Are you a K-Drama fan? What genre of these dramas have you been watching the most? K-dramas have been so diverse with their plots and characters these days! While I do love my rom-com standards, I recently discovered a drama that I became a fan of Queenmaker. If you watch the K-drama for the drama itself, this political-themed drama is a must-watch! Join me as I share my thoughts on this show and uncover the reasons why this is a must-see!
Most of the Korean shows that I have seen have been romantic comedies. I am not ashamed to say that those shows are my form of comfort when times are a bit low. No matter how I love it though, there are times when I want to see something different. This is why I have been trying to get myself to see more drama-type shows. I was browsing through Netflix when I saw that Queenmaker was a recommended show. The fact that the show is available with English audio (no subtitles, yay!) was also a plus for me. I usually don't mind the subtitles, but some days I like not needing to focus on them.
The Plot
Queenmaker is about a corporate fixer named Hwang Dohee. She worked for a big corporation in Korea and was very good at her job. She decided to leave after the suicide of an employee in the company who was part of something she 'fixed." This employee was a victim of harassment, and she tried to cover it up. When the employee died she realized how harsh she had been and felt so much guilt that she left her job.
The employee's death became her wake-up call to how bad things had gotten with her job. She realized that she had done bad things to good people and wanted to make things right. Fueled by her conscience, she decides to push a human rights lawyer to run for Mayor of Seoul. By doing so, she ends up competing against the son-in-law of the company owner she used to work for.
Dohee's move leads to a series of events that test the willpower of the protagonists as they try to win. From propaganda issues to kidnapping and attempted murder, the odds were against them. It's a good thing that good triumphs over evil in the end.
My Review
The first thing that appealed to me was the fact that the trailer reminded me a bit of the US TV series Scandal. The main character in the series is also a fixer ala Olivia Pope. This time instead of the White House, this fixer deals with politics on a smaller scale. In the show, the drama involves the election of the Mayor of Seoul.
The second thing that attracted me to this show is that it stars Kim Hee-ae. She was in another drama I have seen called The World of the Married. Her acting was amazing in that show. I felt that with her involved, this was the kind of drama that I would want to see.
The last thing that pulled me in, as I said earlier, was that I could watch it in English. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved Korean dramas since the early 2000s. And I do prefer watching them in the original language because that is how you should watch them. Plus, I get to appreciate the depth of the acting better in the original language.
When I discovered that this was available in English (no Tagalog yet though) it made me curious so I had to watch it! This is the first of several K-dramas I've watched in English. I still love hearing them speak in Korean, but this was more convenient for me!
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| Credit: AStory and Netflix |
The show is a quick watch with only eleven episodes for the entire season. I was happy that the length was right for the story. It was not too short that it left some things unanswered. It was also not too long that it was dragging the story to make it long enough.
I loved that this was a drama through and through. It was refreshing that it did not put any focus on the romance element and concentrated more on the main plot. To me, it gave the female leads their moment to shine as women who could take on the world and everything thrown at them. It was also interesting that even if the antagonists were male, the one who pulled the strings was also a woman. Talk about girl power!
It was interesting to see how much of a focus they gave to politics for this show. The way the series showed the campaign and how important image and PR are for politicians left me a bit amused. It seems like there is a similarity when it comes to political drama in South Korea and the Philippines. It made me think that this is a drama that would do well in the Philippines if they decided to do a remake of it. I can imagine each scene fitting so well in the local setting. Someone needs to do this, or at least, something like it!
What I did find scary about the show was how powerful these corporations are in South Korea. The show makes it seem that these people have power over politicians. It seems they have more sway over how things happen in the country than the politicians. It's like money talks, the politicians listen. They showed how these people “handle” things and how they seem to be able to get away with anything.
While there was justice, it seems the rich people still got off better than they deserved. It made me wonder: do these things happen in South Korea? Is this only fiction and not inspired by anything in real life? I hope it is the latter.
I was very satisfied with Queenmaker, and I loved how the show ended. The conclusion of the story was satisfying—a win for the good and a loss for the bad.
I loved that Dohee turned herself in at the end. Even if she knew she could get away with her crimes, she still took responsibility for her actions. She did not use her connections and owned up to her role as the fixer of the corrupt corporation. It wouldn’t feel sincere if she did not do that since the whole point of her story was trying to make things right. The sad part there was not being able to work with the new mayor even if she helped put her in the position.
It was also exciting to see the end of this series. In the final scene, Dohee had a visitor in jail. It was a man who told her that he needed her services. It's implied that the man who visited her seemed powerful enough to get her out of jail. Would this mean a second season? If yes, I am all for it!
Where are they now?
Kim Hee-ae
After this show, she is appearing in the movie Dead Man and the new series The Whirlwind. There have been no release dates for both as of this posting.
Ryu Soo-young
He has appeared in another series called Bloodhounds but apart from that, I haven't found any news on him.
Moon So-ri
A director and screenwriter apart from being an actress, she has been busy with new projects. She's working on a series called Jeong Nyeon (for 2024) and another called You Have Done Well (no release date yet).
Ok Ja-yeon
Her latest project apart from Queenmaker has been the film Archeology of Love. There is no news on any future projects apart from a web series labeled LTNS. I love this girl and I would love to see more of her work. She's a bit intense but she is an excellent actress!
Seo Yi-sook
Her only recent project apart from Queenmaker has been the series Good Bad Mother. I've been hearing a lot about that one. No future projects lined up that I could find so far.
As much as I would want a second season for this show, the chances of that happening are very low. Most Korean dramas only last for one season. While I have seen some of my favorites get a second season, this is rare. Most of the actors from this have already moved on to other projects, so season 2 is impossible at this point. It would be nice to see if it could happen.
Powerful women, political drama and intrigue, and the battle of good versus bad. That's what Queenmaker is all about. It features a talented set of actors that you can't help but feel for. This is one of those shows that I am happy I decided to check out because it was worth the watch!
What do you think of my review? Does it help you to consider watching the show? And for my readers who have seen the show, what do you think of it? Leave your messages in the comments, and tell me more about it!
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