Imagine a Korea that never divided. Now imagine this unified Korea with a ruling monarchy, one that is in possession of a magical flute that allows its wielder to travel to our world. This is the premise of the Krama The King: Eternal Monarch.
Lee Min-ho (Boys Over Flowers) stars as King Lee Gon of the Kingdom of Corea. As a boy, he survived a coup attempt by his uncle Lee Rim, played by Lee Jung-in. During the coup, Rim kills Gon’s father, the current king, and tries to take the flute for himself. A mysterious stranger saves young Gon from his uncle but not before the flute splits in half. This splitting causes a rift between our world and that of the Kingdom of Corea. Rim flees with his half of the flute to our world, while young King Gon retains the other half. Gon’s only clue to his savior is the police ID of a woman named Jeong Tae-eul.
In our world, detective Jeong, Goblin’s Kim Go-eun, is unaware of this parallel world or King Gon until he shows up in the Republic of Korea, claiming he has come a long way to find her. Over the course of the series, Gon and Tae-eul race against time and space to stop Lee Rim from destroying both of their worlds.
- Series Title: The King: Eternal Monarch (Korean: 더 킹: 영원의 군주)
- Starring: Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun, Woo Do-hwan, Lee Jung-in, Jung Eun-chae
- Written by: Kim Eun-sook
- Directed by: Baek Sang-hoon, Jung Ji-hyun, Yoo Je-won
- Network: SBS TV
- Where to watch in the US: Netflix
- Premier Date: April 17, 2020
- # of episodes: 16
- KafeNook Rating: 4.8 sips
The King: Eternal Monarch — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
I have always found stories involving time travel and parallel worlds fascinating. No doubt this stems from some of my favorite original Star Trek episodes. Namely, the alternate universe trail blazer Mirror, Mirror (Spock with a beard!) and the best episode of Star Trek the original series, The City on the Edge of Forever. In The City on the Edge of Forever, written by legendary science fiction author Harlan Ellison, Captain Kirk (William Shatner), makes the heartbreaking decision to let Joan Collins’ character, Edith Keeler, die in the past. Kirk knows that only her death will restore the Federation’s timeline. The look on Kirks’ face when he stops Dr. McCoy from saving Edith as she crosses the street, breaks my heart to this day.
Creating good stories involving time travel and parallel universes can be tricky. The King: Eternal Monarch tackles both in an imaginative and bold way. Once I watched the show, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and all the interesting possibilities it unveiled.
Time Travel and Parallel Worlds Oh My
The King: Eternal Monarch was my first-time seeing Lee Min-ho in a drama (and by no means the last!). Fresh out of his military service, he looks incredibly regal as King Lee Gon – particularly in his navy uniform. Lee Min-ho wears Gon’s authority and intelligence like a glove. Just look at the mental gymnastics Gon goes through to figure out the secret of the talisman and later, how the void between worlds works. Like Gon, I found myself performing mental gymnastics to keep up with the complicated – yet compelling plot.
There are a few plot holes and I found myself getting lost once or twice. But I decided that’s all the more reason to watch the show again! As I wrote this review, like the drama itself, I kept getting caught up in the intricacies of the plot. Then I realized the best way to look at it is from the perspective of three timelines spread across the two worlds.
Timeline One – T1
In the first timeline, Rim’s attempt to kill young Gon results in the talisman being split in half. A mysterious person saves Gon and Rim escapes. Rim uses his half of the talisman to enter a void that takes him to the Republic. Within the void, his aging is slowed. As Gon grows up, Rim spends much of his time moving people back and forth between the Kingdom and the Republic – usually making them kill their double in the process. This is all part of his goal to get back the other half of the talisman and take over the Kingdom.
Grown-up Gon searches for detective Jeong Tae-eul in his world to no avail. Using the talisman, he discovers a portal within the bamboo forest that allows him to enter the void and cross into the Republic (with his horse no less!). There, he finally meets detective Jeong Tae-eul for the first time and to her surprise, hugs her. In the meantime, Tau-eul and her partner, detective Kang Shin-jae (Kim Kyung-nam) are dealing with a series of strange murders. They suspect Gon, who has no identification in the Republic.
Gon travels back and forth the between the worlds, sometimes taking Tae-eul with him – to the chagrin of his Captain of the Guard, Jo Jeong (Woo Do-hwan of Bloodhounds). In the Kingdom, he deals with ambitious Prime Minister Koo Seo-ryeong (Jung Eun-chae) who aspires to become his Queen. In the Republic, he tries to find and stop Rim. Not only is Rim killing people between the two worlds, but the split talisman is causing time for Gon and Rim to slow. If this continues, time for them will eventually stop.
When Gon comes into the possession of Tau-eul’s new detective badge, he realizes the truth. He is the one who went back in time to save his younger self. Gon makes the decision to save his young self, thus kicking off timeline two.
Timeline Two – T2
The second timeline starts after Gon saves his younger self. (In an interesting twist, T1 Rim tries to warn T2 Rim of Gon’s plan and ends up being killed by T2 Rim. That will come back to bite him!) So why is T2 not just T1 starting over again? It’s because of yo-yo boy (the mysterious kid with the yo-yo) who allows Gon and Tau-eul to retain their memories from the first timeline. Once Gon accomplishes his mission, he spends four months in the void in order to catch up to the present – since time works differently there. He does pop out of the void occasionally to visit Tae-eul as she is growing up, thus changing certain events from T1.
Tae-eul’s ability to remember T1 is reflected in T2 when she sees Gon arriving on his horse in the Republic and she runs to hug him first. As Tae-eul says in her voiceover, she is determined to treat Gon better and with more love this time. Now here is the tricky part. This Gon doesn’t remember Tae-eul at this meeting because Gon from T1 is in the void. This is T2 Gon. During this second timeline, they relive all the events from T1 until Gon in the void catches up with the present.
T1 Gon finally leaves the void at the point where he merges (I guess?) with T2 Gon – since he now has memories from both timelines. Once again, he failed to stop his uncle and both worlds are in even more danger. Now, Gon has to make the heartbreaking decision to go back in time again, this time, to kill his uncle rather than save his younger self. Before he leaves, he reassures Tae-eul that, should he somehow survive, he will search time and space to find her.
Timeline Three – T3
Gon goes back in time again, but now Yeong is with him. Did I mention how much I like the relationship between Gon and Yeong? Yeong may by the Captain of the Guard, but the two of them grew up in the palace together. They served in the military together. They have crossed worlds together. Yeong will do anything to protect his king. Gon may not like the idea of his closest friend coming to harm, but he accepts Yeong’s loyalty.
Once in the past, loyal Yeong refuses Gon’s order to go to safety while Gon continues on his mission to kill Rim. Instead, Yeong declares he will do what he has always done and protect his King – this time, young Lee Gon. In T3, the two of them take on Rim’s men together: Gon, with his sights on his uncle, and Yeong, using himself as a human shield to save young Gon. Tae-eul, meanwhile has cornered T2 Rim in the void. Just as it looks like T2 Rim is going to kill Tae-eul, Gon kills T3 Rim. Phew. Crises Averted.
Tae-eul returns to the Republic to wait for Gon. Gon retrieves Yeong and uses the restored talisman to take them into the void. (Somewhere along the way, saving Yeong from his wounds.) Once again, Gon waits for the present to catch up. This is complicated by the fact the talisman doesn’t return him directly to the Republic. He must search through multiple universes to find his Tae-eul. On his journey (and looking especially handsome in his kingly uniform), he runs into version after version of Tae-eul, most of whom are in some type of military or service, until he finally finds his Tae-eul.
And that is the spine of the story. A whole lot more happens along the way. Speaking of which…
Supporting Storylines
Naturally, a massive show like The King: Eternal Monarch has subplots within subplots. Many of these subplots showcase an actor’s ability to play multiple roles where they represent one person in the Republic of Korea and that person’s doppelganger in the Kingdom. My favorite dual role of the series is played by Woo Do-hwan as Jo Yeong, Gon’s faithful Captain of the Guard. Yeong is stoic, professional, and highly trained. Jo Eun-sup, Yeong’s Republic counterpart is an easy-going, happy guard who is serving his mandatory military service within the National Police Academy. The two could not be any more different. When one pretends to be the other (which happens often), the pretense is apparent in Woo Do-hwan’s acting.
I especially love the scene in an alley where Gon is defending himself. Yeong, dressed as Eun-sup, steps in to defend his King. He is in full Captain of the Guard mode until he realizes he’s supposed to be Eun-sup. The moment he attempts to be like Eun-sup is a joy to watch. Yeong and Eun-sup adorably learn from each other, to point that Eun-sup, acting as Yeong, saves Gon’s life, and Yeong is able to open up in relationships.
Kim Kyung-nam gives the sincerest performance of the drama as detective Kang Shin-jae who, in a heartbreaking moment learns Rim brought him to the Republic from the Kingdom as a child. A truly nice guy, his affection for his partner, Tae-eul, is painful to watch especially knowing that she doesn’t return the same feelings. How lovely that in the corrected timeline (T3) of the Kingdom, that version of Shin-jae (called Hyeon-min there) has a relationship with Tae-eul’s Kingdom double, Luna, the women he is destined to be with. It’s also nice to see his Republic double being saved from a terrible accident by Gon and now living a normal life as a wealthy heir.
Best Tear-jerker Moments
After learning that his favorite uncle, Prince Buyeong (Joon Moo-song) died at the hands of Rim, Gon breaks down in the kitchen of his palace. I could feel Gon’s deep sorrow for the man who helped to raise him. A short time later, Gon (in that regal attire again!) shows up with flowers for Tae-eul. Tears streaming down his face for all that he has lost, he kisses her tenderly. It’s Tae-eul’s time to cry when Gon finally appears in T3 after she’s been waiting months for him. This is his cue that he’s found his Tae-eul because all the other Tae-euls always smiled at him.
Random things I Liked
Lee Min-ho in any type of uniform.
Gon’s jesting with Tae-eul during their weekend time travels as he pulls what looks to be fig-leaves out of the traveling cases. You never know how far back in time they are going after all!
Tae-eul’s rescue scene – all those people on horses riding down a main street in Seoul coming to save her.
Gon and Tae-eul watching Yeong on camera in the palace where they see him passing secret notes to Myeong Seung Ah. Also seeing Yeong getting upset at his king when Gon is not around.
The Ending
I found the ending of The King: Eternal Monarch to be satisfying. For a while, I wondered if a happy ending was even possible. Gon and Tae-eul are reunited. During the weekdays they live their separate lives in the Kingdom (Gon) and the Republic (Tae-eul) respectively. On the weekends, they meet up in the bamboo forest and go exploring other worlds. The final scene shows their old hands clasped lovingly together. At least the ending gives these beloved characters a way to live a happy life (mostly) together in spite of their circumstances.
And yet….
A Broken Promise
I felt like a promise to the viewers was broken. In episode 12, Tae-eul fights for her life against Rim’s forces. She’s about to be overtaken when King Lee Gon, on horseback (and with a legion of men and vehicles), arrives to save her. Gon yells to his men, “Protect her at all costs, she is your future Queen.”
Okay. When the main character yells out a statement like that in a massive scene, that seems like a promise. Tae-eul becoming Queen is never shown or even hinted at again in the series. Sigh. It’s not that I believe the ending should be like a fairytale with Tae-eul ending up as the Queen. I just think the showrunners sort of, you know, promised it. And I get it – it would be hard to show all of that. Like maybe it would take another 4 or 5 episodes. Therefore, I’m going to help it along.
A KafeNook Ending within the Ending for The King: Eternal Monarch
Here is what I imagine happens between Gon and Tae-eul’s initial weekend traveling between the time they start, to the time when they are old and holding hands. They travel on weekends – for a while – when it’s new, fun and exciting. But eventually, they want to be together for more than just the weekends. Tae-eul’s life as a detective without her buddy Shin-jae is not as fulfilling as before. King Gon without Tae-eul by his side to help run the Kingdom is lonely. And – they both recognize that Gon needs an heir.
Tae-eul leaving her world is the easier part of the plan. Maybe she has already told friends and co-workers that she is seeing someone on the weekends. Eventually, she tells them of her upcoming marriage and how she will be moving far away. She’ll come back to visit when she can. Her dad is told the truth and given the option of staying in the Republic or coming with her to the Kingdom.
Becoming queen in Gon’s world is harder (for one, alternate Tae-eul/Luna already exists there) but not impossible. The future queen needs a solid background. Fortunately, Gon and Tae-eul have time travel at their fingertips. They slip back to the time of Luna’s birth, plant a fake birth certificate showing the birth of twin girls, then another document indicating the adoption of one of the twins. Conveniently these adoptive parents are from outside of the Kingdom.
They continue through the timeline, planting small pieces of evidence of Tae-eul in the world of the Kingdom. Finally, Tae-eul officially appears in the Kingdom with the pretext of looking for her birth parents. Instead, she finds twin sister Luna. Given her law enforcement background and skills, Tae-eul goes to work for a security firm. The firm happens to have a contract to provide security at a large event where Gon is in attendance. With the help of Yeong (and probably under his objection) they stage a minor incident where Tae-eul saves Gon from harm. Gon shows his gratitude by offering her a position within palace security. A short time later, they announce their romance.
And that is how Tae-eul becomes Queen – or my ending within the ending for The King: Eternal Monarch.😊
Unanswered Questions
What happened to Prince Buyeong’s granddaughter in the corrected timeline? With Buyeong’s traitorous son’s demise, this means the granddaughter will never be born. Who is Gon’s heir now? Why go to all of the trouble to have the prime-ministers pregnant sister’s doppelganger kill Prince Buyeoung’s granddaughter? (That’s a mouthful!) Why does the prime minister’s mother in the Kingdom replace her Republic counterpart? Simply for shock value? What did the prime minister have to gain by killing her Republic double?
The King: Eternal Monarch Soundtrack
One of the things I love about listening to Kdrama soundtracks is how it transports me back to moments within the drama. Listening to the song Masa sung by Yongzoo, from The King: Eternal Monarch soundtrack puts me back in the middle of Gon and Tae-eul’s timeless love story. The song, Gravity, sung by Kim Jung-wan fills my head with beautiful images from the series.
