Mr. Queen, isn’t the title confusing? Why will a Queen be called Mister? No worries you will find your answer in the very first episode. And in this article, Mr. Queen full review, I will also try to explain it. Now imagine, you are in danger and in that situation, you open your eyes in another time span! What will you do? Will you be happy that you are saved or will you be sad because you want to go home? Time travel is okay but what if with travelling time you realize your soul has shifted into another body? If you are wondering how it will be then this drama is for you. Let me give you a full review of Mr. Queen which will help you to make it easy to understand when you watch this drama.
Story Overview
Jang Bo Hwan is a chef who works at Blue House. He is young and handsome and he properly uses his face to impress women. He is so good at his job but he is better when it comes to being a womanizer. But one day he makes a mistake in his work and it leads him to a dangerous position and to save his life he accidentally falls into a pool. When he opens his eyes he discovers himself in the Joseon period, what surprises him even more is that he finds himself in a woman’s body and this woman is none other than the future Queen of the country.
The woman is Kim So Yong who was going to marry the King the next day. From her childhood, he wanted to marry the king. The King is called King Cheoljong, he is a very nice man. He is kind and polite as well as a young handsome man. But the king was just for name, he was more like a puppet of the Grand Queen Dowager, who is the widow of the late king.
To get his body back, I mean to come back to his time which was the present time, Bong Hwan tried his best to win the Grand Queen Dowager’s favor he uses his cooking skills Doing this by the time he discovers that the King is not a man what other people think rather he has a mission that he needs to accomplish. Knowing the King even more he himself helps the King to achieve his goal of staying in the body of So Yong.
Characters and Performances
The drama Mr. Queen is an absolute masterpiece in the genre of historical comedy. Each character of this drama plays a significant role in shaping this drama, so let’s talk about some of those characters.
Queen Kim So Yong (Played by Shin Hye Sun)
So Yong is a pretty girl whose dream is to be the queen of King Cheoljong. But somehow before her marriage, her soul shifts with a man who lives 200 years ahead of her time.
Shin Hye Sun delivers an amazing performance as the real So Young as well as Jang Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body. She switched her character from a soft spoken person to a nonchalant person shows her skill as an actor. A man in the body of a woman; Shin Hye Sun understood the context very well, and seeing her performance you can not imagine anyone in that place except for her.
She played her role so well, that you can tell when the body is possessed by a man and when it’s a woman without any confusion, and it is all because of Shin Hye Sun’s neat and clean performance. She holds up a comical character as well as the emotions very well which is the inner struggle of the Queen.
King Cheoljong (Played by Kim Jung Hyun)
The character King Cheoljong is played by Kim Jung Hyun. He acts like a man who does not make his own decisions. He just obeys his grandmother but in reality, he just pretends to be weak. He has a hidden agenda to fulfill and he pretends to be weak so that nobody suspects him. This clueless monarch has a truly sharp intellect. 
Kim Byeong In (played by Na In Woo)
Na In Woo with his performance gave us the most gentle second lead of all time. Kim Byeong In is a high-ranked guard as well as a cousin of Kim So Yong. From his childhood, he loved So Yong but could never tell her as she was in the dream of marrying the King. He silently loved her till his last breath. In every situation, he protected her without thinking of his own life. He was a protector of So Yong but was jealous of the King, and he was the first one who suspected So Yongs unusual behavior as something was wrong with her.
Na In Woo skillfully portrayed the inner struggle of loyalty and love of Kim Byeon In. He took this character in such a place that if one is talking about the drama then he will be compelled to mention the most loyal lover and his unfortunate ending.
Jo Hwa Jin (Played by Seol In Ah)
Jo Hwa Jin and King Cheoljong’s love story is the subplot of the drama. She is the first love of Cheoljong, they wanted to marry each other and somehow that couldn’t happen. But she still comes as the royal concubine, because at any cost she wants to fulfill her love. 
Jo Hwa Jin is pretty and confident and her posture is so royal, she is so perfect for the King. But at the end of the drama she fails to be herself possessed by jealousy. She loved the king so dearly and was loyal to him but her jealousy of the Queen ruined it all and the king lost his love for her. Seol In Na masterfully played her role and put life into that very character and pushed the story of Cheoljong and So Yong ahead.
Comedy and Chaos
If you are having a melancholic time or if you are feeling low, please do watch this drama, because you are going to laugh out loud. Almost in every scene, you will see something funny.
As we know the soul in the Queen’s body is of a man who belongs to the modern age. Everything he sees is new to him. On top of that, he is in a female’s body, which makes him uncomfortable. The life he was leading was completely different from the life he was forced to live. In real life, he is so manly but now he is learning how to be the most modest woman in the country because he or she was chosen to be the Queen. His situation itself is so funny. There are so many hilarious scenes where Jang Bong Hwan uses modern phrases and slang language which is like an alien language to the Joseon people. He in the body of So Yong breaks so many royal etiquette and rules, not only that he even spoils the royal people as well as the King which makes the audience laugh so hard.
Anyways, in some scenes, the modern-day chef flexes his creativity and problem-solving skills which amuses the audience.
Shin Hye Sun’s expressions and perfect comic timing are the key to the success of this drama. She portrayed emotions like panic, absurdity, frustration and confusion so well that the audience enjoyed the drama thoroughly.
Memorable Comedic Moments
There are so many memorable moments in this drama, such as;
- Boasting the fact that he is the first woman in Joseon not wearing a bra.
- Again when So Yong tries to escape from Joseon through the river and everyone thinks she wants to die drowning in the water, these moments are so funny.
- At a moment the cool-headed court lady becomes frustrated by the queen’s doing and goes to the bamboo forest to scream and relieve her frustration which is hilarious.
- Most of the king and queen’s encounters are funny till the end when the real So Yong comes.
- So Yong challenged the head chef and taught him modern recipes.
- So Yong pretends to be senseless to grab attention seeing Jo Hwa Jin faint.
- When Jang Bo Hwan, a womanizer of modern Seoul, checks out the woman of Joseon is the body of So Yong.
Production Quality
The cinematography of this drama is undeniably stunning, it masterfully captures the grandeur of the Joseon era as well as adds a modern flair. The palace where the drama mostly is set stands out with ornate halls, luxurious chambers and vibrant gardens scream royalty which transports the audience to the Joseon.
The camera work is also dynamic as the makers skillfully present the story with the most engaging angles from the close-ups of the intense moments to the wide shots of the royal palace.
In some particular scenes, we can see the use of modern cinematic techniques as slow motion and vibrant color palettes, which directly reflect the transformation of Bong Hwan’s soul.
It is very important to mention the costume department for their exquisite work. We see the people of Joseon wearing their traditional dress, especially women wearing Hanbok. Each and every cloth is designed with so much effort and it comes out so beautifully that it soothes one’s eyes. The Hanboks of the Queen are so well made that you can see their detailed and vibrant work on them. The choice of colors of their costume are some symbols of the character’s emotions. Such as royal purples and golds signify power and authority, and the softer and white color reflects vulnerability or romance.
All the OSTs and background music are so engaging, mesmerizing and highly praiseworthy, that you can give it a try. You will find all of them on any streaming platform, I am sure you will enjoy it.
If you like chaotic comedy and also look for emotional arc or palace politics then it is your time to watch this drama with a packet of popcorn. This drama offers all you need and want such as laughter, romance, history, emotions and action too. This whole drama is a presentation of Korean drama’s creativity and versatility as it shows an amazing blending of genres. With Mr. Queen, this industry proves that even a historical setting can feel fresh and exciting with the right twist.
With all the features and qualities this drama possesses make it an unmissable gem. In ranking, this drama is the 11th highest-rated drama of all time. So you definitely have no reason to not watch this masterpiece. This drama is surely a legacy of the most inventive and entertaining series that contains history with a modern twist. Watch this drama and make it one of your favorites. I also did the same. Happy watching.