The second installment on who’s the crowned clown.
3. Clowns are considered foolish.
The difference between a clown and a fool is impersonation. A clown impersonates a fool while a fool is … well… a fool. A clown amuses people by acting stupid while a fool amuses people by revealing his true colors.
It was impressed upon us from the start that Hasung only acted in a silly fashion. Whether he was with the lord, the gisaeng, the spectators, the eunuch or Minister Lee, he was quick to think on his feet. In fact, it wasn’t easy to fool him because he was street-smart. He might not know the rules, but he caught on quick. He was a clown in appearance only; he could easily be a champion of the people because he was one of them.
In contrast, we saw the King display lack of restraint and judgment that he could easily pass for a fool. He was quick to anger but slow to decide. Although he was played for a fool by Minister Sin (his excuse for bribery in the King’s name was laughable!), he did nothing. He foolishly doubts his Queen’s advice to listen to his people. He couldn’t govern well because he didn’t know them.
However, I do wonder what will happen if the clown Hasung is also exposed to the same kill-or-be-killed atmosphere experienced by the King over a prolonged period of time. Will his good nature become warped as the King’s?
For instance, in this ending scene of Episode 1, we see Hasung cowering when the King ordered him to say “Fool!” (Note: Viki subbed it as “this punk” but Dramabeans recapper wrote it as “fool” and Dramamilk used the Korean word, “I-nom”. I’m going with DB because it matched the theme of the kdrama.)
Of course, Hasung didn’t want to say “Fool!” as he was addressing the King even though he had called the King worse names than “fool” in his act. 😂Remember? He called the King a bastard. “The one that even the ghosts spit on and avoid is the loutish rogue. The loutish bastard.” 🤦♀️
But when the King shocked him with his violent outburst, “Fool! Are you not going to do it properly?” Hasung followed suit and bellowed with the same ferocity…
…which leads me to suspect that under the same duress as the King, he will act in a similar fashion.
Anyway, at this point in time, if we measure up the two characters, the King and the clown Hasun, to the maxim said by the Fat Clown, “It’s awesome if you do it well but deadly if you don’t” then Hasun is definitely faring better in life, while the King is almost on death row.
The King is the bigger fool, making a mess of the state affairs, as his dying father predicted.
The whole focus of the two-hour movie “Masquerade” is to show that the clown isn’t quite the fool that the King and his loyalists expected him to be, and that he was astute enough to enact policies during his brief time as the imposter king. The movie was a “feel-good” movie meant to spotlight an ordinary man unexpected caught in an extraordinary circumstances.
However, since this is a 16 episode show, I expect the kdrama to be more multi-dimensional and to expand the story to include the crazy King because it is after all the King himself who, in the history books, implemented the reforms (tax reforms??) which benefited the poor in his country but eventually led to his dethronement and his exile.
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lol. I realized something! Not only was there a shoutout to Lee Seunggi’s kdrama Hwayugi when Minister Lee mentioned “Journey to the West,” but two of LSG’s former co-stars have reunited in this tvN kdrama. The Eunuch was the Rich CEO/butler and the Queen of course was the zombie.
I am SO interested in watching this. Sageuk is my favorite kdrama genre.Plus, the movie is a masterpiece. The question is, do I start watching now and bite my nails in anxiety while waiting for the next episode, or do I wait and binge watch the whole thing after it is finished airing? I am usually a binge watcher, but sometimes I have to go outside my comfort zone…
Same here! lol I’ve been on the fence with this one. I love how the “visuals” of the kdrama, but I don’t want to be dragged into the love triangle which I know tvn will exploit.
SPOILER ALERT (which is a historical fact, anyway):
The King and the queen end up together and they’ll have a son. Unless a) there’s also a queen doppelganger or b) King gets kills and the imposter rules the throne, I don’t see how the clown ends up with the her. It would smack of conspiracy theory to suggest that Gwanghaegun was a pretender king all along.
I’ll wait till Episode 8 before picking this up again.
Howdy! It is 37 degrees here on my side of the earth while I guess you’re freezing? LOL! This is why I do not winged about winter anymore.
How did you go with episode 8? I only finished the episode where the Queen kissed him and after that sure enough like you said, the King was poisoned by his ever loyal Minister Lee. Reading comments in Soompi and I’m really not sure where the story will go.
Just to add, if this is base on the movie Masquerade, are they still following the movie? I have not seen Masquerade 🙂
No. The script didn’t follow Masquerade. But now, a HEA for the clown and the Queen has been paved in this kdrama since the clown will continue pretending to be King till the end.
Lol. I guess the writer didn’t like the Masquerade ending so this kdrama is the writer’s version of #justiceforHwasun. 😂🤦♀️
In the Masquerade, the clown went on exile. You see, if he had usurped the crown, then he wasn’t any different from or any better than the traitors. And what comes around, goes around.
In the movie, the king was going to have the clown killed but the king’s warrior (I don’t know what you call him) let the clown escape to safety. Also, Minister Lee was loyal to the king in the movie and didn’t poison him.
In the kdrama, Minister Lee just crowned himself the kingmaker.
For me, this writer’s message is assassinating a ruler is a legitimate use of violence for the sake of “the greater good” — and a horny Queen.
Tsk tsk tsk. I don’t know what the writer is thinking. But then, I really don’t want to know what he’s thinking….🤪
For me, this writer’s message is assassinating a ruler is a legitimate use of violence for the sake of “the greater good” — and a horny Queen.
👆 👆 👆 This about sums it up yes, so true. I don’t know much about the rules especially in Joseon era but killing someone just because he looks hopeless doesn’t cut it for me even if he’s done evil things. I said before I wouldn’t mind for the King to be brought back to how he use to be but they killed him already.
Anyway, the lead actor is really good. The chemistry with the Queen is good too.
I guess you won’t finish this one?
Yes, it was freezing today. I’m fine because from the house to the garage to the car (I heat the car by remote from inside the house, 🙂) to the office’s underground parking to the elevator to my office, I barely feel the deep freeze. I bring my winter coat JUST IN CASE I need it, but I can get by with my usual office suits. 🙂
I’m more worried about the homeless folks. There are some who would still refuse to go to the shelters even in this polar condition…. sigh.
Good to know you don’t feel the cold 😊 I’ve been a winger of winter since the day I arrived here in Oz but 3 years ago I stopped because the summer was just too ridiculous 😂 I welcome winter now 😄
Yes some folks are stubborn like that. They can always go back out again once temperature is manageable.
Both the lead actors are good and they have excellent chemistry.
Either as king or clown, the actor portrayed the role well. And the clown and queen looked good. The King could have been like that clown had the palace conspiracies and betrayals not deformed and destroyed him. But the writer did not want the “redemption” angle played here for the king. He wants the clown to have his HEA.
No. I’m not going to finish this one although I will check from time to time to see if the writer will redeem himself. 🙅♀️ He violated one of my precepts: the end does not justify the means.
I was trying to watch that zombie show on Netflix Kingdom. After the cannibalism, I stopped. 🤢 🤯
Yes, some of them are stubborn but a number of them are off their medications, too, so they aren’t “in their right minds.”
Sigh. People donated blankets and winter wear (gloves, hats, coats) last Christmas to men’s shelters but in extreme weather conditions, these blankets and coats wouldn’t be enough to keep them warm.
The homeless women are better; they don’t resist when they’re told to go to the shelters.
Agree, the King could have been like Haseon but too much betrayals yes. Sorry what is HEA? 🙂
I told hubby to watch Kingdom because he loves horror. He said to me, let’s watch it together. I was not in the mood to watch it at that time and now I’ve just changed my mind hahaha I am not into horror stuff. Cannibalism? Big NO! 😱 I cannot stand it 🙁
True, some are not thinking straight. Hopefully something or someone can still change their mind and go to a shelter.
So what are you going to watch now? I haven’t gone through Netflix to see what other kdramas they’ve added.
HEA = Happily Ever After.
🙂 Sorry. I thought you knew that.
If your husband doesn’t like cliffhangers, he should watch Kingdom when Season 2 is almost out. (Probably later this year😂).
Yes. Cannibalism. It grossed me out that I had to put off eating lunch for a bit. The cook cooked one of their own dead friends bec the hamlet was starving. 🤢 And this being Netflix, you know they’re not going to censor “visuals” like in Korean networks. 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢
I’m happy Netflix is showing kdramas but I would hate it if Netflix destroys the innocence and simplicity of kdramas that I’ve come to love. I’m worried that Netflix will impose its own brand of “American” or more specifically Hollywood values on kdramas. And tvN will copy Netflix and escalate the crudeness, sexual contents, and gore in their own programming.
If I were Korean, I’d push back against this Netflix. A lot of their “original shows” or shows that they create and produce have troubling, questionable or dubious contents. 🤦♀️
He actually started Kingdom but haven’t finished episode 1, he asked me to watch it with him again but I’m like 🙅♀️ Sorry! 😄
Agree! Couldn’t be more happier that kdramas are in Netflix but I wonder if your Netflix is different to our Netflix? I suggested a few dramas to my friend in LA but she said she couldn’t see it in there. One of the drama was Moonlight Drawn By The Clouds.
I was surprised that there was a lot of kdramas in Netflix but I really am enjoying it. I don’t really watch their originals though because of kdramas 😊 Hopefully they will just buy the rights to the shows and not put any influence or conditions on them. We can only hope! ✌🏼