the Goryeo era will always be superior to the Joseon era
Very true words @unit . I most certainly agree with you.

My one Saguek pick will be Queen Seondeok. One thing I like about sagueks is the political play that's playing out. The moves and all. It's in Queen Seondeok I first learnt about the horizontal and vertical division of the world(And I read up on it more). Watching Queen Seondeok was like taking a class on how to survive in a cutthroat world, how to not get absorbed in power trips. And teach me it did. Queen Seondeok was a flawless production for me, and I've seen similar productions come close to that or even match it. However, the lessons I took from it is a league of its own. Others have given me lessons, Queen Seondeok's stand out more prominent.

Honorable Mentions:
Bloody Heart
Iron Empress

hands down

100 days my prince

my first Saguek kdrama i ever completed watching

I'm team Six Flying Dragons, too!!! Everything @alathe and @solstices said plus:
-it follows a very interesting point in Korean history (the establishment of Joseon, in case anyone's curious)
-it manages to both tell a great story and an excellent character study of Lee Bang Won
-they say history is written by the winner, but it showed how history is just life happening to people and how we try to make the best decisions based on what we believe is right. And that there are no villains, just people with different ideologies and objectives.
-it explores gray areas beautifully and spotlights the characters' morality without judgement, therefore challenging the viewers'. I spent a lot of time trying to decide right or wrong in this show! It would make a great subject in an ethics class where the students could argue one side and then another for hours.

Intelligent, heartfelt, heart-rending -- excellent production all around. Aaaaaaaah this makes me want to rewatch, but I don't know if I have 50 hours to spend!

@dramaddictally, I’ll take the heat off you and have the pitchforks thrown at me instead. I did not enjoy SIX FLYING DRAGONS. Admittedly, it’s probably because at the time it aired, my Western centric brain knew practically nothing about Korean history and I was lost. But I do remember the high quality production, and another stellar performance by Yoo Ah In.
Since then, I have come to really enjoy the sageuks (and I’ve brushed up on Korean history) and there are so many good ones that makes this difficult.
I know I’m still not doing myself any favors here, but I’m going with MR QUEEN. I know, I know, it was not perfect, and it blended genres, but it captured my attention and my heart. I think because the palace politics and intrigue were tempered with humor. I find that helpful, no matter the genre. Of course it goes without saying that Shin Hye Sun’s performance was brilliant, and the chemistry between she and Kim Jung Hyun was off the charts.

I agree with all the love for Six Flying Dragons. Tight storytelling, despite the 50 episodes, with so many scenes that have stayed with me years later. Yoo Ah-in was fantastic and Byun Yo-han's singing still gives me goosebumps. Excellence from beginning to end.

fifty hours of my life, plus a significant portion of my soul — and, if asked, I’d do it all over again.

Ah me too, me too, @alathe. I was just thinking about SFD today so this came at a perfect time. (Then again, it's not a rare day for me to be thinking about SFD) :)

It's my choice too, though there are many I haven't gotten to yet! So appreciate all the picks here. God, I love a sageuk. Not sure I'd give an arm but I'd definitely give *something* for them to start making more of them in the realm of the epic ones listed here.

And MORE GORYEO!

I know I’ll love Nokdu Flower, and in fact I already started it, however the subject matter makes it hella depressing to watch, still it has such a superb cast and will undoubtedly be a favourite once I actually finish it.

For now I have to say The Princess’ Man, I watched this a long time ago, before finding out the male lead actor is a horrible person. Tho I can’t deny it was a gripping watch from beginning to end.

Honourable Mentions:

Under The Queen's Umbrella
Kim Hye-soo & Kim Hae-sook ‘nuff said

The Tale of Nokdu
It wasn’t tonally consistent but gosh darn did I love the martial art fight scenes! Also a big shout out to actually having a complex villain! Which has become something of a rarity in kdramaland recently.

A great performance by Kang Tae-oh, funny his image has been that of a soft boy when his performance of Cha Yool-moo was a ruthless but very compelling villain. Who I must say was still very darkly charming and charismatic. Maybe that’s the problem kdramaland has been having recently? Are they too scared to make their villains complex because that could humanise them and making them appealing?

my one and only one Saeguk is...
Jewel in the palace.. aka Dae Jang Geum.....
its drama that helped me during my hard times, it was the drama which gave me so much strength, taught me to be sef dependent, was my cying buddy... and so much more memories i have of him..

Oh gosh ok well Goblin came to mind first but that doesn't count as a sageuk so - Scarlet Heart Ryeo! Flawed yes but a gripping story with a fantastic cast big YES 😍

oh god oh god oh god.
MY TIME HAS COME.

As someone who's been watching kdrama's since a wee-babe... and grew up in a history-loving household... SAGEUK's were a must watch every week. One of my first k-dramas EVER was actually Taejo Wangun. ^^

my top faves:
1) Damo - a masterpiece in my book. the OST is still my favorite to this day. the only CD version OST I ever bought in my life too. LOL
the acting, the story, the directing, the cinematography (for its time) was just *chefs kiss*

2) DaeJangGeum - I still rewatch this once a year. Just for funsies. It's just such a classic and the food porn is top notch LOL

3) Tree With Deep Roots + Six Flying Dragons - I think this one is a no-brainer. But I absolutely love MooHyul in both versions <3

4) Jumong - I would religiously wait every Mon-Tues to watch this with my family. and yes we watched all 80+ episodes without skipping a SINGLE episode... #priorities LOL also, I never knew how invested I would be in the storyline with how to advance sword-making XD

Honorable Mentions:
Queen Seondok - Lady Misil is still hands down, the best villain ever. & Bidam was hot. LOL 'nuff said.

does... KINGDOM count? cuz it should :D
I could write a freaking essay just on that series LOL

OK i will scamper back into my drama hole now. heh

Six Flying Dragons will always be #1 in my heart.

Honorable mentions: Chuno, Bloody Heart, Bossam

The Princess’s Man, most definitely. I lived for this drama when it was airing, and it’s the only Kdrama I actually own on dvd. Yes, it had a lot of palace politics and talking hats sitting around plotting, but it did such a great job of making me invested in the outcome of the plotting and how it would impact the characters I cared about.

It left me with an appreciation for Moon Chae Won that still exists to this day, even though I honestly haven’t enjoyed many of her dramas since. I haven’t watched the drama in years, due to the ML ‘s disgrace, but it’s still the first Sageuk that came to mind for me.

So many great ones to choose from. I might think differently if I had been able to watch SIX FLYING DRAGONS but it just is not available.

So, among the many that I have watched one stands out for the sheer quality of its drama: KING OF TEARS: LEE BANG WON. This show is historical tragedy as Shakespeare would have written it if he were writing Kdramas (think HAMLET as an example of what I mean). To me this story of the founding of Joseon actually shows the reason why it was such a dead end as dynasties go- it was totally flawed from its very beginning. If other shows like THE RED SLEEVE CUFF show us anything it is that in Joseon everyone, up to and including the king himself, were like flies caught in the amber of Neo-Confucianism

QUEEN SEONDEOK is a great Pre-Goryeo drama that people should see - definitely another great one, as is Empress Ki (which is set in the final years of the Goryeo era- and with most of the story is actually in China).

I do hope that we will get more Goryeo and pre-Goryeo Sageuks (QUEEN SEONDEOK is set in Silla- she was one of three queens who actually ruled over that country- and her Astronomical Observatory still stands- the oldest observatory in all of Eastern Asia).

I don't think I can only pick one. I haven't seen enough of them to know which one is the best, and I have only the dimmest sense of historical accuracy most of the time. But OK, did beanies like My Country: The New Age with Yang Se Jong, Woo Do-Wan, Kim Seol-hyun and Jang Hyuk as the terrifying prince? A lot of heroism and a lot of suffering.

I don't know if I can just pick one, and there are so many I've still yet to see (Six Flying Dragons). When a Sageuk is good it somehow transcends all other dramas. I'm going cheat and go with two, Painter of the Wind and Return of Iljimae. Both older dramas yet both quite daring particularly in how they approach female roles and sexuality. The older dramas seem much more daring then the newer works. Both of these dramas when distilled are really about making/experiencing art which is why I think I am so partial to them. So many other great dramas have been mentioned including Chuno and Empress Ki. I'll add that Dong Yi has one of the most romantic scenes I have watched in all of dramaland. Just today I started a rewatch of Haechi because I was too tired to start a new drama---a very underwatched drama that has much depth. So many dramas to watch, so little time!!!

It hurts my heart to choose! But nothing can beat Six Flying Dragons. The moment the people lifted up Sambong and started to sing, I knew it would be a favorite. I was so moved, and it was such a powerful scene.

The actors did such a fantastic job, and every performance stood out. Every character was interesting >> Gil Tae Mi and Cheok Sa Gwang!!

And then the production! 50 episodes, more than twenty weeks of tuning in, and I never got bored. Every episode was well crafted. I think there was one episode in the middle that dragged, but that's all. Unbelievable quality!!

Runner Ups: Seven Day Queen! 100 Days My Prince. And among fusion, Mr Queen and Sungkyunkwan Scandal (though I can never rewatch it again).

If we’re talking straight up sageuk and not fusion then I can only pick Six Flying Dragons because….

It is the only one I have watched 😅 and even then not to completion because it left Netflix and became inconvenient to access. But the first half that I did see, I really enjoyed.

Sageuks is my favorite genre so this one is pretty hard. I got a lot of recommendations from the comments and I think I might be watching them soon as I am totally in the mood for watching a new Sageuk.
I will choose the one that kept me on the edge of my seat, Queen Love and War. Runner up is Bossam Steal the fate.

Other dramas I totally love
The King's Affection
Red Sleeve Cuff
Bloody Heart
Under The Queen's Umbrella
Empress Ki
Gu Family Book (if it counts)
Jang Ok-jung living in love
Moon Lovers
Hwarang
100 Days My Prince
Mr Sunshine
Nokdu Flower (It gave me a depression)
Flower Crew Joseon Marriage Agency (underrated)
Mr Queen

The Red Sleeve Cuff is such an easy pick for me and one of my favourite dramas all around.

DAE JANG GEUM
NOKDU FLOWER
THE PRINCESS'S MAN
FAITH
THE THREE MUSKETEERS

And my recent favorite SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR AND JOYI

Can't choose, sorry. I like that the prompt pick only one spurs me to look through my list more carefully and become more biased toward those I have loved 😆

I don't really like sageuks so when I watch them it's not strictly historical. Does Alchemy of Souls count? I'm torn between that and Gu Family Book. Leaning slightly more towards Alchemy of Souls though.

This is a post that's giving me serious FOMO. My sageuk allergy (*ducks from all pitchforks*) has meant that I've hardly watched any, and enjoyed even less. I guess I will have to try some of these again.

That said, I must mention BLOODY HEART from 2022 (and was - surprisingly - my kdrama of the year), which I enjoyed from start to finish, for Kang Hanna and Hang Hyuk (will ignore Lee Joon because he shouldn't have been there).

Warrior Baek Dong-Soo.
The plot was a hot mess, but the rest of it was so great that I don't even care.

my username might give it away, but logging in just to drop The Moon Embracing The Sun as one of the best

I've watched a lot of sageuks and I don't generally like Chinese dramas but the 70 episode Chinese historical drama The Legend of Yanxi Palace and the 87 episode Ruyi's Royal life in the Palace are my favorites. Both tell the story of a different Empress married to the same Emperor, Qianlong. They are both on Viki and both share great acting, cinematography, attention to historical accuracy, and story telling. Yanxi Palace is more comedic, Ruyi's Royal life more touching. Give either a chance -- you won't regret a single episode.

I haven't watched that many sageuks tbh, so for me there's nothing more powerful than the "muyiya" scene in Six Flying Dragons. Just iconic.

But Rookie Historian, Rebel and Mr Queen (don't know if we can call it a sageuk tho), are also favorites.

PS. I wonder what's my mom favorite sageuk. She's always talking about Dae Jang Geum and Faith, so one of those most be it. 🤔

There is a beanie who plans their year’s watch list by sageuk release dates and I picture them with a league table with key points of interest; the era and accuracy, story telling etc. I don’t think they have commented yet and I don’t know if that’s because they are rocking in a chair somewhere because of the stress of choosing just one.

I dislike sageuks because I hate tension inducing scenes (aka what makes a drama a drama) and sageuks seem to be palace politics personified 90% of the air time. I also hate betrayal, attacking the weak and second female leads who can’t read the room and just walk away gracefully. So that leaves me with the much lighter sageuks Mr Queen because the humour outweighs all the things I hate and has the squad going on a mission to find the King, Love in the moonlight because Bogummy 😊 Rookie historian strong female, 100 days my prince childhood connection that works.

Why only one >_< We all know that it's not possible !

I like sageuk but I have kinda issue with the length from the classic ones aka the authentic ones. There are a lot of characters too. But I always loved the part with the kids, those children actors are really great. I think it's why I really like the faction or fusion ones, they're shorter. I would be happy to get an authentic sageuk with 25 episodes and not 50. I really liked Six Flying Dragons or Nokdu Flower.

In faction sageuk, I really liked My Country.

In fusion sageuk, there are many but I will choose The King's Affection.

First of all I have to say that I have only watched these sageuks, all of them in 2022:

_ Rookie Historian (the first one I watched).
_ Queen Seon Deok.
_ The Nokdu Flower.

And there are other dramas I watched which are not pure sageuks as Live Up to your name, Rooftop Prince, My only love song or Splash Splash Love.

Now I'm halfway of Six Flying Dragons, Saimdang and finishing Secret Romantic Guesthouse (on air).

So... I pick Queen Seon Deok. I watched this on YouTube, segmented in lots of parts (few minutes each part), with subtitles a little bit delayed... And however I loved it to pieces and I finished its 62 episodes in three-four weeks.

Good acting, wonderful music, clever script (I had to take notes of my favorite dialogues and speeches)... and Bidam (Kim Nam Gil), who made me laugh, and cry, and get desperate, and admire him, and get mad with him, and definitely swoon over him. One of my favorite male characters in dramaland. Maybe the number 1.

Runner Up: The Nokdu Flower. So so good!! Another masterpiece.

I loved the Kings Affection. So much so I watched it twice. It was my very first Kdrama and I’ve been a mad consumer ever since. I sometimes get tired of the palace politics and the portrayal of helpless females in these types of dramas. I love seeing the everyday day stuff. How they grew things, sold things, the family dynamics what sort of buildings they lived in. How intelligent women survived these times without being poisoned or dealing with difficult marriages, high mortality rates and creating relationships with men who they have limited interactions with before marriage.
I also enjoyed the following so much that I’ve also watched twice:
100 days My Prince
Bossam Steal the fate
Faith the great doctor
Love in the moonlight
The Crowned Clown
My Sassy Girl

If you are talking about traditional sageuks, or better, straight up sageuks, then without question Six Flying Dragons. It is just superior in terms of script in my opinion, as it deals with profound themes, namely politics and philosophy, in a very nuanced and intelligent way. Add to that production quality and acting.
Second to me is Nokdu Flower. I learned a lot about that period of Korean history, which is not often depicted.
I haven't yet seen Dae Jang Geum ( Jewel in the Palace), which is on Viki but not available in my region. I have a feeling it would be on the top 3.
There are others I like for the crack factor, but among those tbh, none of them really stand out in terms of consistency or higher level of quality.
An often overlooked sageuk I really enjoyed was The return of Iljimae. It had a consistent melancholic tone, quite particular in fact, and a fantastic score and cinematography. And my favourite Jung Il Woo role to date (but I haven't watched Bossam). That said, I haven't re-watched it in a long time, so not sure how it holds up now - it's from 2009. I don't think it's easily available unfortunately.
Another overlooked sageuk and a personal favourite is an old daily (!), The King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang (2013). Centering on Baekje kingdom, I just loved the journey of Seo Hyun Jin's main female character.
Lastly, I quite liked was My country; although I hated the love story I fell for the tragic bromance.
Now I suppose I need to see The Red Sleeve...

When it comes to sageuk, my answer will always be @Kiara. 😊 Kiara knows what's up when sageuk is on the line.

After Kiara, then it will be Six Flying Dragons. Tree with Deep Roots is up there as well.

For a long time it was 100 Days My Prince for me - it was the first sageuk I watched, and only my second kdrama ever. Plus, DO’s eyebrows. And I really haven’t watched that many of them over the course of my drama career so far, but I was so captured by Our Blooming Youth recently. I can’t even explain what it is about that show, but there was something so addictive about it. I loved that the FL stood up to the ML (even though he’s the crown prince) immediately, repeatedly, and they both drew out the best in each other. I loved the crown prince’s trust issues, and how they were slowly broken down by the steady people around him. I loved the refusal by the show and the characters to accept superstitious explanations for things (even if the actual explanations got shaky toward the end). I loved the emphasis that history is easy to rewrite in favor of powerful people and the attempts to correct that. I loved the ambiguity of all the villagers who had been lied to, led astray, and exploited in their desperation, and the difficult emotions and conversations the other characters had regarding them. And I loved the slow-burn (and forbidden) romance that was sweet and sad and aching. It was my first Park Hyungsik drama, but it won’t be my last.

I am not a big fan of sageuks in general, since they are a bit too heavy for my taste. Sungkyunkwan Scandal, relatively lighthearted, was the one that really got me into this genre. The Moon Embracing the Sun was also a very good watch.

Time travel dramas are my thing though. Not sure they court here, but my favourite is Queen Inhyun's Man. Honourable mentions: Splash Splash Love (cute !) and Live up to your name.

Never would’ve thought that out of all the You Could Only Pick One, the Sageuk edition would be the easiest to answer! But i guess it makes sense cos it’s not my favorite genre so i haven’t watched a lot of it..

So my No 1 pick, without a doubt: Under The Queen’s Umbrella!

Another impossible choice to make. I love saeguks. Makes sense that I can't choose just one. Six Flying Dragons gets a lot of stars as does 100 Days My Prince. ( did I say I love D.O.?) I will just hands up all the comments and fail this task! Saeguks forever!

I absolutely love this genre! It offers me so much more than just entertainment. I've seen over a hundred sageuks, and I must say, it's hard to choose a favorite. Nonetheless, I want to thank you @quirkycase for showing NOKDU FLOWER (2019) some love! We all have different tastes when it comes to sageuks, but for me, this one takes the cake - at least among the ones that came out after 2019.

Honorable mentions: (2019-2023)
HAECHI

It's more sageuk fantasy epic, but Legend: Tae Wang Sa Sin Gi. It takes during the Goguryeo era. I haven't rewatched it, but it's one that had made the most impression on me. There hasn't been anything like it. I guess there probably shouldn't be anything like it because despite great ratings, the cost had put the PD into debt. Also the childhood section in that drama were played by Yoo Seung-ho (who was already impressive), Shim Eun kyung, and Park Eun-bin.

Rookie Historian also made a good impression on being not like other sageuks. It's serious, but chill at the same time. I would recommend this to folks who are tired of sageuks. Palace politics were refreshingly delivered.

I've also been very impressed by Hwang Jini. It was so enthrallingly beautiful and really centered on women and the gisaeng world. To be a gisaeng was really to become a master craftsman.

Six Flying Dragons has been on my list forever. I should really get to it!

The C-drama, "Nirvana In Fire"...no equal.

The moon that embraces the sun.
That was my first sageuk and it recked me! I had tears and was screaming at my pc lol. I was a wreck for weeks. Great cast.

Oooh, sageuks are what brought me to k-dramas in the first place so there are many I love, but the one show to rule them all is Six Flying Dragons. Others have already mentioned this, but what I loved was its refusal to be "easy". It never whitewashes the brutality of the history, but it also shows exactly why the characters make the choices that they do. It's one of the few works I've seen that dares to grapple honestly with both the benefits and costs of revolution, and it does it while juggling seven protagonists and a gazillion secondary characters. I could go on and on about the craft of the show - the way it slips in set ups that pay off hours down the line, the extraordinary ensemble cast, the music, the fight choregraphy - but it's ultimately its willingness to fully emotionally engage with both the hope and the horror of the characters and their choices that impressed me most. It also has some of the most amazing individual episodes I've ever seen (ep. 18, 25, 49 - and yes, I still remember the episode numbers 8 years later).