Origin and release year: South Korea (2024 – Captivating the King)
Korean title: 세작, 매혹된 자들
Starring: Cho Jung Seok, Shin Sae Kyeong, Lee Shin Young, Park Ye Young, Jo Sung Ha, Choi Dae Hoon, Yang Kyung Won, Lee Kyu Hoe, Son Hyun Joo, Na Hyun Woo, Jang Young Nam, Kang Hong Suk, Han Dong Hee, Song Sang Eun, Jung Suk Yong, Ha Seo Yoon, Ahn Se Eun, Uhm Hyo Sub, Kim Bo Yun, Jo Jae Ryong, Go Soo Hee, Baek Suk Kwang, Kim Seo Ha, Ahn Shin Ha, Choi Ye Chan, Son Jong Hak, Kim Hyo Jin, Koo Ja Keon
Director: Jo Nam Gook
Screenwriter: Kim Sung Deok
Synopsis: A work that deals with the cruel love story of King Yi In, who is in a political crisis, fighting for the throne, and Kang Hee Soo, a secret agent who approaches Yi In for revenge but ends up being enchanted. (IMDb)
First things first… Justice for my man Sang Hwa (played by Kang Hong Suk) who’s always by the King’s side but doesn’t even get so much as a snack bought for him at the market. He even gets rumors blamed on him when he’s not the one who started them. He was one of the standout characters of the show and we hope that he gets the flowers that he deserves both as an actor and a character.
Speaking of standout roles… We also need to show appreciation for Court Lady Dong (played by Park Ye Young) because as Un likable as her character was in many parts of the show, once we realized her tragic circumstances, we came to admire her. That’s the power of wonderful acting.
Now into the meat of the story… this historical drama was one of the best K-Drama romances we have seen in a while.
One of the most beautiful things about the love story between King Yi In (played by Cho Jung Seok) and Mong Woo (played by Shin Sae Kyeong) was not only their delicate but charged natural chemistry, but also the layered nature of their affection for each other. Their acting, of course, speaks for itself as they got us fully immersed in the story as if it were our own.
This was beautifully laid out in heartfelt moments and profound metaphors. For instance, Shin SaeKyeong’s character gets the name ‘Mong Woo’ because it describes the rain shower that poured when they promised to play baduk (바둑 in Korean – also known as ‘Go’ in English). The very rain that unites them ends up being a sign of discontentment at their relationship when they confess their feelings to each other and lightning strikes to the sound of thunder. Granted it was symbolic of a lot of things but the timing made us feel a looming sense of doom over their relationship. Notice on their best days hereafter, it was clear skies.
On another note, someone needs to explain why the Principal Director (acted by Lee Kyu Hoe) was so hellbent on getting Mong Woo kicked out of the palace? There wasn’t much in it for him. He definitely had some kind of power kink with the way he was manipulating the court (or trying to). Like you low-key think you’re the King or what? Thankfully, he got what was coming to him in the end.
Wonderful scriptwriting and acting aside, this drama was easily one of the best of the year. Everything from the OST including NCT Tae Il’s ‘Wave’ to the costume design to the pacing/editing and the riveting story was just simply perfection. We highly recommend this drama!
What did you think of Captivating the King? Let us know in the comments!