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Who is the Male lead of the Drama "The Last Empress" according to you?

kaddict_since2016

I completed watching "The Last Empress" and I liked Shin Sung Rok's character more because I like the anti-hero type characters  a lot(one of my guilty pleasures ).I came out liking the emperor's character better and ended up rooting for him till the end.I just googled "who is the male lead of Last Empress" and google lists Choi Jin hyuk(Yes! Yes!I have way too much free time).I like Choi Jin hyuk  and he is an awesome actor loved him in dramas like the Heirs ,Fated To Love You and Emergency couple etc...In fact I watched "The Last Empress" hoping that Choi Jin Hyuk would finally get Jang Na Ra in the drama(He did not get her in Fated To Love You).But surprisingly I came out feeling for Shin Sung Rok's character and wanted him to get the girl despite all his evilness.So what do you guys think ? Who is the male lead of "The Last Empress"?Who were you rooting for to get the girl in the drama?Am I the only one who was rooting for the Emperor?

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celestialocean

Well, I went into that drama not recognizing the main actors from anything else, so I had no biases in that regard. I did low-key ship Sunny and Wang Shik, and I was sort of (but not very) disappointed that nothing ended up coming of that (likely due to the schedule conflict for Choi Jin Hyuk) - however, I was more interested in the trainwreck that was the relationship between Sunny and Lee Hyuk. It's not because I really wanted them to end up together (although in an alternate universe, where he'd been given a normal upbringing and had been taught basic values/respect, that'd be great... but it'd be a different story.) I just found them more interesting to watch. (So much so I ended up making an MV featuring them actually.)

To answer your question, for most of the show, I thought of Wang Shik as the male lead, since he was presented as more of a protagonist and ally of Sunny's with a common purpose. However, by the end, it definitely seemed that Lee Hyuk was being portrayed as the male lead; rather than a villain, he sort of became an antihero. We also see Sunny mourning the loss of Lee Hyuk. Surprisingly, the same attention is never given to Wang Shik. I see that as an oversight by the writers.

I found Lee Hyuk to be the most entertaining/interesting character and definitely came out of it a fan of Shin Sung Rok. The next drama I watched was Liar Game, and I still intend to find other works of his to watch.

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kaddict_since2016
 celestialocean:
To answer your question, for most of the show, I thought of Wang Shik as the male lead, since he was presented as more of a protagonist and ally of Sunny's with a common purpose. However, by the end, it definitely seemed that Lee Hyuk was being portrayed as the male lead; rather than a villain, he sort of became an antihero. We also see Sunny mourning the loss of Lee Hyuk. Surprisingly, the same attention is never given to Wang Shik. I see that as an oversight by the writers.

I found Lee Hyuk to be the most entertaining/interesting character and definitely came out of it a fan of Shin Sung Rok. The next drama I watched was Liar Game, and I still intend to find other works of his to watch.

I really tried hard to think of Wang Shik as the lead but he just felt like a supporting character throughout the show.I guess the end with Lee Hyuk as the anti hero  made a  larger impact on me and also another reason maybe because I like redemption plots where the  jerk hero redeems himself a lot so, I came out feeling like Lee Hyuk was the male lead for that show.

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celestialocean

Well, I don't think that there is much more screen time devoted to Wang Shik than Lee Hyuk; both are equally integral to the plot; and both are (sort of/potential) love interests for the female lead. So from that standpoint, it could go either way. I would guess that for viewers who weren't particularly invested in Wang Shik because of his actor, most find the emperor to be the more engaging character to watch. Both actors are good, but I think Shin Sung Rok's role allowed for much more versatility and emotional range than Choi Jin Hyuk's.

Like you, I do really appreciate a well written antagonist who is given a redemption arc that doesn't feel too contrived. Speaking of which, you may want to give My Strange Hero a shot if you haven't seen it already. The antagonist in that drama ended up being my favorite character to watch for the same reason.

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kaddict_since2016

Oh really!?I have been putting off watching 

 celestialocean:
Like you, I do really appreciate a well written antagonist who is given a redemption arc that doesn't feel too contrived. Speaking of which, you may want to give My Strange Hero a shot if you haven't seen it already. The antagonist in that drama ended up being my favorite character to watch for the same reason.

Oh really!? I have been putting off watching My Strange Hero because the reviews said the ML forgives the  FL  too easily for her mistake which made me think he was kind of a pushover.So,I have been putting off watching it.

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celestialocean

The thing about that is, there is a huge misunderstanding that occurred between the main characters when they were in high school that still isn't fully resolved many years later. The male lead was accused of attempting to murder the antagonist, which resulted in his expulsion. She overheard their conversation but didn't see what actually happened. That, in addition to another misunderstanding, led to the breakup between the two main characters at the time.

The female lead is stubborn and difficult at first, but a few episodes in, she does concede that she hasn't been open-minded enough, she listens, and she apologizes. She's not perfect, but she does have a lot of character growth that actually made her more likable to me. I felt that viewers were way too critical of her, but that happens pretty often with female leads. As for the male lead... I wouldn't say that he's too much of a pushover. Generally speaking, that's kind of the opposite of  what he is.

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kaddict_since2016

I will definitely give it a try then.Thanks!

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headoverheels4kpop

Lool imo it was the emperor; they gave him more focus. I don't think the romance was a big plot tbh but nevertheless I found myself routing for the emperor despite his MANY MANY MANY MANY faults. I really enjoyed this drama though. First Kdrama in a while I had completed without skipping too many scenes. 

Also is it just me who's finding kdramas nowadays to be not that great?

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kaddict_since2016
 headoverheels4kpop:
Also is it just me who's finding kdramas nowadays to be not that great?

Exactly!I just completed He is Psychometric  and it was such a let down.K dramas nowadays are such huge let downs ,I read the synopsis and I get so excited and wait for it to finish(I am a binge watcher can't really wait for  a new episode every week) and then the dramas never live up to my expectations and I end up skipping a lot of scenes.It was the same with Romance is a bonus book 

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headoverheels4kpop
 kaddict_since2016:

Exactly!I just completed He is Psychometric  and it was such a let down.K dramas nowadays are such huge let downs ,I read the synopsis and I get so excited and wait for it to finish(I am a binge watcher can't really wait for  a new episode every week) and then the dramas never live up to my expectations and I end up skipping a lot of scenes.It was the same with Romance is a bonus book 

I tried 2 episodes of he is psychometric and NOPE. I didn't even give romance is a bonus book a try. Her private life is the only drama I am watching which is alright. But honestly most kdramas these days LACK expecially when it comes to plot and chemistry between charactes. 

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Sunset

yeah but SSR was obviously going to have more screentime though because he's the emperor and CJH just a bodyguard... man I almost wanted to rate TLE a 10 until the last 4 episodes, NWS ending was shit ugh I couldn't get over it for days I will still think of CJH as the main lead, didn't want to ship the emperor with Sunny, his mood swings is just ಠ_ಠ

 but I did laugh at his comedic scenes..

 headoverheels4kpop:

I tried 2 episodes of he is psychometric and NOPE. I didn't even give romance is a bonus book a try. Her private life is the only drama I am watching which is alright. But honestly most kdramas these days LACK expecially when it comes to plot and chemistry between charactes. 

that's funny 'cause I only watched 2 episodes of that too, didn't feel motivation to watch it. That falling from the roof scene was cringe! RIABB was kinda boring, Lee Jong Suk's acting felt the same again (same nice guy roles) and I was more interested in Wi Ha Joon instead. HPL plot is meh, I'm just watching for the main leads...

I think the other 2 good dramas (without romance) I was watching at the same time with TLE was Children of Nobody and SKY Castle. Both started out slow in the beginning but they were worth watching!

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kaddict_since2016
 headoverheels4kpop:
But honestly most kdramas these days LACK expecially when it comes to plot and chemistry between charactes. 

I agree most K-dramas nowadays lack chemistry. It is very hard to find a good plot and good chemistry between leads at the same time.I think  Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms  (Eternal Love) has spoilt me,I just find any other drama lacking in chemistry.

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kaddict_since2016
 crystalstars:
yeah but SSR was obviously going to have more screentime though because he's the emperor and CJH just a bodyguard... man I almost wanted to rate TLE a 10 until the last 4 episodes, NWS ending was shit ugh I couldn't get over it for days I will still think of CJH as the main lead, didn't want to ship the emperor with Sunny, his mood swings is just ಠ_ಠ

 but I did laugh at his comedic scenes..

I felt CJH was underutilized ,his role could've been much better he has the acting chops for it.But, the emperor was my favorite throughout even when he was being a sadistic psychopath.I think its my love for bad boys and redemption(I blame Gu Jun Pyo for it!!!) that made me like him so much.I just watched  Love You In Sadness  and I ended up liking the villain more WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!! 

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Sunset
 kaddict_since2016:

I felt CJH was underutilized ,his role could've been much better he has the acting chops for it.But, the emperor was my favorite throughout even when he was being a sadistic psychopath.I think its my love for bad boys and redemption(I blame Gu Jun Pyo for it!!!) that made me like him so much.I just watched  Love You In Sadness  and I ended up liking the villain more WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!! 

that is true, the writer could've done more with his character besides trying to get revenge. I loved watching the villains too, they were so entertaining especially Shin Eun Kyung XD I wonder what the original ending would've been like if CJH was in it

omg I also watched Love in Sadness. I loved watching Ryu Soo Young, I rated the drama high just because of him xD it sounds weird but I get excited watching dramas with obsessive guys... 

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kaddict_since2016
 crystalstars:
omg I also watched Love in Sadness. I loved watching Ryu Soo Young, I rated the drama high just because of him xD it sounds weird but I get excited watching dramas with obsessive guys... 

The  other dramas I have watched that are similar are  My heart is twinkeling ,Delightful girl Choon Yang ,Love & Secret ,The Greatest Marriage  and Cruel Romance they have a similar kind of leads or second leads do you know any others?

Chun Woon Tak was especially good I kept wishing that they axed the third sisters' (She annoyed me!!)role to give him more screen time

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