Where do I even start. I could go on forever about how much I love this drama. I'm freakin obsessed. I have seen a LOT of dramas and this one blows them all out of the water by far. The character development is unmatched, awe-inspiring and perfectly paced. The story is phenomenal and lacks the typical annoying drama cliches like the long-lost childhood lovers, the moody, stone faced manipulative male lead, or the annoying pointless second lead trying to steal the girl/guy. It's not overly predictable; you're always left on the edge of your seat guessing what's going to happen next and there are so many moments that completely take you by surprise. The acting is spectacular, especially Yeo Jin Goo's dual role that got him nominated for Best Actor against some of the biggest names in the Korean film industry at the young age of 22. It was almost as if there were two different actors. There was rarely a moment where I couldn't distinguish between the two characters. And the way you can tell the difference between when Haseon is pretending to be the psycho unhinged king and when he's just legit pissed off shows his real skill as an actor. You get to see a full 360 degree range of emotions from him in this drama. The actors playing the villains are so good that you absolutely detest them. The music was beautiful and chilling all at the same time. The costumes and makeup were fantastic. It was so gripping and I had chills through the whole thing. When I finished watching it my first thought was literally, "EVERYONE needs to watch this. And when they do it's gonna be their new favorite." Why it is not on everyone's top 5 I will never understand. Why there aren't people selling prop replicas all over Etsy like they do for Hotel Del Luna (which stars the same lead actor and was aired the same year) I have no idea. Maybe cause the romance isn't all hot and steamy? But this drama doesn't need one, because the whole story of how a worthless street performer, who is just roaming around trying to get by, becomes a king who vows to protect the people, and the journey of all the characters surrounding him coming to acknowledge him as such, is just so amazing and powerful that it stands perfectly strong by itself. Some people think the ending is lacking, but if you learn about the true conspiracy theory it was inspired by, the ending makes perfect sense. Anyways, go watch it cause this drama literally changed my life.
Review of The Crowned Clown
