This review may contain spoilers
It took me 5 days of mind wrecking just to decide on an overall rating for Empress Ki. The eternal reviewer's doubt whether it is fairer to value a drama using the brain or the heart is maximized here: this is an epic tale where almost every single aspect is at the same time exceptionally good and glaringly bad. In trying to elaborate this, what follows may become very long, and for this I apologize in advance.First, the pace.
If you are preoccupied by the length, be assured the rhythm of the narration is so fast you'll come to the 51st ep. wishing you could have another 10. There isn't even one moment of boredom among the hundreds of little and big events that follow one another. By the end of each episode, I sat there wide awake wishing it wasn't already 4 a.m. and I could watch another. The downside of such a fast pace is that it never gives you respite. I wanted to linger, now and then to bask in the sweetness, or simply see these people being happy for a while, but it was not to be. Every time an issue is concluded the next is ready to shatter that glint of satisfaction it was so hard to finally obtain. The infamous last 10 episodes I've read many criticize, could have been the most poignant part of the drama if they hadn't been so incredibly rushed, to the point that events seem to make little sense. As a matter of fact they do make a lot of sense – with the glowering exception of the silly Maeback botch – but you have to think the entire journey over in order to see it.
Which leads me to the script and its characters.
This isn't a journey to begin in search of historical dependability, not in the details, at least. Little to nothing is known about the woman who became the Empress of Yuan before she entered the palace as a tribute from Goryeo, and there isn't much information about the single steps that were taken in order for her to sit on that throne. The writers have taken many liberties both in characterization as well as chronology, but I personally think they did a great job in always making those steps exciting and suspenseful and when you reach the end you will realize the plot is rounded up very well, with a couple of exceptions. This is why I think knowing a little about Empress Ki's true story in advance can actually enhance the watching and explain the choices some of the characters make.
For instance, we can assume Crown Prince Ta Hwan was exiled to Goryeo when he was only a teenager, which perhaps will make you judge his character with some indulgence. King Wang Yoo of Goryeo, on the other hand, is by all means the most fictionalized of all the main characters, so much so that knowing his true story is not only unnecessary but extremely counterproductive. My humble advice: stay well away from the true known facts about him if you want to enjoy the drama.
When history is taken into consideration, a lot of the twists invented by the writers acquire significance, since the opening scene tells us in advance where we are heading and curiosity is all on how they'll get there. History also explains why so many characters in this drama change side, go from good to bad, from bad to worse or are suspended somewhere in between. It obviously does not explain or justify the fact that everyone speaks Korean, but I am aware that having the huge cast speak different idioms would have rendered the watch almost impossible.
To this drama I own the realization that I possess a dark side too. There have been moments when I wanted to see blood and wished some characters would not only be killed, but killed with pain. It's such an alien feeling for me, it shocked me. It goes to the credit of writers and actors to make me hate with such an intensity, but I'm not sure I want to experience that kind of emotion again. Attachment and love to some characters, though, was equally intense and I swam in it with gusto. It's going to take a very long time before I can get these people out of my system. While it kept me highly entertained in the first half, in the second this drama almost broke my heart. It has very little to do with characters dying or living, and a lot with them losing their innocence. At some point I almost wished the leads had died on that exile island and remain forever what they used to be, before being scarred and marred by that terrible imperial palace, "a place with no blood, no tears and no mercy". to quote Lady Park.
When it comes to the much talked about love triangle, I must say I jumped on Seung Nyang & Ta Hwan's ship very early on and never wavered. I could not see or feel any chemistry between Ha Ji Won and Jo Jin Mo and while my brain kept on telling me these two characters had a lot in common and it was logical for them to fall for each other, my heart never agreed. In fact, my heart unyieldingly refused to accept it. Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook, on the other hand… I could have watched them waltz one around the other for the whole 51 hours run without complaining even once. Some of the most poignant moments in the entire drama involve these two and they are the main reason why I enjoyed Empress Ki so much.
This said, the love triangle was not only central to the story, but dual purpose too. Because on final analysis the true seesaw is not between a woman and two men, but between a woman and two countries. The issue of eradication underlines the whole narration and should never be forgotten in order to understand Seung Nyang's choices. This is, after all, her story, how she's initially forced to abandon her country and her roots and gradually develops an attachment to her adoptive one. The more she distances herself from Goryeo, the more the story focuses on China and takes the viewer along.
Spectacular acting by Ha Ji Won - no news here, not for me, at least. I doubt any other actress would have pulled off such a role with that seeming ease; Ji Chang Wook - yes, I'm just a little obsessed with him right now, after seeing him in two very different dramas I loved and being impressed by his ability to convey such a varied range of emotions. His Emperor is so controversial I could write a review only on him, but let's go on; Baek Jin Hee – Danashili, my most hated and beloved villain was terrific too and Jin Yi Han, who possibly didn't deliver the best performance of his career, but whose charisma alone made him into an all time favourite, unforgettable Tal Tal. The rest of the cast did great too, although I was more impressed with the young actors than the older ones.
A word needs to be spent on the villains. There are a lot of them here, all evil for different reasons. A few of them are very consistent; others are such since the beginning, but the viewer is manipulated to the point of thinking otherwise; some suffer from inexplicable 180° turns. What they all have in common is the unyielding conviction they never did anything wrong, which for me is the saddest trait of this drama and even when they got what they deserved, I was left feeling… empty. Their evil logic is at times extremely lucid and makes the line between good and bad blur.
Music is the hardest aspect for me to rate and perfectly mirrors this drama fluctuating between good and bad. The instrumental pieces are hauntingly beautiful and extremely powerful. Listening to them with closed eyes might be the biggest spoiler of all as to how this story is going to end, which is an achievement in itself since an Ost exists to tell the story via music. The songs, on the other hand, were not only very annoying to my ears (personal taste) but also inserted too abruptly at times when not completely random for the scene they soundtracked. I ended up using good old maths: instrumental 12 + songs 5 = average 8,5.
To come to such a high overall score despite the glaring shortcomings of the script, I took the whole picture into consideration. A 51-hours long story that manages to keep the interest alive till the very end is commendable in itself and the fact that I already know I will definitely re-watch it in the future is proof of the high level of emotion it made me feel. Furthermore, this is not a book, and the visual means is used at its highest, with stunningly beautiful sets, costumes, colours and camera work. If you are able to suspend belief at times and focus on style and emotional impact, you'll no doubt enjoy Empress Ki as much as I did.
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Empress Ki, I must say, is a very compelling, powerful and controversial historical drama. I am always deeply enthralled with every scene that leaves you in awe and keeps you wanting for more. I suggest you (future watchers) dramathon it and don't skip a single episode nor a single scene.
Story - I love how the story of EK started and ended. Not the usual save-all-the-main-characters-protagonists kind of plot. I love killings, and I think these killings were the most highlighted parts of the drama aside from the intriguing plot. If you know what I mean. I was overwhelmed by it to the extent that I didn't look for any flaw. And mind you, when I'm really enjoying a particular drama, I become LESS OBJECTIVE. (You might disagree with me on this, but it's actually true.) It only means that I am satisfied about it. But, nevertheless, it was an EXCEPTIONAL sageuk. One thing that I loved as well was the turn of events. They were really unpredictable. I like unpredictable things.
Acting/ Cast: Every actor in this drama did a stellar job in portraying each character. I have not seen any actor acting with an expressionless face nor overrated acting. Again, if you know what I mean. Ha Ji Won's acting here was outstanding. She has that MAJESTIC BEAUTY. Joo Jin Mo did great as well. Just like how much he was great in A Frozen Flower. I mean, his acting. LOL
Special Mentions:
Ji Chang Wook - My first time seeing him in a drama. He did a great job in acting esp in crying scenes. He was the best. Actually voted for him in the MDL 2014 poll for best actor.
Baek Jin Hee - portrayed the Tanasiri character very convincingly. I hold her dearly to my heart. *whispers* I have a girl-crush on her. Hihihi ^^
Jin Yi Han / Tal Tal is a bonus here.
Lee Mun Shik / Bang - ahjussi, I will never forget how well you played in Iljimae and also here in EK. For the comedic parts, I salute you.
Jun Gook Hwan / El Temur - I never hated him even though how ruthless he was.
I loved all the villains in this sageuk except for one. His name is Yom. Yom the Scum.
Music - OST overall is pretty brilliant. Gosh, the feels... I especially liked Xia's I Love You.
Given the chance that I'd want to watch this again, I WOULD.
And finally, watching EK is an adventure which will be with me forever. It felt surreal when I finished it. I can't even start a new drama after watching it. No drama can surpass the roller coaster ride of emotions I felt in this drama.
P.S: Don't get surprised by its long episodes, it's totally worth watching!
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This drama is based on fictional history of Empress Ki. Well, to be precise drama follows the life of a girl from Koryeo who becomes the most powerful woman of a Yuan Empire and her loves as she is torn between two countires.
The amazing cinematography, love triangles, acting, OSTs and a million feelings while watching it make this drama one of the most beautiful sageuks I've watched so far! ! No skip-watching, no boring scenes... nothing, just enjoyment and excitement through the whole drama!
Acting was more than spectacular! From the main actors to the supporting ones everything was perfect.
Ha Ji Won once again proved how powerful and brilliant actress she is! Every scene was like a piece of a cake for her and that's what made me like her more and more! She succeed to show the viewers a role of a girl who's left with nothing and no one to lean on to the girl who becomes the most powerful woman of a nation.
The acting as it was Ji Chang Wook's is rare, really rare. I haven't seen in a while such an amazing acting! It made me fall in love with him. Wow, I really don't know how to describe it, but if you watch it you'll know what I'm talking about. Ta Hwan a ruler of a Yuan Dinasty, the strong and great man is hard to play and he pulled it off brillianty. His acting left me spechless, just a praise and the fact that he became one of my fav actors!
Joo Jin Mon plays a hero, a protective man, king of Koryeo. I didn't like his role that much, but I can't say that he's just ordinary actor. He knows what he's doing and he's doing it very well.
Jin Yi Han who plays Tal Tal and Yoo In Young who plays Yon Feisu are my fav supporting characters. It was a pleasure and enjoyment watching their acting skills!^^
One of the most beautiful OSTs! The OST's where a happy scene makes more happier and the OSTs where a sad scenes make more sadder to the point where you find yourself crying and feeling their pain... that's how amazing OSTs are! :D
I'll rewatch it for sure! Just need to find a time! Oh, what the heck when the story is this good, you will forget about a time and you'll find yourself constantly clicking the next episode! So, yeah that's how SPECTACULAR this drama is! You just need to start it and then you'll see what I'm talking about! :D
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I am sure that if someone with a critical eye was to peruse through this review, they'd "Tsk Tsk" just like El Temur did to show his condescension for things he thought beneath him but I am past the point of caring. For I am hopelessly and utterly in love with everything about this drama, blissfully ignorant to all of its flaws and honored to have witnessed characters that made me feel all there was to feel and more.
After I was done with it, I felt so emotionally spent that it was almost physical. Every waking moment of my existence had been consumed by this production and the withdrawal symptoms were kicking in with a vengeance. Now, there is so much to say, but not enough words. I want to shout its praises from the rooftops but I'll settle for writing this review that can't possibly ever truly deliver the amount of feeling I had for this drama.
This is a story about vengeance, lust for power, loyalty, sacrifice, the blurry line between good and evil, the ugly side of human nature and lastly one woman's quest for justice. You cannot go into this if you don't want to get invested because trust me you will. It will possess you and maneuver you around like a puppet until its characters' emotions are your own, their pain your pain, their heartbreak your heartbreak and it will make you want to burst from all the sensory overload.
If I am to be honest, I admit that I have never seen a more brilliant piece of acting before. From the minute roles to the colossal one's every single act is done with perfection.
This was my first time watching Ha- Ji Won and six episodes in, I had already added her to my favorite actress list and vowed that I will not stop until I had followed her into every show she ever starred in. Simply put, she is my Queen. Her acting is so real and raw that it breaks you every time and leaves you in awe. It's really no surprise that she won a Daesang for her role.
I don't think I have ever felt more strongly for any female heroine before Niang. The intensity of love that I felt for her was crazy. She's a woman of power, deadly beyond measure, a master mind and the definition of strength. In Asian Dramas, there is always more talk than walk about how intellectual the heroine is. Producers use the classic element of make believe and create so much hype that people really start to see the MC as smart and witty even when there are no visible actions to back it up. In the synopsis it would be stated repeatedly how much of a genius she is, the characters in the show would boast about her relentlessly but in reality she usually turns out to be a hollow personality-less beauty vessel constructed on baseless compliments.
Niang doesn't roll that way. She is the real deal from the start; a highly intelligent woman, a schemer, a warrior, a meticulous planner and a ruthless executioner. She doesn't need other people to gass her up, because everything she does speaks for itself. She doesn't require saving because she is the savior. She is a Queen in every sense of the word and honestly, I would rather kill everyone -love interest or not- if they dared hurt her. My heart clenched whenever she faced a setback, my fists pumped and I screamed joyfully every time she was victorious, I cried with her, I smiled with her and I rooted for her every single time. I can honestly sing odes in way of her perfection and it would still not be enough.
Before I started with the drama, I had heard a lot of praise for Ji Chang Wook and when I saw his face and got a glimpse of the character he played I had instantly stuck my nose up, jutted my foot out and turned the other way. I thought that there was no way that I'd ever root for such a privileged, weak and spoiled wimp of a Prince. It didn't help that I had hated characters like him in the past (See: Goo Joon Piyo from Boys over flower, Mike He from Full house, Yune from MiSa) but as I watched, piece by piece the ice around my heart fell off until I was effectively boarded and happily sailing on his ship.
Ji Chang Wook is a gem and I truly believe he deserved a Daesang too. Ta Hwan is a highly flawed character and an anti-hero at best. He's selfish, cowardly, naive and obsessive. For one good deed is followed by a hundred missteps on his part and there were multiple times where I wanted to just slap him senseless. But despite all this, JCW made me fall in love with him. A lesser actor or any other actor for that matter, couldn't have even dreamed to do the same.
He's the type of character that you'd love to hate and hate to love but soon enough you see the deep scars he harbors, the purity of his heart and you understand him. In a palace full of people under his command, he's utterly lonely, horribly abused by everyone he trusts, constantly forced into his insecurities and you cannot help but weep for him and the pain he has had to suffer. Once you understand him, every horrible action he commits doesn't make you hate him, rather it breaks your heart. I had so much affection for him that I bawled every time he was either volatile, helpless or bordering on insanity. I honestly prayed for his relief.
As for the other male lead, I had my doubts about Joo Jin Mo at times but soon, I realized that he held his own too. Even though I felt like Wang Yu was way too likable I did come to adore him. The loyalty his men showed to him, his persistence in fighting for his country and his devotion to Niang warmed my heart. Plus, the guy has really beautiful and expressive eyes.
As far as the couple ships are concerned, Ta Hwan and Niang was the only one that made sense to me. Sure, Wang Yu and Niang have some heart warming moments and their love for each other is supposed to be strong but the moments between Ta Hwan and Niang are simply emotionally intense. There is so much misery between them but their relationship is powerful. She builds him up when he's nothing, she's his support system and his love for her is obsessive because in the midst of so much cruelty she is his only friend and confidante. The only time he attempts to be selfless is when he's with her and she makes him want to be a better man.
Tbh, they both were my babies and they absolutely dominated the show.
The beauty of this show is that everything bad that could possibly happen; happens. In most shows you don't have to guard your heart because you're sure that when things are their absolute worse, a convenient plot device will somehow come in handy and save the characters from catastrophe but here, there is no such luck. The villains are extremely fleshed out and three dimensional which makes it all the more easy to despise them. This drama truly depicts that 'evil is bad that believes it's good' and that is the most dangerous thing about the awful one's because somehow they all have reasons that are wholly justified in their eyes. People I liked transitioned into horrible power hungry monsters and people I hated with a passion tried to force me to feel pity for them. It was such a mixture of charcoal and pristine that I was constantly in a whirlwind.
I'm not going to lie; I bawled a lot in this drama. However, none of my tears flowed when people died or were killed rather they were for the tiny moments; the moments where the helplessness of the characters was shown, the moments where they are trying their best to hold on but falling apart, when they are striving to fight madness but stumbling and it's so beautifully heartbreaking that it wrenched out sobs from me.
This drama is filled with small immensely impactful scenes that combine to make the whole production powerful.
The side characters are very strong and multiple story-lines make the drama diverse and interesting. I majorly love me some Tal Tal; the smart, loyal and brooding man that you just can't get enough of. Wang Yu's men were always a source of happiness; Jokho and many others too make the list.
One thing I agree with many reviewers was that I too wanted the MC's to take a breather. From start to finish they are battling complication after complication and I desperately wanted the sweet moments to be drawn out and for them to bask a little more in the fleeting happiness they were granted. I mean, I wanted to see the faces I love express joy so badly that after finishing the show, I spent hours watching behind the scenes and blooper videos to lighten my heart and seeing those actors laugh and goof around filled me with inexplicable warmth.
As far as the ending is concerned, I'll dole out the same advice a friend gave to me and that is to not dread the tragedy too much for it's something that's bound to happen and you might actually find it quite acceptable. Who knows?
I have said so much, yet I feel that there is so much more to say. I am positive that I can write a thesis on my love for this drama and still not be satisfied so I'm going to end this here.
Every single second of this is nerve wracking in some way, the violence isn't over-produced, the action scenes are beautiful, the dialogues are excellent and although I never really re-watch seasons even when I say that I will, this is one season that I'm absolutely certain that I will binge re-watch and will most probably once again, be strung like a live wire because of all the feels.
An undeniable must watch.
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Although I don't watch 50 episodes dramas easily, I do pick one up once in a while if it catches my interest. So I started this drama just to watch Ha Ji Won in action again and also because I was in a mood for a historical drama. But honestly, all I was expecting was an overrated drama with a poor, exaggerated plot and brilliant acting. Boy, was I wrong.
Empress Ki is undeniably the best drama of 2013. And this is coming from someone who has watched I Hear Your Voice, Master's Sun and Man From The Stars. The plot is so well-paced that you won't feel like stopping even for a moment and won't feel like skipping a single scene either. The plot evokes such trouble for all protagonists but yet you sit in relief knowing Nyang is there. Watching, observing, plotting, winning.
Nyang. She is the best thing about this drama. She is behind-the-scene most of the time and she defeats her opponents before they even know who they are up against. The girl can plot and fight. She is the perfect one-man army. I haven't seen a more wiser character than her. Coming Wang Yu, he is perfect too. From the beginning you know Nyang and Wang Yu aren't meant to be since she's destined to marry the king of Yuan and become Empress Ki. But even then you can't help rooting for him from time to time and falling for his charms and his sincerity towards Nyang. But the King of Yuan isn't someone you can take for granted. Even though he's a bit of a coward and a puppet played by many, he is still very cute and likeable. Honestly I think he's a naive soul stuck in the horrible politics of the palace with no one to rely on and with no option but to fight not just for his throne but his life. I really loved his devotion for Empress Ki in all circumstances. All supporting actors were simply brilliant and were nowhere beneath the main cast. My personal favorites were El Temur (because I loved seeing him go down!) and his kids (who doesn't love seeing a bitch being tortured!). I also loved the servants of Goryeo and all the eunuchs of Yuan. Tal Tal and his uncle were also amazing. Some characters I loved because they were lovable but some characters I loved for their cruelty.
The music was great and the production was simply breathtaking. From the clothes to palaces and the forests, everything they shot was so beautiful and historically rich.
Coming to the historical significance, many historians complained that the drama portrayed Empress Ki as a national hero where in fact she was a traitor who tried to make her brother sit on Goryeo's throne. The drama has been repeatedly been accused of exaggerating facts and misguiding people (especially young ones, who are not much aware of Empress Ki) into idolizing empress ki.
Although I cannot comment on the historical facts, I would ask people to watch this with an open mind, without trying to find empress ki from history in the character of Nyang. She might not be the same person but the character that has been written is truly worth a watch.
I would recommend this drama to everyone. If you've never watched a 50+ eps drama, this is a good place to start. If you've never watched a historical drama, this is a good place to start. Definitely Ha Ji won's best portrayal so far. She deserved all those Daesang awards she got for this.
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This series. First off, I adored the main female lead. She was always very strong and set on her ways. Sure, she had her times when she was infuriating but she was the reason why I always kept coming back. Her pride and way to get things that needed to get done were always so great to watch.
The remainder of the cast, was also infuriating at times but everyone of them, no matter how much you hated, you wound up connecting on a higher level. We knew exactly what drove them to be that way and the way their characters went on with their lives throughout the drama was wonderful to watch. The good guys you wanted to protect and always have a happy life and the bad guys you wound up wanting to throw things at them and violently scream at the screen (or maybe that was just me...). The cast was excellent! Everyone of them were great.
The music was also very beautiful. I cannot wait to get my hands on the soundtrack.
Over all, or the TLDR version: If you want a historical drama that will give you TONS of feels, have TONS of strong actors that you will cheer for, have SIDE characters that you will adore a little too much, have EVIL characters that you will hate too much, do watch this one. The many episodes may be daunting but I promise you that (even if this drama gets dull for you, it never did to me honestly) every episode is a ride within itself and you will keep coming back to see what happens to these beloved characters.
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This drama was awesome and then some, really no complaints here. I just can't believe how it ended and how it all ties into the first episode. I give a shout out to the writers who took this historical story and made it seems like a deep love story. The actors must be commended for their hard work and commitment to the story. The music really suited the different climaxes as the story progressed. I must have cried buckets of tears to the point of drying out my tear banks. So much was given up in order for those who survived to live. Empress ki herself was so strong and brave there are few women who could accomplish, and persevere through what she went through, so I give accolades to the actress who portrayed her life story. This is very much my favorite drama from 2013 to 2014.
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This revenge is perpetrated using an endless amount of subterfuges, traps, deceptions and secret exploiting the palace policy. Also this whole conspiracies fits perfectly in a way that is all too convincing, sometimes ridiculous, and repeats itself in a continuous loop that led me to exhaustion. The plot is therefore extremely repetitive and many times my intellect has been insulted by the author. Don't get me wrong, I love revenge and I don't dislike makjangs, so the problem here is not my personal tastes but the way this drama was written and performed. The more the plot progressed, the more I realized that it was failing in the three elements that I consider fundamental to the success of a drama: plot, characterization of characters and love story.
As I said before the political scheming is endless and it steals all the screentime, each character is used as a pawn and moved at convenience. There is no space to tell their personal story much less for character development, and this also affects the main leads. Each character stays in the same way it was at the beginning, for this reason not only I had an hard time to ship for any of them but I could easily predict their next move, taking away all the drama suspense.
Wang Yoo is often sent to deal with futile tasks, created ad hoc to keep him away from the main plot but at the same time all his actions always end up creating a favorable situation for his beloved lady ki.
Ta Hwan was the biggest disappointed, heir to the throne of Yuan is actually a puppet that is manipulated by everyone, including his beloved lady ki, too childish and afraid to react, he spends his time drinking, fainting or in bed sick, his character has no evolution whatsoever.
Empress Ki is the only true protagonist, her character is perhaps the only one to have some development, transforming from a tomboy to a conspirator. But the writer's obstinacy to portray her as the absolute "good girl"prevented me to appreciating her. She is always good, super intelligent and very good in any field and discipline, she is the heroine of the story while all the others are all bad people. Sorry but not sorry, this kind of role is not what I associate with revenge.
If all this is not enough for you, the love story is almost non-existent, the distance between this three characters, physics in the case of Wang Yoo and Platonic in the case of Ta Hwan prevented me from feeling strong emotions for this supposed love triangle and on the whole I didn't like nor support any of the two couples.
Overall Empress Ki was unable to take advantage of the excellent cards it had in his hands, a stellar cast wasted to make way for an infinite political plot that steals screentime from various interesting characters, a historical period exploited to a minimum to make room for so much fiction . And finally a revenge that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth as it is fought with ridiculous subterfuges.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Before you rate this review down, horrified by the rating, please let me explain myself. My rating wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have any meaning without the proper explanation as to why I think it deserves a 3,5.In short (if you don't want to read the big text below)- > The characters make little sense and there's a bunch of plot twists for the sake of shocking the viewer rather than them having any justifiable sense for most of the time.
Good? ok. Now let's start.
Story
Some of you might say “This person is an elitist!”, “This person is nitpicking!”, however I do not consider myself a fiction elitist nor am I trying to nitpick; I just don’t watch/read any type of fiction for only my entertainment. I say this because I know most of you watch dramas (or any type of fiction) mostly to fill in a “fun” factor or you watch them because you want to get all the “feels”, then the rest is mostly superfluous as long as you can manage to find a justification for it. The difference between some of you and me in the way that we see fiction became very clear as I was watching Empress Ki.
What is my point with this? If I would have managed to shut my brain and watch Empress Ki only to discover who is going to get backstabbed next and who was going to die next or who was going to get framed next, only for me to cheer or be sad depending of the situation, then yes, I would have said Empress Ki did its job and a very good one at that.
However, my brain kept questioning and demanding consistency and logic from its world and characters. Empress Ki is mostly an up and down of plot twists for plot twists; doesn’t matter whether the characters are even able to do what they do, the drama will find a reason for them to pull the plot twist even if it makes little sense. The story progresses mostly in this manner, there’s no time to just breath and let everything settle in because somebody will start plotting something else the moment the last conflict is over. I just can’t enjoy these types of fast-paced executions, mostly because I feel like even with 50 episodes I wasn’t able to even remotely “care” about most of the characters and that’s a big issue for me.
I must also question the random mood switches, being serious, then the next moment switching to comedy, without taking into consideration the bittersweet feelings that I was supposed to get right before that. It’s only normal that I’d be confused in what I was supposed to feel anymore when I have to face such contrast in moods. Is this a k-drama thing? I guess I could notice a pattern, but then it becomes a formal issue directed to the whole genre.
There are also several time skips that I would have wished to have never been there. Mostly during the last time skip where most of the changes occurred. It almost seemed like an easy way of not showing us how everything came to that conclusion, which was quite convenient, not to say lazy.
Empress Ki also doesn’t seem to know if it wants to stick to being a “realistical” (for how much realism it portrays…) pseudo-historical or a fantasy, because there’s this arc where they actually use magic and, in my bafflement, it was actually working and perfectly able to hurt somebody in real life. Just what are you doing, drama? I understand that at the time they believed in magic and whatnot, but from praying to actually making it work? Don’t bulshit me. They could have killed the entire royal family with those methods if it were that easy. *breaths in* *breaths out*
Also, just putting up a fact here, Empress Ki is far from being a historical. If it happens in the past and some of the characters actually existed in the past, it’s not enough to make it a historical when most of the story itself is only LOOSELY based on real facts and most of what happens in-between is purely fictitious. Empress Ki is a pseudo-historical. Common misconception.
Characters
I can pretty much copy-paste what I wrote in the story section. Characters were mostly one-dimensional.
I can put an exception flag on Togon and Nyang over here, but Wang Yu? I’m sorry, and this doesn’t have anything to do with me shipping TogonxNyang, but Wang Yu was entertaining for the first couple of episodes and then he became such a drag to follow that I was happy everytime he was gone. Why am I being so salty? Because he’s the valiant hero that’s too good for his own good. And that’s literally everything that’s up with him. His story resumed in Goryo! -> Nyang -> GORYO!! -> being a hero -> Nyang ! boohoo! -> Throne! -> no throne! -> Nyang! - > Nyang – THRONE-> no throne again etc. I could go on forever and I hope you got the point: it was painfully repetitive.
Is Wang Yu the only one guilty of repetitiveness? Haha, not even remotely. Tanassiri, the Dowager, El Temur (guilty of openly shaping and breaking the laws and rules like butter and nobody calls him out on that too), Bayan, bitchy maids, please all shake hands and join the circle of repetitiveness now.
But going to much happier stuff: Togon! He is the character that managed to come through the most, though sometimes he’s affected by the same incoherences and random “instincts” because “plot demands so!” like the rest of the characters, Nyang included. But he’s still way better written: arrogant, egocentric, selfish, sometimes cute, sometimes hateable, sometimes fully understanding of his role and position and actually pained by the reality of it all and his inability to escape. The feeling of always getting used, no matter in what situation. He is ultimately the character that I “felt” the closest to me through the whole drama and I was quite sad about him.
Nyang………She has her ups and downs. Sometimes I am pleased with her, some other times she tries to make sense but fails horribly. I really preferred her when she used to be into genderbent and stuff were actually simple, but she kept being this ambiguous character which I feel like I could never be able to completely get to know. She's stuck between a romance drama and a political drama. She just never seemed to know what she wants: one day she would be just fine with protecting something, then the next moment she’d want to rule the world. I am really not sure how am I supposed to take that.
For the rest, it’s really pointless for me to talk about, since I’d just repeat myself. With one exception…Tal Tal. Now, Tal Tal has been the character that, while still mostly one-dimensional, was able to bring the story and its characters back on the right path in more ways than one. He was my ray of light and voice of truth. He’s supposed to be a very smart and rational person, who is able to see through mostly every situation, but limited by his own loyalty. He gets some sort of development when he crosses paths with Nyang, but unfortunately, his character wasn’t even remotely explored further which was a shame. And the last episode really treats him unfairly. That’s all that I can say.
Acting & OST & Scenography
Well, I had nothing major to complain... besides Wang Yu and Tangqishi’s actors which I was trying to forget, but I really particularly liked Togon’s actor, maybe part of why I liked his character so much as well.
The soundtrack, unfortunately, while pretty, it gets repetitive very fast and there’s not much good use of it when it was actually needed.
The costumes were just gorgeous! The settings too, though overall repetitive as well, they were beautifully decorated and the make-up (as in wounds), as well, definitely better than what I’ve seen till now. See? I do have some stuff to praise !
Conclusion
Even though this review is quite bad and I really don’t want to take anything back, I am still sorry. Most of you might be outraged, but I really couldn’t enjoy it safe for the entertainment that it provided when it stopped being serious. Maybe if I wouldn’t have watched it with a friend, I wouldn’t have even been able to ever finish it.
Whether I recommend this? Eh, I do actually, but just if you watch dramas for entertainment purposes. If you’re like me and tend to take it from a formal point of view in terms of writing, then just run away. Really.
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The story: 9; Two minutes into the show, I turned it off because I hated that a future scene was shown in the beginning. I was sort of being petty, so I continued watching it because the cast and synopsis was eye catching. While watching this show there were moments my heart melted and my vein almost popped. Even with a future scene in the beginning, this show was really unpredictable that I hated myself for watching it while it was airing. Usually in historically dramas there are scenes that will put you to sleep, but for this one you can't help but stay alert while watching it. The plot wasn't scattered or slow, but it was beautifully woven into a work of art.
Suspense: The background music for this show especially El Temur "theme" song had me shaking. There were times that I didn't stop shaking because I was too hooked on an episode.
Action: epic, sexy, cool and fast
Romance: this is what I like to call a girl had the best of triple worlds. Wang yu (ultimate fan), Tal Tal (the new love of my life) and Te hwan( a cute/obsessive devoted lover) Her chemistry with so so and so was too sexy and another unexpected so so and so was all I could fantasize about for some time. Best of all I loved her love when she felt love even though it felt forced/ weak in the beginning.
Cast: The entire cast was amazing. I loved everyone and actually missed the actors that played the villains because they were so great. I give a standing ovation to all of them. My ultimate bias was Nyang played by Ha ji won. No one could have played a better Empress ki. She was intelligent, a fighter, cold hearted, sexy, and she never failed me. Te hwan got on my nerves, but he's character was meant to be portrayed like that because of his upbringing. Wang yu and Tal Tal were too cool and sexy.
Negatives: Time, like how many months or years passed in certain instances, it played a lot with my emotions because some character were too fucked up (actually a positive b/c it kept me watching) or annoying.
Overall: 10; My love for historically dramas heightened because of this drama. Although it was a fictional account of Empress Ki life, I have never watched a historical drama that I wished was real, so my actors would never stop acting.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm kinda in shock over how good this drama turned out to be considering how long I've been avoiding watching it. I knew the ratings were high, but because there were 51 episodes (which is enough to scare me away) it lived forever on my planning to watch cue. My advice is to not let episode-count-a-phobia stop you from watching this AMAZING drama. The impressive cast and the intriguing story make every episode worth watching, and before I knew it I was finished. By the end I even found myself oddly craving more, because I'd grown so attached to the world of "Empress Ki".First, this is definitely one of the best cast ensembles I have ever seen in drama. I admit that I didn't check the cast list at all before watching, so there were so many pleasant surprises as far as actors I've loved in other dramas. Ha Ji Won is one of my favorites ("Secret Garden" being my actual favorite drama of all time). She's the ultimate sweet but bad@ss leading lady, and this character is perfect for even her. The story follows her journey from gender-bending youth to Empress (not a spoiler, so don't worry). She goes through such a range in this story that I was impressed with her from beginning to end. She is matched with Joo Jin Mo, who charmed me in the mediocre drama "Woman with a Suitcase", and super impressive Ji Chang Wook from "Healer" (another favorite of mine). I think each of their performances, and the chemistry between these three characters, were flawless. Jin Mo is perfectly cast as charming and heroic. Chang Wook's character is so emotionally complicated that his performance was one of my favorites of all, and so different than his acting in "Healer". This is the kind of dramatic love story that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster... Flirtation, Mistrust, Passion, Betrayal, Obsession, Loyalty... and they made me believe every moment of it. What I love about all of the characters is that they were so developed, with flaws and vulnerabilities, that it all felt real, even when the plot got outrageous.
I get overwhelmed when I think of everyone in the cast who deserves to be mentioned for giving such excellent performances, but I will only mention a few. Jung Woong is so good at playing complicated villains, like the one I loved so much in "I Hear Your Voice". Sometimes he gave me chills he's so good in this. Jun Gook Hwan is also an impressive villain, the kind you sometimes secretly root for just so you can keep watching them be evil. His sons were hotties, but Kim Jung Hyun deserves a special shout out for being the Duracell Bunny of evil... (he kept going and going and going). Baek Jin Hee was so slapable she was perfect. The Empress Dowager frustrated me the most because she was so good at being duplicitous. Kim Ji Han, with his sexy Alan Richman-esque voice, was also a standout for me. But honestly, I could just run down the entire cast list and praise everyone, from the servants, to the soldiers, to the royals. I love the bromances between the heroes, the catty smirks between the ladies, the nail biting fight scenes between almost everyone, even the kids... This is a cast with not only no weak links, but so many memorable performances.
As far as the story, it is really hard to keep a drama with so many long episodes interesting, but this drama absolutely does. This is a shakespearean level saeguk, with so many twists it's impossible to see them all coming. I also loved that the the drama starts near the end point, so you see where everything will lead first and then are glued to the screen watching how everything will finally get to that point. It also covers a lot of genres. There's romance, and action, and of course revenge, with even a few supernatural moments. There are also comedic moments, but know that this drama is definitely more tragedy than comedy, and often times frustrating and depressing (in an entertaining way) the further along the story gets. I also like that after being less enthusiastic about some of the middle episodes, the pace starts to pick up again near the end so much that I literally could not stop watching.
My critiques of this drama are very few. One is that the circumstances are so unbelievable at times that I almost wanted to laugh inappropriately, but the actors always made the story work no matter how crazy the plot got. Another issue for me was that I was bored by certain parts of the story, towards the middle, although they added to the character development, and made sense to the story as a whole, I was just personally less interested in some of the political rivalries and wars (especially in Wang Yoo's storyline). There are also tropes you find in a lot of dramas, but the storytelling is so engaging that it never feels cliché.
As for the ending, I thought it was simple and perfect. The last 2 episodes pack so much in that it was a little overwhelming, but I felt like there were no loose ends at all, and the very last moment kinda ends with a haunting question... at least that's how I interpreted it, which made the whole story complete.
Would I watch this again? DEFINITELY! It's now tied for my favorite Saeguk with "The Princess' Man". I'd probably take my time with a rewatch, and enjoy the performances, instead of rushing to finish in order to know what happens.
Overall, The characters will haunt me for a while. Every villain was sympathetic, and every hero/heroine pissed me off, which made the power struggles so much more compelling. I love stories like these that make me actually curious about the real people that inspired them. I know very little about the actual history, so I can't reference what is real vs what was made up. I can only assume that there's only a small amount of this story that's based actual events. However, like every good makjang drama, the more unrealistic the better.
I definitely recommend this one as a must watch! I was addicted by episode one. It's certainly not a lighthearted drama, so arm yourself with enough tissues, and be ready to curse at the screen, and clutch at your broken heart. Trust the ratings and reviews on this one, it really is THAT good. If you're a big fan of anyone in the cast, you don't want to miss them in this. 51+ hours later I don't think you will regret it.
Wow, This drama may have finally cured my episode-count-a-phobia!
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Acting/Cast
The cast was pretty amazing. Ha Ji Won did a fantstic job in this drama and soon I want see another historical drama of hers. Ji Chang Wook also did a really good job as did Joo Jin Mo. I recognised a few of the actors.
Music
There were some great OSTs which are worth downloading.
Rewatch value
Empress Ki is quite long but I'm sure in a few years time I will rewatch again. There are lots of amazing scenes in this drama.
Overall this drama was AMAZING!! I really loved it and I'm sure you will too.
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