There’s been a dearth of sageuks in dramaland recently, and so I can’t wait for The Man Who Became King, the remake of the 2012 hit film Masquerade (also known as Gwanghae). Recently, still cuts of the two main actors were released, and the gorgeous hanboks are getting me doubly excited! Yeo Jin-gu (Reunited Worlds) stars in a dual role as a Joseon king and also a clown who looks identical to the king. Actress Lee Se-young (Hwayugi) transforms into his gentle but tenacious queen for her role in this drama.
To set the scene, this king is surrounded by enemies who constantly threaten his life. When he’s at the end of his rope, he devises a strategy to escape them. He finds a clown who looks exactly like him, and they end up switching places. To protect the people he loves, the king must fool even the people closest to him, including the queen.
The problem is when the queen begins to fall in love with this “new side” of the king after the switch occurs. Will the happy-go-lucky clown or the charismatic but paranoid king be the ultimate conqueror of the queen’s heart — or will everything end in tragedy? I’m ready for the hurt-that-feels-so-good to begin.
tvN’s Monday-Tuesday drama The Man Who Became King, written by Kim Seon-deok and Shin Ha-eun and directed by Kim Hee-won, will begin broadcast on January 7, 2019.
