Empress Ki

Jesus Christ, this is the BEST SHOW I've ever seen!!!

Now, some of you might be thinking, "Uh this is over 50 episodes long and each episode is about an hour long... How am I ever going to finish this??? Is watching this with my busy schedule even feasible?"

Well... yes, it is feasible for you find time in your schedule to watch it because it's really worth watching... Since the show's first episode aired, I've watched it about 4 times.

I love this show because this is the first foreign show I've watched where there is a very, very strong female protagonist. I grew up watching USSR, Chinese, and Korean shows/ movies and all of them did not really display any elements of female empowerment. However, Empress Ki is not only beautiful like many other female leads--- she is witty, strong, and brave. A master at martial arts? Empress Ki. An elegant young lady? Empress Ki. Someone who fights for justice? Empress Ki. The fact that this show is based on the real Empress Ki is what shocks me the most..... 10/10 It's been my favorite show since middle school.

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A detailed analysis of the main characters' interactions, dynamics and their relationships.

Empress Ki is an unforgettable and truly magnificent historical drama with an amazing cast and mesmerising performances especially from HJW and JCW.

First off, JCW was exceptional in this role. This is one of his best performances (another being The Worst of Evil). He plays complex and three-dimensional characters unbelievably well. I didnt expect the emperor to be such a fascinating character and I was immediately drawn to him when he showed up so fearful and innocent on-screen.

The emperor was a flawed hero but so captivating and a pleasure to watch; he poured every emotion out of the character, the same can be said about the beautiful and strong Nyang.

I didnt know the real story or history of Empress Ki so I watched this out of curiosity and interest. The story pulls you in from the first episode and I enjoyed every episode!

What I loved about this drama was that it wasn't a predictable straightforward love story. The ending and outcome were completely different.

From the opening scene and first episode I was expecting an epic love story between the king (Wang Yoo) and Nyang. I predicted Wang Yoo and Nyang would be the main couple, it was set up like that. It made sense as both were from Goreo and he had saved her once when they were children, so they already had a connection from childhood. Despite knowing they were supposed to be the main couple; as the drama continued, I started to become less enthusiastic and convinced about them than the earlier episodes.

The way I watch a film or drama is by believing or accepting what the story is showing or telling me rather than me guessing, assuming or wanting what will happen, especially with love stories. So if I am to believe that wang yoo is the main lead, then why am I seeing the emperor in almost every shot. He had way more exposure than wang yoo. Every time he came on screen with his charming presence and funny antics he stole the show. Wang Yoo was sent away fighting or out of the main plot most of the time which meant not only was he getting less and less screen time but was also apart from Nyang. He just faded into the background.

I began to doubt if Nyang and wang yoo would end up togther. In a love triangle as tense as this and where the first relationship wasn't well executed and then there were too many scenes with her and the emperor togther, I began to feel an emotional detachment for them as a couple.

I was soon more swayed with the emperor and Nyang pairing because it was based on real life and I generally find these stories more appealing. Then on top the emperor and empress's interactions were so natural and addictive to watch.

I needed to see more of a connection with wang yoo and nyang for me to believe in them, and not for them to be shown through memories or dreams and long distance gazes. Initially, I thought she returned to the emperor only for revenge or would stay with him whilst loving another man. I think perhaps that might have been the original storyline; however in this drama she never went back to Wang Yoo, even after her revenge she didn't return and she never uttered words of love to him. As the drama was reaching it's climax wang yoo was then killed off. He died in the penultimate episode. How can the (supposedly) male lead die with one episode left and the other lead still be remaining, unless it is the emperor she'll be with till the end. I was also expecting her to express her feelings to wang yoo after he died, she cried her eyes out but her tears were only of regret and remorse. She kept saying she'd repay him back (possibly out of guilt) after everything he did for her, but there were no expressions of love or regret she had left him or not returned back to him. I was waiting to hear words with emotion or longing for him - it didn't happen. Then I understood, wang yoo wasn't the one!

The main reasons why the emperor felt like the main lead and Nyang and him felt like the end couple in this drama were:

1. Their many interactions and exchanges were playful and cute in the beginning and then later quite passionate.
2. Her thinking about the emperor (example - after Wang Yoo's proposal) left me perplexed. If she truly loved Wang Yoo then she would have happily accepted his proposal even after thinking over it. She could have hesitated for other reasons (not feeling worthy or good enough perhaps), but her thinking of the emperor at that moment made her acceptance to Wang Yoo's proposal feel like a compromise at the end.
3. Their chemistry on screen was more thrilling to watch and they had much more screen time together.
4. Their story from the beginning till end was well thought out and written compared to Wang Yoo and Nyangs story. As a viewer you could see their journey together, their story felt complete.
5. Their scenes generally had a modern romantic setting and vibe normally against a beautiful background creating a visually alluring mood and presence between them.

As I was getting confused with who the main lead was; in the middle of watching the drama I decided to read the real story of Empress Ki. The emperor was fundamental to the plot of her becoming an empress. I then understood in the drama why there was a shift to the emperor and the focus was on them rather than Wang Yoo and Nyang. I think this is an example where the combination of having a story with characters based on real life and a fictional story (that didn't actually happen) can be distracting and possibly unnecessary because wang yoo didn't exist in that history meaning he is unessential to the plot of Nyang rising to power and becoming empress ki. So, either the story had to follow the fictional love triangle plot or the historical plot.
The drama ultimately followed history, with the man that gave Nyang position and title.

One thing to note, Nyang didnt look at or think of wang yoo in the same way after returning to the palace. She shed tears for him remembering what had happened between them but after her and the emperor were intimate and had their own family the drama showed she had moved on. You could see her reluctantly, yet slowly falling for the emperor, the scenes prior to the hunting episode showed her softening towards him. After Wang yoo and Nyangs exchanges were short and formal and when they formed an alliance it was purely for political reasons. She cared enough to show compassion, but maintained her emotional boundaries.

Even though the emperor loved and was obsessed with Nyang; her decisions alone determined her fate at the end. She chose to go back to the emperor knowing how he felt about her, she chose to get emotionally and physically close to him, she chose to stay with him, she chose to remain loyal to him, she chose Ayu and her new family, she chose to become the empress, she chose to love the emperor (her only confession in the drama) and stayed by his side no matter what and she chose to forgive all his wrongdoings. This proves she was never in conflict with who she should be with or loyal to, Nyang's conflict was with her identity and where she really belonged in the world (her being Goryeon in China).

Identity crisis was a running theme throughout the drama and this was her main struggle in the story. Apart from running back to wang yoo (if she truly loved him), another reason to return to her homeland would have been the palace not accepting her. But, the drama didn't show her as a coward or weak who would abandon those she loved. She was a woman whose love for her family forced her to protect them at whatever cost and to survive the conflicts inside and outside the palace. She was tough, strong, cold, more deadly towards her enemies, yet at the same time loyal, protective, stayed true to her principles, never wavering in any situation. This was how the viewers could sympathise and root for our heroine in the drama, as opposed to her becoming revengeful, heartless or powerhungry.

Except for a few issues or weaknesses; the story/plot was close to perfect. If I were to be really picky then the few issues would be, for example Bayan's appearance and storyline felt repetitive after Tanashiri's death. I found El Temur's death was dragged and didn't need to hear his long speech. Also Maha wasn't well thought out or needed in the story. Nyang returned to the palace for revenge over what happened to her son and friends, but she could still have taken her revenge over what happened to them without the baby plot line. He was killed off anyway before knowing who his parents were, so what was the point of his storyline in the first place. He was only used to create more angst and conflict between the main characters and to keep wang yoo in the love triangle which by this point was getting tedious as it didn't make any difference to the plot; nothing changed between Nyang and wang yoo.

Frankly, there was enough drama going on in the palace to keep the viewers attention. The drama should have kept to the politics, conspiracies, conflicts and backstabbing within the palace and then Nyang overcoming all that turmoil and focused on the relationship between the emperor and her, rebuilding the trust and reconnecting with each other. This would have kept more with the real facts and a better story. Near the end, the drama felt rushed because there were so many problems and events that had to be resolved.

Finally, after all the trials and tribulations; the final episode felt incredibly moving. I felt that this episode answered alot of questions especially concerning Nyang. In this final episode when the emperor is sick but still alive in her arms, she could just have let him die without confessing. The viewers knew he loved her and he showed her how much she meant to him. He just wanted her to know he loved her. She did say earlier she would tell him her true feelings one day or when the time was right and from the smile on his face after hearing her confession, it seemed like he already knew it. I'm guessing in those times, saying the words 'I love you' was a big deal, it wasn't frequently said compared to nowadays and only said when really felt or meant it. Wang Yoo had said the words to Nyang in her dream in the previous episode but she hadn't reciprocated his feelings. In fact, in the final episode there was no mention or thoughts about Wang Yoo, even when Wang Yoo's men and Nyang were talking about Eagle House and Wang Yoo's name came up, Nyang appeared indifferent, there was no reaction upon hearing his name.

Wang Yoo had the advantage of meeting Nyang first (in childhood and then later as adults), he had alot of FIRSTS with her.
So, her love confession to the emperor was particularly poignant and special as this was his FIRST with her and also the viewers FINALLY hear her express her real feelings.
Ultimately, Nyang remained strong and loyal to her principles and to the man she fell in love with and a country she adopted as her own.

The ending was emotional and bittersweet. Ayu's voice in the background with his parents riding away was touching. I just wish I could have seen all three togther.

But, it was a perfect ending to a perfect drama!

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I am not a fan of historical dramas, but this one did not fail me. Skeptical at first, 51 episodes?..never thought i can stick with that but with all those cliffhangers how do u stop? No wonder everyone i kno whos seen this drama said it was really good (thank you dongsaengs and ajummas :))

If youre not a fan of all those slow, graceful, asian refined woman, do-not-move-a-muscle acts etc etc , like me, lol... this might get pretty boring for you,a lil patience will help. id suggest to download it first then hit the vlc faster playback as fast as u want?Then voila! Youre done in just 5 days yea

No regrets, id still prefer watching it now, 2 years later, than waiting for every ep while it was airing.

Overall, it was really worth watching. Time well spent.

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Outstanding

This is one of the best historical dramas, the acting is excellent, the story captivating, keeps the attention if the audience, it's well written and informative. A must to see for those who live history and intrigue.
Highly recommended for the above audiences.
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Binge it , now !

I have no reason to give it anything below 10 stars !
I was very hesitant to start it , coz of the number of episodes , I mean its the longest K drama I have seen so far ! But I still did it owing to my loyalty to JCW :) ..... and I am happy to announce it was worth my time !

JCW never fails to impress . I mean just see the wide range of roles he has picked up . I couldn't expect the macho in the healer / K2 / Baek Dong too , can actually act this stupid in empress Ki . Forget other roles , he has shown such varied range of emotions in this very drama itself . From happy and funny to anger , desperation , pitiful , emotional and what not ! All the other characters are wonderful too like KI , wang yu , taltal , baykan and not to forget Tanashili ! I m sorry to say but I found Tanashili much more impressive than Ki . I mean her smile , smirks , sadness all say so much

Its based on the real historical story with lots of twisted facts ! So just go with the flow .. Empress Ki was actually a cunning and greedy woman , not a saintess as shown here ! Same goes for Wang yu and ta Hwan... since ta Hwan is yuan dynasty , they shown him stupid , he wasn't this stupid though , he depended on Ki , just coz he loved her ! and there was no connection between wang yu and Ki whatsoever. Here I am just stating facts and not saying that there was something wrong with the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed whatever was shown throughout the series . I just wanted Ta Hwan to grow a little more independent of Ki !

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Beautiful: A well written/directed story of how China and Korea almost became one.

⇢⇢Review for episodes 1-30
The second male lead character (the crowned prince) is such a coward, and he remains one for more than half the drama! At first, I honestly didn't know whether or not it was an act of his, meaning if he intentionally acted like one to deceive the regent. Boy, I thought I disliked watching dramas with damsel in distress female lead characters, I think it's even worse seeing male lead characters that are damsels in distress.

Two things that this drama (screen writers & director) did extremely well, better than most dramas, was the pacing and the setting changes. Pacing & the settings of a drama are both super important because it can determine whether or not viewers stay interested or drop the drama. There's almost nothing worse than a super slow or super face paced story. I almost always drop dramas that are on either extremes. Also, when the setting has little to no variety, I tend to get bored with the characters. For example, if the setting of a 50 episode drama is only in one or two places (e.g. the same palace or the same room). With this drama, within the first 30 episodes, after every 10 episodes we are introduced to a new setting, and the setting is based upon the female lead character. This has helped me stay interested and excited about this drama. Even the pacing of the setting changes was well done. KUDOS! Most historical/period K-dramas are not 51 episodes, but rather 15-20 episodes. Respectfully, the pacing and setting changes in this drama should be an example to Chinese historical/period drama script writers and directors on how to go about producing their typical 50-70 episode drama (which I enjoy, but often end up dropping by episode 40).
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⇢⇢Review for episodes 31-52
By episode 32 I get restless in terms of pacing. I think what transpires between episodes 29-33 is not realistic. When you watch those specific episodes tell me if you can't help but to roll your eyes and sigh at the fact that the regent is basically allowed to do anything, and go anywhere. I also look at those episodes as filler episodes. At some point viewers don't want to wait 30+ episodes to see some justice served to the antagonist. By episode 35, it returns to its greatness again! I think what would have increased my rating is if this drama was split into two seasons. The first 35 episodes for season 1, and the remaining 16 episodes for season 2.

I forgot to mention that I love the fact that the female actress isn't ideal in Korea's (often toxic) beauty standards, although she is beautiful! Please cast more Korean women and men who are beautiful, although they don't fit into a standard of beauty that are ideal. Oh yeah, I've seen the male lead actor on many voting list for most attractive actor on kisskh.com. I didn't even realize that it was the same guy. His picture on kisskh should be removed because he's very handsome but the picture looks like a totally different person.

I really like the character Tal Tal because he's the most honest out of everyone. He's straight up, and what you see, is what you get. No corruption, no toxicity! At one point I thought he liked the female lead character, and at another point I thought he was the female lead character brother. I am not done with the drama yet, currently on episode 41, so I will know within the next 10 episodes. Btw, I forwarded over much of episodes 38-39 because it felt like the same on thing playing out, but just with a new empress.

Episode 43 is the first time in which I had sympathy for the second male lead, and was finally able to understand the reasons why he did everything he did before episode 43, although I still don't agree with his actions. He lived in fear his whole life, and he would literally have mental breakdowns at certain points. "A nervous breakdown (also called a mental breakdown) is a term that describes a period of extreme mental or emotional stress. The stress is so great that the person is unable to perform normal day-to-day activities." This explains his coward like behavior and his need for the female lead character. What she means to him is comfort, support, and safety, which are the things that he hadn't had because the regent was corrupt and his mother the queen dawger was power-control hungry. When I watched the middle/end of episode 43, I just thought to myself, mannnnn if you don't throw this little prince over the fence and go ahead with your life (lol...totally kidding). The 52-54 minute mark in that episode is not realistic. The little prince, ain't even the crown prince nor is he liked by the emperor; he doesn't hold that much power. I am just ready for the female lead character and male lead character to find out this twisted prince is their child...cause his attitude is horrible.

On episode 48 at the 42 minute mark, I nearly lost my cool. The second male lead is allowing the female lead character enemy to carry their son. The female lead character is a real one (meaning she has more strength to do what I'd never do or put up with). If I were the female lead character, I would have taken my son, and ran for the hills. The emperor thus far (mind you, there's only 3 episodes left) has pretty much been a total loser. He has crowned two empresses, although she saved his life numerous of times. He has excused (although, not allowed) his mom, and the two regents from trying to kill her and their son. As much as I have enjoyed this drama, I am ready for it to end because the disrespect is real!

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I really wanted to love this drama. After all it has high ratings and Ji Chang-wook. This is the first drama that I haven't loved Ji Chang-wook. At first I found his character funny because it was so different from other roles I've seen him in but eventually he became annoying and super irritating with his obsession for the girl.

Now going into this drama I was well aware that it had a sad ending but never the less I decided to give it a shot and I should not have bothered.

One can only watch repetitive back stabbing , uneccessary evil females for so long. I eventually gave up at episode 23. For me the story was not progressive but kept repeating the same things over and over.

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