Empress Ki (2013)

IMHO the title character in Empress Ki is the single strongest female character in cinema. Ha Ji Won does a spectacular job portraying a woman who is super tough, brilliant, and beautiful. In 51 episodes she fights her way through all obstacles from Korean slave girl to the unchallenged power behind the throne as the Empress of China. She's the most unusual character I've seen in historical k-dramas because she can fight with the best of the men, while outmaneuvering, out-thinking and ultimately destroying all of her much more powerful enemies. In most dramas, the heroine is protected by the hero. In this drama, she protects the Crown Prince and Emperor. Yet in spite of her strength, she remains attractive as a woman, which is a difficult combination of qualities for an actress to achieve.

This is one of the few dramas that I've re-watched over and over starting at random episodes because the whole thing is so intense. Many other reviews have described this drama in much detail, so I won't repeat what has already been said. Actress Ha Ji Won is one of Korea's most successful and accomplished actresses, and I think this will be remembered as her signature role.

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Inoubliable

Je connaissais l'impératrice Cixi, (Tseu-Hi) et l'impératrice Wu Zetian (que je vous invite à découvrir, car de mon point de vue, elle est vraiment exceptionnelle).

Je ne connaissais pas l'impératrice Ki (Qi), (1315–1369 / 70), dernière grande et forte impératrice de la dynastie Mongole Yuan, issue d'une famille aristocratique de Goryeo.
J'ai donc eu 51 épisodes, pour la découvrir, l'aimer, la détester, bref, la voir évoluer.
Car oui, comme toutes les héroïnes dont j'ai pu lire la vie et qui sont arrivées à ce niveau de pouvoir, elle apprendra à s'endurcir, à comploter, voire à éliminer tout opposant, afin de préserver ses intérêts et ceux de son fils.
L'actrice prêtant ses traits à la future impératrice, la très belle Ha Ji Won, est pleinement dans son rôle ; on comprend qu'elle ait pu séduire les hommes de pouvoir que sont le roi de Goryeo et le futur empereur Toghon Temur de la dynastie Yuan.
Elle est à la fois douce et sévère, fragile et forte, craintive et courageuse. Elle est exactement telle qu'elle doit s'imposer pour survivre dans cette atmosphère de cruauté, de trahisons et de dangers qui vont de pair avec le jeu du pouvoir.
Il y a peu de tendresse dans cette histoire et quand il y en a, il y a toujours une ombre autour d'elle.
Ta Hwan, le futur empereur Toghon Temur, est obsédé par Nyang, et cela bien avant de la reconnaître parmi les servantes de son palais. A partir du moment où il est assuré de son identité, il ne perdra plus jamais son objectif des yeux : il veut la faire sienne et fait fi de tout ce qui peut s'y opposer. Avec plus ou moins de réussite et quelques décisions détestables (notamment quand il s'impose à elle alors qu'il est saoul).
Ji Chang Wook a donné son âme à cet homme pétri d'incertitudes et de rage, fou d'amour et dévoré par la solitude du pouvoir.
Le roi de Goryeo ... que dire ?
Je dois être une des rares à ne lui avoir trouvé aucun charisme ; il est plat, certes honnête mais ennuyeux. Je veux bien comprendre qu'il soit le premier amour de Nyang, mais je ne lui ai trouve aucune consistance. Ce qui les relie, c'est leur appartenance à Goryeo ; dès le moment où Nyang choisit – certes pour des raisons autres que l'amour – l'empire des Yuan, ce lien disparaît.
Son histoire est assez triste, le summum étant la perte du fils qu'il vient de découvrir comme étant le sien et celui de Nyang.
Au passage, Wang Yu n'a pas de réalité historique, ceci expliquant peut-être cela.

Je ne m'étendrai pas sur tous les personnages de ce drama, certains sont plus éclairants que d'autes.

Mais je tiens à faire une exception pour Danashiri, tellement détestable mais tellement malheureuse.
Pion dans les mains de son père, repoussée et ridiculisée par l'empereur, manipulée par tous, elle sombre dans une violence inouïe. Sa fin est atroce ; j'avoue avoir versé quelques larmes pour cette jeune femme sacrifiée au nom du pouvoir, malgré ses agissements impardonnables.

L'eunuque de l'empereur, Bang Shin Woo, est joué de main de maître par Le Moon Shik. Il m'a bluffée ; jusqu'au bout.

Last but not least : Taltal, évidemment. Cet homme nous a toutes happées, je crois ; très bonne interprétation de Kim Ji Han, que j'ai découvert à cette occasion. Sa prestance, son charisme, sa voix et son attitude envers Nyang, qu'il essaie de protéger au mieux, alors que ce n'est pas son rôle, m'ont conquise.
(Et, pour la petite histoire, il semblerait que lui ait réellement existé : Toqto'a était historien, grand conseiller de l'empereur et soldat, aimé de ses troupes.
L'impératrice Ki fut liée à sa déchéance et il mourut assassiné, après avoir été exilé à la suite de fausses accusations de corruption. On est bien loin de la relation Ki/Taltal du drama).

Le dernier épisode m'a chamboulée, véritablement. Tout me semble finir tristement, pour tous.
Le flash back ultime m'a émue aux larmes.
Le bonheur n'est décidément pas au programme du jour, dans les intrigues de palais.

Ce drama est le premier que j'ai vu, il y a un moment maintenant; il est pour moi LA référence, celui que je peux revoir avec le même plaisir, en dépit de quelques petits défaut dans le scénario, ici et là.
Mon drama coup de coeur, assurément.

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Don't let the high ratings fool you!!

I would have never given a chance to this drama if it wasn't for the many high reviews but don't let them fool you.
The first episode was a trap and a very good one.
There are so many small details that didn't make sense but I was still with a high score in mind to give this drama. That was until I watched the last episodes.
The last 10 episodes made me so angry to the point I screamed from frustration. It's 51 hours of my life that went to the trash, but there were really good times that I spent with this drama, I cried, got angry, fell in and out of love with the characters and got a lot of anxiety for those last episodes, yes it was that bad!
What makes me more upset it the fact they had the tools to make an amazing drama but still decided to add more story and at the end ruin it.They turned every good character to a bad one and it wasn't necessary at all.
If they had stop this drama at 40 episodes it would have been a masterpiece but for any kind of reason they decided to add more episodes, more characters, more deaths and for what?
The cast was very well chosen and one of the main reasons I didn't quit it.
The soundtrack was absolutely amazing and beautiful.

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Please don't be put off by the 51 episodes... you won't even notice it, i anticipated every ending and immediately clicked for the next episode, i tried to stop halfway through the episode (as you can in some dramas) where there's a 'boring' bit but unfortunately there isnt any in this!!

I'm not usually one for political dramas but this one's okay, its not purely political, yes its all the royals and their drama but there are so many other storylines that like..wow, to the writers for coming up with one 'eck of a story!!
I was on the edge of my seat trying to decipher what was coming next and how certain parts were going to play out.

Every part of the cast did a superb job, the goodies and baddies i praised for their acting, they were so good i pined for them and the villains i hated to the core (due to their great acting). I felt for the villains and the good guys, i hated parts of the story for turning out so but i understand, i understand why it had to happen..!
I was tempted to mark it down a bit but this drama has given me so many feelings, anger, tears, tears of joy and anger, jealousy, confusion, betrayal, hope, loyalty, romance, family and even comedic moments..!

It was amazing to be able to live with the characters from their young ages and watch them develop and blossom to the adults they became in the drama. and watch in anticipation as to how these villains could possibly last from start to finish... and whether they were sent off in a good enough fashion!

Yes there are time jumps, as expected of a 51 episode drama but in no way did i think it was dragged in the wrong places or jumped too quickly!


The OST is downloading as i scramble across the keys to write this review, the songs are so fitting to the drama!

I'm not sure if i have the heart to rewatch this, it was amazing the first time but its soooo intense i dont know if i can cope rewatching it! Even if i love Ha Ji Won and her acting is amazing, she managed to pull off every part of role from what seemed like ease and to perfection <3

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I’m hoping to make this review as concise as possible because i have so many opinions about it but let me try to sort it out a bit.

Overall impression: it’s enjoyable, but only if you can accept the plot holes (bc there are a lot). Don’t question every single thing in this drama bc some of them don’t make sense.

The positives:
- Music. I absolutely love the instrumental BGMs, especially the boss music every time an epic fight goes down, and Tahwan’s sad piano soundtrack.
- There is never a dull episode. Every episode is packed with action, and a lot of things happen in a short time. It has 51 episodes but i had fun watching most of it.
- The second half of the story is great. Starting from around ep 25, the story picks up pace and becomes really exciting. The best part is ep 36 onwards, mark my words!!!
- Acting gets better in the second half of the drama (since ep25) because of the plot progression. Seungnyang and Tahwan’s characters blossomed in the latter episodes, in contrast to the first half.
- Political intrigue fun. Betrayals everywhere. As i said, never a dull moment. It keeps you on your toes throughout watching.
- Taltal. He’s a great, consistent character and he’s the best. I LOVE HIM

The negatives:
- It’s cliche as hell. All the cliches in the book is on this drama. I especially hate the catfight between Seungnyang and the other women in the palace.
- The plot holes. There are too many of them. This drama shouldn’t be taken too seriously because of how badly written some parts are.
- It’s obvious that they’re dragging out the villains’ lives so long. It takes too fucking long to kill off some villains, and the reasons they keep surviving/getting off the hook are just ridiculous.
- It’s tiring to watch. There are too much shit going down on this drama, and it never ends. We never get a rest. Up until the very last episode this drama will still wear you out because there are always obstacles wherever you look.
- It takes EXTREMELY LONG to reach the best part. Not gonna lie, first half of this drama is bad (ep1-25). It’s cliche, tiring, annoying, and will piss you off majorly.

TL;DR it’s a fun drama to watch, if you enjoy the type of historical drama with a lot of political intrigue and betrayals. Don’t take it too seriously bc otherwise you’ll just be annoyed at the plot holes.

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To be honest, this is the first Sageuk with 51 episodes that I have watched and like some other viewers, I was hesitating to do so too. I usually keep it to mini-series. But after hearing a lot of praises for the main leads, especially Ji Chang Wook, I decided to start Empress Ki on a &quot;Now or Never&quot; basis. And believe me, I don't regret it.

The story at first seemed like a normal love triangle but the development of characters was really nice. I know, this is a fictional plot of Empress Ki's lifestory and I don't think its written that worse. The cleverness of the writers about Ha Ji Won's character is just fantastic and the political plot of the drama is not too bad, by putting in the betrayal/non-betrayal portion a lot.

Acting and Cast, as everyone applauds loudly to, was amazing and I actually had to give Ji Chang Wook's character and acting a bow when I finished the whole series (Last Episode, blew me off. It was so over the edge emotional and touching, that I was crying the whole midnight!). Actually, I also appreciated the acting by Baek Jin Hee. Though, I loved to hate Jung Woong In's character ( his acting in &quot;I Hear Your Voice&quot; has still not washed down on me yet ).

I loved the Original Soundtrack too, and I was just in the mood for some Historical themed genre (second reason why I gave this drama a &quot;never turn back&quot; go!).

Re-watch Value is 3 for me because all the plot's been revealed and the curtains have been lifted off the suspense now and maybe because re-watching 51 episodes again will wipe out my Internet bytes, but I do watch some clips that I miss from the drama and believe me, such clips are many!! Also, if I stumble upon it years and years later, probably when I'll forget the plot almost completely and I'll have unlimited Internet bytes, I'd definitely watch it again.

Overall, it was a good drama and I'm missing it as much as I'm happy I watched it and not just let it be there sitting on my Plan To Watch List. Enjoy! :)

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The GRANDIEST of all the sageuks that i have watched! A powerhouse cast of actors and actresses! A breakthrough performance by Ji Chang Wook! All the characters are tainted and yet beautifully executed and acted! Story is brilliantly written! Production is splendid, majestic to the core!

You may say that 51 episodes are too long, do not be deceived, each episodes you can trust that each has its own unique presentation to the total results of the drama! The music is as majestic as the drama, so fitting!

Give it a try, and you will be satisfied at the end and you want more and more of JCW's acting!

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This was GOOD.

I never watched such a long drama before, AND it was my first historical one.
And I really loved it.

It was very accurate - from the costumes to the very strategic and clever plot - all done very well.

For me, it is important that plot and characters do behave/develope realistically/logical, and this drama delivered.

It even got me hooked on historical dramas and the real history of Joseon/Goryeo and now I am well
informed about the history of Korea :)

The king of Goryeo here was written and played so well, that he is one of my favourite characters I have ever seen in Asian Dramas.

So, if you like clever stories and lack of comeday doesn't bother you, then try this. It is awesome.

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I finally watched it! Was initially skeptical because it's 51 episodes but went ahead because of Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook. And I m so happy I did because this is my next most favorite saeguk besides Six flying dragons. Love it!

Story: it didn't feel like 51 episodes because the story can be divided into 3 parts i.e.before SN enters palace, in the palace then out then went back again. Both HJW and JCW' s character grew along the way. It has enough humor, touching moments , realistic power struggles ,comradeship and romance! I think this is one of those few saeguks that has so much romance and skinship. For me besides the struggle of empress ki , the other important story was the love that the emperor has for empress ki. Never once he deserts her despite many obstacles . Some people hate the ending but for me ,it was the best way to end- more realistic ,more impactful! Life is not always like a fairy tale .

Casting/acting: one of the best cast I have come across besides SFD - everyone's acting was great. Besides the three main leads, the veteran actor El Temur , evil Tanashiri, Empress dowager, Tangqishi ,all were outstanding. JJM did not have much to do with his character but his acting touched me. HJW was beyond spectacular - from the innocent feisty Sungnyang to the cold seeking vengeance consort then the loving mother and wife left me longing for more . However JCW was a revelation for me in this drama. I have only watched him in healer prior to this but acting as this poignant yet devoted to love emperor made me fall in love with him! Watching him cries just make me wanna jump into the screen and hug him LOL.

Music was good but as great as SFD

Rewatched value: definitely a yes for me!

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I just finished Empress Ki. As im a saguk fan, I had to watch it, and I must say Im glad I did. atleast in the beginning. It did tend to get boring during the last episodes. I would have prefered it to be 40 or something episodes.
I simply loved the young innocent King. So loyal and loving, just unconditionally. Wang yu I didnt care much about and the empress Ki, although ambitious is quite heartless and cruel at times.
Well the drama is all about greed for power and how it corrupts people. Like the saying goes, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely" sad but true.
My final thoughts: watch it if you are a saguk fan, but personally I loved Queen Seon Duk, princess man, Jumong etc much more.

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Great drama 9/10. Cast was brilliant. There were some plot holes but overall Good story.
For the viewers who hate Ta Hwan and say that Nyang only loved Wang Yu. Would like to give my opinion on the love triangle.
From the start I was interested in Nyang & Ta Hwan’s love story. Nyang & Wang Yu’s love story can be obvious and too easy. Wang Yu is a very strong character and with his personality Nyang falling love with him and that love story is just ordinary.
I think from ep 24 when Nyang said “This is the last tear I will shed for you” is when, she put a side her love for Wang Yoo for good. But even after that every time when she saw Wang Yoo she cried. But I don’t think that’s because she still loves him. It’s just because of thinking the circumstance that led for that. And she maybe feel guilty to taken the path that she taken. She even cried for Tal Tal. That doesn’t mean she love him. So, I think Wang Yu or Tal Tal is more important people in her life, and she didn’t want to lose them.
But Nyang & Ta Hwan’s love story is a special one. It’s about devoted love. A love that change Nyang’s hatred into love. But it took it’s time, I think it started properly in ep 33 when Nyang said “I’m starting to feel afraid”, that’s when she stared to falling in love with Ta Hwan.
Even I favour Nyang with Ta Hwan. Never hated Wang Yu, honestly that character cannot be hated by anyone. Really Wang Yu didn’t have any flaws. His character was over powered. The only flaw or mistake he did from my perspective is that when he broke the trust between Nyang when he sold stuff to Yuan’s enemies. But even that is justifiable, he did it for his county.
I was too, annoyed about Ta Hwan’s character till the ep 21, till he saved Nyang and hide her in the bath tub. While Wang Yu character is over powered, Ta Hwan is written as too weak. I believe that Nyang & Ta Hwan falling in love in first place was stopped by 2 things. 1st because of the character weakness. What will happen if Ta Hwan’s personality was in ep 33, was in start from the drama. They will definitely fall in love, because they spend more time (screen time) together. 2nd is that even if Nyang developed some feelings for Ta Hwan in the beginning, when her father got killed by Ta Hwan’s lies. She stared hate him and planned to take revenge on him.
It’s like they are just fated to end up together, to see how it gonna happen was the interesting part. Love the drama, but wished there were more romantic scenes between Nyang & Ta Hwan. True chemistry between characters are very rare to see in dramas. So, when we have a couple like that I wished I could see more. Like the chemistry between Hae Soo & Wang So in Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

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