The first season of the Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun starrer drama The King: Eternal Monarch came to an end on June 12. The series has won the hearts of fans as comments have started pouring in on various social media platforms lauding the work of the writer Kim Eun Sook (Kim Eun Suk) for the fabulous ending to the much spoken about drama.
Unlike other romantic comedy dramas that end with the protagonists coming together, The King: Eternal Monarch couldn't have a simple ending. The odds were more than the chances for the protagonists to come together and have a happily ever afterlife at the end. Writer Kim Eun Sook who is known for giving blockbuster dramas including The Heirs and Goblin has yet again proved that she is on top of her form as the ending of The King: Eternal Monarch successfully impressed the fans.
Protagonists, emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min Ho) and detective Jeong Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun) belong to two different worlds and are without an identity in each other's world. Through various clues, fans expected the protagonists to get married and thought Tae Eul would leave her world behind to be with Lee Gon. But this was not to be and here are three reasons why the ending of The King: Eternal Monarch couldn't have been better.
No Compromise
Firstly, as an emperor, it is not feasible for Lee Gon to leave behind the Kingdom of Corea and live in The Republic of Korea, the world of Tae Eul, as a common man. In the same way, it was not feasible for the career-oriented Jeong Tae Eul to leave her world behind and settle down with Lee Gon, without an identity.
An emperor who fakes the identity of his girlfriend/queen does not look credible enough to rule the country in a just way. Thus not getting the protagonists married by making one person compromise was the right decision taken by the writer.
Remaining True to the Character
Secondly, Kim Eun Sook's treatment of the characters is impressive. Jo Young (Woo Do Hwan) shows his loyalty by saving the King during an encounter with villain Lee Lim, even going against King's orders to abandon him. That is the kind of loyalty Jo Young had shown towards King Lee Gon from the beginning and remains the same till the end.
Even protagonists Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul remain the same till the end with their nature intact. Even till the end, Lee Gon pursues Tae Eul despite being turned down (by situations) and Tae Eul cannot exhibit her love freely for Lee Gon.
When Lee Gon talks about his birthday celebration in his world, Tae Eul is least bothered but makes sure to meet Lee Gon at the obelisk the next weekend without fail. Lee Gon continues to search for Tae Eul even after numerous failed attempts to find her in different worlds and doesn't stop until he finds her. The two of them know and understand each other's feelings so well that even in the end both remain true to their characters despite the odds they face.
Finding Their Way Back to Each Other
Thirdly, the way the protagonists decide to lead their life is really winning the hearts of the people. Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul lead a normal life in their world during the weekdays and dedicate the weekends to each other. With Manpasikjeok retrieved in full from the villain, Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul travel to different worlds in a different time setting and spend their weekends together.
After the weekend they are back in their worlds, bidding goodbye to each other at the obelisk in the forest with the hope of meeting the next weekend, having no means of communicating once apart. Towards the end of the series, the hands of the aged couple holding each other in a different world give the feel that the couple will grow old together by being themselves in their own world but finding their way back to each other every time without fail.
A similar complex situation was shown in the ending of Hyun Bin and Son ye Jin drama Crash Landing on You. With Hyun Bin, a captain from North Korea who falls in love with Son Ye Jin, a businesswoman from South Korea having no chances of being together in each other's country were united in a third country.
But this too was not a permanent solution as the couple gets back to their country without having any means of communicating with each other. But the drama ended by giving the viewers a hope that they will find their way back to each other yet again.
