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it's not a disastrous rating for the opening weekend but it is concerning that the ep. 2 episode rated substantially lower than ep. 1.

Probably doesn't help that there's a growing monster it's competing against right now (though do they have different airing slots?) in Reborn Rich, and Alchemy of Souls Pt. 2 just started airing.

Mr. Queen elicited some chuckles though. Not exactly the case so far with TBM for me. I'm still waiting for the next episodes, though.

The direction for comedic timing hasn't always been on point here for my money... and there is a kinda uncanny valley approach to the acting delivery which is halfway house between the source material and err... typical acting. I feel like if the production team and director want to embrace that more hammy and comic attitude and aesthetic then you gotta go more all in, like Alice in Borderland does with its "anime" acting delivery.

Queen Seondeok, Jewel in the Palace, Dong Yi, The Long Ballad, A Dream of Splendor.

If only. At this point I feel like the classic epic sageuk is completely dead.

Lady Mishil is simply immense but I never really felt like Lee Yo Won quite carried the role of Queen Seondeok. Did love the intrigue in this drama though... much more curious than Dong Yi, which I'm watching now.

Incredible.

Episode 6 somewhat redeemed by episode 7 before the show (very aptly) "skyrockets" to its peak so far in episode 8.

For me the opposite. A lot of try-hard failed comedy, but actually quite interesting.

This is basically a chronic fault of dramas in general. It's at its worst in Westworld (especially seasons 2 and 3 IIRC.)

Double "oof!" for sure.

I think that fits well in line with your profile GIF haha.

She is beautiful and natural... doesn't have to try hard to be pretty. Hasn't had her jawline chiselled at by bone artists.

Isn't this competing against the VIRAL Reborn Rich?

You only have one completed drama on your profile and yet I get the feeling you've probably watched 100s of dramas. Am I wrong? :)

I also really enjoy strong female-centric stories and it was refreshing to see a drama where the two most competent and brilliant characters, who were also robust leaders, were women. They had a battle of wits and philosophies which was surely unique and deeply intriguing. Still, that alone wasn't enough to automatically catapult it into greatness, yet I did really enjoy this so much especially in the first half and also just generally up to about episode 50. It's possible that I watched this too soon after Empress Ki, which I adored (again such a strong female protagonist). The story and mystique in Queen Seondeok was so compelling and yet I ran out of stamina toward the end. I think it for sure deserves a second viewing soon, and maybe I'll have a more sustained appreciation of it. Thank you for your reply. Happy sageuk watching!

I dunno. You're making me feel like I really need to watch Queen Seondeok again. Though I liked it a LOT for a long time, it lost steam towards the end, especially in how it was extended beyond its originally planned end point. But the intrigue I had for the characters was second to none, so maybe I've been too harsh in my overall rating of the drama (only 6.0, which means "good" on my system). Still, I really want to watch Jumong and Yi San before giving it another watch.

A true scientist.

Can't I just add these 8 eps as 1 series? Weird. They tell different stories but that doesn't mean it ain't a series.

I enjoyed Park Ju Hyun's performances in Extracurricular and Mouse so am cautiously optimistic for The Forbidden Marriage, which starts airing this month. Quite short for a sageuk at 12 episodes though - I generally prefer the epics. Sageuks like Six Flying Dragons, Dong Yi, Queen Seondeok - these 50+ episode epics - have a VERY different vibe, pacing and feel to the type of sageuk you've tried to watch (based on what I can see from your watchlists). Perhaps you could take the plunge on one those epics to see if it jives better with you, even if it might seem daunting and counterintuitive because you might be wondering how any drama can really keep you invested with such a **long** runtime. The shortest sageuk I can think of which still maintains that "classic" vibe of the sageuk epics is Deep Rooted Tree aka Tree With Deep Roots. (2011).

I will surely do the same. Always interested in the takes of others and am intrigued to see what others are watching and rate highly, which in turn informs my watchlist. Cheers.

Meh I'm more of an extemporaneous riffer of casual comments than a review planner, but who knows?

Although we disagree on some dramas with our views (which is of course expected between every single different user) I'm enjoying all your comments about various dramas you've put in lists on your profile page. Cool stuff.

As for Under The Queen's Umbrella, not mad keen on it after 5 eps. I'm persisting based on some brief discussions with other users in the drama comment section. I have a list for sageuk ranking if you want a general impression of where it currently sits, though very few comments have been added to that list as of now.

To quote a comment I made after 4 episodes...

"4 eps in. Very underwhelming for me, especially after watching such masterful storytelling and characterisation in Dae Jang Geum, which I'm watching in phase with it. It falls flat when it tries to be funny, and somehow a lot of its melodrama, which is supposed to be serious and profound, comes off as trite. The use of the OST probably contributes to the incongruous affectation of the show. I love strong female leads and have watched many dramas where that's the key focus, but this show ain't cuttin' it.


From sageuks of a similar length and production value, I think The Crowned Clown and Mr. Queen are much better and establish their identity far more clearly (which may or may not be important for the viewer). The Red Sleeve started off much better as well, though went downhill for me in the second half for various reasons."

So I'm looking for the plot to drive this one, and the writing is warming up with its intrigue and pacing as of the end of ep. 5.