It's a captivating drama, boasting stunning costumes, cinematography, and a stellar cast.
Great dramatic series. All the actors are superb, and the 💛 King Jo Jung-Suk...OMG, his performance is powerful, captivating, emotional, and intense as well as sensitive. I don't know what the top actors award is in S. Korea--Jo Jung Suk-- gives an Oscar-worthy performance🏆🏆🏆I think I have a crush ❤️ Shin Se-Kyung, is beautiful as well as, moving in her role. I have seen her in many k-dramas and enjoy her acting. Honestly hate to see the series come to and end! Well done! I keep replaying previous series and scenes!It's a captivating drama, boasting stunning costumes, cinematography, and a stellar cast.
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A Giant Game of Go
I very much enjoyed this - I had just finished My Dearest a couple of weeks ago and this overlaps in time with Captivating the King starting with the end of the Qing invasion and the prince being sent to Shenyen, followed by the gradual collapse into some insanity of the reigning king (they each take a slightly different lean on this aspect though). Translator Jung is also present in character as well (different actor of course and with different motivations compared to My Dearest). If you've watched one, watch the other, it's interesting seeing the common bits as well as the different takes on things.The standout for me is the male lead - this is the first time i've seen Jo Jung Sook in an entirely 100% serious role, all of his others have allowed him to bring his brilliant light heartedness and comedic sense but there is nothing comedic about this role as he starts as the prince and progresses to being the King it's all serious all the way.
I enjoyed the interplay between the characters, the scheming going back and forth, and the strategies that the two leads were employing even independently of each other. It's like watching a pair of grand masters at work. The writing here was exceptional I felt.
I was absolutely hooked on this from start to finish - binged the entire thing in fairly short order.
Shin Se Kyung is someone I always enjoy watching and I thought she delivered well in this, does seem like she's a marmite attraction to many viewers but for me, I thought she was great.
As the bad guys start to get taken down there are definitely a number of "punch the sky" "yess!" moments to be had, especially with the big-bad :)
Well worth the watch in my view!
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Will keep you interested til the end
There is so much to like about this drama. First their dialogues very well written and beautiful. our leads chemistry is so subtle, strong, beautiful most of the time their eyes talked. you can literally see the love in king lee eyes. King lee our main lead is an amazing king who you will root for til the end. Storyline is really good politics doesnt get boring. it will keep you captivated til the end. Each episode you will have something to look forward too. Also ignore the negative comments watch it then make the decision whether you like it or notEsta resenha foi útil para você?
I thought the male lead was the most outstanding actor of this series. i will watch out for him more. I have to say the side characters were really well played. The Queens controlling nature came across vividly. As did the malevolent uncle.
The story was interesting and held my attention throughout. I thought the female lead did a reasonable job she was very expressive in the first few episodes but maybe she was directed to reduce facial expression as the series went on. It maybe a failure of direction rather than the actress at fault for some of the criticism she seems to be receiving. I suppose as a Baduk player you can give yourself away. All in all i think she did a decent job. Yes i would have liked her to be more animated in the later part of the series. I thought the costumes, cinematography, and the music we all brilliant and added much to my enjoyment. I will watch this again without doubt
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Através de reviravoltas políticas, o príncipe herdeiro Lee In acaba se tornando rei como seu irmão temia, porém nunca confortável com a posição que ocupa ele passa os próximos anos de seu reinado tentando assegurar a promessa feita ao irmão no leito de morte de punir os traidores do reino e manter a sucessão do trono para o filho do antigo rei.
Pouco tempo antes de se tornar rei, Lee In acaba conhecendo um jogador de baduk e fica completamente fascinado. O jogador de baduk na verdade era Kang Hee Soo, filha de um dos secretários real. Ela se apaixona pelo Príncipe Lee In, porém através de uma reviravolta do destino, ela se torna uma espiã e se aproxima de King Lee In para se vingar.
Sinceramente foi um drama que eu assisti mais pelo ator Jo Jung Suk do que pela história em si. Apesar de ter me surpreendido pela coragem do roteiro de apresentar um King Lee In impiedoso com seus inimigos, pois geralmente os mocinhos são bons de mais para punir os vilões com a mesma proporção que são atacados, aqui isso não acontece e gostei. Porém, a história em si não é muito empolgante e a química com a atriz não foi convincente. O final também achei bem sem graça.
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A Captivating King…
As other viewers I felt ending was short. Waited for so much more. Although they gave us a happy ending (at least) it needed more substance. The kiss was awful! At least if it was as their first kiss it was good but that kiss? Why after all the trouble they can’t give a better ending, at least I would have been thrilled with a good kiss.Jo Jung Suk saved this drama. If it wasn’t for him probably I would have dropped it. As many others comments he CARRIED this drama. Deserves an Oscar! Don’t know if his acting diminished Shin Sae Kyeong or if she acted poorly next to him or the script. I will go with his acting was too much for her. All the emotions that he could convey in seconds were superb and those eyes said so much. Wow! I hope to see him soon in more dramas similar so I can see more of this potential. I have seen other of his dramas but here I felted he was intense.
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A Captivating Tale Between A King & His Favorite Baduk Player
Dynasty politics isn’t something new when it comes to Korean historicals. We always have a group of power hungry officials, who are either related to the Queen or the Queen Dowager, trying to force their opinions on the King. Corruption becomes the main subplot in these storylines; as such “Captivating the King” was no different. King Lee In/Grand Prince Jin Han ascends the throne when his elder brother (the former King) is poisoned. The only catch, King Lee Sun names his only son as the heir to the throne. Unbeknownst to others, Lee In masks this royal decree and ascends to the throne himself. While his power hungry mother and uncle barter for dominance, Lee In plays mind games with them to protect the young Prince (his nephew). Starring Jo Jung Suk & Shin Sae Kyeong in the lead roles, the show uses the backdrop of the baduk game as an intelligent ploy for the plot and the schemes, that the King devises to fool his corrupt opponents. Both main leads give exceptional performances, heralding the narrative in an intriguing direction. Let’s sit down to talk about their distinct portrayals!Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/03/05/captivating-the-king-series-review/
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Under satisfying end to an across-the-board amazing drama
This drama had all the factors going for it, an interesting plot, a believable reason for revenge and a consistent amazing acting quality from its cast. However, the way that my interest in the storyline declined in the final episode was astonishing. A lot of plots and reunions were missed in the drama, that I felt would've made the ending more impactful and added a lot of clarity to the reasonings behind people's actions. In fact, the reunion that they did explore at the end was extremely under satisfying as a watcher who was very engaged in their relationship. However, despite my nit-picking, this drama was across the board amazing. I loved watching it, and I would probably watch it again.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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Not bad, but not what I hoped
I agree with what most others are saying.The ML was the best character and I found myself excited whenever he showed up on screen. It's hard to put this in words, but he is the most "king" character I have ever seen. He felt truly terrifying at times when people got on his bad side, but truly kind at heart. This dynamic made him really compelling. It's also one of the few times I've seen the power dynamic in these historical dramas to really play out. Most of the time, I felt like the FL was far too afraid of him. He gave her good reason to be, but I never felt like we really got over that well enough. At least on her part. I was fully "captivated" by him way sooner than she was, but I'm not the FL.
All in all, if you like political games, this drama has plenty of it to keep you interested, but if you want romance, there is very little of it. The king waists no time in letting the audience know how much he cares for her, and we feel it whenever he looks in her direction, or even just at the sky, but she seems really passe about the whole thing. She didn't even want to tell him that she returned from Qing and was going to leave quietly?! WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO SEE THE MAN YOU LOVE?! That was pretty disappointing.
The rest of the characters are fine. I have a soft spot for Lee Shin Young (Myungha) and Yang Kyung Won (Yoo Hyunbo), as they are my boys from Crash Landing on You, but especially Yang Kyung Won. I will watch him in anything, he's a great actor.
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I, for one, was captivated LOL
Writing-wise, this is one of the best sageuks I've ever seen (and at this point, I've watched a whole lot of them).I don't know how else to describe it beside it being smartly written. The characters were interesting and flawed, with multiple layers and complex emotions. Their actions were always motivated by solid reasons, and even the villains were clever in the way they plotted their evil deeds (which is not actually the norm in base of my observations so far). I was hooked throughout, and actually found myself being surprised by some of the twists and turns the story took.
The show was like a baduk game in and of itself, with the two opponents constantly trying to outsmart and outmaneuver each other, both when it was the King and his Gidaeryeong, and the King and those seeking to control him, which I really loved given how prominently the game was featured. There was a constant struggle for power going on, with the knowledge that any move had to be carefully considered because a wrong step could lead to catastrophic results (much as it was shown during the very first episode).
Also, there were a lot of different instances were it was mentioned how the characters were blinded because of how they were "captivated" by a certain emotion. Be it a thirst for revenge, or an overwhelming love, or anything in between. Which again, I liked the tie in to the show's name and theme.
Of course, it was visually stunning, like all sageuks usually are, and the OST matched the show well, even if it was not very memorable. The acting was top notch all across, with Cho Jung Seok shining especially bright in his range from tyrannical King to lovesick man, he really excelled in portraying a deeply complex character. Shin Se Kyung's character reminded me a lot of who she'd played in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (also a marvelous sageuk fyi), a smart woman, confident in her abilities but somewhat limited by her circumstances.
The only reason I'm not giving Captivating the King the full 10/10 rating is because the romantic spark between the leads was sadly missing. I loved how mature, deep and settled their relationship felt, but the heat that comes with good chemistry was sadly missing. I bought they cared about each other, but didn't feel the attraction. When they kissed, nothing happened.
Either way, it was an amazing show and I had a great time watching it.
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Captivating the King -A drama full of sadness , romance, hatred and plot
I love this Historical drama and with the great main actor and actress and also others who casts in this drama. Though it has not ended and watch until 13 episodes, the King is not a bad man, he wanted to build a better antion and create peace in his country as the son from his brother the ex King is too young to rule. However he cared for him and his sister but bad rumours about him made many suspicious of him and the killing of the traitor and given exile to those people whom they reported as traitors and one of them his valuble baduk player ( Shin Se Kyeong ) and was in misery when he heard that she died, and became acholholic and womanizer because of that. Deep inside him he listened to his mother and that wicked uncle of his. I have the feeling it will be agood ending for this drama and I enjoyed the story lineEsta resenha foi útil para você?