The Crowned Clown

From the very first few minutes of The Crowned Clown (2019) I was hooked, and knew I was on rarefied ground in K-DramaLand: Masterpiece Level! Its fantasy story of a mere clown becoming an excellent King in the old Joseon era was electrifying, the cinematography amazingly beautiful (more like a first run theater film than a television drama), and the entire cast's acting performances were out of this world superb, remarkable, and perfect in every way. The developing love story was also beautiful to witness, and often I would find myself transfixed by the tentative, gentle, poetical, and sweet love scenes between the male lead Yeo Jin Goo (The Moon Embracing The Sun, I Miss You, and Lee Se Young (Trot Lovers, I Miss You), and I would re-watch their scenes together multiple times.

The first time I had ever laid eyes on Yeo Jin Goo was when he was a little tyke in his first movie, 2005's Sad Movie, in which he played a schoolboy who grieved when his beloved mother (Jung Ah Yum, who played the wicked stepmother in A Tale of Two Sisters) died from ovarian cancer. I knew even back then watching him in that performance that I would see him again in future because he was simply unforgettable in that short role, and I've enjoyed watching him grow up on screen in the years since. That's one of the best perks of being along term K-drama fan: watching the child actors grow up to become stars in their own right. In the case of Yeo Jin Goo that success is richly deserved.

I've always felt that many Korean historical dramas tend to be too long-winded, going on and on till they reach a cumbersome fifty to sixty episodes, but at only sixteen episodes The Crowned Clown is just perfect for those K-drama fans who have never watched an historical K-drama before and would like to sample a beautiful one for the first time. In fact, part of me would have loved to have seen this one go longer, at least to twenty episodes, just so that I wouldn't have to say goodbye to this wonderful cast so soon!

I also loved the instrumental pieces on the OST, particularly the tension music with the wild violin, and the sad goodbye piece with the mournful cello playing, often bringing me to tears.

This is a Korean drama that I plan on returning to and re-watching several times in the future, it was that splendid. It hit all the necessary high notes in its "song" to its viewers. As usual when a drama touches people's hearts this deeply people wonder if there will ever be a sequel, but sadly most K-dramas do not get them. It's just a fact of K-drama life. Enjoy this beautiful masterpiece as it is, like a magnificent ship passing in the dusky early night. And bring tissues!