“Queen Woo,” which premiered on August 29, is a historical action-chase drama set in the 2nd century. It follows Queen Woo (played by Jeon Jong-seo), who becomes the target of vying princes and five powerful tribes after the king’s sudden death. She must crown a new king within 24 hours. The story is based on the real-life historical figures of Queen Woo and her husband Gogukcheon, the ninth king of Goguryeo, as well as his brother Sansang, who succeeded him and practiced the custom of levirate marriage (a practice in which a man marries his brother’s widow). With a star-studded cast including Jeon Jong-seo, Ji Chang-wook, Jeong Yu-mi, Lee Soo-hyuk, Kim Mu-yeol, and Park Ji-hwan, the series has attracted a lot of attention even before its release.
In the first four episodes, which constitute the first part of the series, the story revolves around Queen Woo Hee (played by Jeon Jong-seo) who chooses levirate marriage after the death of King Gogukcheon (played by Ji Chang-wook).
Despite only half of the series having been released so far, the drama has faced harsh criticism from viewers due to its explicit bed scenes and nudity. The second episode, in particular, sparked backlash for a long and graphic homosexual scene between Queen Woo Hee’s sister Woo Sun (played by Jeong Yu-mi) and the shaman Sa Bi (played by Oh Ha-nee). In this scene, Woo Sun, under the influence of a potion, mistakenly believes that she has fallen in love with Go Nam-mu and ends up having a sexual encounter with Sa Bi. This scene lasts for approximately 1 minute and 54 seconds. Additionally, a sex scene in the first episode between Gogukcheon and the maids lasts a whopping 3 minutes and 23 seconds, setting a new standard for explicit content in historical dramas.
Reviews of “Queen Woo” are full of critical comments such as: “Were the extras who filmed the ice massage scene naked actors in the adult film? Using the nudity of female extras to grab attention at first seems outdated”, “I turned it off because it was too unpleasant”, “Were such excessive nudity and bed scenes really necessary in the first part of a historical drama?”, “Sudden and long nude and bed scenes interrupt the immersion”, “Unnecessary bed scenes make for unpleasant viewing”, “It wasn’t what I expected… It’s shocking and not for me”, “The excessive female nudity and camera angles are disturbing” AND “They wanted to make a Korean version of Game of Thrones, but it looks like they just copied the packaging.“
On the other hand, there were also positive reviews: “The mere fact that an OTT platform in Korea has produced a drama with this historical theme deserves great praise.”, “The war scenes in the first episode were incredibly engaging. I was so enthralled by the story that I watched all four episodes in one sitting. While some scenes are a bit excessive, I can’t wait to see the second part.”, “I learned something new about the story of Queen Woo of Goguryeo. I can’t wait to see the next episodes” AND “Since it’s rated 19+, what’s the problem with nudity and bed scenes?“
The much-talked-about second part of “Queen Woo” is scheduled to be released on September 12 at noon. As anticipation builds, many are wondering whether the drama will be able to overcome the controversy over its explicit content and gain recognition for its artistic merit.
Source: Wikitree
