Directed by Yoon Sung-Sik, “Mr. Queen” is based on Xian Chen’s novel and on the Chinese hit series “Go Princess Go,” which was released in 2015. The genre of the series is isekai, which has been quite popular among viewers of both anime and Kdramas, as well as mangas, manhwas, and manhuas. This is why this kind of storyline is a little common; however, the gender swap as the transmigration here is a little different. Jang Bong-Hwan never really dies; his soul simply transfers itself into Kim So-Yong’s body to help her out. It is a fun series with the troublesome queen running around as the rest try to match up with her in the process. King Cheoljong ultimately falls in love with the rambunctious Queen, and they later win the fight to help reform their country. “Mr. Queen” has a unique storyline and is recommended; however, even though it is a historical series, the writers took little inspiration from history while creating a plot, unlike the others.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Mr. Queen’ Plotline: What Is The Series About?
“Mr. Queen” follows a chef from the Republic of Korea as his antics lead him to wake up in the Joseon Era in the body of a queen. Jang Bong-Hwan wakes up as Kim So-Yong, the wife of King Cheoljong. Confused by his surroundings, he tries to get a hold of himself and find a way out of the Joseon Era and back to the modern era, where he could prove himself innocent and get his career as a world-renowned chef back. As he tries to figure out his life in Joseon, political fights and backstabbing families make it impossible for him to return to his time. After battling with his desire to remain a man throughout, he ultimately gives in and falls in love with King Cheoljong. He helps Cheoljong gain power and also becomes the real ruler instead of the puppet ruler that he had been. “Mr. Queen” ends with Bong-Hwan returning to his body to find his past changed as he had successfully found the perpetrators who had dared to frame him. Meanwhile, Cheoljong became a revered ruler.
Did King Cheoljong Really Die?
The ending of “Mr. Queen” Episode 17 and the entirety of Episode 18 was riddled with rumors of the king’s death. Cheoljong was sent on an impossible mission to stifle the mutiny of the Donghak Bandits. This was to quell the rumors surrounding the Queen, Kim So-Yong. She was rumored to be carrying the child of Kim Byeong-In, questioning the heir’s legitimacy and starting a scandalous incestual rumor between both cousins. This rumor was started by Daebi Jo, Queen Dowager, who had been intent on keeping the Andong Kim Clan in check and also wanted to do away with the Queen. Although Byeong-In had been adopted, it only brought down the reputation of the Andong Kim Clan and forced them to pressure the Grand Queen Dowager to threaten So-Yong’s life. Cheoljong, to save his wife and her reputation, was then pressured to suppress the mutiny by Grand Queen Dowager Sunwon, who had used this opportunity to keep him in check. Cheoljong had been gaining political power rapidly and had threatened her position as the regent. He had forced Sunwon to step down and end her era of power as he, too, cast aside his role as a puppet king to embrace true regal power. Thus, stomping on all of the plans of the two main clans holding power, the Andong Kim Clan and the Poongyang Jo Clan. This is why Sunwon grabbed the opportunity to dispose of the king and instead enthrone another heir to continue her era and also have another puppet king. Meanwhile, the Donghak Bandits had been the people of the king, and having to deal with the idea of a massacre had been painful for him.
However, he set out on the journey fully equipped with the knowledge of assassination attempts and that it could be his last day, and therefore, he was ready to sacrifice himself as he refused to take any of the royal guards with him. As he took the State Tribunal along with him, Byeong-In, the Commander of the State Tribunal, took advantage of his position and challenged him to a duel. During the duel, Cheoljong jumped off a cliff, and that led to Byeong-In informing Sunwon about his failure to get Cheoljong’s body. The Grand Queen Dowager grabbed this opportunity and declared his death publicly, shocking the entire nation as well as Kim So-Yong. This didn’t stop So-Yong from visiting the funeral chamber to check on his corpse. She figured out that Cheoljong was, in fact, alive and set out to find him with her two court ladies, Hong Yeon and Court Lady Choi. Cheoljong and So-Yong cross paths as she later runs to save her life while Cheoljong has been out to look for her after he saved her Court Ladies. So the King was alive because the leader of the Donghak Bandits and Dam-Hyang, a young court lady’s father, had saved him. He had saved the King because the King and the Queen had saved Dam-Hyang, his daughter, from execution and taken her out of the palace to reunite her with her mother. The Donghak Bandits later helped the King take over his position as the destined King while he took care of the Grand Queen Dowager, Queen Dowager, and the other officials who had plotted treason against him.
Did Kim Byeong-In betray Kim So-Yong? Did he die?
Kim Byeong-In had promised to take care of the King for Queen Sunwon and had promised to reinstate her power. He harbored a grudge against Cheoljong and had gained the power to protect Kim So-Yong because he had loved her since their youth. Cheoljong had threatened to harm So-Yong in the beginning because he had thought she was plotting against him as she hailed from Andong Kim Clan, who had murdered his parents. However, So-Yong, who had been unaware that she loved him and committed suicide after she was unable to get his love, and the Kims, along with Sunwon, pressured her to monitor Cheoljong. These incidents led to Byeong-In’s mistrust of the King and made him gather power against him. He was loyal to only So-Yong and had plotted with his father, Kim Jwa-Geun, and Sunwon to kill Cheoljong, even if that meant So-Yong would hate him.
When So-Yong had come to know that Byeong-In had been behind the death of Cheoljong and, upon her investigation, had found out that he was alive, she had not hesitated to leave the palace to seek him out. Byeong-In went to stop her; however, So-Yong rejected him and also accused him of not recognizing that the original So-Yong’s soul had been replaced by another. She had also shot his leg with an arrow to further prove her point, which thus enraged him. This led to Byeong-In taking his troops to chase her and her court ladies through the forest. So-Yong was separated from her court ladies during the chase and was confronted by Byeong-In on the same cliff that Cheoljong had jumped off of.
Here, Byeong-In had asked for her explanation, and as So-Yong told her of her memories and also explained how the day she had committed suicide led her soul here, Byeong-In had a change of heart. He turned against his troops and, while protecting So-Yong, was killed by his father’s assassin. However, after the Queen had announced the King’s death and before So-Yong had left the palace, Byeong-In gathered the heads of both clans and coerced them into signing the document of treason to make sure they were both on the same page and were united. In the moments before his last fight, he had handed that document to So-Yong and had pushed her to run while he dealt with the assassin. He died protecting her and also confessing that it was only her that he saw and fought for. This document later helped Cheoljong seize power and get rid of corrupt officials.
‘Mr. Queen’ Ending Explained: Does Jang Bong-Hwan Return Back To His Timeline?
The ending episode of “Mr. Queen” left the viewers baffled because it portrayed a past for Bong-Hwan that had not taken place. Bong-Hwan was shown at the beginning of “Mr. Queen” as a callous playboy chef who was only interested in the affairs that he secretly had in the storeroom. He had been dismissive of the broken CCTV camera and had found himself amidst a scandal that had led to the downfall of his career as a revered chef. In the current timeline, after he returns from successfully changing the past, Bong-Hwan is still a playboy but not as dismissive and arrogant toward his career. He remembered the previous timeline, however, his efforts spent toward helping Cheoljong had paid off, as he was now hailed as a hero instead of being riddled in the scandal of attempting to murder the Chinese ambassador. He had been a whistleblower and had assisted the detectives in finding out who the real perpetrators were; although he had still ended up in the hospital, his career was intact.
After waking up from his coma, back in his body, Bong-Hwan rushed to check the history and if he had been successful in changing it. He was able to confirm that he had indeed helped Cheoljong go down in history as a reformist and a revered king instead of being known as a dumb and puppet king. This changed his past and Cheoljong’s future, while the rest of the world remained intact. This marked the ending of “Mr. Queen,” where Bong-Hwan helped So-Yong find her happy ending while he got back to his scandal-free career.
“Mr. Queen” is a 2020 Drama Romance Series streaming on Netflix.
