#kim soyong

[bittergirlsworld]

I can't find on me to hate Byeong-In because if you think about his point of view that So-yong tried to killed herself because of how unhappy Cheoljong and the palace life made her and how their family made her so miserable at the point to drive her to depression. He had every single reason to hate all of them, and I always felt that it was very ambiguous the way they wrote So-yong feelings towards him. She kisses him back for some seconds till she snaps. She tells him that in her dreams, sometimes her husband looks like him. She trusts him the most and he was the only one who notice that So-bong wasn't So-yong and STILL protected her anyway. His love towards her mixed with how used and mistreated he was by their family although he was a political genius makes all his actions very understanding. They don't know you like I know, youngest minister of War.

[zarahjoyce]

Mr. Queen Fic: resurgence (Jang Bong Hwan/Cheoljong)

Summary:

He isn't an expert in emotional fucking baggage because mostly he just gave them away, kept none for himself. Obviously. He's too cool for that shit. But Bong Hwan's pretty fucking sure now that what he's feeling is missing Cheoljong. In a way that made him feel like his entire chest was raging all the time. - or a fix-it fic of sorts to Mr. Queen's ending.

Notes: So I rewatched this KDrama!!! When I first saw Mr. Queen, I was obsessed with Prince Yeongpyeong and Hwa-Jin (even wrote a story for them). Now though, I get why people didn't like the canon ending because AAAAAGH.

So I wrote my own fix-it fic. Not sure if it makes sense, but it made me happy writing it hihihi.

(also this is technically my first M/M fic so THERE'S THAT TOO)

ao3 link!

[mjolnir-brick]

I JUST FINISHED MR QUEEN

I know I'm late like so late bc this drama is like 4 years ago

BUT it's so fucking great. I love it. I love the personality each character has (special mention Kim Hwan he's sooo cute) I love the concept I love the actors.

I have a problem with the ending tho.

At first, I thought it was just me projecting into Jang Bong Hwan in Kim Soyong's body, that I just generally prefer Cheolbong as a bisexual trans men BUT

hear me out. This might be a bit biased, but just hear me out.

Wrong things regarding the ending in my opinion is:

First of all, it's clear that Kim Soyong no longer has the will to live. She committed suicide. Thus it really confuses me when she just backs right on track again with absolutely no sign of being affected at all.

Second, I think it has been made clear that Cheoljong isn't at all interested in Kim Soyong before she committed suicide. He literally is in love with her after Jang Bong Hwan invades her body. This implies that Cheoljong loves the Jang Bong Hwan bits of personality among Kim Soyong's. I think it's cruel for the ending to just take out the part Cheoljong loves the most, even though Kim Soyong showed signs of rudity unlike before, she can never replicate the Jang Bong Hwan part Cheoljong loves. And if she had to replicate a part of herself in order to get Cheoljong to love her as much as he loves Jang Bong Hwan, I don't think it's fair for her either. After all, she committed suicide because she felt like she was living a lie, that her dream was a lie.

Third, after all he's been through, I think it's not fair that the only scene we get from Jang Bong Hwan was him being glad that Cheoljong survives. This disregards everything he has been feeling from the very start of the transmigration. This disregard also implies that every feeling Jang Bong Hwan feels were caused by hormones, which at the end implies that women are the only one in the place who was driven by emotion and whose judgment can be clouded by feelings.

Fourth, it's not fair for Cheoljong either because at the end he never knew that the person he is in love with isn't just one person. It's not fair to leave him out of this. He deserves to know too.

I think I can list more unfair things about the ending that involves more people like Royal Cook or lady in waiting Choi. But, this post is only about those three. Jang Bong Hwan, Kim Soyong, and Cheoljong. Those three deserve better.

[rosyfingered-moon]

Twenty Questions

@angryteapott Thanks for the tag! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

35!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

748,763

What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly television: kdramas and cdramas, and some English-language shows. The only films I have written for are Decision to Leave and Cyrano de Bergerac.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All of them are Mr. Queen:

Mrs. Queen - A rushed fix-it that I began one day after the show ended and then published daily for two months straight. It was a super fun writing exercise bc I tried to work in as many reader prompts as possible to salvage all of our broken hearts after the horrid ending. It was also the unfortunate beginning of my haphazard style of posting first chapters with no clue what the rest of the story will be. (100k)

The White Grass- Non-magic AU. I really enjoyed writing this because 1. it's my only properly beta read story and it was sooo fun to go over things with Sarah in advance! and 2. it features a noncon scene that was really divisive and led to a lot of very interesting discussions about power and consent on Twitter. (74k)

The Raw Ingredients - Bong-hwan finally returns to Joseon, but not as a queen, but a chambermaid!! So she has to scheme her way back to Cheoljong with the help of Minister Kim Soyong. I loved writing this, it was pure wish fulfillment and lowkey I think the most hilarious way a season two could have gone (if I may toot my own horn). @lady-guts has made theeee most beautiful fanbinding of it which has made me appreciate it more <33 (41k)

And I, and Silence - Soyong wakes back up alone inside her body with no memory of what has happened and has to fend for herself. I loved writing Kim Byeong-in's pov and also Jo Hwa-jin's pov and also their freaky love story!! (99k)

Whatever Souls Are Made Of - After almost drowning Soyong ends up with the complete memories of her future self (Bong-hwan). So suddenly she is both a Joseon woman and a South Korean man and has to grapple with that. Also there's a sweeping romance crossing time and space. (61k)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond to all, because I think those connections is what makes fandom worth engaging in. Currently behind on answering though :(

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm a HEA gal, but my Kingdom fic Something Rotten ends with hate sex that isn't maybe only hate but more hate than love. (Also, at least one of the main characters is gonna get eaten by zombies in the future.) I wrote a short My Liberation Notes piece called These Winter Fields where I let Mr. Gu attend Alcoholics Anonymous, but his recovery is left open-ended. Writing it felt very bittersweet to me personally, as someone who has been close to an addict.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of them have tooth-rottingly happy endings! But the ones that felt the most healing to me were my The Hour fic not even the rain because I had been hurting for a decade over its cancellation, and my Beyond Evil fic Splinters where I unfridged Kang Min-jeong and let her live a vibrant poly life without having to die to fuel other people's manpain. Also very much enjoyed saving Comrade Gu in my Crash Landing on You fic Allegretto, not so much for his own sake as for Seo Dan, who deserves to have everything she wants.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. Sometimes people have expressed disappointment. I think the most hate I got was a person on Twitter who got really upset that I wrote a ship they didn't like and in a way they didn't like, but I don't think that had very much to do with my actual fic (since they hadn't read it).

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! Mostly het. I think I have progressed from more tender depictions to, like, trying to hone in on the slightly weird or awkward parts of sex, and also to describe the scene more straightforwardly and let people's imagination do the work for them?

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

A Six Flying Dragons/My Country: The New Age crossover, and a Rookie Historian/Sungkyunkwan Scandal crossover. Neither feels very crazy to me because the universes fit so well (the two former because they feature the same historical people and events, and the two latter because they are both fluffy fusion sageuks with perky heroines).

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, or at least reposted without credit.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I would love if that happened!!!

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Gotta go with Goo Hae-ryung and Min U-won because they are sooo delightful to write, really grew on me (I didn't ship them immediately), and the fandom are such lovely people!

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I hope I will finish all of them in time.

What are your writing strengths?

Funny dialogue! (At least I think it's funny.) Readers mostly seem to appreciate the heart-wrenching confession oneliners.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Pacing, repetitive descriptions, that classic hyperfocus on the main ship to the detriment of other characters, and action scenes. There's probably many cultural misconceptions as well, especially since I mostly write historical pieces (ranging from the Joseon Dynasty and Tang Dynasty to 1950s Britain). I try to research, but being a foreigner means that there will always be a gap.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Since I'm not a native English speaker, all my dialogue is in another language! In the kdrama fics I sometimes include familial terms, honorifics, and other forms of address in transliterated Korean, because I think that helps remind people reading it of what the sentence "actually" sounds like within the fiction, and also maybe allows them to recall what those particular words sound like when spoken by the actors of show. It gives the appearance that the fic only translates the character's "real," embodied, Korean conversation and keeps the readers immersed. At least that's my intention.

First fandom you wrote for?

On AO3 it was for Supernatural, since 15x20 enraged me enough to finally post something. But I also wrote Buffy and Harry Potter fic on FF.net when I was a kid. Including Snape/reader inserts, which I recently told a friend about and she gave me the most repulsed look I have ever seen :)

Favorite fic you've written?

I don't actually know!! Whatever Souls Are Made Of is probably one of the best pieces I have written, but all of them are dear to me in different ways.

Tagging @drivingsideways and @comfect and @elderflowergin and anyone else who wants to do it!

[hieulam-drama-notes]

📺Mr. Queen • 철인왕후 (Cheorinwanghu) (Kdrama 2020)

Xem phim này vì có Na InWoo nhưng rồi cũng hơi thích Shin HyeSun luôn. InWoo trong phim vào vai nhân vật kiểu khá đáng thương, vì người mình yêu mà làm tất cả nhưng mà theo cách riêng của hắn nên trở thành gần như phản diện luôn 🤣 tốt cái là cuối cùng hắn vẫn chọn bảo vệ người mình yêu chứ không làm hại nàng nha. Bởi vậy tui mới nghĩ là đáng thương hơn đáng trách, nhân vật văn võ song toàn, mạnh mẽ quyết đoán nhưng suy quá suy vì KimSoYong - hoàng hậu Cheorin.

Shin HyeSun và Kim JungHyun thì rất tròn vai, hợp vai, ngoài ra thì mình thích cả hai diễn viên phụ khá quen thuộc là Cha ChungHwa và Lee JaeWon vì những biểu cảm quá xuất sắc 🤣.

Nói về nhân vật trong phim thì phe phản diện không làm mình khó chịu bằng hai cái người là hoàng tử YoengPyeong và Jo HwaJin, combo tính cách hướng nội kiểu im im lấp lửng + suy luận phán xét thì sai bét nên về với nhau là hợp quá rồi, hãy giữ nhau cho chặt nhé kẻo bị bên ngoài li gián 🤣

Còn về cặp vua và hoàng hậu thì mình nghĩ kết quá tốt rồi, nhờ có linh hồn Jang BongHwan mà nỗi lòng tâm tư sâu kín của SoYong được phát tiết ra hết cho ChoelJong hiểu nàng, CJ thực ra vẫn luôn nói rằng không quen với kiểu tính cách tuỳ tiện, không có phép tắc của SY sau vụ ngã hồ, nhưng vì hắn bắt đầu muốn hiểu về con người thật của nàng nên có thể bao dung độ lượng bỏ qua những nhược điểm kì cục đó. Chính vì vậy mà kết phim hoàng hậu trở lại con người thật của mình vừa dịu dàng, lễ phép và học được bài học lớn từ Jang BongHwan nên nàng cứng rắn mạnh mẽ hơn xưa nên chắc chắn là người mà CJ yêu thương trân trọng nhất rồi. Yểu điệu thục nữ, quân tử hảo cầu mà 🥰

Có 2 chi tiết mình thấy rất hay thể hiện bước ngoặt trong chuyện tình cảm của SY và CJ. Đầu tiên là lúc CJ đến gặp SY sau buổi triều mà bên nhà họ Jo dâng tấu đòi phế vị Hoàng hậu, hắn đã quỳ gối trao lại nàng cây trâm để xin lỗi nàng một cách chân thành nhất. Hắn là vua nên ở vị trí của hắn ko thể quỳ 2 gối xin lỗi nàng được nên hắn đã dùng cách quỳ gối trao trâm như vậy thì sẽ phù hợp nhất. Chi tiết thứ 2 mà mình thấy rất tinh tế đó là ở tập cuối, sau khi linh hồn Jang BongHwan đã lìa khỏi hoàng hậu, lúc Hong DuIl đỡ nàng, CJ lo lắng cho nàng ko nỡ rời đi, nàng đã nhẹ nhàng cài lại chiếc cúc áo vòng qua cổ CJ cho tấm long bào được ngay ngắn và bảo hắn hãy vào triều kết thúc nốt mọi sự. Hành động đó thể hiện toàn bộ sự dịu dàng, tinh tế và tính cách cứng rắn, quyết tâm một lòng ủng hộ nhà vua của nàng. Thế nên vậy đó, tui thấy dù ko còn JBH thì đôi này vẫn yêu nhau thắm thiết không thể rời xa. Còn chi tiết sau này nhà vua bảo trống vắng gì gì đó thì tui nghĩ phần tính cách mạnh mẽ và những chia sẻ bàn luận về quân bị trước đây chẳng qua như một người bạn đồng hành đáng quý của nhà vua, kiểu tình đồng chí vậy đó. Sau này ko có nữa thì CJ vẫn ổn thôi.

Một bộ phim rất hề hước giải trí xem đi xem lại cũng được nha.

[sweetestlamb]

Touch My Heart Part 2

Summary: Baby come back, you can blame it all on me. Or how to get your man back using bath soaps. 

She has to cry silently, let her heart crack and splinter in silence because she doesn't want to explain her tears to Hong Yeon or Court Lady Choi. She should have expected nothing, should have known the King would want the one he truly fell in love with. But she'd still hoped, wished, dreamed selfishly that he would accept her and her feelings.

That he would beg and plead with her to stay, would declare that he loved her too. She knew that wasn't the case but still her useless heart had been holding out, only to be shredded apart when his eyes revealed how much he missed Jang Bong Hwan. It wasn't fair for either of them, she couldn't be a replacement and he would be forever longing. They would live eternally in limbo, that was no life worth living.

It was a fool's dream, she'd thrown away her chance when she jumped into the lake drowning both her desires and ambitions. She thought filling his shoes would be doable, some of his quirks and behaviors had left a lasting impact on her soul and they had many hobbies in common. But they weren't the same, maybe cut from a similar quilt but the patchwork was too intricate to be replicated.

So she cries, gasping sobs that rattle her bones and wreck her lungs; for the life she couldn't have and for the pain she knows the chef must be going through. If she was this heartbroken at the thought of being without the King, he must be crushed; soul and spirit pulverized to dusty remains.

Sleep comes to her painstakingly, her eyes so raw and red that even the act of closing them hurts and she twists and turns all night until the sandman pulls her under.

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"Hong Yeon-ah, you have been loyal to me since the day I was brought here." The young court maid looks at her with a puzzled smile at her sudden reminiscing, but nods as if she's used to her oddities by now, barely pausing her actions.

"Yes, you're highness. You are always most important to me. I will be loyal to you until the end. And when your child is born, I shall be loyal to them as well." Hong Yeon smiles sweetly at her whilst gently brushing her hair, putting fragrant powder on the roots as she twists her hair into braids.

"I will always cherish you."

"Your highness?" The court maid stops braiding her thick hair, peering into her eyes inquisitively through the mirror. "Why are you speaking as if you will not be here with me?"

She forces a content smile, having now accepted what she just do for herself, the King and most importantly Jang Bong Hwan, the one who saved them all.

"I might be going on a faraway trip, don't look for me. Just care for my baby and take care of the King." She can tell that the younger woman has many questions on her mind but mostly she seems...saudade; she understands more than she wants to and she's sad but she knows the Queen well enough to know why she must do this.

"I too, will always cherish you. I hope we meet again and I can be by your side once more, it was my greatest achievement."

She hugs the court maid, no her close friend probably one of her best friends. Remembering how eagerly she would follow her around, becoming her confidant and supporter as she found her footing in the palace.

"I hope I meet you in another life." She whispers into Hong Yeon's trembling head, embracing tighter because this is her last time.

The others are not as perceptive as Hong Yeon, but she does notice tears lingering in Court Lady Choi's eyes before she blinks them away.

"Thank you for always nagging me, it made me feel like I finally had a mother. I hope you can find your own happiness now." She knowingly looks over at the royal kitchen, making the older woman blush and turn away.

"Are you going to be okay?" She thinks about the question, and she smiles as she answers, "Yes. I'm going to be happy, I will make sure of it this time." She now knows that she has the power to do so, nothing can control her life besides her.

She sends for her father, hugging him tightly despite his apparent confusion. He's been all she's had for so long, it's her hardest goodbye of all. He will never know she's gone but she will mourn his loss until she takes her last breath.

"Father, I love you. I know everything you did was for my future, I know you made mistakes along the way but I couldn't have asked for a better father. In another life I want to be your daughter again." She cries into his shoulder, childishly gripping the bottom of his robe like she did when she was young and had a nightmare.

He looks at her with wet eyes and a huge grin, chuckling before rubbing her belly and showing her all the new gifts he's brought for his grandchild. She smiles and listens, soaking up all his love and warmth to keep her warm on those lonely days.

Later that night, she presses her palm to her stretched skin she's barely showing now only a minor bump under her clothes. But she can feel the life inside of her, her sweet baby.

"My baby, know that I loved you. That I would do anything to protect you. Please be good to them and have a happy life. I hope we too will meet in another life, you are blessed to have two mothers who adore you. Never want for anything." When she feels light taps at her belly, she grips her belly tighter.

She has no regrets, it's time.

The next day, she goes through her day as expected. Letting her servants serve her and enjoying the breeze from the lake, she takes in the majesty of her life and smiles at the sky.

When night falls, she stealthily rises from her bed donning only socks on her feet to make her steps undetectable, she's already said her goodbyes so there is nothing keeping her back now. Only her fears but she's stronger than she was before, there's no turning back now.

The lake glistens remarkably under the mystical glow of the moon, calling to her like a siren. The water sloshes as she steps into it, hissing at the cold that prickles at her skin before her body adjusts. She keeps walking until the water buoys her off her feet and licks at her collarbone, taking a deep gulp of the night air she plunges her head under the watery sheet. Water burns her lungs as she loses the ability to breathe, resisting her bodies urge to escape.

This time is different, this time she's here to live.

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He goes through the motions of life, but everything feels like a chore. He quits his job, deciding to open a a small restaurant with his savings. His restaurant instantly becomes a fan favorite because of his delicious flavors and affordable prices, he also takes to cooking at a soup kitchen on the weekends. There's a young girl whose innocent smile reminds him of Dam Hyang, he always gives her extra meat with a wink.

That's the only thing brings him joy these days, he had so desperately wanted to be back and now, now he was miserable.

What had he been missing so much? His body? His job? Technology? All of it meant nothing now, it couldn't fill the void in his heart. Nights are the hardest, sleep is elusive and his thoughts race thinking about them- how were they living without him? Was his Cheoljongie able to fall asleep? Did Court Lady Choi and the head chef make it official? Was Hong Yeon doing well? Did they even notice that he was no longer in the body of the Queen or was he already forgotten?

Did he mean anything to them or was he easily replaced by Soyong? Those thoughts haunt him daily and he starts drinking, blacking out every night in a stupor just trying to turn off his brain. But that does nothing to soothe the ache.

He tries to find comfort in others.

Finding willing partners is easy, women throw themselves at him but he's more thoughtful now, no longer seeing them as conquests. He remembers their names and cooks them breakfast in the morning, but he still feels hollow like all of his innards have been scrapped out with a jagged spoon.

So he sleeps with men, gets fucked hard into his bed stifling his moans into pillows trying to feel something, anything. But being taken does nothing, he's still empty even while stuffed full. Nothing compares to him, everyone else falls short and it makes him crazy; he has to move on. One night stand after one stand does nothing to abate the emptiness he feels.

Spending time with his mother brings him solace, she's older so he has to care for her but it's not a chore, he's happy to.

"You seem different these days." He hums as he bathes her, swiping a soapy loofah across her shoulders and wetting her short thin hair.

"How so?" He hasn't mentioned anything to her or anyone, there's no way anyone would believe his story. Sometimes he wonders if it was all a vivid dream that he created to deal with his coma but the proof is in the history book, the one he keeps on his bed side table. A reminder that it was real, that he's not crazy. It's both grounding and soul crushing.

"You're waiting for something." She answers mysteriously, eyes sliding shut as he tips her head back to wash out the shampoo.

He doesn't reply. He's not waiting for anything, there's nothing coming. This is his life now. He's just waiting for the end.

After putting his mother to sleep, he travels back home his body aching, tight from lifting another human. Mentally fatigued from suppressing his feelings all day.

He watches idly as the water fills up the tub, his fingers dancing across the surface before he stops the flow squirting a honey scented bubble bath until the water is foamy. He undresses dropping his clothes carelessly on the ground before dipping one toe into the bath, he groans at the welcoming heat letting the water envelop him fully.

The bubbles tickle his nose as he sits in the tub, his muscles slowly relaxing under the luscious heat. It feels nice. He should be content, he's able to take a warm bath in his lavish apartment that should be enough to raise his spirits.

Tears start pouring from his eyes, he hadn't let himself cry that day that feels like a lifetime ago. Had sucked up all his sadness and loneliness and pushed them in a corner of his mind, but now the corner is exploding and he can't control his emotions. All his walls are crumbling in his mind.

He sobs, choking on air and wiping at the moisture on his face but they are falling too quick for him to catch and he starts to hiccup.

"I'll never see them again. Hong Yeon, Court Lady Choi, head chef, Cheoljong, my baby! It's like I never existed, why did this happen to me? I never asked for any of this!" He screams at his ceiling, he's never been a religious person not wanting to put that much trust in an intangible being in the sky, but if there is some omnipresent being, he curses them for punishing him.

"Why me?" He pounds at the water, shouting when soap splashes back hitting him in the eye. Flailing and attempting to rub it out, he's unaware of how close he is to his shower caddy until his hand hits the metal contraption, causing the suction cup adhering it to the wall to lift and the caddy precariously dangles before loosening and crashing down. Pain explodes in his temple before he slides into the water, excess leaking over the edge and onto the floor. Soapy water fills his lungs until he loses consciousness, everything fading to darkness.

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"Jang Bong Hwan! Wake up! Open your eyes."

A familiar voice penetrates the foggy cloud in his brain, as he struggles to clear mind.

"Please! Wake up. This may be our only chance!"

The voice pleads with him, he feels wispy threads weaving around his mind and finally he starts to force his eyes open, willing his body to follow his commands.

Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP!!

Bursting free of his prison, he jolts awake looking around wildly shocked to see himself submerged in water far deeper than his tub is capable of holding, everything feels familiar. Eerily so.

Then he glances in front of him and a face he's grown so used to seeing is peering back at him.

"Kim Soyong?" He barely whispers, certain he's having a ridiculously vivid dream.

"This isn't a dream. I've been waiting for you."

He stares at her in shock, in complete disbelief about the situation. What the fuck was going on??

"What the fuck is going on?" He voices his thought, watching as she smiles and swims closer to him.

"I'm bringing you back. I'm giving you back this body." She states confidently, taking his world and knocking it upside down.

"What are you talking about? Everything is back to the way it should be, the King loves you. History changed. Everything is as it should be." He squashes the desperate hope that blooms at her words, nothing was that simple. It simply wasn't their fate to be together.

"Is that how you truly feel? Is everything as it should be? Are you happy?"

Happy. That feeling is foreign to him now. But he has accepted his fate, he was able to help his King that was enough.

"I helped him. That's enough. I can't ask for anything more." He answers honestly, resolve melting as he thinks of his King and his smile.

"He loves you. I thought what I felt for him was love but I know the difference now, love is earned. You earned his love."

The tears start again, he looks at her lost. He doesn't know what to do.

"But you deserve to be happy too. I know everything you went through, I felt it too. I can't let you die because of me, I want you to live Soyong." He cries heart aching for the woman in front of him, she only ever did what she thought she had to. If someone had truly been there for her without any motives, this could have been different.

"I do deserve happiness too." She agrees and his heart jumps because this is it, he'll truly never see Cheoljong again.

"But I won't get it in this universe." Blinking through his tears he stares at her, a sad accepting smile on her face.

"I will always live in your shadows. That is not a true life, I want a fresh start. I deserve a live of my own without any regrets." She swims closer until they are face to face, nose barely grazing as she carresses his cheeks. It's clear what she intends to do, her lips moving closer until only millimeters separate them.

"Take care of him and our baby." She whispers before closing the gap, warm lips pressing against his and then he feels a sharp tug from the center of his stomach lurching him forward and then suddenly backwards.

He's only able to get out two words, "Thank you." Before he's plunged into darkness again.

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He swirls in a sea of nothing for what feels like eternity, locked somewhere he can't escape. He wanders and wanders trying to remember who he is and where he is? The darkness is unchanging and he feels smothered by it, running only to end up back at the same spot. But then he hears a sound, something soft and sweet. A voice, a voice he recognizes but he doesn't know how.

Who is that?

Where am I?

Those questions spin around and around in his head, vicious cycle that leaves him feeling no closer to the truth or the end.

Then he hears another voice, louder and deeper. It's pleading and pained, his heart aches for the agony he can feel and then he feels a sensation, a distant touch and suddenly a door opens in the darkness, light pours into the once desolate room and he rushes to the door, chasing the light. Needing to be closer to that voice and that touch.

His head is throbbing, opening his eyes feels like a splitting headache but he pushes through the pain desperate to see where is he. His eyes are burning but he forces his heavy lids up and sunlight floods his vision, making him wince and shut them once more.

"My Queen?"

It can't be. No. He's dreaming.

He feels a hand wrap around his own, completely cocooning it.

"My Queen! You're finally awake!" The King cries, relief emitting off his body as he clutches him to his chest. His hot tears landing on the thin material covering his shoulder.

Throat scratchy and aching he licks his lips before speaking, "Cheoljongie?"

Immediately the King freezes in his arms, it's so quiet he can hear the crickets outside chirping loudly. The King slowly leans back, his eyes darting all over his face with something that looks like nervous wonder.

"What did you call me?" He whispers, his eyes wide.

"Cheoljongie!" He screams suddenly throwing himself into his King's arms, which are loose at first but then they become rib straining tight but he doesn't care, he needs this hug more than he needs air.

The King breaks them apart grabbing his face ardently, "Is it really you? Jang Bong Hwan?" His name sounds foreign on his tongue and now it's his turn to be speechless.

"You kn-kn-know my name? You know who I am?" He stutters incredulously, feeling the tears streaming from his eyes but this time doing nothing to stop them.

"I know everything. I know you're a man from the future, you were telling the truth. You always told me the truth."

He feels steamrolled, pressed out and flattened by this discovery. He knew that and he was still here hugging him? It didn't make sense.

"How do you feel? About the truth?" It's not an easy question to ask but he needs to know the answer, there are in a different time now. Cheoljong hadn't said such when he had explained to him that sexuality was more fluid in the future, people were allowed to express themselves in many ways. There was no right or wrong way to love.

It was a nice sentiment, but this was a Joseon period. Everything was different here.

"I love you."

He's not expecting that answer and he stares with his mouth open, feeling himself being drawn into a tighter hug his small body slotting perfectly into Cheoljong's. It's unnerving and familiar being this much smaller than him again.

"I love you so much. I don't care what form you take, I'll love you every single time." He growls the last words, rumbling between their bodies.

He's never said these words out loud to anyone but his mother, but he knows that he means it. He's never wanted to say them to anyone before but now he can't wait, he's bursting with it.

"I love you too. Life was empty without you, I was walking in an endless desert. You are my oasis." They stare at each other passionately, the King's fingers warm on his cheeks as he clutches at his royal robes. They gravitate towards each other as their lips meet and the universe rights itself. He moans at the sensation of having his King's lips back on his, the kiss tethers into frantic in mere seconds. All of their longing and heartache colluding as they slam into each other.

Their tongue slide and twist around each other, he nibbles at the King's lip letting him lick at his open mouth gasping as a hand grips the nape of his neck.

He grabs the King's hair pulling him closer so he can plunge his tongue deeper, swallowing his hardy groans and letting some breathy moans escape from his bruised lips. It's going to take some getting used to, being so slight once more, whimpering as the King easily manhandles him pushing him back onto the bedding and bracketing him in his powerful arms.

The move knocks his head into the floor, momentarily dazing him as a soft "Oof," falls from his lips.

The King reacts immediately, drawing away with concern pouring from his face.

"I apologize my Que...en I was too eager, you've just woken from a vegetative state. Now is not the appropriate time for such.... activities. I will control myself." He notices the King's hesitation as he pauses while saying the title which has become something more for them.

"It's okay. You can still call me that it means too much to me now and I don't want you to be careful. I've spent all this time feeling alone and empty, trying to find other," now he hesitates and the King's eyes widen and then scowl in comprehension, "Means to feel alive. It was all futile, nothing compared to you."

The declaration does little to douse the jealousy he can feel surging off his King, he almost purrs in response. Excited. Electrified.

"I will make you forget about all others. My name is the only that will fall from these lips," Cheoljong rubs a large thumb across the his full bottom lip, seductively. "I missed you so much and I'll show you just how much."

"I spent so much time hoping to get back to my dragon, only to miss yours too much to enjoy my own. It's sad isn't it?" He pouts reaching out boldly to grab the King's thick cock peeking through his layers.

The King smirks, crawling over him before lifting up his dress easily and lowering his undergarments with a swift tug.

"My dragon missed you immensely, it's time to get reacquainted. " Cheoljong warns before slipping into his body without preamble, he shouts and tightens at the intrusion.

Every cell in his body feels alive and buzzing.

They get acquainted all night, into the wee hours of the morning hoarse shouts filling Daejajoen hall as all the court ladies blush and cover their faces bashfully. Hong Yeon smiles knowingly at Court Lady Choi, both with matching 'earmuffs' the Queen had gifted them long ago.

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"Mr. Jang, can you hear me? Mr. Jang?" She struggles to regain conscious as a light is shined into both of her eyes, blinking wildly she turns her head away trying to escape the bright glare.

"I apologize. I had to check your pupils. How are you feeling? You've been in a coma for three days. We were very worried since you had been comatose just a month prior. It's not good for the human brain to be in that state several times." She listens absently to the doctor(?) too fascinated by all the unfamiliar things surrounding her.

There's a strange machine beeping away next to her and something attached to her arm, her eyes bulge at her arm, it is larger thick with muscles she's never had before. She flexes and watches entranced as her arm gets even bigger.

"Mr.Jang, are you okay?" Finally she glances over at the feminine voice, clipped and professional but a tinge of genuine concern.

She's gorgeous, a round face and wide almond eyes that are scanning something in her hands, she has thick hair that is held up in a topknot with tendrils framing her face and her lips are succulent and rosy red, she feels blood rushing to her nether regions. When the doctor notices her staring she puts down the thing in her hands, to meet her gaze head on.

"Mr. Jang?" She finally realizes that's her name, Jang Bong Hwan.

"What's your name?" She feels compelled to ask as if this is the most important question she'll ever utter, something tugs in her stomach as they stare at each other.

"Dr. Won Beom."

She smiles.

Author's note: This will be my canon moving forward in my future untouchable updates, I'll also be incorporating a love story behind Director Hong and Kim Hwan because they are the sweetest beans and I feel like they can get great advice on their relationship from our King and Queen. 🥴😉 I was very selfish with this fix-it I don't want to let go of my Joseon family, so we're staying here instead. 

[kyumi234]

When I see people saying that Cheoljong already fell in love with Soyong at first sight

Wait a minute….

…..What?

You sure?

Sooooo you’re saying

THIS 

& THIS

....is LOVE?! O-O

Holy shit o_o

[bap-ftw]

[booksandlwt]

im watching mr queen and every time kim byeong-in shows up i think of this quote

“the hero will sacrifice you to save the world but the villain will sacrifice the world to save you”

like this man would do ANYTHING for her even if she won’t choose him

[kimdokiisms]

mr. queen is confusing me tho because the character I'm attached to is SOBONG not necessarily bonghwan and not necessarily soyong, but the combination of the two characters if that makes sense? Like, bonghwans character in soyongs body is what I essentially associate mr. queen with so it's hard for me to separate the two and I wish the show did a better job with that fact.

[a-foreign-concept]

Is it too much to ask for Jang Bong hwan/ Kim So yong to have a proper bisexual awakening as he slowly falls in love with the King before his eventual return??? IS IT???

[imjusttiredaf]

also lets give it up for our bisexual king bong hwan after ep 14 THERES NO WAY that hes not the one in love with cheoljong AND that cheoljong isnt in love with HIM after that speech describing BONG HWAN’S personality

rip to kim soyong but thats the romance i want to see

[commajade]

queen cheorin is a feminist revenge dramady and the ending makes a lot of sense if you think about the whole plot as bonghwan's punishment for misogyny. its his job to neutralize the constant threats to queen soyong's life that are out of her control because as he says himself, "this entire palace worked together to kill kim soyong". this is a feminist story where the murdered woman gets to live, and a misogynistic man has to do the work for her while learning how hard it is to be a woman.

and on the romance side there's an emphasis on how soyong and cheoljong are in fact fated lovers as well, they genuinely have chemistry and a kdrama storyline but it's the immovable boundaries of soyong being bound to her role as a joseon woman, the queen, and a puppet of the andong kim clan make it impossible for her and cheoljong to properly see and love each other. it is bonghwan's job as the agent of the future, of transgressive ambiguity, of wrongness that shakes up the whole palace enough for the king and queen to discover each other's secrets and backstories and see each other's true power positions and intentions.

i keep thinking about how this show is so meta about representation of gender and how the optics are at odd with the "text". like every scene where sobong is hitting on women is technically hetero but the images and the acting are a super transgressive representation of lesbianism without tragedy in historical korean setting. and while sobong and the king are a hetero married couple the emphasis on bonghwan's struggles with his attraction to his husband makes it very clearly a story of bi discovery.

the show is truly a masterclass in plausible deniability and mediation between cultural norms and kdrama genre conventions. like they had a married gay couple, a trans bi man storyline, and they had a joseon king side with the donghak revolution this shit's wild. and of course the ending was an immense no homo and thoroughly fucked over bonghwan but like they even gave us the reincarnation shooting star ending while the "official" ending is somewhat made less canon by it. this drama is so so meta i'm like constantly impressed by how much this historical comedy is saying about media and gender and class and korean history and the writing is so careful it has to be on purpose.

[asianhappinesss]

Mr. Queen (2020)

Summary

Jang Bong Hwan is a South Korean chef who has risen up the ranks to cook for the country’s top politicians in the Blue House’s presidential residences. Ever the dreamer, he finds himself in the body of the young queen, Kim So Yong, when whisked away to an era deep in Korea’s past.

While Queen Kim So Yong’s husband is the reigning monarch, King Cheol Jong, he is so in name only. The late King Sunjo��s Queen, Sun Won, has taken advantage of King Cheol Jong’s better nature, and is ruling the realm in his name. And she faces competition from her own brother, Kim Jwa Guen, who also has designs on power.

Queen Kim So Yong will come to discover that her husband harbours some secrets, and is not as gentle and meek as he seems…

Review

A Joseon Era Time-Travel Dramedy

In Mr. Queen (Korean title: 철인왕후), Jang Bonghwan is a sharp-witted, carefree chef working at the Blue House who gets framed for endangering the life of a foreign ambassador. In his attempt to escape the authorities, he falls into water and transmigrates back in time into the body of Kim Soyong days before her marriage to King Cheoljong, who’s known to history as an incompetent puppet king under the control of the Kim clan. The new Queen Cheorin, with his twenty-first century cooking skills and slangs, confuses everybody with his erratic behavior and, strangely enough, captures the heart of his previously unloving husband, who’s not as incompetent or resigned to being a figurehead as he appears.

If the premise sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s based on the 2015 viral Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, about a modern day playboy who transmigrated back in time into the body of the crown princess of an unspecified Chinese dynasty. I’ll go into more details later, but in general, Mr. Queen is a vast improvement upon its predecessor, and a drama that more than deserves to be judged on its own merits first.

Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljong Are Made for Each Other

Queen Cheorin/Jang Bonghwan has one brain cell, and it only works for five minutes a day, by the looks of things.

King Cheoljong, one the other hand, is very intelligent when it comes to everything but his queen.

Combined, our protagonists make for a hilarious couple whenever their storylines remotely involve each other. From the numerous instances of miscommunications (“no touching” in particularly invokes a second layer of mirth, as it reminds me of that one Arrested Development gag) to them being horny on main for each other (AKA that scene in episode 17 where they faked public sex), their antics throughout the drama are endless. They’re ridiculously perfect for each other.

They’re amazing characters individually as well. Bonghwan’s lighthearted storyline remained independent from King Cheoljong’s more serious and suspenseful one for much of the earlier episodes. This not only heightened the misunderstanding-based comedic moments, but did the job of establishing them as distinct individuals with personal agendas before their fates lined up later on.

So Many Scene-Stealing Characters

In other dramas, there might be one or two outstanding breakout characters worth mentioning alongside the main leads. In Mr. Queen, everybody fits that bill.

I mean, do I talk about Queen Cheorin’s devoted maid, Hong Yeon, and her weird love triangle between Hong Byeolgam and Kim Hwan, who are two idiots who also have a weird, homoerotic thing going on?

Or Court Lady Choi’s magnificent facial expressions and awkwardly repressed sexuality, and her budding romance with Royal Chef Man Bok, the owner of the most stylish mustache in all of Joseon?

Or the dimensions that make up the Grand Queen Dowager, who’s simultaneously a petulant but adorable old lady and the cruelest, most vain person ever?

Or Jo Hwajin, who defies all my expectations and emerges from the story a better, more confident woman who sees her life extend beyond obtaining King Cheoljong’s love?

Or how devoted Kim Byeongin is to Kim Soyong, and how despite him coming off as pathetic and pitiful in the story, his actions make complete sense when you look at events from his perspective?

Or how terrifying a villain Kim Jwa-geun is despite him literally not emoting for most of the time he’s on screen?

For Mr. Queen, getting through a scene with no interesting characters is not a problem. The drama gives even the minor characters distinct personalities and traits—nobody’s boring!

How Mr. Queen Improved on Go Princess Go

A large part of why the original Chinese web series, Go Princess Go, blew up as it did was due to its abysmal costumes and set designs, as caused by budget and time constraints. That, contrasted with the series’ sharp comedic timing, abundant pop culture references, and an actually good story exploring the taboo themes of gender and sexuality, made it the viral hit it was.

Mr. Queen lost none of the humor—only adapted it for a Korean audience—and improved on everything else.

This drama is visually stunning. Everything is flawless, from the female characters’ hair ornaments, to the food, to the clothes, to the designs of the sets, to the cinematography, to the performance of every actor. The production quality is top-notch, and the team behind it deserves all the accolade for it.

Mr. Queen basing its story on a real life king from Korean history also added a sense of inevitability for the audience. I spent a good chunk of the drama wondering if our protagonists can overcome fate, or if we’re doomed to an unhappy ending. Having historical context really helps newcomers unfamiliar with the culture of Joseon-era Korea too. (Relatedly, a disclaimer about historical accuracy at the beginning of a drama does wonders. Why China can’t just require time travel dramas to have that instead of banning the genre altogether is a mystery to me.)

The Gender Question

Perhaps Mr. Queen‘s most notable contrast to Go Princess Go is its handling of Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis. In Go Princess Go, the main character’s identity crisis is purely a gender-based one. The Original Good no longer exists once Zhang Peng transmigrates into her body.

That is not the case in Mr. Queen. Kim Soyong, as it turns out, remained dormant within her body when Jang Bonghwan takes over. Remnants of her muscle memory, her actual memory, and her behavior bleed into his personality. They become one person during the duration of his stay, and the drama is both better and worse off for it.

Making Kim Soyong a part of the equation serves a lot of narrative purposes. She’s not only there to provide a mystery for Jang Bonghwan to solve, but she’s the key to several plot points and story elements crucial to achieving satisfying and guilt-free pay-offs, most notably, those related to her father and Kim Byeongin.

Her memories and her personality blending together with Bonghwan also drives his story along. Without them, he’d be happy just living out his days as the queen of a country instead of doing what he needed to do to change the course of history.

Lastly, having her back wraps up the story nicely in some ways, given that it all started because of her figurative wishes. In the beginning, she kills herself over love, happiness, and freedom, all of which she could not have. In the end, through Bonghwan’s guardianship of her body—and he is like the guardian angel she never asked for—she gets everything she wants.

Where this deviation from Go Princess Go fails on a story-level boils down to a simple question: Who did King Cheoljong fall in love with, Jang Bonghwan or Kim Soyong?

This is a question with no real answer. The sad truth is, he never knew either of them. He came to know Jang Bonghwan in the context of Kim Soyong, and Kim Soyong only after Jang Bonghwan has colored King Cheoljong’s experience of her with his personality. Although both inhabitants influenced each other, they’re separate people at the end of the day. The way Mr. Queen chose to end their bizarre, three-person romance is probably the most disappointing aspect of the entire drama.

In the context of the real world, Jang Bonghwan’s identity crisis being a crisis of personality allows the drama to gloss over a huge part of what made Go Princess Go so controversial and interesting in the first place: gender and sexuality. Every one of Queen Cheorin’s feminine inclinations can be explained by the presence of her original self in the body. Jang Bonghwan’s attraction towards King Cheoljong? Kim Soyong caused it. He didn’t really love him, at least, not in a gay way. That was all Kim Soyong. When their inner voice switched from male to female? Kim Soyong. There’s no bisexuality or transgenderism here. No, sir!

Uuughh….

I get it. South Korea is conservative. I don’t blame the team behind Mr. Queen for this decision. Still disappointing though.

Final Rating and Recommendations

Do you want laugh-out-loud antics? Subtle jokes and running gags? A protagonist who’s the smartest idiot alive? A romance interwoven with political intrigues? A plot that builds just right? Then Mr. Queen is twenty hours of your life you’ll not regret.

Based on the viral 2015 Chinese web series Go Princess Go, Mr. Queen is a improvement on its predecessor in almost every way. It’s a fast-moving, whip-smart, and utterly addicting series about transmigration and time travel with a talented cast, wonderful set designs, and great costuming. I cannot say enough good things about this drama.

[rosyfingered-moon]

Mr Queen fic masterlist

Noticing an influx of comments on my Mr. Queen fics now that it’s on Netflix, so here gentle readers is a masterlist. I spent the better part of a year writing these stories, most of which are novel-length!

Are you a cheolbong truther, and wish the show would have committed to the wacky queer love story of our dreams? Or does your heart beat for the silenced Kim Soyong, who got pushed out of her own narrative? I’m here to fulfill all your fix-it needs! ❤

Mrs. Queen

Summary: She has always been good at hide and seek. A retelling of Mr. Queen from Kim Soyong's point of view.

This was my first MQ retelling where Soyong and Bong-hwan are both awake and bickering inside their mind, wrestling for control. Soyong/Cheoljong endgame; Bong-hwan is mostly around to matchmake and cause trouble like the gremlin he is.

And I, and Silence

Summary: Jang Bong-hwan can feel his mind disintegrating, and he is looking for a way back to Seoul. Suddenly Kim Soyong is back. And, as it turns out, she is already married.

The last thing Kim Soyong remembers is jumping into the lake. Now she’s back mid-story and forced to fend for herself without any memory of what has happened in the past few months. Lots of angsty pining, gratuitous Emily Dickinson references, and the birth of my most beloved crackship ByeongJin (Jo Hwa-jin/Kim Byeong-in).

The Raw Ingredients

Summary: After a miserable year in Seoul, Bong-hwan finds a way back to Joseon. When she returns everything is very different from how she left it.

We’ve got magical trans girl Bong-hwan returning to Joseon, only this time in the body of a lowly palace maid. How ever will she get to her king? Well, with a little help of cunning minister Kim Soyong, of course.

Patchwork

Summary: Sobong returns to her king.

A ficlet with the same basic premise as The Raw Ingredients but much shorter.

The White Grass

Summary: Kim Soyong discovers the hard way that her clan would do anything to ensure that the next royal heir comes from the Kim bloodline, no matter who they have to hurt to do it. To survive in the palace she makes a deal with the king. AU where Jang Bong-hwan never came to Joseon. This one has some dark and gritty dubcon sex! It’s also got a Kim Soyong who girlbosses, gaslights, and gatekeeps her way to power in a patriarchal government, and accidentally falls in love with her husband along the way.

Whatever Souls Are Made Of

Summary: Kim Soyong and Jang Bong-hwan are the same soul reincarnated. On the same night, 170 years apart, they both drown. That’s when things get weird.

In this story Sobong is just one (1) person, but with two sets of memories from two points in time. There’s some multiverse theory, library sex, and a journey of self-discovery for our dear genderfluid queen! This is my personal favorite of the bunch.

[kimpinepel]

Thank You Byeong In, you're never been a bad person. I will always thankfull for you, and also Thank you for always being loyal and always on Kim So Yong's side until your last breath just to protect Soyong 😔.