5 Reasons Why You Need to Watch "Empress Ki"

We here at Soompi are doing a special series on many of the nominees of the Seoul International Drama Awards. As Soompi is home to many superfans, we thought it fitting to reach out to our own forum community to introduce some of their favorite shows and actors to you. Hanyeoun is one of our K-Drama forum moderators, and would like to share the glory that is Empress Ki, nominated for all 3 awards – Best Drama, Best Actor for Ji Chang Wook, and Best Actress for Ha Ji Won.

Click through the gallery to find out some of the reasons why this drama may deserve your vote for the 2014 Outstanding Korean Drama award. *Warning: May contain spoilers*

The Romance Between Two Kingdoms

Empress Ki offers two interesting love lines with Seung Nyang, torn between choosing Wang Yoo representing her homeland, Goryeo, or Tae Hwan from the invading Mongol Empire of the Yuan Dynasty. Her fate is already predetermined as Seung Nyang chose to carry the mission of protecting Tae Hwan instead of following her beloved prince Wang Yoo. The love triangle spanning over this series is mesmerizing because it carves an important path for our heroine finding her place and identity in the middle of both warring nations.

The Heartbreaking Moments

Empress Ki offers a wide range of emotions displayed from our wonderful actors and actresses. With the combination of impressive instrumental soundtracks, almost every scene seamlessly carries a significant importance such as the latest moments of Commander Ki, forcibly played by his own nation’s politics and branded as a traitor for treason, bidding farewell to his long lost daughter, Seung Nyang. If there are any sageuk fans out there, you will certainly tear up at some point in this enthralling drama.

The Villainy

For every drama, there is always a baddie. El Temur is the prime example of this series. However, he is not the true villain of Empress Ki. The evil lies in the political struggle with the goal of gaining more power in the Court. El Temur was known to be a famous conqueror until he got attached to his greed of gaining the throne for the sake of the Yuan people. The only thing he doesn’t realize is his tyrannic desire of becoming the Emperor destroys his own nation he wants to build.

The Rise of a New Empress

Of course, let’s not forget the quest of Seung Nyang reuniting Goryeo and the Mongol Empire for peace. Her route of rightfully coveting the seat of authority is hindered by many obstacles such as the Temur family including Empress Tanashiri, the brothers Dangkise, Talahai and their minions. With the downfall of this household, new villains are awakened with the mysterious Eagle House as they will also try to steal the throne by themselves.

The Staff and Cast

Behind the scenes, the real highlight behind Empress Ki is the selection of extraordinary talents such as Ha Ji Won, Joo Min Mo, Ji Chang Wook or Baek Jin Hee. The interaction between these handpicked actors and actresses is worth admiring accompanied with balanced screenwriting, attractive cinematography and soothing melodies. Anyone who missed this amazing jewel should view this groundbreaking series praised positively with high numbers from the Korean audience.

Empress Ki was a roller coaster of feelings with lots of unforgettable scenes. What were your favorite moments of Empress Ki? Please share them with us!

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