The King Loves 왕은 사랑한다 Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The 2017 Korean drama, starring Im Si-Wan as Wang Won, Im Yoon-Ah as Eun San/So-Ah, and Hong Jong-Hyun as Wang Rin. Also known as “The King in Love.”




Brief synopsis: Seven years ago, a young girl lost her mother and lifestyle in one fatal incident and two young boys witnessed it. From the tragedy came a lot of guilt and the girl disappeared, until the boys stop by the home of a prestigious scholar. Both are completely enchanted by the brave young woman they meet, but getting close to her might be difficult. So-Ah has a lot of secrets, but so do the boys; one of them is Goryeo’s Crown Prince. Can the friends stay together when their bond is tested by those who seek the throne?



For some reason, I missed that this was a Goryeo drama. I had seen clips and previews from the drama’s airing, but I realize that I definitely did not pay much attention to it and what it was about.




This drama was great! Funny enough, I think it’s a great one to watch especially after “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.” Hong Jong-Hyun plays a complete opposite character that moves our heart to the extremes!



And the ending is a lot easier to swallow.



Can we take a moment to appreciate how AWESOME Eun San's character was? Definitely not one to accept defeat and that drive made her smart and feisty. I was impressed!



The title for the drama is fitting in every way, but I was unprepared for what the drama really is about. The show is really about friendship. Wang Won and Wang Rin were already best friends before they met So-Ah. When they meet her, yes they fall in love at first sight, but neither of them try that kind of relationship first. Instead , So-Ah is absorbed into the friendship circle and then the romance follows. But it’s that romance that starts to put that friendship circle to the test. One of the big questions the drama asks is “How much do you trust someone you call your friend?”




The drama also caught my attention as I watched because it bears a significant difference from the norm. It’s difficult to say it without giving away spoilers, but let’s just say that this drama comes with a very strong case of SLMS (Second-Leading Male Syndrome).



This show tended to break your typical drama tropes, especially the one that says if flower petals fly around them they must be love interests. Now you're going to watch for that, aren't you?



Don’t get your hopes up for the secondary couples either. There were a few ships that I thought “Awww. That’s cute. They’ll probably end up together.” No. Don’t think that. You might as well listen to “White Flag” by Dido instead.



Speaking of music, the OST for this drama was also fantastic. Download it too when you download “White Flag.”



But this drama was brilliant! I really liked that it was all about friendship from beginning to the very end. Not everyone may relate to the in-love romantic side of the story, but the majority of us can think of someone we trust enough to label a friend. We may have had rough times with that friend, may have argued with that friend, or maybe even lost that friend, but we can still remember. I think this drama appeals to that majority more than those looking for a love story. 5/5 stars!