[Ishani's Picks] Everything We Needed More Of In "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure"

One of the most popular Korean blockbusters of the year, "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure", has received overwhelmingly positive response from viewers all over the world ever since its global premiere on Netflix. Here's everything we wish we could have more of from the movie!

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Spoiler Alert!

Constituting a sub-genre of action/adventure films, pirates are rather rare in the Korean entertainment industry. This gap was filled in the last couple of years, primarily by "Pirates" and now, "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure". From gold hidden deep under to booby traps high above, "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" is peak fiction meant purely for entertainment purposes.

While there are a hundred different unique elements to the story, with each character's worldview affecting the course of the pirate ship in one way or another, there are some things that stick with the audience long after the movie ends. Among them, the romantic relationships on board definitely take the top spot.

Hae-rang (played by Han Hyo-joo) and Moo-chi (played by Kang Ha-neul) have clashing personalities but the same motivations and their love-hate relationship is a delight to watch. From breathing down each other's neck to becoming partners, both as pirates and lovers, the trajectory of Hae-rang and Moo-chi's love story is as exciting as the treasure hunt.

 

Hae-rang and Moo-chi might have been the main characters but the couple that stole hearts was Han-goong (played by Sehun) and Hae-geum (played by Chae Soo-bin). Chae Soo-bin's layered portrayal of the innocent con-artist Hae-geum and Sehun's effortlessly mysterious tsundere Han-goong make for a combination that we didn't know we needed but just can't get enough of.

Romance aside, Hae-geum's relationship with Hae-rang, although fairly unexplored yet hinted at, represents an unspoken feminine bonding that is truly precious. Although it is understandable that their implied sisterhood could not possibly have had more screentime, especially with the state of affairs, the desire lingers nonetheless.

 

On the other hand, Lee Kwang-soo's Mak-i and his penguins brought a much needed vibrance and comic relief to the plot, which was getting rather worn out after a certain point.

If not for the absolute absurdity of the situation, "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" might never have reached its full potential as a comedy. No matter how many times you rewatch the movie, Mak-i will crack you up just as much, if not more, every time and that is reason enough to be obsessed.

Finally, while "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" is perfectly complete as it is, one cannot simply negate the wild idea that it would make for an incredible K-Drama. With the extraordinary success of narratives like "One Piece" and the stark absence of any such content on TV, it is easy to imagine a drama all about pirates, bandits and pioneers of the sea

breaking the internet. In simple words, what we need more of from "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" is all of it.

If you haven't watched "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" yet, I sincerely recommend that you do because what you're missing out on is a film that will liven you up and leave you in fits at the same time. "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" is now streaming, only on Netflix!

By Ishani Sarkar.

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"The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" is directed by Kim Jeong-hoon-II, and features Kang Ha-neul, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Kwang-soo, Kwon Sang-woo, Chae Soo-bin, Sehun. Release date in Korea: 2022/01/26.