The King Has a Doppelganger – KDrama – Movie vs Series

KDramaHQ AdminMay 14, 2025

“Masquerade” versus “The Crowned Clown”. Both are about a paranoid king who had a sensible doppelganger. Can you blame the officials for switching them out? Both are Korean dramas, but the first one is a movie and the second one is a series. Which is better? They’re both awesome!

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MOVIE: Masquerade (2012)

A retelling of Mark Twain’s “The Prince & The Pauper”, only set in the Joseon Era. WON Best Film-Movie of the Year.

STORYLINE: King Gwanghae swears that “somebody” or maybe “everybody” is out to get him! He’s convinced that a member of the royal court is trying to poison him. Isn’t that how they always get rid of members of the royal family? The king comes up with a plan. Find a LOOK-ALIKE! Substitute the look-alike on the throne while he goes off to hide somewhere. That way, the doppelganger who looks like him can get murdered instead. You know what they? Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean somebody isn’t really out to get you!

As impossible as the task seems, the king’s councilor finds a “twin”. The resemblance is remarkable. The man’s a clown! No. Not stupid, moronic, or idiotic. Ha-Sun is an entertainer, a clown who performs for noblemen. The councilor takes Ha-Sun to the palace, dresses him up, and tells him that he must now sit on the throne. WHAT? Ha-Sun is not stupid! But the person who dragged him to the palace must be out of their mind! The councilor tells him he does not have to do this. But he will be killed if he doesn’t. Hey! Nobody can know that there was a plan to put a doppelganger on the throne. Ha-Sun already knows too much. Take the job or DIE!!

Initially, Ha-Sun tries to imitate the King Gwanghae speaks. It works … for a while, although Queen Heo Gyun immediately suspects. After all, she is a wife, and the man who has entered the bed chamber does not behave like her husband. There’s no way he’s the king, i.e., the man she married. But??? … Who is he, and what is he doing in the palace? (O.o)

The best-laid plans often go awry. While King Gwanghae is hiding, he becomes gravely ill. That means Ha-Sun has to continue pretending to be King. Hopefully, the King will recover. But what if he doesn’t? Ha-Sun finds it too difficult pretending to be someone that he’s not, and his true personality emerges. He is nothing like King Gwanghae, and everybody notices the difference. Some people like the change, but his enemies have not changed at all. They still want to get rid of the King. Will Ha-Sun end up dying in the king’s place anyway? Even if he’s become … a good king? The enemies only know “the other king”. Subtle or even obvious changes in the king’s behavior mean nothing to them. They want a replacement, and they are determined to make it happen.

Main Characters:

King Gwanghae / Clown Ha-Sun (played by Lee Byung-Hun, “Ashfall”, “Concrete Utopia”, “Emergency Declaration”, “Terminator: Genisys”, “Memories of the Sword”, “I Saw the Devil”, “Iris”, “Joint Security Area”, “Squid Game 1, 2 and 3”)
Queen Heo Gyun (played by Han Hyo-Joo, “Believer 2”, “Love, Lies”,“Dong Yi“, “Cold Eyes“, “W: Two Worlds Apart “, “Happiness“, “Blood Free“, “Moving”, “Il Ji-Mae: The Phantom Thief‎”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

IMDb: 7.8 of 10 stars
My Drama List: 8.3 out of 10 stars
Google users shared a public rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Google users.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Masquerade – Review | myworldvsthemovies

Movie Review: Gwanghae, The Man Who Became King | Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

Film Analysis: Masquerade (2012) by Choo Chang-min : r/Koreanfilm | Reddit

Review: ‘Masquerade’ | KPBS Public Media

TRAILER/TEASER:

CJEntertainmentUSA. “Masquerade (광해) – Official Main Trailer w/ English Subtitles [HD].” YouTube, 22 Aug. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TnfM5XWOtI.

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SERIES: The Crowned Clown (2019)

A remake of the 2012 movie “Masquerade” into a drama series.

STORYLINE: This is the same story as the movie “Masquerade” with a few more details. It tells the story of Ha-Sun’s childhood and how he became an entertainer. He worked with a group of clowns and they chose him to play the King during their performances because he looked so much like the real king. He was spotted by the king’s councilor during a performance and that was the day his life changed FOREVER! One of the best things that happened to him was meeting and falling in love with the queen.

Main Characters:

Ha Sun / Lee Hun (played by Yeo Jin-Goo,“Circle: Two Worlds Connected”, “Beyond Evil”, “Hijack 1971”, “Ditto”, “The Royal Gambler”, “The Moon Embracing The Sun”)
Yoo So-Woon (played by Lee Se-Young“Motel California”, “What Comes After Love”, “The Story Of Park’s Marriage Contract”, “The Red Sleeve”, “Kairos”, “Memorist”)