The Crowned Clown

A paranoic and evil king who has usurped the throne is replaced by a touring clown who is his doppleganger. The story is well acted and the court intrigue will force him to make difficult decisions and worry he will be exposed, particulary after falling in love with the queen. Enough twists and turns to keep you watching and even though she was evil I found myself sympathising with the dowager queen after what happened to her child.

The Crowned Clown surpasses the movie masquerade in every level. The story was presented more in depth and the characters were complex and interesting. I especially liked that the twists were simple and not that many. Thus, the story's flow was smooth and it concentrated more on the main story of the clown. The highlight of this drama, however, was the leading actor's performance. The duality of the characters he presented was so distinguish and yet he managed to performe each character beautifully. Another plus of this drama was the romance that was sweet and simple. However, the drama did got boring towards the ending. In addition, the twist in the very end was kind of unnecessary and cliche.

This show demonstrates why kdrama is on the rise. Because it tells moral stories, where people show respect and underlying messages and philosophy are positive and uplifting. Hollywood on the other hand is the polar opposite, representing all the worst of human attributes. But Korean film makers also know how to weave this goodness into compelling and engaging stories. The west has much to learn here. This series is a strong story, well made, with excellent production values and very rarely puts a foot wrong. Investing 16 of your evenings to watch it will be well rewarded.

This series is one of the greatest costumed historical KDrama ever produced. Superb acting by all, great writing, direction, and magnificent cinematography, kept me glued to the screen; its just that good. Kudos to Yeo Jin Goo and his "queen" their love for each other touched my heart. I do have one caution to other subscribers- the ending is very ambiguous. Despite this, I really believe that this is one to watch!

I've seen many people compare this to another series based around a fictional kingdom with dragons. I'll agree with that mostly because like that one, "The Crowned Clown" just didn't know how to end. The only difference is while the former felt rushed, this ending seems to drag on way too long.

The acting, costumes, scenery, and action are all what we've come to expect from South Koreas blooming movie industry. And the story being based off of Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" has no trouble bringing England's post-Reformation drama into Korea's bloody Joseon period. A time when heirs to the throne rarely died of old age.

However, as well as everything came together, I think this "dish" got left on the stove just a little too long. As a result of this, while you'll most likely binge watch the 16 episodes of this series (as I did), you may find the ending drags a bit too long. And that ending, which should have been satisfying, feels more akin to something you'd see on a daytime Soap Opera.