[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The King's Affection" Episode 5

When last I checked in on "The King's Affection" our lead characters Crown Prince Lee and Scholar Jeong had escaped their chaperones and were wandering around outside the palace walls. I had to remind myself that Scholar Jeong probably doesn't know who Crown Prince Lee really despite the fac that he keeps flirting with her. Then Scion Lee (played by Nam Yoon-su) pops up, and definitely starts acting like a jealous love interest even though he's not supposed to know Crown Prince Lee is a woman either.

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I'm calling this character Scion Lee because he appears to be an irrelevant princeling. This explains both how Scion Lee knows Crown Prince Lee personally, and also how Scion Lee knew Scholar Jeong when they were both still children. Inspector Jeong, we might recall, works for Grandpa Han, and has long wanted his son to take on a prestigious palace position. Inspector Jeong is also continuing his bad habit of terrorizing people in broad daylight, and manages to do so openly enough that another character asks what his deal is.

But for the most part the greater royal conspiracies take a backseat, with the general incompetence of the palace denizens instead coming into focus. In some particularly charming irony, Scholar Jeong attempts to discourse on the importance of understanding day-to-day royal operations and Crown Prince Lee responds by actually doing a tour of the palace. This does not go well. Very few people are actually doing their job properly.

Part of what makes this funny is that Scholar Jeong doesn't even want to be at the palace. He was bullied into it, and was able to hold on to his position last episode by impressing royalty with his focus on tough offensive truths. In a weird way Crown Prince Lee actually really needs Scholar Jeong around. She's not very competent with most of this leadership stuff,and the whole farcical way palace politics are drawn up make it very difficult for her to learn.

That is, naturally, not the actual reason Scholar Jeong is hanging around anymore. His original motivations and professional rigour are mostly forgotten as Scholar Jeong ponders why it is that he finds Crown Prince Lee so romantically attractive. "The King's Affection" is an awfully goofy show, but I'm feeling more charm than irritation trying to play belated catch-up. The costumes, and the pretty actors who wear them, are outstanding as always and nearly worth watching just for that reason.

Review by William Schwartz

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"The King's Affection" is directed by Lee Hyun-suk, Song Hyeon-wook, written by Han Hee-jeong, and features Park Eun-bin, Rowoon, Nam Yoon-su, Choi Byung-chan, Bae Yoon-kyung, Jung Chae-yeon. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/10/11~Now airing, Mon, Tue 21:30 on KBS.