Don't let the high ratings fool you!!
I would have never given a chance to this drama if it wasn't for the many high reviews but don't let them fool you.The first episode was a trap and a very good one.
There are so many small details that didn't make sense but I was still with a high score in mind to give this drama. That was until I watched the last episodes.
The last 10 episodes made me so angry to the point I screamed from frustration. It's 51 hours of my life that went to the trash, but there were really good times that I spent with this drama, I cried, got angry, fell in and out of love with the characters and got a lot of anxiety for those last episodes, yes it was that bad!
What makes me more upset it the fact they had the tools to make an amazing drama but still decided to add more story and at the end ruin it.They turned every good character to a bad one and it wasn't necessary at all.
If they had stop this drama at 40 episodes it would have been a masterpiece but for any kind of reason they decided to add more episodes, more characters, more deaths and for what?
The cast was very well chosen and one of the main reasons I didn't quit it.
The soundtrack was absolutely amazing and beautiful.
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I'm not usually one for political dramas but this one's okay, its not purely political, yes its all the royals and their drama but there are so many other storylines that like..wow, to the writers for coming up with one 'eck of a story!!
I was on the edge of my seat trying to decipher what was coming next and how certain parts were going to play out.
Every part of the cast did a superb job, the goodies and baddies i praised for their acting, they were so good i pined for them and the villains i hated to the core (due to their great acting). I felt for the villains and the good guys, i hated parts of the story for turning out so but i understand, i understand why it had to happen..!
I was tempted to mark it down a bit but this drama has given me so many feelings, anger, tears, tears of joy and anger, jealousy, confusion, betrayal, hope, loyalty, romance, family and even comedic moments..!
It was amazing to be able to live with the characters from their young ages and watch them develop and blossom to the adults they became in the drama. and watch in anticipation as to how these villains could possibly last from start to finish... and whether they were sent off in a good enough fashion!
Yes there are time jumps, as expected of a 51 episode drama but in no way did i think it was dragged in the wrong places or jumped too quickly!
The OST is downloading as i scramble across the keys to write this review, the songs are so fitting to the drama!
I'm not sure if i have the heart to rewatch this, it was amazing the first time but its soooo intense i dont know if i can cope rewatching it! Even if i love Ha Ji Won and her acting is amazing, she managed to pull off every part of role from what seemed like ease and to perfection <3
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Overall impression: it’s enjoyable, but only if you can accept the plot holes (bc there are a lot). Don’t question every single thing in this drama bc some of them don’t make sense.
The positives:
- Music. I absolutely love the instrumental BGMs, especially the boss music every time an epic fight goes down, and Tahwan’s sad piano soundtrack.
- There is never a dull episode. Every episode is packed with action, and a lot of things happen in a short time. It has 51 episodes but i had fun watching most of it.
- The second half of the story is great. Starting from around ep 25, the story picks up pace and becomes really exciting. The best part is ep 36 onwards, mark my words!!!
- Acting gets better in the second half of the drama (since ep25) because of the plot progression. Seungnyang and Tahwan’s characters blossomed in the latter episodes, in contrast to the first half.
- Political intrigue fun. Betrayals everywhere. As i said, never a dull moment. It keeps you on your toes throughout watching.
- Taltal. He’s a great, consistent character and he’s the best. I LOVE HIM
The negatives:
- It’s cliche as hell. All the cliches in the book is on this drama. I especially hate the catfight between Seungnyang and the other women in the palace.
- The plot holes. There are too many of them. This drama shouldn’t be taken too seriously because of how badly written some parts are.
- It’s obvious that they’re dragging out the villains’ lives so long. It takes too fucking long to kill off some villains, and the reasons they keep surviving/getting off the hook are just ridiculous.
- It’s tiring to watch. There are too much shit going down on this drama, and it never ends. We never get a rest. Up until the very last episode this drama will still wear you out because there are always obstacles wherever you look.
- It takes EXTREMELY LONG to reach the best part. Not gonna lie, first half of this drama is bad (ep1-25). It’s cliche, tiring, annoying, and will piss you off majorly.
TL;DR it’s a fun drama to watch, if you enjoy the type of historical drama with a lot of political intrigue and betrayals. Don’t take it too seriously bc otherwise you’ll just be annoyed at the plot holes.
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The story at first seemed like a normal love triangle but the development of characters was really nice. I know, this is a fictional plot of Empress Ki's lifestory and I don't think its written that worse. The cleverness of the writers about Ha Ji Won's character is just fantastic and the political plot of the drama is not too bad, by putting in the betrayal/non-betrayal portion a lot.
Acting and Cast, as everyone applauds loudly to, was amazing and I actually had to give Ji Chang Wook's character and acting a bow when I finished the whole series (Last Episode, blew me off. It was so over the edge emotional and touching, that I was crying the whole midnight!). Actually, I also appreciated the acting by Baek Jin Hee. Though, I loved to hate Jung Woong In's character ( his acting in "I Hear Your Voice" has still not washed down on me yet ).
I loved the Original Soundtrack too, and I was just in the mood for some Historical themed genre (second reason why I gave this drama a "never turn back" go!).
Re-watch Value is 3 for me because all the plot's been revealed and the curtains have been lifted off the suspense now and maybe because re-watching 51 episodes again will wipe out my Internet bytes, but I do watch some clips that I miss from the drama and believe me, such clips are many!! Also, if I stumble upon it years and years later, probably when I'll forget the plot almost completely and I'll have unlimited Internet bytes, I'd definitely watch it again.
Overall, it was a good drama and I'm missing it as much as I'm happy I watched it and not just let it be there sitting on my Plan To Watch List. Enjoy! :)
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First when I saw 51 episodes I thought It will be boring drama.
Despite that I watched it because of HA JI WON, I am her big Fan.
She did a great job as always in this drama. No one is best suited for this Role than her.
Now let's move to the story.
What I loved in this Drama is the unpredictable story and kept me excited all the way.
They have delivered the story in the best way
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You may say that 51 episodes are too long, do not be deceived, each episodes you can trust that each has its own unique presentation to the total results of the drama! The music is as majestic as the drama, so fitting!
Give it a try, and you will be satisfied at the end and you want more and more of JCW's acting!
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I never watched such a long drama before, AND it was my first historical one.
And I really loved it.
It was very accurate - from the costumes to the very strategic and clever plot - all done very well.
For me, it is important that plot and characters do behave/develope realistically/logical, and this drama delivered.
It even got me hooked on historical dramas and the real history of Joseon/Goryeo and now I am well
informed about the history of Korea :)
The king of Goryeo here was written and played so well, that he is one of my favourite characters I have ever seen in Asian Dramas.
So, if you like clever stories and lack of comeday doesn't bother you, then try this. It is awesome.
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Story: it didn't feel like 51 episodes because the story can be divided into 3 parts i.e.before SN enters palace, in the palace then out then went back again. Both HJW and JCW' s character grew along the way. It has enough humor, touching moments , realistic power struggles ,comradeship and romance! I think this is one of those few saeguks that has so much romance and skinship. For me besides the struggle of empress ki , the other important story was the love that the emperor has for empress ki. Never once he deserts her despite many obstacles . Some people hate the ending but for me ,it was the best way to end- more realistic ,more impactful! Life is not always like a fairy tale .
Casting/acting: one of the best cast I have come across besides SFD - everyone's acting was great. Besides the three main leads, the veteran actor El Temur , evil Tanashiri, Empress dowager, Tangqishi ,all were outstanding. JJM did not have much to do with his character but his acting touched me. HJW was beyond spectacular - from the innocent feisty Sungnyang to the cold seeking vengeance consort then the loving mother and wife left me longing for more . However JCW was a revelation for me in this drama. I have only watched him in healer prior to this but acting as this poignant yet devoted to love emperor made me fall in love with him! Watching him cries just make me wanna jump into the screen and hug him LOL.
Music was good but as great as SFD
Rewatched value: definitely a yes for me!
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I simply loved the young innocent King. So loyal and loving, just unconditionally. Wang yu I didnt care much about and the empress Ki, although ambitious is quite heartless and cruel at times.
Well the drama is all about greed for power and how it corrupts people. Like the saying goes, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely" sad but true.
My final thoughts: watch it if you are a saguk fan, but personally I loved Queen Seon Duk, princess man, Jumong etc much more.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great drama 9/10. Cast was brilliant. There were some plot holes but overall Good story.For the viewers who hate Ta Hwan and say that Nyang only loved Wang Yu. Would like to give my opinion on the love triangle.
From the start I was interested in Nyang & Ta Hwan’s love story. Nyang & Wang Yu’s love story can be obvious and too easy. Wang Yu is a very strong character and with his personality Nyang falling love with him and that love story is just ordinary.
I think from ep 24 when Nyang said “This is the last tear I will shed for you” is when, she put a side her love for Wang Yoo for good. But even after that every time when she saw Wang Yoo she cried. But I don’t think that’s because she still loves him. It’s just because of thinking the circumstance that led for that. And she maybe feel guilty to taken the path that she taken. She even cried for Tal Tal. That doesn’t mean she love him. So, I think Wang Yu or Tal Tal is more important people in her life, and she didn’t want to lose them.
But Nyang & Ta Hwan’s love story is a special one. It’s about devoted love. A love that change Nyang’s hatred into love. But it took it’s time, I think it started properly in ep 33 when Nyang said “I’m starting to feel afraid”, that’s when she stared to falling in love with Ta Hwan.
Even I favour Nyang with Ta Hwan. Never hated Wang Yu, honestly that character cannot be hated by anyone. Really Wang Yu didn’t have any flaws. His character was over powered. The only flaw or mistake he did from my perspective is that when he broke the trust between Nyang when he sold stuff to Yuan’s enemies. But even that is justifiable, he did it for his county.
I was too, annoyed about Ta Hwan’s character till the ep 21, till he saved Nyang and hide her in the bath tub. While Wang Yu character is over powered, Ta Hwan is written as too weak. I believe that Nyang & Ta Hwan falling in love in first place was stopped by 2 things. 1st because of the character weakness. What will happen if Ta Hwan’s personality was in ep 33, was in start from the drama. They will definitely fall in love, because they spend more time (screen time) together. 2nd is that even if Nyang developed some feelings for Ta Hwan in the beginning, when her father got killed by Ta Hwan’s lies. She stared hate him and planned to take revenge on him.
It’s like they are just fated to end up together, to see how it gonna happen was the interesting part. Love the drama, but wished there were more romantic scenes between Nyang & Ta Hwan. True chemistry between characters are very rare to see in dramas. So, when we have a couple like that I wished I could see more. Like the chemistry between Hae Soo & Wang So in Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
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Empress Ki is yet again another drama that I had started during the time it was airing but never followed through to the end. I think a large part of this is because it is a 50 episode drama and I found I couldn’t wait every week for 2 new episodes. My patience was being tested and, admittedly, I failed to pass the test. Now that all 50 episodes are available on Netflix, it made the viewing experience so much better. The fact that I finished watching the entire drama over 4 nights says a lot about how engrossing Empress Ki is - at least for the first 40 episodes.
True to any sageuk (Korean historical drama), Empress Ki is an epic rollercoaster ride, that depicts the ever struggling political landscape of the time period and the power conflicts that occur within the palace. To put a little more context to this drama, as I think it is important, and makes it the viewing experience a lot more understandable and interesting - Empress Ki lived during the Later Three Kingdoms period, having been born in Goryeo. At the time, Goryeo had already been invaded by Mongols and the custom introduced was to send Goryeo ladies to Yuan to serve as concubines to the Mongol emperor. The drama remains fairly accurate in regards to the era and political landscape depiction. However, the timeline and overall story offers viewers a much more dramatised retelling of Empress Ki’s life.
Disregarding historical accuracy and judging this as just a drama amongst other historical dramas, for me, Empress Ki was one of the better historical dramas I have seen. It has been awhile since I’ve watched a sageuk and one with more than 20 episodes, and it made me realise how much I missed watching something in this genre. There was everything I wanted to see from a sageuk. The background story behind Seungyang made me grow attached to her quickly and root for her to win. It’s hard not to like her as a hero with her badass attitude and ability to outsmart her oppositions. As soon as you start the drama you know that she becomes Empress Ki, but the desire to know how she rises from such a difficult childhood is what kept me watching through the first 10 episodes. From there, the remaining important characters also grew on me and I kept watching to see, not only whether Seungyang was bound for a happily ever after, but also what was to happen to them. The drama contains a number of conflicts and plot twists that kept me on my toes, and the fight between the good and the bad drew me in emotionally. It’s never easy to sit back and watch these kind of historical dramas because those who are bad, are really bad, that you want to watch to the end to see if justice is finally served for their evil deeds.
I basically flew through the first 40 episodes due to being so invested in Seungyang’s storyline and the conflicts within the palace. However, after episode 40, I found the drama started to drag on. I felt like we had reached the resolution required for the entire series and would have been content with the drama ending then. Instead, Empress Ki kept playing out the political and power struggles, specifically within the palace between the same people. I grew rather frustrated seeing the storyline go in circles, as it gave me an uneasy feeling about the future of Seungyang and the Emperor of Yuan - the two characters in the drama who I really cared about. Sometimes dramas want to do too much and it does become too much to endure. Still I did, skipping through some scenes, which honestly didn’t affect my understanding of the plot. Despite thinking the last 10 episodes weren’t totally necessary, I did really enjoy the last episode and the way the drama ended. It left me feeling somewhat fulfilled and was the only episode that made me cry. Maybe that’s why I felt satisfied upon completion.
I do think that Empress Ki was still worth the watch for the 40 episodes that I thoroughly enjoyed. A large part of this was how exceptionally well the actors played their characters. I loved the different sides of Empress Ki that Ha Ji Won portrayed, from a kick ass fighter to an intelligent and somewhat cunning concubine. She was an absolute vision when she became a concubine as well. I also grew to love Ji Chang Wook pretty quickly through this, maybe not so much for his character alone, but more so for his acting abilities.
If you are an avid sageuk fan and have not seem this yet, add it to your list. You’re bound to find yourself also rooting for Seungyang and appreciating her story as well as her growth. If you’re not huge on political plots and prefer romance based historical dramas, there is a strong romance focus but might not be enough to override the political aspect for your viewing.
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Great story, captivating drama
I binge-watched it almost.Ha Ji Won - 9.0 for acting. At moments I would expect more drama but still impressive acting.
Now Ji Chang Wook - I hated his character for poor acting, driven from lack of personality development which is writer's fault. I feel the drama would've benefited more from a more composed, matured emperor towards the end. There's very little manliness added and Ji Chang Wook's acting did not emphasize that.
Generally we are looking at a strong, smart, courageous empress and her even more admirable first love (King of Koryo) caught in a love triangle with an even quitter, coward emperor.
Towards the end, the empresses heart will lean towards her emperor but since there was no character development for the later, it feel illogical.
The plot is captivating, the cliff-hangers will keep you watching episode after episode. Around ep. 35-45 it will get more boring as the Main original conflict is over and the writers build up the story for a second conflict but it never reaches the impact of the first part. Everything is then wrapped-up in 2-3 last episodes leaving a feeling of " what was all the work through-out the last 12 episodes for?"
The ending is sad so it may leave you frustrated as such sad events towards the end were an opportunity in my opinion for actors to show the climax of their acting and characters, but instead it feels like a tentative to end the story abruptly and get over with it.
So: Reasons to watch:
- Ha Ji Won,
- Joo Jin Mo - Greatly acted, the role fit him like a glove, and OMG he so Over-Played Ji Chang Wook [but again the character and writers helped here... In my opinion]
- Story - line.
- Beautiful scenes
- Amazingly good portraying of dramatic emotions of two lovers that are destined to go separate ways.
- If you're into a sad romance - this is one of the best examples available.
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