The Crowned Clown (2019)

INFRAVALORADO: mismo rostro, dos personas diferentes.

"No se trata de la clase social en la que naces, sino de lo que hay en tu corazón y tu comportamiento." -Hasun.

Antes de empezar con mi opinión sobre esta obra maestra me gustaría preguntarte algo: ¿Eres de esas personas que aún dudan de la capacidad actoral de Yeo Jingoo? Si es así entonces ¡VE A VER THE CROWNED CLOWN AHORA MISMO! Porque este es su mejor protagonico hasta el momento (seguido por Beyond Evil)


The crowned clown nos presenta a un joven rey sanguinareo que supone una amenaza constante para si mismo y por ende para su pueblo. Por otro lado, tenemos a Hasun, un encantador y humilde payaso que se dedida a parodiar los terribles dichos de los mismos pueblerinos sobre las atrocidades que ocurren dentro del palacio. La vida de Hasun da un giro peligroso cuando descubren que su rostro es idéntico al del rey, siendo arrastrado puertas adentro y teniendo que seder al mandato real si quiere conservar su vida: debe ser una marioneta real hasta que el verdadero rey mejore su adicción a las drogas y problemas mentales.

Durante los primeros 6 capítulos se convive con la tensión constante de que Hasun sea descubierto, a su vez que el rey cautivo regrese a ocupar su trono, representando así una amenaza del bien obrar pero ¿volverá? ¿Que pasará con Hasun y el pueblo que tanto desea proteger de la mano del secretario Baksan?


DIFERENCIA DE CLASES, SUSPENSO, HAMBRE DE PODER, TRAICIÓN, HUMANISMO, ROMANCE Y UN PAYASO ENCANTADOR hicieron que The Crowned Clown consumiera mi vida durante tres días, llevaba tiempo deseando ver este drama y cuando netflix lo agregó a su catálogo fui feliz, sin embargo seguí esperando hasta que me decidí Y FUE LA MEJOR DECISIÓN QUE TOMÉ. TCC es simplemente UNA OBRA DE ARTE MARAVILLOSA. Desde el minuto uno nos cautiva con una ambientación que nos invita a subirnos al barco y undirnos con él de ser necesario, la banda sonora es un deleite auditivo y está tan bien usada en cada momento que causa placer, lo mismo con los cliffhangers al final de cada capítulo. Pero lo que más deseo destacar es la EXCELENTE ACTUACIÓN DE YEO JINGOO, realmente se lució interpretando a DOS PERSONAS TAN OPUESTAS ENTRE SI, al punto de que aún cuando eran la misma cara y por ende el mismo actor: LA VIBRA QUE TRANSMITÍA CADA UNO ERA TOTALMENTE DIFERENTE, tanto que cada vez que aparecía el rey, la vibra inquietante traspasaba la pantalla y eso es algo que solo un gran actor puede lograr.

De principio a fin quedé maravillada y ahora mismo siento un gran vacío en mi pecho y desearía poder borrar todo lo que vi para volver a verlo y volver a vivir cada emoción otra vez.

Si bien constantemente sientes esa expectativa por el qué pasará, a partir del capítulo 11 fue realmente agónico para mi, seguía viendo con un nudo en el estómago y el corazón en la mano.

Me gustaría destacar la relación que Hasun mantiene con aquellos tanto dentro como fuera del palacio: su hermana y su compañero, el Eunuco Jo, el general Jang, la reina y por supuesto Baksan. Cada uno de estos personajes tienen su peso y se llevaron parte de mi corazon. (todos me hicieron llorar)

Mi corazón se sentía cálido cada vez que veía a Hasun interpretando al rey, porque tengo cierta debilidad por los reyes buenos y Hasun es uno de ellos.

Ahora bien, por mucho que desee decir que todo fue perfecto, la honestidad puede más y hubo cosas durante toda mi experiencia viendo TCC que no puedo pasar por alto y ahora sí: SE VIENEN LOS SPOILERS.



1- Sentí que se olvidaron demasiado rápido del Rey, quién pese a ser un tirano lo cierto es que fue maltratado por su padre desde que nació y luego por aquellos que vieron una oportunidad para obtener más poder a costa suya, la dama de la corte que lo drogaba siguiendo instrucciones de Shin Chisoo, ellos fueron los verdaderos culpables de que el joven rey acabara como lo hizo y tanto su muerte como la forma en la que desistieron de él me rompió el corazón, porque me recordó al príncipe Sado (recomiendo ver la película The Thorne, para entender mejor mi punto) después de todo él era el verdadero hijo del Rey ¿y se olvidaron tan rápido como si no fuese nada más que un estorbo?
2- Siempre tuve emociones encontradas con Baksan y ciertos accionares que tuvo, porque si bien fue para asegurar el trono, haber matado a ese niño me resultó muy cruel y por ende al final me sentí mal por la reina viuda, quién presa de la sed de venganza y el poder terminó confiándose demasiado.
3- Llegando al final me hubiese gustado ver a Hasun reencontrarse con su hermana, después de todo él accedió a ser el suplente del Rey para obtener poder y así castigar a quienes la habían dañado y ponían en peligro a su pueblo.
4- Hasta último momento barajé la idea de que en algún punto de la trama dirían que la consorte real en realidad dio a luz a gemelos pero eso nunca se resolvió, aunque entre líneas dieron a entender que podría ser posible, Hasun mismo dijo que ni siquiera sabía cuando era su cumpleaños *guiño guiño*

Quitando todo eso, no puedo dejar de pensar en lo maravilloso que me resultó este drama, también en lo infravalorado que está, me molesta, me enoja que no tenga el reconocimiento que merece porque verlo es toda una experiencia. Supieron mantener la tensión constantemente en un tablero de ajedrez en donde los malos (aquellos clasistas con hambre de poder) podían ganar en cualquier momento, pero entonces los acontecimientos daban otro giro y mi corazón saltaba de un lado a otro.

MARAVILLOSO Y MEMORABLE. EL MEJOR PROTAGÓNICO DE YEO JINGOO y con sólo 20 AÑOS !!

Leer más

Este kdrama tenía bastante potencial para llegar lejos, sin embargo, me dejó deseando más en varios aspectos. Primeramente, la razón por la que lo terminé fue por la actuación de Han su, nuestro personaje principal. El actor encargado de darle vida lo hice perfectamente y tenía un talento descomunal, que resaltaba en contraste al otro personaje que debía interpretar. Me encantó verlo interpretando personajes tan diferentes de una manera tan correcta, solo con la mirada ya era posible conocer al personaje que estaría encarnado en ciertas escenas. Diría que si él, "The Crowned Clown" tendría un puntaje muchísimo más bajo que el que le di. Hasta cierto punto estoy agradecida de haberlo terminado, porque me permitió apreciar mejor al actor y me creó una necesidad de ver todos sus proyectos.

Poniendo eso de lado, no hay mucho que recalcar en los demás aspectos. Es cierto que la cinematografía fue muy buena, al igual que la banda sonora, pero no lo suficiente para sentir que destacó en comparación a otros kdramas que he visto. Aun así, puedo decir que me gustó mucho.

El romance se sintió un poco forzado y la chica (el interés romántico) no tenía personalidad. Me pareció insoportable la manera en que se le dio más protagonismo a ella que a otros personajes mucho más interesantes. Y me sorprende que a pesar de tener tanto tiempo en pantalla no de desarrollara ningún aspecto de quién era como persona. Lo único que la audiencia podía saber era que no le gustaba ser reina hasta la llegada de Han su, que tenía un padre y le guardaba mucho cariño y que tenía mucho auto control ante ciertas situaciones. Eso no es suficiente para crear un vínculo con ella y por lo tanto, nunca me importó lo que le sucediera. Era muy aburrida. Y el hecho de que besó a alguien sin consentimiento aprovechando que estaba dormido... No me gustó para nada.

Tampoco me gustó que asesinaran al rey malvado a mitad de temporada. Amaba a su personaje y tenía tantas cosas que contar. Un pasado triste, traumas presentes y la soledad. Tenía tanto que contar y decidieron deshacerse de él solo por conveniencia a la trama. Y a partir de ese momento me inicié a aburrir y en ciertos momentos hasta sueño me daba. No soy la clase de personas que omite algunas escenas (me gusta ver hasta el más mínimo detalle), pero con esta serie tuve que hacerlo (aunque intenté hacerlo lo menos posible). Si no fuera porque me estaba viendo esto con otra persona, probablemente lo hubiera dejado de ver después del capítulo 5 o tal vez el 8.

Como ya mencioné, no voy a decir que me arrepiento de haber visto "The Crowned Clown", pero si estoy altamente decepcionada.

Leer más

The premise is not so unique in itself, but choosing to show it as history is what sets it apart. The characters and the politics carry the drama, so if you like that in a series, you have come to the right place.

The story progression was paced well, not too slow or too fast. The characters were a major element of the whole story, so their development within the politics was refreshing to see. Each person had their own motivation and was chained to it. The grey area some major characters walk on is worth acknowledgment. No intention seemed incorrect if you looked at in the person' shoes, but the way some chose to carry it out helped differentiate right and wrong. There were those who took some questionable actions for what they perceived as a greater good, and that will make you question what exactly is being a hero; it is established that to remove dirt, you have to get your hands dirtied too, and I think that is a very realistic outlook to it. Moreover, the idea of effect of power on the purest of people is experimented here.

Despite that, I think the writers could have added more to the story - for example using the little group The Chief Secretary was a part of in the final few episodes in more ways. Another reason to withhold my score is the inconsistency of Ha Seon's motivations around episode 11 and 12. The writers added a few throwaway lines that strayed from his character.

The acting was well done. In the words of the real king, the FL was a true Frozen Queen - composed and unwavering in her principles, which probably turned her so cold, and Lee Se Young portrayed felt every bit of it. When it comes to Yeo Jin Goo, he was marvelous as the King, enough so that you believed that Ha Seon and the King to be different people, like the drama wanted us to. Kim Sang Kyung, to me, delivered a great performance as a man consistently struggling with himself I liked the character on paper, and he made him come to life. Jang Young Nam was memorable as the antagonist.

The BGM consistently delivered. Never did it feel as if some external force was intruding upon your viewing experience. It was pleasant to listen to and built moments of suspense, sadness, and even happiness. I think this was actually the part I looked most forward to - the music that accompanied the scenes one anticipated. Music can honestly make or break stories, and here it helped cement the over all presentation. They rarely used OSTs, if at all, but the ones they did sounded melodious.

One would rewatch it to see the character dynamics, and maybe a political scuffle. The team put together a great piece - give it a try if you want a break from the repetitive,. :p

Leer más

The ending is what diminished it for me

7,5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 (Josean era) fictional drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

Ha-seon (Yeo Jin-goo) leads a relatively care free life traveling around performing comedic skits that primarily make fun of the royalty. Yi Heon, the King (also played by Yeo Jin-goo) was a benign noble as a Crown Prince but became a paranoid, vicious and crazed king. He is bloodthirsty which is driven by opium induced delusions about being killed. When one of his close advisers comes across Ha-seon by a chance encounter, he is stunned to realize the clownish actor looks exactly like the king. The king has become increasingly concerned about assasination attempts and has tasked his close advisers to find a way to get him out of danger. The adviser who encountered the look alike proposes to the king that he be used as a stand in and the King is more than willing to have the doppelgänger stand in for him. Through a combination of coercion and persuasion they talk Ha-seon into playing the greatest role, that of the king, while the real king slips away to a quiet retreat. As Ha-seon becomes acquainted with palace life and gets to know the inhabitants, Queen Yi Kyu (Kim Sang-kyun) quickly steals his reluctant heart and is surprised herself to find that this new side to her husband is stirring romantic feelings for him she did not have before. Nothing could go wrong - right?

spoiler ? I liked the first half of this very well I thought the male lead did an excellent job playing both the clown who was kind and the king who was bloodthirsty and crazy. I like the female lead who played the queen as she was calm and kind. However, the way the king was and all the palace intrigue reminded me of the American show “Game of Thrones“. As is often the case in Royal courts, it seemed as if everyone was out to poison or kill everyone else for the throne. In the middle of the show, there was a part where the Crowned Clown bowed down to one of the evil villains and I wound up fast forwarding because I knew that eventually he would win out and I couldn’t take watching it go on for so long. After that part it got good again and I thought “well there’s just that one part that doesn’t detract from the movie too much.“. At that point, had it ended well, I probably would’ve given it an 8.5 or possibly a 9. The show literally went down in the last episode or so when it seemed like nearly every character I liked had something tragic happen to them or someone they cared about. Then to top it off, the male lead steps down and gives the crown over to someone we were barely introduced to. After everything that he had gone through as well as all the people that supported him it seemed like a waste for him not to reign longer. The Queen also had been made barren and it would’ve been nice if they would’ve found out that wasn’t true after all. Because it felt like Ha-seon did in part step down because she was unable to bear an heir. Then they aren’t done with the tragedy because as he steps down and leaves the palace, one of the last characters that I still liked gets killed as some crazy ninjas say they are avenging the dowager queen who died a year before and we never really got to know these people to know why they would be so loyal to her even a year later. In fact, when the dowager was alive you didn’t really see her do anything all that great nor did they refer to any great things she had done in the past. Then they make you think the male lead is dead and you get to see the queen, who had stepped away from the throne to be with him, grieve for over two years. Then he just suddenly shows up and says he’s been in what would amount to a coma (how they would’ve supported someone in a coma in the Josean era is a bit of a mystery) and they have this long emotional moment. Rather than being heartwarming, their reunion felt a little bit cheesy and over done. It is a shame that it did not end better because it could’ve been a good show. This is the third TV series I’ve seen with this male lead and I have to say all three have not ended as I like them to. It is to the point where if he is in something I will likely read spoilers to make sure it doesn’t have a poor ending. If you don’t mind tragedy and like things that are a bit nebulous, you may like this better than I did. It is worth watching because a lot of the show is quite good and if you’re able to look past that middle part and the end then you may enjoy it.

#TheCrownedClown
#YeoJinGoo
#KimSangKyun

Leer más

"The Crowned Clown" is a great historical drama in so many ways. Don't think of it as just a Korean version of "The Prince and the Pauper". It has an excellent cast, an intriguing story, and is visually beautiful, but this is the kind of sageuk that I think you have to be in the mood for, and for me, the slow deliberate pace made me a little less excited as a viewer. However, Yeo Jin Goo is so good in the title role that I had to keep watching no matter what.

I do think everyone in the cast was excellent, with no weak links, but Yeo Jin Goo is exceptional playing a completely convincing dual role as a King in the middle of a mental breakdown, and a clever clown forced to serve as his double. The fact that he is only 21 is amazing to me, and clearly means he has an awesome acting future ahead of him. The fish out of water/imposter storyline is pretty overdone, but this story is told with so much depth that it feels original and even plausible. His performance alone is enough to make me recommend this drama.

Although Lee Se Young is great as his love interest, and they have some sweet romantic moments, the relationships that interested me more were between Ha Seon and the Royal Secretary, Guard, and Eunich, and the host of villainous rivals within the royal court. Maybe it's because the character of Queen Yoo So Woon was so stoic that their romance felt more understated than exciting. Watching how Ha Seon faced the challenges of his dual life is what held my interest when the pace started to feel slow. A few characters are incredibly frustrating to watch like Ha Seon's sister, The Queen Dowager, and The Left State Councilor, and this also helped to keep the story exciting, and even had me wanting to yell at the screen more than once. The cast helped to make every aspect of the story feel authentic no matter what.

When it comes to the plot I am torn. I think it really was well written from beginning to end, but it still felt like it dragged in some moments. Even though the plot itself stayed interesting, with a few unexpected twists, this drama seemed to linger on certain moments for too long making me almost want to fast forward through some of it. This is the part where I admit that I may have just not been in the mood to watch this style of drama. Instead of enjoying watching the story slowly unfold I felt myself getting impatient while watching several times. That's also why my rewatch score is pretty low. Now that I know what happens it would be hard to watch this again without wanting to skip a lot of it. I'm a fan of this director's other dramas ("Money Flower", "Fated to Love You"), and I loved the way this drama looked, so I suspect that maybe the writers are more to blame when it comes to the overall pacing, including some longwinded dialogue at times too. Still, once I started rooting for Ha Seon, I knew I had to keep watching till the very end.

Overall fans of historical dramas should definitely watch "The Crowned Clown". Even though I shockingly didn't cry once, this is definitely a drama that may evoke emotions. Those looking for fast-paced action, romance with a lot of chemistry, or hilarious comedy should probably save this on their MDL queque for another time, but there's still enough action, romance, and comedy to make the story feel balanced, and not just non stop political betrayals and revenge. I'm personally glad I watched it, even if it didn't quite fit my current mood, and I definitely felt satisfied by the ending. What was good about this drama outweighed what could have been better. I'm certainly now a fan of grown-up Yeo Jin Goo for sure! I guess it takes a good actor to play a good actor.

Leer más

This drama is just excellent. It has so many strong points - the cinematography is on a whole new level, the props and locations are flawless and everything is wrapped in mesmerizing music. The fact that the story and acting are there as well, is just a cherry on top.

I can't stop praising Yeo Jin Goo's acting enough. He made this drama for me and carried it so well. There are so many distinctions between his portrayal of both characters that is hard to believe, that he plays both. I also enjoyed his interaction with Kim Sang Kyung, Jang Gwang and mostly with Lee Se Young. I am a sucker for these kind of, almost innocent, love story.

There are so many motives here that deserve praise and attention. This drama uses things that are so often used in historical dramas, yet makes them interesting and shows them in a different light. In a way, the audience takes a journey with Ha Seon and the deeper he gets into the role of the king, the more you see and understand. The political aspect of the drama therefore is not as boring as it is in some others of this genre.

There are lumps and bumps in the story, some aspects feel rushed as it draws to a close, but it's not something that would ruin the overall well made drama. I enjoyed it very much, was looking forward to every episode and I will think about it for a long time after it ended.

Leer más

As a big fan of Yeo Jingoo I was really excited for this drama. I was hooked right from the beginning, the story is really good and then, around episode 10 it starts to drag on and the second half isn't as entertaining as the first one. Don't get me wrong, it is a good drama but episode 10 to 13 focus way too much on the romance between the clown and the Queen and everything else is put aside, so I found them quite boring. I was really into the political aspects of the drama but sometimes the romance is too present, it's getting annoying. I like a little bit of romance in this kind of drama but for me it was too much for a political drama. However, the last two episodes bring back the political aspect in the first row, making them as enjoyable as the first ones. The ending though is too long as the last 40 minutes could have been done in 15.
The humour was enjoyable and allowed the viewer to take a breath from the tension arising from each episode.

The acting was VERY VERY good. Yeo Jingoo is wonderful in both roles, he portrayed really well the duality between the two characters and it is a shame we didn't get to see more of it. The scene in the first episode when the King and the clown met is, for me, the best scene of the drama. Jang Youngnam as the Queen Dowager was great, her acting in the last few episodes blew me away. All the actors are great in their roles. I'm a little perplexed about Lee Seyoung but in front of Yeo Jingoo, it's hard to shine, or maybe it was her character who wasn't that well written.

The music is good, especially the one they put at the end of each episode, it keeps the tension going up and you just want to know what comes next.

Leer más

This drama is everything a drama should be. If you are looking for a cheesy no brainer drama, this is not for you. It is a drama that covers all aspects of being a King and what a King should be. The acting by the very handsome and talented lead male Yeo Jin Goo is extremely impressive and all I can say is, he better get the best actor award. The acting by all the cast is great and the chemistry between not only the leads but between all the cast is amazing. The production level of the drama is first rate. The music score is perfect in every episode. If you have not watched this drama I highly recommend that you do. It is Daebak!!! If I could give it 100 stars, I would. I have watched countless dramas over the years, and this drama impresses me the most.

Leer más

I screamed so many times watching this series. Loved the plot. Look a like takes place of king. What happens when the fake is better than the authentic and it shows? The show was absolutely amazing. It was funny, up beat, heartfelt and at times intense. I feel a bit wicked because I celebrated one of the villains demise with one of those joyous screams but who cares it was so rewarding for me as a viewer to see such karma. I waited until it was completely subbed to watch it and I’m so glad I did. I will say that the crowned clown was anything but a clown. The loyalty, pureness, and determination for righteousness was on an epic scale. This male lead officially has a new fan. When I say his acting was on point, I mean it was on???????? point ????????. Playing to roles too ????. The entire cast was awesome. Ending was pleasing, can’t complain too much but I was hoping something just as grand as the series itself. Still quite please though. I got my closure. On to the next.

Leer más

The plot was painfully predictable, the romance did not grab the attention, most of the characters had nothing innovative going on for them and the villains never felt like a real threat. And yet, somehow... I love this drama. I could not explain why, but I was interested from the beginning till the end. Everything just worked well and made me anticipate the next episode.

One of the best parts of the drama for sure was the acting. Dare I say, this was the best Seo Jin Goo’s role. While I am sad we did not get more scenes with the mad king (boy he was an amazing character and interesting to watch), Jin Goo's emotional scenes as Ha Sun were just as captivating. The duality in his performance left me in awe. I also appreciate that we as viewers could easily see which character we were currently watching on the screen. They had distinguishing characteristics, so I was never left in confusion.

That said, the whole show was stolen by Haksan, the loyal Chief Royal Secretary. The most complex character in the drama, with an amazing development and true depth. The internal and external conflicts he had to face were heartbreaking and made me cry more than once. I always anticipated his scenes and wished there were more of them, even though he was already one of the main characters. Kim Sang Kyung truly aced the role.

The weakest parts of the drama were romance and the villains. While Queen So Woon might have been a loyal and nice person, there was not much to her character, except for being the support for Ha Sun.

It was interesting to watch the villains try to win, but from the get go it was obvious they had no chance in this fight. All of the battles were too weak and they lost too easily and quickly.

All things considered, somehow this drama worked perfectly and was a true enjoyment to watch. Would recommend watching it for sure and I'm extremely happy I decided to try it myself.

Leer más

I was not expecting this drama to hit me in the feels like that. It has been a while since I watched a tv show especially that can make me tear up from the force of acting and meaning behind the scene.

Key words: Intriguing, Thought Provoking, Heart Warming/Wrenching (at the same time)

Plot:
I watched this drama while taking a break from a Game of Thrones marathon and let me tell you...the plot did not disappoint me when it came to court politics and scheming. The story kept me glued until the very last moment and at one point when some of the plot twists were revealed, I thought "what is there left to do?!" but they managed to exceed my expectations and surprise me with more twists.

Acting:
-Yeo Jin Goo did an amazing job with playing two characters that are opposites yet the same, he made me love and hate the king at the same time. For such a young actor, it is clear that he will have a bright future if he keeps picking roles that can showcase his talents

-Lee Se Young: At the beginning of the show, she highly deserved the nickname "ice princess" because oh boy was she cold with that poker face! I think that was the reason why I did not connect with her but later on, she managed to make me warm up and root for her.

-Kim Sang Kyung: MARRY ME! I had to get it out of my system! Everytime he shows up on screen I feel a wash of safety and calmness because I KNOW he will fix everything. Now excuse me while I go watch everything he starred in

-Shin Soo Yun: I have never seen her act before but she is good! It is rare for me to connect with young actors but this girl made sob and smile like I'm enchanted.

Romance:
Now this is the reason I did not give 10/10 to this drama..I loved that it was not insta love per se. But I did not feel the chemistry between the King and Queen until half way through the show. But in total, it did feel like an adult relationship without all the teen angst or tropes that are usually in dramas.

Leer más