since there’s been a kdrama drought these years, I’ve went back and watched some old dramas AND THEY ARE AMAZING GEMS.
Under the Queen’s Umbrella
This is a story about a mother’s love and how it can take different shapes and forms, though they don’t always necessarily put the child’s best interest at heart. In a place where all the princes and their mothers fight for the title of Crown Prince, the Queen only fights to protect her sons and their loved ones. Think Sky Castle but set in the Joseon era.
The metaphorical use of the Umbrella symbolizes the Queens protection and though she may get hurt, she would never allow her son’s to get hurt.
5 star review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flower Crew: Joseons Marriage Agency
The message of the story is that no matter who you are or where you’re from, you deserve happiness. When you find the one you love, the weight on your shoulder eases because you now have another shoulder to lean on and to share the burden.
A common blacksmith is kidnapped on the day of his wedding to become the next king of Jose-on. He recruits the help of the Flower Crew to make the lowly status girl a noble lady to be eligible for the Queen’s selection. New feelings and evil intentions threaten lives and the characters’ happiness.
5 star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Queen
A comedic drama that indiscreetly tells the audience that love is limitless - it can transcend time and it is fluid.
A modern male chef is “saved” by being trapped inside a Queen’s body in the Joseon era. He tries to return but in the process changes some events to his modern life and the Queen’s for the better.
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (episode 7) / Ko Won-hee as Kang Ji-hwa
This is a rare example for this show of a (mostly) single-color hanbok, with the jacket and skirt both being sky-blue. Usually, they are in contrasting colors, but in this case, a bit of contrast is provided by the floral pattern of the jacket. Other small pops of color come from her ribbon and hair ornaments.
In order to make a stealth visit to her informant at a kisaeng parlor, Ji-hwa "disguises" herself by throwing a teal jacket with rose-colored lapels over her head.
I’ve seen numerous Joseon K-dramas with all the royal rumble. Flower Crew is one of the few with an interesting storyline. It still links to the Joseon royalty (they’re always full of political and romantic drama anyway), but a marriage agency? Oh wow! Arranged marriages are nothing new in that period, but the fusion concept is at least refreshing for an overused historical period.
(Secret Royal Inspector and Joy, as well as Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, are in the same "oh wow" league.)
I love how the intro for Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency looks and sounds like a romcom sitcom intro but the show itself has a dude with PTSD being triggered into panic attacks and flashbacks and another guy who was beaten so badly by slave catchers as a child that he's got major brain damage.
Alexis has been sick so I’ve been binging shows with my mom. Really enjoyed Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. So I made a couple memes for you all, most about me having really bad second lead syndrome lol.
Bonus: a cute clip of the baby fascinated with the beads on the actor’s hat. I’m sorry i didn’t include the part where the baby grabbed his lips but I was too busy losing it off camera. 😂
Been watching Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency while sick. It's very cute, but I'm sorry. No. I CANNOT with the main couple. DISHONOR! DISHONOR on them, DISHONOR on their cow!
Poor Su is going through absolute hell and they're stabbing him in the back like it's Korean Ides of March. Bah. Do. Not. Like. Them.
Plus slutty cute guy is definitely nice to look at, with a tragic back story and all that, but I'm not a fan of the whole "lying about your identity" seduction thing, even if she is an awful person. He certainly thinks she's not awful, but he's seducing her using someone else's cred nonetheless because she's already rejected him on his own.
I dunno. The ethics of this show are sketchy. I'm going to finish it, but at this point there are only two characters I wish good things for, Su and the shallow shopahollic gay-coded kid. I hope he stays shallow and doesn't take a turn to the gross side.
Me: "I've seen enough Korean drama now that I have this ridiculous confidence that if I ever traveled back in time, I could convincingly disguise myself as the King of Joseon."