Set in the aftermath of the Qing invasion of Joseon, Captivating the King follows the trials of noble Grand Prince Jin-han (Jo Jung-seok). Following his nation’s surrender, his older brother King Lee Sun (Choi Dae-hoon), is forced to serve up Jin-han as a hostage to the conquering Chinese dynasty. However, the prince is undaunted and spends his captivity ingratiating himself with Qing’s Prince Rui over games of baduk (aka Go). Jin-han smartly uses this relationship to influence friendlier policies toward his homeland and negotiate his release – but Jin-han’s triumphant return is not warmly received by his royal court. Shocked by the hostility he faces, the prince is heartbroken to learn that even while under the thumb of a foreign empire, internal power struggles within the palace continue to sunder his government.
Afraid that Jin-han will ascend as king, the Queen (Ahn Shi-ha) and her brother, Minister Kim Jong-Bae (Jo Sung-ha), have been plotting to take control during his absence. To that end, the Queen has given birth to a son who she hopes Lee Sun will anoint as his heir. Furthermore, the duo have also been spreading rumours intimating that Jin-han has been turned during his internment in China, and is now a Qing spy. Their vile gossip has even caused Lee Sun, who has grown paranoid and sickly over the years, to distrust his brother. Meanwhile, the Queen Dowager (Jang Young-nam) and other ministers are conversely plotting to install the upstanding Jin-han as king by any means necessary. Unfortunately, the prince is loyal to a fault and refuses to engage in treason.
Beset by dirty tactics and underhanded politicians, a despondent Jin-han heads to the forest to find solace – which comes in the most unexpected of ways. There, he encounters a lively game of baduk between an anonymous gambler (Shin Se-kyung) and a slew of opponents. Renowned as a master baduk player himself, Jin-han is impressed by the gambler’s brilliant gameplay and unbeaten streak. Intrigued, the prince goes to great lengths to track down and challenge the mysterious man – eventually sparking a blossoming friendship. Since the gambler refuses to reveal his name, Jin-han playfully dubs his new buddy as Mongwoo. But unbeknownst to him, the prince’s friendly distraction from his court’s web of deceit is hiding a major secret of his own – he’s actually a woman!
Mongwoo’s real name is Hee-soo, the clever and willful daughter of an honest Lord who crossdresses and sneaks out of the house in order to gamble on baduk. We learn that she’s not in it for the thrill, she’s using her talent to fund the ransom and repatriation of Joseon detainees in Qing. However, things get complicated for Hee-soo when she becomes enamoured with the honourable prince, especially since Minister Kim’s son, Myung-ha (Lee Shin-young) is set on marrying her. Regrettably, circumstances get even more difficult for the pair when an increasingly miserable Jin-han (rechristened as Lee In) is forced to take the throne amidst turbulence and treachery, while tragedy convinces Hee-soo to use her access to the king as a means for revenge.
Through four episodes, it’s undeniable that Captivating the King is a handsome production thanks to director Jo Nam-Kook, who captures the period’s environment in lavish detail. That gorgeous immersion into time and place is crucial in carrying these initial instalments because the series’ snail’s pace and trope-ridden writing does little to engender investment. While the political manoeuvring is the only thing keeping the narrative’s momentum afloat, the schemes themselves are entirely predictable, derivative of a hundred other Joseon-era period pieces populating the K-drama landscape.
Likewise, the burgeoning friendship/romance between the two leads feels implausible and flimsy, hindered by Hee-soo’s hilariously unconvincing disguise. Whether it’s the fault of the performance, or sloppy make-up and costuming, nobody with sight would ever buy her charade. Despite these glaring flaws, the series might heat up as its plot develops, but for now, this won’t captivate anyone, let alone a king.
Captivating the King is available to stream on Netflix in select regions