330. The Last Empress 황후의 품격 (2018) Korean

Jang Na Ra, Choi Jin Hyuk, Shin Sung Rok, Shin Eun Kyung, Lee Elijah

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A+

Some of you might already know this, but I love makjang (aka overly melodramatic). But not just any makjang, I like the classy, but crazy kind that twists through through all the emotions and all the drama without making you want to chew your leg off to escape it. The kind that is so fantastic that you just eat it up and want more. The Last Empress was exactly what I like. Not only that, but all the craziness was fortified by a stellar cast that made everything worth it, even at the crazier times. I have always loved Jang Na Ra, so seeing her take down the rotten royal family was the best. Also, and you might have heard this a time or two but, I love Shin Sung Rok. As a super fangirl, this show just might have been a dream come true. He was really in his element with the complex character that was the emperor. One part villain, one part hero, at least two parts lover, and a whole lot of crazy. The chemistry between him and Jang Na Ra was nothing short of amazing and that really complicated things because even when he was being a supreme douche bag and you knew he was lying, you still wanted to believe his fake cuteness because the chemistry was there. Now that's messed up and perfect makjang right there.

So, yeah, I might have a problem to begin with.

Note: Reading on might contain mild spoilers, so be warned.


This show took so many twist and turns that you literally couldn't fully predict what was going to happen next, which I love. You just have to go with the flow, accept the crazy, and love it. I went into it thinking it was going to be a forbidden romance between her and her bodyguard, with an awkward love triangle with her husband (I don't think I watched enough previews, lol). That idea was crushed within the first 10 seconds of the show. It was definitely not a love triangle in that way. Instead they made her husband completely evil at the start and made us hate everyone to the point where there was no way that they would be redeemable.... hahahaha... 😂😭

Then we started to feel weird things for the emperor. You know I already have a thing for villains. This isn't fair! Why does he have to be so cute when he's faking it! I'd believe him! I get you Oh Sunny-ssi!

I loved Oh Sunny (Jang Na Ra). She was strong and fierce and oh so loving. She was also smart the whole time too. Even when she was being fooled she wasn't an idiot. She forgave and loved even when it wasn't deserved. She wasn't out for revenge, she was out for redemption and justice the whole time. She was too good for this drama. Literally. She was the only good person in this drama. I didn't even like her family. They were annoying. But she was golden.

Choi Jin Hyuk.... Or should I say his character Na Wang Sik? Although he was the "male lead" going in (I would say it was more of a 50/50 split between the dudes with the only real MVP being Oh Sunny) he was never really a "good person" and his motivation was always revenge, although he managed to keep on the justice side of it. But he was annoying before he was tragic, and even after he was tragic he did some pretty questionable things. He was not an interesting character either, although I never have any complaints looking at Choi Jin Hyuk. He's hot. But even from the start I thought Na Wang Sik was crazy and not that likable. But then to make matters worse, he definitely got outshone by his rival, Lee Hyuk, the emperor. Show stolen. Even when they tried to push a empress/bodyguard romance, none of us were having it. A love/hate relationship with the crazy emperor was better than a forced romance between her and this dude we didn't 100% like, although I understood that we were supposed to like him. Plus, that bullet in his head meant that he was probably going to die anyway. Whatevs.

Then there was the complicated bromance between the emperor and Na Wang Sik, who wanted revenge on him. It was another complicated relationship, because even though he did everything to earn the emperor's confidence, I sometimes wonder if he didn't like him a bit too. Whether he would have forgiven him if he had ever actually made an effort to change. Complicated.

So, the show got stolen by the "villain" and it became more of a story of his redemption rather than a revenge tale, which is actually much more satisfying, but way more complicated. It was super strange because it was like the plot changed multiple times, but it wasn't in a way that was wholly unrealistic, if you could ever say that about makjang. Yes, it changed directions, but doing so seemed to make sense in the overarching scheme. The more you learned about characters and backstories, perspectives changed and everything became more complex. There was no two dimensional characters... except maybe that dowager empress. She was literally the evillest mother in the history of K-dramas. Seriously, she was the worst. The most unrealistic thing about the whole drama is how much crap she got away with for how long.

As we came to realize who was more of a villain that who, who actually killed the last empress and the granny, things completely change. Nothing is simple in this drama. Everyone has some story behind why the are who they are. Everyone is hurt, but the main message is what you do as the victim. Do you become selfish and hurt others to protect yourself? Or do you help heal the wounds of others. This message is why the show works as well as it does, I think. Plus on top of that you've got just the best chemistry between the cast. For real.

The drama gods answered us when we wanted a Reaper and Sunny drama. Can they give us and Emperor and Sunny drama next! Please? Don't waste that coupling!