Table122000 posted some glad tidings for the Lee MinHo fans (self-professed or not) among us:
Found this article at Soompi. I thought the drama was supposed to be about fighting supernatural forces, but I guess not from the info given here. I was also hoping for 2 separate lovelines and no sad endings. Now, not so sure about that either.
https://www.soompi.com/article/1386933wpp/the-king-eternal-monarch-introduces-characters-of-lee-min-ho-kim-go-eun-woo-do-hwan-and-more
Thanks, @Table122000, for the update! I’m quoting the soompi article here with my usual snide remarks.
Lee Min Ho will take on the role of Lee Gon, the third generation emperor of Korea. The citizens see him as a man of sophistication, having good looks and a calm demeanor, and a perfect ruler. However, Lee Gon is quiet, sensitive, compulsive, and hates when other people touch him. To him, the palace is the safest place on earth, but also the most dangerous as he saw a plot of treason against his father unfold there when he was eight.
Oooh. Lee Minho plays Lee Gon who is a sophisticated, good-looking, calm, and perfect overlord??!! To quote Captain Renault from “Casablanca,” I’m shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you!
And what do you mean he hates people touching him?? Is this a new psychological disorder in kdrama to replace the over–used prosopagnosia? This fear of being touched would be called haphephobia.
He has no thoughts of getting married or carrying on the lineage, preferring to escape the palace from time to time by participating in academic symposiums. He was on such a trip when he finds himself in an unfamiliar place but facing a familiar face. He recognized Jung Tae Eul because it was her ID card he had picked up when he was eight, the night that his father was killed in a conspiracy.
Aha! So that’s where our heroine comes in. She’ll play detective Jung Tae Eul in one world and a criminal named Luna in the other.
But what about Lee MinHo? I believe he plays Lee Gon in both worlds because he is the ETERNAL monarch. lol.
Kim Go Eun joins Lee Min Ho as Jung Tae Eul, a detective. Ever since she was a little girl, Jung Tae Eul had always been interested in becoming a police officer. Overcoming all odds, she was able to join the police force and has been working as a detective for the past six years. She does her job with the belief that those who commit crimes will all be caught eventually, preferably by her. What throws a wrench in Jung Tae Eul’s life is the emperor who appears in the middle of Gwanghwamun, claiming to be from a parallel universe. Though she doesn’t want to admit it, she begins to trust what he’s saying and thus begins the journey from them.
Lee Gon appears to her in the middle of the Gwanghwamun claiming he’s the emperor.
FYI. This is the Gwanghwamun Square.
There are two monuments here: the gold one in the background is a statue of the most popular king, King Sejong. He made the Hangul and designed a lot of things like the water clock and sundials. He was the young king depicted in “Splish Splash Love” (aka “Everything You Need to Know about King Sejong” drama). The US Embassy is across from his monument.
The statue in front is of Admiral Yi Sun-shin. He made the turtle ship which was used in a battle with the Japanese Imperial Navy.
If you’re visiting Seoul, and you want to know about these two historical figures, you just have to go to their museums. The statues are located on top of their respective underground museums. The signage to the exhibits is in Korean and English so you won’t have problems understanding the material.
The actress is also billed to take on the role of Luna, a criminal in Lee Gon’s world who was abandoned in the poorest neighborhood. With no family, she has no identity recognized by the government, and she has had to fend for herself to stay alive. She has taken part in a variety of crimes such as theft, document forgery, and breaking and entering, and it was only when she entered prison that the world knew of her presence. She has been diagnosed with cancer with just three months left to live.
Ahh. I see why Kim Go Eun was cast. She can look like a street urchin. lol.
And she’s also dying of cancer. Remember the kdrama rule: it ain’t a blockbuster kdrama if there’s no hospital scene. How many hospital scene did we have in “Crash Landing on You”?
Joining them is Woo Do Hwan, who will play two roles as Jo Eun Seob and Jo Young. In Jung Tae Eul’s realm, Jo Eun Seob is working as a public service worker for the police. He had many dreams growing up but when his parents unexpectedly have twins in his fourth year of college, he’s forced to take a break from his studies and take care of his younger siblings. Then, when he returns to school, he gets in a car accident trying to save a young child, and just when he’s ready to leave the hospital, he gets his enlistment orders. He has just a few days left before he is discharged when he comes across Lee Gon.
In other words, Jo Eun Seob has a sad story. (Hey…Isn’t “Eun Seob” also the name of the hero in “When the Weather’s Nice”? Is this a fad?) He just can’t catch a break.
In the other world, Jo Young is a bodyguard for Lee Gon, and is well-versed in all types of weaponry from swords to guns. Jo Young first met Lee Gon when he was four, after the uprising, and he vowed to make Lee Gon happy. Because of a special bond they formed growing up, Lee Gon only seems to let himself laugh around Jo Young, and is also willing to cry in front of him as well.
Oh. I like this. He’s a loyal bodyguard (brotherhood alert!) to Lee Gon.
BTW, I’m banning the awful word “bromance” when referring to Woo DoHwan and Lee Minho’s relationship. Call it “brotherhood” or “loyalty.”
Kim Kyung Nam will take on the role of Kang Shin Jae, a detective who works with Jung Tae Eul. He is always fair, level-headed, and determined, and for him, the police station is more like family than his real family. He wants to know if Tae Eul thinks of him as just a co-worker, family, or something more.
He’s going to be Lee MinHo’s rival in the current world. He’s not much of a looker but Kim Go Eun’s rival looks pretty.
Jung Eun Chae plays Gu Seo Ryung, the youngest and first woman prime minister. She has always been ambitious, and she overcame the hardships of her upbringing to attain power. She wasn’t afraid to use her divorce to win more votes, and she set her new target on Lee Gon. Whenever she was around him, support for her would rise but at a certain point, she started to develop feelings for him. When she finds out that he might have his eyes on someone else, her jealousy leads her down a dangerous path.
The rest of the side characters don’t look interesting but here’s the write-up anyway from soompi.
Other characters include Lee Jung Jin’s Lee Rim, the uncle of Lee Gon who led the conspiracy against his father, Kim Young Ok’s Noh Ok Nam, who raised Lee Gon from when he lost his parents by the age of eight, and Jeon Bae Soo’s Jung Do In, a Taekwondo instructor and Jung Tae Eul’s father who raised her as a single dad after his wife died from cancer.
Seo Jeong Yeon will play Song Jung Hye, who has done any and every odd job and one day wakes up to find her entire family has changed, and Park Won Sang plays Park Moon Shik, the leader of the team of detectives including Jung Tae Eul who is just and hardworking. Kim Yong Ji plays Myeong Na Ri, the owner of the building Jung Do In uses to teach Taekwondo and who went to the same school as Jung Tae Eul. The actress is also slated to play Myeong Seung Ah, who is in charge of the emperor’s social media accounts and official website who specializes in writing official statements, pursuing legal action against malicious comments, and photoshop.
Wait! That last character, Myeong Seung Ah who’s in charge of social media, seems interesting She’s another female to add to Lee Gon’s harem.
And here’s the relationship chart from mydramalist.
I don’t know Korean, but judging from the arrows, the yellow arrows seem to indicate two people who exist in both two worlds of Lee Gon. The pink arrows seem to represent the love lines. The two circles, obviously, represent his-and-hers circle of friends.
Obligatory picture of Lee Min Ho.
Hmmm…does his left eyebrow seem shorter than his right? Where’s the make-up artist?
Looks complicated but irresistibly tasty. Like chiles en nogada. Must go to bed and will probably miss the luau, but look forward to the left-overs in the morning.
@Table122000 and @packmule3 thanks for sharing.
Now I’m lost..what’s with this dual universes and same people essaying two different characters in two different universes? What is the point? How will they bring all together? I have a feeling there will be too many loose ends to tie at the end😪😪🙄🙄 Also, what era is this prince in? I think it’s modern era in the parallel universe too by his garb.
Anyways, on Shallow Island since we are very, very shallow, whether the plot is convoluted or non existent hardly matters; we will only gaze in admiration at how Lee Min Ho’s windswept hair and black attire looks oh so riveting on that suspiciously white horse😯😯🤩🤩
“ Anyways, on Shallow Island since we are very, very shallow, whether the plot is convoluted or non existent hardly matters; we will only gaze in admiration at how Lee Min Ho’s windswept hair and black attire looks oh so riveting on that suspiciously white horse”
At least you’re honest 😂. I will give you that much.
I read somewhere that the writer is going to pay particular attention to gingko trees. The yellow in the background. Something about the gingko being the portal (?) between the 2 worlds? They took great pains to move a full grown tree (crane lifted) onto a film site just so they could have it feature in the background. Don’t quote me on that. I just remember thinking, “spared no expense. How like the epic they promised to deliver”.
Judging from the amount of vitriol thrown about in the most recent Eternal Monarch article in DBeans, those of us in Cynical Island better arm ourselves as hostile tribal fan girls come in their canoes to snuff out our snarky remarks…accusing us of heinous hate crimes against their Eternal Monarch (May his name endure forever) 😂
You made ME look, @nrllee!! I went over to DBeans to check what the fuss was all about. lol. Knock on wood. Let’s not have that kind of discourse here.
BTW, thanks for naming the spots on the islands. Somebody has to make a map for me.
Yes. there’s going to be a portal. So two different universes.
Aside from Lee MinHo, the three constants in these worlds appear to be Kim Go Eun’s character and Lee DoWan’s character and that social media girl.
Anyway, aren’t you preparing cocktails in honor of Lee Minho’s first drama post-military service? Are you slacking off?
I already have a few ideas for cocktails for our opening day.
Besame, Lee MinHo (tequila)
Tall, Dark and Dirty (martini)
Eye Candy (non-alcoholic, taste like butterscotch)
Imperial Tuxedo (club soda)
Liquid Lust (apple juice with secret sauce, lol)
What are you serving? 🙂
@Phoenix already said what’s on my mind. Why does it sound complicated? 🙄
We will see. 🤞🏻
Did it start already? The rabid fangirls? 😱
Noted – bromance 🤐
I have low tolerance on alcohol so I’ll leave it to @Phoenix to cater for those. I’ll do the decorations instead. 😂
@packmule3 We will have a poolside..err waterfall side party on Shallow Island to celebrate the opening day. Can we borrow some Eye Candy and Liquid Lust please? They sound dreamy🤩
We can even hold the party on that bridge between two islands (as we want to be able to fraternize with the Cynical Island inhabitants too😛) Minus rabid fangirls and overzealous haters (I have every faith in @packmule3’s gatekeeping policies🙌)
@agdr03 Are you in for the launch party? Sounds like fun🥂🥂🥂
Yes! Yes, I’ll be there definitely 😁🙌🏻
I think it’s a good idea to have the party on the bridge with the waterfall on the side. Everyone can just enjoy the launch or who knows maybe it’ll turn out to be the Cynical’s Island party instead. 😁
It’ll be interesting. 🤔😄
🤣 You girls are killing me.
@nrllee All ahjummas, unnies, noonas etc. (ahjusshis, hyeungs etc.too) emerging out of the woodwork..err woods.. are most welcome to cocktails and mocktails, provided they don’t mix vitriol in our drinks 😛😛
Do we have a launch date yet so I can order a party costume and touch up my hair color in preparation?😎😎
Let’s get @PM3 to decide a launch date. 😁
Let’s do it together @Phoenix , shopping for costume and salon day! 💁🏻♀️😁
— Lee Minho plays Lee Gon who is a sophisticated, good-looking, calm, and perfect overlord —
“CALM” is the other word for “FLAT”.
The screenwriter is not totally nuts, and she knows that Lee Minho is incapable of being expressive.
So, she has directly planned a trick in her script, to explain the fact that Lee Minho makes the same face from beginning to end.
He’s… (clears throat) “CALM”.
He is the emperor of a parallel universe that is in two dimensions.
A universe also known as FLATLAND.
— CANCER —
I can accept cancer in the last 5 episodes, but NEVER in the first episode!
Anyway, I’d rather get cancer than watch that drama…
— Jo Eun Seob has a sad story —
Jo Eun Seob
Seob
SOB
SOB
SOB
So sad… T T
— fighting supernatural forces —
Is it “CHEESY”?
Well, it’s not.
I’m hoping that part of the scenario will be dropped.
That way it will be more “CHEESY”.
|-(
I really like some of the actors :
Wo Do Hwan : Mad Dog and My Country, he’s really charismatic and manly!
Kim Go Eun : Cheese in the trap, The Goblin and in her movies too. She’s pretty versatile.
Kim Kyung Nam : he didn’t have main roles but he always stole a little bit the show for me like in Come and Hug Me, he was the nasty hyung but his redemption was well done ; in Where the Stars Land, his relationship with his colleague was super cute ; in Special Labor Inspector Jo his character was funny and endearing.
Drink to reach a parallel universe:
A traditional Black Hole; 1 1/2oz black sambuca.
Fill with ice and club soda in a hi-ball glass. Or you could just drink Everclear with espresso.
Is this potent, Fern?
Why don’t you join me and agdr03 at our re-watch of Dr. Cutie? Just comment as you watch the show.
It’s fun. We’re like “keyboard warriors” here.
I want to try that Everclear with espresso @Fern ☺️
Do join us with Dr Cutie. 😉
Thanks, Sayaris. You made me look Kim Kyung Nam up. He’s always played secondary role but this one I think it will be challenging than his previous roles he’s going up against Lee MinHo. He’ll surely have his work cut out for him. I’ll wait and see how he holds up.
At first, I thought Wo DoHwan would be the rival. He has screen presence. I also still remember the way he drawled in “The Great Seducer” …oh yummy. He’d make a good demon.
I thought that Wo Do Hwan will be the challenger too. Maybe he will have his own love story! \o/ (I can dream, can’t I)
Ref Black Hole #2 – rather potent; it would burn going down. “It is made from grain and is bottled at 120, 151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof (60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume, respectively).” One of those things I came across while at Uni. Also popular out in the countryside for making homemade Kahlua and Baileys, and on the res.
Greetings from Shallow Island! I am strolling leisurely on the beach at Shirtless Bay, hoping for Woo Do Hwan to make an appearance, preferably with long hair and artfully splattered blood on his chiseled cheekbones. I am not a huge fan of LMH, but I do have a soft spot for him because he was in the very first kdrama I watched, Faith. I must be the only kdrama fan who has never watched BOF, so I am wondering if I should give it a try just to get in the mood?
As for the writer, I have never seen Secret Garden or Descendants of the Sun. I liked the story set in the past in Goblin. I thought Mr. Sunshine was almost a masterpiece.
Thanks for this post @pm3. Well, I am disappointed that the supernatural elements might be muted/lessened for this drama plot as that was something I was looking forward to rather than palace politics as the bad guys. The parallel worlds theme is still strong but that usually requires strong writing skills to pull off. I’ll reserve judgement on how well KES performs in that area. For me, she’s usually best on zippy dialogue between the leads, ala DOTS. But then romance is what I’m here for, which is why that relationship chart is making me depressed because I don’t see more than 1 loveline. (Also, WDH has zero loveline!-Nooo!) I was really hoping for double the romance since KES is one of the few writers who will include multiple lovelines in her stories. But it looks like she is just using the standard “love triangle” trope here. Ugh!
As for LMH character ” hates when other people touch him”.
Really? The old OCD trick? Boring.
“He has no thoughts of getting married or carrying on the lineage, preferring to escape the palace from time to time by participating in academic symposiums.”
This is weird since carrying on the lineage is the actual main job of any royal family. I guess this is the setup which will perhaps allow our emperor to permanently live on Planet Earth at the end of the drama?
While the script details are causing me some tiny worry, I am excited to see Woo Do Hwan’s performance. especially since he’s got dual roles. I think he’s going to outshine LMH in this drama just like Woo Bin stole Heirs. Anyway, I’m hopeful his career will get a big boost.
I’m glad we’re partying on the bridge because I’ll probably be going back and forth from one end to the other otherwise. Nice to be able to mingle in the middle.
I am looking forward to bridge parties and occasional trip to Cynical Island, just to dip my toes in the refreshing waters of Snarky Lake.
Hi, there.
I don’t know where to post this, so I’m posting it here, apologizing if it’s inconvenient.
Someone mentioned the “Hi Bye Mama” drama on another topic.
Finally, since I really like Kim Tae Hee, I made the mistake of watching the first episode.
It’s a mistake because if the drama turns out well, I’m going to have to wait for the episodes every week…
Here’s a short, spoiler-free review of the first episode.
00:00 – 00:03 : a very good scene, the first meeting.
00:04 – 00:50 : particularly boring, the drama doesn’t look good. Added to this are comedy scenes with stupid characters. In comedy, the whole cast is bad, including Kim Tae Hee who is bad in comedy. She’s not a versatile actress. On the other hand, she’s excellent in her chosen field. I still detect very good background music at one point, but I’m ready to give up the drama.
00:51 – 00:54 : THE miracle! The strong scene I was waiting for. Incredibly powerful emotionally, carried by great background music.
00:55 – 00:59 : Another good scene! With a new background music that is quite good.
01:00 – 01:00 : I’m trying to be more attentive, like Packmule! I spot some well delivered clues that will be used for the conclusion of the episode. Overall, the drama is particularly good on the background music. Both musically and because they are appropriate to the scenes. When that happens, I always suspect good drama.
01:11 – 01:14 : The cliffhanger scene. Again, very good scene!
Conclusion: it started badly, but in the end, the drama catches me. I wish it would have caught me sooner! But I’m wary, I hope it will focus on its qualities rather than its flaws. With one of my favourite actresses, it won’t be too difficult to see what happens next.
@WEnchanteur I haven’t started watching Hi Bye Mama because I anticipated a lot of tears (from me) after reading the synopsis. But I have heard good things about it.
@nrllee
Ended Episode 3. Finaly, I drop it.
I wish Kim Tae-hee could hit as hard as she did in Jang Ok-Jung, with her acting.
But I suspected that wouldn’t be the case.
It’s impossible in this type of story because of the fantasy side of the script, in addition to the comedy scenes.
This actress is excellent if the story is realistic and rather melodramatic.
Even more so if her character has a shadowy side.
I’ll still try to find the OST album for the background music.
@Fern
“Ref Black Hole #2 – rather potent; it would burn going down. “It is made from grain and is bottled at 120, 151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof (60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume, respectively).”
I’m aghast. Are these for human consumption? I take a keen interest in anything alcoholic (one dark,tall LMH – give me all pls 😝) I’m surprised at the vol % you mention. Please educate.
@Arihsi, yes, humans consume it. Over-consumption would be debilitating or deadly in short order that is why I mentioned it in the context of accessing a black hole/parallel universe. It is notorious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)
Oh thank you for the information @Fern. Maybe this is the sort of thing people drink when they get stuck in the hallway with a so-called collapsible outdoor tent that refuses to collapse (or rather one forgot how to collapse). I have no idea what to do. I obviously managed to dislodge myself since I’m typing this but the tent is still stuck. No vodka will ever do for such a thing.
@Arihsi, I hope that the tent isn’t completely driving you to drink. Bad, bad tent! 🤣
Drink to access another dimension!! Sounds interesting. I should try that when I want to escape reality for a while 😛
@agdr03: Totally in for the shopping and salon day (long overdue) once packmule3 announces the launch date…yaay! 🙂
@Snow Flower: ” I am strolling leisurely on the beach at Shirtless Bay, hoping for Woo Do Hwan to make an appearance, preferably with long hair and artfully splattered blood on his chiseled cheekbones.” I love this view…I need to go to visit Shirtless Bay ASAP 😛
By the way, I’m also one of the rare people who never watched Boys Over Flowers too. Haven’t watched Personal Taste either.
@Table122000: “I’m glad we’re partying on the bridge because I’ll probably be going back and forth from one end to the other otherwise. Nice to be able to mingle in the middle.”
Yes, we are all aligned on this, I think. We will go back and forth, as required. It will be fun!!! 🙂
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