“Queen Woo“, which premiered on August 29th, is a chase-action historical drama set during the 2nd century. It follows Queen Woo (played by Jeon Jong-seo), who becomes the target of princes vying for the throne and five powerful tribes after the sudden death of the king. She must crown a new king within 24 hours. The story is based on the real historical figure Queen Woo and her husband Gogukcheon, the 9th king of Goguryeo, as well as his brother Sansang, who succeeded him and practiced the custom of levirate marriage (a practice where 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 drew significant attention even before its release.
In the first four episodes, which make up Part 1 of the series, the story revolves around Queen Woo Hee (played by Jeon Jong-seo) choosing levirate marriage after the death of King Gogukcheon (played by Ji Chang-wook).
Despite only half of the series being 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 lengthy and graphic same-sex 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 she has fallen in love with Go Nam-mu and ends up having a sexual encounter with Sa Bi. This scene lasts about 1 minute and 54 seconds. Additionally, a sexual scene in the first episode between Gogukcheon and the maids lasts a staggering 3 minutes and 23 seconds, setting a new standard for explicit content in historical dramas.
The reviews for “Queen Woo” are filled with critical comments such as, “Were the extras who filmed the ice massage scene in the nude adult film actors? Using female extras’ nudity to grab attention early on feels outdated“, “I turned it off because it was too unpleasant“, “Was such excessive nudity and bed scenes really necessary in the early part of a historical drama?“, “The sudden and lengthy nude and bed scenes break immersion“, “The unnecessary bed scenes make it uncomfortable to watch“, “This was not what I expected… It’s shocking and not my cup of tea“, “The excessive female nudity and the camera angles are disturbing” and “They were aiming for a Korean version of Game of Thrones, but it feels like they just copied the packaging.“
On the other hand, there were also positive reviews: “Just the fact that an OTT platform in Korea produced a drama with this historical theme deserves high praise“, “The war scenes in the first episode were incredibly immersive. I was so captivated by the story that I watched all four episodes at once. While some scenes are a bit excessive, I can’t wait for Part 2“, “I learned something new about the history of Goguryeo’s Queen Woo. I’m looking forward to the next episodes” and “Since it’s rated 19+, what’s the issue with nudity and bed scenes?“
The much-talked-about Part 2 of “Queen Woo” is set to be released on September 12th at noon. As anticipation builds, many are wondering if the drama can overcome the controversy over its explicit content and gain recognition for its artistic value.
Source: Wikitree