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Captivating the King Ep 1-2 Review: Jo Jung Suk and Shin Se Kyung try to quench sageuk draught with slow start
Captivating the King premiered over the weekend, starring Jo Jung Suk, Shin Se Kyung, and Lee Shin Young in the lead roles. Here’s what we think of it so far.
Name: Captivating the King
Premiere date: November 24, 2023
Cast: Jo Jung Suk, Shin Se Kyung, Lee Shin Young
Director: Jo Nam Guk
Writer: Kim Seon Deok
Number of episodes: 16
Genre: Period drama (sageuk), Romance, Melodrama
Language: Korean
Where to watch: Netflix, tvN
Captivating the King plot
The storyline follows the lives of a miserable King named Yi In, played by Jo Jung Suk, who finds himself in danger of being ambushed from all sides and has no one to trust. He comes across a suspicious woman named Kang Hee Soo- played by Shin Se Kyung- who disguises herself as a man named Kang Mong Woo to try to get close to the King. The two bond over their fondness and skills of baduk, a two-player board game popular in the Joseon era. This ensues a unique and captivating love story between the two in Captivating the King.
Watch Captivating the King teaser
Captivating the King's first impression
The show starts off by placing the political background around the impending rise of Prince Jinhan- Jo Jung Suk's character's name before becoming the King and his life as a loyal subject to his step-brother, the original King. Amidst a continued tussle between the Qing and Ming Dynasties, he is sent as a captive only to return unharmed, aiding the start of the rumors around his possible rise to the throne. 
The meeting between Jinhan (Yi In) and Kang Hee Soo is pure happenstance and brings about an unusual friendship between people from two different classes. To the Prince, he is a young man with exceptional baduk skills. Unbeknownst to him, she is the daughter of one of the most neutral members of the King's council. With time, their friendship grows, and the Prince continues to be in the dark. Meanwhile, Kang Hee Soo falls for the benevolent man, the only one to win in baduk against her. A likely turn of events presents the possibility of a downfall between the two.
Should you watch Captivating the King?
Captivating the King brings a few elements of reality as politics will likely play a big role in how this plays out. An unfavorable friendship between the cross-dressing woman and the Prince, who is soon to take on the throne, will become the least of their worries in the coming days as the show proceeds.
Lee Shin Young as Kim Myung Ha, a proud nobleman after Kang Hee Soo’s heart, comes off as more of a young gun in front of Jo Jung Suk and Shin Se Kyung. Meanwhile, the actress’s beauty is perfectly captured in both her forms. The age gap between the three actors is very much undeniable and makes us wonder if Jo Jung Suk’s portrayal as the King would be the right choice after all.
We plan to keep an eye on Captivating the King; however, it has not piqued our interest enough to keep returning every week.
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