Under the Queen’s Umbrella: Di Bawah Payung Ratu, Ku Berlindung
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. — synopsis by Netflix.
Been a long time since I’ve done this kind of review again. Writing this was as exciting as the first time I finally managed to watch the first episode of Shuroop (the official romanization title) till the last one. Even now I’ve made a plan to re-watch the whole thing from the beginning, lol.
‘슈룹’ read as ‘Shuroop’ means ‘umbrella’ in traditional Korean language. For casual and nowadays usage, ‘umbrella’ commonly translated as ‘우산’ (u-san). Traditional language perhaps used to emphasize the genre which is a historical drama.
I love how the writer uses ‘Umbrella’ as an allegory to describe the everlasting and unconditional love of a mother. The word ‘umbrella’ comes from the Latin root ‘umbra’ which means ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’. Umbrella is also used for protection against rain and sunlight. Behind the success of her sons, there’s a shade of the greatest love from their Mom as the fuel. Then, during their failure and hardest time, Mom is there to comfort and protect them.
Another fact about an umbrella, it is often taken for granted as an accessory that protects us from rain or sunlight, but we rarely think about it when we don’t ‘need’ it. Is it perhaps similar to our experience with our Mom? Don’t reply to the question here, just ask yourself. 🙂
The meaningful and lovely concept of connecting the ‘Umbrella’ with ‘an unconditional love of a Mother’ is also supported by strong directing and storytelling, beautiful visuals, and even soothing songs and background music. Talking about the visuals, all are just too aesthetic! (I personally love the opening credit sequence and NEVER skipped the 30 seconds clip since it’s just too beautiful ❤️)
Graceful acts from all of the actors and the solid characterizations are also top-notch in this drama. The rock ‘n roll Queen Hwaryeong, the charming yet rebellious Princes, and even the wicked Queen Dowager, all contributed well to liven all things up. The fact that Shuroop is an ensemble work among A-list veteran Korean actors and rookie stars made it more special. All parts are just ‘cooked’ well and it’s so easy to fall in love with this drama.
One iconic thing from this drama is the part when Queen Hwaryeong walked with her son under the umbrella. In episode two, she held the umbrella, even leaving some parts of her shoulder exposed to rain, as long as Prince Gyeseong, her son, is protected.
Then, in the last episode, Prince Seongnam, one of her sons, took turns holding the umbrella for her, leaving some parts of his shoulder exposed to rain, as long as his Mom is protected. A symbol to portray that now it’s time for the children to protect their Mom.
In the end, this drama is too good to be skipped over. Breaking another stereotype that a historical drama would always be very traditional, boring and full of tension. Shuroop is a historical drama that’s so modern, serious and witty at the same time, with a sweet message to be reflected on. ❤️
References: https://www.umbrellaworkshop.com/umbrellas/5-unusual-ways-to-use-an-umbrella/
Picture sources: https://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_Under_the_Queen__s_Umbrella-picture_gallery.html?p=10
