The Queen's Umbrella

An unconventional queen is faced with challenges on all side as she struggles to protect her sons who are all bought into play as factions within the palace try to gain power. The queen is played outstandingly by Kim Hye-soo who is captivating on the screen as she defends her family from many enemies mainly influenced by the queen mother played with convincing aplomb by Kim Hae-sook. I would have probably rated it an eight as it does get bogged down a little at the end but the extra point is for the two protagonists. If you enjoy court intrigue and like strong female characters this is worth a watch.

This is about a feisty but kindhearted queen, Im Hwa-ryeong (Kim Hye-soo), who would fight tooth and nail for her children. The mother of the Crown Prince and four grand princes, she has to protect her children from the Queen Dowager (Kim Hae-sook), court officials and other characters who are conspiring to depose her, the Crown Prince and her husband King Yi Ho (Choi Won-young) from power.

Aside from political intrigues, other parts I found interesting were the Queen's relationship with her children as well as their growing pains. The romance between swoon-worthy Grand Prince Seongnam (Moon Sang-min) and Yoon Cheong-ha (Oh Ye-ju) is charming.

I was not expecting such a good quality series when I started. It also destroys some cliches of the historical k-dramas. MUCH more realistic characters and dialogs than the other K-dramas. The character development is amazing. Some diverse touch in the event flow makes it also unique. I almost got the same pleasure with Mr. Sunshine and crash landing on you (which are my TOP 2 Korean series).

BUT especially..... the queen...... I mean who has done the casting? Is there an oscar for casting? Spectacular. Incredible queen character, great acting.

Only 4 episode left. I wish it was 24 episodes instead of 16.

It feels very fresh for me since we get to see a period drama from a different perspective. Here, we follow the mother rather than the typical young romance.

The story revolves around the inner court. We see multiple concubines rival for power through their sons. Mostly, we follow the life of the queen who aims to save her sons from the cunningness of the inner court. It's a really good story with a pacing that I enjoy. I don't find any moments boring at all.

The characters are great as well. It's only been 4 episodes but they are very well fleshed out. They have a nuance of modernity in them.

The music, costumes, and cinematography are really beautiful as well.

Only a few episodes have been released and I'm already stuck on this unusual sageuk! Great cast, a different view of the Joseon royal court, and some characters who are already catching my interest as to their futures.

I can't wait to see how the storyline develops, and am hoping for a happy ending for those who aren't looking so hopeful at the moment.

The casting is great, and as usual for Korean period dramas, the scenery, costumes and cinematography are outstanding.

I'm looking forward to many more episodes, but I wish that I hadn't found it so early in the screening process, since I really don't want to wait and would definitely binge watch this drama if they were all released! Recommended for sure!