Empress Ki Golta
Luz Ignasiak
A domestic and overseas hit, the series received the Golden Bird Prize for Serial Drama at the 9th Seoul International Drama Awards. Ha Ji-won also won the Grand Prize at the MBC Drama Awards for her performance.
The series revolves around Ki Seung-nyang (Ha Ji-won), a Goryeo-born woman who ascends to power despite the restrictions of the era's class system, and later marries Toghon Temr (emperor of the Yuan dynasty) to become a Yuan empress, instead of her first love, Wang Yoo (Joo Jin-mo). It managed to highlight the deep love the Emperor embedded in Lady Ki and depicts her loves and political ambitions.[3]
The series attained high ratings during its run, ranking first in its timeslot with a peak viewership rating of 33.9 percent.[4][5] According to a report by Taiwan's drama channel ETTV, the series was ranked as the best foreign program for 2014 with 5.35% viewership rating, becoming the second Korean drama after Jewel in the Palace (2003) to do so.[6] It also received positive reviews for its strong acting skills, gripping background and elaborate scenes.[7]
Despite its popularity, the series was criticized for its inclusion of fictional elements regarding the characters and storyline. Much concern was raised over the series' depiction of the titular Empress Ki, who was portrayed as a brave warrior in the series. Historians were worried that the audience would overlook the fact that the real-life Empress Ki was responsible for attacking her native land.[7][8]
Synopsis: A tale of Seung Nyang (Ha Ji Won), a woman from Koryo (Korea), who is forcefully taken to Yuan (China) as a tribute, and ends up being the empress of Yuan. In her struggle to the top, she swears to avenge the wrongful deaths of her family and countrymen, fends off political enemies in the Yuan palace, and gets caught up in a love triangle between the king of Koryo (Joo Jin Mo) and the emperor of Yuan (Ji Chang Wook).
First of all as a WY shipper and a TEENAGER but an OPEN-MINDED audience of this AMAZING drama, I WANT to correct you that Seungnyang became an empress without even falling in love with Ta Hwan. She approved to be an Empress because she wants her own people (koryeo people) to stand up from being poor and being a concubine.
Also keep in mind how upset and angry she was when she learned Bayan killed Wang Yu (or so they thought at the time) and how she she made it clear that she will not show him any mercy. And then learning that the emperor is the one to actually kill Wang Yu in later episodes, I personally believe she realized the difference between the two men who had sworn to love her. Both may have loved her but at what cost? One had died to protect her at all cost without asking anything in return while the other made sure to keep her at her side at all cost.
Emperor Togon was just a jealous selfish obsessed weak man who was just lucky to have the title of emperor, and Wang Yu was everything a man and king should be
And of course, empress Ki loved Wang Yu more
People keep saying that Togon loved her initially because she was the only one who protected him genuinely.. But guess what, she was obeying the orders of her king
The emperor was never grateful to Wang Yu despite the fact that Wang Yu saved his life countless times
Without Wang Yu, Togon would be dead 10 times over
It took me 3 months to decide if I should watch Empress Ki because of the 51 episodes. So I watched alot the other JCW dramas (during this lockdown- I did repeats too). The 6 days ago I decided to watch it reluctantly but I became captivated as I kept watching.
I stopped viewing the series right in the middle when i realized that, Seung Nyang and Wang Yoo wont be the happy ending. but when i read through your thoughts, it was rather re assuring and very soothing, knowing that most of us, who left comments felt the same hatred pity towards emperor of yuan and love and respect towards wang yoo. since it is not a melodramatic romance series, the ending was not like happy together, but yet, reading through your comforting sentences, i could feel happy of all the promising love between Seung Nyang and Wang Yoo.
Iam not planning to watch the entire series,as the initial episodes were much capturing and heavy on my mind. And from your blog, it is heart breaking to read that the two of them have a child together and the child dies in the series. but may be the mere reason or gist of the show is royal politics and thirst for the throne which was shown towards the end .ultimately it is the power and throne which over wins or oversees love , sacrifices as well .
Thank you for a less virtual journey you have taken us into the series. much appreciation from my end. i wonder how much time, you have taken to type the whole thing and comforted us , with the untold words of love between Seung Nyang and Wang Yoo through out.
Yes i also feel the ending was rushed and it was definitely too sad that everything wangyu fought for went down the drain and he didnt get to be there for the people of goryeo nd got killed by the pathetic emperor
The series revolves around Ki Seungnyang, a Goryeo-born woman who ascends to power despite the restrictions of the era's class system, and later marries Toghon Temr (emperor of the Yuan dynasty) to become a Yuan empress, instead of her first love, Wang Yu. It managed to highlight the deep love the Emperor embedded in Lady Ki and depicts her loves and political ambitions. Ha Ji Won played the role of Ki Seung-nyang / Ki Nyang, the future Empress Ki, a woman who was born in Goryeo and became the Empress Consort of the Yuan dynasty. She is initially the fiance of Wang Yoo, but later becomes the wife of Ta Hwan thus making her Yuan's Empress Consort. Joon Ji Mo played the role of Wang Yoo, King Choonghye who was King of Goryeo who is Ki Seung Nyang's first love and fiance. He later died in the Yuan dynasty.
Empress Ki was one of the primary empresses of Toghon Temr (Emperor Huizong) of the Yuan dynasty and the mother of Biligt Khan (Emperor Zhaozong), who would become an emperor of Northern Yuan. She was originally from an aristocratic family of the Goryeo dynasty and served as concubine of Toghon Temr. During the last years of the Yuan dynasty, she became one of the most powerful women, controlling the country economically and politically.
Emperor Ta Hwan (Ji Chang Wook) found out that Gol Ta and Empress Dowager (Kim Seo Hyeong) were trying to establish a new emperor together, and threw them into a trap and executed them. In the process, Golta and Empress Dowager died, and a few years later, Tal-tal (Jin Yi Han) was killed. In addition, Ta Hwan also died after the poison that Gol Ta had fed had already spread to his organs. In the end, Ki Seung Nyang was left alone with his son Ayu Shiridara. Although controversial for distorting history, this drama is based on Empress Ki of the Yuan Dynasty, a figure who lived about 700 years ago. Therefore, the ending cannot ignore history at all. According to history, Sunje of the Yuan Dynasty, the real model of Ta Hwan, who died in the arms of Ki Seung Nyang in the Imperial Palace, died on the way to escape while fleeing the Ming army led by Joo Won Jang along with Empress Ki and her son Ayushirida. It is recorded that Taltal was not killed as in the drama, but was stripped of his office and killed in exile for the atrocity of his adversary Hapma.
The most different from history is the end of Wang Yoo (Joo Jin Mo), who was killed in episode 50. In the broadcast, it appears that Wang Yu is killed by Ta-hwan on the way to Goryeo. King Chunghye, who became Wang Yu's model, died on the way to Gwiyang by Sunje. In the drama, Wang Yu was a king trusted by the people and his servants, but it is said that no one mourned for the death of King Chunghye. Empress Ki was actually left with her son as in her drama. Even after Shunzi's death, he continued to flee and succeeded in establishing his son Ayu Shirida as Emperor of the Northern Yuan. In the end, the sad ending of the drama is a 'tragedy', so there is a part that matches the actual history as a result.
The story itself is heartbreaking and a rollercoaster of a ride as the viewers are able to navigate the story of a woman who worked hard to reach to the top and she comes across various betrayals, love, love triangles and more. Genghis Khan built an empire that spanned vast regions in East Asia and East Europe. And there was one woman who held immense power in the Yuan Dynasty, which Genghis Khan founded, for 37 years. She was neither of Mongol descent nor from the Han Chinese. She came from Goryeo, a small kingdom in the Far East. She was taken to Mongol against her will as a Gungnyeo (palace women) but somehow overcame her lowly status to become the last empress in another land. Her name was Empress Ki.
Ha Ji Won is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the historical dramas Damo, Hwang Jini, and Empress Ki, as well as the melodrama Something Happened in Bali, the romantic comedy series Secret Garden, The King 2 Hearts and the medical drama Hospital Ship. In this drama she did a great job of showing herself as a strong leader, great fighter and a person with a sturdy head on her shoulders. She is able to fight any adversities that are rained down on her life with vigor and determination, making her one of the most powerful women of her time.
A BMM graduate, Anoushka has been writing professionally for over 2 years. K-Pop and K-Dramas consume her day and she enjoys writing articles about it. So far, she has written close to 2500 articles. She loves films, music, art, and food! She spends most of her time either discovering a new film or burying her nose in a gripping novel.
c80f0f1006