No. of episodes: 20
Genre: Historical, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Native title: 철인왕후
Original network: tvN
King Cheol Jong (Kim Jung Hyun) the 25th King of the Joseon Dynasty [朝鮮哲宗 / 조선 철종], the drama is set based on real history with a mixture of comedy and fiction touch to it. Jang Bong Hwan (Choi Jin Hyuk) is a modern-day chef in the Blue House, an accident draws his soul. Bong Hwan woke up in the body of the young queen, Kim So Yong (Shin Hye Sun) in the Joseon Dynasty.
Finding a way back
If waking up 200 years later in Joseon Dynasty is not enough, Bong Hwan woke up in a young queen’s body. Not custom to a female body, his big gestures and rough language shocked two closes palace maids of Queen So Young (aka Queen Cheorin).
Court Lady Choi (Cha Chung Hwa) and Hong Yeon (Chae Seo Eun) are both sad about So Young’s lost memory but happy that she woke up. So Young assumes that the way he was transported back is the way back home.
So Young’s motive
So Young came from the Andong Kim clan which is the most powerful clan that controls the puppet King Cheoljong. Everyone assumes that Cheoljong is a dumb emperor but he was all along playing dumb while trying to find faults and evidence that point towards Andong Kim.
The arranged marriage, the appointment of So Young to be the queen and his wife gets him on the nerve. Cheoljong still plays it cool but pays no attention to So Young who agrees to the marriage because she likes him. That makes her feeling miserable ever since she stepped into the palace which leads to the attempted suicide and waking up as Bong Hwan.
Imperial kitchen
Stepping into the kitchen is like going to his/her comfort zone. Imperial kitchen does not allow females to enter but the Royal Chef Man Bok (Kim In Kwon) cannot stop the Queen. Only time prove her capability and ability in the kitchen and Man Bok became a discipline to learn more.
Join alliance
Memories of So Young hit Bong Hwan and he slowly understands her more and able to see who is playing good cop and bad cop. Through the countless save, Cheoljong believes that So Young is unlike her clan.
Andong Kim clan lead by Grand Queen Dowager Sunwon (Bae Jong Ok) and mastermind Kim Jwa Geun (Kim Tae Woo) wants to strip her title off as Queen and turn their back against her.
Bong Hwan in So Young switches her mind and joins an alliance with the King to help him instead since her family ditch her first and so there isn’t any pity per se. So Young convinced her father Kim Moon Geun (Jeon Bae Soo) to help them collect evidence from the Andong Kim clan in order to redeem himself.
Third and fourth wheels
Kim Byung In (Na In Woo) is the adoptive son of powerful Jwa Geun, he was raised to be ruthless to reach their goals and be powerful. However, his love for So Young is so strong that things start to change. His sole goal is So Young’s happiness.
Jo Hwa Jin (Seol In Ah) and Cheoljong were in love and she knew that he was a smart person yet being a puppet King. The only person he can be himself with finally enters the palace with a status, the Royal Concubine. Things changed when Bong Hwan enters So Yong’s body.
This is an alternate ending to how real history ended. Overall, it is a hilarious mixed history class and I love the ups and downs of the entire drama. All the main cast shine in their own way.