Origin and release year: South Korea (Queenmaker – 2023)
Korean title: 퀸메이커
Starring: Kim Hee Ae, Kim Tae Hoon, Won Tae Min, Moon So Ri, Ryu Soo Young, Ok Ja Yeon, Jin Kyung, Seo Yi Sook, Han Chae Kyung, Kyeong Yeong Lee, Kim Sae Byuk, Yoon Ji Hye, Ki Do Hoon, Seo Eun Ah, Kim Ho Jung, Kim Sun Young, Kim Byeong Ok, Park Sang Hoon, Son Byeong Hoon
Director: Oh Jin Suk
Screenwriter: Moon Ji Young
Synopsis: Two women who used to lead starkly different lives leave everything they know behind to combine forces and create a just and truthful world. (MyDramaList)
Queenmaker is the series that she thinks she is. It definitely reminds you of Shonda Rhimes’ hit series Scandal/The Fixer and Kim Hee Ae serves some serious Olivia Pope energy.
There’s been a lack of decent K-Dramas recently and it can partly be faulted to underdeveloped storylines and characters with no character arc; but Queenmaker doesn’t lack either.
Kim Hee Ae (as always) gave a solid performance with her ice queen character, Hwang Do Hee, who develops a conscience and sense of Justice. Her character arc was inexplicably believable and well-executed with a proper balance of angst. This writer also seriously appreciated how certain aspects of her storyline were not forced i.e a reunion with her husband Ma Jung Seok (played by Kim Tae Hoon).
Whilst the both of them had clear chemistry in that beautiful understated way that lets you feel the lingering regrets that they still have for each other… Their storyline was not forced to create some kind of unnecessary romance line in the drama.
In fact, there was an implication that there’d be a love line between Do Hee and the guy who was serving as their aid on the campaign but it never came to fruition. It would’ve been interesting to see this in hindsight.
Regardless, the series was overall satisfactory with juicy justice served in all aspects. Every character with the potential to change had a well-written character arc and there were no plot holes or narrative question marks by the end of the series.
This writer certainly hopes there’s a season 2 (which was alluded to at the end anyways).
What did you think of Queenmaker? Let us know in the comments!
“there was an implication that there’d be a love line between Do Hee and the guy who was serving as their aid on the campaign”
Yes! I also expected that there would be something more between them. I would’ve been okay if it was a mentor-mentee relationship but after seeing Kim Hee-Ae in “Secret Love Affair,” I knew she could definitely do the May-December romance. But I think inserting that into the show would’ve removed the focus from the Hwang Do Hee-Oh Kyung Sook friendship/womance.