I started this show during my trip in Korea at my grandmother’s house which meant I had to watch the first two episodes of a historical kdrama with no subtitles. My Korean is pretty good but I only understood about 50% . It didn’t matter, the visuals and emotions hooked me.
The show is about a queen (Kim Hye Soo) and her 5 sons, the grand princes Crown Prince (Bae In Hyuk), Seongnam (Moon Sang Min), Muan (Yoon Sang Hyun), Gyeosung (Yoo Seon Ho), and Ilyeong (Park Ha Joon). The palace is a hostile place and the Queen Dowager (Kim Hae Sook) is in control and will kill family members to get what she wants. There are other players who contribute to the hostility, Consort Hwang, her father the Prime Minister, and their son Prince Uiseong.
The setting is the usual power struggle of the Joseon royal family which is the backbone of most Sageuks but this one hits different. It is a plot driven show and the story definitely keeps you on the hook. Most historical Kdramas, the queen is the one who is doing all of the plotting and scheming and looking for revenge. They usually have crazy twists that keep the viewer interested.
The show is set in a beautiful backdrop of the palace and the all of the brightly coloured hanboks. The main story is about how a mother protects her children in the hostile palace where there are about dozen other princes who are coveting the seat of the crowned prince who is the king’s successor. The Queen Dowager (Kim Hae Sook) wants to control everything and is playing all sides. She hates the current queen and wants to dethrone her and will use her grandsons to do it.
The most beautiful thing about this show is how much the queen loves her sons unconditionally. She knows all of their strengths and weaknesses and loves them all the same. My heart ached for her queer son who could not live the way he wanted in the palace and she gave him a gift to acknowledge who he really is. She did not dismiss his feelings or make him feel bad about it. She accepted him and that was all. Even in the present day, whether in Korea or anywhere, gender identity is always an issue. I’m so glad that Netflix is making sure that all of their shows touch on the LGTBQ topics. It forces these conservative audiences see what normal is and can be.
I don’t know how to translate the Korean title 슈룹 (Shyoo – Roop) but it the title Under Queens Umbrella is the most fitting title. Not only did she make sure to support her sons, she also had a shelter for women who had nowhere to go. These are women who are rejected by society because they either had a child out of wedlock or were raped by their masters or retired courtesans.
I absolutely love Kim Ga Eun. She was adorable in Because This is My First Life and I get excited when she is in a show. She’s just pleasant to have around for some reason.
All of the decisions that were made were based on her love and protection for her family and not for what is best politically or to protect her position as the queen.
Now we get into her relationship with the king. We finally see a king who is not a puppet. Despite his many concubines, him and the queen were true intellectual equals and he acknowledges her as his life partner. They are a team, despite what his mother the Queen Dowager thinks.
Although it was hard to watch the sexy bad ass Kim Hye Soo play a mom, she was still able to maintain her edge as a loving mother. I loved the scenes where she was running and throw away any etiquette or grace when speed was more important. The intense eyebrow lifting and how she spoke to her enemies, was polite yet laced with venom. She never did anything out of revenge. She only disabled them so they could no longer hurt her family.
Beautiful cinematography, cute princes, loveable characters, baddie Kim Hye Soo, and great story with an even better ending makes for a perfect kdrama.
#unnieshimkoong #kdramas #koreandramas #koreancinematography #ramyun #romance #thriller #lovers #daebak #koreanactors #korea #koreanpride #unnie #koreanfood #drama #tv #viki #netflix #dongsengoftheweek #saranghae #yousaranghaeme #kimhyesoo #kimhaesook #feminist #historicalkdrama
unnieshimkoong.com 