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This review may contain spoilers
Parenting, plotting, palace intrigue—Queen Im multitasks better than your Wi-Fi
Though historical Chinese dramas often share similarities, and I enjoy them anyway, this Korean drama thankfully avoids being a mere clone of Mr. Queen.
From the acting, to the production, to the delivery, to the cast, to the cinematography, to the music, everything was chef’s kiss. Starting with the Titular character, Kim Hye Soo is brilliant as Queen Im Hwa Ryung who literally runs around the courtyard, trying to hasten her children, those who need the discipline, while trying to cover up for her children, those who need protection. Despite this, she finds the energy to foil plots hatched by numerous concubines and the formidable Queen Dowager. Kim Hye Soo’s micro-expressions and voice modulation at different times were entertaining to watch. I was impressed by her strength as a ruler, compassion as a mother, and her capacity for forgiveness.
The rest of the cast, her children, the king, the concubines and the Queen Dowager were all great in their performances. Despite their flaws, the characters were portrayed with complexity and multi-dimensionality, the nuances of their performances giving them meaning.
Although the many wives and children of the King initially made it hard to follow, the story’s intricate interwoven plots are not overly confusing. A character chart that I googled came in handy at this point. However, the complexity of the plot was warranted; the mysteries and adventures kept me on my toes.
If you are expecting a grand romance, it’s not really the focus of the drama. Though it has romantic elements, it was only on the surface level, just an addendum to some of the story line, but could also be unnecessary.
One thing that surprised me about this drama is that it tackled the sensitive topic of gender dysphoria. I did not imagine a character who is transgendered to be written in a historical work. My point isn’t that trans people were absent then, but rather, their existence was seldom or never addressed. The Queen’s handling of this situation was bittersweet, to say the least.
Despite the difficulty of drawing present-day applicable lessons from this drama, it’s still worth watching. We should see the Queen from her perspective, not as a member of the royal family, or anyone with countless sister-in-laws (unless you’re into polyamory), but as a mother to her children, a wife to her husband, who would go through great lengths to protect the people she loves.
From the acting, to the production, to the delivery, to the cast, to the cinematography, to the music, everything was chef’s kiss. Starting with the Titular character, Kim Hye Soo is brilliant as Queen Im Hwa Ryung who literally runs around the courtyard, trying to hasten her children, those who need the discipline, while trying to cover up for her children, those who need protection. Despite this, she finds the energy to foil plots hatched by numerous concubines and the formidable Queen Dowager. Kim Hye Soo’s micro-expressions and voice modulation at different times were entertaining to watch. I was impressed by her strength as a ruler, compassion as a mother, and her capacity for forgiveness.
The rest of the cast, her children, the king, the concubines and the Queen Dowager were all great in their performances. Despite their flaws, the characters were portrayed with complexity and multi-dimensionality, the nuances of their performances giving them meaning.
Although the many wives and children of the King initially made it hard to follow, the story’s intricate interwoven plots are not overly confusing. A character chart that I googled came in handy at this point. However, the complexity of the plot was warranted; the mysteries and adventures kept me on my toes.
If you are expecting a grand romance, it’s not really the focus of the drama. Though it has romantic elements, it was only on the surface level, just an addendum to some of the story line, but could also be unnecessary.
One thing that surprised me about this drama is that it tackled the sensitive topic of gender dysphoria. I did not imagine a character who is transgendered to be written in a historical work. My point isn’t that trans people were absent then, but rather, their existence was seldom or never addressed. The Queen’s handling of this situation was bittersweet, to say the least.
Despite the difficulty of drawing present-day applicable lessons from this drama, it’s still worth watching. We should see the Queen from her perspective, not as a member of the royal family, or anyone with countless sister-in-laws (unless you’re into polyamory), but as a mother to her children, a wife to her husband, who would go through great lengths to protect the people she loves.
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