The King and the Clown Post
I'm not someone whose particularly familiar with the humour of yore and whatnot, and I have to admit, it's already pretty hard getting some joke, especially when they're in another language. I suppose that's one of the reasons why I cringe and cover my eyes during the performance parts, ecpecially early on in the series. I think I cringed most and cover my eyes during most of the part when Jang-seng goes up to the king with the doll. Besides the quite...questinable positions the both of them get into during the shows, I suppose it would be those parts I fast-forward through most when I get the DVD (I just got Shinobi today and can't wait to watch it but I apparently can since I'm not watching it now)
I also won't say that I'm really someone well versed in the Korean scene, I don't really listen to the music or movies and I don't think I've ever picked up a manhwa in my life, that being said, the only reason I had the incredible urge to watch this one was because I saw Lee Jun-Ki's picture in a magazine and went "*g* Hot boi!!" and so, I watched it. And you know this feeling that you get sometimes when you see an incredibly good looking (I'd say almost girl-like if I'd ever seen a girl even half a pretty as he was) and when you actually see them out of print, they're not really quite as good looking as you'd expected?
No?
No, I supposed you wouldn't what with being fans of pretty Japanese and Korean boys and all.
So anyway, I watched it, and other than the points mentioned above, I'd say that it's a brilliant movie. Moving and just plainly beautiful. The cast played their roles out to perfection. I could really feel for the childish attitude of the Emperor; having to watch his mother drink poison on the orders of his father, and just the joy in his eyes while watching the performance. I'd liken it to a child that had gotten what they wanted in a candy store. You can almost see where he's coming from; wanting to get out from under the rule of his father but being reminded day by day by his own minsters about his fathers rule. And the lust that shone in his eyes whenever he looked at Gong-gil, not nesseesarily love, but more like a very intruiging plaything.
That's one of the reason I love this story, even thought it does have the Emperor falling for the beautiful Gong-gil, but the theme does not really center around homosexuality (not that I would be against it if it were) as such. I see the Emperors liking for Gong-gil probably in the beginning because his beauty (as said by his wife; "Even euneuchs don't possess as much grace") but then it became because Gong-gil was...different? He watched in wide eyed facination at the puppet play put on my Gong-gil. The only time you see him actually doing something gay seemed more like an act of desperation as opposed to, maybe love.
And Gong-gil (the beautiful, almost ethereal Lee Jun-ki) was just beautiful in his role. Silent, effaminate and beautiful. There's no other word that could be used to properly describe him other than that. You could see the fear and desperation in his eyes, cry with him when he did so and--well in a nutshell, Lee Jun-ki is definitely NOT just a pretty face. I still can't get over the fact of just how BEAUTIFUL this man really is! The way he walks, the way he talks and his body movements was just perfection! There is nothing more I can say about him without praising his cute little bum out!
Jang-seng played well the part of protector of the superbly feminine Gong-gil. I thought it was a touching scene where he'd tried to prevent him from being pimped out to the men in the series. There hasn't been any physical proof that he liked Gong-gil more than just as a friend, but deep down, you just know.
And the ending, I was torn between feeling that it was sad, but quite satisfied because it seemed quite fitting. I was a bit sad for the Emperor though.
I loved this movie. The acting was superb. The scenery and costumes were just beautiful and I'd highly recommend this to anyone, especially all those hunk-hunters out there because boys just don't get any prettier than Lee Jun-ki. Seriously.v