One of the best kdramas ever no cap
Kim Hye Soo, aka the Queen, her character might be one of my all-time FAVORITE characters in the history of K-drama land. I personally am not the biggest fan of historical dramas, I always end up dropping them because they're not my cup of tea. However, I decided to check UTQU out when I saw a picture of this drama on Twitter. It was a side by side photo of the Queen holding the umbrella for her son when he was young and then again when he was old.I love this drama so much, it is SO well written and the actors are so phenomenal. The queen's unconditional love for her children is what made everything. There were so many moments that were so touching. I learned a lot of wisdom about moms and their relationship with their children through the queen. It made me reflect back on my relationship with my parents as well.
Overall, I can not stress this enough - it is worth the watch. Truly a drama that I think everyone should watch at least once in their life because we all have a mom or guardian and I think this drama is relatable to everyone.
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A masterpiece; a work of art. It's simply DEABAK!!
Out of all the historical dramas that I’ve watched in which the main character is the queen, I personally think this one has the best queen.Kim Hye-soo did a fantastic job portraying the Queen. She’s the perfect actress for the role. She is simply outstanding throughout the entire series. Her gesture, her facial expression, her emotion, the way she conveys her lines – everything is on point. I really like how the Queen is presented as a strong-willed, fierce and hot-tempered woman who is also a compassionate, doting, and thoughtful mother - traits that is uncommon in most historical series.
Unlike other historical dramas, this one shows a diversity of parent-child relationships. The King, Queen, and Grand Princes demonstrate how strong family ties may persist in the face of difficulties.
Even though the resolution for some villains isn’t very satisfying, I love how the ending concludes the meaning behind ‘under the queen’s umbrella’.
The supporting characters are also good, especially the Grand Princes and the concubines. Each of their roles complements the plot perfectly. Other than the Queen Hwa-ryeong, I personally like Consort Hwang (Ok Jayeon). I’ve watched other of Ok Jayeon’s projects, but it seems like she’s being typecast with similar villain character. But she nailed it anyway.
The series is sooooo good that I even watch the behind-the-scene clips and enjoy every bit of it, just like I did with the series.
Brilliant acting ✅
Emotion rollercoaster ✅
Intense conflict ✅
Pure evil villains ✅
Potential young actors ✅
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NOTE: Suicide ratings were very high in the historical era as well as it is in the present day in South Korea which is #4 in the world ratings. If you know someone who is having a problem... the worldwide number to prevent suicide is 988. Children are raised with honorifics and what is formal and informal. Suicide is none of them... we need to start protecting family members, friends, or those we don't know. The suicide cycle needs to be broken. Recognize the signs! Talk to your children, and teach in schools that bullying is not allowed on the world wide web. Don't become a Netizen who bullies others online.
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magnifique
Dans le palais existent des princes fauteurs de trouble qui ne causent que des maux de tête à la famille royale et sont sur le point d'être transformés en véritables princes héritiers. Leur mère, Im Hwa Ryeong, est l'épouse d'un grand roi. Mais au lieu d'avoir une aura d'élégance et de grâce, elle est une reine piquante, sensible et colérique. Une fois de plus sereine, elle a changé car les gens n'arrêtaient pas d'appuyer sur ses boutons. C'est une reine qui abandonne parfois sa fierté et est même connue pour jurer ! Chaque jour de sa vie est rempli d'épreuves, mais elle les surmonte toutes, pour le bien de ses enfants.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A modern storyline under the pretext of a historical sageuk, which it is not.
If you want a drama true to its period, thus deserving the title of historical, even if a period fiction, don’t watch this one…the weight of customs, laws and traditions is purely and simply blown up here, to only keep a minimum.That’s what partnering with Netflix does. Even if under the wings of Studio Dragon.
This being said, this is a quite a gripping and entertaining drama.
The modern fiction storyline is mixed within a sageuk, the sageuk being the pretence to succession schemes, palace plotting, murder, revenge and pardon, or not….
I loved that the queen character is a truly unconditionally motherly mother, and that her sons are all warm-hearted without a hint of wickedness. That is the reason for my 10. The title says it all. She makes the drama, supported by an outstanding cast.
It is fast paced with hardly any dull moment.
There are a lot of topics that are addressed by the drama.
Spoilers:
Why a modern fiction? because the Queen will not only accept and protect her transvestite son, but also harbour and hide the baby another of her sons has out of wedlock with a gisaeng - brought to the palace by her - to be raised in secret by that son in the palace, the gisaeng being hired as a wet nurse in the palace …or when the future crown princess, the daughter of the war minister, is able to travel for many days on her own, to follow her love interest, without safety consideration, not shy in the least, speaking also freely, expressing her feeling and interest in an extremely bold manner, without any serious blame in the end.
A thousand situations that have no historical credibility in the past, but that nonetheless make it entertaining if you consider that this is after all a fiction.
What I didn’t like at all.
1. The very poor filming /production by the night crew, with shaky images when filming close up scenes that will make you uncomfortable.
The quality and beauty of the production just doesn’t stand the comparison with dramas such as The red sleeve, Yanxi palace, Love like the galaxy or Ming Lan, which is too bad because the costumes are beautiful. It makes me wonder about the director’s choice.
2. Big spoiler: and the reason for my -1, because the drama lets down here: The unraveling of the revenge plots in ep. 14 and esp. 15, is really a bit too far fetched with the twists and turns that don’t stand to close scrutiny (I watched the end after ep. 3, so I was very attentive during the unfolding of drama) - esp. with the 2 doctors storyline / one being the son of the former deposed queen and mastermind, having had a son with a concubine passed as one of the king’s sons , or the older doctor who is curing in a plagued village at the beginning of the drama, and who ends up being another revenge mastermind…. But since this is a drama to reflect on motherhood and entertain,, and not aiming at being true to the customs of that period….
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amazing
this was my first kdrama I have ever watched. i was hooked from the first second on. the acting, the story, the music….! i couldn’t stop watching it. the queen was a person I would love to have in my life. she was so smart and not in a vicious way. the twists and turns in that drama kept me on my feet the entire time. i binged it. this drama was my gateway drug lol. the costumes are something else I loved. the dynamic between the queen and her sons. how she protected them, it was inspiring. i will definitely watch it againWas this review helpful to you?
One of the best. Like literally.
This drama has a very special place in my heart for real. It is SO SOSOO GOOD. One of the very few K-dramas that don't have forgotten plotholes that aren't actually forgotten, it gave us everything we needed so it's safe to say it had a satisfying end. The acting was on spot, the actors did what they had to do, and they matched the characters so well too, so it's safe to say it was a perfect cast. ESPECIALLY Kim Hye Soo, I genuinley believe I wouldn't love it as much if she didn't have this role. And for once in a blue moon, they showed what an actual mother is like in a K-drama. She was harsh when she needed to be and soft when she needed to be, but she was still a loving mother thinking of her kids in all of the situations.Everyone really needs to watch it's so underrated T-T. Even my mom who's not a fan of K-dramas really enjoyed it (She was the one that introduced me to it LMAO, a bit ironic I think)
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Nothing new here
Another one of those very far removed from reality saeguks where bored court has nothing better to do but to plot against each other inside the palace. It's better filmed than some other of its kind and actors are ok for the most part, but there's nothing new here.In this one we have a jealous, spiteful grandma, the queen dowager, as the main villain from the get go. She makes no mystery of it. She's playing the kingmaker behind the scenes for her grandsons, like she did for her son, the king, and is not beyond stooping very low against those whom she doesn't like. She hates the current queen, who is FL, for being of nobler birth than her and for not being obedient to her.
Then of course we have the evil minister, who's in cohoots with the grandma.
And last, but not least, a staple of many saeguks - a weak and powerless king, who not only has to obey the ministers lest he be deposed, but he can't even kick out his own scheming mother into fckn retirement to some back palace. His only prowess of note is spawning tons of children with his ever growing harem of concubines.
The concubines can be summed up to basically one character - your typical crazy Asian mother who wants to whip her child into becoming an overachiever and m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶s̶t̶i̶g̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶u̶n̶i̶v̶e̶r̶s̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶to ̶b̶e̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶a̶g̶e̶r̶...to become a king.
And since the king is so prolific in the field of child making there are many male contenders to the throne, which is the crux of this whole drama - everybody wants to take FL's and her sons place. So through her tenacity and guile she has to protect them against all the schemers (which is basically everybody in the court here) lest they all get deposed and killed like what happened to the previous queen and her sons. That's about it. There's lots of intense drama over borderline makjang bs, so if you're worried about your blood pressure I wouldn't recommend watching this drama.
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Palace Conflicts Just watch it
I had this in my list for a while but never really understood what it was about but I finally decided to give it a try.I loved it. Didn’t skip a scene. The characters are amazing and everything is well thought out. The only thing that could have been better would be more detailed side stories and a stronger ending. even though i liked the ending it lacked vengeance power something. but i get that the point was to right the wrongs so vengeance wouldn’t be good. but something was missing.
I do recommend it 100%
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Heartwarming and family-centric
😭😭😭 Dramabeans' review-recaps summarized everything I might have wanted to say, especially the ones covering the last episodes: www.dramabeans.com/2022/12/under-the-queens-umbrella-episodes-15-16/I think the main cast just really stayed with me: their poignant moments, their warm and rich relationships, and their complex characterizations. IMO one of the best uses of death of a loved one as a motivating force. The flashbacks of the previous Crown Prince's warm and playful moments with his mother and his brother that are flashed to the audience at just the right moments never fail to make me feel emotional. I do also love the complexity of the revenge political plot in the ending, although the ending was rushed. Not without its flaws but I LOVE a middle-aged woman as a protagonist (like EEAO), and the focus on mother-son relationships. More please 😭
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Best Korean Series Ever
Greetings, trust me it was really amazing and understandable political, strategical drama. Most strategic series are either too tough to understand or watch along or the other case, it will be very boring, "UTQU" was very entertaining, I did not skip even one scene.Please watch it, the production set was built amazingly.
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WOMEN!!!!
Absolutely going in as one of the best historical dramas have to offer. Half murder mystery and half court intrigue, I think every part of this is very well-crafted and if there were small flaws, it is very hard to remember (or acknowledge that) personally in the full context of the show. It has everything: emotional moments, lighthearted moments, well-written characters, women supporting (and destroying) other women in equal measure, and the age old question of, how far would you go for (maternal) love?Kim Hyesoo stars in a truly once in a lifetime performance -- the writer really took great care into writing her character and portraying it a very multifaceted way, and Kim Hyesoo had shown up every day in that set embodying every quirk of expression, every pitch of voice that I truly felt Im Hwaryung was truly alive in these scenes. I'd also say this is one of all-time best female acting performance, and the best this year.
But to talk about Queen Hwaryung without mentioning the Queen Dowager Cho is discounting the core of the show. While I stumble the criticism of the Queen Dowager as a one-dimensional evil, I personally think that her character is the perfect antagonist -- especially in regards of Queen Hwaryung: she is, after all, a mother who, instead of taking her child under her umbrella, instead had given him the brunt of the guilt of her past sins. And she treats her subjects the same. She is the perfect opposite of Queen Hwaryung.
This is, at the end, a show about the intricacies of motherhood; and in the palace, a queen is also mother to her subjects.
Do give it a try especially if you're new to sageuk! I feel like this is a perfect gateway drama if you want to delve into something historical -- the story is light enough not to be too complicated. How they portray the story and the character takes the centerpiece in this :)
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