Hulu's 'The Remarried Empress' Is Your Next Must-Watch Fantasy Romance | Review

Korean dramas have positively exploded in popularity in recent years, growing from a regional trend occasionally indulged in by internet-savvy Western fans to a legitimate global phenomenon and racking up millions of views on streamers in every country along the way. It’s easy to see why.

With stories that run the gamut from contemporary romances and gripping thrillers to complicated historical dramas, these series offer heightened emotional stakes, rich character development, and twisty, surprising plots. Plus, thanks to the success of series like Squid Game, musical acts like BTS, and, of course, the cross-platform phenomenon that was KPop Demon Hunters, suddenly everyone — both streamers and audiences alike — wants to give this genre a try. Luckily, Hulu’s new series The Remarried Empress is here to help with that.

What Is ‘The Remarried Empress’ About?

Based on the mega-popular Webtoon series of the same name, The Remarried Empress is beautiful in every respect, from its lavish sets to its starry cast of extremely attractive K-drama luminaries. Yet, its real strength lies in the timelessness of its story, which seems perfectly positioned to draw in viewers who’ve never watched a Korean drama like this before.

The 10-episode series (three of which were made available for review) is visually lush and emotionally rich. Boasting vivid colors, crisp cinematography, and a costume budget to die for, the series blends popular elements from both K-dramas and Western-style royal romance fantasies to forge something that’s deeply addictive yet incredibly approachable.

The story follows Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon) and Empress Navier (Shin Min-a), the rulers of the Eastern Kingdom, whose marriage, at least on paper, initially seems like a fairy tale. They married when they were each quite young, but their affection seems real enough, and they share a genuine desire to do good for their kingdom and its people. That the royal pair have not yet had a child is the one dark spot in their reign, which otherwise seems successful and peaceful.

But when the Emperor rescues a slave girl from bandits while out hunting, everything changes. Suddenly infatuated with the beautiful Rashta (Lee Se-young), Sovieshu almost immediately petitions to be made his mistress and an official member of their court. Understandably, Navier is devastated that the man who once promised her he’d never take another lover has not only betrayed her like this, but done it so casually, and with so little regard for her feelings. Still, she finds some comfort in exchanging anonymous letters with an unknown stranger sent via a messenger bird. (Surprise: This will be a plot point later.)

Shin Min-a’s Performance Is the Heart of ‘The Remarried Empress’

As Navier reels from the news of her husband’s infidelity, she must reassess everything she thought she knew about the life she’s living. Forced to endure everything from pointed stares and casual gossip to public humiliation and repeated slights from her own husband, she quietly soldiers on, planning New Year’s festivities in honor of the Eastern Kingdom’s 100th anniversary and vowing to devote herself to the welfare of her people. But things are further complicated when Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk), the impossibly handsome heir to the Western Kingdom’s throne, arrives in the palace for the celebrations and displays an inexplicable fascination with Navier. (Which, let’s face it, she deserves.)

Of the three episodes made available for review, there’s unfortunately not much of the dynamic between Navier and Heinrey (or, at least, not as themselves). Yet their chemistry is immediately apparent. (As is Sovieshu’s sudden and intensely satisfying jealousy.) As the unfairly wronged spouse, Shin gets plenty of meaty material — not to mention some incredible costumes — as a woman forced into an impossible situation.

The importance of her position requires Navier to remain calm and collected even when she’d very clearly like to be throwing things at her husband’s head, yet Shin deftly conveys the depth of her rage and heartbreak using little more than subtle shifts in facial expression and body language. A slight hint of her eyes widening, an almost imperceptible lip wobble, a brief tightening of her fist—Navier may not always be able to give physical voice to the myriad ways her heart is breaking, but Shin finds ways to make sure her character is heard regardless, and her performance makes the titular empress a figure who is easy to both care about and to root for.

Despite Its Flaws, ‘The Remarried Empress’ Is Easy To Get Lost In

Unfortunately, some of the show’s other characters aren’t granted this same level of interiority. The Remarried Empress doesn’t do the best job selling Sovieshu’s sudden heel turn. In the series’ first episode, he and Navier seem genuinely happy together, laughing and cuddling in bed, discussing various political issues, and heading out to hunt in their picturesque forest. Sure, he clearly wants a child to succeed him on the throne, but he has no history of infidelity or even previously stated interest in other women. By its second installment, the emperor has suddenly become downright cruel, perfectly fine with humiliating his wife and punishing her servants. To call it an abrupt tonal shift is an understatement.

And while there are moments in which it feels like The Remarried Empress sees Rashta as a similar victim of circumstance — after all, she’s a runaway slave with no education; how is she meant to say no to a handsome emperor? — the show also seems to delight in presenting her as vapid and shallow. But her pettiness and petulance are not just unappealing in terms of her character; they represent a missed opportunity to add additional nuance to a complicated set of relationship dynamics.

Despite its flaws, The Remarried Empress remains the kind of drama that’s almost impossible to look away from. While its first three episodes are fairly slow-paced, the stately introduction to the Eastern Kingdom keeps the show’s focus firmly on character depth and world-building. There’s an immediate grandeur to its story, from its lavish sets and opulent costumes to the hints of the fantastical deftly inserted throughout each episode. The Remarried Empress is a world that’s deceptively easy to get lost in, and one you’ll be sad to leave when the final credits roll.

The Remarried Empress premieres November 3 on Hulu.

Hulu’s The Remarried Empress is your next must-watch K-drama, full of romance and intrigue.

• Stunningly beautiful sets and costumes make every scene feel lived-in and immersive.
• The story feels both timeless and approachable for viewers unfamiliar with K-dramas.
• Shin Min-a’s performance is both powerful and layered.

• Some characters, like Sovieshu and Rashta, don’t get as much interiority as one might hope.