This article discusses 10 series like Under the Queen’s Umbrella you must watch.
After decades worth of fighting for one throne, in particular, many audiences love that kind of narrative. There’s just something about family betrayal and obscure little romances in order to keep the lineage to the throne. It’s something that audiences have grown to love because the writing for those shows has done an incredible job of introducing many characters at once. These series are able to have viewers grasp the players in the game and have them root for a specific house.
In Under The Queen’s Umbrella, a spirited queen tries to rein in her rowdy sons in order to make one of them the next king of Joseon, while her competitors vie to snatch the throne. It’s almost always a mother’s hand that is able to get anything done in the kingdom because the men are too comfortable and set in their ways. The women are the ones who control the narrative the majority of the time in these series and do not get the recognition they deserve. The series listed below have a mixture of romance, betrayals, and many wars that needed to be fought for the kingdom to remain intact. These Korean drama period pieces all have similar things in common but it ultimately comes down to the story, the players, and if it’s engaging enough for viewers to want to be in their world.
10 series like Under the Queen’s Umbrella you must watch
My Sassy Girl (2017)
The love story of a cold city scholar Gyeon Woo (Joo Won) who’s known as “Joseon’s national treasure” and the sassy princess Hye-myung (Oh Yeon-seo) in the Joseon Dynasty era who doesn’t have the best reputation among the people. She often sneaks out of the palace searching for her mother, the dethroned queen. During one such adventure, she meets Gyeon Woo; initially, they are enemies, then friends and they fall in love. The enemies to lovers are what carry many series and definitely works but for some reason, it works a bit more in period dramas because of how forbidden some love could be.
Who Rules The World (2022)
The story of Feng Lan Xi (Yang Yang) and Feng Xi Yun (Lu Xuan) joining hands to travel the world together. Traveling the world together does seem romantic but it could also come with a price. Who Rules the World explores the lengths that love can go to during certain circumstances.
My Only Love Song (2017)
When things don’t go her way during the shooting of her new show, a top actress runs away in an old van that guides her on a time-traveling journey. Time travel is always exciting and in this case, it has a young woman running away from her own problems. This definitely shows that women can take a hold of their own stories and control many things around them.
The Crowned Clown (2019)
The story takes place in the Joseon period when power struggles surrounding the throne had reached extreme levels. In order to escape those who plan to assassinate him, the King puts a clown, who looks exactly like him, on the throne. This series is a bit more comedic but also highlights the power struggles for the throne. In this case, men are able to turn things upside down and have someone else take on their responsibilities.
The King’s Affection (2021)
The story of The King’s Affection is set during the Joseon Dynasty, at a time when twins were considered an ominous sign. As a result, when the Crown Princess Consort gives birth to twins, an order is sent to kill the daughter. To save her, she is secretly sent out of the palace. It’s always difficult to watch old-fashioned mindsets on-screen and in this case, they try to protect the crown princess and her children. Women always tend to face the worst of it all during period pieces, and it’s an important reminder for people to see what happened in the past.
The Rise of Phoenixes (2018)
Ning Yi is the calculating, ambitious sixth prince of the ruling kingdom but has learned to hide his true personality behind a carefree facade after corrupt officials charge his mother with high treason. Over the course of the next decade, Ning Yi establishes a secret information network and waits for the perfect opportunity to strike down his enemies and overturn the charges against his mother. This is such a slow burn and it feels as if everything is calculated to perfection. It’s a proper waiting game that holds people accountable for their past actions, which makes it interesting.
Kingdom (2019)
Set during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, three years after the Imjin War, the first season of Kingdom follows the story of Crown Prince Lee Chang and his subordinates, who stumble across an unnatural plague that resurrects the dead amidst their investigation of a brewing political conspiracy and rumors of the King of Joseon’s death. This has some horror elements within it that create a very interesting narrative post-war. What happens when another layer is added to the kingdom’s whispers about their King? The zombies tend to distract the investigation, but that’s what makes it so engaging.
Ashes of Love (2018)
Hidden away by her mother, the Floral Goddess, the naïve Jinmi is drawn to Xufeng, the Heavenly Emperor’s son. Yet forces conspire against them. Trying to keep two very powerful, loving people apart is something viewers enjoy watching because it is all the build-up to that one specific moment.
My Country: The New Age (2019)
At the end of the Goryeo period, there are those who lead the charge to proclaim a new age, among them two friends who become enemies when they disagree on the direction of their country. What happens when friends fall out over the state of their country? This series highlights the opposite of coming together for the greater good and it’s intriguing to understand the mindset of these two characters throughout and the moves they make.
The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
Lee Gon, a modern-day Emperor of the Kingdom of Korea, attempts to cross the barrier into an alternate reality where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom’s stead. He comes across detective Jung Tae-eul, whom he recognizes from an identity card he obtained during the turning point of his childhood: his father’s assassination. There are many elements combined in The King: Eternal Monarch that makes it unique. Everything comes down to lineage and where Lee Gon is placed in the Kingdom.
Do you have any other recommendations for series like Under the Queen’s Umbrella? Let us know!
