Episodes 1 through 4 of The Remarried Empress were released on November 3. The romantic fantasy drama begins when Navier (Shin Min-ah), a seemingly perfect empress, is told she will be divorced by Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), who has fallen for Rashta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave. Rather than simply accepting the divorce, Navier demands permission to remarry Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk) of the Western Kingdom.
The series is based on the web novel and webtoon of the same name, which have accumulated 2.97 billion views worldwide. Shortly after its release, the drama topped Disney+’s Korean Top 10 series chart. However, audience reactions have been mixed, with some viewers expressing discomfort over the adaptation’s Western-inspired setting and overall atmosphere.
In particular, Ju Ji-hoon’s complexion has become a talking point online. Viewers have commented that his skin tone looks noticeably darker than those of the other cast members and that he appears somewhat tired. Some netizens wrote, “Ju Ji-hoon doesn’t look well,” “He looks like he has liver problems,” and “Someone should put a reflector on him. He’s supposed to be an emperor, after all.”
Comparisons with the original character have also continued. Some viewers felt that the emperor in the live-action adaptation looks older than his counterpart in the original work, expressing disappointment that the character was not given a somewhat younger appearance.
At a press conference for The Remarried Empress, Ju Ji-hoon previously acknowledged that Sovieshu was a character who had received considerable criticism from readers of the original story. He responded calmly, saying, “I’ve been in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years and have seen hundreds of thousands of comments. I’m mentally prepared. As long as you enjoy the series, that’s all that matters.”
Born in 1982, Ju Ji-hoon is 44 years old this year. A former model, he made his acting debut in the 2006 MBC drama Princess Hours and has since appeared in numerous productions.
Sources: Naver