South Korea is a developed country where not only a high level of income, a powerful economy and industry, but also the entertainment sector is at a very decent level. Films and series are shot here. East Asian series are commonly called dramas.
One of these dramas is "Empress Qi" (TV series), whose actors brilliantly coped with their tasks. What is the feature of this series? Find out by reading this article.
About the series
"Empress Qi", the first episode of which was released in October 2013, was broadcast until 2014. The director of the series was Han Li, also known for the project "Kill me, heal me." Also, as a director on the creation of the series, Lee Song-Joon took part, for which it was a debut appearance.
The scriptwriters were Jang Yong-chol and Jung Gen-sung, who managed to create a truly interesting and addictive plot based on historical events.
It is worth noting that Empress Qi (drama) gained popularity not only in South Korea itself, but also far beyond its borders. This series is one of the best creations of Koreans in the genre of historical cinema.
Plot
The events of the series are based on real historical events that took place in South Korea and China in the XIV century. At the center of events is Ki Hwang-hu - a girl who was born in Korea and subsequently became the Chinese Empress, conquering the heart of the ruler of the Middle Kingdom.
The story of her struggle for the emperor’s heart, where she competes with another eastern beauty, as well as court intrigues, are the essence of the whole plot of “Empress Qi” (TV series). Actors, by the way, played just fine in it, demonstrating a high level of skill. The images embodied by them do not give viewers for a second to doubt the reality of everything that is happening.
The series will be interesting to those people who are interested in the history of Eastern countries or Asian cinema. However, for people who are just interested in history, the series may also be to your liking, since there are a lot of real facts. They, although adapted to the needs of the cinema, are nevertheless reflected quite realistically and believably.
The plot is one of the strengths of the series. It is well designed, thought out to the smallest detail. Of course, there is nothing perfect, but there are practically no gaps and “holes” in it. The creators managed to achieve such an effect, thanks to the long and painstaking work on their script.
"Empress Qi" (TV series): actors and roles
The series involves many talented and promising actors. For example, the main role was taken by actress Ha Ji-won, who is known for such films as: "The Mysterious Garden" and "Kingdom of Two Hearts."
Also in the series are: Chu Jin-Mo ("Ice Flower", "Warrior"), Chi Chan-wk ("Healer", "K2") and Baek Jin-hee ("Eighteen and Nineteen").
In many ways, it was thanks to the acting talent that the series managed to reach the world level, having proved itself very worthy. "Empress Qi" (TV series), whose actors gave all their best, but not only their skill, of course, depends on the success of the entire project.
Contribution to Culture
The series turned out to be quite popular, despite the fact that it did not have a large marketing program, but was shot not by the top serial channels, but in South Korea.
The success was facilitated by the excellent plot, brilliant acting and deeply developed characters. There are interesting plot twists, intrigues, as well as philosophical thoughts.
The contribution of the series to contemporary cinema and culture may not be too great, but it is certainly a high-quality product. He demonstrates to us how a quality product can be shot in South Korea today.
Every day, film products from this country are increasingly beginning to enter the world cinema arena. By the way, in recent years, the industry of series and cinema is experiencing a real rise. With such a pace of development, films from the Republic of Korea may very soon reach the world level and really compete with Hollywood blockbusters. Already today, many works by Korean filmmakers show a very high result both technically and artistically, and commercially, showing considerable box office at the box office.
Interesting facts about actors
Few people know that the real name of the main actress of the series is not Ha Ji-won, but Jung Hae-Rim. She took a pseudonym. To date, the actress is 39 years old. She was born in Poren, Chuncheon Namdo Province.
Another actor who starred in the series, Chu Jin-Mo was born in 1974. On his account today there are not many works (26 roles) as a professional film actor. However, his career began in 1996.
Chi Chan-uk is a thirty-year-old actor who specializes in roles in various dramas. Today in his professional piggy bank there are already 20 works, and his career in cinema began in 2008.
Finally
"Empress Qi" - a series whose actors have become so accustomed to their images that involuntarily the viewer begins to believe in everything that happens, is actually a biopic series telling the story of the ancient Chinese empress who was born in Korea.
The series is not designed for a Western audience, but was created for the East Asian public. However, despite this, it has become quite popular even in Europe, America and the CIS. Of course, he received the greatest popularity among a narrow audience who are fans of Korean dramas.
However, this is not quite a drama in the usual sense. Rather, it is a historical, semi-biographical series filmed in South Korea. There are not many elements and stylistic features inherent in dramas.