The story depicts the success and failures of three young people who were born during a time of development for the shipbuilding industry of Korea. Jeon Hae Joo (Han Ji Hye) is a woman who had a poor upbringing, despite that she is able to make a name for herself, becoming one of the most important people in the shipbuilding industry. Park Chang Hee and Kang San are the two men that fall in love with her.

• 
  Kim Jae Won (Kang San)

  Main Role

  Edit
• 
  Han Ji Hye (Chun Hae Joo)

  Main Role

  Edit
• 
  Jae Hee (Park Chang Hee)

  Main Role

  Edit
• 
  Kim Gyu Chul (Park Gi Chul)

  Supporting Role

  Edit
• 
  Ahn Nae Sang (Chun Hong Chul)

  Supporting Role

  Edit
• 
  Park Gun Tae (Park Chang Hee (young))

  Supporting Role

  Edit

• 

  In the Know with Purplenette

  The latest on airing and upcoming dramas and movies...Includes details on a fourth Flower Boy Drama!

  • Apr 14, 2013
• 

  Excellence of Experience

  Information on a few Korean Veteran Actresses

  • Feb 7, 2013

• Dec 24, 2012 38 of 38 episodes seen

  _Rosie
  12 of 12 people found this review helpful
  Other reviews by this user
  • Overall  8
  • Story  8
  • Acting/Cast  9
  • Music  5
  • Rewatch Value  4

  May Queen is a full on melodrama (makjang) if you do not enjoy this genre then stop reading now hahaha.
  
  The first 8 episodes with the young/teen cast were sensational. All the young actors were excellent in portraying their characters. Kim Yoo Jung is cemented forever as the finest young Korean actress, in my book, with her touching and brave performance as the young Hae Joo/Yoo Jin. The story is set around the shipping industry, with revenge, love triangle & birth secrets galore. After episode 8 the story leaps forward 15 years later & at that point the story continues until the end of the drama.
  
  Most of the actors in the adult cast do a very good job. Lee Deok Hwa as the pantomime villain “thug with a rug” as I dubbed him. Kim Gyu Chul as the weak, slimey butler forever in Jang Do Hyuns power. I hated them both, which was the point.
  
  I loved Hae Joo’s adopted dad, he was wonderful and the love they shared was so moving to see. At first I didn’t think I would like the character of Hae Joo’s adopted mom but the journey she took was lovely to see. Lee Bong Hee and the Chun family ensemble provided some truly hilarious moments and much needed comic relief with all the drama going on. The Prosecutor was an admirable character, someone striving to right wrongs to the best of his ability throughout.
  
  Chang Hee (young) I loved but I was not so enamoured with the adult version, he seemed to be weak and ineffectual even as a successful adult. I don’t blame the actor, more the writers for his lack of character development. Kang San on the other hand was played beautifully by Kim Jae Won as the happy go lucky guy hiding all his pain behind a façade of a clown.
  
  The biggest weak link for me was adult Hae Joo (admittedly I have not seen this actress in anything else so cannot write her off completely) but in this drama she evoked no emotions from me whatsoever (except annoyance). The young Hae Joo was so excellent and the adult Hae Joo failed to live up to that promise quite spectacularly. Another weak link was Hae Joo's biological mother she just seemed to be a useless, weak woman who collapsed to the floor at any given opportunity, she did redeem herself slightly in later episodes, but her whole relationship with Do Hyun was a mystery to me.
  
  I tend not to re-watch so that mark is always low for me.
  
  The music/score was good, The main theme song I didn't like too much and started getting on my nerves in the end.
  
  If you like melodramas this is well worth a watch the story moves at a fairly brisk pace (although it could have done without the extension). read more

  report I found this review Helpful Not Helpful
• Dec 31, 2012 38 of 38 episodes seen

  KdramaQueen89
  3 of 4 people found this review helpful
  Other reviews by this user
  • Overall  7
  • Story  8
  • Acting/Cast  9
  • Music  7
  • Rewatch Value  3

  A family melo and the fact that 2 leading actors I really like are acting in the same drama really made May Queen a drama to look forward to…
  
  Story: Honestly I didn’t find the shipbuilding theme interesting at all but the writers did well in keeping the audience from becoming bored by introducing the cliché makjang elements, especially towards the end. With that being said, I would have enjoyed it much more if they did NOT provide an extension. For someone like me who gets bored easily, pacing is most important and towards the end, the pacing stalled and I got restless. Another thing that I found disappointing was the romance of the main OTP. Their relationship really didn’t start until almost episode 30 I believe, because the main girl was still hung up over her past love. Really, I understand that loving someone for 15 years and then getting dumped can hinder new romance but its hard to root for a couple whose romance isn’t straightforward. The ending was perfect.
  
  Acting: Jae Hee and Kim Jae Won of course killed it. Unfortunately, I found Han Ji Hye's portrayal only serviceable. She did not have many expressions and her emotional scenes didn’t move me. Also, she had no chemistry with either leading men, which rendered the romances worthless. I even think the actress that played Inwha did a more believable job playing her second lead role. I enjoyed her relationship with Jae Hee's character more than the main OTP. The supporting actors did a great job but I found Hae Joo’s fake family annoying and useless to the plot. I shipped Jung Woo/Bong Hee couple (their odd relationship is so much fun!). As for our villain, Lee Duk Hwa is an actor who is right at home with his character and as usual does every evil thing imaginable, but has the chops to make you sympathetic for his character in the end.
  
  Music: Fit the drama but nothing I’d remember down the line.
  
  Rewatch: Here’s where it becomes tricky. It was well written but my enjoyment the first time around wasn’t that great, so Id pass on another go around.
  
  Overall, this is a very good family melo that’s worth a watch if your into those, but don’t expect a masterpiece like Can You Hear My Heart (I kept comparing the whole time and it just made me want to rewatch it instead), an epic romance, or amazing acting by the lead actress or you wont enjoy the drama. read more

  report I found this review Helpful Not Helpful

• 
  City Hunter

  Same actor as the main lead. Both stories have political dilemmas. Both stories have complicated plots

  reportRecommended by a-penguin-in-my-next-life
• 
  Feast of the Gods

  Lost children, revenge, familly dramas... Both have this. Plus you dont know who is gonna end up together at the beginning :)

  reportRecommended by BPetra