Episode 19 of Empress Ki was interesting. I’m not sure what to think other than one ship appears to have sunk rather precipitously, though I never could understand how it was even sailing in the first place. The return of Seung Nyang to her Goryeo countrymen also brought back the freedom for her to speak her mind and boy did … Continue reading →
It’s been two weeks since there was a new episode of Empress Ki and I’m interested to see if the drama returns from its hiatus with renewed vigor and a jump start on what had became a rather plodding love triangle plus palace intrigue combo. I thought if the drama ratings increased steadily it would have past 30 by now … Continue reading →
MBC started off the year end awards show circuit first among the three big networks but being fast doesn’t necessarily mean it got its act together. This network had the shakiest offerings all year in both ratings and quality and in hindsight it had only two dramas worth remembering in Two Weeks and Scandal: That Very Shocking and Immoral Incident. … Continue reading →
The downside is that this week has no new episodes of Empress Ki as both days are preempted for year end shows on MBC while tn the upside is that the leads will be attending the MBC Drama Awards which means nice network recognition acting awards are forthcoming. An added bonus is we get to see the leads Ha Ji … Continue reading →
I can’t say 2013 has been a great year for me on the personal front, and that sentiment extends to the drama offerings I’ve sampled this year. On the upside is a general feeling of acceptance and I don’t mean that in a depressed and resigned way. I rather came away from the year happy with the ups and relieved … Continue reading →
This one is for all you Ta Hwan-Seung Nyang shippers. The latest stills are out for episode 16 of Empress Ki and it’s just too pretty not to share. I sometimes forget that Ta Hwan has suffered a lot in his life, mainly because he whines about his travails and also because the other leads have suffered different but just … Continue reading →
Okay, this is pretty cute. And kudos to the person who thought up the idea, and since the world as they know it in this drama is ruled by the Yuan Emperor Ta Hwan, then props to him for making his competition with Wang Yoo into an actual ball game. The latest stills for episode 15 of Empress Ki is … Continue reading →
MBC has done a good job promoting Empress Ki prior to its airing and continues to keep up the pace as the drama heads towards wrapping up the first third of its long run. I thought it deflected the “complete historical inaccuracy” complaint (which was valid) by splashing across all its materials that this was a fictional take on the … Continue reading →
It’s taken me a few weeks to get back to wanting to write about Empress Ki mostly due to the last few episodes being dull as beans for me. The drama continues to do well in ratings, dominating the Mon-Tues timeslot by a wide margin and recently broke 20% in ratings and will likely stay there if not continue to increase. The … Continue reading →
The above picture is the cover for the novelization of the drama Empress Ki which was published by MBC as written by the screenwriting tandem behind the drama. The novel was released in two volumes and is currently only available in Korean. Unlike dramas adapted from existing novels, this was not a standalone novel written about the life of Empress Ki … Continue reading →
I always need to LOL at Korean viewers and their propensity for prim and proper covering up in sageuks. I still remember the hullabaloo back in 2010 when Chuno premiered and poor Lee Da Hae got raked over the coals twice, one for a near-rape scene when she was accused of showing too much skin (whut?) and then later in … Continue reading →
Ha Ji Won may have phenomenal chemistry with every one of her male leads, but some pairings are better than others and I have my favorites. My personal top two are Jo In Sung in What Happened in Bali and Lee Seung Gi in The King 2 Hearts. But her coupling with Joo Jin Mo is fast rocketing up the … Continue reading →
I have to confess I almost dropped Empress Ki about 10 minutes into episode 1. It happened at the scene where second male lead Ji Chang Wook as the Yuan Emperor Huizhong (nee Ta Hwan) whined like an insecure kid towards Joo Jin Mo as the Goryeo King Wang Yoo about whether Wang Yoo still loves Seung Nyang played by … Continue reading →