The King and the Clown

I have grown 'interest' on Lee Jun Ki's acting skills after watching 'Time between dog & wolf' & managed to catch 2 of his movies, 왕의 남자 (王的男人) & Virgin Snow
Meanwhile, I am so looking forward to his latest kdrama, Iljimae which will be aired in Korea in April. The King & The Clown
The story is set in the Joseon Dynasty during the reign of King Yeonsan, an infamously tyrannical monarch. Jang-saeng, a member of the Namsadang Troupe, comes to Hanyang (currently Seoul) with Kong-gil to escape the abuse of powerful aristocrats. After arriving in the capital, Jang-saeng and Kong-gil perform a skit satirizing the King and his concubine Nok-su, quickly attracting attention. The palace learns of it, and they are arrested. While enduring excruciating torture, Jang-saeng raves that if given the chance, he could make the King laugh. Fortunately, he is given the chance to prove himself.
Performing before the ruler makes the jesters nervous, and despite Jang-saeng’s best efforts, the King doesn’t laugh. But when Kong-gil appears in drag, playing the role of a shrewd woman, the king cannot control his laughter. The two are appointed as royal jesters, and from then on, live a life of luxury.

Their parodies satirize the corruption of public officials, which keeps the King in a jovial mood. On the other hand, members of the court who are depicted in the jester’s skits are severely punished. At a royal banquet, the jesters perform a Korean opera depicting feminine rivalry. This awakens in the King painful memories of his mother, and he puts all of his late father’s royal concubines to the sword. Troubled that their comedic skits invariably lead to bloodshed, the jesters decide to leave. For some reason, however, Kong-gil wants to stay.

My Rating :6/10
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Virgin Snow
Virgin Snow (첫눈 Cheonnun) is a 2007 South Korean film starring Lee Jun Ki & Japanese actress, Aoi Miyazaki.
Min (Lee Jun Ki ) is a Korean boy who moves to Japan following his professor father. One day at a local shrine, he meets a beautiful Japanese girl with innocent eyes. Her name is Nanae (Aoi Miyazaki), and she is an aspiring painter.Min falls for her at first sight, and soon learns that Nanae attends the same school to which Min has just transferred. They become friends, and despite the culture and language barriers it is an intense friendship. When his grandmother suddenly falls ill, Min hastily returns to Korea but can’t get in touch with Nanae beforehand. After his grandmother regains her health, he hurries back to Japan to reunite with Nanae, but she is nowhere to be found.

My Rating :8/10