The Remarried Empress, a Korean romantic drama on Disney+, has earned a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and become the platform's most-watched local original premiere worldwide, based on viewing figures from its first three days.
Following its 3 November debut, the series topped Disney+'s Korean premiere rankings in more than 50 markets, including the UK, US, France, Spain and Canada. Four episodes are already available to stream.
A royal marriage unravels
The drama follows Empress Navier, whose life is upended when her husband, Emperor Sovieshu, brings another woman into their palace. Having helped him build a prosperous Eastern Empire, Navier must decide what her future looks like as their relationship unravels.
Rashta, a runaway slave, has caught the emperor's attention, while Navier draws interest from Prince Heinrey, a rival leader from the Western Kingdom.
The official synopsis explains: "But even as the threat of a broken future looms over her, Navier refuses to let her emotions sway her, and when Prince Heinrey, a rival leader of the Western Kingdom, shows interest in her, Navier will make a life-changing decision to rewrite her destiny."
Cast and release schedule
Shin Mina (Karma, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) stars as Empress Navier, Ju Jihoon (Light Shop, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call) as Emperor Sovieshu, Lee Jongsuk (Big Mouth) as Crown Prince Heinrey and Lee Seyoung (The Red Sleeve, The Crowned Clown) as escaped-slave Rashta.
Further episodes are due to arrive in pairs from 11 November, with the series concluding on 25 November, exclusively on Disney+. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
Fans call for more
Some viewers have already asked for a second series. One wrote: "Even though I've only seen the first 4 episodes, it is a blockbuster. I wish there were 50 more episodes. This is just too short for its dynamic story!"
Another praised the production and urged Disney+ to continue Navier and Heinrey's story: "I absolutely love The Remarried Empress! The storyline, characters, costumes and cinematography are incredible. I would genuinely love to see a second season, especially to explore more of Navier and Heinrey's life together."
Not everyone described it as understated, but that was part of the appeal for one fan: "Listen, it's cheesy. It's OTT. It's also fabulous. Some media properties just have a weirdly addictive quality."
The enthusiasm extends to IMDb, where one reviewer called it the "series of the year" and wrote: "This series is seriously so good! I'm loving every second of it!"
