King of Dramas Review

9+

Plus for quality!  Really solid production and smartly written.  It was one of those professional dramas that had a perfect balance of comedy, suspense, action, and melodrama, without focusing too much on the romance, but offering a satisfying dose.  Because of the context of the drama, being almost exclusively about drama production, I felt that the writers were trying to make a statement and reveal some of the nastiness involved in the drama world, and I completely appreciated the message.  I already had an impression of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into getting a drama funded, filmed, aired, and watched, but this drama really solidified my views.  Not that it’s this extreme in all cases, but the competition, politics, and money matters really have an impact on the final product.  Just like a station director said:   “Do you know how much of the profits from commercials depends on 1% of the ratings?  This isn’t a place of art!  This is a business that needs to make a profit!” 

Reality aside, the biggest strength of the drama was it’s unpredictable plot.   I couldn’t even predict the romance line at some points.  All the twists kept me guessing, and the outcomes were often unconventional.  There was a point when some of the new twists and obstacles got tiring, as if every single misfortune in the world plagued the characters, but I guess that was the intent of the drama.  Overall, I like how it took the audience through fairly complex storylines and issues, yet it remained easy and fun to watch.  It was a thriller too (I got the reference to “King” of dramas…it was like all-out war sometimes lol), and the nearly constant intense background music, which was almost too much at first, really enhanced the feels.

It reminded me somewhat of History of a Salaryman, with the “do or die” in business theme, and getting to see Jung Ryeo Won again was my biggest draw into watching King of Dramas.  She was a much sweeter character here, but she still had that wit that makes me love her.  Actually, her character was almost too angelic and perfect.  She’s an excellent actress nonetheless.  My biggest complaint about the drama was Kim Myung Min’s character, aka the Grinch.  He was such a jerk and a “cold-blooded asshole” lol.  I hated him even through the very end of the drama.  If he was more likable, I would’ve believed more in the romance and in his motives, and I would’ve rated this a 10.  But gah I couldn’t stand his thick-skinned impassiveness.  Choi Si Won, however, completely earned my respect as an actor.  Never knew he could be so sensational haha.

Overall it was a really good watch, although the numerous obstacles got a little stressful.  I can see it being a classic Kdrama must-watch, considering its message and distinctive, memorable characters.

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Rather than waiting for a slow death next to an oasis which is drying up, we should run to the end of the horizon with all of our remaining strength. – Anthony Kim

You once told me that people like me who play shady tricks should disappear from this field.  But in the end, I’m still here, but you want to leave.  Before you leave, just keep this in mind: then, in the end, there will be only dirty people with shady tricks left.  – Anthony Kim