Television series

The Last Empress

Name: The Last Empress
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Released: 2018
Cast: Choi Jin Hyeok, Jang Na Ra, Shin Sung Rok, Lee Elliya, Shin Eun Kyung

Political drama

A vibrant musical actress marries into the Korean imperial family and finds herself caught between genuine love and a deadly palace power struggle in this 2018 alternate-history fantasy-drama. It's buoyant and soapy, with real stakes underneath—perfect for anyone who wants costume intrigue without the grim historical weight.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a palace drama that runs on a bright, theatrical heroine and a romance tangled in court politics, and you don't mind fantasy's alternate-world conceit played straight.

Skip it if you prefer grounded, sober period drama, since this leans fizzy and romantic, and its alternate-universe premise may feel silly if you want history taken seriously.

What it asks of you: Fifty-two half-hour episodes, with soap-opera pacing and romance and palace intrigue unspooling slowly across a long run, rewarding viewers who settle in.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Mr. Sunshine2018

An epic about Korean independence with palace intrigue, romance across class lines, and a protagonist fighting against corrupt power. Dense, ambitious storytelling that rewards investment across its fifteen episodes.

But It's heavy and tragic where The Last Empress stays lighter. Demands patience for historical context and slower pacing in early episodes.

Crash Landing on You2019

Jang Na Ra shines here too, in this romance about a South Korean heiress and a North Korean army officer. Clever, funny, deeply charming, with genuine emotional depth beneath the premise.

But Far lighter and more straightforward romantic comedy than palace drama. Some find the North Korea framing oversimplified.

The King: Eternal Monarch2020

Two kingdoms, two worlds, parallel realities—a emperor crosses universes to find his queen. Visually stunning and thematically rich, with the same fascination with monarchy and parallel lives.

But Notoriously convoluted plot that loses clarity in the second half. Requires active note-taking to follow what's happening.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Last Empress

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Nirvana in Fire2015

Both use an outsider (musical actress, exiled strategist) entering the palace to expose rotting power structures. Both are about intelligence as a weapon and integrity as the only unshakeable position.

Chinese historical epic about a strategist dismantling corruption from within the imperial court using intelligence and patience rather than force. Masterful plotting and character work that will ruin you for other palace dramas.

But Fifty-four episodes and deliberately paced. Requires close attention—you cannot watch while scrolling. No romance, no music, less glamour.

Descendants of the Sun2016

Military romance and palace politics collide in this globally popular drama. Beautiful cinematography, genuine action sequences, and the same melodramatic stakes that make The Last Empress tick.

But Heavy on romance, lighter on intrigue. Second half relies more on sentiment than plot momentum.

The White Lotus2021

Murder mystery wrapped in glamour and performance. Like The Last Empress, it follows privileged people performing their roles while a dark secret unravels. Sharp, nasty, expertly constructed.

But Aggressively cynical and violent where The Last Empress finds hope. American setting and contemporary tone completely different.

The Empress Ki2013

A commoner rises to empress in Yuan Dynasty China, playing factions against each other. Costume drama, political maneuvering, forbidden love. Jang Na Ra in a darker, more calculating role.

But Longer commitment at fifty episodes. Jang Na Ra's character is colder and more ruthless here—less of the bright charm from The Last Empress.

The Apothecary Diaries2023

Chinese historical fantasy with a brilliant female lead solving mysteries in an imperial palace. Rich world-building, smart protagonist, same addiction to courtly secrets and poison schemes.

But Darker and more serious in tone. Animation takes adjustment if you prefer live action. Moves slowly in places.

Millennium Actress2002

Both examine actresses who cannot fully separate themselves from the parts they play—and both ask whether that's a tragedy or a kind of freedom.

An animated film about a legendary Japanese actress whose life and cinema blur together. Stunning visual storytelling, chronologically dizzying in the best way, asking what happens when you disappear into your roles.

But Animated, not live action. Deliberately abstract and dreamlike—not a conventional narrative. Only eighty minutes, which means density rather than comfort.

The Great2020

Both follow a woman marrying into absolute power with little preparation and discovering the difference between the role and the reality. Both use gallows humor about institutions that grind people down, but The Great weaponizes the humor where The Last Empress lets feeling through.

Catherine the Great in an alternate history where she's a naive bride entering court, then a revolutionary. Absolutely hilarious, obscene, anachronistic on purpose, with genuine historical drama underneath the chaos. Juno Temple is extraordinary.

But Wildly profane and crude in a way The Last Empress never is. Satirical rather than earnest. If you want the palace story played straight, this mocks that instinct.