Mother of the Kingdom? Nonsense! Life of a Queen is really Hard
• Reasons to Watch:- You like Historical Dramas that has equal amounts of suspense, slow-burn politics with a pinch of comedy
- Banter and Political games between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law a.k.a Queen and Queen Dowager
- Amazing acting by all, the cinematography, costumes and overall vibe
- Handsome Princes!
• Things that became "meh" as episodes progressed
- Story premise seemed to make it like a competition between the Princes (think Hunger Games/Maze Runner, but Royal)
- But it unfolded as past secrets/wrong-doings and how corruption snow-balled to affect the present characters
- The role of the Princes was shadowed by Queen and Queen Dowager - so some might lose interest in the constant back and forth, on who was more cunning/sharp and gets the winning point
• Things that could be better [MILD SPOILERS]
- While there is an underlying theme of who is the main antagonist, some plots (like the rebellion) was dealt very lightly. It ended before it began when the time for showdown came. It would have been a good point to show case how a Crown Prince defends his kingdom, but seemed fizzled out to me.
- Avoiding the whole romantic plotline for the Grand Prince - it seemed completely unnecessary, forced and CRINGE!
The series stays true to its title. Throughout the series, we saw how the Queen nurtures as the Mother of the Kingdom, not only towards her sons - but also step-sons and those in need. She protects them when she takes them under her wing, but does not coddle them but rather allows them to grow - so that they may take flight when the time is right.
Even though the last 2 episodes seem highly rushed, it is definitely a good watch for those who like such plots and enjoy great acting, the star cast will not disappoint. Minus the meh moments, it would definitely be one of the best series to end 2022 on.
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I love this drama.
I finished watching this drama and the scenery, costumes, acting, plot were just perfect. One of the best dramas I've ever watched. It took a place in my heart next to Moon Lovers. I highly recommend watching it.-----------------------------------------
I love this drama. This really is one of the best dramas of 2022.
The queen will do anything for her sons. The queen will do anything for her sons. I also like that the king seems to respect the queen and her opinions. He seems to be fair and is not easily influenced by the scholars and the dowager queen. I'm curious to see what will happen to Grand Prince Sung Nam and Cheong Ha. Will they fall in love and be together?
I love Queen Im Hwa Ryung. The title of the drama really fits the plot. The queen protects the grand princes under an umbrella and I really like references to that. She is understanding and her support for Grand Prince Gye Sung was touching.
Great plot, actors, acting, costumes and cinematography. 10/10 for me.
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One of the best!
One of the best Korean historical drama I’ve watched. I love how different it is from your typical K-drama. The acting was superb, especially I love Kim Hye-Soo’s acting in this drama. I never really watched any of Kim Hye-Soo’s drama or movies but this one really made me to become one of her fans. The only thing I wish was more interactions between the King and the Queen but even better some backstory when they were young. Having some character backstory would’ve been cherry on the top but overall, great and amazing. I definitely recommend this one!Was this review helpful to you?
Offered a fresh perspective to an overused royal politics-type sageuk
Was instantly hooked after the tension-filled episode 1, and was looking forward for what it has to offer. From that moment, I knew that this will not be a typical sageuk despite having the same cliche-filled elements.The first few episodes tackled on stories that were not even present on previous sageuks. Not only that it was refreshing to watch, but it made me curious what would happen next. Each episode on the 1st half really ended on a high note, making the endless plot-scheming, dirty tactics, and 3D chess by the Queen worth it.
Speaking of the Queen (Kim Hye-soo), she really was the star of this show. There was no other actress who could've matched the tenacity, bluntness, and boldness all at the same time, gradually showcasing the queenly mother vibe that she flawlessly portrayed. The Queen was really atypical for Joseon and maybe eccentric for the time period, but her progressive views and her deep understanding on her children, and later, towards the other princes and their concubine mothers, maybe the reason why the umbrella was constantly expanding, keeping everyone safe under her umbrella. Not to forget, the eyebrows were just phenonemal, as if it was another actor. The eyebrows alone were enough for her to be nominated for Baeksang.
Moreover, Queen Dowager Cho (Kim Hae-sook) was also a force to be reckoned with. She certainly was as dirty as a typical sageuk antagonist, but one thing certain for her was that it was all for her son, the King (Choi Won-young), or was actually for herself? Anyhow, she really pulled all the strings to stop the Queen from being her obstacle, and the two of them was almost yin and yang in terms of their energies. It was very gratifying to see them Queens bickering with each other upfront, rather than the subtle and silent "war" previous sageuks portrayed in terms of queen and queen dowager relationship.
On the other hand, I was not so sure with how it handled the "rebellion." It was mildly disappointing as the ones behind it planned it meticuluously and the build-up was greatly done, as if it would succeed. Its resolution was more on the anticlimactic side, and it was rushly wrapped. Because of that, it also rushed this show's ending in terms of its political aspect. However, the other subplots were given appropriate, sometimes fluffy but not cringe endings. Basically, this was my only complaint to an otherwise great kdrama, almost a masterpiece. Other than that, no pacing and direction problems. Topnotch.
The cinematography was another highlight. Its camerawork (most notably the first 2 episodes) was just masterpiece. It was very cinematic and it really captured the essence of the emotions and mood on those particular scenes well. The music scoring was great as well.
Overall, what an exhilarating watch! This might be the best Kdrama for 2022, and will just wait for it to garner awards. It deserves so since Under the Queen's Umbrella offered a fresh perspective to an overused royal politics-type sageuk.
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The great mother vs. one-note villains
A story about the effort and sacrifices of Queen Im Hwa Ryeong to protect her royal family in the middle of palace intriguesSo, first of all, the good: I’m really happy to see a sageuk representing a strong female lead in the Joseon Dynasty. The acting is phenomenal. Kim Hye-soo portrays the Queen as a warm-hearted mother yet a strong woman who can stand up for herself and her loved ones well.
The story is so good up until episode 7. This drama is really compelling, and I’m already attached to the characters. Hwa Ryeong really takes action to protect her sons. She storms through the palace at a breakneck pace. The palace intrigue develops as fast-paced as her footsteps and I’m on the edge of my seat! I love how it highlights the claustrophobia of the royal court.
Afterward, I was severely disappointed with the very monotonous conflict resolution: all about survival in a cutthroat court. Although it makes an interesting premise, the plot is not satisfyingly executed. There's really not much to tell than the usual jealousy between Hwa Ryeong and the villain characters, it wasn't an equal match. They do not give threats to our heroes. Another thing, I don't understand what message they want to tell regarding the story of the prince who seems to be a transgender.
If you're not a fan of sageuk, this drama might catch your interest. For me, the conflict resolution is a bit lackluster, but the pacing is great. The side characters have their own unique stories. The political intrigue wasn't complicated; the writer does well showing what's going on.
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A unique historical drama with a competent queen that takes matters into her own hands. As such, the story could get quite unrealistic as it defies the usual perceptions of what a queen embodies, but nonetheless an entertaining drama to watch.
**I recommend this drama to those that like unorthodox historical dramas. A mixture of lighthearted scenes and the usual political turmoil in palace dramas.
|| DETAILS ||
= Story =
*Premise - The story of how a competent queen navigates the usual palace politics, reveals hidden truths, and takes care of her sons.
*Genre - A historical drama with some focus on comedy and romance.
*Main plot - The main plot of deciding the heir, the king's legitimacy and the palace politics was nothing special as most historical dramas have that type of thing. The highlight of the story was really the queen not being the usual quiet, reserved, minds her own business, gets taken advantage of type of person. To be honest it was quite satisfying to have a queen this competent that can sleuth and scheme, while being so caring and wholesome. However, her flawlessness and invincibility felt like she was just smoothly sailing through everything. She always had countermeasures and always seemed to have the upperhand, which just didn't seem too realistic. I guess it had to be this way to save plot time for other story arches. Either way, I was entertained throughout and really liked the character of the queen. Another part of the plot I enjoyed was the competition for the grand princes which was fun to watch. On another note, it is very rare that both the king and queen are reasonable righteous people, not to mention majority of the secondary characters are "good" compared to "bad". Those that are meant to be antagonists just seemed very inadequate - as if after enthroning the current king the way they did, they lost their ability to do effective bad deeds. It's quite new and fresh, but again, unrealistic.
*Side plot - There are lots of side plots with the concubines and their sons, each of the grand princes' problems, and the whole Consort Hwang situation. It was a bit here and there, each taking part of an episode. It was nice to give them screen time but I felt like it didn't add much to the plot, and some might've even taken away from the story of the crown prince and crown princess which I'm sure the audience wanted to see more of. The whole Consort Hwang love situation and son plotting treason was a bit random, as it was just mentioned and nothing really came of it.
*Ending - Just like how everything seemed to go smoothly for the queen, everyone in the end just seemed happy, and everything seemed solved. Summarized the drama cleanly.
= Cast =
*Acting - Kim Hye Soo. That's basically it.
*Chemistry - Nobody can beat the chemistry between the queen and her thoughts. She just overpowers everyone and everything it seems. Joking aside, for the supposed main love line between the crown prince and crown princess I felt like it could've been a lot more if there were more scenes, also if the crown prince had more expression (sorry but his acting fell a bit short and was a bit dead).
= OST =
There weren't many songs, nothing really stood out.
|| A LESSON ABOUT GROWING UP ||
For children with loving parents / guardians, it feels safe and sheltered to be cared for. However, there comes a time when you move away from the umbrella and let the rain fall on you. That way, you can learn how to prevent the raindrops yourself. At some point, you grab the handle and can then shelter your parents / guardian or your own children. Alternatively, there also comes a time to let go of the handle and let the one you've always cared for learn to care for themselves or let them care for you.
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Under the Queens Umbrella seems to have got this mostly right with some lighthearted quirks thrown in there to keep the tone never too heavy or dark. The tension and emotional beat of the story is never too high or too low most of the time, but just moderate. I would have really liked to see more humor with maybe a bit of a darker side to it, but that’s just me.
Although I think the tone of Under the Queens Umbrella is fun and the un-seriousness that is present within the story works well there is still a good amount of dramatics and intensity there as well. There is a balance to it that the drama achieves really well. The tone is never too hasty or inappropriate, but flows well with the scenes each time.
I would personally not call this drama a satire or a comedy with a gloomy undertone, which is what I thought the drama advertised itself as, but more just a light-hearted approach to palace life and the world there as well as the status of the women in there. A theme that has come up in various historical kdramas in recent years. But it’s a take that I enjoy quite a lot.
The plot is a little predictable at time, especially if you are very familiar with these kind of historical dramas. It knocks a bit of a wind from the story, especially towards the middle, and there never seems to be any particular point that the story truly gets at, or leads us to. The plot doesn’t truly matter; its all about the characters and how are they handling these obstacles that the plot provides.
Many of the characters are well written and interesting and I’m talking especially about the female characters in the drama (because most of the princes blend into one for me) who pull you in so you don’t really think too much about the actual plot but just how interesting they are. The cast is awesome. It’s like one big empire of great female character and there’s a nice contrast between them all, with a few other interesting characters in between.
But the main and most interesting characters are the queen herself, the concubines that wants to be queen and the queen dowager for me. And sometimes when the story moves away from their story, the central story, it became less interesting. They are the ones who are playing the main game in the story after all and shine the most. I would liked to see a little more intensity and depth from the women who work under them. I don’t think this story gets me as well as e.g. The Red Sleeve when it comes to this power struggle within the male-dominated palace in a very male dominating society.
I really didn’t care about some of the side stories about who will be the crown prince and everything else that the narrative brought, but it almost didn’t matter that much because I was enjoying the characters and their moments so much. This was a slow-burn character study to me. The goal of the story was to allow the characters to shine and not be pulled by the story, but to control the flow.
I just liked seeing these actresses being great at what they do, in these kinds of roles and this kind of environment.
Some stories are really driven by plot twists and fast-paced narratives, while others let the characters just pace the story themselves and have their movements. The Queens Umbrella is very much the latter of those stories, to me at least, and for the most part it succeeds in that. Although in The Queens Umbrella has perhaps a little too many supporting characters that perhaps distract a bit from the storylines of some of the more interesting characters.
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Rule by compassion, not by fear.
One woman show filled with schemes, betrayal, twists and turns that kept me entertained till the last second. With a rather large set of villains and antagonists, you never know who will be the next target and how the dynamics will change. And in the center of that was Queen Im Hwa Ryung with her dedication to keep her sons safe.It’s honestly a strange drama. The same aspects I love, I also thought were flaws. For example - the villains/antagonists. I actually liked many of them, found their motivations and reactions to everchanging circumstances entertaining. That said, they never truly felt like a threat. Which is strange because the stakes were high, people were actually dying. And yet, none of the bad guys felt intimidating - entertaining sure, but not intimidating.
I also loved Queen Im Hwa Ryung and how smart she was. She was great at reading the situations, knowing who works with whom and how to use that information. At the same time, she also knew that showing compassion can form better loyalty and actually set the person to a proper path, compared to fighting them with power and fear alone. But I wished her judgement was at least once wrong. That someone whom she gave a second chance stabbed her in the back.
Then we have the princes - all fun, all lacking depth. Each one of them presented a completely different story, be it being related to taboo subjects of the era, their relationships with their mothers, ambition or lack of it. But at the end of the day the only two princes that actually touched me on an emotional level were Grand Prince Gye Sung finding his identity and Prince Sim So about his relationship with his mother. All the rest was fun, but flat.
Touching on the plot, I feel like this is one of the better paced historical Korean dramas I have seen - it’s fast, but even and digestible. Every episode brought something new to the table, there were no filler plot lines - at the end everything connected, everything was used to create a larger and fuller picture. No actions and decisions existed in the vacuum - they all had a smaller or bigger impact on all the characters. Every time I thought a certain chapter was closed, new information kicked the door open for new possibilities to explain the past event, direct present time and shape the future of the characters.
The drama is listed as historical, comedy, drama, and politics. I am not so sure about the comedy here. It had amazing comedic timing and some of the better jokes I have seen in quite some time, but the overall tone and plot do not truly match the comedy genre. Just because there are good jokes in a show does not necessarily mean it is comedy. On Korean websites it’s listed as a black comedy and I would probably agree that’s a better description.
Acting wise, Kim Hye Soo delivered a phenomenal performance. Saying she carried the show seems unfair to the rest of the cast, since everyone did a great job, but it’s undeniable she stood out so much with her portrayal of Queen Queen Im Hwa Ryung. My second favorite performance probably goes to Kim Eui Sung as Hwang Won Hyung. I don't know why, but his reactions to everything that was happening was so expressive and funny to watch, even though I knew I should not side with him, he was so fun to watch I wanted to just see more scenes of him.
Visually stunning, but not overstimulating. Sometimes I honestly get tired when dramas try to look like a beautiful painting at every frame - it’s distracting. This show knew exactly when and what to highlight to create amazing pictures.
Overall, I just feel like the drama failed to evoke any negative feelings in me, which is strange with how many on paper awful and frustrating assholes we had in the cast of the characters. But I was kind of vibing with them, and found them more entertaining than threatening.
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Under the Queen's Stares
The drama really needed a better introduction to establish itself properly, it took me a while before it captured my interest. Others may not have the patience. By the time the drama finished, I had no idea how many princes were there. Most of them barely got any screen time, yet had some small side stories. While the prominent ones didn't develop enough. Quality over quantity would've been the right approach. I found the ending to be too subdued, soft, and tame after spending 16 very long episodes of building tension through countless slow-mo shots, mean stares, and passive-aggressive empty threats. This was another area that was lacking, the drama needed more ways to build tension. The drama had some unjustifiable, unwarranted, and under-delivered preachy moments that yanked the viewers out and ruined the atmosphere. This seems to be a common trend with modern titles. Anyway, I see that "Comedy" is one of its listed genres, although it had relatively lighter moments every now and then but these didn't adhere to the comedy genre in any shape or form. I would remove the tag as it's misleading. Speaking of misleading, the synopsis's description of the queen's character was mostly wrong and didn't translate as such into the screen.Was this review helpful to you?
yes, loved it!
This drama is just beautiful, my fav of 2022! the acting, the plot...i really enjoyed the crown prince and princess love story.i was really mesmerized by the actor playing the crown prince , i will look forward his next projects! as always there were veteran actors who never miss ( queen, king's mother, and king are well established actors whom movies/dramas i enjoyed)a, the female lead ( kim hye soo) is on fire this year, after juvenile justice, here she comes with another hit drama, recommend it 100%!
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This review may contain spoilers
This show was a political drama - but it was also about Motherhood
I think for traditional Sageuk fans - this story may not be what they are expecting. Yes - the political elements were a key part of the story - but they were not the main part. This shows strength comes from diving deeply into the absolutely batsh!t things mothers will do for their children. Or what they ‘think’ is ‘best’ for their children.We get to see this play out in multiple ways throughout the drama - because this show covers the many consorts of the King. This part is usually glossed over or romantized in most historical dramas. In UTQU, it is at the forefront, as each mother is putting her child in the running for being the next King.I cannot emphasize how important these depictions of different kinds of mothers - the good, bad and ugly - was to me. I felt for each and every character - even those I hated - in this show. It will stay with me for a very long time, and I really would recommend it.
Firstly, we have Kim Hye-soo who excellently portrays Queen Im Hwa-ryeong, a dedicated, loving, and absolutely spitfire of a Mother. In the beginning, her goal is to turn her four unabashedly troublesome sons - the Grand Princes - into dutiful, filial children. Her eldest son - the Crown Prince - is for all purposes perfect - studious, produced an heir, and heavily involved in Royal politics. Queen Im Hwa-ryeong has her hands full of very boisterous and mischievous sons - but I love each of them, and so does she. She went to desperate ends to protect each of those boys, her biological sons and their half-brothers as well. On top of that, she also truly wants to help them live as happily and authentically themselves as possible. She did this without sacrificing a shred of her morals either! However, the misbehaviour of her sons, is pulling the attention from the Queen Dowager - played by the absolute legend Kim Hae-sook - and not the good kind of attention. The conflict between these two mothers - the mother of the current King, and the mother of the future King, is the strong undercurrent of the show.
I think the best part of Queen In Hwa-ryeong's methods - in comparison to the other mothers on the show - is that she did not resort to backhanded tactics. Yes, she uses information and she manipulates situations, but never does she resort to harm. In fact, she spends a lot of her energy trying to find a solution that benefits the most number of people. This is in stark comparison to the Queen Dowager - Kim Hae-sook is a veteran actress, and she’s excellent in everything. Her portrayal of the Queen Dowager was so devilishly wicked. She used others - even her own son and grandchildren - to get what she wanted. She was the definition of a manipulative witch, caring only for her own wants.
I cannot talk in detail about the boys - the sons of the king - without giving major spoilers. Their individual narratives were fullfilling and heartfelt. My personal favourite was Prince Seongnam (Moon Sang-min) - for obvious reasons - I love a stoic boy with a hidden warm heart (a tsundere, if you will). He also does have the most involvement with the plot.
I liked Grand Prince Muan (Yoon Sang-hyun) and Grand Prince Gyeseong (Yoo Seon-ho) getting properly developed storylines as well, although I didn’t find them as grounded in the setting of the story as the rest of the brothers. I could see the intention - but I doubt that their stories could happen in history as happily.
I felt bad for the remaining Princes - especially Prince Bogum (Kim Min-gi) and Prince Simso (Moon Seong-hyun) - they definitely had the worst luck. How their respective mothers approached them and their upbringing was so interesting to me - they both cared so deeply about their children, but it showed up in the most misguided ways. What an excellent narrative choice as a comparison point for our MVP mother Queen Hwa-ryeong herself.
10/10 would recommend.
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Fantastic
Is one of the best drama that i watched!!!!The storyline is very well done. The accuration of the story is something fantastic, is a drama that put you in front of a screen and don't let u go after you finish it.
It's now one of my favourite drama, innovative and spectacular.
Is hard not fall in love with the main character like it's hard not feel anger against the devil ones, all the role in this drama are describes so well...
I'll recommend this drama to everyone, because is only one words! FANTASTIC
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