Korean star Ji Chang-wook is back and this time with a historical series centered around Queen Wu (played by Jeon Jong-seo), who became the first woman to be crowned queen twice according to Korean history. Set in the Goguryeo era (37 BC-668 AD) of royal rule in Korea, the show chronicles the journey of Queen Wu, who is left to act as kingmaker after the death of her first husband and the 9th monarch of the dynasty, King Gogukcheon (played by Go Nammu – Chang-wook).

Over the next 24 hours, the newly widowed queen must keep the kingdom from falling apart. She must find the right mate to become king, with about five different tribes vying for power, including Gogukcheon’s three brothers (including Balgi, played by Lee Soo-hyuk).

Queen Woo is perhaps one of the strongest female characters, as history remembers her as an independent woman with a mind of her own. However, the show directed by Jang Se-kyo is currently mired in several controversies over historical portrayals, costumes, and sexual content. So, what’s going on with the show? Let us explain.

History and costumes

The show depicts the power struggle and political climate during the Goguryeo era (37 BC-668 AD). Many claim that the series distorts history. But it must be remembered that history itself is complex and its versions will be different for each person. The show continues to respect the text, but creative liberties must also be taken to materialize an interesting story. However, viewers have a different opinion on this and have largely expressed disappointment.

Secondly, regarding the costume, Goguryeo was a Korean state located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of modern northeastern China (Manchuria). Given the geography, the costumes used in the series are being debated. While many users feel that the costumes too closely resemble those of Chinese history, the producers refuted the claims and said that they had researched the text and resorted to expert advice on the costumes.

It should be noted that a similar controversy arose over the period horror series ‘Joseon Exorcist’, which was pulled after only two episodes in 2021.

In this case the familiarity of the costumes seems fairly justified, as the history of modern Korea and China predates the creation of borders.

sexual material

The show has been facing a lot of criticism for its sexual content. Korean dramas have censored erotic content over the years and avoided the use of sexuality. However, it is common in Korean films such as ‘The Handmaiden’. However, fans have been very disappointed with the explicit use of sex between actors and scenes from the show. But in most projects, sex scenes are used as a tool to make statements about social hierarchy, revealing who is in control in the bigger scheme of things.

The sex scenes in Queen Wu too are intended to add meaning to the overall narrative, but perhaps it is the treatment of the scenes that is drawing this response. There are aesthetic ways to shoot such scenes without losing the original context, but ‘Queen Wu’ does not focus on the logic behind such explicit scenes.

There is a scene in which Go Bal-gi (Soo-hyuk) forces his wife to have intercourse after bending her over a table and stabbing her with a sword. This scene comes before another crucial scene in which he has to put his wife out of the picture in order to marry the queen in order to take the throne. The logic is clear, but how this scene was filmed has sparked a lot of backlash, especially from female viewers, who make up about 70 percent of the global audience.

Also, the colour grading in these parts is too dark, too gloomy, with most of the mid-close shots showing barely covered women, surrounded by men. The question that needs answering here is “how!” rather than “why!”

‘Queen Woo’ stars Kim Mu-yeol as the king’s prime minister Eul Pa-so, and Park Ji-hwan as Mugol, a commander protecting King Go Nam-mu.

The star cast and their performances are remarkable, especially Chang-wook as this tough and raw king. The show has 4 more episodes to go. It is available on Viu and is said to have a budget of over 30 billion won (US$22 million).

The next part will be released on September 12.