positioned to lift the watch experience.

What I think this show doesn't have that CLOY does, is a pair of leads that are more likable, and command more screen presence, separately and together. And since a large part of CLOY's appeal is its OTP, TKEM is coming out looking a little lacking, in comparison.

Lee Gon is not unlikable; he's generally pleasant and quite patient, even when Tae Eul doesn't talk to him nicely, or ignores him, or manhandles him. The royal-speak is also fitting for the character, and gives him a quirk that sets him apart, while feeling organic to his station. It's a pity that Lee Min Ho doesn't carry himself with more gravitas as Lee Gon. I just don't sense the regality about him, and I can see why people say that he's sleepwalking through the role. He's playing Lee Gon too relaxed and languid, and he's not commanding much screen presence, both factors of which, are not helping. I expect a king to have more weightiness and authority about him, even in his most quiet and relaxed moments, and Lee Min Ho is not bringing that to the role. I do feel strongly about this, and I do feel this is a huge pity, because I think it takes away from how well his character - and the show as a whole - lands. In order to keep on watching this show, I feel like I'll have to just accept that this king just doesn't have the intensity and substance that I prefer, and just roll with it.

I do find it quite funny that Lee Gon, with his math genius of a brain, didn't figure out that his diamond buttons were finite, and that he'd run out of money if he kept spending like he was doing. I guess our king is either too used to being royally well-off, or not very bright in normal everyday things?

On the upside, I still feel that Tae Eul is understandable and far from being the abrasive, unreasonable character that I'd heard her to be. So far, she's perplexed by Lee Gon and his refusal-cum-inability to cooperate with her in her attempts to ascertain his identity, and she's also somewhat annoyed by his incessant phone calls. I'd be annoyed too, if someone left a horse in my garden without seeking permission first.

All that to say, I find her completely normal, so far, in the context of a kdrama heroine. Sure, in real life it wouldn't make sense for a woman to be so patient with a man that she thinks is crazy, but in this fantasy world, I think the various bits and pieces of "evidence" that what Lee Gon says might just be true, give her pause for thought, and that's why she's not throwing him in an asylum for being crazy, and still listening to what he has to say. I don't yet have an affection for her character, but that might change.

Since I'm making comparisons with CLOY, I'll say that by this point, I'd felt more affection for the characters in CLOY, whereas here, I don't yet feel affection for any character. I'm mildly amused by some of them, like Eun Sup and his cheerful personality, but that's about it, so far.

I do find it rather disappointing that our Prime Minister of Corea is basically a man-hungry vamp who somehow managed to make it into office. That remark that she made, about being dismayed because she'd thought that she'd be surrounded by handsome men after entering office, tells me everything I need to know about how writer-nim intends to position her. That remark just makes her look like she has no smarts, competence, or any kind of political ambition, unless it has to do with her snagging a man. She specifically has her sights set on Lee Gon, and it seems that all she cares about is how their photos turned out, and whether netizens feels that they make a cute couple.

I can't say I'm surprised by this choice, since this is in line with Kim Eun Sook's usual style, but I will say that it's rather regrettable that this kind of old-fashioned characterization is still being used today. It would've been more interesting if our lady Prime Minister was sharp and lethal and an actual political threat. However, again, I think this won't be too bad of a hurdle, once I adjust my lens and my expectations, so that I don't expect more from her. Also, she might turn out to be more sharp and lethal in future episodes?

Woo Do Hwan's doing a nice job toggling his very different roles, and I think part of the fun is just seeing him be Eun Sup, all bubbly and spouting Satoori. I do like Jo Yeong's seriousness and his dedication to his job, and the fact that he's kind of a celeb among the people, for being Captain of the Royal Guard, amuses me.

So far, stuff makes sense to me, in that I haven't noticed any plot holes or logic lapses yet. Even Lee Gon's quick ability to adapt to the idea of a parallel universe is touched on, when he implies that parallel universes are taught in science classes in Corea.

However, his sudden decision to make Tae Eul his queen does feel like it came out of left field. I was ok with him being desperate to spend more time with her, since he's been searching for her his whole life, almost, and I was also ok with him looking at her with some kind of burgeoning intent, since he's been curious about her all this time. But to suddenly have him announce that he wants her to be his queen feels very abrupt, to me. Am I supposed to think that he's just fallen for her at first sight, pretty much, or will Show add more meat to this in the next episode?

In terms of OTP chemistry, so far, I find it reasonably ok, though I wouldn't say that it's particularly sparky. I think the OTP chemistry would be better, if Lee Min Ho wasn't playing Lee Gon so laidback. The laidback vibe takes away energy from his screen presence, and that is not helping him match Kim Go Eun's energy onscreen, I think. Not everyone can bring the sparks while being laidback, and I'm tentatively concluding that Lee Min Ho isn't one of those actors who can. So far, it's not terrible, but it would be helpful if the OTP chemistry gets better.