Queen Cheorin (2020)

It has it all and more!

Where to start?

Maybe from the beginning - I love sageuks, they're my favourite genre of kdramas that can be offered. I was still seething from watching The Red Sleeve and I was looking for something to wash down the bad taste that sageuk left behind. Lo and behold, this came up as a suggestion and I remember reading the infobox and thinking "this is like Go Go Princess". Imagine my surprise when I realised that it was the korean remake of the webdrama! From the onset the show was ticking all the boxes: a sageuk with a wacky premise that is balanced with romance and comedy, and a tasteful side of politics (I will die on this hill of me loving the political side to sageuks). Plus, the show was finished which meant it was binge watch time.

Premise:
Like it's predecessor, this show keeps the general gist that GGP did; playboy Bong-hwan has an accident that results in him being thrown back to the Joseon era, and not only that, he's in the body of the seemingly meek and obedient So-yong, Queen to King Cheoljong. The first few episodes deal with Bong-yong trying desperately to get back to his body and doesn't really care for the politics that are happening around him, remaining aloof and uncaring to the situation at the palace. But things are brewing and people are plotting and political intrigue is happening whether Bong-yong knows it or not, all the while he's being dragged into it.

I will defend the political side to sageuks with my dying breath and this show is no exception because we, like Bong-yong, are outliers and are learning who's who and what they want and we learn this alongside Bong-yong; it's not just good guys v bad guys, because everyone has their own side and are willing to do what they want to get it, Cheoljong is no exception to this. And we learn alongside Bong-yong, that palace life is not as perfect as it seems.

Characters:
Oh man oh man, where to even BEGIN? Bong-hwan is your typical playboy: he's kind of a chauvinist, a misogynist, doesn't really care about anyone but numero uno: himself and you don't entirely believe he's a good person, even though we know he isn't bad per se. I didn't generally care for Bong-hwan as his present day self because there isn't anything to really like about him, until he wakes up and is suddenly in So-yong's body; this, dear readers, is where the fun kicks in.

So-yong is a blank slate, portraying the meekness that is commonplace amongst girls at this time. She's sweet, she's quiet and soft, she has no big plans or goals other than one: to be queen and to love the king, and even be loved in return. By all accounts, she is innocent and the most innocent in the show as the sins of the father and family should not be on her shoulders. But Bong-yong isn't going to lie down and take any crap from people, and trouble and chaos ensues.

Bong-yong is a mix of So-yong and Bong-hwan; Bong-yong is loud, is brash, doesn't know etiquette, doesn't have a filter but Bong-yong is also kind and caring and sweet to those around her. Bong-yong is not Bong-hwan or So-yong, but the best (and worst) of both. Bong-yong's main storyline branches out from the need to get home, and instead becomes a journey of identity, both in terms of gender and sexuality. Bong-yong falls in love with Cheoljong, and at no point do you doubt that it's really only So-yong who is in love, and not Bong-hwan. And of course Bong-yong is thrown into chaos - she has never fallen in love with a man, let alone be attracted to one, and she doesn't know who she really is - her soul is Bong-hwan, but her body and heart is So-yong and she has lost all sense of who she truly is. But she never loses her way - in the end she decides it doesn't matter who she is, she loves who she loves and nothing will change that.

Cheoljong - my love, my life, how to even describe you? I believe i was like many in the beginning: i remember his first on screen appearance and i was like "uh, he's hardly going to be the main love interest?" He's goofy, he's simple, easily led astray and manipulated by his family and his government members. The literal definition of no thoughts, head empty, brain smooth. He was chosen simply because he was thought to be simple minded and could act as a puppet. However, we learn that this is very much not the case.

Cheoljong is an act: he knows how corrupt his government and the palace are, he knows the true nature of everyone who tries to make him think he can trust them and he is working secretly and tirelessly to bring down all the people in his way. He's cunning, meticulous, calculating and cruel at times, and sometimes that goofy façade cracks and his real self peers through, frightening those who begin to realise they were wrong about him from the start but this realisation comes all too late for many of Cheoljong's adversaries.

But the best part of Cheoljong? When he's in LOVE. In the beginning, we know he doesn't care for So-yong, let alone love her (insert second female lead here) and didn't seem entirely concerned when she decided to kermit sewerslide (in fact, I would say he would have loved for nothing more than for her to have died then). But So-yong has changed since her accident: she's no longer obedient and meek and quiet in any shape or form. She's eccentric and loud and does what she wants when she wants, and also seems to have forgotten her love confession to him. Cheoljong realises that maybe there's more to his queen and, despite objections, begins to place trust in her about his plans.

Cheoljong fell in love like how a person sleeps: slowly, and then all at once. He doesn't care about Bong-yong's constant monologues and quirky sayings (he even creates a queen's dictionary so he can understand Bong-yong's 21st century slang), her carefree attitude and nonchalant displays of affection touch Cheoljong as he has remained deprived of such things all his life. He is the number one supporter of "no touch", though doesn't seem to know exactly what it means other than "we live happily together separately". He wants Bong-yong to be happy, and he wants to be happy with her. And we never really do find out which side of Bong-yong that Cheoljong fell for, save for the end where he comments he feels like he's missing something once Bong-hwan and So-yong have been returned to their old selves. But Cheoljong loves Bong-yong, he fell first and oh boy did Cheoljong fall the hardest; he tries his best to understand Bong-yong's modern slang, has grown accustomed to her outbursts that freak everyone out and eventually she becomes the main reason he needs to keep fighting when everything seems lost.

Other characters include: second male lead who loves main female lead and then does everything to make her hate him while thinking he's doing it to protect her, second female lead who lied to male lead about being the girl from his childhood and hates the female lead, evil plotting baddies group 1 and 2, female lead's entourage and female lead's dad who is a cutie patootie and redeems himself for good. I don't have much to say about these side characters; they were good, they were fun, they did their parts in stirring up trouble and there was nothing really spectacular about them.

Other points:
The ACTING - mein got, Shin Hye-sun is a a GODDESS, you could really tell there was a difference between Bong-hwan and So-yong and then when the two become more connected how Bong-yong is a mix of the two, feminine and masculine all in one. Kim Jung-hyun was fantastic, he really sold the idea of Cheoljong being an idiot, puppet king in disguise and by GOD, when this man would lose his temper and start yelling? I would have to pause and fan myself because woooo boy. These two stood out from the entire cast, which isn't too say everyone else was bad, it's just these two were a powerhouse of acting and chemistry that I don't think anyone else could beat these two. Oh god, and the COMEDY - Shin Hye-sun needs to do more comedy because she is FANTASTIC, there are times i would pause and have to catch my breath because of her comedic skills. The same can be said of Kim Jung-hyun but his comedy is subtle and more unaware, the two actors meshing and rolling off of one another.

COSTUME/SET DESIGN: the thing about GGP was that it was super low budget and they made it work because their low budget was part of the comedy. You won't find that here; amazing costume designs and set designs really make the show a treat for the eyes. I think my favourite part about sageuks is their costuming and set designs, it's a treat alongside the actual show itself.

MUSIC: imma keep it real, I did not listen to any of the soundtracks, opening or credits. But it's not bad, i think? I can't really remember the soundtrack to this show.

Writing this review has made me want to watch the entire show again. It's definitely one of the best dramas 2020/2021 has had to offer!

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