"Queenmaker" Review: The TV Show I Couldn’t Stop Watching

If you’re a fan of Kim Hee-Ae, who starred in The World Of The Married, you’ll be happy to see her latest K-drama, Queenmaker. It's a thrilling drama that may keep you hooked. I hope there will be a second season!

How many episodes in "Queenmaker": 11

Who it's best for: This TV show is about women who fight for justice and show their strength. If you like these themes, you will find this drama enjoyable.

The main cast of "Queenmaker"

• Kim Hee-ae as Hwang Do-hee
• Moon So-ri as Oh Kyung-sook
• Ryu Soo-young as Baek Jae-min

What is "Queenmaker" TV show about?

The woman in the high heels is Hwang Do-hee, played by Kim Hee-ae. She works as an image consultant and fixer for Eunsung, a high-profile department store. Her job is to make Eun Chae-ryung, the heiress of Eunsung Corporation, look good in front of the media. Eun has a mental breakdown and assaults her employees, causing a scandal.

Hwang picks out a flashy outfit for Eun to wear during her public apology. She wants the media to focus on her clothes, not her violence. She also hires some protesters to throw eggs at Eun, to make her look like a victim. Hwang's strategy works, and the public feels sorry for Eun, who is a new mother. They blame her post-partum depression for her behavior. 

Hwang has been loyal to Eun's family for years, and they trust her to handle any crisis. Eun's mother-in-law, Son Young-sim, the chairman of Eunsung, decides to make Eun's husband, Baek Jae-min, run for mayor of Seoul. She asks Hwang to manage his campaign. Hwang agrees, even though she knows it's risky.

Baek seems like a nice guy, who tolerates Eun's temper. He also likes Hwang, and they seem to be on the same side. But then he tells Hwang that he's being blackmailed by an employee who accuses him of sexual assault. He denies it, and Hwang fires the employee, Han I-seul. Han insists that Baek raped her.

Meanwhile, Eunsung is facing another problem. They fired 500 female workers recently, and a labor rights' lawyer named Oh Kyung-sook is protesting on the roof of one of their stores. Hwang tries to bribe Oh to leave, but she refuses. Hwang tells one of her staff to use the nuclear option to get rid of Oh. (it's bad.)

At the end of episode 1, Hwang walks to her car outside her office building. She ignores a text from Han I-seul. As she gets closer to her car, Han's body falls on it. She killed herself because she couldn't handle being fired and ignored (spoiler: actually, she's murdered). But she dropped one of Baek's cuff links from her hand. It's the same one that was missing from his shirt earlier. It looks like Baek lied about not touching Han.

Hwang decides to team up with Oh Kyung-Sook. Oh runs for mayor of Seoul with a vision of fighting for the underdogs. Hwang and Oh have different views on how to win the election. But they share a common goal: to make Oh the first female mayor of Seoul.

Sounds political? But indeed, it's exciting and thrilling!

Why I liked it 

1. The story explores relatable social and political issues from a new perspective

Political dramas often deal with themes like corruption, greed, and good versus evil, which are familiar to us from the news and social media. These dramas appeal to us because they reflect the reality we live in.

But Queenmaker is different from other political dramas because it shows us how public relations and image-building shape these events. It goes beyond the drama of political campaigns and reveals the secrets behind them, such as troll farms, fake news, media bribery, cybercrime, and more. Above all, this political drama was unexpectedly enjoyable because it focused on the characters and their stories, rather than the politics itself.

2. Show different aspects of feminism

Both pull off the vibe of a supportive team

Queenmaker is also interesting because it deals with feminism in politics and media. For example, Oh Kyung-Sook faces a lot of challenges and criticism as a female candidate for mayor. People doubt her ability to lead and tell her to focus on her family instead of being an activist and a politician. Her male rival, Baek Jae-Min, doesn't have this problem. He uses his image as a good husband to charm the public.

Besides, Oh suffers from body shaming and online harassment. People spread fake pornographic images of her on the internet. Baek Jae-Min never has to deal with these things.

3. Well-written with outstanding cast

I usually don’t enjoy political series, since they are just dramatizing what happens in real politics. But this one has a brilliant script, with every actor delivering a flawless performance.

One of the most memorable scenes is in Episode 6, when Do–Hee is attending her father’s wake and suddenly realizes that Eunsung Group is responsible for his death. It was a powerful moment in a series full of amazing writing.

It's worth mentioning that when two veteran actors star in a drama, you can expect a high-quality show. Queenmaker started off slow, but it soon became a gripping political thriller, thanks to Kim Hee-Ae’s stunning performance. She and Moon So-Ri showed how women can be powerful and supportive in the political arena, even when they face the influence of the chaebols. 

4. Twists and turns

The actors I love played characters I hate in this drama. They did such a great job that I felt both admiration and disgust for them. The drama made me feel a range of emotions and kept me guessing until the end. 

5. Kim Hee-Ae’s fashion will give you power-dressing ideas

Kim Hee-Ae’s style in Queenmaker is as impressive as her style in The World Of The Married. As a public relations expert, Kim Hee-Ae wears Hwang Do-Hee’s outfits that are perfect for office powerdressing. She rocks belted coats and button-downs, thin-heeled pumps, minimalist necklaces, and scarf ties. She looks elegant and chic in simple outfits, and this drama shows you how to dress well without too much fuss.