Viewers Are Loving The BL Vibes In K-Drama “The King’s Affection”
Spoiler Alert
As we all hoped and expected, we are finally getting some romance between the leads in KBS2‘s K-Drama The King’s Affection!
There’s just one catch… The male lead thinks that the female lead is also a man.
Based on the Korean comic Yeonmo or Affection, The King’s Affection is a period romance drama. A princess portrayed by Park Eun Bin is originally planned to be killed due to being born a girl. However, when her twin brother, Lee Hwi, dies instead, she must assume the identity of the Crown Prince. Things get even more complicated after a charming tutor, Jung Ji Un, portrayed by SF9‘s Rowoon, comes back into her life.
When they were kids, they had met and quickly developed a strong bond, becoming each other’s first loves. But back then, Lee Hwi was really Dam I, a maid, and their romance came to an abrupt stop when she disappeared after having to become the Crown Prince, following her brother’s tragic death.
So, while the two first loves have reunited, Royal Tutor Jung has no idea that this is the same person, although Lee Hwi knows.
Royal Tutor Jung has clearly developed strong feelings for the Crown Prince during the series, despite the prince’s cold nature.
And, fans have been loving the drama so far as it often shows role reversals. The female lead is often depicted in action sequences. Meanwhile, the male lead is portrayed as sensitive and affectionate.
@oatmi1kpapi #greenscreen this man is in LOVE #rowoon #thekingsaffection #parkeunbin #fy #kdrama #kdramalover #fypシ #sf9 #kimseokwoo
And leading up to this week’s newest episodes, viewers have been anticipating the romance to develop further finally. We’re halfway through the series, after all, so it’s about time!
At the end of episode 8, Royal Tutor Jung gets up the liquid courage and finally kisses the prince… just on the cheek.
In episode 9, they must, of course, deal with the consequences of these actions. The two could have easily brushed the incident aside, both acting as if it never happened, and they forgot, as they were both drunk. Yet, they acknowledged it.
Royal Tutor Jung ended up apologizing for the “unforgivable act.” The Crown Prince forgave him easily, seeing it as just a mistake due to alcohol.
Royal Tutor Jung: I deserve to you, Your Royal Highness. Alcohol got the best of me which led to the unforgivable act on my part. I seek your forgiveness.
The Crown Prince: Oh… Of course. I understand.
Royal Tutor Jung: Pardon?
The Crown Prince: That’s how it is with alcohol, don’t you agree Everyone makes a drunken mistake at least once in their lives. So don’t be too concerned about it. We can just laugh it off.
Royal Tutor Jung: Of course. You sure are a generous man who understands the effects of alcohol.
Even after an attempt to laugh it off, Royal Tutor Jung couldn’t hide his affection for the prince. He almost accidentally confesses that he is actually attracted to the Crown Prince.
I’m not one to make such mistakes so I don’t know what came over me. You seemed so stunning under the moonlight, and I…
— Royal Tutor Jung
Royal Tutor Jung couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss for the rest of the day, even after their conversation. He saw the prince wherever he went, and he even imagined that the two had a genuine kiss on the lips.
Well, it turned out that, in fact, while he was resting, the prince had kissed him again. This time, it was on the lips just as Royal Tutor Jung dreamt.
Upon his realization, he immediately went to the Crown Prince and confessed his real feelings rather than hiding them any longer. Let’s be real, though; he didn’t do an outstanding job at hiding them from the beginning.
I thought it was a dream. I believed that my impure feelings for you came to haunt me. However… it wasn’t… a dream.
— Royal Tutor Jung
He recognized that the Crown Prince might not feel the same way, and the love might be unreciprocated. Nevertheless, he revealed that his personal feelings were genuine.
I will believe you if you say the feelings were momentary. But it wasn’t for me.
— Royal Tutor Jung
He then completely declared his love for the Crown Prince, Lee Hwi, while still believing her to be a man.
It wasn’t admiration from a subject. I thought it was my loyalty to you. But it was affection. I have a deep affection for you, Your Royal Highness. Although you’re a man and the Crown Prince of this nation, I… love you.
— Royal Tutor Jung
His confession is what has viewers completely in awe. Keep in mind South Korea is still relatively unaccepting of LGBTQIA+ to this day, as gay marriage is still illegal. Not to mention this is during the Joseon Dynasty.
@kdramag1rl Blind love #rowoon #parkeunbin #thekingsaffection #kdrama
@miaguogo #kdramatok #kdramafyp #thekingsaffection #rowoon #parkeunbin #thekingsaffectionep9
This confession communicates perfectly that love knows no gender. Royal Tutor Jung loves who he loves, and these two are truly soulmates!
@sighyuni Rowoon best boy🥺 #thekingsaffection #rowoonsf9 #parkeunbin #rowoon #thekingsaffectionkdrama #thekingsaffectionep9 #namyoonsu #kdrama #koreandrama #4u
"Although you're a man and the crown prince of this nation, I love you."
I really love that the show made him embrace his feelings for a 'man' and did not wait for a 'revelation' before a confession scene. Love knows no gender. 🥺❤#TheKingsAffection #TheKingsAffectionEp9 pic.twitter.com/9lWwOY028g
— zee base⁷ (@zygmaund) November 8, 2021
While this scene was everything we could have imagined and hoped for, in episode 10, things took a sad turn. Lee Hwi recognizes that she can’t be involved with a man. Instead, she attempts to promote Royal Tutor Jung to avoid their kindling romance and solve her problems by marrying a woman.
At the end of the last episode, (major spoilers ahead!!!) Royal Tutor Jung declines the Crown Prince’s promotion and instead resigns. The reason is that he knows that staying in the palace, he would be tempted to still visit with the Crown Prince as his love is too great.
I will keep coming to your quarters. I might use saying hello to the royal tutors as an excuse. Or I might use the beautiful tree at your quarters as an excuse too. If not those, I might pretend to look for Lord Jaeun at your quarters when who I really want to find is you.
— Royal Tutor Jung
So, viewers cannot deny the strong BL (Boy Love) vibes in the K-Drama despite the two leads being opposite genders. It’s an unexpected LGBTQIA+ representation and actually quite meaningful as the time period cannot be ignored.
Similarly, Love In the Moonlight, starring Park Bo Gum, had a comparable concept. It was a period drama about a crown prince who fell in love with his political eunuch, who is actually a woman disguised as a man. So, if you’re enjoying The King’s Affection, you’re sure to like it as well.
The King’s Affection premiered on October 11. This 20-episode series airs on Mondays and Tuesdays on Netflix and KBS2. It stars Park Eun Bin, SF9’s Rowoon, Nam Yoon Soo, VICTON‘s Byungchan, DIA‘s Jung Chaeyeon, and Bae Yoon Kyung.
