Dreaming of a swoony period romance that blends the palatial trappings of Bridgerton with high-fantasy magic and shape-shifting? Hulu’s The Remarried Empress may just become your next obsession.
Of course, for many fans worldwide, it already is. The new Korean series (streaming now) is based on a viral webtoon of the same name and follows Empress Navier as she finds love with a prince in the wake of her husband’s infidelity.
Bustle got an early peek at The Remarried Empress during a recent press trip to Seoul, where leads Shin Mina and Lee Seyoung — who play Navier and her husband’s mistress, Rashta — opened up about taking on the highly anticipated project at an explosive moment for romantasy.
For Lee, the genre’s popularity comes down to “curiosity, vicarious satisfaction, and the desire to experience something,” she says. “I think it really stimulates the imagination, and there’s a pleasure in satisfying that as you watch.”
As Shin puts it, “I think it may be because the original fantasy romance [stories] being loved right now are about self-determined women, which many female fans around the world relate to and want.”
Indeed, while the very premise of The Remarried Empress sets Navier and Rashta at odds, their stories both center on themes of female agency and self-preservation. Over the course of the series, viewers will watch their layers unfurl.
“When I read all the comments on the webtoon, I saw one that said, ‘Rashta craves Sovieshu’s love, and Sovieshu is her true love, but maybe she actually loved and admired Navier, and that’s why she tried to get close to her,’” Lee says. “Since I’m the one portraying her, I thought that could be possible, because Rashta is a girl who came in wanting to survive, wanting to be acknowledged and adored and to stay alive. So [my performance leaves] room for that.”
It wasn’t hard for Lee to play her character’s wonder at her new environs. “When we filmed the scenes of her wandering around and taking in the imperial palace, I felt the same wonder and joy as Rashta,” she says. “And even when we filmed on sets, the design, the interiors, the furniture, and the props were so beautiful and impressive that I filmed in a state of admiration, happy and amazed.”
After The Remarried Empress’ four-episode premiere on Nov. 4, two new episodes will drop on Wednesdays through Nov. 25.
