Ranking of Best Historical Dramas

An epic turbulent love-story set during the Qing Dynasty invasion and occupation of Joseon in 1636. Loosely inspired by ¨Gone with the Wind¨. A graphically violent, often brutal recounting of historical events along with an underlying harsh critique of Confucian values of respect for authority, which turn out to be almost as much the enemy of our heroes as the Qing. The romance is very well written as it ebbs and flows along with external events, while appropriately reflecting the significant character development of the leads (both of whom start out as quite spoiled and unlikable).

A Korean-American U.S. Marine officer who rejects his Korean heritage gets caught up in Japan's "unofficial" takeover of Korea during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904. Historical epic with a great balance of action, diplomatic intrigue, espionage, and romance as American military attaché is caught between US policy favoring Japan and his reluctant but growing sympathies for the Koreans. Impressive cast, with Lee Byung Hun showing his range as the ML, Kim Tae Ri outstanding as a young noblewoman who secretly fights for the Korean resistance as a sniper (based on a real person), Yoo Yeon Seok captivating as a swashbuckling half-Japanese smuggler, and Kim Min Jung imposing as an elegant widowed innkeeper and businesswoman who refuses to be cowed by Japanese officers.

Egotistical modern womanizer learns a few lessons when sent back to inhabit the body of a 19th Century Joseon Dynasty queen. Shin Hye Sun is downright hilarious playing a queen who unintentionally wreaks havoc on the Joseon royal court after her body is taken over by a 21st Century male chef. Kim Jung Hyun as the young king and Seol In Ah (Seorina) as his senior (but equally young) concubine play the perfect foils, particularly the later who can't figure out why her rival the queen suddenly starts hitting on her. Even the introduction of much more serious storylines in later episodes is handled very well.

After her family falls prey to court intrigue, a wanted early Tang Dynasty (7th Century) warrior princess flees and embarks on a series of adventures through medieval China, eventually forming an alliance with a tribal prince. A long but fast-paced suspenseful historical thriller with stunningly beautiful cinematography, an all-star cast, and very good character development. Beyond all the intrigue, espionage, diplomacy, and constant brutal warfare, is a story of personal growth, of maturing and realizing that some things are more important than revenge. Both main leads are impressive political and military strategists as well as superior sword fighters, most often collaborating, though occasionally at cross purposes due to their allegiances to their respective kingdom/tribe. Note that this not primarily a romance.

Korean orphan girl turned warrior is captured and forced to be a servant and then concubine at the Yuan Dynasty court, where she rises to become the de facto ruler of China and Mongolia from 1340 to 1368. A fictionalized account of the incredible story of how a conquered slave with no Mongol ancestry rose to become the last Yuan Empress. Soapy at times, but also epic, well written, fast paced, with plenty of good action scenes, and constant plot twists that keep the viewer hooked. Ha Ji Won is outstanding in award winning performance as the clever, heroic, and increasingly ruthless future Empress. Ji Chang Wook also deserves praise for taking on the role of the cowardly weak Yuan Emperor - the opposite of his usual heroic gallant ML roles. Somewhat controversial for deviating at times from known history.

A humble woman who works as a small town butcher marries a disgraced noble to protect her family. As their love becomes real, she follows him into battle to fight for their future and becomes a renown general in her own right. Outstanding writing with perfectly developed and paced character and story arcs make the first 75% of the season the best Chinese historical drama yet. The series is at its best when the FL is front and center of the action, stumbling slightly when it moves to the empire's capital for the final 10 episodes and devolves into a court intrigue storyline. Though this didn't bother me enough to overshadow the rest of this excellent season, it is the main reason this show is not No. 1 on this list.

Down on her luck young cosmetics saleswoman drowns while saving a kid and is rewarded by being reborn 1000 years in the past in the body of a 16-year-old early Goryeo Dynasty noble girl, becoming enmeshed in a power struggle for the throne. A gorgeously filmed saga that initially seems to be headed towards a tropey good girl/bad boy period romance before deepening into a bittersweet story about how power corrupts and fairy tale romances don't really exist. Our FL tries to overcome her natural timidity and figure out her place in the ancient world, but struggles with her complicated relationships with a bevy of overly handsome (often shirtless) power hungry princes and whether she could, or even should, attempt to change history for the better. (An adaptation of an older Chinese show that really dragged as the season went on in a way this version did not).

After a Ming Dynasty (1410's CE) noblewoman’s family is falsely accused of treason, she assumes the identify of an indentured servant and gets drafted into working as a maid in her ex-finance’s estate, where she tries to rise above class barriers. A superbly executed and acted epic that refuses to romanticize history. It shows in great matter-of-fact detail the literal horror that period could be for women and servants, whose very lives were subject to the whims of powerful men.  More than a period romance, this is a dark survival story, as our FL desperately struggles to get ahead.  She succeeds despite getting stuck with a husband not of her choosing who starts out as a bastion of clueless male privilege, though at least he does eventually experience considerable character growth and becomes a supportive partner.

Fictionalized account of the lives of Joseon King Jeongjo and his royal consort (late 18th century). A very well developed period romance and one of the better dramas that deals with royal court politics during the Joseon Dynasty. A prince who wants to be a benevolent ruler seeks to inherit the throne from his despotic grandfather. He falls in love with and gains the support of a spirited and highly intelligent young court lady who goes on to become his royal consort and the brains behind the throne.

Story of a banished princess brought up among commoners at a trading post in the deserts of China, who returns disguised as a male foot soldier and after being found out, rises to become the ruler of the Kingdom of Silla from 632 to 647 CE. Long magnificent epic spanning decades dramatizing the life of Korea's first female sovereign, who launched an age of enlightenment, instituted one of world's first land reforms, and set the stage for the unification of the 3 Korean kingdoms following her death. Most of the season is excellent, featuring a fast moving plot, well fleshed out characters, sword-fights galore, and culminating in a fascinating tense prolonged battle of wills over the future of the kingdom between two women with brilliant political minds - the princess seeking to improve conditions for commoners and the chief consort of a previous king who had unified the support of the nobility. The season does begin to drag a little towards the end once that conflict is resolved and Seondeok is crowned, though at least it finishes strongly. (Swept the 2009 Baeksang drama awards)

A brave intelligent aristocratic girl circa 250 BCE must buck a paternalistic society and step up to save her family when their men are exiled and all their privileges are taken away by the Qin Emperor. Addictive watch with well-developed characters, featuring a strong determined FL who is a natural leader and entrepreneur. Provides a highly entertaining mix of political intrigue and martial arts action, along with romances that mostly avoid annoying tropes. Zhang Jing Yi pretty much carries this show in what I think is her best performance.

A powerful young general and foster son of the emperor falls for a mistreated young woman on first sight. But she has trust issues, and he has secrets that even he doesn't know about. A high budget character driven drama. Part 1 is primarily the coming of age story of the highly intelligent headstrong daughter of a general, who abandoned with negligent and abusive relatives as a kid, struggles to fit into society on her own terms. It also includes a secondary storyline about the ML investigating plots against the emperor. Overall, a good mix of drama, romance, humor, mystery, and some martial arts action. Zhao Lusi excels in a much more assertive and rebellious role than usual.

Part 2 provides a very satisfactory ending to this excellent series. Having said that, it does become a little repetitive towards the end and they could have cut it by an episode or two.

In ancient China's warring states period, a retired female assassin is drafted into the Wu State's escort delegation led by a once rival assassin to save the King of Wu who has been taken hostage by the State of An. A road trip through ancient China filled with adventure, intrigue, spectacular martial arts action, large scale battles, and even unexpected romance. Features one of the most badass female leads on TV. Though she can’t help but fall for the heroic free-spirited team leader, she does so mostly on her own terms. They are joined by a brave but naive young princess passing as a boy and a host of other memorable characters. My only slight criticism is that though the leads have undeniable chemistry, their scenes together start becoming overly long and repetitious, interrupting the flow of what is otherwise a fast-paced plot.

The story of the first female royal historian of the Joseon Dynasty in the early 19th Century. A well written drama with an admirable protagonist that revolves around the introduction of western influences into Korea, including Christianity, vaccinations, and the beginnings of female emancipation. Admittedly the romance subplot was weak and with little chemistry between the leads, mostly thanks to the usual wooden performance from Cha Eun Woo. Thus it's probably for the better that the romance was given hardly any screentime and didn't distract from the well-developed main storyline about a fascinating and important period in Korean history. Too bad this series was promoted as a period romance, which it very much is not. I think the reception would have been better had it been judged for what it is.

During the Meiji era (1878) in Kyoto, 292 unemployed former warriors that history has left behind were given the chance to win a huge prize in a race to Tokyo while knocking off their competitors. An epic action series that seamlessly integrates some of the most intricate action film-making to be seen on television in years with a beating human heart that makes us care about the characters. Particularly notable is a well-developed "found family" dynamic between the two leads (a veteran former samurai with PTSD and the teen girl he informally adopts, both of whom had lost their real families to cholera. Fully deserves its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Though S1 ends with a spectacular climatic battle scene, the overall story arch is left inconclusive. Fortunately, Netflix has announced that S2 has been approved.

Joseon queen tries to convert her troublesome sons into proper grand princes to avoid the risk of being deposed. Starts very slow but eventually grows into one heck of a story that keeps you glued to your couch for the last half of the season. Kim Hye Soo is magnificent as the desperate but determined queen forced to use all her impressive political instincts in a riveting battle of wits with the dowager queen.

Based on the true story of the lowly Joseon court maid Dong Yi (later known as Choi Suk Bin, 1670-1718) who rises in the royal harem as a consort and ultimately gives birth to the future King Yeongjo (a child prodigy who became one of the greatest Kings in Joseon history). Another of the long epic dramatizations of the lives of famous women in Korean history that were very popular on Korean TV for a time. The series follows her eventful life from childhood onwards, as a commoner who suffered great tragedies while young, but who never lost the positive spirit that allowed her to ascend to unimaginable heights within the highly stratified feudal court by attracting the attention of the king and the support of two successive queens. Though overly melodramatic at times, the series is decently paced and entertaining, while also hewing relatively closely to known history.

A county magistrate's daughter loses everything but regains her life by masquerading as a high court official's daughter, overcoming injustice with help from a Duke. A highly entertaining watch, though also often overly melodramatic, with a few unnecessary additional plot elements that seem patently ridiculous even for this genre, and an unearned ending tacked on as if at the last minute. Might have been even better as a tighter 30 episode series.

Joseon king falls for female shaman, upending the royal court. An entertaining soapy period romance that was a huge hit in Korea when it aired, though in retrospect, some of the subsequent similar Joseon era shows are of higher quality (like the ones higher up on this list). (MBC 2012 Drama of the Year).

Joseon scholar travels to the present where he confuses a shallow, flighty, but good natured actress for his queen. A light entertaining show that includes multiple jumps back and forth in time. The writers did a good job of presenting the time-slip theme in a simple but persuasive manner (in comparison to some other similar shows). Contains romance, drama, and some action.

A frontier warrior reborn as a princess sheds her former identity to become a ruthless power player. She allies with a brilliant but fragile Crown Prince, and together they navigate deadly court intrigue to control their fate. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting, the chemistry is good, as were the writing, directing, screenplay, and performances. It gives us two intelligent leads who were always thinking several steps ahead. I agree with one of the reviewers that watching them read each other, hide their true intentions, and slowly learn to trust one another was far more satisfying than any grand romance. It’s also one of those rare Chinese dramas that begins strongly and maintains a decent pacing through the season while ramping up the suspense towards the end. That brings us to my biggest issue - the ending itself - which feels very incomplete and riddled with unanswered questions as they seemingly tried to please everyone. A complete letdown.

When a Goryeo queen-to-be is badly wounded in 1351, an officer uses a wormhole to kidnap and bring back a spoiled plastic surgeon from 21st-century Seoul, who becomes a pawn in a game of royal succession. An entertaining series about a modern woman who finds herself transported back to feudal Korea. The FL does initially came across as annoying due to her entitled attitude and penchant for freaking out, though this does allow for considerable humor at her expense. Besides, her character shows significant growth as the series goes on and she becomes much more likeable. Both the romance and time-slip aspects are handled quite well and the plot is well structured. (Takes place during the reign of Empress Ki, who as the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty, is behind the bad guys in this show).

When the headstrong and forward-thinking daughter of a Grand Prince falls in love with the son of his mortal enemy, their romance gets caught in the crossfire of her father's quest for the throne. Advertised as the Joseon era Romeo and Juliet and it does have the element of two people who fall in love in spite of their family's bitter rivalry. But this is much more than just a romance of star-crossed lovers. Unlike Shakespeare's original work, it provides the full backstory on why the families hate each other and then shows how that plays out, often with extreme violence. In addition to romance, it's packed full of political intrigue, action and revenge, sword fighting, and battles to the death. The ending became a major point of contention over whether it is appropriate or a disappointment.

A fraudulent match-maker/shaman insists that she can summon the deceased crown princess to a king who had proclaimed a ban on marriage after losing his fiance seven years earlier. A Joseon period drama that includes elements of a thoroughly modern farce. An easy entertaining watch that I thought was well-balanced between the comedic and dramatic moments and far from overly melodramatic. Park Ju Hyun as the irreverent headstrong FL proves herself in a more comedic role than her standout performances in much darker crime thrillers like ¨Extracurricular¨ and ¨Mouse¨. While not without its flaws, including a rather dull ML, this series is entertaining, and the ending is satisfying.

Part 2 focuses more on the tumultuous relationship between the leads as they have to overcome past trauma and court politics.  My primary issue is that the plot begins skipping around between too many storylines without doing justice to all of them. To maintain the standard set by Part 1, the plot needed to be a lot tighter.

Unfavored daughter of a rich Northern Song Dynasty family (11th Century CE) studies and works hard, while falling in love with the son of a high official, with whom she schemes to rise in position and obtain justice. Starts out as a tightly woven complex slice of life drama with an admirable female protagonist that provides a rich tapestry of Song Dynasty life, which among other things, illustrates just how suffocating it was to be a woman in that culture. Each character and plot line, even the minor ones, have been written with so much raw detail that, when performed by a top-notch cast, you feel every undercurrent of emotion simmering throughout. But perhaps they indulged in a little too much detail, as the 70+ episode narrative goes on far too long. Most of the early arcs are very good, but the story gets bogged down and repetitious in the later half.

The eldest daughter of a noble family returns to the capital from exile to marry a crippled prince, while secretly seeking revenge on those who wronged her clan. A solid drama that stands out in particular for its character development. Features a strong female lead whose abilities are convincing and not just a matter of plot convenience. She feels even more real when it becomes apparent that she has some serious mental health issues due to the trauma suffered during exile. Some viewers complained that the story gets sidetracked and loses momentum with this and other subplots introduced later in the season, but I would argue that they actually add greater depth to the characters. Where the show may fall short is in providing that satisfying taste of payback you expect from a revenge story. By the time we get to the denouement, revenge doesn't seem all that important.

Story of a Joseon era runaway slave who passes herself off as a noblewoman and becomes a legal advisor defending the downtrodden.   Breaks away from the conventional historical dramas centered on royalty by focusing on the lives of common people, shedding light on harsh societal norms that still resonate today.  The constant threat of exposure faced by the FL, along with the harsh injustices inflicted on commoners, provide for an emotional rollercoaster.  The villains are extra-despicable and easy to hate (perhaps a bit too one-dimensional for my tastes).  Im Ji Yeon imbues the heroine with just the right mix of outspoken and humble.  Her range is breathtaking, and those who have also watched her turn as the villain in "The Glory" will be able to attest to her exceptional acting skills.

Political intrigue surrounding invention of Korean alphabet in the 1440's during the early Joseon period.  A hit Joseon era show when it originally aired.  Based on a true story and supposedly keeps fairly close to recorded history.  The plot is quite dark and there is no romance to speak of, but plenty of court intrigue and the accompanying murder mystery is well developed and suspenseful.  Another drama that covers an important moment in Korean history, while not forgetting to tell a good story in the process.

A clever girl marries the master of a rival family to form an alliance. With bad blood between their clans, the two start off wary of each other, but grow closer over time. A visually gorgeous very popular enemies-to-lovers period romance. The lead couple has some of the best chemistry to be found on TV as they overcome a historical enmity between their families and kingdoms. Two intelligent leaders dedicated to bettering the lives of their subjects, who gain each other's respect as allies in a marriage of convenience before gradually falling in love. As a romance, this series is top-notch. Where this show falls short is with key subplots revolving around the broader political and military context. Though these are wrapped up nicely in a few very suspenseful action-filled final episodes, the build up to get to that denouement is much less convincing – quite uneven and full of plot holes. I guess I need more than just a great romance in this kind of more serious historical fiction.

Lost Joseon prince with amnesia falls for village woman, who is more than she first seems.  A cute lighthearted somewhat silly show that I found quite entertaining.  A predictable plot, but well-paced and quite humorous. Worth watching when in the mood for something fun and uncomplicated.

A 16-year-old high school girl accidentally travels through time and finds herself in the Sengoku period (1559) where she develops a schoolgirl crush on a young lord and becomes a foot soldier to protect him.  Another charming supremely silly little romcom that is just plain a lot of fun.  This one is about an athletic somewhat tomboyish high school girl who is quite ordinary in almost every way, other that she tends to be very impulsive and can run very very fast. Her brother invents a time machine that accidentally sends her 450 years into the past, where she falls into and out of all sorts of trouble.  Not exactly high concept TV, but perhaps what matters more is that it’s very entertaining - often downright laugh-out-loud hilarious - while also including some genuine heartfelt moments.

A modern brain surgeon whose lover is suffering from a likely terminal decease faints and awakens to find himself transported back in time to the Edo period (1860's).  A mostly episodic case of the week show, in which our brain surgeon cleverly applies modern medical knowledge to 19th century technology to save lives.  Despite the often-cheesy dialogue and over-acting, this series benefits greatly from taking its premise seriously.  The overreaching plot centers on our protagonist's internal conflict between his desire to accelerate medical advancements in the past with the hope that it will save his lover 140 years in the future and his concern that by changing history, his lover (or he himself) might not even be born.  This assumes that he even survives the strong opposition his new ideas generate among entrenched interests in the past.  (This review covers both S1 and S2).

In 18th century Beijing, a young girl searches for the truth about her older sister's death by becoming a seamstress in the emperor’s harem, eventually rising through the ranks.  A gorgeously filmed high-quality soap opera based on a true story that provides a revealing, if dramatized, look at the inner workings of the Forbidden City during the Qing Dynasty. Cloister over a dozen spoiled aristocratic women and their servants in 6 adjacent palaces in a confined area, all competing for the attention of one very busy emperor, and then add in one plucky whip-smart servant girl seeking revenge at all costs and you are going to get lots and lots of drama.  Unfortunately, once the original mystery has been resolved and revenge taken, the plot loses cohesion with a series of overly contrived disparate storylines and often confusing time-jumps that make finishing all 70 episodes a real chore.  But at least they do bring everything together in a satisfying conclusion.

While trying to catch a bandit, a prince stumbles upon a comatose woman who he mistakes for the concubine of his nemesis.  He hatches a plan to use her as bait, taking advantage of her amnesia to pass as her husband. Only she has hidden depths and he gets a lot more than he bargained for.  The drama initially really delivers in terms of romance, comedy, and character development, featuring two leads who are complex morally grey characters well matched in terms of cunning, intellect, ability, and ruthlessness.  Unfortunately, once the FL regains her memory, the plot descends into a dragged-out rehash of battle for the throne tropes.  At least it finishes strongly with a satisfactory climax to both the conspiracy and character arcs. 

A widowed Joseon noblewoman sneaks out at night to help those in need using her swordsmanship and martial arts skills.  A sort of Korean version of Zorro with a female protagonist. Full of comedic banter, battles, and drama.  Starts out quite silly, with a lot of almost cartoonish action scenes and I can't say I really liked Lee Ha Nee in the role of FL. But eventually settles down into a relatively well-developed main storyline involving our FL investigating a 15-year-old politically motivated massacre with the help of two high ranked brothers. 

A young woman’s plan to marry the heir to a Chinese incense empire leads to her family’s ruin … until she gets a chance to go back in time and change her fate.  A fairly well paced and entertaining do-over story.  Disappointed some viewers because the series was advertised as a reverse-harem historical romance featuring 3 handsome male leads competing for the attentions of the FL.  Instead, its focused much more on our heroine's growth as a person from a selfish impulsive brat into a strong, smart and responsible woman trying to make up for her own past mistakes.  The men in her life serve primarily as part of her character development and the romantic subplots are admittedly weak.  There is also considerable disagreement over the way the final episode drops a series of major surprising twists (forced by the PRC banning time-travel stories while the show was already under production).