Key Cast: Kim Hye-soo, Choi Won-young, Yoo Seon-ho, Bae In-hyuk, Ok Ja-yeon
Overview
Following the story of Joseon royalty, Queen Im Hwa-ryeong (Kim Hye-soo) and King Yi Ho (Choi Won-young), Under the Queen’s Umbrella is an entertaining yet dark South Korean historical drama filled with non-stop scheming and power plays for the throne. After the Crown Prince (Bae In-hyuk) falls ill, the battle for succession of the throne begins. Given that neither of queen’s other 4 sons (Grand Princes) have been raised and educated with the expectation to be King, the sudden illness of the Crown Prince unexpectedly places the lives of his brothers at risk.
To ensure that the King’s dynasty continues, a new crown prince may be appointed based on his talent and merit. Given that the king has many concubines and at least 6 other eligible princes, the competition for the throne is fierce as the mothers all push their sons to become the new heir. Additionally, the Queen’s strained relationship with her mother-in-law (Queen Dowager) adds to her stress. As the Queen Dowager schemes to depose the current Queen and Grand Princes and install her favorite on the throne, the Queen must fend off constant grabs at the throne while transforming her spoiled sons into king material.
Thoughts
Although Under the Queen’s Umbrella has only released a few episodes, it has the makings of being a phenomenally dynamic and complex historical drama. The first episode is a little slow, however the intense power struggle between the Queen, Queen Dowager, and concubines begin adding unexpected twists and turns to the show starting in episode 2. Not to mention the witty banter and side-swiping comments between the concubines only add to the drama. The show also accurately highlights a mother’s love. Regardless of their status, each mother is willing to do anything and everything to ensure that their sons succeed. Glad to know that Tiger Moms have always existed.
Despite being a historical drama, Under the Queen’s Umbrella is anything but boring. The Queen’s charming yet strict personality makes her a strong favorite. Her dedication to her sons and her methods to cleverly outmaneuver her competitors bring a sly smile to my face every episode. Also, I can’t help but not root for the Queen to win. Born to parents with no royal/political status, the Queen doesn’t behave like your “typical” queen. Rather than elegantly and slowly walking to her destination, she is constantly running around the palace, leaving her court ladies frantically scurrying to keep up. Although she has the walking pace of a “martial arts artist”, the Queen is poised, calculated, and confident. Despite potentially losing everything, the Queen’s humanity and love for her sons give her the strength to stand her ground and make decisions to save as many people as possible.
The brotherly bond between the mischievous 5 Grand Princes is also a key highlight. Although each of the Grand Princes have wildly different personalities and interests, they always stick together and vouch for each other, no matter what. As the drama progresses and more about the princes are revealed, I am left on the edge of my seat eagerly awaiting the next episode.
