Empress Ki (2013)

Empress Ki is hands down one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I was hooked right from episode one. I've spent about the past six months watching Empress Ki every week. I spent my days refreshing the page waiting for it to tell me the new episode was released. The script was fantastic and the script writers did a great job. There were a lot of moments where I found myself incredibly frustrated because of the unfairness to one of the characters or when a character is wronged in some way.

Acting/Cast
The cast was pretty amazing. Ha Ji Won did a fantstic job in this drama and soon I want see another historical drama of hers. Ji Chang Wook also did a really good job as did Joo Jin Mo. I recognised a few of the actors.

Music
There were some great OSTs which are worth downloading.

Rewatch value
Empress Ki is quite long but I'm sure in a few years time I will rewatch again. There are lots of amazing scenes in this drama.

Overall this drama was AMAZING!! I really loved it and I'm sure you will too.

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I've been meaning to review this drama for a while but kept putting it off. It took time for me to gather my thoughts on it and write it all down properly. If someone asked me what kind of a drama Empress Ki is I'd just say one thing- crazy. That one word fits the description perfectly. I truly believe I've never seen a crazier drama before. It was crazy in both great ways and terrible ways.

First things first- don't be fooled by the opening sequence of this drama. I do believe it mislead me completely and I didn't get what I thought I would. It was rather a waste to have filmed that scene since it is one of the most attention-grabbing scenes in a drama EVER according to me.

While I appreciate the writer for taking chances to create a bold storyline, I would say it both did and didn't create the effect it intended to have. What started off as a brilliant narrative, got lost midway but picked up in the second half- only to lead to one of the most disappointing closing arcs ever. Till episode 41-42 I thought this drama was the best thing I have ever watched. I had never been this entertained by a drama before- the romance, humour, politics, scheming, tragedy was all a wonderful combination for enjoyment. Too bad it was a steep downward trend from then on and it couldn't just keep up with the quality of its previous episodes. The last 10 episodes totally distracted me from what the drama was before and that's just saddening.

Since no drama can be perfect, I tried my best to overlook its flaws. Although I was much too frustrated with the drama towards the end, I still give it a lot of credit for making me love its characters so much before its degradation began. Seung Nyang is one of the strongest characters in dramaland and the guys who vie for her affection were both likable in their own ways. I thought this drama has one of the most drawn-out and tiring love triangles ever. Not that I'm complaining since that was what drew me to it in the first place. The romance was quite fulfilling and I was satisfied with the moments we got although I didn't like what the writers did to my favourite couple towards the end.

While there are what I call as WTF moments in the drama, they are also the most exciting ones thanks to its awesome antagonists. Tanasiri was the woman I loved to hate! I in fact loved the actress a lot too. She was absolutely terrific. Her whole family was a family of psychos which was just funny. Then we also have good guys turning into bad and vice versa which is another interesting aspect of this drama. We constantly see the characters battling not just others but also themselves.

The cast did a great job of their characters and oh boy!- it introduced me to hotties like Ji Chang Wook and Jin Yi Yan. Ji Chang Wook is not only handsome but really gets under the skin of his character. His performance just blew me away. Ha Ji Won was good too but I always have trouble connecting with her acting in a lot of places- both in this and her previous dramas. The rest of the cast was fine too.

One reason to remember this drama fondly is the music. It's an absolute outstanding soundtrack and they always played the music at the right times. If I could, I would like to get my hands on the physical copy of the OST. I have listened to pretty much every song innumerable times and it never bores me. It's deep, emotional and powerful. Maybe it depends on one's taste too but I would recommend the OST to everyone.

So all in all, this drama is highly flawed. It's got a lot many flaws but the good parts are just as good. I think this drama is better seen at once since skipping the last arc and just getting to the end would be the best thing to do. Don't let the last few episodes keep you from watching this. It's worth a try at least. :)

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From beginning to end, it kept me hooked.
Don't get me wrong; it had its ups and downs as all dramas do. There are times you sometimes hate what's going on and you rant and rave (as I did many times) about the injustice of it all. But looking back on it, once it was over, I think this drama was amazing.
51 episodes for me is the longest drama I've ever tried but I was willing to do it for the plot and for Ha Ji Won who does not disappoint in the least. I followed it from the first week to its last week and I finally completed it today. And all I can say is: Wow.

Story: 8/10
I think, for a lot of people including me, the best of this story was in the beginning and was its strongest point. I loved the fact that it never dragged in the slightest. Like so many other historical dramas, this one didn't spend much time with the childhood actors which I was glad for. Everything was well-paced and the story pulled you in immediately.
While there were one or two questionable plot-points in the middle, despite the initial "Um, what now?" response, you learn to just go with it and the story went along quite well. This drama had feels, some palace drama, some tears, quite a few smiles and laughs. The characters make you cheer for them, make you care for them, make you hate them. The cute ones you adore, the horrid baddies you hate probably a little too much (and then relish their deaths with glee), the honourable and loyal ones who do what they must while you sob about the injustice of it all. Again, lots and lots of feels.

Acting/Cast: 10/10
While the characters' motives were questionable at times, the actors and actress in this drama were spectacular in their roles. From the main actors and actress to the secondary ones, everyone was brilliant. The male leads, Joo Jin Mo and Ji Chang Wook, really impressed me. Their roles were as different as night and day and for the few scenes they had together, they were epic. Ha Ji Won wows as the main protagonist. You find yourself cheering her on and shipping her with people you probably shouldn't in addition to both male leads (personal experience here talking). I have to commend Jin Yi Han who was a surprise in this drama, making me love a secondary character like Taltal who I never expected to like so much. The actors and actress who played the villains were really commendable since they had me hating them with a vehement passion from the expected evil like Kim Jun Hyun, Baek Jin Hee and Jung Woong In to the shocking and unanticipated turncoats towards the end. This is one cast that definitely deserves that 10.

Music: 9/10
I've downloaded all the music from this drama and listen to it probably a little too often. From the first episode to the last, the music has never disappointed in the least. I especially love when an actor sings for the OST as Ji Chang Wook did because it makes the scene it plays in that more genuine and the sadness palatable.

Rewatch Value: 7/10
At 51 episodes, I'm most likely never going to watch this entire drama from start to finish again. But I will, as I have already started doing, rewatch my favourite episodes and scenes. This drama had some hugely wonderful moments that are too great to watch once.

Overall: 9/10

I recommend that you try this drama if you like historical settings that have a little bit of everything - romance, action, drama, political intrigue and feels.

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Ok, so first off I've always loved historical dramas however I've haven't seen one this long (51eps) since Dae Jang Geum, so I wasn't really sure if I should start it. However after accidentally coming across a short clip posted by MBC on youtube, that was the trigger for me to start this wonderful masterpiece that I'll never forget.

The story was very complicated with many plot twists and turning points along the way, there was plenty of political drama coupled with betrayal and sacrifices. For someone who usually watches light hearted romantic comedies, the amount of drama in this whole series was actually very heart-wrenching to watch. However the strong themed romance in the series evened it out for me. I was always a TaNyang supporter right from the beginning, even though many comment on how the emperor was childish and useless throughout the whole drama, I must strongly disagree with that. Yes I believe he started off being a timid, useless crown prince, but it's an undeniable fact that in the later half he has developed to become a reliable and controlling emperor, as proven in the last episode, which blew me away.
After finishing the whole series, I believe she truly love the emperor, her feelings for Wangyu might have been extreme feelings of respect and admiration which she mistook for love. Just my opinion however others can argue that.

Acting and Cast, need less to say was absolutely amazing. I've always been a fan of Ha Ji Won since Secret Garden and as expected she did not disappoint, this has officially became my favourite drama from her.
This drama introduced me to 'Ji Chang Wook' and I really want to ask: "Where have you been my whole life?". Shockingly for a drama fanatic like myself, how have I not discovered him before. His performance in this drama amazed me to no end from the strong character development, to his heart-breaking love for Seungyang. The last episode just broke my heart, leaving a mark that'll never be smeared. I am now on a lookout for any of his other dramas.

I loved the soundtrack for this drama, it was fitting and emotionally moving. I have already downloaded it so its clear how much I love it.

Since its a 51 episode drama, I won't rewatch it in the short run, however ever since I finished I have already rewatched a few of my favourite episodes numerous times. Maybe half a year later I'll come back to it, depending on how much I remember it could mean rewatching the whole thing or skipping parts. However one thing for sure I will definitely watch it again.

Overall, this has to be one of the best historical k-dramas I've come upon. I miss the characters and the waterfall of emotions i felt while watching it. Despite it being long, I recommend anyone who loves historical dramas and romance to try this.

P.S For people who love chinese historical dramas, it was very interesting to see how the chinese history was played out through a korean drama. Worth the watch.

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I found Empress Ki to be truly exceptional because of how uncommitted it was to its main themes and ideas. It's almost like the writers tried really hard to get their points across, but didn't have right tools, so they ended up trying everything. In result the whole show is torn somewhere between makjang and epic historical. Or between profound drama and pulp romance. Ultimately the grand narrative about national affiliation, loyalty, power or loneliness got lost in uneven and overexaggerated script. Some things I loved, some things I wish I only imagined because someone accidentaly gave me acid, but I semi-enjoyed the whole product. Here's a short list of the best and the worst aspects of this show.

What distinguish Empress Ki from similar epic tales is its main theme - identity, or to be precise, national identity - what it means and how important it is. I really enjoyed the idea that Seung Nyang's love triangle figuratevily means something entirely different, that her love for two men symbolizes her being torn apart between two countries. One is loyal and noble the other one is unpredictable, but full of opportunities. But which one has the power and influence to improve people's lives, stop the war and famine? Which one should she choose to satisfy her personal agenda? I think the conflict of "what heart wants vs what brain tells you to do" was one of the most interesting aspect of this drama. Especially those short yet meaningful scenes full of hidden anguish, regrets and bitter taste of lost.
There was a one scene where Seung Nyang, as an Imperial Concubine, declines a personal meeting with Wang Yu and tells his subordinate that from now on he should apply for a formal meeting with her. In this scene she separates herself from her past and partially from Goryeo, she chose Yuan Empire. When she says those words camera pans at the small mirror in front of her face and it's like the mirror is questioning her feelings and her real intentions. It's also here to question her identity. Small details like this scene were my favorite.

The correlation between Goryeo's people national identitiy and individuality is a recurring theme in this drama. It takes different forms, from anger and distrust that leads to extreme decisions (Yeom Byung Soo), hopelessness and resignation (Dok Man) to fearless fight full of idealism (Wang Yu). Seun Nyang felt that becoming an Empress was a victory and she helped Goryeo as much as she can by initialy "betraying" her roots. In the end he ended up utterly alone. A stranger in no man's land.

Though I wished to see more of Seung Nyang's internal conflict between her desire to power and her need to help the people of Goryeo, her fighting her own war with people's prejudice, her mortal enemies and Yuan Empire's dignitaries was a joy to watch. Especially since Seun Nyang actually put an affort to learn and master the art of strategy, so it wasn't just Mary Sue's deus ex machina. I must admit that I didn't like her at first because of her goody-two-shoes personality in the first half of a drama. She was too flawless which didn't feel "real" in a sense that she was more of a novel heroine that real human being that I was supposed to root for. In the beginning it truly felt like she didn't move plot forward, but isntead the plot was moving her around, changing her motivation and/or personality according to its needs. I think she was just a victim of bad writing, horribly executed romance and ridiculous makjang-y scenes.

I'll be blunt and honest, the over-the-top writing was one of the main reason's why I didn't enjoy Empress Ki as much as I wanted to. In one moment it was a grand, almost theatrical, spectacle about the different shades of human nature. In the next scene we had a woman getting bit by a phantom creature as a result of a magic spell. I was baffled by some of the writing choices because they served no purpose at all or were incorporated into the script for the sake of shock value. The bizarre time skips, absurdly over dramatic plot resultion and laughable emotional moments totally killed the mood for me few times. Usually I like all things grotesque and camp, the unpredictable mixture of tasteless and holy, but this time it didnt work for me because I felt like it wasn't intentionally in a bad taste. I swear I saw more wrist grabs in this drama than in the recent romcom I've seen and that was not a good thing.

Speaking of the devil, despite the fact that I highly appreciated the symbolic nature of a romance in this drama, I absolutely hated the way it was executed. It was so damn corny and uncomfortable to watch for the first half of the show (and please rememeber that it is roughly 25 episodes), with oldschool kdrama clichés, sappy romantic ballads playing in the background and a lot of silly moments. Sometimes it was unintentionally hilarious and I enjoyed it in all of its cringey glory, but for the most part it was annoying and the constant mood shifts took me out of the story several times. Because of that I couldn't take that romance seriously, so the eventual heartbreak and tragedy that happened later on completely lacked emotional impact.

Moreover, there is nothing more infuriating than a lenghty drama with a lot of one-dimensional characters. Except for Nyang and the Emperor there was hardly anyone who could catch my attention. The characters didn't have much needed nuance, they served the purpose of either a plot device (Yeom Byung Soo, Yeon Bi Su, Jaek Ho or - the strangest of them all - Golta), cartoonish villains (Yeon Chul, Dang Ki Se, Empress Dowager, the second Empress and once again Yeom Byung Soo) or just a supporting squd that was... just there (Wang Yu's men), but I didn't really blame the last group, although it was funny that the writer expected me to care about their deaths. The only ones that had something going on for them were Tanashili, Baekan and Tal Tal. The first one's malice as a result of expectations, manipulation and inferiority complex was not as shallow as it initially seemed. Baekan has one of the most cohesive arcs in the whole show. The parallels between him and his fallen idol Yeon Chul was forshadowed on the show on many occasions, so his journey was not really surprising, but there was a consistency and almost archetypical meaning that I personally enjoyed. And at some point someone suddenly decided to give Tal Tal some sort of personality (after more than 20 episodes), but I'm grateful for this decision. Thanks to that we got one of the most level-headed, smart and mysterious characters that was a great mentor and adviser for Seung Nyang. I have to admit that their power duo made the whole palace power struggle much more interesting.

Finally, I have to say few words about my favorite character - Emperor Ta Hwan - the only aspect of this show that I loved from the start to finish. I liked him simply because he was deeply flawed. Unpredictable, pitiful, annoying, childish, dangerous, selfish, charming and oh, so deeply human. He truly felt like an actual living person, full of insecurities and anxiety. Really vulnerable man whose constant need for validation, love and understanding met only with greed, betrayal and emotional manipulation and it led him to destruction. Just one character had so many layers , his story was difficult yet fascinating to watch.

So, what's my deal with Empress Ki? I think it didn't meet my expectation of what historical drama should look like thus the plot (ot rather mishaps in the writing) outweighted the other parts that were definitely memorable and worth my time. It's a rare case of a show that left me emotionally detached, slightly annoyed and bored at times when it clearly could do better. A lot of missed opportunities and wasted ideas. I feel like its chaotic, grandiose and campy energy is something that will either fascinate you or you'll end up bitter and disappointed... like me.

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so at first, I was like 'man this looks good, holy hell its 51 episodes long! mmmm better not.' but then people kept urging me to watch so I said, 'you know? why not...i'll probably get bored of it anyway' but then two weeks later of non stop marathoning and it came to my attention that this is one of the best historical dramas ever.

story/plot: freakin amazing. I loved how there were so many other key elements in it besides romance like courage, loyalty, duty, justice and a little bit of good ol' vengeance. Everything in the story progressed nicely and tied into each other beautifully. And the characters changed with the dramatic life events that take place as well so they were very dynamic and awesome. it was very realistic in that sense. I also liked how there were a lot of surprises in the plot.

characters: okay don't get too attached to the characters because more than likely...they'll probably end up dying. seriously though, I felt like I was watching the game of thrones all over again with all the dramatic deaths in this. I really loved the main girl in this though. She is probably the biggest boss ass bitch I've ever seen. That girl knows how to get stuff done. She was a very powerful and enticing character that made the overall story rich. And unlike some other dramas, the girl in this one knows exactly how to exact vengeance. she don't mess around.

music: what is it with historical drama soundtracks?!? I have yet to come across one that wasn't freakishly amazing. The songs in this were amazing. I would buy this soundtrack no lie. they had perfectly epic music for the super intense moments that made you want cheer. Overall, I want to hug the music guy.

I would definitely say I would rewatch some of the episodes on this in the future, not all of them because that would take at least another month of my life I could be spending watching another epic historical drama, but at least a few of the more bad ass episodes. Forget the length guys, go for it! its so worth it.

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Disclaimer: I do not know the history behind Empress Ki, so my review will be based on the drama only.

Story: It was overly long and unnecessary, especially towards the end. There were so many time skips, I was left wondering if anything of importance was happening during the present. The drama started as sageuk and ended as makjang, which I disliked because I am a sageuk fan.

Characterization/Acting: Wang Yoo was the only character I felt had any development through out the drama. Wang Yoo showed the fragility of being human. The amount of pain Wang Yoo went through should have broken any human's spirit; but, because of his duty he was willing, at times too often, to set aside his own needs for the betterment of others. Joo Jin Mo did an excellent job as Wang Yoo, he has an ability to portray emotions with his eyes alone. I felt hurt when he was hurt and I also felt happy when he was happy. Emperor Huizhong on the other hand only had one moment of character development, which was closer to the beginning and after that his childish antics felt annoying. It would at times slow the plot of the drama. I am glad I saw Ji Chang Wook in Healer before Empress Ki, otherwise I would not have been a fan of his. Overall he did an excellent job. Ha Ji won always kills her role but the development of Empress Ki felt misplaced at times, especially at critically moments where it was important for the audience to understand the reason behind her actions. Of course, they were likable characters like Bang Shin Woo and Joem Bak Yi that kept the story going.

Music: Great music. I am not sure if they were original scores; but, the music fit perfectly with the drama.

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This review contains spoilers, as well as some slightly inflammatory opinions.

This drama made me very angry.
It didn't make me angry because it was that bad. On the contrary, it was so good it could be perfect - if not for the little things, at first, and the bigger ones later, that started to add up, until I couldn't ignore them anymore.

1. Casting and acting.  At least two of the main leads, Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook, held up very well - I could rather call them exemplary. So did Kim Ji Han (Tal Tal) and Baek Jin Hee (Tanasili). I would actually say that the acting was very believable, if not for some over-dramatic moments that occured everytime a twist happened or new information was disclosed, but maybe that's common in "historical" dramas.

2. Music and costumes. The music was beautiful and well placed - except for, again, some over-dramatic drum banging. As for the costumes, their quality was good and I enjoyed seeing all that Yuan and Goryeo couture and skin routine. The choreography was also good, apart from the occasional kicks in the air and people falling without getting hit.

3. Story and characters. Now, this is what I had most trouble with. I'm pretty okay with watching period and pseudohistorical shows, but they've got to stay believable. If a writer really thought that women can give birth in a cave, with no support whatsoever, and are then able to go out and about shooting arrows, that writer outright insults my intelligence as a viewer. How can I take anything seriously after that? Not to mention the whole "curses and rabid dogs" storyline.
Extraordinary feats aside, the plot was dragged in the middle and then became too convoluted after 40 episodes. I'm actually pretty sure the only reason we saw about the vouchers was to satisfy anyone rooting for Wang Yoo - and I'd be fine with that, if only there were a more interesting setting. Never mind that, but after the first 40 episodes, the heroes' actions went from mildly thrilling to straight up unbelievable.

Which brings me to the worst part of my review, the characters. In my opinion, the characters weren't created with care and respected, at all. This has nothing to do with the historical aspect of the drama, as it concerns mostly minor characters. For example, Yeom Bi Soo, or else Batoru. Batoru had no agency, no personality. She could be such an interesting character, but was instead used as a plot tool, and a weak at that. Silk road? Bam! Vouchers? Bam! Convenient sacrifice? Bam! She essentialy existed to move the plot forward and had no other qualities. Also, after the 42nd episode, even the characters that were well-developed so far started falling apart. Nyang Ki goes from an intelligent and well-nuanced character to being the "bad guy" (as if we're suddenly watching this through the Dowager's POV), Ta Hwan takes 10 steps back on the maturity that we've seen growing in him, Kolta... don't get me started on Kolta. Kolta was the designated villain when it didn't even make sense - never in 47 episodes had we seen him express anything else but love and loyalty for the emperor, and then he makes a 180-degrees turn. Did that really happen? Is it a new addition? I don't really care, just build up to it through the episodes. I know it was meant to show that Ta Hwan couldn't trust anyone but Nyang, in the end, but the whole tragedy of it got lost down the drain. I think that's what happens when you only add conflict for the sake of conflict - I would have like to see more explanations, more of a background, but action got the better of it.

And let me get one more thing straight: when you continuously cut 5 years to the future, especially when there's a conflict unresolved, without much reason whatsoever, it's not good storytelling, it's a cop out.

That's all for a drama that I very much enjoyed watching but had many flaws as well. Extra points for badass Nyang, excellently executed conflicted Ta Hwan, and the last 2 scenes that brought me to tears.

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I desperately want to give this 20 out of 10 .....It was Great ....Perfection.... Almost !! -:((
In the second half the writers really messed up w/ inconsistencies (read my Semi-Spoiler below...No details).

Nonetheless, every moment of this drama is Captivating !!!
---- Great pace... 51 episodes and I want more!!!
---- A good story w/ memorable, well developed characters....
---- Great acting ....especially Joo Jin-Mo and Ji Chang-Wook ... the great love these 2 men expressed was very palpable !!!
---- Excellent Casting all around .... the actors fit their roles perfectly ..... so many memorable and enjoyable characters ....
---- A perfect balance b/w Romance / Action / Intrigue / Melodrama / Comedy ...

---- Ep 1-22 were Perfection !!!
---- then, starting w/ ep 23 , I felt the writers really let me down ....too many inconsistencies!!!
.... If they want a certain outcome in the plot ---->>> then they should have come-up w/ a better way to get there ... Weak, weak, lazy writing ! ...

----->>>> Very disappointed w/ the writers for ruining what could have been a PERFECT DRAMA :
Directing.... Acting... Plot... Music... Cast... Costumes....etc....

I rate according to my personal enjoyment not necessarily about objective technical crafting .... BUT .... the disappointment in the 2nd half marred my 'Perfect enjoyment' ...so , I give it a 9/10 ....


********* Semi-Spoiler Alert ----- No Details ----**********
---- the one HUGE Disappointment is the secret person revealed in the last few episodes .... Utterly ridiculous !!! ... A huge flaw that cannot be overlooked like the others..... seems like a patch-up job... a last minute idea/change....Weak! ..... the biggest reason I could not give it a 10!
********** END of Semi-Spoiler *********

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A sageuk set in Goryeo time is rare, but this sageuk is not only set in Goryeo time but also in Yuan Dynasty, China. One of the best historical sageuk in 2013 and 2014. The story is memorable and all the cast have great acting. I really addicted to this drama, to the point I would watch it raw, watch with eng subs, then watch again to make screencaps. That's obsession level (I know). One of the reasons why I watch this drama is because Ji Chang Wook, my favorite actor that turned out to fans' favorite too. His character, Ta Hwan, is the most complex he's ever played. Ta Hwan went from timid guy to a guy with craziness and bravery. He choose to love only Seung Nyang although their love and lives facing numerous obstacles.
Another credit goes to Ha Ji Won. She acted and showed many different side of her in the character Seung Nyang. She can pull it off as cross-dressing girl and also beautiful woman that makes all the men go crazy over her. She's not the typical damsel in distress but she made choice over herself and not afraid being involved in men's world.
To add it all, it has really great cinematography, costumes, background musics and has very high rewatch value. Why? Because even when I have to rewatch the same episode twice or more, we won't get bored. The drama suffered from bad writing in the second half of the drama because you can spot gaping plot holes and illogical characters development. But still, Empress Ki, managed to engage the hearts and minds of the viewers.

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I am conflicted about Empress Ki because for the first 30-ish episodes or so, it was so perfectly enthralling- to the point where I would say it was in the top 2 dramas I have watched. Actually even after watching tons more dramas since, it remains in my top 3 for dramas that grabbed hold of my heart and never let go. I actually felt physical pangs in my heart while watching this drama. It's a perfect mix of romance, wonderful characters, strong smart female lead, great martial arts action scenes, exciting fast-paced plot, beautiful cinematography, beautiful actors, makeup and costumes, great acting. I fell so in love with the story and characters within the first few episodes that the characters stayed in my mind throughout the day. The King and Nyang were so brave and noble and bad ass. And the Emperor character was so vulnerable and childlike. Despite his major character flaws, I rooted for him grow up and and be strong. The love triangle was so perfectly set up to be heartbreaking. The emperor's love for Nyang was so unwavering and pure.

If you are worried about the length of the drama, that is not a problem. It goes by so fast, because each episode has so much plot going on and you just have to keep watching the next episode and the next to see what happens. After the first 20 minutes the plot was well underway. It didn't take the first 3 hours or so like many other dramas to get going. I was thoroughly hooked after 20 minutes.

Having said all that, Empress Ki is heartbreakingly flawed. I don't have a problem with tragedy if it all makes sense. But the plot went crazy during the last third of the drama. I felt cheated because we were led to care for these characters in the first 30 episodes and in the last part we are just tortured by having to watch bad things happen to them over and over and over again. Character and relationship development came to a halt. Nyang's feelings and motives become ambiguous because we don't get to see her with the King or the Emperor anymore. She is just dealing with all the plot twists for most of the last part of the drama. Alliances keep shifting and the plot turns become almost repetitive. How many times can we see a character being tortured before it loses emotional resonance? The drama is no longer character driven at this point - but the characters we have fallen love with are now at the mercy of plot twists and evil characters. The over-arching revenge storyline felt rushed and anti-climactic. That was supposed to be the main conflict of the entire drama and it is treated as just another plot turn.

The thing I hate most is that the main characters aren't given enough screen time together to keep up with the relationships that were developed so well in the first half. The scenes where they are actually together and interacting are really sparse in the last part of the story. The actions of even the most beloved characters were frustrating and hard to swallow.

But still I Ioved the characters so much by this time I had to see it through. After watching it to the end, I feel like I have been strapped down in the imperial palace's torture chamber for the last several episodes and feel pummeled and depressed.

Reading all the other reviews I see that not everyone feels the same way about the last part of this drama, so there is a good chance you will really love Empress Ki if you like melodramatic action historical drama. It definitely will grab you in one way or other. For me, knowing how let down I was by the second half, would I prefer to have never met these characters or started this drama to begin with? Well, I think I would probably go back and do it again. That's how much I loved Empress Ki despite it's major flaws. But I think I need a romantic comedy now to give my heart a break.

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After completing this drama the other day I came to realise that Saeguk dramas are truly the only type of dramas which always seem to overwhelm me. Empress Ki was beyond a doubt an emotionally draining drama.

What seemed to be an intense love story with one of those love triangles that I despise so much turned out to be a lot more complicated. There was a lot of political strife and this drama really portrayed how terrifying the palace could be. I would liken it to a battlefield except in this case, our main lead Nyang had to use her intellect and tactics to beat her opponents. Nyang was one of my favourite characters in this drama. At first I liked her for her strength but it wasn't only that she knew how to fight but she was also a character with a lot of wisdom. In my eyes she wasn't as power hungry as some of the other characters, she was someone that knew how to use her power to help others.

Another character that I admired was Wang Yu, to me he was the perfect king. He was wise, brave and loyal to his country. For me, he and Nyang were really similar in their ideas and beliefs. They also knew how to live for others rather than just for themselves, which really amazed me numerous times in this drama. The fight scenes were epic and there were many of them to enjoy!! This drama really had me on edge many times, when one villain would be eliminated we would get someone even worse and this really frustrated me to no end!! Many of the villains in this drama showed moments of humanity and I couldn't hate them as much as I wanted to, instead I would feel sorry for them. I came to find that not all of these villains were inherently evil but became like this as a result of their greed for power or because of their circumstances.

This drama was really thought provoking, fast paced and exciting. Before I knew it I was on the last episode! All the actors/actresses were perfect in their role. One actor that I am sure to keep my eye on is Jin Yi Han who played TAL TAL. He was a delight to watch throughout the drama and a character that I became more interested in with each episode. He was clever, brave and like Nyang knew the difference between right and wrong. Jin Yi Han will forever be TAL TAL to me XD.

The OSTs in this drama were amazing especially the instrumentals that played in the background during the action and sad scenes. It really made me feel a whole lot more emotional when watching these scenes.

As for rewatching this drama, I may rewatch certain episodes of this drama and possibly rewatch the whole drama when I have started to forget about it. This is a drama that I never want to fully forget, although it is a fictionalised account of Empress Ki there are many important lessons taught in this drama. It was a story of bravery, strength, Identity, greed and of course love. This drama was a long and heartbreaking journey but I shared many amazing moments with the characters and for that I was glad I watched it!

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