[Drama 2013/2014] ♚ Empress Ki (기황후) ♚

[Guest DJG]

DISCLAIMER: I am not on any OTP “Ship”, I actually am not a fan of the idea that every Korean drama needs a love triangle (medical, historical, crime, melo etc. always revolve around some love triangle, bleh). I like all the actors and I think they are for the most part doing a good job.

Having said that, I think the love triangle was unnecessary in this drama, and the current episodes make it even more glaring. I understand why they included it, how do you sell a Kdrama to native viewers that takes place primarily in a foreign country without any connection to the homeland.

But WY is off in no-man’s land and now is relegated to errand boy, working behind the scenes to help his former lover and her new husband. How selfless. The fact that he spent several episodes running after the counterfeit ring, and then it took TT one episode to take down the face of the ring was a slap in the face of WY’s prowess. But then he is rewarded with finding the coded document. Hmm, okay.

The scene where he and SN meet again was weird. Here is a supposed epic love story that took place primarily off screen. One minute they are male comrades fighting to save Goryeo, next minute she is pining for him, he finds out she is a girl, they hug, they reconcile, they part, she is pregnant, and then she goes to another man. They finally meet and the conversation goes something like this:

SN: So we talked about dying together, change of plans bro
WY: Yeah, I feel you dude, my bad for leaving you behind
SN: No sweat, I got business to handle up in this joint
WY: Okay, do you
SN: Yeah, let’s not meet again
End scene

I am paraphrasing a bit, lol. But, that’s what their conversation felt like. It was devoid of feelings and just really odd.

I haven’t followed the news on this drama lately, but if companies are pulling strings behind the scenes, then this drama is going to fall off the cliff. They are already dragging things out way too much. TH should have gotten back his power by now.

Who is behind Eagle House
When does BY get in power
When is the second empress coming
When is Lady Ki promoted
What about the other consorts and their fight for power
When will SN and TH consummate their marriage
When will SN give birth
When will the fight to promote SN happen
What about the fight to make her son the heir
When will SN and the ED go head to head
When will TT go against BY and support SN
When will SN become, you know Empress

This drama is going in the direction of so many Kdramas- good start, draggy middle, rushed end.

It would be a shame for this drama to unravel. It is not the best, but it is better than most, and if politics is getting into the handling of things then that is a huge shame.

[Guest missred123]

@DJG

Goes to show an angel can't stand in a room filled with devils.

On your second comment, BRAVO!!!! You have stated what I was thinking. If the love triangle was soo weak it was best to leave it out of the story and just focus on EK. Like I have stated before if WY keep protecting SN behind the scenes I am out! Which man is that noble? None I know.

[Guest [Deleted User]]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

[chrissydiva]

This is not a rant. It just some thing i have been feeling lately. Honestly, it has almost became a chore for me to even come to this thread. Whatever fun this thread used to be, i feel like it was ages ago. The snide comments, the passive aggressiveness on both sides of the fandom (yes, both sides so i am not called this or that one shipper.) , and some arrogance in tone that i noticed is just leaving a bitter taste in my mouth and it's almost affecting my eagerness to watch the show. Now, i just wait for both episodes to be properly subbed to watch which usually happens like days after both episodes aired when i used to watch it even raw. That was my greatest fear when i first started this show. I said that fans tend to turn me off shows more than the show itself because most act like hormonal teenagers instead of adults. One of the reasons i dropped AM 1994, and boy was i right. It's not like i was a fan of any of the actors there so i didn't lose anything by dropping it. Anyway, just my two cents.

@DJG Thank you for your insight about the real life Tal Tal. Like you, i am hoping they are not going to rush things toward the end. Though we still don't know how far the writers are planning the show to go to. I still think the El Temur clan ending is near. It's not like Tana needs to die with them anyway if they really want to keep BJH. I'm sure they'll come up with something.  My major beef is with this PD. I really hate that the writers previous PD is contracted with SBS. EK would have been way better in his hands. *sigh*

[wolanah]

I don't think that's the writers fault, it's MBC which are telling them to drag TN segment, they are afraid to loose viewers, MBC CEO is known for his love of money over the quality (KBS & SBS tend to take more risks), so we are already at E31, we didn't even get to see BG's niece, SN doesn't have her second baby... ET still has the imperial seal, so now there is two solutions for them :

- they will extend the drama to 60 episodes (more episodes, more money)
- they will rush the *** in one episode

I want to see the despot Bagan, prime minister Tal Tal, Teenager Maha, how the death of TN & ET will be played out ect...

ah and, THEY HAVE TO FIRE THAT DAMN PD, love wind song in the battle scene was really too much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest DJG]

@chrissydiva - I noticed the change as well, but didn't want to wade into it. The debacle that was the AM1994 shipping wars is something that still gives me pause. It made watching and discussing the drama difficult, as viewers abandoned the story and became consumed with the shipping.

Triangles are a staple of kdramas, so I wonder why they have become so volatile (Heirs also had its share of ship sniping). People need to separate the actor from the character. Voicing your dislike for a character is not a personal attack on the actor. I know some fans are very sensitive at finding fault with their bias, so I try to be more careful when it comes to K-entertainment forums.

Regarding the pacing, I am disappointed that the team is allowing outside influences to affect the direction of the drama. This is why I don't like live-shooting, it results in too much viewer pandering.

Nothing against BJH, I liked her in High Kick and her romance was the bright light in ISYG, however, I just don't see how the character is the fan favorite in this drama. Her crying in episode 31 was the first time the character seemed believable to me. The Empress character is poorly written and by SN struggling to one-up her, it indirectly makes SN, the drama's focal lead, look weak as well.

The actual power games in Episode 31 is the direction I would have gone in, but the PD seems intent on meandering around the same point and moving a slight inch at a time. This drama seems unsure on whether they want to be a 'based on' (very close to the real events) or 'inspired by' story.

I hope I didn't offend anybody >-

[tessieroo]

@SongMira - That's our beloved @rinchan76 this week, she's taking finals! Everyone keep your fingers crossed for her! 
@pegster - I feel like that announcement from JJM's agency was 100% for his fans more than anything else. They may be getting tons of mail expressing concern or anger since they feel he's not getting enough screen time. I don't feel like he's been wasted at all, he's amazing! (but maybe it's just that I'm happy to see him back in a drama, no matter what) Things like screen time seldom (if ever) cross my mind when I'm watching a show I really enjoy.  
@missred123 - Love reading your comments, LOL at DK suddenly being a lawyer.  =))  I still can't get over his voice cracking.  :|
@chrissydiva - Agree 100%  ^^
Recap for this week is up:Here

[Guest chaudinh1609]

For someone who insists on Wang Yoo should comeback to Goryeo
You may forget who found out the coded book, who kept Bi Soo alive so that later she can translate that book, who delivered that book to Sun Nyang. If that was not Wang Yoo, then your Emperor would be dethroned and maybe become a successful Puppet Maker and Seller in Yuan market.
For the Emperor, I could say "Behind every great Puppet, there always be a great Puppet Player (i.e. Sun Nyang). I didn't remembered any scene your Emperor actually utilize his frozen brain. Ah, one time when he tempted to blame Wang Yoo for poisoning ET. How brave and heroic your Emperor is!
Not to mention, he can stand on the stage to face ET is what Sun Nyang told him must to do, even he has to learn by heart every single word to talk to ET. How shameless an Emperor that he call himself an Emperor! =))

[Guest critics]

@jewel11 said:  "For me. Whatever your role in the drama it doesn't matter as long as you act it rightly. The audience will always remember the actor or actress when they act realistic. The audience must feel the emotions of the actors even without words. Empress ki actors are all great. We are move how they portray their characters. They are all amazing. This is the reason why empress ki is always at the top. Good job. God bless everyone."
You've got a point!  .  However, in a pool full of veteran or as you stated great actors and actresses to the point that almost everybody has an equal footing, then if I am one of them and I want to shine as bright as a morning sun, all I have to do is to steal some time in the scene to outshine the others.  Just saying.  But what can I do?  The world is full of competitions and I need to fullback my position to make both ends meet or.

[pegster]

@tessiero I agree.  I have no problem with JJM's acting.  I actually liked his character in the beginning, and thought he did great.  Even some of the current scenes.
Like some people have said already the issue is with the way his character is being displayed, and what his character is being put through.  
Someone already mentioned, it's not so much the quantity, it's the quality of the acting.  If the drama starts to focus primarily on SN, which it should in the latter part, we will probably see HD and PBH with much more screen time since they're her side kicks.  Now are we going to complain about that?  It's just natural that the character who has the most connections with the main will be on screen more.
I'll admit, I'm not a JJM or a JCW fan, I started EK for HJW.  That doesn't make me a JJM or JCW anti-fan/hater.
The thing that turns me off, and makes me want to dislike the characters are the comments of some of the extreme fans who see every comment that contains some sort of criticism as an attack on the actor.  Like I said, I'm probably missing some discussion in this thread because I've started to ignore certain posts that make me cringe.
Ah, what the heck, I'm probably guilty of everything that I said makes me cringe.  Oh well.  I'll see how much longer I'll be able to last in this thread.

[rinchan76]

@tessieroo how did you know, I was in full warrior woman study mode, but now I need a break. After finals I will probably sleep and only wake up to watch EK lol =))
In regards to JJM reduced screen time, I was not surprised that he was begining to get less screen time, things like this happens even to the main characters of other 50 episode dramas. The issue is actually the focus of the storyline. In the begining, we were able to get a lot of action from WY, but at the time we were watching how WY and SN ended up in Yuan, also we needed to see how a street thug came to know a crown prince and developed a relationship. Now however we are at the story arch where we will see how SN rises to become Empress. This would entail strengthening the throne, so we would see a lot more of TH and his allies, and since she must deal with the opposers, we will see ET and crew as well as their machinations. Due to the fact that they must keep good pacing, and they only have 60 mins they have to cram as much of those parts that they need to show for the build up, so some characters screen time will be reduced, unfortunately. if the writers tried to give everyone equal time the plot lines would get draggy and people will lose interest.
Also, someone mentioned that the writers flopped when it came to the development of WY-SN loveline, because half of us had no clue they were in love. I tend to agree. I think this too might be due to the pacing since a 60 episode drama was cut to a 50 episode drama, and I am sure there are a lot of story lines the writers wanted to pursue. I think the writers relied to much on the fact that WY would appear to be the obvious choice, and gave them a few interactions, hoping that it would be enough for us to believe, so that they can start getting towards more pertinent storylines.  
However I do not feel as though jjm has been abandoned, I am always curious how the writers try to keep WY in the loop. He often does get the sub plots so that is one way he gets screen time (he is the lead in these subplots). Even though we do not fully understand at times how it will tie into the story, but so far, the first subplot got WY the opportunity to be at ET's side, but also the second subplot allowed for WY to help SN achieve her goal. Both of these wouldn't be possible without the subplots. It looks like WY will now be working from the inside to take ET down, he is like an unofficial spy since ET is the common enemy. 
I wonder if WY will be aware of ET's upcoming plot against SN?     

[tessieroo]

@rinchan76 - Break? Yah, no breaks!  :-w  (I'm totally kidding, hon - you need to eat some ice-cream or something) 
This was posted on JCW's Twitter :


(cr: @Jichangwook) 

[ChelseaS]

@DJG

^^ ^^^^

As usual, love your insights.

A lot of people made a comment earlier that it seems that there would not be enough time for the next villain in the drama. I do think that they really dragged the ET clan storyline (30++ episodes!!), and I am afraid that rushing the ending is a foregone conclusion. Another sign that your villain has been alive for far too long is when his strategies are weak and laughable. Framing Lady Ki, really? How did he become so great if this is the BEST he can think of?

(I have read in some history sites that Togon came to power when Temur was already out. So I don't know why they had to drag the ET story this far.)

If Bayan will be the next villain, I hope they do write it well. I don't want him suddenly wanting power for himself, but I want to see his inner struggle--that of being a subject who highly values loyalty vs. someone who suddenly possessed immense power and became drunk with it.

The battle within the palace can really be interesting, too, if written well (like the Legend of Zhen Huan). I hope to see a fight between a formidable concubine (or the next Empress) and SN. Tanashiri, despite her constant smirk, is a poorly written character. She does not have the smarts to ever outwit anyone--let alone SN.

@rinchan76
Goodluck on the exams!

[Guest soraciel]

yeah, i am bored with ET, as the main villain. can't the writer slash his clan in one eps? -..-

[pegster]

tessieroo

said:

(cr: @Jichangwook) 

[ChelseaS]

New pics! SN has her arrows!
<:-P



(sorry, not sure why its not appearing. but you can click here: EK DC

@pegster

Yes, that cutie is my baby. Hihihi

[pegster]

Let me give the photos a try.  I swear these two are teasing us with all these BTS photos.
SN's outfit is pretty Mongolian like, at least from what I've seen in other C-dramas.






Credit: EK DC and JCW Instagram
@ChelseaS

How old is your doggie?  My friend has a husky and he's loving the winter here at home.  It's nice to play with other people's big dogs haha.

[Guest niknokdagu425]

pegster said:

tessieroo

said:

(cr: @Jichangwook) 

[pegster]

niknokdagu425 said: how come its not playing @pegster

[Guest adjani1430293095]

I dont get why people cannot separate the actor from his character. Although I have been fervent in rooting for some characters or very into certain actors (So Ji Sub! ) .. I never quite understand why people get so upset and riled (ala Heirs fans) and attack other characters or fans.
I totally agree that this live shooting dramas is a pain in many ways, be it for the actors/actresses as well as the changing of their scripts due to ratings/pressure/fans etc. They should have decided and plan for alternative endings. 
As for JJM's agency's issued statement.. I am a little puzzled.. I am supportive of all the actors and actresses but isn't your role to well act as the script demands. So more or less screen time depends on the script right?  Its a good thing, they have excellent EQ and mentioned that the focus should be on his acting (which no one doubts is excellent!)
I mean it would be dead odd if SY who is TH's concubine spends time with WY instead of developing a relationship with TH, she is afterall his Empress. Plus the dude got married ... and is busy trying to reclaim his throne?! 
I too wait to see how the writers develop the mess of loose ends... hopefully properly and not to incredulously ... I mean they do have history and the novel as a potential guide as it is.. or does that make it worse