I’ve just finished watching Queen For Seven Days and now, an hour later, am still shaken by the beauty of its ending and the extraordinary character poignantly played by always superb Park Min Young. If anyone fantasizes about being a royal or serving a royal court, this drama should disabuse them of that notion. Early on, I thought that the old adage ‘Love Conquers All’ was not true in the face of power politics but by the drama’s touching conclusion, my faith in the power of love was restored.

Even more than Yeon Woo Jin, who played the Grand Prince, later the King, Lee Dong Un as his older half brother, the tyrannical King Yeonsangun, was more impressive, creating a three dimensional character of a tragic and fatally flawed son, brother, and ruler. I don’t often cry but his death scene, reconciling with his brother, and seeing his father, the late King calling to him, brought tears to my eyes.

Perhaps it was the intent of the writers but Yeon Woo Jin came across as weak, compared to his wife, and without benefit of reading history, one might wonder what kind of King he became. But his beloved Shin Chae Kyung, taught him both the meaning of real love and gave him the power to endure to the end.

All the parts are well acted, in particular Yeom Hye-Ran (who often appears in dramas with Park Min Young) as Lady Shin’s nanna, Jang Hyun-Sun as the loyal to a fault Vice-Premier and father of Lady Shin, and Do Jiwon who plays the Dowager Queen.

I’ll have to be a contrarian on the soundtrack. Even though the songs chosen are beautiful and well sung, modern pop songs don’t fit - for me - a historical drama. The music should reflect the sensibilities and aesthetic of the time portrayed.