I've been meaning to review this drama for a while but kept putting it off. It took time for me to gather my thoughts on it and write it all down properly. If someone asked me what kind of a drama Empress Ki is I'd just say one thing- crazy. That one word fits the description perfectly. I truly believe I've never seen a crazier drama before. It was crazy in both great ways and terrible ways. First things first- don't be fooled by the opening sequence of this drama. I do believe it mislead me completely and I didn't get what I thought I would. It was rather a waste to have filmed that scene since it is one of the most attention-grabbing scenes in a drama EVER according to me. While I appreciate the writer for taking chances to create a bold storyline, I would say it both did and didn't create the effect it intended to have. What started off as a brilliant narrative, got lost midway but picked up in the second half- only to lead to one of the most disappointing closing arcs ever. Till episode 41-42 I thought this drama was the best thing I have ever watched. I had never been this entertained by a drama before- the romance, humour, politics, scheming, tragedy was all a wonderful combination for enjoyment. Too bad it was a steep downward trend from then on and it couldn't just keep up with the quality of its previous episodes. The last 10 episodes totally distracted me from what the drama was before and that's just saddening. Since no drama can be perfect, I tried my best to overlook its flaws. Although I was much too frustrated with the drama towards the end, I still give it a lot of credit for making me love its characters so much before its degradation began. Seung Nyang is one of the strongest characters in dramaland and the guys who vie for her affection were both likable in their own ways. I thought this drama has one of the most drawn-out and tiring love triangles ever. Not that I'm complaining since that was what drew me to it in the first place. The romance was quite fulfilling and I was satisfied with the moments we got although I didn't like what the writers did to my favourite couple towards the end. While there are what I call as WTF moments in the drama, they are also the most exciting ones thanks to its awesome antagonists. Tanasiri was the woman I loved to hate! I in fact loved the actress a lot too. She was absolutely terrific. Her whole family was a family of psychos which was just funny. Then we also have good guys turning into bad and vice versa which is another interesting aspect of this drama. We constantly see the characters battling not just others but also themselves. The cast did a great job of their characters and oh boy!- it introduced me to hotties like Ji Chang Wook and Jin Yi Yan. Ji Chang Wook is not only handsome but really gets under the skin of his character. His performance just blew me away. Ha Ji Won was good too but I always have trouble connecting with her acting in a lot of places- both in this and her previous dramas. The rest of the cast was fine too. One reason to remember this drama fondly is the music. It's an absolute outstanding soundtrack and they always played the music at the right times. If I could, I would like to get my hands on the physical copy of the OST. I have listened to pretty much every song innumerable times and it never bores me. It's deep, emotional and powerful. Maybe it depends on one's taste too but I would recommend the OST to everyone. So all in all, this drama is highly flawed. It's got a lot many flaws but the good parts are just as good. I think this drama is better seen at once since skipping the last arc and just getting to the end would be the best thing to do. Don't let the last few episodes keep you from watching this. It's worth a try at least. :)