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So good
There aren't enough words to describe how I feel about this drama. It tells a story of a mother's love for her children while navigating through betrayal, a struggle for power between the family members, murder, and political intrigue. Not a single character was out of place. Not a single plotline was unnecessary. All the characters got their proper screen time and development. The villains were written for us to hate and the protagonists were written for us to love and root for. This is undeniably one of the best Asian dramas I have ever seen.The show treats each relationship between the queen with her sons with tender love and care showing that each prince is unique and has a special relationship with his mother. The queen loves them in spite of all their shortcomings and unusual personality traits and makes them feel loved and accepted. I particularly appreciated this take because in Joseon certain lifestyles would have absolutely been condemned, regardless of how much a mother loved her children.
Even other princes, who were not the queen's children, got character development showing their own personal trauma and relationships with their own mothers. The queen was so loving and compassionate that she was able to connect with every single character, even the ones who at first were against her, through her love and compassion and good deeds. And, the acting was phenomenal.
Overall, the show has a very well written plot, amazing character development, and extremely likable characters we can actually relate to.
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Made my heart ACHE so bad.
I don't write reviews but for this one, I just HAVE to praise this.Please, please if you don't have anything you're watching right now, watch this. It won't disappoint, I swear.
This drama is a solid 10/10 and a perfect mix of a well-written plot with morally grey characters and a beautiful soundtrack. What I loved most about this drama is the morally challenging storyline which may be a personal bias of mine as I love dramas like this which show both sides of a coin and doesn't simply paint the characters as black and white. A lot of social issues and thought-provoking ideas was also brought up which I LOVED as it engages the audience into certain moral dilemmas.
When I first watched this drama, I thought it would be a simple comedy of a mother (the queen) trying to keep her trouble-making sons at bay (something like Wakiki). Here I am now, absolutely SOBBING at the end of almost every episode towards the end. It's been so long since I genuinely felt void and botomlessly empty after watching a k-drama. I'll be struggling to find another drama as good as this to get rid of the ache of it ending.
The ending was perfect as well. It was well executed and satisfying. Not the type of rushed endings we eventually learn to get used to. This drama had the perfect balance of timing each episode and believe me when I say SO MUCH EFFORT was put into this drama. You could tell this even just from the editing itself. It was especially funny when they'd randomly edit some scenes similar to how k-idols are presented in their variety show.
Overall, this drama was very touching. It had the perfect balance of tears and laughs. Almost everyone who watches this is bound to get attached to it. It's that good. I'm just at a loss of critical words so I'm probably just yapping right now but please, watch it, i swear you won't regret.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hunger Games - Joseon version
TLDRThe dark comedy tag probably comes from the irony and discrepancies found in series. The funniest thing in this kdrama are the court officials labeling actions as treasonous and recommending to resolve it with actual treasonous solutions - and all the king does is glare 😂
The show was hinged on the lack of information sharing - a trope less used in kdramas compared to the worn out "misunderstanding" trope. And why da peck do they keep on discussing their secrets just loud enough for eavesdroppers to hear? 😅 😂
This entire series would have been a lot shorter if the mother just told her sons their entire line would be annihilated if someone else becomes the crown prince. Because of the lack of information sharing, they remained petulant, unmotivated, and just overall childish.
The Characters
Old granny who hungers for the "Queen" privileges she never experienced decides it was time for her main character era so she flexes and show who is boss.
The queen consort who tries her hand at being authoritarian after years of permissive/neglectful parenting but gets pushed back by her sons in spite of her efforts to shield them from the realities of palace life.
The grand princes who live a life of the idle rich and couldn't wait to leave the palace. Shielded from the realities of palace life, they remain ignorant of how their lives were already in danger just by misbehaving.
Background
Prince Sado did a lot worse than what the grand princes were portrayed to have done in the series and was not punished for a long time in spite of the atrocities and body count he left behind so I was not expecting the Queen to actively put in effort to rein them in.
Inconsistencies
I am surprised at the corporal punishment shown given how by court rules a royal body could not be defiled - but then again, it is fiction so let's shrug it off.
Considering how the kdrama wanted to portray the queen as having switched to authoritarian/authoritative parenting, it didn't make sense that she was not forthright about what would happen if they did not start behaving. One would expect a mother to be honest to her sons about the possibility of their lives being in mortal danger.
Ultimately, this is a story about women in the background pitting their sons against each other for the sake of status, pride and survival while the men strut about in their robes thinking they were actually the ones in power. A true Confucian masterpiece.
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Refreshing Drama
I love the Queen. She truly is an amazing mother and woman. The love shas has for literally everyone is so beautiful and I loved that even though she was caring, she wasn't a pushover. Honestly one of my favourite female characters.I loved the relationship between the brothers and even the relationship between the Queen and the concubines was really interesting. Basically, all the characters and the character interactions were entertaining and well done.
Even though I think it was a bit slow to start and there were too a lot ofcharacters introduced at once, I still absolutely loved this show once I got into it. It felt like a modern sageuk since they had some progressive themes and characters, but to me that's what made it refreshing.
It did get a bit predictable towards the end, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the show. I love the ending scene so much. The show really came full circle. Definitely recommend.
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A beautifully elegant tale about motherhood
If I could describe this drama in one word it would be elegant.Just everything about this drama was approached with so much class and dedication, from the acting to the soundtrack to the cinematography. Everyone involved deserves every praise.
This is a loving story about not one but multiple mothers and how far they're willing to go to protect their respective children, as well as a coming of age for the princes and your typical palace conspiracy. It's a unique combination that makes this story stand out on its own.
Despite not having the usual sort of 'extra' feel that most kdramas have, I found this one to be equally enjoyable, even if it was a more serious watch. I think I can compare this drama the best to one of my favourite western tv shows "Downton Abbey". It has a lot of the same feel and down to earth tone. It's more realistic than other stories in this similar category, without being boring. It is quiet and subtle but vicious, heartbreaking and exciting when it needs to be.
The characters are realistic and most importantly human. It's very hard to actually make the audience understand your villains, but my goodness does this drama does it well. Everyone felt like a person in this story, and not a character that served the purpose of telling a story. I loved how everyone had their own little agenda from the ruthless Queen Dowager to the little prince that likes snacks a little too much (this little man is relatable and a joy).
It's personally not something I would rewarch every day like other dramas, mainly because this is a drama that one comes to appreciate as whole instead of in parts if that makes sense. I'm the sort of person who revisits specific memorable moments in a drama, and I think this one deserves to always be rewatched as a whole to fully enjoy it. But when I do rewatch it in some time I'm sure I'll binge the whole thing instead of just little parts like I do with my other faves.
Overall I thought this was a wonderful piece of art that is grounded, mature and very heartfelt. I would recommend to anyone who wants to see a wonderful story about family, acceptance and growth.
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ONE OF THE BEST DRAMAS EVER
The story is so fresh and different than most historical dramas, it was so amusing to see the relationship the brothers shared.I thoroughly enjoyed this show especially the episodes 5-10 where the crown prince selection was taking place. It was so entertaining to watch each prince's journey.
And the small lgtbq side story and how well they dealt with it was a cherry on top. They handled it so well, the queens supportive words brought tears to my eyes
I loved all the characters, i am glad they didn't make the king to be a cold hearted asshole who doesn't care about his kids. It was so nice seeing how much he adored the queen especially.
My only complain is they should have given the king a few daughters it would have been an interesting side plot!!!
I really think this drama deserves so much more appreciation
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Could not stop watching!
This series has incredibly well written scripts, actors and a story that makes you want to watch the next episode. Kim Hye Soo was absolutely gorgeous in her role as the queen and her acting is one of the best I've seen in kdrama series. I really liked that you got to follow her relationship with all her sons and also how they developed over the course of the series, while also getting to follow their personal development. Also weaving in the relationship of the other mothers to their sons (including the story of the king and the dowager queen) and also the brothers to each other in such a natural way raised the level of the series even more. The twist added as another mother/son layer on top is magnificent.Was this review helpful to you?
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One of the best works of 2022 ! !
I had watched the trailer on YouTube, but was a bit skeptical of watching this drama. The plot didn't seem much exciting but damn!!The drama is just soooo sooo good. It is one of the best historical kdramas I've ever watched. The storyline was kept clean and continued engaging viewers more into the drama. Everything fell into place, yet everything was intriguing.
Acting : Kim hye-soo overdid herself. I've watched some of her previous works but damn this hits the place. Her motherly love, her charm and the way she talked, i was falling for her acting every moment. The way
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My best drama of 2022
It is not only my best drama of 2022, but it is also the drama that got me out of my drama slump, and a drama I regretted not watching it earlier in 2022, but only in March 2023.I was hesitant to watch sageuk, as I am not familiar with Korean actors and in sageuk, everyone (especially those in the palace) looked the same, with the same hairstyle, make-up and clothes. And as I have difficulty differentiating who’s who, I often cannot catch the story. Also I was watching AoS then and deliberately postponed watching this drama to after I have finished watching AoS2, so as not to mix up the characters. Alas, AoS2 took a while for me, despite my enjoyment for AoS1.. that's for another review.
Under the Queen’s Umbrella has almost all of what I looked for in a drama – a drama with strong values (on relationships, honor, justice, equality and good vs evil), embodied within a solid story and plot, spiced with intrigue, power struggle, kinship, a little romance, and honed with good acting, and breath-taking and meaningful cinematography. This is an award-worthy drama from the story/plot, values embodied, acting to cinematography.
Watch this drama and you will experience:
* A mother’s unwavering love and courage for her kids, a Queen’s big love for the neglected “step” son, and abused and belittled commoners, a Queen’s honorable advice for her King, and a Queen’s tenacity to fight higher evil, stand up for justice and protect the weak.
* The four Grand Princes’ brotherly bonds with one another and, in particular, Grand Prince Sung Nam’s bond and courage to look for cure for his elder brother and become powerful to protect his brother’s family.
* Honorable fights and wins, amidst power struggles and plot twists, to uphold equality, justice and right the wrong.
While I’m glad Moon Sang Min was awarded Best New Actor at Baeksang Arts Award 2023, I was still pissed that Kim Hye Soo was snubbed of her acting award, and the drama was snubbed for nominations in Best Drama nor Best Screenplay.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " Under the Queen's Umbrella " is a roller coaster.The drama has multiple leyers, with the family drama, the palace politics and the comedy being the very core of it.
The battle between the strong female leads was intense to follow and it refreshing to see the Queen and not the King being the center of the political battles for once.
Also, the family drama was bittersweet, with tragedy but also some warm and lovable moments.
The comedy aspect, moreover, was spot on, without exaggerations to produce laughter. Rather, the funny moments came naturally and were well handled.
Last, but not least, the performances were enjoyable, but the leading lady was a dynamite.
So, overall, nine out of ten.
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Great Queen
A Queen and 5 princes. The LOVE of a mother for her children. A great woman who fight against everything and everybody to protect these poors guys. I admire this great queen clever and heartgentle. A big support and teacher of life for princes.Instead I hate the bastard grand mother, mother's king.
I also admired the king who support and trust her queen.
PS It's the first time that I discover this "election" of new heir prince. Cemissò / interesting.
Court life is quite dangerous, eventful and stressful.
I also loved the ending, these brothers hugging each other and this umbrella that symbolizes protection for the family.
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