Yesss… finally it is here.
In this post, I will be reviewing the remaining episodes of Queen: Love and War and also giving my final thoughts on the drama.
If you haven’t seen the two previous reviews, use these links 👉🏼Queen: Love and War: Drama Review – Episode 1-4
👉🏼Queen: Love And War: Drama Review – Episode 5-10
(warning – spoilers ahead)
Review:
At the end of episode 10, Baek Ja Yong told Eun Bo to poison the King. The drama continues with Eun Bo refusing but complying at the end because she was threatened with her mother’s life. Honestly, I knew they were going to use her mother against her, but I had hoped for her to open up about everything to the king. Sure, things still tuned out okay, but she could have saved herself from all the stress.
I felt so vindicated when prince Jae Hwa finally admitted to his greed for power and revenge. He never had any intentions to create a better world in the first place. Because I have been thinking, why do they hate the king so much? He is smart, just, kind and willing to work with good ministers. There also wasn’t any show of him disregarding his people’s wellbeing. So what exactly was their problem if not wanting to acquire power for themselves. Jae Hwa and the left minster’s daughter are so alike. If someone says they don’t love you, leave them and give yourself space to heal. Why do you have to take your heart to the deepest part of hell just to get their affection or destroy what you can’t have?🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
On a side note, am I the only one that finds the King’s tonation odd? Something about his pronunciation throws me off. I noticed this since the first episode but never mentioned it. I’m only pointing it out now because this my last time discussing this drama. Anyways it’s not a big deal.
The characters that impressed me a lot in these final episodes were Wal and the King. Aside from his prophetic dreams, the King is brilliant. He was able to decipher most of the plots coming his way. That made things more interesting for me.
- Wal played by Lee Si Eon
He proved himself to be more than comic relief and showcased his skills from years of running an investigation agency. He was the one that discovered most of the critical details that helped the main couple deal with the criminals around them. I adore his relationship with Eun Bo. He acts like an older brother that scolds her when she’s acting silly, and he is also her best friend who supports her relationship with the King. I was so grateful that they didn’t kill off his character. At first, I thought he was going to jump ships and betray Eun Bo, but thankfully, his role did not take such a predictable route.
He proved himself to be more than comic relief and showcased his skills from years of running an investigation agency. He was the one that discovered most of the critical details that helped the main couple deal with the criminals around them. I adore his relationship with Eun Bo. He acts like an older brother that scolds her when she’s acting silly, and he is also her best friend who supports her relationship with the King. I was so grateful that they didn’t kill off his character. At first, I thought he was going to jump ships and betray Eun Bo, but thankfully, his role did not take such a predictable route.So far, most scenes in this series have been quite smart and realistic, so I was absolutely disappointed during that assassination attempt. I understand why the queen stood still because it was her plot to get Eun Bo killed. However, why were Eun Bo and Song Yi just standing still when a man was pointing a gun right at them? No one even tried to dodge or run. Also, the guards could not even shoot him in the leg or something. They gave him the space to pick up his gun and fire. What was going on there? I’m confused. I honestly think that the scene could have been handled better.
Once all the traitors started getting exposed, I knew what was coming next. They were all going to band together and attempt to get the throne. It is like once their plan A fails, they just rush into the next dense plot and end up in deeper holes of no return. That aside, the Kim family are certainly bad schemers. All their plans backfire, and it is always fun to see the outcome 😂😂😂😂. I was kind of sad that prince Jae Hwa killed minister Hong. He was the only true one on the king’s side, and his death at the end didn’t make any point, but okay.
The person who surprised me to the end was the Queen Dowager. I assumed she had some plot, but she was actually doing things for the best interest of the throne in a just manner. That was an unexpected turn of events.
Now with concerns to the ending, I knew Eun Bo was going to be pregnant and give birth to a son. And, of course, they would meet again before the drama wrapped up. Although I had hoped to see how they will make her queen. I feel that would have been a more exciting way to end things.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I think this was a good drama, but there were some let downs. I am going to discuss the disappointing factors first and then conclude with the aspects I enjoyed.
Storywise, Queen: Love and War is nothing new to me. I have watched enough Korean historical dramas to know the usual formula used. Actually, most Korean dramas nowadays are similar, but a few still go the extra mile to make slight changes that separate them from the majority. That was what I was waiting for, but I never got with this series. I knew most of what was coming, I simply waited to see how things would unfold. There wasn’t much that enticed me as a viewer, and I do not like feeling that way because it means something is missing.
Another thing I have issues with is writing. This might just be me over analyzing things, but I think the emotions and developments for most characters were not handled properly. The characters were losing their spark as the story progressed. Also, for some, the intense emotions they displayed were not groomed well enough for the viewers to understand or relate with. Now, this might just be my brain overworking, but that is what I noticed.
Enough with the let downs, here are the remarkable aspects of this show –
I love that I could see the queen selection process in detail. The main couple’s chemistry was great. They both did a fantastic job as the centers. The cinematography and costumes for this show were also well crafted. On a regular, I do prefer the odd and moody artistic style of filming, but I also enjoy filming that focuses on the use of vibrant colours. So I genuinely enjoyed how colourful this production was. Kudos to the actors for a job well done👏👏👏👏👏. From the main actors to the supporting casts, everyone carried their weight. They all showed exceptional acting skills, and that is the main factor that sells any story for me.
Aside from the few misses, Queen: Love and War is a good drama. Therefore my rating is 8/10. To understand my rating, click 👉🏼Drama|Movie Rating Guide
If you have not seen this drama, the full episodes are available with this link 👉🏼Queen: Love and War with English Subtitles on Viki
And if you are currently watching or you’ve already completed it, feel free to share your opinions with me in the comment section.
