Historical Dramas Club

Would Story of Yanxi Palace fit in there? The FL enters the Forbidden City to investigate and avenge her sister's murder; while there are plenty digressions along the way, she never loses sight of her original goal. The justice-revenge theme is not central (did I say plenty digressions?! :P) but she gets there in the end, though in an informal/less recognized way.

I think Dream Awakening Chang'An can be in this list as well. Quite a number of confusing matters in the beginning, but the revenge-justice plot is the main one, besides romance.

Bloody Heart is indeed interesting for the angle chosen and morale struggles about revenge. As for Empress Ki, well, it's my favourite so I totally agree too. However, for me, the best epic revenge sageuk I have watched so far is Chuno (The Slave Hunters). Dae Gil's life is totally ruined and he hits rock bottom before starting a new life (not an easy one) in is quest for revenge and find back his true love. Jang Hyuk is amazing in it !

I would also mention The Crowned Clown, a great one too, and Queen for Seven Days (probably one of the most tragic stories of a queen in Joseon). Oh and the quest for revenge of Eun Seom in Arthdal Chronicles can't be missed too.

There are a few more interesting ones for sageuk, by I haven't watched them yet so I can't really tell only base on the synopsis.

Hey everyone! (Just couldn't resist hoping in & out again, lol!)

Love all your ideas, especially @Wish Upon A Star's suggestion for re-organizing the forum thread!! 

Here's my entry for the HDC Movies List: 

Ashes of Time (1994-Original / 2008-Restored)

https://mydramalist.com/8195-ashes-of-time

https://mydramalist.com/6310-ashes-of-time-redux

Watch it if: 

- You like wuxia 

- You like Wong Kar Wai films & you want to watch his personal favourite 

-You like arthouse films/highly stylized films/films with beautiful cinematography

- You like cynic protagonists 

Themes: 

- Loneliness

- Unrequited love

- Deconstructing ideals

 xinya:

I added it, but I turned you points into sentences, so you might want to double check you like what I did.

Thanks for adding it! 

I don't mind you turning my points into sentences, but I'd appreciate it if you kept the same order (e.g. wuxia>Wong Kar Wai>everything else), and if possible the same choice of words ("themes" instead of "film is about").

Btw the 2008 version is NOT a sequel, it's the digitally restored & re-edited version of the original, made along with the director himself - something like a director's cut. 

 WandereR:

For me, the big one is of course Nirvana in Fire, my all-time favourite C-historical. The road to justice is a long and winding one for this story :O

I have not seen the dramas discussed so far, except Nirvana in Fire. For me, Nirvana in Fire is more justice vs justice-revenge plot, as the ML is seeking the truth and justice for his father, himself and their army, similar to The Untamed, where the ML is (being led) to seek the truth and uncover devious plans, vs seeking revenge on the culprits who caused their tragedies. For The Untamed, one can view Nie Huaisang (not the ML and not the antagonist) seeking revenge though. Likewise, in Who Rules the World, the drama's antagonist (not the ML) can be viewed as seeking justice and revenge for the deaths of his entire clan and to suppress the blood curse cast on him.

Of the limited historical dramas that i have watched, the one i deemed as closest to the justice-revenge plot is Princess Agents. For me, the main plot for this season 1 revolves, not around the 1ML, but around the 2ML: how the 2ML's entire family has been wrongfully executed by the Emperor (episode 24 was really tragic), and how the 2ML fights to stay alive and seeks justice, revenge for the wrongful deaths of his entire family, turning from a sunny captive prince to a vengeful lord, even risking his people's lives to overthrow the current Emperor. The 2FL also becomes vengeful to the 2ML for forsaking and ruining her, and her Emperor father for using her to deal with 2ML, and her retaliation via leading troops to attack 2ML's city and posioning her Emperor father. It's a show with second leads that have extreme role contrasts to seek justice for the injustice they experienced. Though many also viewed that their vengeful acts are overboard compared to the injustice they experienced.

@Estelll I've made some changes. Do you want to check it again?

I saw Arthdal Chronicles mentioned and it made me think about the fact that I don't really care if they re-cast as long as it gets made at some point, because that ending oml I need more-