Hwanghooui Poomkyeok

The last empress was a long drama to follow, but it was worth it. At first, the execution was a bit off, especially when it came to the transformation of the main character, which was just unrealistic in such short period of time, not to mention that he looked nothing like his old self (he even got taller....). I was actually considering dropping it, but the story somehow was intriguing. I wanted for Sunny to get revenge and become a strong character and she did. So, I wasn't disappointed there. I had mixed feelings about the romance with the emperor though. For the first half he was the ultimate bad guy, almost psychotic to the core. And then he became with lovable character that you couldn't help feel sorry for him, But, does that erase everything that he did in the past? Well, he wasn't the only character that followed that pattern in this drama. Other than that, the performances were really good, the plot full of action, suspence and thrill, plut it was fast paced.

At first glance, the cast was stacked but that alone wasn't enough. The drama was obviously some kind of a parody on the genre but it didn't embrace its nature. It made me realized the complete lack of parodies in Kdrama in general which is really unfortunate. Hyper intense, extreme overreactions, deranged morals, illogical by design, fueled by insanity, and unhinged characters. However, for this formula to work, the drama needed one of two things, either add more self-awareness, commit to the theme and double down or create a structure amidst this entire madness. Both of which the drama didn't do. Which left us with a half-arsed attempt to what could have been a unique experience. It would have benefited greatly if it had been cut down to 12 episodes. Will remember it for the potentials it might have had.

My opinion the acting was amazing. But the storyline around the last episodes need more time and explanation. There were many times that the actors chooses dumb ways bringing them back again in to the same problem. The ending was good but I hoped the emperor had the chance to explain better or choose better dialogue. This series is mix of everything action, drama, comedy...

I have to admit, I could only watch 3 episodes. Most other K-Dramas plots revolve around the uber rich in Korea, but this series has tried to take it to the next level of Korean high society. Even though it looks like it went for 52 episodes, so it must have been popular for the Korean market, but I think it must struggle with Westerners, especially Europeans, who have actually royal families to follow in real life. I've decided to choose another K-Drama to spend my viewing time on and not waste any more time on this one, but if you're new to K-Drama, you may find this watchable, because it does use all the formula for K-Dramas.

Oh Ha Rin child actor "Princess Ari is absolutely amazing as the princess, so smart, sassy, and her ability to remember her lines and dialogue with such expression and cuteness is absolutely genius for one so young.

Love all the acting butch women and men.