The original TV series “Queen Woo” (written by Lee Byung-hak, directed by Jeong Se-kyo) released all episodes on September 12. In part 1, Queen Woo (Jeon Jong-seo) chases princes for her wedding and in part 2, she runs to achieve her goal.
The first part had already shocked viewers with too many revealing scenes, and the moments of exaggerated violence had made them turn up their noses. The second part continues this trend. Although there were fewer scenes of undressed and objectified women than in the first part, the obviously exploitative atmosphere of the drama never subsided, and the scenes of people hurting each other with weapons were shown in full, making viewers even more uncomfortable.
The visually appealing aspects of Part 1 lost their appeal when the setting moved outdoors. Despite the carefully crafted sets, the action scenes in bushes and trees made it harder to get into the story. The boring political battles were also a problem. The drawn-out confrontations without tension felt unnecessarily drawn out. Since Parts 1 and 2 tell a story that takes place in just 24 hours, it feels like a short story has been stretched into an 8-part series.
Even Queen Woo, who is supposed to be a strong character, became weak. Jeon Jong seo’s wobbly walk and trembling voice didn’t make her seem like a true queen. Her attempt to use her own speaking style instead of the traditional historical drama accent seemed out of place and didn’t capture the charm of the genre.
While Jeon Jongseo may have thought that the school bullying rumors alone would hold the series back, his inability to dominate the screen was a bigger problem. With Jeon Jongseo struggling, it’s no surprise that the other actors also failed to show their best. Embarrassing scenes continued to distract viewers.
Ultimately, the 8 episodes left viewers feeling empty. Queen Woo’s story ends with plans for a fight between former princes Go Pal Ki (Lee Soo-hyuk) and Go Pae (Song Jae-rim), which seems pointless. After such a long and drawn-out story, the finale doesn’t provide closure. Even though TVing has a second season planned, it’s unlikely anyone will want to watch it after being so disappointed by the first.
But TVing seems to think any buzz is good buzz. “Queen Woo is getting great responses every day, with strong characters, a story, great visuals and an overall look,” TVing said. “Queen Woo is super popular, ranking #1 in paid subscribers per week for three weeks in a row, and is the second most-watched original series behind ‘Work Later, Drink Now 2.’”
