Travelgirl’s K Drama Review

Hi Everyone,

Recently a friend recommended a Korean drama they have seen called Mr Queen. I normally prefer to watch drama when most of the episodes are out so I can sit there for a few days and finish it off. Mr Queen was released end of 2021 finishing up in 2022 where they had one of the highest rating under the cable TV category in recent years. One of the reasons why I got onto the series is because of Kim Jung-hyun who recently had a scandal where his ex girlfriend also in the entertainment industry has forbid him filming intimate scenes with the female leads. As a male lead, this is extremely hard in many Korean drama therefore I was curious to see who he was. The Shin Hye-sun I’ve never really liked but after this series, I will probably follow her up and coming drama as you can see there have been great improvement to her acting.

The drama started off when Choi Jin-hyuk who is a top chef in the country found himself in the body of Queen Cheorin in the Joseon period. Not only he has become a woman with male thoughts, he was Queen of the country. Of course that didn’t sit well with him and he desire to get back to the modern world was strong. Queen Cheorin only had the memory of the chef back in modern days so the story starts off where people find the Queen strange, weird as it is not the usual Queen they know. Queen Cheorin with the brain of the modern world, soon figures out history ahead of time and would try to aid the King to achieve what is needed for the local community.

The series is successful in my opinion is because the female lead was very open to make this believable to us viewers. The moment the male chef got into her body, she really acted like what a male would do in moderns days in the Joseon period setting. From finding out he had breasts, need to squat when going to the toilet, getting hair and makeup done each more etc, you wonder what he was thinking every moment of the episode. The reactions, the acceptance and the trust formed by the supporting actors and actresses makes the drama complete. There are parts of the drama you would smile one second, and tears the next.

The other thing to note are the soundtrack used in the series. What I love about Korean drama is they always use the right music for the right moment and many of these music from the past are all original for the drama. The songs in Mr Queen is no exception and have really made the drama complete. When most of the songs in the drama is soft, calming, and soothing, the ending song is a fast upbeat song which changes the audiences mood instantly. If you have 4-5 days spare, do check out this series. With 20 episodes over 80 mins each, you will definitely need to get comfortable to start your journey back to the Joseon period.